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EXHIBIT 4.1
EXECUTION COPY
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THE GNI GROUP, INC.
SERIES A AND SERIES B
10-7/8% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2005
INDENTURE
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Dated as of July 28, 1998
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UNITED STATES TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK
Trustee
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*
Trust Indenture Act Section Indenture Section
310 (a)(1)................................................................................................7.10
(a)(2) ...................................................................................................7.10
(a)(3)....................................................................................................N.A.
(a)(4)....................................................................................................N.A.
(a)(5)....................................................................................................7.10
(i)(b)....................................................................................................7.10
(ii)(c)...................................................................................................N.A.
311(a)....................................................................................................7.11
(b).......................................................................................................7.11
(iii)(c)..................................................................................................N.A.
312 (a)...................................................................................................2.05
(b).......................................................................................................11.03
(iv)(c)...................................................................................................11.03
313(a)....................................................................................................7.06
(b)(1)....................................................................................................N.A.
(b)(2)....................................................................................................7.07
(v)(c)....................................................................................................7.06;
11.02
(vi)(d)...................................................................................................7.06
314(a)....................................................................................................4.03;
11.02
(A)(b)....................................................................................................N.A.
(c)(1)....................................................................................................11.04
(c)(2)....................................................................................................11.04
(c)(3)....................................................................................................N.A.
(d).......................................................................................................N.A.
(vii)(e)..................................................................................................11.05
(f).......................................................................................................N.A.
315 (a)...................................................................................................7.01
(b).......................................................................................................11.02
(A)(c)....................................................................................................7.01
(d).......................................................................................................7.01
(e).......................................................................................................6.11
316 (a)(last sentence)....................................................................................2.09
(a)(1)(A).................................................................................................6.05
(a)(1)(B).................................................................................................6.04
(a)(2)....................................................................................................N.A.
(b).......................................................................................................6.07
(B)(c)....................................................................................................2.12
317 (a)(1)................................................................................................6.08
(a)(2)....................................................................................................6.09
(b).......................................................................................................2.04
318 (a)...................................................................................................11.01
(b)...................................................................................................... N.A.
(c)...................................................................................................... 11.01
N.A. means not applicable.
*This Cross-Reference Table is not part of the Indenture.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
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ARTICLE 1. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE.............................................................1
SECTION 1.01. DEFINITIONS......................................................................................1
SECTION 1.02. OTHER DEFINITIONS................................................................................16
SECTION 1.03. TRUST INDENTURE ACT DEFINITIONS..................................................................17
SECTION 1.04. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION............................................................................17
ARTICLE 2. THE NOTES..............................................................................................18
SECTION 2.01. FORM AND DATING..................................................................................18
SECTION 2.02. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.....................................................................19
SECTION 2.03. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.......................................................................19
SECTION 2.04. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST..............................................................20
SECTION 2.05. HOLDER LISTS.....................................................................................20
SECTION 2.06. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE............................................................................20
SECTION 2.07. REPLACEMENT NOTES................................................................................32
SECTION 2.08. OUTSTANDING NOTES................................................................................32
SECTION 2.09. TREASURY NOTES...................................................................................32
SECTION 2.10. TEMPORARY NOTES..................................................................................32
SECTION 2.11. CANCELLATION.....................................................................................33
SECTION 2.12. DEFAULTED INTEREST...............................................................................33
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP NUMBERS....................................................................................33
ARTICLE 3. REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT..............................................................................33
SECTION 3.01. NOTICES TO TRUSTEE...............................................................................33
SECTION 3.02. SELECTION OF NOTES TO BE REDEEMED................................................................34
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SECTION 3.03. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.............................................................................34
SECTION 3.04. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION...................................................................35
SECTION 3.05. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE......................................................................35
SECTION 3.06. NOTES REDEEMED IN PART...........................................................................35
SECTION 3.07. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION..............................................................................35
SECTION 3.08. MANDATORY REDEMPTION.............................................................................36
SECTION 3.09. OFFER TO PURCHASE BY APPLICATION OF EXCESS PROCEEDS..............................................36
ARTICLE 4. COVENANTS..............................................................................................38
SECTION 4.01. PAYMENT OF NOTES.................................................................................38
SECTION 4.02. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY..................................................................38
SECTION 4.03. REPORTS..........................................................................................39
SECTION 4.04. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE...........................................................................39
SECTION 4.05. TAXES............................................................................................40
SECTION 4.06. STAY, EXTENSION AND USURY LAWS...................................................................40
SECTION 4.07. RESTRICTED PAYMENTS..............................................................................40
SECTION 4.08. DIVIDEND AND OTHER PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING SUBSIDIARIES...................................42
SECTION 4.09. INCURRENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS AND ISSUANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK.......................................43
SECTION 4.10. ASSET SALES......................................................................................45
SECTION 4.11. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES.....................................................................46
SECTION 4.12. LIENS............................................................................................47
SECTION 4.13. LINE OF BUSINESS.................................................................................47
SECTION 4.14. CORPORATE EXISTENCE..............................................................................47
SECTION 4.15. OFFER TO REPURCHASE UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL.......................................................47
SECTION 4.16. LIMITATION ON SALE AND LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS....................................................48
SECTION 4.17. LIMITATION ON ISSUANCES AND SALES OF EQUITY INTERESTS IN WHOLLY OWNED RESTRICTED
SUBSIDIARIES.............................................................................48
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SECTION 4.18. PAYMENTS FOR CONSENT.............................................................................49
SECTION 4.19. ADDITIONAL NOTE GUARANTEES.......................................................................49
ARTICLE 5. SUCCESSORS.............................................................................................50
SECTION 5.01. MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, OR SALE OF ASSETS.........................................................50
SECTION 5.02. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED................................................................50
ARTICLE 6. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES..................................................................................51
SECTION 6.01. EVENTS OF DEFAULT................................................................................51
SECTION 6.02. ACCELERATION.....................................................................................52
SECTION 6.03. OTHER REMEDIES...................................................................................53
SECTION 6.04. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS..........................................................................53
SECTION 6.05. CONTROL BY MAJORITY..............................................................................53
SECTION 6.06. LIMITATION ON SUITS..............................................................................53
SECTION 6.07. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES TO RECEIVE PAYMENT....................................................54
SECTION 6.08. COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.......................................................................54
SECTION 6.09. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.................................................................54
SECTION 6.10. PRIORITIES.......................................................................................55
SECTION 6.11. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS............................................................................55
ARTICLE 7. TRUSTEE................................................................................................55
SECTION 7.01. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE................................................................................55
SECTION 7.02. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE................................................................................56
SECTION 7.03. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.....................................................................57
SECTION 7.04. TRUSTEE'S DISCLAIMER.............................................................................57
SECTION 7.05. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS...............................................................................58
SECTION 7.06. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS OF THE NOTES.......................................................58
SECTION 7.07. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.......................................................................58
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SECTION 7.08. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE...........................................................................59
SECTION 7.09. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER, ETC.................................................................60
SECTION 7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION....................................................................60
SECTION 7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY................................................60
ARTICLE 8. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE...............................................................61
SECTION 8.01. OPTION TO EFFECT LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.........................................61
SECTION 8.02. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE...................................................................61
SECTION 8.03. COVENANT DEFEASANCE..............................................................................61
SECTION 8.04. CONDITIONS TO LEGAL OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.......................................................62
SECTION 8.05. DEPOSITED MONEY AND GOVERNMENT SECURITIES TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.................................................................63
SECTION 8.06. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY.............................................................................63
SECTION 8.07. REINSTATEMENT....................................................................................64
ARTICLE 9. AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER.......................................................................64
SECTION 9.01. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES..............................................................64
SECTION 9.02. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.................................................................65
SECTION 9.03. COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT..............................................................66
SECTION 9.04. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS................................................................66
SECTION 9.05. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF NOTES.................................................................67
SECTION 9.06. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC..................................................................67
ARTICLE 10. NOTE GUARANTEES.......................................................................................67
SECTION 10.01. GUARANTEE.......................................................................................67
SECTION 10.02. LIMITATION ON GUARANTOR LIABILITY...............................................................68
SECTION 10.03. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF NOTE GUARANTEE........................................................68
SECTION 10.04. GUARANTORS MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ON CERTAIN TERMS..............................................69
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SECTION 10.05. RELEASES FOLLOWING SALE OF ASSETS...............................................................70
ARTICLE 11. MISCELLANEOUS.........................................................................................70
SECTION 11.01. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS....................................................................70
SECTION 11.02. NOTICES.........................................................................................70
SECTION 11.03. COMMUNICATION BY HOLDERS OF NOTES WITH OTHER HOLDERS OF NOTES...................................72
SECTION 11.04. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT..............................................73
SECTION 11.05. STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION...................................................73
SECTION 11.06. RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS.....................................................................73
SECTION 11.07. NO PERSONAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND STOCKHOLDERS........................73
SECTION 11.08. GOVERNING LAW...................................................................................74
SECTION 11.09. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS...................................................74
SECTION 11.10. SUCCESSORS......................................................................................74
SECTION 11.11. SEVERABILITY....................................................................................74
SECTION 11.12. COUNTERPART ORIGINALS...........................................................................74
SECTION 11.13. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC................................................................74
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A FORM OF NOTE
Exhibit B FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER
Exhibit C FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE
Exhibit D FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF ACQUIRING INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR
Exhibit E FORM OF NOTE GUARANTEE
Exhibit F FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
SCHEDULE I
Schedule I SCHEDULE OF GUARANTORS
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INDENTURE dated as of July 28, 1998 among The GNI Group, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), each of the Guarantors (as defined) and
United States Trust Company of New York, as trustee (the "Trustee").
The Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows
for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the
Holders of the 10-7/8% Series A Senior Notes due 2005 (the "Series A Notes") and
the 10-7/8% Series B Senior Notes due 2005 (the "Series B Notes" and, together
with the Series A Notes, the "Notes"):
ARTICLE 1.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. DEFINITIONS.
"144A GLOBAL NOTE" means a global note in the form of Exhibit
A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and
deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or
its nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding
principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A.
"ACQUIRED DEBT" means, with respect to any specified Person,
(i) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is
merged with or into or became a Restricted Subsidiary of such specified Person,
including, without limitation, Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in
contemplation of, such other Person merging with or into or becoming a
Restricted Subsidiary of such specified Person, and (ii) Indebtedness secured by
a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.
"AFFILIATE" of any specified Person means any other Person
directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect
common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition,
"control" (including, with correlative meanings, the terms "controlling,"
"controlled by" and "under common control with"), as used with respect to any
Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.
"AGENT" means any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-registrar.
"APPLICABLE PROCEDURES" means, with respect to any transfer or
exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and
procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Cedel that apply to such transfer or
exchange.
"ASSET SALE" means (i) the sale, lease, conveyance or other
disposition of any assets or rights (including, without limitation, by way of a
sale and leaseback) other than sales of inventory in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practices (provided that the sale, lease,
conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole shall be governed by Section 4.15
hereof and/or Section 5.01 hereof and not by Section 4.10 hereof), and (ii) the
issue or sale by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Equity
Interests of any of the Company's Subsidiaries (other than director's qualifying
shares), in the case of either clause (i) or (ii), whether in a single
transaction or a series of related transactions (a) that have a fair market
value in excess
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of $1.0 million or (b) for net proceeds in excess of $1.0 million.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following items shall not be deemed to be
Asset Sales: (i) a transfer of assets by the Company to a Restricted Subsidiary
or by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to another Restricted
Subsidiary, (ii) an issuance of Equity Interests by a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary to the Company or to another Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary, and
(iii) a Restricted Payment that is permitted by Section 4.07 hereof.
"ATTRIBUTABLE DEBT" in respect of a sale and leaseback
transaction means, at the time of determination, the present value (discounted
at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, determined in accordance
with GAAP) of the obligation of the lessee for net rental payments during the
remaining term of the lease included in such sale and leaseback transaction
(including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the
option of the lessor, be extended).
"BANKRUPTCY LAW" means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar
federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
"BOARD OF DIRECTORS" means the Board of Directors of the
Company, or any authorized committee of the Board of Directors.
"BOARD RESOLUTION" means, with respect to any Person, a copy
of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of such
Person to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of such Person and to
be in full force and effect on the date of such certification.
"BROKER-DEALER" means any broker or dealer registered under
the Exchange Act.
"BUSINESS DAY" means any day other than a Legal Holiday.
"CAPITAL LEASE OBLIGATION" means, at the time any
determination thereof is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a
capital lease that would at such time be required to be capitalized on a balance
sheet in accordance with GAAP.
"CAPITAL STOCK" means (i) in the case of a corporation,
corporate stock, (ii) in the case of an association or business entity, any and
all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however
designated) of corporate stock, (iii) in the case of a partnership or limited
liability company, partnership or membership interests (whether general or
limited) and (iv) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person
the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of
assets of, the issuing Person.
"CASH EQUIVALENTS" means (i) United States dollars, (ii)
securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United
States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof (provided that the
full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof) having
maturities of not more than six months from the date of acquisition, (iii)
certificates of deposit and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of one year
or less from the date of acquisition, bankers' acceptances with maturities not
exceeding one year and overnight bank deposits, in each case with any lender
party to the Revolving Credit Facility or with any domestic commercial bank
having capital and surplus in excess of $300 million, (iv) repurchase
obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of
the types described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above entered into with any
financial institution meeting the
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qualifications specified in clause (iii) above, (v) commercial paper having the
highest rating obtainable from Xxxxx'x Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P") and in each case maturing within one
year after the date of acquisition, (vi) investment funds at least 95% of the
assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses
(i) - (v) of this definition and (vii) readily marketable direct obligations
issued by any state of the United States of America or any political subdivision
thereof having one of the two highest rating categories obtainable from either
Moody's or S&P.
"CEDEL" means Cedel Bank, S.A.
"CHANGE OF CONTROL" means the occurrence of any of the
following: (i) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other
than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related
transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any "person" (as such term is used
in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than a Principal or a Permitted
Transferee of a Principal (as defined below), (ii) the adoption of a plan
relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, (iii) the
consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or
consolidation) the result of which is that any "person" (as defined above),
other than the Principals and their Permitted Transferees, becomes the
"beneficial owner" (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under
the Exchange Act, except that a person shall be deemed to have "beneficial
ownership" of all securities that such person has the right to acquire, whether
such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence
of a subsequent condition), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the
Voting Stock of the Company (measured by voting power rather than number of
shares), (iv) the consummation of the first transaction (including, without
limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any
"person" (as defined above) becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined above),
directly or indirectly, of at least 40% of, as well as more, of the Voting Stock
of the Company (measured by voting power rather than number of shares) than is
at the time "beneficially owned" (as defined above) by the Principals and their
Permitted Transferees in the aggregate or (v) the first day on which a majority
of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company are not Continuing
Directors.
"CITICORP" means Citicorp, a Delaware corporation.
"COMPANY" means The GNI Group, Inc., and any and all
successors thereto.
"CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW" means, with respect to any Person for
any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus (i)
an amount equal to any extraordinary loss plus any net loss realized in
connection with an Asset Sale (to the extent such losses were deducted in
computing such Consolidated Net Income), plus (ii) provision for taxes based on
income or profits of such Person and its Subsidiaries for such period, to the
extent that such provision for taxes was included in computing such Consolidated
Net Income, plus (iii) consolidated interest expense of such Person and its
Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued and whether or not
capitalized (including, without limitation, amortization of debt issuance costs
and original issue discount, non-cash interest payments, the interest component
of any deferred payment obligations, the interest component of all payments
associated with Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with respect to
Attributable Debt, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in
respect of letter of credit or bankers' acceptance financings, and net payments
(if any) pursuant to Hedging Obligations), to the extent that any such expense
was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income, plus (iv) depreciation,
amortization (including amortization of
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goodwill and other intangibles but excluding amortization of prepaid cash
expenses that were paid in a prior period) and other non-cash expenses
(excluding any such non-cash expense to the extent that it represents an accrual
of or reserve for cash expenses in any future period or amortization of a
prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period) of such Person and its
Subsidiaries for such period to the extent that such depreciation, amortization
and other non-cash expenses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net
Income, minus (v) non-cash items increasing such Consolidated Net Income for
such period, in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance
with GAAP. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provision for taxes on the income
or profits of, and the depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses
of, a Subsidiary of the referent Person shall be added to Consolidated Net
Income to compute Consolidated Cash Flow only to the extent that a corresponding
amount would be permitted at the date of determination to be dividended to the
Company by such Subsidiary without prior governmental approval (that has not
been obtained), and without direct or indirect restriction pursuant to the terms
of its charter and all agreements, instruments, judgments, decrees, orders,
statutes, rules and governmental regulations applicable to that Subsidiary or
its stockholders.
"CONSOLIDATED NET INCOME" means, with respect to any Person
for any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such Person and its
Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance
with GAAP; provided that (i) the Net Income (but not loss) of any Person that is
not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of
accounting shall be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or
distributions paid in cash to the referent Person or a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary thereof that is a Guarantor, (ii) the Net Income of any Subsidiary
shall be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or
similar distributions by that Subsidiary of that Net Income is not at the date
of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval (that has not
been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by operation of the terms of its
charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or
governmental regulation applicable to that Subsidiary or its stockholders, (iii)
the Net Income of any Person acquired in a pooling of interests transaction for
any period prior to the date of such acquisition shall be excluded; (iv) the
cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles shall be excluded and (v)
the Net Income (but not loss) of any Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be excluded,
whether or not distributed to the Company or one of its Subsidiaries.
"CONTINUING DIRECTORS" means, as of any date of determination,
any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who (i) was a member of such
Board of Directors immediately following the Merger on the date of this
Indenture or (ii) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of
Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were
members of such Board at the time of such nomination or election.
"CORPORATE TRUST OFFICE OF THE TRUSTEE" shall be at the
address of the Trustee specified in Section 11.02 hereof or such other address
as to which the Trustee may give notice to the Company.
"CREDIT FACILITIES" means, with respect to the Company, one or
more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Revolving Credit
Facility and the WMX Letter of Credit) or commercial paper facilities with banks
or other institutional lenders providing for revolving credit loans, term loans,
receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders
or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such
receivables) or letters of credit, in each case, as amended, restated, modified,
renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time.
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Indebtedness under the Revolving Credit Facility and the WMX Letter of Credit
outstanding on the date on which Notes are first issued and authenticated under
this Indenture shall be deemed to have been incurred on such date in reliance on
the exceptions provided by clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, of the definition
of Permitted Debt.
"CUSTODIAN" means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to
the Notes in global form, or any successor entity thereto.
"DEFAULT" means any event that is or with the passage of time
or the giving of notice or both would be an Event of Default.
"DEFINITIVE NOTE" means a certificated Note registered in the
name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06 hereof, in
the form of Exhibit A hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global
Note Legend and shall not have the "Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the
Global Note" attached thereto.
"DEPOSITARY" means, with respect to the Notes issuable or
issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.03
hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors
thereto appointed as depositary hereunder and having become such pursuant to the
applicable provision of this Indenture.
"DISQUALIFIED STOCK" means any Capital Stock that, by its
terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for
which it is exchangeable, at the option of the holder thereof), or upon the
happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a
sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder
thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the
date on which the Notes mature; provided, however, that any Capital Stock that
would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders thereof have the
right to require the Company to repurchase such Capital Stock upon the
occurrence of a Change of Control or an Asset Sale shall not constitute
Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company
may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions
unless such repurchase or redemption complies with Section 4.07 hereof.
"EQUITY INTERESTS" means Capital Stock and all warrants,
options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt
security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).
"EUROCLEAR" means Xxxxxx Guaranty Trust Company of New York,
Brussels office, as operator of the Euroclear system.
"EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
"EXCHANGE NOTES" means the Notes issued in the Exchange Offer
pursuant to Section 2.06(f) hereof.
"EXCHANGE OFFER" has the meaning set forth in the Registration
Rights Agreement.
"EXCHANGE OFFER REGISTRATION STATEMENT" has the meaning set
forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.
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"EXISTING INDEBTEDNESS" means up to $1.5 million in aggregate
principal amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
(other than Indebtedness under the Revolving Credit Facility) in existence on
the date of this Indenture, represented by unmatured reimbursement obligations
in respect of the WMX Letter of Credit.
"FIXED CHARGES" means, with respect to any Person for any
period, the sum, without duplication, of (i) the consolidated interest expense
of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or
accrued (including, without limitation, amortization of debt issuance costs and
original issue discount, non-cash interest payments, the interest component of
any deferred payment obligations, the interest component of all payments
associated with Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with respect to
Attributable Debt, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in
respect of letter of credit or bankers' acceptance financings, and net payments
(if any) pursuant to Hedging Obligations) and (ii) the consolidated interest of
such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such
period, and (iii) any interest expense on Indebtedness of another Person that is
Guaranteed by such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a
Lien on assets of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries (whether or
not such Guarantee or Lien is called upon) and (iv) the product of (a) all
dividend payments, whether or not in cash, on any series of preferred stock of
such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than dividend payments
on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the Company (other
than Disqualified Stock) or to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the
Company, times (b) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator
of which is one minus the then current combined federal, state and local
statutory tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal, in each case, on a
consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP.
"FIXED CHARGE COVERAGE RATIO" means with respect to any Person
for any period, the ratio of the Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for such
period to the Fixed Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that
the referent Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurs, assumes,
Guarantees, prepays or redeems any Indebtedness (other than revolving credit
borrowings) or issues or redeems preferred stock subsequent to the commencement
of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is being calculated but
prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Fixed
Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the "Calculation Date"), then the Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence,
assumption, Guarantee, prepayment or redemption of Indebtedness, or such
issuance or redemption of preferred stock, as if the same had occurred at the
beginning of the applicable four-quarter reference period. In addition, for
purposes of making the computation referred to above, (i) Investments,
acquisitions, dispositions, mergers and consolidations that have been made by
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including any related
financing transactions, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent
to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date shall be deemed
to have occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period and
Consolidated Cash Flow for such reference period shall be calculated without
giving effect to clause (iii) of the proviso set forth in the definition of
Consolidated Net Income, and (ii) the Consolidated Cash Flow attributable to
discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations
or businesses disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, shall be excluded, and
(iii) the Fixed Charges attributable to discontinued operations, as determined
in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses disposed of prior to the
Calculation Date, shall be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations
giving rise to such Fixed Charges will not be obligations of the referent Person
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date.
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"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles set
forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and
pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other
statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment
of the accounting profession, which are in effect on the date of this Indenture.
All ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this Indenture shall be
computed in conformity with GAAP as in effect on the date of this Indenture.
"GLOBAL NOTES" means, individually and collectively, each of
the Restricted Global Notes and the Unrestricted Global Notes, in the form of
Exhibit A hereto issued in accordance with Section 2.01, 2.06(a), 2.06(b)(iv),
2.06(d)(ii) or (iii) or 2.06(f) hereof.
"GLOBAL NOTE LEGEND" means the legend set forth in Section
2.06(g)(ii), which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under
this Indenture.
"GOVERNMENT SECURITIES" means direct obligations of, or
obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for
which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.
"GUARANTEE" means a guarantee (other than by endorsement of
negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business),
direct or indirect, in any manner (including, without limitation, by way of a
pledge of assets or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in
respect thereof), of all or any part of any Indebtedness.
"GUARANTORS" means each of (i) Gulf Nuclear of Louisiana,
Inc., a Delaware corporation, GNI Chemicals Corporation, a Delaware corporation,
Disposal Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Resource Transportation
Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Disposal Systems of Corpus Christi,
Inc., a Delaware corporation, and (ii) any other subsidiary that executes a Note
Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, and their
respective successors and assigns.
"HEDGING OBLIGATIONS" means, with respect to any Person, the
obligations of such Person under (i) interest rate swap agreements, interest
rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements and (ii) other
agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations
in interest rates.
"HOLDER" means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.
"IAI GLOBAL NOTE" means the Global Note in the form of Exhibit
A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and
deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or
its nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding
principal amount of the Notes sold to Institutional Accredited Investors.
"INDEBTEDNESS" means, with respect to any Person (without
duplication), (i) any indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent, in
respect of borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar
instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect
thereof) or banker's acceptances or representing Capital Lease Obligations or
the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property, which
purchase price is due more than three months after the date of placing such
property in service or taking delivery thereof, or representing any Hedging
Obligations, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or
trade payable, if and to the
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extent any of the foregoing (other than letters of credit and Hedging
Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person
prepared in accordance with GAAP, Indebtedness under clause (i) of others
secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person (whether or not such Indebtedness
is assumed by such Person) and, (iii) to the extent not otherwise included, the
Guarantee by such Person of any Indebtedness under clause (i) of any other
Person; provided, however, that Indebtedness shall not include (a) obligations
of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries arising from agreements of
the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary providing for indemnification, adjustment
of purchase price or similar obligations, in each case, incurred or assumed in
connection with the disposition of any business, assets or a Subsidiary, other
than guarantees of Indebtedness incurred by any Person acquiring all or any
portion of such business, assets or a Subsidiary for the purpose of financing
such acquisition; provided, however, that (x) such obligations are not reflected
on the balance sheet of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (contingent
obligations referred to in a footnote to financial statements and not otherwise
reflected on the balance sheet shall not be deemed to be reflected on such
balance sheet for purposes of this clause (x)) and (y) the maximum assumable
liability in respect of all such obligations shall at no time exceed the gross
proceeds including noncash proceeds (the fair market value of such noncash
proceeds being measured at the time received and without giving effect to any
subsequent changes in value) actually received by the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries in connection with such disposition; or (b) obligations in respect
of performance and surety bonds and completion guarantees provided by the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business. The
amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall be (i) the accreted
value thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness that does not require current
payments of interest, and (ii) the principal amount thereof in the case of any
other Indebtedness. The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date
shall be (i) the accreted value thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness issued
with original issue discount, and (ii) the principal amount thereof, together
with any interest thereon that is more than 30 days past due, in the case of any
other Indebtedness.
"Indenture" means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented
from time to time.
"Indirect Participant" means a Person who holds a beneficial
interest in a Global Note through a Participant.
"Institutional Accredited Investor" means an institution that
is an "accredited investor" as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under
the Securities Act, who are not also QIBs.
"Investments" means, with respect to any Person, all
investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms
of direct or indirect loans (including Guarantees of Indebtedness or other
obligations), advances or capital contributions (excluding commission, travel
and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of
business), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness,
Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items that are or would
be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with
GAAP. If the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company sells or
otherwise disposes of any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company such that, after giving effect to any such sale or
disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company,
the Company shall be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such
sale or disposition equal to the fair market value of the Equity Interests of
such Subsidiary not sold or disposed of in an amount determined as provided in
the final paragraph of Section 4.07 hereof.
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"Legal Holiday" means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which
banking institutions in the City of New York or at a place of payment are
authorized by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed. If a payment
date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place
on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall
accrue on such payment for the intervening period.
"Letter of Transmittal" means the letter of transmittal to be
prepared by the Company and sent to all Holders of the Notes for use by such
Holders in connection with the Exchange Offer.
"Lien" means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien,
pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such
asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable
law (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any
lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a
security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any financing
statement); provided that in no event shall an operating lease entered into by
the Company in the ordinary course of business constitute a Lien.
"Liquidated Damages" means all liquidated damages then owing
pursuant to Section 5 of the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Management Investors" means the officers and employees of the
Company or a Subsidiary of the Company who acquire Equity Interests of the
Company on or after the date of this Indenture and any of their Permitted
Transferees.
"Merger" means the merger and the transactions ancillary
thereto on the date of this Indenture pursuant to the Merger Agreement as
described in the Offering Memorandum, dated July 23, 1998, pertaining to the
Notes.
"Merger Agreement" means that certain agreement and plan of
merger, dated as of February 12, 1998 between the Company and Green I
Acquisition Corp. as amended by the First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of
Merger Between Green I Acquisition Corp. and the Company, dated as of June 17,
1998.
"Net Income" means, with respect to any Person, the net income
(loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any
reduction in respect of preferred stock dividends, excluding, however, (i) any
gain (but not loss), together with any related provision for taxes on such gain
(but not loss), realized in connection with (a) any Asset Sale (including,
without limitation, dispositions pursuant to sale and leaseback transactions) or
(b) the disposition of any securities by such Person or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries or the extinguishment of any Indebtedness of such Person or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries and (ii) any extraordinary or nonrecurring gain (but
not loss), together with any related provision for taxes on such extraordinary
or nonrecurring gain (but not loss).
"Net Proceeds" means the aggregate cash proceeds received by
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale
(including, without limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other
disposition of any non-cash consideration received in any Asset Sale), net of
the direct costs relating to such Asset Sale (including, without limitation,
legal, accounting and investment banking fees, and sales commissions) and any
relocation expenses incurred as a result thereof, taxes paid or payable as a
result thereof (after taking into account any available tax credits or
deductions and any tax sharing
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arrangements), amounts required to be applied to the repayment of Indebtedness
(other than revolving credit Indebtedness) secured by a Lien on the asset or
assets that were the subject of such Asset Sale and any reserve for adjustment
in respect of the sale price of such asset or assets established in accordance
with GAAP.
"Non-Recourse Debt" means Indebtedness (i) as to which neither
the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (a) provides credit support
of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument that would
constitute Indebtedness), (b) is directly or indirectly liable (as a guarantor
or otherwise), or (c) constitutes the lender; and (ii) no default with respect
to which (including any rights that the holders thereof may have to take
enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would permit (upon
notice, lapse of time or both) any holder of any other Indebtedness (other than
the Notes issued pursuant hereto) of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries to declare a default on such other Indebtedness or cause the
payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its stated maturity; and
(iii) as to which the lenders have been notified in writing that they shall not
have any recourse to the stock or assets of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries.
"Non-U.S. Person" means a Person who is not a U.S. Person.
"Note Custodian" means any Person authorized by DTC or its
nominee to act as a custodian of and to hold any Global Note on behalf of DTC or
its nominee.
"Note Guarantee" means the Guarantee by each Guarantor of the
Company's payment obligations under this Indenture and the Notes, executed
pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture.
"Notes" has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this
Indenture.
"Obligations" means any principal, interest, penalties, fees,
indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under
the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
"Offering" means the offering of the Notes by the Company.
"Officer" means, with respect to any Person, the Chairman of
the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating
Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer,
the Controller, the Secretary or any Vice-President of such Person.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed on behalf
of the Company by two Officers of the Company, one of whom must be the principal
executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or the
principal accounting officer of the Company, that meets the requirements of
Section 11.05 hereof.
"Opinion of Counsel" means an opinion from legal counsel who
is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements of Section
11.05 hereof. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company or the Trustee.
"Pari Passu Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness of the
Company that ranks pari passu in right of payment (whether secured or unsecured)
with the Notes.
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"Participant" means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear
or Cedel, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Cedel,
respectively (and, with respect to The Depository Trust Company, shall include
Euroclear and Cedel).
"Participating Broker-Dealer" means any Broker-Dealer that
holds Series B Notes that were acquired in the Registration Exchange Offer in
exchange for 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).
"Permitted Business" means any business of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries as of the date of this Indenture, and any other business
reasonably related thereto.
"Permitted Investments" means (a) any Investment in the
Company or in a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor; (b) any
Investment in Cash Equivalents; (c) any Investment by the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company in a Person if as a result of such Investment (i) such
Person becomes a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary and a Guarantor or (ii) such
Person is merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or transfers or
conveys substantially all of its assets to, or is liquidated into, the Company
or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is a Guarantor; (d)
any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an
Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.10 hereof
or in connection with any other disposition of assets not constituting an Asset
Sale; (e) any acquisition of assets solely in exchange for the issuance of
Equity Interests of the Company; and (f) loans or advances to employees (or
guarantees of third party loans to employees) in the ordinary course of
business; (g) stock obligations or securities received in satisfaction of
judgments or settlement of debts in the ordinary course of business; (h)
receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, if created or
acquired in the ordinary course of business and payable or dischargeable in
accordance with customary trade terms (including such concessionary terms as the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary deems reasonable); (i) an Investment
existing on the date of this Indenture; (j) Hedging Obligations otherwise
permitted under this Indenture; (k) any transaction to the extent it constitutes
an Investment that is permitted and made in accordance with the provisions of
clause (vi) of Section 4.11 hereof; and (l) additional Investments having an
aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Investments made
pursuant to this clause (l) that are at that time outstanding, not to exceed
5.0% of Total Assets at the time of such Investment (with the fair market value
of each Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to
subsequent changes in value).
"Permitted Liens" means (i) Liens on assets (including
Subsidiary Capital Stock and inventory) securing Indebtedness permitted by
clause (i) of the second paragraph of Section 4.09 hereof; (ii) Liens in favor
of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; (iii) Liens to secure the
performance of bids, statutory obligations, surety or appeal bonds, performance
bonds or other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of
business; (iv) Liens on property of a Person existing at the time such Person is
merged into or consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the
Company; PROVIDED that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation
of such merger or consolidation and do not extend to any assets other than those
of the Person merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary, as the case may be; (v) Liens on property existing at the time of
acquisition thereof by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company,
PROVIDED that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation of such
acquisition; (vi) Liens to secure Indebtedness (including Capital Lease
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Obligations) permitted by clause (iv) of the second paragraph of Section 4.09
hereof covering only the assets acquired with such Indebtedness; (vi) Liens
existing on the date of this Indenture; (vii) Liens for taxes, assessments or
governmental charges or claims that are not yet delinquent or that are being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and
diligently concluded, PROVIDED that any reserve or other appropriate provision
as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made therefor;
(viii) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company with respect to obligations that do not exceed $5.0
million at any one time outstanding and that (a) are not incurred in connection
with the borrowing of money or the obtaining of advances or credit (other than
trade credit in the ordinary course of business) and (b) do not in the aggregate
materially detract from the value of the property or materially impair the use
thereof in the operation of business by the Company or such Subsidiary; (ix)
Liens on assets of Unrestricted Subsidiaries that secure Non-Recourse Debt of
Unrestricted Subsidiaries; (x) carriers', warehousemen's mechanics', landlords',
materialmen's, repairmen's or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of
business in respect of obligations that are not yet due or that are bonded or
that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if
adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, in accordance with
GAAP; (xi) pledges or deposits in connection with workmen's compensation,
unemployment insurance and other social security legislation; (xii) easements
(including reciprocal easement agreements), rights-of-way, building, zoning and
similar restrictions, utility agreements, covenants, reservations, restrictions,
encroachments, changes, and other similar encumbrances or title defects
incurred, or leases or subleases granted to others, in the ordinary course of
business, that do not in the aggregate materially detract from the aggregate
value of the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
or in the aggregate materially interfere with or adversely affect in any
material respect the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries on the properties subject thereto, taken as a whole; (xiii) Liens
on goods (and the proceeds thereof) and documents of title and the property
covered thereby securing Indebtedness in respect of commercial letters of
credit; (xiv) (a) mortgages, liens, security interests, restrictions,
encumbrances or any other matters of record that have been placed by any
developer, landlord or other third party on property over which the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company has easement rights or on any real
property leased by the Company on the date of this Indenture and subordination
or similar agreements relating thereto and (b) any condemnation or eminent
domain proceedings affecting any real property; (xvi) leases or subleases to
third parties; (xv) Liens in connection with workmen's compensation obligations
and general liability exposure of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(xvi) Liens arising by reason of a judgment, decree or court order, to the
extent not otherwise resulting an Event of Default; (xvii) Liens securing
Hedging Obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business; (xviii)
without limitation of clause (i), Liens securing Refinancing Indebtedness
permitted to be incurred under this Indenture or amendments or renewals of Liens
that were permitted to be incurred, provided, in each case, that such Liens do
not extend to an additional property or asset; and (xix) Liens that secure
Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company, provided such Liens do not extend to any property or
asset of any other Restricted Subsidiary or the Company.
"Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness of
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries issued in exchange for, or the
net proceeds of which are used to extend, refinance, renew, replace, defease or
refund other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than
intercompany Indebtedness); PROVIDED that: (i) the principal amount (or accreted
value, if applicable) of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed
the principal amount of (or accreted value, if applicable), plus accrued
interest on, the Indebtedness so extended, refinanced, renewed,
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replaced, defeased or refunded (plus the amount of reasonable expenses incurred
in connection therewith); (ii) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a
final maturity date later than the final maturity date of, and has a Weighted
Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to
Maturity of, the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced,
defeased or refunded; (iii) if the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced,
renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded is subordinated in right of payment to
the Notes, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a final maturity date
later than the final maturity date of, and is subordinated in right of payment
to, the Notes on terms at least as favorable to the Holders of Notes as those
contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being extended,
refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded; and (iv) such Indebtedness
is incurred either by the Company or by the Restricted Subsidiary who is the
obligor on the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced,
defeased or refunded.
"Permitted Transferee" means (a) with respect to 399 Venture
Partners, Inc., (i) Citicorp, any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
Citicorp, and any officer, director or employee of 399 Venture Partners, Inc.,
Citicorp or any wholly owned subsidiary of Citicorp, (ii) any spouse or lineal
descendant (including by adoption and stepchildren) of the officers, directors
and employees referred to in clause (a)(i) above, (iii) any trust, corporation
or partnership 100% in interest of the beneficiaries, stockholders or partners
of which consists of one or more of the Persons described in clause (a)(i) or
(ii) above; (b) with respect to any Management Investor, (i) any spouse or
lineal descendant (including by adoption and stepchildren) of such officer or
employee and (ii) any trust, corporation or partnership 100% in interest of the
beneficiaries, stockholders or partners of which consists of such officer or
employee, any of the Persons described in clause (b)(i) above or any combination
thereof; or (c) with respect to the Company, any Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership,
limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company,
trust, unincorporated organization or government or agency or political
subdivision thereof (including any subdivision or ongoing business of any such
entity or substantially all of the assets of any such entity, subdivision or
business).
"Principals" means 399 Venture Partners, Inc., Xx. Xxxx X
Xxxx, Xx., Xx. Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, III, Xx. Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx and any other officer
of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company that acquires Equity Interests of
the Company on or after the date of this Indenture.
"Private Placement Legend" means the legend set forth in
Section 2.06(g)(i) to be placed on all Notes issued under this Indenture except
where otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Indenture.
"Public Equity Offering" means a public offering of Equity
Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company.
"QIB" means a "qualified institutional buyer" as defined in
Rule 144A.
"Registration Rights Agreement" means the Registration Rights
Agreement, dated as of July 28, 1998, by and among the Company, the Guarantors
and the other party named on the signature pages thereof, as such agreement may
be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
"Regulation S" means Regulation S promulgated under the
Securities Act.
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"Regulation S Global Note" means a Global Note bearing the
Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of the Depositary and
registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a
denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes initially
sold in reliance on Rule 903 of Regulation S.
"Responsible Officer," when used with respect to the Trustee,
means any officer within the Corporate Trust Administration of the Trustee (or
any successor group of the Trustee) with direct responsibility for the
administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular
corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred
because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"Restricted Definitive Note" means a Definitive Note bearing
the Private Placement Legend.
"Restricted Global Note" means a Global Note bearing the
Private Placement Legend.
"Restricted Investment" means any Investment other than a
Permitted Investment.
"Restricted Subsidiary" of a Person means any Subsidiary of
the referent Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
"Revolving Credit Facility" means that certain Credit
Facility, dated as of July 28, 1998, by and among the Company, the Guarantors
and NationsBank N.A., providing for up to $12.0 million of revolving credit
borrowings and letters of credit including any related notes, guarantees,
collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection
therewith, and in each case as amended, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or
refinanced from time to time.
"Rule 144" means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities
Act.
"Rule 144A" means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities
Act.
"Rule 903" means Rule 903 promulgated under the Securities
Act.
"Rule 904" means Rule 904 promulgated the Securities Act.
"SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Shelf Registration Statement" means the Shelf Registration
Statement as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Significant Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that would be a
"significant subsidiary" as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X,
promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Regulation is in effect on
the date of this Indenture.
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"Specified Affiliate Payments" means the payment to 399
Venture Partners, Inc. of fees payable for any financial advisory, financing or
similar services in connection with acquisitions or divestitures, which payments
have been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company.
"Stated Maturity" means, with respect to any installment of
interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which such
payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the original
documentation governing such Indebtedness, and shall not include any contingent
obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior
to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, (i) any
corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the
total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the
occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or
trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by
such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a
combination thereof) and (ii) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or
the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such
Person or (b) the only general partners of which are such Person or of one or
more Subsidiaries of such Person (or any combination thereof).
"TIA" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C.
Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date on which this Indenture is
qualified under the TIA.
"Total Assets" means, at any time, the total consolidated
tangible assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are
Guarantors at such time. For the purposes of clause (iv) of the second paragraph
of Section 4.09 hereof, Total Assets shall be determined giving pro forma effect
to the lease, acquisition, construction or improvement of the assets being
leased, acquired, constructed or improved with the proceeds of such
Indebtedness.
"Trustee" means the party named as such above until a
successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this
Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.
"Unrestricted Definitive Note" means one or more Definitive
Notes that do not bear and are not required to bear the Private Placement
Legend.
"Unrestricted Global Note" means a permanent Global Note in
the form of Exhibit A attached hereto that bears the Global Note Legend and that
has the "Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note" attached
thereto, and that is deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name
of the Depositary, representing a series of Notes that do not bear the Private
Placement Legend.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means (i) any Subsidiary (other than
the Guarantors in existence on the date of this Indenture or any successor to
any of them) that is designated by the Board of Directors as an Unrestricted
Subsidiary pursuant to a Board Resolution; but only to the extent that such
Subsidiary: (a) has no Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt; (b) is not
party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company unless the terms of any such
agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding are no less favorable to the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the
time from Persons who are
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not Affiliates of the Company; (c) is a Person with respect to which neither the
Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any direct or indirect
obligation (x) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests or (y) to maintain
or preserve such Person's financial condition or to cause such Person to achieve
any specified levels of operating results; (d) has not guaranteed or otherwise
directly or indirectly provided credit support for any Indebtedness of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries. Any such designation by the Board
of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a
Board Resolution giving effect to such designation and an Officers' Certificate
certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing conditions and was
permitted by Section 4.07 hereof. If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary
would fail to meet the foregoing requirements as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, it
shall thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of this
Indenture and any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary shall be deemed to be incurred
by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as of such date (and, if such
Indebtedness is not permitted to be incurred as of such date under Section 4.09
hereof, the Company shall be in default under this Indenture). The Board of
Directors of the Company may at any time designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary
to be a Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that such designation shall be deemed to
be an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of
any outstanding Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary and such
designation shall only be permitted if (i) such Indebtedness is permitted under
Section 4.09 hereof, calculated on a pro forma basis as if such designation had
occurred at the beginning of the four-quarter reference period, and (ii) no
Default or Event of Default would be in existence following such designation.
"U.S. Person" means a U.S. person as defined in Rule 902(o)
under the Securities Act.
"Voting Stock" of any Person as of any date means the Capital
Stock of such Person then outstanding that is normally entitled to vote in the
election of the Board of Directors of such Person.
"Weighted Average Life to Maturity" means, when applied to any
Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing (i) the sum
of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining
installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of
principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (b) the
number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between
such date and the making of such payment, by (ii) the then outstanding principal
amount of such Indebtedness.
"Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary" of any Person means a
Restricted Subsidiary of such Person all of the outstanding Capital Stock or
other ownership interests of which (other than directors' qualifying shares)
shall at the time be owned by such Person or by one or more Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiaries of such Person and one or more Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries of such Person.
"WMX Letter of Credit" means the $1.5 million stand-by letter
of credit issued by NationsBank, N.A. on behalf of the Company and guaranteed by
WMX Technologies, Inc.
SECTION 1.02. OTHER DEFINITIONS.
Defined in
Term Section
"Affiliate Transaction"......................................................4.11
"Authentication Order".......................................................2.02
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"Available Asset Sale Proceeds"..............................................4.10
"Bankruptcy Law".............................................................4.01
"Change of Control Offer"....................................................4.15
"Change of Control Payment"..................................................4.15
"Change of Control Payment Date" ............................................4.15
"Covenant Defeasance"........................................................8.03
"DTC"........................................................................2.03
"Event of Default"...........................................................6.01
"Excess Proceeds Offer"......................................................4.10
"incur"......................................................................4.09
"Legal Defeasance" ..........................................................8.02
"Offer Amount"...............................................................3.09
"Offer Period"...............................................................3.09
"Paying Agent"...............................................................2.03
"Payment Default"............................................................6.01
"Permitted Debt".............................................................4.09
"Purchase Date"..............................................................3.09
"Registrar"..................................................................2.03
"Restricted Payments"........................................................4.07
SECTION 1.03. TRUST INDENTURE ACT DEFINITIONS
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the
provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the
following meanings:
"indenture securities" means the Notes;
"indenture security Holder" means a Holder of a Note;
"indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture;
"indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the
Trustee; and
"obligor" on the Notes and the Note Guarantees means the
Company and the Guarantors, respectively, and any successor obligor upon the
Notes and the Note Guarantees, respectively.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the
TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under
the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.
SECTION 1.04. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
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(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the
meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(3) "or" is not exclusive;
(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the
plural include the singular;
(5) provisions apply to successive events and
transactions; and
(6) references to sections of or rules under the
Securities Act shall be deemed to include substitute, replacement of
successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.
ARTICLE 2.
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01. FORM AND DATING.
(a) GENERAL. The Notes and the Trustee's certificate of authentication
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have
notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or
usage. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall
be in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof.
The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall
constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the
Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this
Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
However, to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express
provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and
be controlling.
(b) GLOBAL NOTES.
Notes issued in global form shall be substantially in the form
of Exhibit A attached hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the
"Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note" attached thereto). Notes
issued in definitive form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A
attached hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the
"Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note" attached thereto). Each
Global Note shall represent such of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified
therein and each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal
amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from
time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and
redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any
increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes
represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Note Custodian, at the
direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder
thereof as required by Section 2.06 hereof.
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(c) EUROCLEAR AND CEDEL PROCEDURES APPLICABLE.
The provisions of the "Operating Procedures of the Euroclear
System" and "Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear" and the "General
Terms and Conditions of Cedel Bank" and "Customer Handbook" of Cedel Bank shall
be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Global
Notes that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Cedel Bank.
SECTION 2.02. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.
Two Officers shall sign the Notes for the Company by manual or
facsimile signature. The Company's seal shall be reproduced on the Notes and may
be in facsimile form.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds
that office at the time a Note is authenticated, the Note shall nevertheless be
valid.
A Note shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual
signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the
Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall, upon a written order of the Company signed
by two Officers (an "Authentication Order"), authenticate Notes for original
issue up to the aggregate principal amount stated in paragraph 4 of the Notes.
The aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at any time may not exceed
such amount except as provided in Section 2.07 hereof.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to
the Company to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate
Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to
authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An
authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an
Affiliate of the Company.
SECTION 2.03. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.
The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Notes may
be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange ("Registrar") and an
office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment ("Paying Agent"). The
Registrar shall keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange.
The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional
paying agents. The term "Registrar" includes any co-registrar and the term
"Paying Agent" includes any additional paying agent. The Company may change any
Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company shall notify
the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this
Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as
Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of
its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.
The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company
("DTC") to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the
Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Note Custodian with respect to the
Global Notes.
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SECTION 2.04. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST.
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the
Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the
benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the
payment of principal, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on the
Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any
such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying
Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may
require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment
over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a
Subsidiary) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a
Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust
fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon
any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to the Company, the
Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.
SECTION 2.05. HOLDER LISTS.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is
reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and
addresses of all Holders and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If
the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at
least seven Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other
times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such
date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the
Holders of Notes and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA Section
312(a).
SECTION 2.06. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.
(a) TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF GLOBAL NOTES.
A Global Note may not be transferred as a whole except by the
Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the
Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, the Depositary or any such
nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All
Global Notes will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if (i) the
Company delivers to the Trustee notice from the Depositary that it is unwilling
or unable to continue to act as Depositary or that it is no longer a clearing
agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor
Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 120 days after the date of
such notice from the Depositary or (ii) the Company in its sole discretion
determines that the Global Notes (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged
for Definitive Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the
Trustee. Upon the occurrence of either of the preceding events in (i) or (ii)
above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in such names as the Depositary shall
instruct the Trustee. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole
or in part, as provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.10 hereof. Every Note
authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any
portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Section 2.07 or 2.10 hereof,
shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global
Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided
in this Section 2.06(a), however, beneficial interests in a Global Note may be
transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b),(c) or (f) hereof.
(b) TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTES.
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The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the
Global Notes shall be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the
provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial interests
in the Restricted Global Notes shall be subject to restrictions on transfer
comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities
Act. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also shall require
compliance with either subparagraph (i) or (ii) below, as applicable, as well as
one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:
(i) TRANSFER OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THE SAME GLOBAL NOTE.
Beneficial interests in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to
Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in
the same Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer
restrictions set forth in the Private Placement Legend. Beneficial
interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who
take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an
Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be
required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described
in this Section 2.06(b)(i).
(ii) ALL OTHER TRANSFERS AND EXCHANGES OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN
GLOBAL NOTES. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial
interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(i) above, the transferor
of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either (A) (1) a
written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the
Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the
Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in
another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be
transferred or exchanged and (2) instructions given in accordance with the
Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant
account to be credited with such increase or (B) (1) a written order from a
Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in
accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause
to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the beneficial
interest to be transferred or exchanged and (2) instructions given by the
Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in
whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer
or exchange referred to in (1) above. Upon consummation of an Exchange
Offer by the Company in accordance with Section 2.06(f) hereof, the
requirements of this Section 2.06(b)(ii) shall be deemed to have been
satisfied upon receipt by the Registrar of the instructions contained in
the Letter of Transmittal delivered by the Holder of such beneficial
interests in the Restricted Global Notes. Upon satisfaction of all of the
requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global
Notes contained in this Indenture and the Notes, the Trustee shall adjust
the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section
2.06(h) hereof.
(iii) TRANSFER OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS TO ANOTHER RESTRICTED GLOBAL
NOTE. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be
transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a
beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the transfer
complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(ii) above and the
Registrar receives the following:
(A) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a
beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note, then the transferor
must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto,
including the certifications in item (1) thereof;
(B) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a
beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note, then the
transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B
hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof; and
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(C) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a
beneficial interest in the IAI Global Note, then the transferor
must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto,
including the certifications and certificates and Opinion of
Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.
(iv) TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN A RESTRICTED
GLOBAL NOTE FOR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THE UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE. A
beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any
holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or
transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a
beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the exchange or
transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(ii) above and:
(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the
Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement and the holder of the beneficial interest to be
transferred, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the
case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of
Transmittal that it is not (1) a broker-dealer, (2) a Person
participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (3) a
Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the
Company;
(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf
Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement;
(C) such transfer is effected by a Participating Broker-Dealer
pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in
accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or
(D) the Registrar receives the following:
(1) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a
Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest
for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate
from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the
certifications in item (1)(a) thereof; or
(2) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a
Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to
a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial
interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder
in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item
(4) thereof;
and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the
Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an
Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to
the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein
and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to
maintain compliance with the Securities Act.
If any such transfer is effected pursuant to subparagraph (B)
or (D) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued,
the Company shall issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in
accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more
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Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the
aggregate principal amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to
subparagraph (B) or (D) above.
Beneficial interests in an Unrestricted Global Note cannot be
exchanged for, or transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form
of, a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note.
(c) Transfer or Exchange of Beneficial Interests for Definitive Notes.
(i) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Restricted
Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted
Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted
Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who
takes delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note, then,
upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:
(A) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted
Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a
Restricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the
form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item
(2)(a) thereof;
(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a QIB
in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act, a
certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including
the certifications in item (1) thereof;
(C) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a
Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule
903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act, a certificate to the
effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications
in item (2) thereof;
(D) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant
to an exemption from the registration requirements of the
Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities
Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto,
including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;
(E) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to an
Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from
the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than
those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate
to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the
certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by
item (3) thereof, if applicable;
(F) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect
set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in
item (3)(b) thereof; or
(G) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant
to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a
certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including
the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,
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the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the
applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section
2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a
Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive
Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted
Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) shall be registered in
such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations
as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar
through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or
Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes
to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any
Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a
Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(i) shall bear
the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions
on transfer contained therein.
(ii) BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES TO UNRESTRICTED
DEFINITIVE NOTES. A holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global
Note may exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive
Note or may transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes
delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note only if:
(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the
Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement and the holder of such beneficial interest, in the case
of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer,
certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not
(1) a broker-dealer, (2) a Person participating in the
distribution of the Exchange Notes or (3) a Person who is an
affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;
(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf
Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement;
(C) such transfer is effected by a Participating Broker-Dealer
pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in
accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or
(D) the Registrar receives the following:
(1) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a
Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest
for a Definitive Note that does not bear the Private Placement Legend,
a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto,
including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or
(2) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a
Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to
a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive
Note that does not bear the Private Placement Legend, a certificate
from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the
certifications in item (4) thereof;
and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the
Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an
Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to
the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act and
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that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private
Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance
with the Securities Act.
(iii) BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES TO UNRESTRICTED
DEFINITIVE NOTES. If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted
Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive
Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery
thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon satisfaction of the
conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof, the Trustee shall cause
the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced
accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall
execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Person
designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate
principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial
interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(iii) shall be registered in such
name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the
holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through
instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect
Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons
in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in
exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(iii)
shall not bear the Private Placement Legend.
(d) TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF DEFINITIVE NOTES FOR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS.
(i) RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES TO BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN RESTRICTED
GLOBAL NOTES. If any Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note proposes to
exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note or
to transfer such Restricted Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery
thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note,
then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:
(A) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Note proposes
to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted
Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit
C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(b) thereof;
(B) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to
a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act, a
certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including
the certifications in item (1) thereof;
(C) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to
a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with
Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act, a certificate to
the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the
certifications in item (2) thereof;
(D) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred
pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the
Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities
Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto,
including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;
(E) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to
an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption
from the registration requirements of
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the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B)
through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in
Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and
Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;
(F) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the
effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications
in item (3)(b) thereof; or
(G) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred
pursuant to an effective registration statement under the
Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B
hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,
the Trustee shall cancel the Restricted Definitive Note, increase or
cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of, in the case of
clause (A) above, the appropriate Restricted Global Note, in the case
of clause (B) above, the 144A Global Note, in the case of clause (c)
above, the Regulation S Global Note, and in all other cases, the IAI
Global Note.
(ii) RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES TO BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN
UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES. A Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note may
exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note
or transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery
thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note
only if:
(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the
Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the
transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable
Letter of Transmittal that it is not (1) a broker-dealer, (2) a
Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or
(3) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the
Company;
(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf
Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement;
(C) such transfer is effected by a Participating Broker-Dealer
pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in
accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or
(D) the Registrar receives the following:
(1) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to
exchange such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted
Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C
hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(c) thereof; or
(2) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to
transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the
form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a
certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including
the certifications in item (4) thereof;
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and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the
Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an
Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to
the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein
and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to
maintain compliance with the Securities Act.
Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this
Section 2.06(d)(ii), the Trustee shall cancel the Definitive Notes and
increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the
Unrestricted Global Note.
(iii) UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES TO BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN
UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES. A Holder of an Unrestricted Definitive Note may
exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note
or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in
the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note at any
time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the
Trustee shall cancel the applicable Unrestricted Definitive Note and
increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of
the Unrestricted Global Notes.
If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a
beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraphs (ii)(B), (ii)(D) or
(iii) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued,
the Company shall issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in
accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more
Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the
principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.
(e) TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF DEFINITIVE NOTES FOR DEFINITIVE NOTES.
Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder's
compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar shall
register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such
registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder shall present or
surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by
a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly
executed by such Holder or by his attorney, duly authorized in writing. In
addition, the requesting Holder shall provide any additional certifications,
documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following
provisions of this Section 2.06(e).
(i) Restricted Definitive Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. Any
Restricted Definitive Note may be transferred to and registered in the name
of Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive
Note if the Registrar receives the following:
(A) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 144A under
the Securities Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate
in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in
item (1) thereof;
(B) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule
904, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of
Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2)
thereof; and
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(C) if the transfer will be made pursuant to any other
exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities
Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of
Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and
Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.
(ii) RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES TO UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES. Any
Restricted Definitive Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an
Unrestricted Definitive Note or transferred to a Person or Persons who take
delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note if:
(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the
Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the
transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable
Letter of Transmittal that it is not (1) a Broker-Dealer, (2) a
Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or
(3) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the
Company;
(B) any such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf
Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights
Agreement;
(C) any such transfer is effected by a Participating
Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or
(D) the Registrar receives the following:
(1) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes
proposes to exchange such Notes for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a
certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including
the certifications in item (1)(d) thereof; or
(2) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes
proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery
thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate
from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the
certifications in item (4) thereof;
and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the
Registrar so requests, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably
acceptable to the Company to the effect that such exchange or transfer
is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on
transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no
longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities
Act.
(iii) UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES TO UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES. A
Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person
who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note.
Upon receipt of a request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall
register the Unrestricted Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions
from the Holder thereof.
(f) EXCHANGE OFFER.
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Upon the occurrence of the Exchange Offer in accordance with
the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company shall issue and, upon receipt of
an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02, the Trustee shall
authenticate (i) one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal
amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interests in the
Restricted Global Notes tendered for acceptance by Persons that certify in the
applicable Letters of Transmittal that (x) they are not Broker-Dealers, (y) they
are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (z) they are
not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company, and accepted for
exchange in the Exchange Offer and (ii) Definitive Notes in an aggregate
principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Restricted Definitive
Notes accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer. Concurrently with the
issuance of such Notes, the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount
of the applicable Restricted Global Notes to be reduced accordingly, and the
Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the
Persons designated by the Holders of Definitive Notes so accepted Definitive
Notes in the appropriate principal amount.
(g) LEGENDS.
The following legends shall appear on the face of all Global
Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically
stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture.
(i) Private Placement Legend.
(A) Except as permitted by subparagraph (B) below, each Global
Note and each Definitive Note (and all Notes issued in exchange
therefor or substitution thereof) shall bear the legend in
substantially the following form:
"THIS NOTE (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S.
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), AND,
ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF U.S.
PERSONS, EXCEPT AS SET FORTH BELOW. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A
BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE HOLDER (1) REPRESENTS THAT (x) IT IS A
"QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER" (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT) (A "QIB"), (y) IT HAS ACQUIRED THIS NOTE IN AN OFFSHORE
TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR
(z) IT IS AN INSTITUTIONAL "ACCREDITED INVESTOR" (AS DEFINED IN RULES
501(A)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AN "INSTITUTIONAL
ACCREDITED INVESTOR")), (2) AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT RESELL OR OTHERWISE
TRANSFER THIS NOTE EXCEPT (A) TO THE GNI GROUP, INC. OR ANY OF ITS
SUBSIDIARIES, (B) TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A
QIB PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QIB IN A
TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A, (C) IN A TRANSACTION
MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (D)
OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A NON-U.S. PERSON IN A TRANSACTION MEETING
THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) TO AN
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR THAT, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER,
FURNISHES THE TRUSTEE A SIGNED LETTER
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CONTAINING CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS AND AGREEMENTS (THE FORM OF WHICH
CAN BE OBTAINED FROM COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY) AND, IF SUCH TRANSFER IS
IN RESPECT OF AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOTES LESS THAN
$250,000, AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH
TRANSFER IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT, (F) IN ACCORDANCE
WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE
SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE
COMPANY) OR (G) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND, IN
EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY
STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE JURISDICTION AND (3)
AGREES THAT IT WILL DELIVER TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THIS NOTE OR AN
INTEREST HEREIN IS TRANSFERRED A NOTICE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF
THIS LEGEND. THE INDENTURE CONTAINS A PROVISION REQUIRING THE TRUSTEE
TO REFUSE TO REGISTER ANY TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE IN VIOLATION OF THE
FOREGOING."
(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or
Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraphs (b)(iv), (c)(ii),
(c)(iii), (d)(ii), (d)(iii), (e)(ii), (e)(iii) or (f) to this
Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or
substitution thereof) shall not bear the Private Placement Legend.
(ii) GLOBAL NOTE LEGEND. Each Global Note shall bear a legend in
substantially the following form:
"THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE
INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE
BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY
PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE
SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.07 OF
THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT
IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL
NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO
SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE
TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF
THE GNI GROUP, INC."
(h) CANCELLATION AND/OR ADJUSTMENT OF GLOBAL NOTES.
At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular
Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note
has been redeemed, repurchased or cancelled in whole and not in part, each such
Global Note shall be returned to or retained and cancelled by the Trustee in
accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if
any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a
Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in
another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes
represented by such Global Note shall be reduced accordingly and an endorsement
shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the
direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial
interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take
delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial
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interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note shall be increased
accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee
or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.
(i) GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO TRANSFERS AND EXCHANGES.
(i) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and
Definitive Notes upon the Company's order or at the Registrar's request.
(ii) No service charge shall be made to a holder of a beneficial
interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any
registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment
of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental
charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes
or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant
to Sections 2.10, 3.06, 3.09, 4.10, 4.15 and 9.05 hereof).
(iii) The Registrar shall not be required to register the transfer of
or exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except
the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.
(iv) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration
of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes shall be the
valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to
the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive
Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
(v) The Company shall not be required (A) to issue, to register the
transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the
opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Notes for
redemption under Section 3.02 hereof and ending at the close of business on
the day of selection, (B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any
Note so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed
portion of any Note being redeemed in part or (c) to register the transfer
of or to exchange a Note between a record date and the next succeeding
Interest Payment Date.
(vi) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any
Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company may deem and treat the Person
in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for
the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Notes
and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the
Company shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
(vii) The Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes
in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02 hereof.
(viii) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel
required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to
effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by
facsimile.
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SECTION 2.07. REPLACEMENT NOTES
If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or the
Company and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the
destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Company shall issue and the Trustee,
upon receipt of an Authentication Order, shall authenticate a replacement Note
if the Trustee's requirements are met. If required by the Trustee or the
Company, an indemnity bond must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in
the judgment of the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee,
any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer
if a Note is replaced. The Company may charge for its expenses in replacing a
Note.
Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the
Company and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally
and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.
SECTION 2.08. OUTSTANDING NOTES.
The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes
authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled by it, those delivered
to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note
effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those
described in this Section as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section
2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an
Affiliate of the Company holds the Note.
If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it
ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it
that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under
Section 4.01 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to
accrue.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or
an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a redemption date or maturity date, money
sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such
Notes shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding and shall cease to accrue
interest.
SECTION 2.09. TREASURY NOTES.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal
amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned
by the Company, or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or
controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company, shall
be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such
direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that a Responsible Officer of the
Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
SECTION 2.10. TEMPORARY NOTES.
Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery,
the Company may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication
Order, shall authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be
substantially in the form of certificated Notes but may have variations that the
Company considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as shall be reasonably
acceptable to the Trustee. Without
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unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate
definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.
Holders of temporary Notes shall be entitled to all of the
benefits of this Indenture.
SECTION 2.11. CANCELLATION.
The Company at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for
cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any
Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The
Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of
transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy
cancelled Notes (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange
Act). Certification of the destruction of all cancelled Notes shall be delivered
to the Company. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has
paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
SECTION 2.12. DEFAULTED INTEREST.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes,
it shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent
lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are
Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided
in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Company shall notify the Trustee in
writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and
the date of the proposed payment. The Company shall fix or cause to be fixed
each such special record date and payment date, provided that no such special
record date shall be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for
such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special record date, the
Company (or, upon the written request of the Company, the Trustee in the name
and at the expense of the Company) shall mail or cause to be mailed to Holders a
notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the
amount of such interest to be paid.
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP NUMBERS.
The Company in issuing the Notes may use "CUSIP" numbers (if
then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use "CUSIP" numbers in
notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any
such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of
such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of a
redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification
numbers printed on the Notes, and any such redemption shall not be affected by
any defect in or omission of such CUSIP numbers.
ARTICLE 3.
REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT
SECTION 3.01. NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.
If the Company elects to redeem Notes pursuant to the optional
redemption provisions of Section 3.07 hereof, it shall furnish to the Trustee,
at least 45 days (unless a shorter time is acceptable to the Trustee) but not
more than 60 days before a redemption date, an Officers' Certificate setting
forth (i) the clause of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall
occur, (ii) the redemption date, (iii) the principal amount of Notes to be
redeemed and (iv) the redemption price.
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SECTION 3.02. SELECTION OF NOTES TO BE REDEEMED.
If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed or purchased
in an offer to purchase at any time, the Trustee shall select the Notes to be
redeemed or purchased among the Holders of the Notes in compliance with the
requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which the
Notes are listed or, if the Notes are not so listed, on a pro rata basis, by lot
or in accordance with any other method the Trustee considers fair and
appropriate. In the event of partial redemption by lot, the particular Notes to
be redeemed shall be selected, unless otherwise provided herein, not less than
30 nor more than 60 days prior to the redemption date by the Trustee from the
outstanding Notes not previously called for redemption.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of
the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for
partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes and
portions of Notes selected shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of
$1,000; except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the
entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder, even if not a multiple
of $1,000, shall be redeemed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence,
provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also
apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.
SECTION 3.03. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Subject to the provisions of Section 3.09 hereof, at least 30
days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail
or cause to be mailed, by first class mail, a notice of redemption to each
Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address.
The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed and shall
state:
(a) the redemption date;
(b) the redemption price;
(c) if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the
principal amount of such Note to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date
upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to
the unredeemed portion shall be issued upon cancellation of the original Note;
(d) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(e) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying
Agent to collect the redemption price;
(f) that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption
payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after
the redemption date;
(g) the paragraph of the Notes and/or Section of this Indenture
pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed; and
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(h) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy
of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes.
At the Company's request, the Trustee shall give the notice of
redemption in the Company's name and at its expense; provided, however, that the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least 45 days prior to the
redemption date, an Officers' Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such
notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided
in the preceding paragraph.
SECTION 3.04. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Once notice of redemption is mailed in accordance with Section
3.03 hereof, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on
the redemption date at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be
conditional.
SECTION 3.05. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.
At or before 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on each
redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying
Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on
all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall
promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Trustee or the
Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the
redemption price of, and accrued interest on, all Notes to be redeemed.
If the Company complies with the provisions of the preceding
paragraph, on and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on
the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption. If a Note is redeemed
on or after an interest record date but on or prior to the related interest
payment date, then any accrued and unpaid interest shall be paid to the Person
in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such record
date. If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for
redemption because of the failure of the Company to comply with the preceding
paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal, from the redemption
date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest not
paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes
and in Section 4.01 hereof.
SECTION 3.06. NOTES REDEEMED IN PART.
Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed in part, the Company
shall issue and, upon the Company's written request, the Trustee shall
authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Company a new Note equal in
principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered; provided,
however, that each such new Note shall be in a principal amount of $1,000 or an
integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 3.07. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.
(a) Except as set forth in clause (b) of this Section 3.07, the Company
shall not have the option to redeem the Notes pursuant to this Section 3.07
prior to July 15, 2003. Thereafter, the Company shall have the option to redeem
the Notes, in whole or in part, at the redemption prices (expressed as
percentages of principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid
interest
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and Liquidated Damages thereon, if any, to the applicable redemption date, if
redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on July 15 of the years
indicated below:
YEAR PERCENTAGE
---- ----------
2003...................................................................105.4375%
2004 and thereafter....................................................100.0000%
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of clause (a) of this Section 3.07,
at any time prior to July 23, 2001, the Company may redeem up to 25% of the
aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under this Indenture at a
redemption price of 110.8750% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and
unpaid interest thereon and Liquidated Damages, if any, to the redemption date,
with the net cash proceeds of one or more Public Equity Offerings; provided that
at least 75% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under
this Indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of any such
redemption (excluding Notes held by the Company and its Subsidiaries); and
provided, further, that any such redemption shall occur within 90 days of the
date of the closing of any such Public Equity Offering.
(c) Any redemption pursuant to this Section 3.07 shall be made pursuant
to the provisions of Section 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.
SECTION 3.08. MANDATORY REDEMPTION.
The Company shall not be required to make mandatory redemption
payments with respect to the Notes.
SECTION 3.09. OFFER TO PURCHASE BY APPLICATION OF EXCESS PROCEEDS.
In the event that, pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof, the
Company shall be required to commence an Excess Proceeds Offer, it shall follow
the procedures specified below.
The Excess Proceeds Offer shall remain open for a period of 20
Business Days following its commencement and no longer, except to the extent
that a longer period is required by applicable law (the "Offer Period"). No
later than five Business Days after the termination of the Offer Period (the
"Purchase Date"), the Company shall purchase the principal amount of Notes
required to be purchased pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof (the "Offer Amount")
or, if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes tendered in
response to the Excess Proceeds Offer. Payment for any Notes so purchased shall
be made in the same manner as interest payments are made.
If the Purchase Date is on or after an interest record date
and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid
interest shall be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the
close of business on such record date, and no additional interest shall be
payable to Holders who tender Notes pursuant to the Excess Proceeds Offer.
Upon the commencement of an Excess Proceeds Offer, the Company
shall send, by first class mail, a notice to the Trustee and each of the
Holders. The notice shall contain all instructions and materials necessary to
enable such Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Excess Proceeds Offer. The
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Excess Proceeds Offer shall be made to all Holders. The notice, which shall
govern the terms of the Excess Proceeds Offer, shall state:
(a) that the Excess Proceeds Offer is being made pursuant to this
Section 3.09 and Section 4.10 hereof and the length of time the Excess Proceeds
Offer shall remain open;
(b) the Offer Amount, the purchase price and the Purchase Date;
(c) that any Note not tendered or accepted for payment shall continue
to accrete or accrue interest;
(d) that, unless the Company defaults in making such payment, any Note
accepted for payment pursuant to the Excess Proceeds Offer shall cease to accrue
interest after the Purchase Date;
(e) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to an
Excess Proceeds Offer may only elect to have all of such Note purchased and may
not elect to have only a portion of such Note purchased;
(f) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to any
Excess Proceeds Offer shall be required to surrender the Note, with the form
entitled "Option of Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse of the Note
completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the Company, a depositary, if
appointed by the Company, or a Paying Agent at the address specified in the
notice at least three days before the Purchase Date;
(g) that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the
Company, the depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, receives, not
later than the expiration of the Offer Period, a telegram, telex, facsimile
transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal
amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement that such
Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased;
(h) that, if the aggregate principal amount of Notes surrendered by
Holders exceeds the Offer Amount, the Company shall select the Notes to be
purchased on a pro rata basis (with such adjustments as may be deemed
appropriate by the Company so that only Notes in denominations of $1,000, or
integral multiples thereof, shall be purchased); and
(i) that Holders whose Notes were purchased only in part shall be
issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the
Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry transfer).
On or before the Purchase Date, the Company shall, to the
extent lawful, accept for payment, on a PRO RATA basis to the extent necessary,
the Offer Amount of Notes or portions thereof tendered pursuant to the Excess
Proceeds Offer, or if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes
tendered, and shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that
such Notes or portions thereof were accepted for payment by the Company in
accordance with the terms of this Section 3.09. The Company, the Depositary or
the Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly (but in any case not later
than five days after the Purchase Date) mail or deliver to each tendering Holder
an amount equal to the
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purchase price of the Notes tendered by such Holder and accepted by the Company
for purchase, and the Company shall promptly issue a new Note, and the Trustee,
upon written request from the Company shall authenticate and mail or deliver
such new Note to such Holder, in a principal amount equal to any unpurchased
portion of the Note surrendered. Any Note not so accepted shall be promptly
mailed or delivered by the Company to the Holder thereof. The Company shall
publicly announce the results of the Excess Proceeds Offer on the Purchase Date.
Other than as specifically provided in this Section 3.09, any
purchase pursuant to this Section 3.09 shall be made pursuant to the provisions
of Sections 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.
ARTICLE 4.
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01 PAYMENT OF NOTES.
The Company shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of,
premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner
provided in the Notes. Principal, premium, if any, and interest shall be
considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company
or a Subsidiary thereof, holds as of 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the due
date money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and
designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and
interest then due. The Company shall pay all Liquidated Damages, if any, in the
same manner on the dates and in the amounts set forth in the Registration Rights
Agreement.
The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition
interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal at the
rate equal to 1% per annum in excess of the then applicable interest rate on the
Notes to the extent lawful; it shall pay interest (including post-petition
interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of
interest and Liquidated Damages (without regard to any applicable grace period)
at the same rate to the extent lawful.
SECTION 4.02 MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.
The Company shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, the
City of New York, an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or
an affiliate of the Trustee, Registrar or co-registrar) where Notes may be
surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and
demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be
served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the
location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any
time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or
shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations,
surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust
Office of the Trustee.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more
other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for
any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations;
provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner
relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the
Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York for such purposes. The Company shall
give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission
and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
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The Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of
the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with
Section 2.03.
SECTION 4.03 REPORTS.
(a) Whether or not required by the rules and regulations of the SEC, so
long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company shall furnish to the Holders of
Notes and to securities analysts and prospective investors (i) all quarterly and
annual financial information that would be required to be contained in a filing
with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 10-K if the Company were required to file such
Forms, including a "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations" that describes the financial condition and results of
operations of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries (showing in
reasonable detail, either on the face of the financial statements or in the
footnotes thereto and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations, the financial condition and results of
operations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries separate from the
financial condition and results of operations of the Unrestricted Subsidiaries
of the Company, if any) and, with respect to the annual information only, a
report thereon by the Company's certified independent accountants and (ii) all
current reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Form 8-K if
the Company were required to file such reports, in each case within the time
periods specified in the SEC's rules and regulations. In addition, following the
consummation of the Exchange Offer, whether or not required by the rules and
regulations of the SEC, the Company shall file a copy of all such information
and reports with the SEC for public availability within the time periods
specified in the SEC's rules and regulations (unless the SEC will not accept
such a filing) and make such information available to securities analysts and
prospective investors upon request. The Company shall at all times comply with
TIA Section 314(a).
(b) For so long as any Notes remain outstanding, the Company and the
Guarantors shall furnish to the Holders and to securities analysts and
prospective investors, upon their request, the information required to be
delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.
SECTION 4.04 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.
(a) The Company and each Guarantor (to the extent that such Guarantor
is so required under the TIA) shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after
the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers' Certificate stating
that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the
preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing
Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed,
performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further
stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of
his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled
each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the
performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this
Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing
all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and
what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and
that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in
existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of or
interest, if any, on the Notes is prohibited or if such event has occurred, a
description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to
take with respect thereto.
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(b) So long as not contrary to the then current recommendations of the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the year-end financial
statements delivered pursuant to Section 4.03(a) above shall be accompanied by a
written statement of the Company's independent public accountants (who shall be
a firm of established national reputation) that in making the examination
necessary for certification of such financial statements, nothing has come to
their attention that would lead them to believe that the Company has violated
any provisions of Article 4 or Article 5 hereof or, if any such violation has
occurred, specifying the nature and period of existence thereof, it being
understood that such accountants shall not be liable directly or indirectly to
any Person for any failure to obtain knowledge of any such violation.
(c) The Company shall, so long as any of the Notes are outstanding,
deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon any Officer becoming aware of any Default
or Event of Default, an Officers' Certificate specifying such Default or Event
of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with
respect thereto.
SECTION 4.05 TAXES.
The Company shall pay, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and
governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by
appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not
adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.
SECTION 4.06 STAY, EXTENSION AND USURY LAWS.
The Company and each of the Guarantors covenants (to the
extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon,
plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of,
any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter
in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture;
and the Company and each of the Guarantors (to the extent that they may lawfully
do so) hereby expressly waive all benefit or advantage of any such law, and
covenant that they shall not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede
the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and
permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
SECTION 4.07 RESTRICTED PAYMENTS.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly: (i) declare or pay any
dividend or make any other payment or distribution on account of the Company's
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries' Equity Interests (including, without
limitation, any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) or to the direct or indirect
holders of the Company's or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries' Equity Interests
in their capacity as such (other than dividends or distributions payable in
Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or to the
Company or a Subsidiary of the Company); (ii) purchase, redeem or otherwise
acquire or retire for value (including, without limitation, in connection with
any merger or consolidation involving the Company) any Equity Interests of the
Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company or other Affiliate of
the Company (other than any such Equity Interests owned by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company); (iii) make any payment on or with respect
to, or purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value any
Pari Passu
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Indebtedness (other than Notes or Indebtedness under Credit
Facilities), except a payment of interest or principal at Stated Maturity; or
(iv) make any Restricted Investment (all such payments and other actions set
forth in clauses (i) through (iv) above being collectively referred to as
"Restricted Payments"), unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such
Restricted Payment:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof;
(b) the Company would, at the time of such Restricted Payment and after
giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Restricted Payment had been made at
the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, have been permitted to
incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09 hereof;
(c) such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all
other Restricted Payments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
after the date of this Indenture (excluding Restricted Payments permitted by
clauses (ii), (iii), (iv) and (vi) of the next succeeding paragraph), is less
than the sum, without duplication, of (i) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income of
the Company for the period (taken as one accounting period) from the beginning
of the first fiscal quarter commencing after the date of this Indenture to the
end of the Company's most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal
financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted Payment (or,
if such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, less 100% of such
deficit), plus (ii) 100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds received by the
Company since the date of this Indenture as a contribution to its common equity
capital or from the issue or sale of Equity Interests of the Company (other than
Disqualified Stock) or from the issue or sale of Disqualified Stock or debt
securities of the Company that have been converted into such Equity Interests
(other than Equity Interests (or Disqualified Stock or convertible debt
securities) sold to a Subsidiary of the Company), plus (iii) to the extent that
any Restricted Investment that was made after the date of this Indenture is sold
for cash or otherwise liquidated or repaid for cash, the lesser of (A) the cash
return of capital with respect to such Restricted Investment (less the cost of
disposition, if any) and (B) the initial amount of such Restricted Investment,
plus (iv) 100% of any dividends received by the Company or a Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor after the date of this Indenture from
an Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company, to the extent that such dividends
were not otherwise included in Consolidated Net Income of the Company for such
period, plus (v) to the extent that any Unrestricted Subsidiary is redesignated
as a Restricted Subsidiary after the date of this Indenture, the lesser of (A)
the fair market value of the Company's Investment in such Subsidiary as of the
date of such redesignation or (B) such fair market value as of the date on which
such Subsidiary was originally designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary; plus
(vi) $3.0 million.
The foregoing provisions shall not prohibit (i) the payment of
any dividend within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof, if at said
date of declaration such payment would have complied with the provisions of this
Indenture; (ii) the redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other
acquisition of any Pari Passu Indebtedness or subordinated Indebtedness or
Equity Interests of the Company in exchange for, or out of the net cash proceeds
of the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company)
of, other Equity Interests of or a capital contribution to the Company (other
than any Disqualified Stock); provided that the amount of any such net cash
proceeds that are utilized for any such
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redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition shall be
excluded from clause (c) (ii) of the preceding paragraph; (iii) the defeasance,
redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of Pari Passu Indebtedness or
subordinated Indebtedness made by an exchange for, or with the net cash proceeds
from an incurrence of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness; (iv) the payment of
any dividend by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the holders of its
Equity Interests on a pro rata basis; (v) the repurchase, redemption or other
acquisition or retirement for value of any Equity Interests of the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company held by any Management Investor pursuant to any
management equity subscription agreement or stock option agreement in effect as
of the date of this Indenture; provided that the aggregate price paid for all
such repurchased, redeemed, acquired or retired Equity Interests shall not
exceed $750,000 in any twelve-month period (which amount shall be increased by
the amount of any net cash proceeds received from the sale after the date of
this Indenture of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) to any
Management Investor that have not otherwise been applied to the payment of (x)
Restricted Payments pursuant to the terms of clause (c) of the preceding
paragraph or (y) the aggregate price for all repurchased, redeemed, acquired or
retired Equity Interests pursuant to the terms of this clause (v) exceeding
$750,000 in any twelve month period) and no Default or Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing immediately after such transaction; and (vi) the
purchase of Equity Interests in the Company pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
The Board of Directors may designate any Restricted Subsidiary
to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary if such designation would not cause a Default;
provided that in no event shall the business operated on the date of this
Indenture by any Guarantor existing on the date of this Indenture be transferred
to or held by an Unrestricted Subsidiary. For purposes of making such
determination, all outstanding Investments by the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries (except to the extent repaid in cash) in the Subsidiary so
designated shall be deemed to be Restricted Payments at the time of such
designation and shall reduce the amount available for Restricted Payments under
the first paragraph of this Section 4.07. All such outstanding Investments shall
be deemed to constitute Investments in an amount equal to the fair market value
of such Investments at the time of such designation. Such designation shall only
be permitted if such Restricted Payment would be permitted at such time and if
such Restricted Subsidiary otherwise meets the definition of an Unrestricted
Subsidiary.
The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) shall
be the fair market value on the date of the Restricted Payment of the asset(s)
or securities proposed to be transferred or issued by the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment.
The fair market value of any non-cash Restricted Payment shall be determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company and evidenced by a Board
Resolution, such determination to be based upon an opinion or appraisal issued
by an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national standing if
such fair market value exceeds $3.0 million. Not later than the date of making
any Restricted Payment, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate stating that such Restricted Payment is permitted and setting forth
the basis upon which the calculations required by this Section 4.07 were
computed, together with a copy of any fairness opinion or appraisal required by
this Indenture.
SECTION 4.08 DIVIDEND AND OTHER PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING
SUBSIDIARIES.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or
suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on
the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (i)(a) pay dividends or make any
other
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distributions to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (1) on its
Capital Stock or (2) with respect to any other interest or participation in, or
measured by, its profits, or (b) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries, (ii) make loans or advances to the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (iii) transfer any of its properties or
assets to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries. However, the
foregoing restrictions shall not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing
under or by reason of (a) Existing Indebtedness as in effect on the date of this
Indenture, (b) the provisions or pledge agreements (or similar agreements)
restricting transfers of the assets secured thereby, (c) the Revolving Credit
Facility as in effect as of the date of this Indenture, and any amendments,
modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings,
replacements or refinancings thereof, provided that such amendments,
modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings,
replacement or refinancings are no more restrictive, taken as a whole, with
respect to such dividend and other payment restrictions than those contained in
the Revolving Credit Facility as in effect on the date of this Indenture, (d)
this Indenture, the Note Guarantees and the Notes, (e) applicable law, (f) any
instrument governing Indebtedness or Capital Stock of a Person acquired by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries as in effect at the time of such acquisition
(except to the extent such Indebtedness was incurred in connection with or in
contemplation of such acquisition), which encumbrance or restriction is not
applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than
the Person, or the property or assets of the Person, so acquired, provided that,
in the case of Indebtedness, such Indebtedness was permitted by the terms of
this Indenture to be incurred, (g) customary non-assignment provisions in leases
entered into in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past
practices, (h) purchase money obligations for property acquired in the ordinary
course of business that impose restrictions of the nature described in clause
(iii) above on the property so acquired, (i) any agreement for the sale of a
Subsidiary that restricts distributions by that Subsidiary pending its sale, (j)
Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness, provided that the restrictions contained in
the agreements governing such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness are no more
restrictive, taken as a whole, than those contained in the agreements governing
the Indebtedness being refinanced, (k) secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted
to be incurred pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.12 hereof that limits the
right of the debtor to dispose of the assets securing such Indebtedness, (l)
provisions with respect to the disposition or distribution of assets or property
in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the
ordinary course of business and (m) restrictions on cash or other deposits or
net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary
course of business.
SECTION 4.09 INCURRENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS AND ISSUANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, issue,
assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable,
contingently or otherwise, with respect to (collectively, "incur") any
Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) and that the Company shall not issue any
Disqualified Stock and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to
issue any shares of preferred stock; provided, however, that the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) or
issue shares of Disqualified Stock if the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the
Company's most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal
financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such
additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Stock is issued would
have been at least 2.0 to 1.0, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro
forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), as if additional Indebtedness
had been incurred, or the Disqualified Stock had been issued, as the case may
be, at the beginning of such four-quarter period.
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The provisions of the first paragraph of this Section 4.09
shall not apply to the incurrence of any of the following items of Indebtedness
(collectively, "Permitted Debt"):
(i) the incurrence by the Company and its Subsidiaries of Indebtedness
under Credit Facilities; provided that the aggregate principal amount of
all Indebtedness outstanding under all Credit Facilities after giving
effect to such incurrence does not exceed an amount equal to $12.0 million
(including all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund,
refinance or replace any other Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this
clause (i));
(ii) the incurrence by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries of
the Existing Indebtedness;
(iii) the incurrence by the Company of Indebtedness represented by the
Notes and by the Guarantors of Indebtedness represented by the Note
Guarantees;
(iv) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of (A) Acquired Debt or (B) Indebtedness (including Capital
Lease Obligations) for the purpose of financing all or any part of the
lease, purchase price or cost of construction or improvement of any
property (real or personal) or other assets that are used or useful in the
business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (whether through the
direct purchase of assets or the Capital Stock of any Person owning such
assets and whether such Indebtedness is owed to the seller or Person
carrying out such construction or improvement or to any third party), in an
aggregate principal amount at the date of such incurrence (including all
Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund, refinance or replace
any other Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (iv)) not to exceed
an amount equal to 5.0% of Total Assets; provided that, in the case of
Indebtedness exceeding $2.0 million incurred pursuant to this clause (iv),
such Indebtedness exists at the date of such purchase or transaction or is
created within 45 days thereafter;
(v) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in exchange for, or the net proceeds
of which are used to refund, refinance or replace Indebtedness (other than
intercompany Indebtedness) that was permitted by this Indenture to be
incurred;
(vi) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of intercompany Indebtedness between or among the Company and
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that (i) if the
Company is the obligor on such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness is expressly
subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all Obligations with
respect to the Notes and (ii)(A) any subsequent issuance or transfer of
Equity Interests that results in any such Indebtedness being held by a
Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof and (B)
any sale or other transfer of any such Indebtedness to a Person that is not
either the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof shall be deemed, in
each case, to constitute an incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company
or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, that was not permitted
by this clause (vi);
(vii) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of Hedging Obligations that are incurred (A) for the purpose
of fixing or hedging interest rate risk with respect to any floating rate
Indebtedness that is permitted by the terms of this Indenture to be
outstanding or (B)
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for the purpose of fixing or hedging currency exchange rate risk incurred
in the ordinary course of business;
(viii) the guarantee by the Company or any of the Guarantors of
Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that
was permitted to be incurred by another provision of this Section 4.09;
(ix) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of Indebtedness under letters of credit issued in the ordinary
course of business and consistent with past practices, in respect of
workers' compensation claims or self-insurance or regulatory requirements
applicable to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(x) the incurrence by the Company's Unrestricted Subsidiaries of
Non-Recourse Debt, provided, however, that if any such Indebtedness ceases
to be Non-Recourse Debt of an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such event shall be
deemed to constitute an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company that was not permitted by this clause (x); and
(xi) the incurrence by the Company of additional Indebtedness in an
aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding, including all Permitted
Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund, refinance or replace any
Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (xi), not to exceed $5.0
million.
For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.09,
in the event that an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of
the categories of Permitted Debt described in clauses (i) through (xi) above or
is entitled to be incurred pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test
contained in the first paragraph of this Section 4.09, the Company shall, in its
sole discretion, classify such item of Indebtedness in any manner that complies
with this Section 4.09 and such item of Indebtedness shall be treated as having
been incurred pursuant to only one of such clauses or pursuant to the first
paragraph hereof. Accrual of interest, accretion or amortization of original
issue discount, the payment of interest on any Indebtedness in the form of
additional Indebtedness with the same terms, and the payment of dividends on
Disqualified Stock in the form of additional shares of the same class of
Disqualified Stock shall not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness or an
issuance of Disqualified Stock for purposes of this Section 4.09; provided, in
each such case, that the amount thereof is included in Fixed Charges of the
Company as accrued.
SECTION 4.10 ASSET SALES.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, consummate an Asset Sale unless (i) the Company (or
the Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be) receives consideration at the
time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the fair market value (evidenced by a
Board Resolution delivered to the Trustee) of the assets or Equity Interests
issued or sold or otherwise disposed of and (ii) at least 80% of the
consideration therefor received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is
in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents; provided that the amount of (x) any
liabilities (as shown on the Company's or such Restricted Subsidiary's most
recent balance sheet), of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than
contingent liabilities and liabilities that are by their terms subordinated to
the Notes or any guarantee thereof) that are assumed by the transferee of any
such assets pursuant to a customary novation agreement that releases the Company
or such Restricted Subsidiary from further liability and (y) any securities,
notes or other obligations received by the Company or any such
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Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are contemporaneously (subject
to ordinary settlement periods) converted by the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary into cash (to the extent of the cash received), shall be deemed to be
cash for purposes of this provision.
Within 270 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from an
Asset Sale, the Company may apply such Net Proceeds, at its option, (a) to
invest in properties and assets that will be used or useful in a Permitted
Business, (b) to the acquisition of a controlling interest in another business,
the making of a capital expenditure or the acquisition of other assets, in each
case, in a Permitted Business or (c) to repay Indebtedness under a Credit
Facility. Any Net Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not applied or invested as
provided in the first sentence of this paragraph shall be deemed to constitute
"Available Asset Sale Proceeds." When the aggregate amount of Available Asset
Sale Proceeds exceeds $5.0 million, the Company shall be required to make an
offer to all Holders of Notes (an "EXCESS PROCEEDS OFFER") pursuant to Section
3.09 hereof to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes that may be
purchased out of the Available Asset Sale Proceeds, at an offer price in cash in
an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid
interest and Liquidated Damages thereon, if any, to the date of purchase, in
accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 3.09 hereof. To the extent
that any Available Asset Sale Proceeds remain after consummation of an Excess
Proceeds Offer, the Company may use such Available Asset Sale Proceeds for
general corporate purposes. If the aggregate principal amount of Notes tendered
into such Excess Proceeds Offer surrendered by Holders thereof exceeds the
amount of Available Asset Sale Proceeds, the Trustee shall select the Notes to
be purchased on a pro rata basis pursuant to Section 3.09 hereof. Upon
completion of such offer to purchase, the amount of Available Asset Sale
Proceeds shall be reset at zero.
SECTION 4.11. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or
otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any
property or assets from, or enter into or make or amend any transaction,
contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or guarantee with, or for the
benefit of, any Affiliate (each of the foregoing, an "Affiliate Transaction"),
unless (i) such Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to
the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have
been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary with an unrelated Person and (ii) the Company delivers to the Trustee
(a) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate
Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $1.0 million, a
Board Resolution certifying that such Affiliate Transaction complies with clause
(i) above and that such Affiliate Transaction has been approved by a majority of
the disinterested members of the Board of Directors and (b) with respect to any
Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving
aggregate consideration in excess of $5.0 million, an opinion as to the fairness
to the holders of such Affiliate Transaction from a financial point of view
issued by an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national
standing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following items shall not be deemed
to be Affiliate Transactions: (i) any employment agreement or employee benefit
plan entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the
ordinary course of business of the Company or such Subsidiary, (ii) transactions
between or among the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries, (iii) payment
of reasonable directors fees to Persons who are not otherwise Affiliates of the
Company, (iv) Restricted Payments that are permitted by the provisions of
Section 4.07 hereof, (v) the payment of all fees and expenses related to the
Merger, (vi) Specified Affiliate Payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed
$200,000 in any 12 month
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period; and (vii) the existence of, or the performance by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries of its obligations under the terms of, any
stockholders agreement (including any registration rights agreement or purchase
agreement related thereto) to which it is a party as of the date of this
Indenture, any amendments thereto and any similar agreements which it may enter
into thereafter; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the existence of, or the performance by
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of obligations under any such
future amendment to any such existing agreement or under any such similar
agreement entered into after the date of this Indenture shall be no more
disadvantageous to the Holders in any material respect than those in effect on
the date of this Indenture.
SECTION 4.12. LIENS.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly create, incur, assume or
suffer to exist any Lien on any asset now owned or hereafter acquired, or any
income or profits therefrom or assign or convey any right to receive income
therefrom, except Permitted Liens.
SECTION 4.13. LINE OF BUSINESS.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, engage in any business other than Permitted Businesses, except
to such extent as would not be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries
taken as a whole.
SECTION 4.14. CORPORATE EXISTENCE.
Subject to Article 5 hereof, the Company shall do or cause to
be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect (i)
its corporate existence, and the corporate, partnership or other existence of
each of its Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational
documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company or any
such Subsidiary and (ii) the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and
franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise,
or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any of its Subsidiaries, if
the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no
longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any
material respect to the Holders of the Notes.
SECTION 4.15. OFFER TO REPURCHASE UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder shall
have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part (equal to
$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such Holder's Notes (the "CHANGE OF
CONTROL OFFER") at an offer price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount
thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon and Liquidated Damages, if any,
to the date of purchase (the "CHANGE OF CONTROL PAYMENT"). Within 15 days
following any Change of Control, the Company shall mail a notice to each Holder
stating: (1) that the Change of Control Offer is being made pursuant to this
Section 4.15 (including a description of the transaction or transactions that
constitute the Change of Control) and that all Notes tendered will be accepted
for payment; (2) the purchase price and the purchase date, which shall be no
earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is
mailed (the "CHANGE OF
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CONTROL PAYMENT DATE"); (3) that any Note not tendered will continue to accrue
interest; (4) that, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Change of
Control Payment, all Notes accepted for payment pursuant to the Change of
Control Offer shall cease to accrue interest after the Change of Control Payment
Date; (5) that Holders electing to have any Notes purchased pursuant to a Change
of Control Offer will be required to surrender the Notes, with the form entitled
"Option of Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse of the Notes completed, to
the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of
business on the third Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date;
(6) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Paying Agent
receives, not later than the close of business on the second Business Day
preceding the Change of Control Payment Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile
transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal
amount of Notes delivered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is
withdrawing his election to have the Notes purchased; and (7) that Holders whose
Notes are being purchased only in part will be issued new Notes equal in
principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, which
unpurchased portion must be equal to $1,000 in principal amount or an integral
multiple thereof. The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1
under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder
to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the
repurchase of Notes in connection with a Change of Control.
(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall, to the
extent lawful, (1) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof properly
tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer, (2) deposit with the Paying
Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes
or portions thereof so tendered and (3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the
Trustee the Notes so accepted together with an Officers' Certificate stating the
aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof being purchased by the
Company. The Paying Agent shall promptly mail to each Holder of Notes so
tendered payment in an amount equal to the purchase price for the Notes, and the
Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book
entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased
portion of the Notes surrendered by such Holder, if any; PROVIDED, that each
such new Note shall be in a principal amount of $1,000 or an integral multiple
thereof. The Company shall publicly announce the results of the Change of
Control Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Change of Control Payment
Date.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.15,
the Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a
Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the
manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth
in this Section 4.15 and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn
under such Change of Control Offer.
SECTION 4.16. LIMITATION ON SALE AND LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, enter into any sale and leaseback transaction;
provided that the Company may enter into a sale and leaseback transaction if (i)
the Company could have (a) incurred Indebtedness in an amount equal to the
Attributable Debt relating to such sale and leaseback transaction pursuant to
the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of Section
4.09 hereof and (b) incurred a Lien to secure such Indebtedness
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pursuant to Section 4.12 hereof, (ii) the gross cash proceeds of such sale and
leaseback transaction are at least equal to the fair market value (as determined
in good faith by the Board of Directors and set forth in a Board Resolution
delivered to the Trustee) of the property that is the subject of such sale and
leaseback transaction and (iii) the transfer of assets in such sale and
leaseback transaction is permitted by, and the Company applies the proceeds of
such transaction in compliance with, Section 4.10 hereof.
SECTION 4.17 LIMITATION ON ISSUANCES AND SALES OF EQUITY INTERESTS IN
WHOLLY OWNED RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES.
The Company (i) shall not, and shall not permit any Wholly
Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to, transfer, convey, sell, lease or
otherwise dispose of (other than by way of a Lien as described in Section 1.01
hereof under clause (i) of the definition of "Permitted Liens") any Equity
Interest in any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to any Person
(other than the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company
and other than a pledge by the Company or any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary
of any stock of a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary to any senior secured
lender of the Company or any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company),
unless (a) such transfer, conveyance, sale, lease or other disposition is of all
the Equity Interest in such Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary and (b) the cash
Net Proceeds from such transfer, conveyance, sale, lease or other disposition
are applied in accordance with Section 4.10 hereof and (ii) shall not permit any
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to issue any of its Equity
Interests (other than, if necessary, shares of its Capital Stock constituting
directors' qualifying shares) to any Person other than to the Company or a
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company.
SECTION 4.18. PAYMENTS FOR CONSENT.
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall,
directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by
way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder of any Notes for or as an
inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions
of this Indenture or the Notes unless such consideration is offered to be paid
or is paid to all Holders of the Notes that consent, waive or agree to amend in
the time frame set forth in the solicitation documents relating to such consent,
waiver or agreement.
SECTION 4.19. ADDITIONAL NOTE GUARANTEES.
If the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall
acquire or create another Restricted Subsidiary after the date of this
Indenture, then such newly acquired or created Restricted Subsidiary shall
become a Guarantor by executing a Supplemental Indenture in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit F and deliver an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee to the
effect that such Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by such Restricted Subsidiary and constitutes a valid and binding
obligation of such Restricted Subsidiary, enforceable against such Restricted
Subsidiary in accordance with its terms (subject to customary exceptions).
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ARTICLE 5.
SUCCESSORS
SECTION 5.01. MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, OR SALE OF ASSETS.
The Company shall not consolidate or merge with or into
(whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation), or sell, assign,
transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its
properties or assets in one or more related transactions, to another Person
unless (i) the Company is the surviving corporation or the Person formed by or
surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to
which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition
shall have been made is a corporation organized or existing under the laws of
the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; (ii) the
Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than
the Company) or the Person to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease,
conveyance or other disposition shall have been made assumes all the obligations
of the Company under the Registration Rights Agreement, the Notes and this
Indenture pursuant to a supplemental indenture in a form reasonably satisfactory
to the Trustee; (iii) immediately after such transaction no Default or Event of
Default exists; (iv) except in the case of the Merger or a merger of the Company
with or into a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, the Company or
the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other
than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease,
conveyance or other disposition shall have been made, shall be permitted, at the
time of such transaction and after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such
transaction had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period,
to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of Section 4.09 hereof; and
(v) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and
an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, sale,
assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition and, if a supplemental
indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental
indenture comply with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and that all
conditions precedent in this Indenture relating to such transaction have been
satisfied.
SECTION 5.02. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment,
transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of
the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.01 hereof, the successor
corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is
merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other
disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and
after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, lease, conveyance or other
disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the "Company" shall
refer instead to the successor corporation and not to the Company), and may
exercise every right and power of the Company under this Indenture with the same
effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the predecessor Company shall not be relieved from the
obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes except in the case
of a sale of all of the Company's assets that meets the requirements of Section
5.01 hereof.
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ARTICLE 6.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
An "Event of Default" occurs if:
(a) the Company defaults in the payment when due of interest on, or
Liquidated Damages with respect to, the Notes and such default continues for a
period of 30 days;
(b) the Company defaults in the payment when due of principal of or
premium, if any, on the Notes when the same becomes due and payable at maturity,
upon redemption (including in connection with an offer to purchase) or
otherwise;
(c) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries fails to comply with any of
the provisions of Section 4.07, 4.09, 4.10 or 4.15 hereof;
(d) the Company fails to observe or perform any other covenant,
representation, warranty or other agreement in this Indenture or the Notes for
60 days after notice to the Company by the Trustee or the Holders of at least
25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding voting as a
single class;
(e) a default occurs under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under
which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any
Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or
the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries),
whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the date
of this Indenture, which default (a) is caused by a failure to pay principal of
or premium, if any, or interest on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of
the grace period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a
"PAYMENT DEFAULT") or (b) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior
to its express maturity and, in each case, the principal amount of any such
Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness
under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been
so accelerated, aggregates $5.0 million or more;
(f) a final non-appealable judgment or final non-appealable judgments
for the payment of money are entered by a court or courts of competent
jurisdiction against the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and such
judgment or judgments remain undischarged and unpaid for a period (during which
execution shall not be effectively stayed) of 60 days, PROVIDED that the
aggregate of all such undischarged judgments exceeds $5.0 million;
(g) the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a
Significant Subsidiary or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole,
would constitute a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of
Bankruptcy Law:
(i) commences a voluntary case,
(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in
an involuntary case,
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(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or
substantially all of its property,
(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
(v) generally is not paying its debts as they become due; or
(h) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under
any Bankruptcy Law that:
(i) is for relief against the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Subsidiaries
that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary in an
involuntary case;
(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Subsidiaries
that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary or for
all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of
Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant
Subsidiary; or
(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Subsidiaries
that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary;
and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive
days; or
(i) except as permitted by this Indenture, any Note Guarantee is
held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or shall cease
for any reason to be in full force and effect or any Guarantor, or any Person
acting on behalf of any Guarantor, shall deny or disaffirm its obligations under
such Guarantor's Note Guarantee.
SECTION 6.02 ACCELERATION.
If any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default
specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 hereof with respect to the
Company, any Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any
group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant
Subsidiary) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25%
in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may declare the principal of,
premium, if any, and accrued but unpaid interest on all the Notes to be due and
payable immediately. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default
specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 hereof occurs with respect to the
Company, any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or
any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant
Subsidiary, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued but unpaid interest
on all outstanding Notes shall be due and payable immediately without further
action or notice. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
then outstanding Notes by written notice to the Trustee may on behalf of all of
the Holders rescind an acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would
not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default
(except nonpayment of principal,
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interest or premium that has become due solely because of the acceleration) have
been cured or waived and if the Company has paid to the Trustee all amounts due
to the Trustee under Section 7.07.
SECTION 6.03. OTHER REMEDIES.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium, if
any, and interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, on the Notes or to enforce the
performance of any provision of the Notes or this Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not
possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A
delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note in exercising any right
or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy
or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies
are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
SECTION 6.04. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.
Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the then outstanding Notes by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of
the Holders of all of the Notes waive an existing Default or Event of Default
and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default or Event of Default
in the payment of the principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, or
interest on, the Notes (including in connection with an offer to purchase)
(provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the then outstanding Notes may rescind an acceleration and its consequences,
including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration, but
only in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.02 hereof). Upon any such
waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising
therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this
Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or
impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 6.05. CONTROL BY MAJORITY.
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then
outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any
trust or power conferred on it. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any
direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that the Trustee determines
may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Notes or that may
involve the Trustee in personal liability; provided, however, that the Trustee
may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent
with the directions of such Holders.
SECTION 6.06. LIMITATION ON SUITS.
A Holder of a Note may pursue a remedy with respect to this
Indenture or the Notes only if:
(a) the Holder of a Note gives to the Trustee written notice
of a continuing Event of Default;
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(b) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the
then outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the
remedy;
(c) such Holder of a Note or Holders of Notes offer and, if
requested, provide to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against
any loss, liability or expense;
(d) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60
days after receipt of the request and the offer and, if requested, the provision
of indemnity; and
(e) during such 60-day period the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the then outstanding Notes do not give the Trustee a
direction inconsistent with the request.
A Holder of a Note may not use this Indenture to prejudice the
rights of another Holder of a Note or to obtain a preference or priority over
another Holder of a Note.
SECTION 6.07. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the
right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of principal, premium and
Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on the Note, on or after the respective
due dates expressed in the Note (including in connection with an offer to
purchase), or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after
such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of
such Holder.
SECTION 6.08. COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.
If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a) or (b)
occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its
own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole
amount of principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest
remaining unpaid on the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the
extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover
the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and
any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.
SECTION 6.09. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.
The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and
other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the
claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and
the Holders of the Notes allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the
Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes), its creditors or its property and
shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or
other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in
any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such
payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the
making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any
amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and
advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the
Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof. To the extent that the payment of any such
compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents
and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof out
of the
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estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the
same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all
distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the
Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or
under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein
contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or
accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement,
adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder, or to
authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such
proceeding.
SECTION 6.10. PRIORITIES.
If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article, it
shall pay out the money in the following order:
FIRST: to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts
due under Section 7.07 hereof, including payment of all compensation, expense
and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs
and expenses of collection;
SECOND: to Holders of Notes for amounts due and unpaid on the
Notes for principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest,
ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts
due and payable on the Notes for principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if
any and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: to the Company or to such party as a court of competent
jurisdiction shall direct.
The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any
payment to Holders of Notes pursuant to this Section 6.10.
SECTION 6.11 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under
this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or
omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by
any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit,
and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including
reasonable attorneys' fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due
regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party
litigant. This Section does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a
Holder of a Note pursuant to Section 6.07 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more
than 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.
ARTICLE 7.
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the
Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in
it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill
in its exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under
the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
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(i) the duties of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties
that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against
the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may
conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of
the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to
the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However,
the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine
whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.
(c).The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own
negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful
misconduct, except that:
(i) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this
Section;
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in
good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee
was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it
takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction
received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 hereof.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision
of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to
paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Section.
(e) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to
expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee shall be under
no obligation to exercise any of its rights and powers under this Indenture at
the request of any Holders, unless such Holder shall have offered to the Trustee
security and indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or
expense.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money
received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.
Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds
except to the extent required by law.
SECTION 7.02. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon any document believed by it
to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The
Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may
require an Officers' Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee
shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in
reliance on such Officers' Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may
consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of
Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability
in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good
faith and in reliance thereon.
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(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall
not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with
due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or
omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the
rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.
(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any
demand, request, direction or notice from the Company shall be sufficient if
signed by an Officer of the Company.
(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of
the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction
of any of the Holders unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee
reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities
that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(g) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into
the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate (including any
Officers' Certificate), statement, instrument, opinion (including any Opinion of
Counsel), notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, or other
paper or documents, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further
inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit and, if
the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it
shall be entitled, upon reasonable notice to the Company, to examine the books,
records, and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney.
(h) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in
respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.
(i) The permissive rights of the Trustee to do things enumerated in
this Indenture shall not be construed as duties.
(j) The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any
Default, of the identity of any Restricted Subsidiary or the existence of any
Change of Control or Asset Sale unless either (i) a Responsible Officer shall
have actual knowledge thereof or (ii) the Trustee shall have received written
notice thereof from the Company or any Holder.
SECTION 7.03. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become
the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or any
Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not
Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting
interest it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the SEC for
permission to continue as trustee or resign. Any Agent may do the same with like
rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11 hereof.
SECTION 7.04. TRUSTEE'S DISCLAIMER.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no
representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture, any Note
Guarantee or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Company's
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use of the proceeds from the Notes or any money paid to the Company or upon the
Company's direction under any provision of this Indenture, it shall not be
responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent
other than the Trustee, and it shall not be responsible for any statement or
recital herein or any statement in the Notes or any other document in connection
with the sale of the Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its
certificate of authentication.
SECTION 7.05. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing and
if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to Holders of Notes a
notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except
in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of, premium
or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold
the notice if and so long as a committee of its Responsible Officers in good
faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders
of the Notes. Any notice sent by the Holders of Notes to the Company pursuant to
Section 6.01 hereof shall also be sent to the Trustee by such Holders.
SECTION 7.06. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS OF THE NOTES.
Within 60 days after each May 15 beginning with the May 15
following the date of this Indenture, and for so long as Notes remain
outstanding, the Trustee shall mail to the Holders of the Notes a brief report
dated as of such reporting date that complies with TIA Section 313(a) (but if no
event described in TIA Section 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months
preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also
shall comply with TIA Section 313(b)(2). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail
all reports as required by TIA Section 313(c).
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to the
Holders of Notes shall be mailed to the Company and filed with the SEC and each
stock exchange on which the Notes are listed in accordance with TIA Section
313(d). The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Notes are listed
on any stock exchange.
SECTION 7.07. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time
reasonable compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services
hereunder. The Trustee's compensation shall not be limited by any law on
compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the
Trustee promptly upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and
expenses incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its
services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements
and expenses of the Trustee's agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify the Trustee against any and all
losses, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees and
expenses) incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of its duties under this Indenture, including the costs and
expenses of enforcing this Indenture against the Company (including this Section
7.07) and defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company or
any Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or
performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any
such loss, liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence or bad
faith. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it
may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the
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Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder. The Company
shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The
Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees
and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made
without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.07 shall
survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the satisfaction and
discharge of this Indenture.
To secure the Company's payment obligations in this Section,
the Trustee shall have a Lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held
or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal and
interest on particular Notes. Such Lien shall survive the satisfaction and
discharge of this Indenture.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an
Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) hereof occurs, the expenses
and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its
agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under
any Bankruptcy Law.
The Trustee shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section
313(b)(2) to the extent applicable.
SECTION 7.08. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a
successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee's
acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be
discharged from the trust hereby created by so notifying the Company. The
Holders of Notes of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes
may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in writing.
The Company may remove the Trustee if:
(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof;
(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for
relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;
(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its
property; or
(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in
the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a
successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may
appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the
Company.
If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days
after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the
Company, or the Holders of Notes of at least 10% in principal
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amount of the then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder of a Note
who has been a Holder of a Note for at least six months, fails to comply with
Section 7.10, such Holder of a Note may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor
Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its
appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon, the
resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the
successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee
under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its
succession to Holders of the Notes. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer
all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, PROVIDED all sums
owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the Lien provided
for in Section 7.07 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant
to this Section 7.08, the Company's obligations under Section 7.07 hereof shall
continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
SECTION 7.09. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER, ETC.
If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or
transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another
corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the
successor Trustee.
SECTION 7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of
America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by
federal or state authorities and that has a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of
condition.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the
requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee is subject to
TIA Section 310(b).
SECTION 7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.
The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any
creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned
or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated
therein.
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ARTICLE 8.
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
SECTION 8.01. OPTION TO EFFECT LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
The Company may, at the option of its Board of Directors
evidenced by a Board Resolution, at any time, elect to have either Section 8.02
or 8.03 hereof be applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the
conditions set forth below in this Article 8.
SECTION 8.02. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the
option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Company shall, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be deemed to
have been discharged from its and any Guarantor's obligations with respect to
the outstanding Notes and any Note Guarantees on the date the conditions set
forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, "LEGAL DEFEASANCE"). For this purpose,
Legal Defeasance means that the Company and the Guarantors shall be deemed to
have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding
Notes and any Note Guarantees, which shall thereafter be deemed to be
"outstanding" only for the purposes of Section 8.05 hereof and the other
Sections of this Indenture referred to in (a) and (b) below, and to have
satisfied all their other obligations under such Notes and Note Guarantees and
this Indenture (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Company,
shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the
following provisions which shall survive until otherwise terminated or
discharged hereunder: (a) the rights of Holders of outstanding Notes to receive
solely from the trust fund described in Section 8.04 hereof, and as more fully
set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if
any, Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on such Notes when such payments
are due, (b) the Company's obligations with respect to such Notes under Article
2 and Section 4.02 hereof, (c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities
of the Trustee hereunder and the Company's obligations in connection therewith
and (d) this Article Eight. Subject to compliance with this Article Eight, the
Company may exercise its option under this Section 8.02 notwithstanding the
prior exercise of its option under Section 8.03 hereof.
SECTION 8.03. COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the
option applicable to this Section 8.03, the Company shall, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be released
from its obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.07, 4.08, 4.09,
4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.15, 4.16, 4.17, 4.18 and 4.19 hereof with respect to
the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section
8.04 are satisfied (hereinafter, "COVENANT DEFEASANCE"), and the Notes shall
thereafter be deemed not "outstanding" for the purposes of any direction,
waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any
thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed
"outstanding" for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such
Notes shall not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this
purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes,
the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of
any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether
directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such
covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other
provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not
constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01 hereof, but,
except as specified
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above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected
thereby. In addition, upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of
the option applicable to this Section 8.03 hereof, subject to the satisfaction
of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, Sections 6.01(d) through
6.01(f) hereof shall not constitute Events of Default.
SECTION 8.04. CONDITIONS TO LEGAL OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
The following shall be the conditions to the application of
either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof to the outstanding Notes:
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance:
(a) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in
trust, for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable
Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be
sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public
accountants, to pay the principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any,
and interest on the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or
on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must
specify whether the Notes are being defeased to maturity or to a particular
redemption date;
(b) in the case of an election under Section 8.02 hereof, the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United
States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that (A) the Company has
received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a
ruling or (B) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the
applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based
thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, subject to customary
assumptions and exclusions, the Holders of the outstanding Notes will not
recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of
such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same
amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if
such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(c) in the case of an election under Section 8.03 hereof, the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United
States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that, subject to
customary assumptions and exclusions, the Holders of the outstanding Notes will
not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result
of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the
same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the
case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(d) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default
resulting from the incurrence of Indebtedness, the funds of which shall be
applied to defease the Notes pursuant to this Article 8 concurrently with such
incurrence) or insofar as Sections 6.01(g) or 6.01(h) hereof is concerned, at
any time in the period ending on the 91st day after the date of deposit;
(e) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result
in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material
agreement or instrument (other than this
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Indenture) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;
(f) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of
Counsel (which may be subject to customary assumptions and exclusions) to the
effect that after the 91st day following the deposit, the trust funds will not
be subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally;
(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent
of preferring the Holders over any other creditors of the Company with the
intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding creditors of the Company
or others ; and
(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions
precedent provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant
Defeasance have been complied with.
SECTION 8.05 DEPOSITED MONEY AND GOVERNMENT SECURITIES TO BE HELD IN
TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
Subject to Section 8.06 hereof, all money and non-callable
Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the
Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section
8.05, the "TRUSTEE") pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof in respect of the
outstanding Notes shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in
accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment,
either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as
Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all
sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any,
Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated
from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any
tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable
Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof or the principal
and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other
charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.
Anything in this Article 8 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the
request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by
it as provided in Section 8.04 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally
recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written
certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion
delivered under Section 8.04(a) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof
that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal
Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
SECTION 8.06. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or
then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium,
if any, Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on any Note and remaining
unclaimed for two years after such principal, and premium, if any, Liquidated
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Damages, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the
Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from
such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter look only to the
Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying
Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as
trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Trustee or
such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the
expense of the Company cause to be published once, in the New York Times and The
Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed
and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days
from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such
money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
SECTION 8.07. REINSTATEMENT.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any U.S.
dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section 8.02 or
8.03 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court
or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such
application, then the Company's obligations under this Indenture and the Notes
and the Guarantors' obligations under this Indenture and the Note Guarantees
shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to
Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is
permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03
hereof, as the case may be; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, if the Company makes any
payment of principal of, premium, if any, Liquidated Damages, if any, or
interest on any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company
shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such
payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE 9.
AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER
SECTION 9.01. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.
Notwithstanding Section 9.02 of this Indenture, the Company,
the Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Note
Guarantees or the Notes without the consent of any Holder of a Note:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
(b) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of
certificated Notes or to alter the provisions of Article 2 hereof (including the
related definitions) in a manner that does not materially adversely affect any
Holder;
(c) to provide for the assumption of the Company's or a Guarantor's
obligations to the Holders of the Notes by a successor to the Company or a
Guarantor pursuant to Article 5 or Article 10 hereof;
(d) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or
benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not adversely affect the legal
rights hereunder of any Holder of the Note;
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(e) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or
maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(f) to release any Note Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of
this Indenture; or
(g) to allow any Guarantor to execute a supplemental indenture and/or a
Note Guarantee with respect to the Notes.
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board
Resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such
amended or supplemental Indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the
documents described in Section 7.02 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the
Company and the Guarantors in the execution of any amended or supplemental
Indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any
further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained,
but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into such amended or
supplemental Indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under
this Indenture or otherwise.
SECTION 9.02. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.
Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Company and
the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture (including Section 3.09, 4.10
and 4.15 hereof), the Note Guarantees and the Notes may be amended or
supplemented with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal
amount of the Notes then outstanding voting as a single class (including
consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for, or
purchase of, the Notes), and, subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, any
existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default
in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, Liquidated Damages, if any,
or interest on the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an
acceleration that has been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of this
Indenture, the Note Guarantees or the Notes may be waived with the consent of
the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes
voting as a single class (including consents obtained in connection with a
tender offer or exchange offer for, or purchase of, the Notes). Section 2.08
hereof shall determine which Notes are considered to be "outstanding" for
purposes of this Section 9.02.
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board
Resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such
amended or supplemental Indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of
evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Notes as
aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section
7.02 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such
amended or supplemental Indenture unless such amended or supplemental Indenture
directly affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this
Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but
shall not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of
Notes under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed
amendment or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the
substance thereof.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section
becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Notes affected
thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment,
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supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any
defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of
any such amended or supplemental Indenture or waiver. Subject to Sections 6.04
and 6.07 hereof, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Notes then outstanding voting as a single class may waive compliance in a
particular instance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the
Notes. However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or
waiver under this Section 9.02 may not (with respect to any Notes held by a
non-consenting Holder):
(a) reduce the principal amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to
an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(b) reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any Note or
alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of the Notes
except as provided above with respect to Sections 3.09, 4.10 and 4.15 hereof;
(c) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest,
including default interest, on any Note;
(d) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of
or premium, if any, Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on the Notes (except
a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of at least a majority
in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and a waiver of the
payment default that resulted from such acceleration;
(e) make any Note payable in money other than that stated in the Notes;
(f) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture relating to
waivers of past Defaults or the rights of Holders of Notes to receive payments
of principal of or premium, if any, Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on
the Notes;
(g) make any change in Section 6.04 or 6.07 hereof or in the foregoing
amendment and waiver provisions; or
(h) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Note (other than a
payment required by Section 4.10 or 4.15 hereof).
SECTION 9.03 COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Notes
shall be set forth in a amended or supplemental Indenture that complies with the
TIA as then in effect.
SECTION 9.04. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS.
Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a
consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a
Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences
the same debt as the consenting Holder's Note, even if notation of the consent
is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent Holder
of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives written
notice of revocation before the date the waiver,
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supplement or amendment becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver
becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every
Holder.
SECTION 9.05. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF NOTES.
The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an
amendment, supplement or waiver on any Note thereafter authenticated. The
Company in exchange for all Notes may issue and the Trustee shall, upon receipt
of an Authentication Order, authenticate new Notes that reflect the amendment,
supplement or waiver.
Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note
shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or
waiver.
SECTION 9.06. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC.
The Trustee shall sign any amended or supplemental Indenture
authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment or supplement does not
adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee.
The Company may not sign an amendment or supplemental Indenture until the Board
of Directors approves it. In executing any amended or supplemental indenture,
the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 7.01 hereof)
shall be fully protected in relying upon, in addition to the documents required
by Section 11.04 hereof, an Officer's Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel
stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture is
authorized or permitted by this Indenture.
ARTICLE 10.
NOTE GUARANTEES
SECTION 10.01. GUARANTEE.
Subject to this Article 10, each of the Guarantors hereby,
jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a
Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its
successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this
Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder,
that: (a) the principal of and interest on the Notes will be promptly paid in
full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise,
and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if
lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee
hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid in full or performed, all in
accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and (b) in case of any extension
of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations,
that same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with
the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by
acceleration or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed
or any performance so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors shall be
jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. Each Guarantor
agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.
The Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder
shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or
enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to
enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect
to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the
Company, any action to enforce the same or any
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other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable
discharge or defense of a guarantor. Each Guarantor hereby waives diligence,
presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of
insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenant
that its Note Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete performance
of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture.
If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or
otherwise to return to the Company, the Guarantors or any custodian, trustee,
liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or
the Guarantors, any amount paid by either to the Trustee or such Holder, its
Note Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in
full force and effect.
Each Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to any
right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations
guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby.
Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand,
and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the
obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 hereof
for the purposes of its Note Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or
other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations
guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of
such obligations as provided in Article 6 hereof, such obligations (whether or
not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors
for the purpose of its Note Guarantee. The Guarantors shall have the right to
seek contribution from any non-paying Guarantor so long as the exercise of such
right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Note Guarantees. Each
Guarantor also agrees to pay any and all reasonable costs and expenses
(including reasonable attorney's fees) incurred by the Trustee or the Holders in
enforcing any rights under this Article 10.
SECTION 10.02. LIMITATION ON GUARANTOR LIABILITY.
Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder,
hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Note
Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance
for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the
Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the
extent applicable to any Note Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention,
the Trustee, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the
obligations of such Guarantor under its Note Guarantee and this Article 10 shall
be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to such maximum
amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor that are
relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from,
rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any
other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under this
Article 10, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Note Guarantee
not constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.
SECTION 10.03. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF NOTE GUARANTEE.
To evidence its Note Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01,
each Guarantor hereby agrees that a notation of such Note Guarantee
substantially in the form included in Exhibit E shall be endorsed by an Officer
of such Guarantor on each Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and
that this Indenture shall be executed on behalf of such Guarantor by its
President or one of its Vice Presidents.
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Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Note Guarantee set forth
in Section 10.01 shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any
failure to endorse on each Note a notation of such Note Guarantee.
If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture or on the
Note Guarantee no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates
the Note on which a Note Guarantee is endorsed, the Note Guarantee shall be
valid nevertheless.
The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the
authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of the Note
Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Guarantors.
In the event that the Company creates or acquires any new
Subsidiaries subsequent to the date of this Indenture, if required by Section
4.19 hereof, the Company shall cause such Subsidiaries to execute supplemental
indentures to this Indenture and Note Guarantees in accordance with Section 4.19
hereof and this Article 10, to the extent applicable.
SECTION 10.04. GUARANTORS MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ON CERTAIN TERMS.
No Guarantor may consolidate with or merge with or into
(whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving Person) another Person whether
or not affiliated with such Guarantor unless:
(a) subject to this Section 10.04, the Person formed by or
surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than such Guarantor)
unconditionally assumes all the obligations of such Guarantor, pursuant to a
supplemental indenture in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Trustee, under the Notes, this Indenture, the Note Guarantee and the
Registration Rights Agreement on the terms set forth herein or therein;
(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
Default or Event of Default exists; and
(c) the Company would be permitted by virtue of the Company's
pro forma Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, immediately after giving effect to such
transaction, to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of Section
4.09 hereof.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale or conveyance
and upon the assumption by the successor Person, by supplemental indenture,
executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee,
of the Note Guarantee endorsed upon the Notes and the due and punctual
performance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be
performed by the Guarantor, such successor Person shall succeed to and be
substituted for the Guarantor with the same effect as if it had been named
herein as a Guarantor. Such successor Person thereupon may cause to be signed
any or all of the Note Guarantees to be endorsed upon all of the Notes issuable
hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and
delivered to the Trustee. All the Note Guarantees so issued shall in all
respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Note
Guarantees theretofore and thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of
this Indenture as though all of such Note Guarantees had been issued at the date
of the execution hereof.
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Except as set forth in Articles 4 and 5 hereof, and
notwithstanding clauses (a) and (b) above, nothing contained in this Indenture
or in any of the Notes shall prevent any consolidation or merger of a Guarantor
with or into the Company or another Guarantor, or shall prevent any sale or
conveyance of the property of a Guarantor as an entirety or substantially as an
entirety to the Company or another Guarantor.
SECTION 10.05. RELEASES FOLLOWING SALE OF ASSETS.
In the event of a sale or other disposition of all of the
assets of any Guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, or a sale
or other disposition of all of the capital stock of any Guarantor, then such
Guarantor (in the event of a sale or other disposition, by way of merger,
consolidation or otherwise, of all of the capital stock of such Guarantor) or
the Person acquiring the property (in the event of a sale or other disposition
of all of the assets of such Guarantor) will be released and relieved of any
obligations under its Note Guarantee; PROVIDED that the Net Proceeds of such
sale or other disposition are applied in accordance with the applicable
provisions of this Indenture, including without limitation Section 4.10 hereof.
Upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officers' Certificate and an
Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such sale or other disposition was made by
the Company in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture,
including without limitation Section 4.10 hereof, the Trustee shall execute any
documents reasonably required in order to evidence the release of any Guarantor
from its obligations under its Note Guarantee.
Any Guarantor not released from its obligations under its Note
Guarantee shall remain liable for the full amount of principal of and interest
on the Notes and for the other obligations of any Guarantor under this Indenture
as provided in this Article 10.
ARTICLE 11.
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.01. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or
conflicts with the duties imposed by TIA Section 318(c), the imposed duties
shall control.
SECTION 11.02. NOTICES.
Any notice or communication by the Company, any Guarantor or
the Trustee to the others is duly given if in writing and delivered in Person or
mailed by first class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested),
telex, telecopier or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to
the others' address
If to the Company and/or any Guarantor:
The GNI Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
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With a copy to:
399 Venture Partners, Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
00xx Xxxxx, Xxxx 0
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
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And, in the case of any notice under Article 6, a copy to:
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx & Bockius LLP
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxx, Esq.
If to the Trustee:
United States Trust Company of New York
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Corporate Trust and Agency Division
The Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee, by notice to the
others may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or
communications.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to
Holders) 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 answered back, if telexed; when receipt
acknowledged, if telecopied; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to
the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by
first class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by
overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery to its address shown on the
register kept by the Registrar. Any notice or communication shall also be so
mailed to any Person described in TIA section 313(c), to the extent required by
the TIA. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in
it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.
If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided
above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee
receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Holders, it
shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
SECTION 11.03. COMMUNICATION BY HOLDERS OF NOTES WITH OTHER HOLDERS OF NOTES.
Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA section 312(b) with
other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes.
The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the
protection of TIA section 312(c).
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SECTION 11.04. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee
to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the
Trustee:
(a) an Officers' Certificate in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in
Section 11.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all
conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture
relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and
(b) an Opinion of Counsel in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in
Section 11.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such
conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.
SECTION 11.05. STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate
provided pursuant to TIA section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of
TIA section 314(e) and shall include:
(a) a statement that the Person making such certificate or
opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in
such certificate or opinion are based;
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he or she
has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to
express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has
been satisfied; and
(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such
Person, such condition or covenant has been satisfied.
SECTION 11.06. RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a
meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and
set reasonable requirements for its functions.
SECTION 11.07. NO PERSONAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND
STOCKHOLDERS.
No past, present or future director, officer, employee,
incorporator or stockholder or Affiliate of the Company or any Guarantor, as
such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company or such
Guarantor under the Notes, the Note Guarantees, this Indenture or the
Registration Rights Agreement or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by
reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note
waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the
consideration for issuance of the Notes.
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SECTION 11.08. GOVERNING LAW.
THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN AND BE
USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND THE NOTE GUARANTEES WITHOUT
GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT
THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.
SECTION 11.09. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other
indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of any
other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to
interpret this Indenture.
SECTION 11.10. SUCCESSORS.
All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Notes
shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall
bind its successors.
SECTION 11.11. SEVERABILITY.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Notes 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.
SECTION 11.12. COUNTERPART ORIGINALS.
The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture.
Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the
same agreement.
SECTION 11.13. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC.
The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and Headings of
the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience
of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and shall
in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
[Signatures on following pages]
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SIGNATURES
Dated as of July 28, 1998
The GNI Group, Inc.
BY: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
GUARANTORS:
Gulf Nuclear of Louisiana, Inc.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
GNI CHEMICALS CORPORATION
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
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RESOURCE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS OF CORPUS CHRISTI, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
UNITED STATES TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK
BY: /s/
-----------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
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EXHIBIT A
(Face of Note)
===============================================================================
CUSIP/CINS
---------
10-7/8% [Series A] [Series B] Senior Notes due 2005
No. $
----- ---------
THE GNI GROUP, INC.
promises to pay to
-------------------------------------------------------
or registered assigns,
the principal sum of
-------------------------------------------------
Dollars on July 15, 2005.
Interest Payment Dates: January 15, and July 15
Record Dates: January 1, and July 1
DATED:_____________, 199__
THE GNI GROUP, INC.
BY:
-------------------------
Name:
Title:
This is one of the [Global]
Notes referred to in the
within-mentioned Indenture:
UNITED STATES TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By:
-----------------------------------
===============================================================================
A-1
85
(Back of Note)
10-7/8% [Series A] [Series B] Senior Notes due 2005
[INSERT THE GLOBAL NOTE LEGEND, IF APPLICABLE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE
INDENTURE]
[INSERT THE PRIVATE PLACEMENT LEGEND, IF APPLICABLE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS
OF THE INDENTURE]
Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned
to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.
1. INTEREST. The GNI Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at
10-7/8% per annum from July 28, 1998 until maturity and shall pay the Liquidated
Damages payable pursuant to Section 5 of the Registration Rights Agreement
referred to below. The Company will pay interest and Liquidated Damages, if any,
semi-annually on January 15 and July 15 of each year (each an "Interest Payment
Date"), or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding
Business Day. Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to
which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from the date of
issuance; PROVIDED that if there is no existing Default in the payment of
interest, and if this Note is authenticated between a record date referred to on
the face hereof and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest shall
accrue from such next succeeding Interest Payment Date; PROVIDED, FURTHER, that
the first Interest Payment Date shall be January 15, 1999. The Company shall pay
interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any
Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on
demand at a rate that is 1% per annum in excess of the rate then in effect; it
shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any
Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest and Liquidated Damages
(without regard to any applicable grace periods) from time to time on demand at
the same rate to the extent lawful. Interest will be computed on the basis of a
360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
2. METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay interest on the
Notes (except defaulted interest) and Liquidated Damages, if any, to the Persons
who are registered Holders of Notes at the close of business on the January 1 or
July 1 next preceding the Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day),
even if such Notes are cancelled after such record date and on or before such
Interest Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with
respect to defaulted interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal,
premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest at the office or agency of
the Company maintained for such purpose within or without the City and State of
New York, or, at the option of the Company, payment of interest and Liquidated
Damages , if any, may be made by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses
set forth in the register of Holders, and provided that payment by wire transfer
of immediately available funds will be required with respect to principal of and
interest, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, on all Global Notes and all
other Notes the Holders of which shall have provided wire transfer instructions
to the Company or the Paying Agent. Such payment shall be in such coin or
currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal
tender for payment of public and private debts.
3. PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, United States Trust
Company of New York, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent
and Registrar. The Company may change
A-2
86
any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company or any
of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.
4. INDENTURE. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture
dated as of July 28, 1998 ("Indenture") among the Company, the Guarantors and
the Trustee. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and
those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb). The Notes are subject to
all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a
statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with
the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall
govern and be controlling. The Notes are unsecured obligations of the Company
limited to $75.0 million in aggregate principal amount.
5. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.
(a) Except as set forth in subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph
5, the Company shall not have the option to redeem the Notes prior to July 15,
2003. Thereafter, the Company shall have the option to redeem the Notes, in
whole or in part, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days' notice, at the
redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below
plus accrued and unpaid interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, thereon to the
applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning
on July 15 of the years indicated below:
YEAR PERCENTAGE
---- ----------
2003........................................................ 105.4375%
2004 and thereafter......................................... 100.0000%
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (a) of this
Paragraph 5, at any time prior to July 23, 2001, the Company may redeem up to
25% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under the
Indenture at a redemption price of 110.8750% of the principal amount thereof,
plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon and Liquidated Damages, if any, to the
redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more Public Equity
Offerings; PROVIDED that at least 75% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes
originally issued under the Indenture remains outstanding immediately after the
occurrence of such redemption (excluding Notes held by the Company and its
Subsidiaries); and PROVIDED, further, that such redemption shall occur within 90
days of the date of the closing of such Public Equity Offering.
6. MANDATORY REDEMPTION.
The Company shall not be required to make mandatory redemption
payments with respect to the Notes.
7. REPURCHASE AT OPTION OF HOLDER.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder
will have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part (equal
to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such
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Holder's Notes (the "Change of Control Offer") at an offer price in cash equal
to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon
and Liquidated Damages, if any, if any, to the date of purchase (the "Change of
Control Payment"). Within 15 days following any Change of Control, the Company
will mail a notice to each Holder describing the transaction or transactions
that constitute the Change of Control and offering to repurchase Notes on the
date specified in such notice, which date shall be no earlier than 30 days and
no later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed (the "Change of
Control Payment Date"), pursuant to the procedures required by the Indenture and
described in such notice. The Company will comply with the requirements of any
applicable securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws
and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as
a result of a Change of Control.
(b) If the Company or a Subsidiary consummates any Asset
Sales, when the aggregate amount of Available Asset Sale Proceeds exceeds $5.0
million, the Company will be required to make an offer to all holders of Notes
(an "Excess Proceeds Offer") to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes
that may be purchased out of the Available Asset Sale Proceeds, at an offer
price in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus
accrued and unpaid interest and Liquidated Damages thereon, if any, to the date
of purchase, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Indenture. To
the extent that any Available Asset Sale Proceeds remain after consummation of
an Excess Proceeds Offer, the Company may use such Available Asset Sale Proceeds
for general corporate purposes. If the aggregate principal amount of Notes
tendered into such Excess Proceeds Offer surrendered by holders thereof exceeds
the amount of Available Asset Sale Proceeds, the Trustee shall select the Notes
to be purchased on a pro rata basis. Holders of Notes that are the subject of an
offer to purchase will receive an Excess Proceeds Offer from the Company prior
to any related purchase date and may elect to have such Notes purchased by
completing the form entitled "Option of Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse
of the Notes.
8. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of redemption will be mailed
at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each
Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address. Notes in
denominations larger than $1,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole
multiples of $1,000, unless all of the Notes held by a Holder are to be
redeemed. On and after the redemption date interest ceases to accrue on Notes or
portions thereof called for redemption.
9. DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in
registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral
multiples of $1,000. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be
exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may
require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and
transfer documents and the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and
fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not
exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for
redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in
part. Also, the Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Notes
for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the
period between a record date and the corresponding Interest Payment Date.
10. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may
be treated as its owner for all purposes.
X-0
00
00. AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER. Subject to certain
exceptions, the Indenture, the Note Guarantees or the Notes may be amended or
supplemented with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal
amount of the then outstanding Notes voting as a single class, and any existing
default or compliance with any provision of the Indenture, the Note Guarantees
or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the then outstanding Notes voting as a single class. Without
the consent of any Holder of a Note, the Indenture, the Note Guarantees or the
Notes may be amended or supplemented to cure any ambiguity, defect or
inconsistency, to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of
certificated Notes, to provide for the assumption of the Company's or
Guarantor's obligations to Holders of the Notes in case of a merger or
consolidation, to release any Note Guarantee in accordance with the provisions
of the Indenture, to make any change that would provide any additional rights or
benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not adversely affect the legal
rights under the Indenture of any such Holder, to comply with the requirements
of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the Indenture
under the Trust Indenture Act, or to allow any Guarantor to execute a
supplemental indenture to the Indenture and/or a Note Guarantee with respect to
the Notes.
12. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES. Events of Default include: (i)
default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest or Liquidated Damages,
if any, on the Notes; (ii) default in payment when due of principal of or
premium, if any, on the Notes when the same becomes due and payable at maturity,
upon redemption (including in connection with an offer to purchase) or
otherwise, (iii) failure by the Company to comply with Section 4.07, 4.09, 4.10
or 4.15 of the Indenture; (iv) failure by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
for 60 days after notice to the Company by the Trustee or the Holders of at
least 25% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding voting as a single
class to comply with any of its other agreements in the Indenture or the Notes;
(v) default under certain other agreements relating to Indebtedness of the
Company which default (a) is caused by a failure to pay principal of or premium,
if any, or interest on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace
period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a "Payment
Default") or (b) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its
express maturity and, in each case, the principal amount of any such
Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness
under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been
so accelerated, aggregates $5.0 million or more; (vi) certain final judgments
for the payment of money that remain undischarged for a period of 60 days; (vii)
certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries; and (viii) except as permitted by the Indenture,
any Note Guarantee shall be held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable
or invalid or shall cease for any reason to be in full force and effect or any
Guarantor or any Person acting on its behalf shall deny or disaffirm its
obligations under such Guarantor's Note Guarantee. If any Event of Default
occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may declare all the Notes to be
due and payable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of
Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, all outstanding
Notes will become due and payable without further action or notice. Holders may
not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture.
Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
then outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or
power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice of any
continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default
relating to the payment of principal or interest or Liquidated Damages) if it
determines that withholding notice is in their interest. The Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding by notice
to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any
existing Default or Event of Default and its
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consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default or Event of Default
in the payment of interest or Liquidated Damages on, or the principal of, the
Notes. The Company is required to deliver to the Trustee annually a statement
regarding compliance with the Indenture, and the Company is required upon
becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, to deliver to the Trustee a
statement specifying such Default or Event of Default.
13. TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its
individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and
perform services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with
the Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.
14. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. A director, officer, employee,
incorporator, stockholder or Affiliate, of the Company, as such, shall not have
any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Notes or the
Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such
obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and
releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the
consideration for the issuance of the Notes.
15. AUTHENTICATION. This Note shall not be valid until
authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.
16. ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the
name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT
(= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of
survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A
(= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).
17. ADDITIONAL RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES
AND RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES. In addition to the rights provided to Holders
of Notes under the Indenture, Holders of Restricted Global Notes and Restricted
Definitive Notes shall have all the rights set forth in the A/B Exchange
Registration Rights Agreement dated as of July 28, 1998, among the Company and
the parties named on the signature pages thereof, including the Guarantors (the
"Registration Rights Agreement").
18. CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by
the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has
caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes and the Trustee may use CUSIP
numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation
is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as
contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers placed thereon.
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The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request
and without charge a copy of the Indenture and/or the Registration Rights
Agreement. Requests may be made to:
The GNI Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Note, fill in the form below: (I) or (we) assign and transfer
this Note to
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint
-------------------------------------------------------
to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute
another to act for him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:
----------------
Your Signature:
-----------------------------
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the
face of this Note)
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE:
--------------------------------------------
Signatures must be guaranteed by an "eligible
guarantor institution" meeting the
requirements of the Registrar, which
requirements include membership or
participation in the Security Transfer Agent
Medallion Program ("STAMP") or such other
"signature guarantee program" as may be
determined by the Registrar in addition to,
or in substitution for, STAMP, all in
accordance with the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.
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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the
Company pursuant to Section 4.10 or 4.15 of the Indenture, check the box below:
[ ] Section 4.10 [ ] Section 4.15
If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased
by the Company pursuant to Section 4.10 or Section 4.15 of the Indenture, state
the amount you elect to have purchased: $
--------
Date:
-------------
Your Signature:
-----------------------------
(Sign exactly as your name appears on
the face of this Note)
Tax Identification No:
----------------------
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE:
--------------------------------------------
Signatures must be guaranteed by an "eligible
guarantor institution" meeting the
requirements of the Registrar, which
requirements include membership or
participation in the Security Transfer Agent
Medallion Program ("STAMP") or such other
"signature guarantee program" as may be
determined by the Registrar in addition to,
or in substitution for, STAMP, all in
accordance with the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.
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SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE(1)
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an
interest in another Global Note or for a Definitive Note, or exchanges of a part
of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an interest in this Global Note,
have been made:
Principal Amount of
this Global Note Signature of
Amount of decrease in Amount of increase in following such authorized officer
Principal Amount of Principal Amount of decrease of Trustee or
Date of Exchange this Global Note this Global Note (or increase) Note Custodian
---------------- --------------------- --------------------- ----------------- ------------------
-----------------------
(1) This should be included only if the Note is issued in global form.
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EXHIBIT B
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER
The GNI Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Trust Company of New York, as Trustee
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Re: 10-7/8% Senior Notes due 2005
Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of July
28, 1998 (the "Indenture"), among The GNI Group, Inc., as issuer (the
"Company"), the Guarantors, and United States Trust Company of New York, as
trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings
given to them in the Indenture.
______________, (the "Transferor") owns and proposes to
transfer the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified in Annex A hereto, in
the principal amount of $___________ in such Note[s] or interests (the
"Transfer"), to __________ (the "Transferee"), as further specified in Annex A
hereto. In connection with the Transfer, the Transferor hereby certifies that:
[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]
1. [ ] CHECK IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE
144A GLOBAL NOTE OR A DEFINITIVE NOTE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A. The Transfer is
being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144A under the United
States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and,
accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that the beneficial
interest or Definitive Note is being transferred to a Person that the Transferor
reasonably believed and believes is purchasing the beneficial interest or
Definitive Note for its own account, or for one or more accounts with respect to
which such Person exercises sole investment discretion, and such Person and each
such account is a "qualified institutional buyer" within the meaning of Rule
144A in a transaction meeting the requirements of Rule 144A and such Transfer is
in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the
United States. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the
terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note
will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private
Placement Legend printed on the 144A Global Note and/or the Definitive Note and
in the Indenture and the Securities Act.
2. [ ] CHECK IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE
REGULATION S GLOBAL NOTE OR A DEFINITIVE NOTE PURSUANT TO REGULATION S. The
Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule
904 under the Securities Act and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further
certifies that (i) the Transfer is not being made to a person in the United
States and (x) at the time the buy order was originated, the Transferee was
outside the United States or such Transferor and any Person acting on its behalf
reasonably believed and believes that the Transferee was outside the United
States or (y) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a
designated offshore securities market and neither such Transferor nor any Person
acting on its behalf knows that the transaction was
B-1
95
prearranged with a buyer in the United States, (ii) no directed selling efforts
have been made in contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule
904(b) of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (iii) the transaction is not
part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the
Securities Act and (iv) if the proposed transfer is being made prior to the
expiration of the Restricted Period, the transfer is not being made to a U.S.
Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (other than an Initial
Purchaser). Upon consummation of the proposed transfer in accordance with the
terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note
will be subject to the restrictions on Transfer enumerated in the Private
Placement Legend printed on the Regulation S Global Note and/or the Definitive
Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.
3. [ ] CHECK AND COMPLETE IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL
INTEREST IN THE IAI GLOBAL NOTE OR A DEFINITIVE NOTE PURSUANT TO ANY PROVISION
OF THE SECURITIES ACT OTHER THAN RULE 144A OR REGULATION S. The Transfer is
being effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to
beneficial interests in Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes
and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act and any applicable
blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States, and accordingly the
Transferor hereby further certifies that (check one):
(a) [ ] such Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in
accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act;
or
(b) [ ] such Transfer is being effected to the Company or a
subsidiary thereof;
or
(c) [ ] such Transfer is being effected pursuant to an
effective registration statement under the Securities Act and in compliance with
the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act;
or
(d) [ ] such Transfer is being effected to an Institutional
Accredited Investor and pursuant to an exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 144A, Rule 144 or Rule 904,
and the Transferor hereby further certifies that it has not engaged in any
general solicitation within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act
and the Transfer complies with the transfer restrictions applicable to
beneficial interests in a Restricted Global Note or Restricted Definitive Notes
and the requirements of the exemption claimed, which certification is supported
by (1) a certificate executed by the Transferee in the form of Exhibit D to the
Indenture and (2) if such Transfer is in respect of a principal amount of Notes
at the time of transfer of less than $250,000, an Opinion of Counsel provided by
the Transferor or the Transferee (a copy of which the Transferor has attached to
this certification), to the effect that such Transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed transfer in accordance with
the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive
Note will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private
Placement Legend printed on the IAI Global Note and/or the Definitive Notes and
in the Indenture and the Securities Act.
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4. [ ] Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in an
Unrestricted Global Note or of an Unrestricted Definitive Note.
(a) [ ] CHECK IF TRANSFER IS PURSUANT TO RULE 144. (i) The
Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the
Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the
Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United
States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the
Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with
the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance
with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or
Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer
enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global
Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.
(b) [ ] CHECK IF TRANSFER IS PURSUANT TO REGULATION S. (i) The
Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule
904 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions
contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any
state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in
the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to
maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed
Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred
beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the
restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on
the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the
Indenture.
(c) [ ] CHECK IF TRANSFER IS PURSUANT TO OTHER EXEMPTION. (i)
The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in compliance with an exemption
from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 144,
Rule 903 or Rule 904 and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained
in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any State of the
United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture
and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain
compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer
in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial
interest or Definitive Note will not be subject to the restrictions on transfer
enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global
Notes or Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.
This certificate and the statements contained herein are made
for your benefit and the benefit of the Company.
---------------------------------------------
. [Insert Name of Transferor]
By:
------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Dated: ,
------- -------
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ANNEX A TO CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER
1. The Transferor owns and proposes to transfer the following:
[CHECK ONE OF (a) OR (b)]
(a) [ ] a beneficial interest in the:
(i) [ ] 144A Global Note (CUSIP____), or
(ii) [ ] Regulation S Global Note (CUSIP____), or
(iii) [ ] IAI Global Note (CUSIP____); or
(b) [ ] a Restricted Definitive Note.
2. After the Transfer the Transferee will hold:
[CHECK ONE]
(a) [ ] a beneficial interest in the:
(i) [ ] 144A Global Note (CUSIP____), or
(ii) [ ] Regulation S Global Note (CUSIP____ ), or
(iii) [ ] IAI Global Note (CUSIP ); or
(iv) [ ] Unrestricted Global Note (CUSIP____); or
(b) [ ] a Restricted Definitive Note; or
(c) [ ] an Unrestricted Definitive Note,
in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.
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EXHIBIT C
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE
The GNI Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Trust Company of New York, as Trustee
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Re: 10-7/8% Senior Notes due 2005
(CUSIP______________)
Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of July
28, 1998 (the "Indenture"), among The GNI Group, Inc., as issuer (the
"Company"), the Guarantors and United States Trust Company of New York, as
trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings
given to them in the Indenture.
____________, (the "Owner") owns and proposes to exchange the
Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified herein, in the principal amount of
$____________ in such Note[s] or interests (the "Exchange"). In connection with
the Exchange, the Owner hereby certifies that:
1. EXCHANGE OF RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN A
RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE FOR UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS
IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE
(a) [ ]CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A
RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE TO BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE. In
connection with the Exchange of the Owner's beneficial interest in a Restricted
Global Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note in an equal
principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is
being acquired for the Owner's own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange
has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the
Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the United States Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), (iii) the restrictions on
transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not
required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the
beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note is being acquired in
compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the
United States.
(b) [ ]CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A
RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE TO UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE. In connection with the
Exchange of the Owner's beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for an
Unrestricted Definitive Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Definitive Note
is being acquired for the Owner's own account without transfer, (ii) such
Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions
applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with
the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the
Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain
compliance with the
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Securities Act and (iv) the Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with
any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.
(c) [ ]CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE TO
BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE. In connection with the
Owner's Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in an
Unrestricted Global Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest
is being acquired for the Owner's own account without transfer, (ii) such
Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions
applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with
the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the
Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain
compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest is being
acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state
of the United States.
(d) [ ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE
TO UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE. In connection with the Owner's Exchange of a
Restricted Definitive Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, the Owner hereby
certifies (i) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner's
own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance
with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and
pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on
transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not
required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the
Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable
blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.
2. EXCHANGE OF RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN
RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES FOR RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS
IN RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES
(a) [ ]CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A
RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE TO RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE. In connection with the
Exchange of the Owner's beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a
Restricted Definitive Note with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby
certifies that the Restricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner's
own account without transfer. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in
accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the Restricted Definitive Note
issued will continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in
the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Definitive Note and in
the Indenture and the Securities Act.
(b) [ ]CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE TO
BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE. In connection with the Exchange
of the Owner's Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in the
[CHECK ONE] [ ] 144A Global Note, [ ] Regulation S Global Note, [ ] IAI Global
Note with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the
beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner's own account without
transfer and (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the
transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to
and in accordance with the Securities Act, and in compliance with any applicable
blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States. Upon consummation of
the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the
beneficial interest issued will be subject to the restrictions on transfer
enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the relevant Restricted
Global Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.
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This certificate and the statements contained herein are made
for your benefit and the benefit of the Company.
---------------------------------------------
[Insert Name of Owner]
By:
------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Dated: ,
---------- -----
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EXHIBIT D
FORM OF CERTIFICATE FROM
ACQUIRING INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR
The GNI Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Trust Company of New York, as Trustee
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Re: 10-7/8% Senior Notes due 2005
Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as
of July 28, 1998 (the "Indenture"), among The GNI Group, Inc., as issuer (the
"Company"), the Guarantors, and United States Trust Company of New York, as
trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings
given to them in the Indenture.
In connection with our proposed purchase of
$____________ aggregate principal amount of:
(a) [ ] a beneficial interest in a Global Note, or
(b) [ ] a Definitive Note,
we confirm that:
1. We understand that any subsequent transfer of the
Notes or any interest therein is subject to certain restrictions and conditions
set forth in the Indenture and the undersigned agrees to be bound by, and not to
resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Notes or any interest therein except in
compliance with, such restrictions and conditions and the United States
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").
2. We understand that the offer and sale of the Notes
have not been registered under the Securities Act, and that the Notes and any
interest therein may not be offered or sold except as permitted in the following
sentence. We agree, on our own behalf and on behalf of any accounts for which we
are acting as hereinafter stated, that if we should sell the Notes or any
interest therein, we will do so only (A) to the Company or any subsidiary
thereof, (B) in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act to a
"qualified institutional buyer" (as defined therein), (c) to an institutional
"accredited investor" (as defined below) that, prior to such transfer, furnishes
(or has furnished on its behalf by a U.S. broker-dealer) to you and to the
Company a signed letter substantially in the form of this letter and, if such
transfer is in respect of a principal amount of Notes, at the time of transfer
of less than $250,000, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to
the Company to the effect that such transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act, (D) outside the United States in accordance with Rule 904 of
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Regulation S under the Securities Act, (E) pursuant to the provisions of Rule
144(k) under the Securities Act or (F) pursuant to an effective registration
statement under the Securities Act, and we further agree to provide to any
person purchasing the Definitive Note or beneficial interest in a Global Note
from us in a transaction meeting the requirements of clauses (A) through (E) of
this paragraph a notice advising such purchaser that resales thereof are
restricted as stated herein.
3. We understand that, on any proposed resale of the
Notes or beneficial interest therein, we will be required to furnish to you and
the Company such certifications, legal opinions and other information as you and
the Company may reasonably require to confirm that the proposed sale complies
with the foregoing restrictions. We further understand that the Notes purchased
by us will bear a legend to the foregoing effect. We further understand that any
subsequent transfer by us of the Notes or beneficial interest therein acquired
by us must be effected through one of the Placement Agents.
4. We are an institutional "accredited investor" (as
defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Regulation D under the Securities
Act) and have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as
to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of our investment in the Notes,
and we and any accounts for which we are acting are each able to bear the
economic risk of our or its investment.
5. We are acquiring the Notes or beneficial interest
therein purchased by us for our own account or for one or more accounts (each of
which is an institutional "accredited investor") as to each of which we exercise
sole investment discretion.
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this
letter and are irrevocably authorized to produce this letter or a copy hereof to
any interested party in any administrative or legal proceedings or official
inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
---------------------------------------------
[Insert Name of Accredited Investor]
By:
------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Dated: ,
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EXHIBIT E
FORM OF NOTATION OF GUARANTEE
For value received, each Guarantor (which term includes any
successor Person under the Indenture) has, jointly and severally,
unconditionally guaranteed, to the extent set forth in the Indenture and subject
to the provisions in the Indenture dated as of July 28, 1998 (the "Indenture")
among The GNI Group, Inc., the Guarantors listed on Schedule I thereto and
United States Trust Company of New York, as trustee (the "Trustee"), (a) the due
and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the
Notes (as defined in the Indenture), whether at maturity, by acceleration,
redemption or otherwise, the due and punctual payment of interest on overdue
principal and premium, and, to the extent permitted by law, interest, and the
due and punctual performance of all other obligations of the Company to the
Holders or the Trustee all in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and (b)
in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of
such other obligations, that the same will be promptly paid in full when due or
performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at
stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. The obligations of the Guarantors
to the Holders of Notes and to the Trustee pursuant to the Note Guarantee and
the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article 10 of the Indenture and
reference is hereby made to the Indenture for the precise terms of the Note
Guarantee. Each Holder of a Note, by accepting the same, agrees to and shall be
bound by such provisions.
GULF NUCLEAR OF LOUISIANA, INC.
By:
------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
GNI CHEMICALS CORPORATION
By:
------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS, INC.
By:
------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
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RESOURCE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC.
By:
------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS OF CORPUS CHRISTI, INC.
By:
------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President
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EXHIBIT F
FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
TO BE DELIVERED BY SUBSEQUENT GUARANTORS]
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this "SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE"), dated
as of ________________, among __________________ (the "GUARANTEEING
SUBSIDIARY"), a subsidiary of The GNI Group, Inc. (or its permitted successor),
a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), the Company, the other Guarantors (as
defined in the Indenture referred to herein) and United States Trust Company of
New York, as trustee under the indenture referred to below (the "TRUSTEE").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to
the Trustee an indenture (the "INDENTURE"), dated as of July 28, 1998 providing
for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $75,000,000 of
10-7/8% Senior Notes due 2005 (the "NOTES");
WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that under certain
circumstances the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the
Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Subsidiary
shall unconditionally guarantee all of the Company's Obligations under the Notes
and the Indenture on the terms and conditions set forth herein (the "NOTE
GUARANTEE"); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the
Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged,
the Guaranteeing Subsidiary and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the
equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:
1. CAPITALIZED TERMS. Capitalized terms used herein without
definition shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
2. AGREEMENT TO GUARANTEE. The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby
agrees as follows:
(a) Along with all Guarantors named in the Indenture, to
fully and unconditionally Guarantee, on a joint and
several basis, to each Holder of a Note authenticated
and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and
its successors and assigns, irrespective of the
validity and enforceability of the Indenture, the
Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or
thereunder, that:
(i) the principal of and interest on the Notes
will be promptly paid in full when due,
whether at maturity, by acceleration,
redemption or otherwise, and interest on the
overdue principal of and interest on the
Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other
obligations of the Company to the Holders or
the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be
promptly paid in full or performed, all in
accordance with the terms hereof and
thereof; and
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(ii) in case of any extension of time of payment
or renewal of any Notes or any of such other
obligations, that same will be promptly paid
in full when due or performed in accordance
with the terms of the extension or renewal,
whether at stated maturity, by acceleration
or otherwise. Failing payment when due of
any amount so guaranteed or any performance
so guaranteed for whatever reason, the
Guarantors shall be jointly and severally
obligated to pay the same immediately.
(b) The obligations hereunder shall be unconditional,
irrespective of the validity, regularity or
enforceability of the Notes or the Indenture, the
absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver
or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to
any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any
judgment against the Company, any action to enforce
the same or any other circumstance which might
otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge
or defense of a guarantor.
(c) The following is hereby waived: diligence,
presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with
a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of
the Company, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Company, protest, notice and all demands
whatsoever.
(d) This Note Guarantee shall not be discharged except by
complete performance of the obligations contained in
the Notes and the Indenture.
(e) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court
or otherwise to return to the Company, the
Guarantors, or any Custodian, Trustee, liquidator or
other similar official acting in relation to either
the Company or the Guarantors, any amount paid by
either to the Trustee or such Holder, this Note
Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged,
shall be reinstated in full force and effect.
(f) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall not be entitled to
any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders
in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until
payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby.
(g) As between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the
Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the
maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be
accelerated as provided in Article 6 of the Indenture
for the purposes of this Note Guarantee,
notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other
prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect
of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the
event of any declaration of acceleration of such
obligations as provided in Article 6 of the
Indenture, such obligations (whether or not due and
payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by
the Guarantors for the purpose of this Note
Guarantee.
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(h) The Guarantors shall have the right to seek
contribution from any non-paying Guarantor so long as
the exercise of such right does not impair the rights
of the Holders under the Guarantee.
(i) Pursuant to Section 10.02 of the Indenture, after
giving effect to any maximum amount and any other
contingent and fixed liabilities that are relevant
under any applicable Bankruptcy or fraudulent
conveyance laws, and after giving effect to any
collections from, rights to receive contribution from
or payments made by or on behalf of any other
Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other
Guarantor under Article 10 of the Indenture shall
result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its
Note Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent transfer
or conveyance.
3. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY. Each Guaranteeing Subsidiary agrees
that the Note Guarantees shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding
any failure to endorse on each Note a notation of such Note Guarantee.
4. GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC. ON CERTAIN
TERMS.
(a) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary may not consolidate with
or merge with or into (whether or not such Guarantor
is the surviving Person) another Person whether or
not affiliated with such Guarantor unless:
(i) subject to Section 10.04 of the Indenture,
the Person formed by or surviving any such
consolidation or merger (if other than such
Guarantor) unconditionally assumes all the
obligations of such Guarantor, pursuant to a
supplemental indenture in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee,
under the Notes, the Indenture, the Note
Guarantee and the Registration Rights
Agreement on the terms set forth herein or
therein; and
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such
transaction, no Default or Event of Default
exists;
(iii) the Company would be permitted by virtue of
the Company's pro forma Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio, immediately after giving
effect to such transaction, to incur at
least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness
pursuant to the Fixed Coverage Ratio test
set forth in the first paragraph of Section
4.09 of the Indenture.
(b) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale or
conveyance and upon the assumption by the successor
corporation, by supplemental indenture, executed and
delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to
the Trustee, of the Note Guarantee endorsed upon the
Notes and the due and punctual performance of all of
the covenants and conditions of the Indenture to be
performed by the Guarantor, such successor
corporation shall succeed to and be substituted for
the Guarantor with the same effect as if it had been
named herein as a Guarantor. Such
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successor corporation thereupon may cause to be
signed any or all of the Note Guarantees to be
endorsed upon all of the Notes issuable hereunder
which theretofore shall not have been signed by the
Company and delivered to the Trustee. All the Note
Guarantees so issued shall in all respects have the
same legal rank and benefit under the Indenture as
the Note Guarantees theretofore and thereafter issued
in accordance with the terms of the Indenture as
though all of such Note Guarantees had been issued at
the date of the execution hereof.
(c) Except as set forth in Articles 4 and 5 of the
Indenture, and notwithstanding clauses (a) and (b)
above, nothing contained in the Indenture or in any
of the Notes shall prevent any consolidation or
merger of a Guarantor with or into the Company or
another Guarantor, or shall prevent any sale or
conveyance of the property of a Guarantor as an
entirety or substantially as an entirety to the
Company or another Guarantor.
5. RELEASES.
(a) In the event of a sale or other disposition of all of
the assets of any Guarantor, by way of merger,
consolidation or otherwise, or a sale or other
disposition of all to the capital stock of any
Guarantor, then such Guarantor (in the event of a
sale or other disposition, by way of merger,
consolidation or otherwise, of all of the capital
stock of such Guarantor) or the corporation acquiring
the property (in the event of a sale or other
disposition of all or substantially all of the assets
of such Guarantor) will be released and relieved of
any obligations under its Note Guarantee; PROVIDED
that the Net Proceeds of such sale or other
disposition are applied in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the Indenture, including
without limitation Section 4.10 of the Indenture.
Upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that such sale or other disposition was
made by the Company in accordance with the provisions
of the Indenture, including without limitation
Section 4.10 of the Indenture, the Trustee shall
execute any documents reasonably required in order to
evidence the release of any Guarantor from its
obligations under its Note Guarantee.
(b) Any Guarantor not released from its obligations under
its Note Guarantee shall remain liable for the full
amount of principal of and interest on the Notes and
for the other obligations of any Guarantor under the
Indenture as provided in Article 10 of the Indenture.
6. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No past, present or future
director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, agent or Affiliate of
the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, as such, shall have any liability for any
obligations of the Company or any Guaranteeing Subsidiary under the Notes, any
Note Guarantees, the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture or for any claim
based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation.
Each Holder of the Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such
liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of
the Notes. Such waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the
federal securities laws and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is
against public policy.
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7. NEW YORK LAW TO GOVERN. THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF
NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE BUT
WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT
THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED
THEREBY.
8. COUNTERPARTS The parties may sign any number of copies of
this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of
them together represent the same agreement.
9. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Section headings herein are for
convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
10 THE TRUSTEE. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any
manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this
Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein,
all of which recitals are made solely by the Guaranteeing Subsidiary and the
Company.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date
first above written.
Dated: ,
---------------- ------
[Guaranteeing Subsidiary]
By:
--------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
THE GNI GROUP, INC.
By:
--------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
[EXISTING GUARANTORS]
By:
--------------------------------
Name:
Title
UNITED STATES TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By:
--------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
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SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE OF GUARANTORS
The following schedule lists each Guarantor under the
Indenture as of the Issue Date:
GULF NUCLEAR OF LOUISIANA, INC. - A DELAWARE CORPORATION.
GNI CHEMICALS CORPORATION - A DELAWARE CORPORATION.
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS, INC. - A DELAWARE CORPORATION.
RESOURCE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC.
- A DELAWARE CORPORATION.
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS OF CORPUS CHRISTI, INC.
- A DELAWARE CORPORATION.
