Exhibit 4.1
ARGO BANCORP , INC.
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INDENTURE
Dated as of ______________
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WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
as Trustee
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JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEFERRABLE INTEREST DEBENTURES
TIE-SHEET(1)
of provisions of Trust Indenture Act of 1939 with Indenture dated as of
_____, 1998 between Argo Bancorp, Inc. and Wilmington Trust Company, Trustee:
ACT SECTION INDENTURE
SECTION
310(a)(1)........................................................ 6.09
310(a)(2)........................................................ 6.09
310(a)(3)........................................................ N/A
310(a)(4)........................................................ N/A
310(a)(5)........................................................ 6.10, 6.11
310(b)........................................................... N/A
310(c)........................................................... 6.13
311(a) and (b)................................................... N/A
311(c)........................................................... 4.01, 4.02(a)
312(a)........................................................... 4.02
312(b) and (c)................................................... 4.04
313(a)........................................................... 4.04
313(b)(1)........................................................ 4.04
313(b)(2)........................................................ 4.04
313(c)........................................................... 4.04
313(d)........................................................... 4.04
314(a)........................................................... 4.03
314(b)........................................................... N/A
314(c)(1) and (2)................................................ 6.07
314(c)(3)........................................................ N/A
314(d) .......................................................... N/A
314(e)........................................................... 6.07
314(f)........................................................... N/A
315(a)(c) and (d)................................................ 6.01
315(b)........................................................... 5.08
315(e)........................................................... 5.09
316(a)(1)........................................................ 5.07
316(a)(2)........................................................ N/A
316(a) last sentence............................................. 2.09
316(b) .......................................................... 9.02
317(a) .......................................................... 5.05
317(b) .......................................................... 6.05
318(a) .......................................................... 13.08
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(1) THIS TIE-SHEET IS NOT PART OF THE INDENTURE AS EXECUTED
TABLE OF CONTENTS(1)
Page
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01
Definitions........................................................1
Additional Sums....................................................1
Adjusted Treasury Rate.............................................1
Affiliate..........................................................2
Underwriting Agreement.............................................2
Authenticating Agent...............................................2
Bankruptcy Law.....................................................2
Board of Directors.................................................2
Board Resolution ..................................................2
Business Day.......................................................2
Capital Securities.................................................2
Capital Securities Guarantee.......................................2
Commission.........................................................2
Common Securities..................................................3
Common Securities Guarantee........................................3
Common Stock.......................................................3
Company............................................................3
Company Request....................................................3
Comparable Treasury Issue..........................................3
Comparable Treasury Price..........................................3
Compounded Interest................................................4
Custodian..........................................................4
Declaration........................................................4
Default ..........................................................4
Defaulted Interest.................................................4
Deferred Interest .................................................4
Definitive Securities..............................................4
Depositary.........................................................4
Dissolution Event..................................................4
Event of Default...................................................4
Exchange Act.......................................................4
Exchange Offer.....................................................4
Extended Interest Payment Period...................................4
Federal Reserve....................................................5
Global Security....................................................5
Indebtedness.......................................................5
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(1) THIS TABLE OF CONTENTS SHALL NOT, FOR ANY PURPOSE, BE DEEMED TO BE A PART
OF THE INDENTURE.
Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities....................................5
Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities...........................................5
Indenture...............................................................................6
Initial Optional Redemption Date........................................................6
Interest Payment Date...................................................................6
Issue Date..............................................................................6
Liquidated Damages......................................................................6
Make Whole Amount.......................................................................6
Maturity Date...........................................................................6
Mortgage................................................................................6
Non Book-Entry Capital Securities.......................................................6
Officers ...............................................................................6
Officers' Certificate...................................................................6
Opinion of Counsel .....................................................................6
Optional Redemption Price...............................................................6
Other Debentures........................................................................6
Other Guarantees........................................................................6
Outstanding.............................................................................7
Person ...............................................................................7
Predecessor Security....................................................................7
Principal Office of the Trustee.........................................................7
Property Trustee........................................................................7
Quotation Agent.........................................................................7
Redemption Price........................................................................7
Reference Treasury Dealer...............................................................8
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations....................................................8
Regulatory Capital Event................................................................8
Remaining Life..........................................................................8
Responsible Officer.....................................................................8
Restricted Security.....................................................................8
Rule 144A ..............................................................................8
Securities..............................................................................8
Securities Act..........................................................................8
Securityholder..........................................................................9
Holder of Securities....................................................................9
Security Register.......................................................................9
Senior Indebtedness.....................................................................9
Special Event...........................................................................9
Special Event Redemption Price..........................................................9
Subsidiary..............................................................................9
Tax Event..............................................................................10
Treasury Rate..........................................................................10
Trustee ..............................................................................10
Trust Indenture Act of 1939............................................................10
Trust Securities.......................................................................10
Argo Capital Trust Co..................................................................10
U.S. Government Obligations...........................................................10
ARTICLE II
SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Forms Generally ...........................................11
SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication ..............................11
SECTION 2.03. Form and Payment ..........................................12
SECTION 2.04. Legends. ..................................................12
SECTION 2.05. Global Security ...........................................12
SECTION 2.06 Interest ..................................................14
SECTION 2.07. Transfer and Exchange .....................................14
SECTION 2.08. Replacement Securities ....................................16
SECTION 2.09. Temporary Securities.......................................17
SECTION 2.10. Cancellation ..............................................17
SECTION 2.11. Defaulted Interest ........................................17
SECTION 2.12. CUSIP Numbers .............................................18
ARTICLE III
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY ..................................................19
SECTION 3.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest ................19
SECTION 3.02. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc. ....................19
SECTION 3.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee's Office ........20
SECTION 3.04. Provision as to Paying Agent ..............................20
SECTION 3.05. Certificate to Trustee ....................................21
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions ..................21
SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Dividends ...................................21
SECTION 3.08. Covenants as to ___________ Trust Co. .....................22
SECTION 3.09. Payment of Expenses .......................................22
SECTION 3.10. Payment Upon Resignation or Removal .......................23
ARTICLE IV
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE ....................23
SECTION 4.01. Securityholders' Lists................................23
SECTION 4.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists .................23
SECTION 4.03. Reports by Company ...................................25
SECTION 4.04. Reports by the Trustee ...............................26
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT ......................27
SECTION 5.01. Events of Default.................................... 27
SECTION 5.02. Payment of Securities on Default; Suit Therefor ......28
SECTION 5.03. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee ...........30
SECTION 5.04. Proceedings by Securityholders .......................31
SECTION 5.05. Proceedings by Trustee ...............................32
SECTION 5.06. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing ...................32
SECTION 5.07. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of
Defaults by Majority of Securityholders.............32
SECTION 5.08. Notice of Defaults....................................33
SECTION 5.09. Undertaking to Pay Costs..............................33
ARTICLE VI
CONCERNING THE
TRUSTEE...............................................................................34
SECTION 6.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee ...............34
SECTION 6.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc. ................35
SECTION 6.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc. .................36
SECTION 6.04. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents,
Transfer Agents or Registrar May Own Securities.....37
SECTION 6.05. Moneys to be Held in Trust ...........................37
SECTION 6.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee .................37
SECTION 6.07. Officers' Certificate as Evidence ....................38
SECTION 6.08. Conflicting Interest of Trustee ......................38
SECTION 6.09. Eligibility of Trustee ...............................38
SECTION 6.10. Resignation or Removal of Trustee ....................39
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance by Successor Trustee ......................40
SECTION 6.12. Succession by Merger, etc. ...........................41
SECTION 6.13. Limitation on Rights of Trustee as a Creditor ........41
SECTION 6.14. Authenticating Agents ................................41
ARTICLE VII
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS .......................................................43
SECTION 7.01. Action by Securityholders ............................43
SECTION 7.02. Proof of Execution by Securityholders ................44
SECTION 7.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners .......................44
SECTION 7.04. Securities Owned by Company Deemed
Not Outstanding ....................................44
SECTION 7.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound .........44
ARTICLE VIII
SECURITYHOLDERS' MEETINGS ............................................................45
SECTION 8.01. Purposes of Meetings .................................45
SECTION 8.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee ..........................45
SECTION 8.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders .......45
SECTION 8.04. Qualifications for Voting ............................46
SECTION 8.05. Regulations ..........................................46
SECTION 8.06. Voting ...............................................46
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS ..................................................47
SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Securityholders ...................47
SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Securityholders ......................49
SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act; Effect
of Supplemental Indentures .........................50
SECTION 9.04. Notation on Securities................................50
SECTION 9.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture
to be Furnished Trustee.............................50
ARTICLE X
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE ....................................50
SECTION 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms ......50
SECTION 10.02. Successor Corporation to be Substituted for Company...51
SECTION 10.03. Opinion of Counsel to be Given Trustee ...............52
ARTICLE XI
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE ..............................................52
SECTION 11.01. Discharge of Indenture ...............................52
SECTION 11.02. Deposited Moneys and U.S. Government Obligations
to be Held in Trust by Trustee .....................53
SECTION 11.03. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held ....................53
SECTION 11.04. Return of Unclaimed Moneys ...........................53
SECTION 11.05. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S.
Government Obligations .............................53
ARTICLE XII
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS........................55
SECTION 12.01. Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations.55
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS .............................................................55
SECTION 13.01. Successors............................................55
SECTION 13.02. Official Acts by Successor Corporation ...............55
SECTION 13.03. Surrender of Company Powers ..........................56
SECTION 13.04. Addresses for Notices, etc. ..........................56
SECTION 13.05. Governing Law ........................................56
SECTION 13.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent .....56
SECTION 13.07. Business Days ........................................57
SECTION 13.08. Trust Indenture Act to Control .......................57
SECTION 13.09. Table of Contents, Headings, etc. ....................57
SECTION 13.10. Execution in Counterparts ............................57
SECTION 13.11. Separability .........................................57
SECTION 13.12. Assignment ...........................................58
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgement of Rights ............................58
ARTICLE XIV
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES -- MANDATORY AND OPTIONAL SINKING FUND.....................58
SECTION 14.01. Special Event Redemption .............................58
SECTION 14.02. Optional Redemption by Company .......................59
SECTION 14.03. No Sinking Fund ......................................60
SECTION 14.04. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Securities ........60
SECTION 14.05. Payment of Securities Called for Redemption ..........61
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES ..........................................................61
SECTION 15.01. Agreement to Subordinate .............................61
SECTION 15.02. Default on Senior Indebtedness .......................62
SECTION 15.03. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy .................62
SECTION 15.04. Subrogation ..........................................63
SECTION 15.05. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination ..................64
SECTION 15.06. Notice by the Company ................................65
SECTION 15.07. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness.66
SECTION 15.08. Subordination May Not Be Impaired ....................66
ARTICLE XVI
EXTENSION OF INTEREST PAYMENT PERIOD .................................................67
SECTION 16.01. Extension of Interest Payment Period .................67
SECTION 16.02. Notice of Extension ..................................67
EXHIBIT AA-1
Testimonium
Signatures
Acknowledgements
THIS INDENTURE, dated as of _________, 1998, between
Argo Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter sometimes called the
"Company"), and Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking corporation, as
trustee (hereinafter sometimes called the "Trustee"),
W I T N E S E T H :
In consideration of the premises, and the purchase of the
Securities by the holders thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the
Trustee for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective holders from
time to time of the Securities, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. Definitions.
The terms defined in this Section 1.01 (except as herein
otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all
purposes of this Indenture shall have the respective meanings specified in this
Section 1.01. All other terms used in this Indenture which are defined in the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), or which
are by reference therein defined in the Securities Act, shall (except as herein
otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) have the
meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said
Securities Act as in force at the date of this Indenture as originally executed.
The following terms have the meanings given to them in the Declaration: (i)
Clearing Agency; (ii) Delaware Trustee; (iii) Property Trustee; (iv)
Administrative Trustees; (v) Capital Securities; (vi) Direct Action; and (vii)
Distributions. All accounting terms used herein and not expressly defined shall
have the meanings assigned to such terms in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles and the term "generally accepted accounting principles"
means such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the time of any
computation. The words "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and other words of
similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular
Article, Section or other subdivision. Headings are used for convenience of
reference only and do not affect interpretation. The singular includes the
plural and vice versa.
"Additional Sums" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.06(c).
"Adjusted Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any prepayment
date, the rate per annum equal to the quarterly equivalent yield to maturity of
the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury
Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the
Comparable Treasury Price for such prepayment date plus (i) _____ basis points
less than the difference between the coupon of the Capital Securities at pricing
and the yield on the ______% U.S. Treasury Bond due ________ if such prepayment
date occurs prior to __________ and (ii) _____ basis points less than the
difference between the coupon of the
1
Capital Securities at pricing and the yield on the ______% U.S. Treasury Bond
due ____________, in all other cases.
"Affiliate" shall have the meaning given to that term in Rule
405 under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereunder.
"Authenticating Agent" shall mean any agent or agents of the
Trustee which at the time shall be appointed and acting pursuant to Section
6.14.
"Bankruptcy Law" shall mean Title 11, U.S. Code, or any
similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
"Board of Directors" shall mean either the Board of Directors
of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.
"Board Resolution" shall mean a copy of a resolution certified
by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly
adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date
of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Business Day" shall mean, with respect to any series of
Securities, any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking
institutions in the States of Delaware or Illinois are authorized or required by
law or executive order to close.
"Capital Securities" shall mean undivided beneficial interests
in the assets of Argo Capital Trust Co, which rank pari passu with the Common
Securities issued by Argo Capital Trust Co.; provided, however, that if an Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing, no payments in respect of
Distributions on, or payments upon liquidation, redemption or otherwise with
respect to, the Common Securities shall be made until the holders of the Capital
Securities shall be paid in full the Distributions and the liquidation,
redemption and other payments to which they are entitled.
"Capital Securities Guarantee" shall mean any guarantee that
the Company may enter into with Wilmington Trust Company or other Persons that
operates directly or indirectly for the benefit of holders of Capital Securities
and shall include a Capital Securities Guarantee with respect to the Capital
Securities.
"Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange
Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or
if at any time after the execution of this Indenture such Commission is not
existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture
Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
"Common Securities" shall mean undivided beneficial interests
in the assets of Argo Capital Trust Co. which rank pari passu with Capital
Securities issued by Argo Capital Trust Co.; provided, however, that if an Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing, no payments in respect of
Distributions on, or payments upon liquidation, redemption or otherwise
2
with respect to, the Common Securities shall be made until the holders of the
Capital Securities shall be paid in full the Distributions and the liquidation,
redemption and other payments to which they are entitled.
"Common Securities Guarantee" shall mean any guarantee that
the Company may enter into with any Person or Persons that operates directly or
indirectly for the benefit of holders of Common Securities of Argo Capital Trust
Co.
"Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock, par value $.01 per
share, of the Company or any other class of stock resulting from changes or
reclassifications of such Common Stock consisting solely of changes in par
value, or from par value to no par value, or from no par value to par value.
"Company" shall mean Argo Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, and, subject to the provisions of Article X, shall include its
successors and assigns.
"Company Request" or "Company Order" shall mean a written
request or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman, the Chief
Executive Officer, the President, a Vice Chairman, a Vice President, the
Comptroller, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, and
delivered to the Trustee.
"Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury
security selected by the Quotation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the
remaining term to maturity of the Junior Subordinated Debentures (the "Remaining
Life") to be prepaid that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in
accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate
debt securities of comparable maturity to the Remaining. If no United States
Treasury security has a maturity which is within a period from three months
before to three months after the Remaining Life, the two most closely
corresponding United States Treasury securities as selected by the Quotation
Agent shall be used as the Comparable Treasury Issue, and the Treasury Rate
shall be interpolated or extrapolated on a straight-line basis, rounding to the
nearest month.
"Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any
redemption date pursuant to Section 14.01, (i) the average of the bid and asked
prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage
of its principal amount) on the third Business Day preceding such redemption
date, as set forth in the daily statistical release (or any successor release)
published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and designated "Composite 3:30
p.m. Quotations for U.S. Government Securities" or (ii) if such release (or any
successor release) is not published or does not contain such prices on such
Business Day, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for
such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Trustee obtains fewer than three such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations.
"Compounded Interest" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 16.01.
3
"Custodian" shall mean any receiver, trustee, assignee,
liquidator, or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
"Declaration" means the Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust of Argo Capital Trust Co., dated as of _______ , 1998, as amended from
time to time.
"Default" means any event, act or condition that with notice
or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
"Defaulted Interest" shall have the same meaning set forth in
Section 2.11.
"Deferred Interest" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 16.01.
"Definitive Securities" shall mean those securities issued in
fully registered certificated form not otherwise in global form.
"Depositary" shall mean, with respect to Securities, for which
the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a Global
Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another clearing
agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act
or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be
designated by the Company pursuant to Section 2.05(d).
"Dissolution Event" means the liquidation of Argo Capital
Trust Co. pursuant to the Declaration, and the distribution of the Securities
held by the Property Trustee to the holders of the Trust Securities issued by
Argo Capital Trust Co. pro rata in accordance with the Declaration.
"Event of Default" shall mean any event specified in Section
5.01, continued for the period of time, if any, and after the giving of the
notice, if any, therein designated.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended.
"Extended Interest Payment Period" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 16.01.
"Federal Reserve" shall mean the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
"Global Security" means, with respect to the Securities, a
Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary
or pursuant to the Depositary's instruction, all in accordance with the
Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its
nominee.
4
"Indebtedness" shall mean (i) every obligation of the Company
for money borrowed; (ii) every obligation of the Company evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or other similar instruments, including obligations incurred
in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses; (iii)
every reimbursement obligation of the Company with respect to letters of credit,
bankers' acceptances or similar facilities issued for the account of the
Company; (iv) every obligation of the Company issued or assumed as the deferred
purchase price of property or services (but excluding trade accounts payable or
accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business); (v) every
capital lease obligation of the Company; (vi) all indebtedness of the Company
whether incurred on or prior to the date of the Indenture or thereafter
incurred, for claims in respect of derivative products, including interest rate,
foreign exchange rate and commodity forward contracts, options and swaps and
similar arrangements; and (vii) every obligation of the type referred to in
clauses (i) through (vi) of another Person and all dividends of another Person
the payment of which, in either case, the Company has guaranteed or is
responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, as obligor or otherwise.
"Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities" shall
mean (i) Indebtedness, whether outstanding on the date of execution of this
Indenture or hereafter created, assumed or incurred, to the extent such
indebtedness specifically by its terms ranks equally with and not prior to the
Securities in the right of payment upon the happening of any dissolution or
winding up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company, and (ii) all other
debt securities, and guarantees in respect of those debt securities, issued to
any trust other than Argo Capital Trust Co., or a trustee of such trust,
partnership or other entity affiliated with the Company that is a financing
vehicle of the Company (a "financing entity") in connection with the issuance by
such financing entity of equity securities or other securities guaranteed by the
Company pursuant to an instrument that ranks pari passu with or junior in right
of payment to the Capital Securities Guarantee. The securing of any
Indebtedness, otherwise constituting Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the
Securities, shall not be deemed to prevent such Indebtedness from constituting
Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities.
"Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities" shall mean any
Indebtedness, whether outstanding on the date of execution of this Indenture or
hereafter created, assumed or incurred, to the extent such indebtedness
specifically by its terms ranks junior to and not equally with or prior to the
Securities (and any other Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities)
in right of payment upon the happening of any dissolution or winding up or
liquidation or reorganization of the Company. The securing of any Indebtedness,
otherwise constituting Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities, shall not
be deemed to prevent such Indebtedness from constituting Indebtedness Ranking
Junior to the Securities.
"Indenture" shall mean this instrument as originally executed
or, if amended as herein provided, as so amended.
"Initial Optional Redemption Date" means __________.
"Interest Payment Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.06(a).
5
"Issue Date" shall mean the date of issuance of the Capital
Securities.
"Make Whole Amount" shall mean an amount equal to the greater
of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed or (ii) the
sum, as determined by a Quotation Agent, of the present values of remaining
scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Securities, discounted to
the prepayment date on a quarterly basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of
twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus, in the case of each
of clauses (i) and (ii), accrued and unpaid interest thereon, including
Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any, to the date of such redemption.
"Maturity Date" shall mean __________.
"Mortgage" shall mean and include any mortgage, pledge, lien,
security interest, conditional sale or other title retention agreement or other
similar encumbrance.
"Non Book-Entry Capital Securities" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 2.05(a)(ii).
"Officers" shall mean any of the Chairman, a Vice Chairman,
the Chief Executive Officer, the President, a Vice President, the Comptroller,
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company.
"Officers' Certificate" shall mean a certificate signed by two
Officers and delivered to the Trustee.
"Opinion of Counsel" shall mean a written opinion of counsel,
who may be an employee of the Company, and who shall be acceptable to the
Trustee.
"Optional Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 14.02(a).
"Other Debentures" means all junior subordinated debentures
issued by the Company from time to time and sold to trusts to be established by
the Company (if any), in each case similar to the Trust.
"Other Guarantees" means all guarantees to be issued by the
Company with respect to capital securities (if any) and issued to other trusts
to be established by the Company (if any), in each case similar to the Trust.
The term "outstanding" when used with reference to Securities,
shall, subject to the provisions of Section 7.04, mean, as of any particular
time, all Securities authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent under this Indenture, except
(a) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent or delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation;
6
(b) Securities, or portions thereof, for the payment or
redemption of which moneys in the necessary amount
shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee
or with any paying agent (other than the Company) or
shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by
the Company (if the Company shall act as its own
paying agent); provided that, if such Securities, or
portions thereof, are to be redeemed prior to
maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall
have been given as in Article XIV provided or
provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been
made for giving such notice; and
(c) Securities in lieu of or in substitution for which
other Securities shall have been authenticated and
delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.08
unless proof satisfactory to the Company and the
Trustee is presented that any such Securities are
held by bona fide holders in due course.
"Person" shall mean any individual, corporation, estate,
partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, limited liability
company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or
political subdivision thereof.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every
previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt and as that
evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition,
any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.08 in lieu of a lost,
destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the
lost, destroyed or stolen Security.
"Principal Office of the Trustee", or other similar term,
shall mean the office of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its
corporate trust business shall be administered.
"Property Trustee" shall have the same meaning as set forth in
the Declaration.
"Quotation Agent" means the Reference Treasury Dealer
appointed by the Company.
"Redemption Price" means the Special Event Redemption Price or
the Optional Redemption Price, as the context requires.
"Reference Treasury Dealer" means a nationally recognized U.S.
Government securities dealer in New York City selected by the Company.
"Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to
each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date pursuant to Section
14.01, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices
for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its
principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury
Dealer at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the third Business Day preceding such
redemption date.
7
A "Regulatory Capital Event" means that the Company shall have
received an opinion of independent bank regulatory counsel experienced in such
matters to the effect that, as a result of (a) any amendment to, or change
(including any announced prospective change) in, the laws (or any regulations
thereunder) of the United States or any rules, guidelines or policies of the
Federal Reserve or (b) any official administrative pronouncement or judicial
decision interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or
change is effective or such pronouncement or decision is announced on or after
the Issue Date, the Capital Securities do not constitute, or within 90 days of
the date thereof, will not constitute, Tier I Capital (or its then equivalent);
provided, however, that the distribution of the Junior Subordinated Debentures
in connection with a termination of the Trust by the Company shall not in and of
itself constitute a Regulatory Capital Event.
"Remaining Life" means the term of the Securities from the
Prepayment Date to the stated Maturity Date.
"Responsible Officer" shall mean any officer of the Trustee
with direct responsibility for the administration of the 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 Security" shall mean Securities that bear or are
required to bear the legends relating to transfer restrictions under the
Securities Act set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
"Rule 144A" means Rule 144A under the Securities Act, as such
Rule may be amended from time to time, or under any similar rule or regulation
hereafter adopted by the Commission.
"Securities" means Capital Securities.
"Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
"Securityholder", "holder of Securities", or other similar
terms, shall mean any Person in whose name at the time a particular Security is
registered on the register kept by the Company or the Trustee for that purpose
in accordance with the terms hereof.
"Security Register" shall mean (i) prior to a Dissolution
Event, the list of holders provided to the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 and
(ii) following a Dissolution Event, any security register maintained by a
security registrar for the Securities appointed by the Company following the
execution of a supplemental indenture providing for transfer procedures as
provided for in Section 2.07(a).
"Senior Indebtedness" shall mean all Indebtedness, whether
outstanding on the date of execution of this Indenture or hereafter created,
assumed or incurred, except Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities
or Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities, and any
8
deferrals, renewals or extensions of such Senior Indebtedness.
"Special Event" means either a Regulatory Capital Event or a
Tax Event.
"Special Event Redemption Price" shall mean, with respect to
any redemption of the Securities following a Special Event, an amount in cash
equal to the Make Whole Amount.
"Subsidiary" shall mean with respect to any Person, (i) any
corporation at least a majority of the outstanding voting stock of which is
owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its
Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any
general partnership, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of
whose outstanding partnership or similar interests shall at the time be owned by
such Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or
more of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person
or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner. For the purposes of this
definition, "voting stock" means shares, interests, participations or other
equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having
ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the
equivalent) of such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or
other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a
contingency.
"Tax Event" shall mean the receipt by Argo Capital Trust Co.
and the Company of an opinion of counsel experienced in such matters to the
effect that, as a result of any amendment to, or change (including any announced
prospective change) in, the laws or any regulations thereunder of the United
States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein or as
a result of any official administrative pronouncement or judicial decision
interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change is
effective or which pronouncement or decision is announced on or after the Issue
Date, there is more than an insubstantial risk that (i) Argo Capital Trust Co.
is, or will be within 90 days of the date of such opinion, subject to United
States Federal income tax with respect to income received or accrued on the
Securities, (ii) interest payable by the Company on the Securities is not, or
within 90 days of the date of such opinion, will not be, deductible by the
Company, in whole or in part, for United States Federal income tax purposes or
(iii) Argo Capital Trust Co., or will be within 90 days of the date of such
opinion, subject to more than a de minimis amount of other taxes, duties or
other governmental charges.
"Treasury Rate" means (i) the yield, under the heading which
represents the average for the immediately prior week, appearing in the most
recently published statistical release designated "H.15(519)" or successor
publication which is published weekly by the Federal Reserve and which
establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted
to constant maturity under the caption "Treasury Constant Maturities" for the
maturity corresponding to the Remaining Life (if no maturity is within three
months before or after the Remaining Life, yields for the two published
maturities most closely corresponding to the Remaining Life shall be determined
and the Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on
a straight-line basis, rounding to the nearest month), or (ii) if such release
(or
9
any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the
calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per annum equal to
the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue,
calculated equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such prepayment date. The
Treasury Rate shall be calculated on a third Business Day preceding the
prepayment date.
"Trustee" shall mean the Person identified as "Trustee" in the
first paragraph hereof, and, subject to the provisions of Article VI hereof,
shall also include its successors and assigns as Trustee hereunder. The term
"Trustee" as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall
mean the trustee with respect to that series.
"Trust Indenture Act of 1939" shall mean the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939 as in force at the date of execution of this Indenture; provided,
however, that, in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after
such date, "Trust Indenture Act of 1939" shall mean, to the extent required by
any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
"Trust Securities" shall mean the Capital Securities and the
Common Securities, collectively.
"Underwriting Agreement" shall mean the Underwriting Agreement
dated _______, 1998 among the Company, Argo Capital Trust Co. and the
Underwriter named therein.
"Argo Capital Trust Co." or the "Trust" shall mean Argo
Capital Trust Co., a Delaware business trust created for the purpose of issuing
its undivided beneficial interests in connection with the issuance of Securities
under this Indenture.
"U.S. Government Obligations" shall mean securities that are
(i) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which
its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled
or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States
of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith
and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case
under clauses (i) or (ii) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the
issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or
trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation
or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government
Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository
receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not
authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such
depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the
U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal
of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
ARTICLE II
SECURITIES
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SECTION 2.01. Forms Generally.
The Securities and the Trustee's certificate of authentication
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A, the terms of which are
incorporated in and made a part of this Indenture. The Securities may have
notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule,
agreements to which the Company is subject or usage. Each Security shall be
dated the date of its authentication. The Securities shall be issued in
denominations of $10.00 and integral multiples thereof.
SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by a
duly authorized officer and attested by a Secretary or an Assistant Secretary.
The signature of any such person on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at
the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be
valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the
manual signature of the Trustee. The signature of the Trustee shall be
conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this
Indenture. The form of Trustee's certificate of authentication to be borne by
the Securities shall be substantially as set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
The Trustee shall, upon a Company Order, authenticate for
original issue up to, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities
outstanding at any time may not exceed $15,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
the Securities, except as provided in Sections 2.07, 2.08, 2.09 and 14.05.
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SECTION 2.03. Form and Payment.
Except as provided in Section 2.05, the Securities shall be
issued in fully registered certificated form without interest coupons. Principal
of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities issued in certificated form
will be payable, the transfer of such Securities will be registrable and such
Securities will be exchangeable for Securities bearing identical terms and
provisions at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose
under Section 3.02; provided, however, that payment of interest with respect to
Securities (other than a Global Security) may be made at the option of the
Company (i) by check mailed to the holder at such address as shall appear in the
Security Register or (ii) by transfer to an account maintained by the Person
entitled thereto, provided that proper transfer instructions have been received
in writing by the relevant record date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long
as the holder of any Securities is the Property Trustee, the payment of the
principal of, premium, if any, and interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any) and Liquidated Damages, if any, on such Securities held
by the Property Trustee will be made at such place and to such account as may be
designated by the Property Trustee.
SECTION 2.04. Legends.
(a) Except as permitted by subsection (b) of this Section 2.04
or as otherwise determined by the Company in accordance with applicable law,
each Security shall bear the applicable legends in substantially the form set
forth on Exhibit A hereto.
SECTION 2.05. Global Security.
(a) In connection with a Dissolution Event,
(i) if any Capital Securities are held in book-entry
form, the related Definitive Securities shall be presented to the Trustee (if an
arrangement with the Depositary has been maintained) by the Property Trustee in
exchange for one or more Global Securities (as may be required pursuant to
Section 2.07) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal
amount of all outstanding Securities, to be registered in the name of the
Depositary, or its nominee, and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary for
crediting to the accounts of its participants pursuant to the instructions of
the Administrative Trustees; the Company upon any such presentation shall
execute one or more Global Securities in such aggregate principal amount and
deliver the same to the Trustee for authentication and delivery in accordance
with this Indenture; and payments on the Securities issued as a Global Security
will be made to the Depositary; and
(ii) if any Capital Securities are held in
certificated form, the related Definitive Securities may be presented to the
Trustee by the Property Trustee and any Capital Security certificate which
represents Capital Securities other than Capital Securities in book-entry form
("Non Book-Entry Capital Securities") will be deemed to represent beneficial
interests in Securities presented to the Trustee by the Property Trustee having
an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount of the
Non Book-Entry Capital
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Securities until such Capital Security certificates are presented to the
Security Registrar for transfer or reissuance, at which time such Capital
Security certificates will be canceled and a Security, registered in the name of
the holder of the Capital Security certificate or the transferee of the holder
of such Capital Security certificate, as the case may be, with an aggregate
principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount of the Capital
Security certificate canceled, will be executed by the Company and delivered to
the Trustee for authentication and delivery in accordance with this Indenture.
Upon the issuance of such Securities, Securities with an equivalent aggregate
principal amount that were presented by the Property Trustee to the Trustee will
be canceled.
(b) The Global Securities shall represent the aggregate amount
of outstanding Securities from time to time endorsed thereon; provided, that the
aggregate amount of outstanding Securities represented thereby may from time to
time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and
redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Security to reflect the amount of any
increase or decrease in the amount of outstanding Securities represented thereby
shall be made by the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the
Company as required by this Section 2.05.
(c) The Global Securities may be transferred, in whole but not
in part, only to the Depositary, another nominee of the Depositary, or to a
successor Depositary selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such
successor Depositary.
(d) If at any time the Depositary notifies the Company that it
is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary or the Depositary has ceased to
be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor
Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company
receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, the
Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, will
authenticate and make available for delivery the Definitive Securities, in
authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the
principal amount of the Global Security in exchange for such Global Security. If
there is an Event of Default, the Depositary shall have the right to exchange
the Global Securities for Definitive Securities. In addition, the Company may at
any time determine that the Securities shall no longer be represented by a
Global Security. In the event of such an Event of Default or such a
determination, the Company shall execute, and subject to Section 2.07, the
Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers' Certificate evidencing such determination
by the Company and a Company Order, will authenticate and make available for
delivery the Definitive Securities, in authorized denominations, and in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security
in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security
for such Definitive Securities, in authorized denominations, the Global Security
shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Definitive Securities issued in exchange
for the Global Security shall be registered in such names and in such authorized
denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or
indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee
shall deliver such Definitive Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the
Persons in whose names such Definitive Securities are so registered.
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SECTION 2.06 Interest.
(a) Each Security will bear interest at the rate of ____% per
annum (the "Coupon Rate") from the most recent date to which interest has been
paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid or duly provided for,
from _________, 1998, until the principal thereof becomes due and payable, and
at the Coupon Rate on any overdue principal (and premium, if any) and (to the
extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) on any
overdue installment of interest, compounded quarterly, payable (subject to the
provisions of Article XVI) quarterly in arrears on April 15th, July 15th,
October 15th and January 15th of each year (each, an "Interest Payment Date")
commencing on the Issue Date, to the Person in whose name such Security or any
predecessor Security is registered, at the close of business on the regular
record date for such interest installment, which shall be the fifteenth day of
the month preceding the month in which the relevant Interest Payment Date falls.
(b) Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year
consisting of twelve 30-day months and, for any period of less than a full
calendar month, the number of days lapsed in such month based on a 30-day month.
In the event that any Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a
Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such date will be made on the
next succeeding day which is a Business Day (and without any interest or other
payment in respect of any such delay), except that if such next succeeding
Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar year, then such payment shall
be made on the immediately preceding Business Day, in each case with the same
force and effect as if made on such date.
(c) During such time as the Property Trustee is the holder of
any Securities, the Company shall pay any additional amounts on the Securities
as may be necessary in order that the amount of Distributions then due and
payable by Argo Capital Trust Co. on the outstanding Trust Securities shall not
be reduced as a result of any additional taxes, duties and other governmental
charges to which Argo Capital Trust Co. has become subject as a result of a Tax
Event ("Additional Sums").
SECTION 2.07. General Provisions Relating to Transfers
and Exchanges.
To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall
execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Definitive Securities and Global
Securities at the Security Registrar's request. All Definitive Securities and
Global Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of
Definitive Securities or Global Securities shall be the valid obligations of the
Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this
Indenture, as the Definitive Securities or Global Securities surrendered upon
such registration of transfer or exchange.
No service charge shall be made to a holder 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.
14
The Company shall not be required to (i) issue, register the
transfer of or exchange Securities during a period beginning at the opening of
business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption or any
notice of selection of Securities for redemption under Article XIV hereof and
ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing; or (ii) register the
transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in
part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of
any Security, the Trustee, the Company and any agent of the Trustee or the
Company may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered
as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of
principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities, neither the
Trustee, nor the Company nor any agent of the Trustee or the Company shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.
SECTION 2.08. Replacement Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or
the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the
destruction, loss or theft of any Security, the Company shall issue and the
Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Security if the Trustee's requirements
for replacements of Securities are met. 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 thereof or any authenticating agent
from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Company
or the Trustee may charge for its expenses in replacing a Security.
Every replacement Security is an obligation of the Company and
shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and
proportionately with all other Securities duly issued hereunder.
SECTION 2.09. Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of Definitive Securities, the Company
may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and make
available for delivery, temporary Securities that are printed, lithographed,
typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise reproduced, in any authorized
denomination, substantially of the tenor of the Definitive Securities in lieu of
which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions,
substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may
determine, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities are issued, the Company shall cause
Definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. The Definitive
Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved, or provided by any
combination thereof, or in any other manner permitted by the rules and
regulations of any applicable securities exchange, all as determined by
15
the officers executing such Definitive Securities. After the preparation of
Definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for
Definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at the office
or agency maintained by the Company for such purpose pursuant to Section 3.02
hereof, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one
or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall
authenticate and make available for delivery, in exchange therefor the same
aggregate principal amount of Definitive Securities of authorized denominations.
Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled
to the same benefits under this Indenture as Definitive Securities.
SECTION 2.10. Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee
for cancellation. The Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Securities
surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or
cancellation and shall retain or dispose of canceled Securities in accordance
with its normal practices (subject to the record retention requirement of the
Exchange Act) unless the Company directs them to be returned to it. The Company
may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that have been redeemed or
paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
SECTION 2.11. Defaulted Interest.
Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not
punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein
called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith cease to be payable to the holder
on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and
such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as
provided in clause (a) or clause (b) below:
(a) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted
Interest on Securities to the Persons in whose names
such Securities (or their respective Predecessor
Securities) are registered at the close of business
on a special record date for the payment of such
Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the
following manner: the Company shall notify the
Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted
Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security
and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same
time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an
amount of money equal to the aggregate amount
proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted
Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to
the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the
proposed payment, such money when deposited to be
held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled
to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause
provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special
record date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less
than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed
payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt
by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment.
The Trustee shall promptly
16
notify the Company of such special record date and,
in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall
cause notice of the proposed payment of such
Defaulted Interest and the special record date
therefor to be mailed, first class postage prepaid,
to each Securityholder at his or her address as it
appears in the Security Register, not less than 10
days prior to such special record date. Notice of the
proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the
special record date therefor having been mailed as
aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to
the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on
such special record date and shall be no longer
payable pursuant to the following clause (b).
(b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted
Interest on any Securities in any other lawful manner
not inconsistent with the requirements of any
securities exchange on which such Securities may be
listed, and upon such notice as may be required by
such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company
to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to
this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed
practicable by the Trustee.
SECTION 2.12. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities 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 Securityholders; provided that any
such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of
such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice
of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification
numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected
by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify
the Trustee of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
ARTICLE III
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
SECTION 3.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the
holders of the Securities that it will duly and punctually pay or cause to be
paid the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities at the
place, at the respective times and in the manner provided herein. Except as
provided in Section 2.03, each installment of interest on the Securities may be
paid by mailing checks for such interest payable to the order of the holder of
Security entitled thereto as they appear in the Security Register. The Company
further covenants to pay any and all amounts, including, without limitation,
Additional Sums, as may be required pursuant to Section
17
2.06(c), and Compounded Interest, as may be required pursuant to Section 16.01.
SECTION 3.02. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc.
So long as any of the Securities remain outstanding, the
Company will maintain in the State of Delaware, an office or agency where the
Securities may be presented for payment, an office or agency where the
Securities may be presented for registration of transfer and for exchange as in
this Indenture provided and an office or agency where notices and demands to or
upon the Company in respect of the Securities or of this Indenture may be
served. The Company will give to the Trustee written notice of the location of
any such office or agency and of any change of location thereof. Until otherwise
designated from time to time by the Company in a notice to the Trustee, any such
office or agency for all of the above purposes shall be the Principal Office of
the Trustee. In case the Company shall fail to maintain any such office or
agency in the State of Delaware or shall fail to give such notice of the
location or of any change in the location thereof, presentations and demands may
be made and notices may be served at the Principal Office of the Trustee.
In addition to any such office or agency, the Company may from
time to time designate one or more offices or agencies outside the State of
Delaware where the Securities may be presented for payment, registration of
transfer and for exchange in the manner provided in this Indenture, and the
Company may from time to time rescind such designation, as the Company may deem
desirable or expedient; provided, however, that no such designation or
rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain
any such office or agency in the state of Delaware for the purposes above
mentioned. The Company will give to the Trustee prompt written notice of any
such designation or rescission thereof.
SECTION 3.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee's
Office.
The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in
the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 6.10, a
Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
SECTION 3.04. Provision as to Paying Agent.
(a) If the Company shall appoint a paying agent other
than the Trustee with respect to the Securities, it
will cause such paying agent to execute and deliver
to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent
shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the
provision of this Section 3.04,
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as
such agent for the payment of the principal
of and premium, if any, or interest on the
Securities (whether such sums have been paid
to it by the Company or by any other obligor
on the Securities) in trust for the benefit
of the holders of the Securities; and
18
(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any
failure by the Company (or by any other
obligor on the Securities) to make any
payment of the principal of and premium or
interest (including Additional Sums and
Compounded Interest, if any) , on the
Securities when the same shall be due and
payable.
(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent, it
will, on or before each due date of the principal of
and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities,
set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the
benefit of the holders of the Securities a sum
sufficient to pay such principal, premium or interest
so becoming due and will notify the Trustee of any
failure to take such action and of any failure by the
Company (or by any other obligor under the
Securities) to make any payment of the principal of
and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities
when the same shall become due and payable.
(c) Anything in this Section 3.04 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company may, at any time, for
the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and discharge
with respect to the Securities hereunder, or for any
other reason, pay or cause to be paid to the Trustee
all sums held in trust for such Securities by the
Trustee or any paying agent hereunder, as required by
this Section 3.04, such sums to be held by the
Trustee upon the trusts herein contained.
(d) Anything in this Section 3.04 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the agreement to hold sums in trust
as provided in this Section 3.04 is subject to
Sections 11.03 and 11.04.
SECTION 3.05. Certificate to Trustee.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee on or before 120 days
after the end of each fiscal year in each year, commencing with the first fiscal
year ending after the date hereof, so long as Securities are outstanding
hereunder, an Officers' Certificate, one of the signers of which shall be the
principal executive, principal financial or principal accounting officer of the
Company, stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their
duties as officers of the Company they would normally have knowledge of any
default by the Company in the performance of any covenants contained herein,
stating whether or not they have knowledge of any such default and, if so,
specifying each such default of which the signers have knowledge and the nature
thereof.
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.
The Company will not, while any of the Securities remain
outstanding, consolidate with, or merge into, or merge into itself, or sell or
convey all or substantially all of its property to any other Person unless the
provisions of Article X hereof are complied with.
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SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Dividends.
The Company will not (i) declare or pay any dividends or
distributions on, or redeem, purchase, acquire, or make a liquidation payment
with respect to, any of the Company's capital stock (which includes common and
preferred stock), (ii) make any payment of principal, premium, if any, or
interest on or repay or repurchase or redeem any debt securities of the Company
(including Other Debentures) that rank pari passu with or junior in right of
payment to the Securities or (iii) make any guarantee payments with respect to
any guarantee by the Company of the debt securities of any Subsidiary of the
Company (including Other Guarantees) if such guarantee ranks pari passu or
junior in right of payment to the Securities (other than (a) dividends or
distributions in shares of, or options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or
purchase shares of, Common Stock of the Company, (b) any declaration of a
dividend in connection with the implementation of a stockholder's rights plan,
or the issuance of stock under any such plan in the future, or the redemption or
repurchase of any such rights pursuant thereto, (c) payments under the Capital
Securities Guarantee, (d) as a result of a reclassification of the Company's
capital stock or the exchange or the conversion of one class or series of the
Company's capital stock for another class or series of the Company's capital
stock, (e) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Company's
capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital
stock or the security being converted or exchanged and (f) purchases of Common
Stock related to the issuance of Common Stock or rights under any of the
Company's benefit plans for its directors, officers or employees or any of the
Company's dividend reinvestment plans) if at such time (1) there shall have
occurred any event of which the Company has actual knowledge that (a) is or,
with the giving of notice or the lapse of time, or both, would constitute an
Event of Default and (b) in respect of which the Company shall not have taken
reasonable steps to cure, (2) if such Securities are held by the Property
Trustee, the Company shall be in default with respect to its payment obligations
under the Capital Securities Guarantee or (3) the Company shall have given
notice of its election of the exercise of its right to extend the interest
payment period pursuant to Section 16.01 and any such extension shall be
continuing.
SECTION 3.08. Covenants as to Argo Capital Trust Co.
In the event Securities are issued to Argo Capital Trust Co.
or a trustee of such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust Securities
by Argo Capital Trust Co., for so long as such Trust Securities remain
outstanding, the Company (i) will maintain 100% direct or indirect ownership of
the Common Securities of Argo Capital Trust Co.; provided, however, that any
successor of the Company, permitted pursuant to Article X, may succeed to the
Company's ownership of such Common Securities, (ii) will use its reasonable
efforts to cause Argo Capital Trust Co. (a) to remain a business trust, except
in connection with a distribution of Securities to the holders of Trust
Securities in liquidation of the Trust, the redemption of all of the Trust
Securities of Argo Capital Trust Co. or certain mergers, consolidations or
amalgamations, each as permitted by the Declaration of Argo Capital Trust Co.,
and (b) to otherwise continue to be treated as a grantor trust and not an
association taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax
purposes and (iii) use its reasonable efforts to cause each holder of Trust
Securities to be treated as owning an undivided beneficial interest in the
Securities.
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SECTION 3.09. Payment of Expenses.
In connection with the offering, sale and issuance of the
Securities to Argo Capital Trust Co. and in connection with the sale of the
Trust Securities by Argo Capital Trust Co., the Company, in its capacity as
borrower with respect to the Securities, shall:
(a) pay all costs and expenses relating to the offering, sale
and issuance of the Securities, including commissions and expenses and
indemnification obligations, if any, to or for the benefit of the Underwriter
(as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) payable pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, fees and expenses in connection with the filing of the Registration
Statement and compensation of the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of
Section 6.06;
(b) pay all costs and expenses of the Trust (including, but
not limited to, costs and expenses relating to the organization of Argo Capital
Trust Co., the offering, sale and issuance of the Trust Securities (including
commissions to the initial purchasers in connection therewith), the fees and
expenses of the Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee, the costs and
expenses relating to the operation of Argo Capital Trust Co., including without
limitation, costs and expenses of accountants, attorneys, statistical or
bookkeeping services, expenses for printing and engraving and computing or
accounting equipment, paying agent(s), registrar(s), transfer agent(s),
duplicating, travel and telephone and other telecommunications expenses and
costs and expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition, financing, and
disposition of assets of Argo Capital Trust Co.;
(c) be primarily and fully liable for any indemnification
obligations arising with respect to the Declaration;
(d) pay any and all taxes (other than United States
withholding taxes attributable to Argo Capital Trust Co. or its assets) and all
liabilities, costs and expenses with respect to such taxes of the Trust; and
(e) pay all other fees, expenses, debts and obligations (other
than in respect of principal, interest and premium, if any, on the Trust
Securities) related to Argo Capital Trust Co.
SECTION 3.10. Payment Upon Resignation or Removal.
Upon termination of this Indenture or the removal or
resignation of the Trustee, unless otherwise stated, the Company shall pay to
the Trustee all amounts accrued and owing to the date of such termination,
removal or resignation. Upon termination of the Declaration or the removal or
resignation of the Delaware Trustee or the Property Trustee, as the case may be,
pursuant to Section 5.7 of the Declaration, the Company shall pay to the
Delaware Trustee or the Property Trustee, as the case may be, all amounts
accrued and owing to the date of such termination, removal or resignation.
ARTICLE IV
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SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE
COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.01. Securityholders' Lists.
The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause
to be furnished to the Trustee:
(a) on a quarterly basis on each regular record date for
the Securities, a list, in such form as the Trustee
may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of
the Securityholders as of such record date; and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in
writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the
Company, of any such request, a list of similar form
and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior
to the time such list is furnished,
except that, no such lists need be furnished so long as the
Trustee is in possession thereof by reason of its acting as Security registrar.
SECTION 4.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as
is reasonably practicable, all information as to the
names and addresses of the holders of the Securities
(1) contained in the most recent list furnished to it
as provided in Section 4.01 or (2) received by it in
the capacity of Securities registrar (if so acting)
hereunder. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished
to it as provided in Section 4.01 upon receipt of a
new list so furnished.
(b) In case three or more holders of Securities
(hereinafter referred to as "applicants") apply in
writing to the Trustee and furnish to the Trustee
reasonable proof that each such applicant has owned a
Security for a period of at least six months
preceding the date of such application, and such
application states that the applicants desire to
communicate with other holders of Securities or with
holders of all Securities with respect to their
rights under this Indenture and is accompanied by a
copy of the form of proxy or other communication
which such applicants propose to transmit, then the
Trustee shall within five Business Days after the
receipt of such application, at its election, either:
(1) afford such applicants access to the information
preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance
with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section
4.02, or
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(2) inform such applicants as to the approximate number
of holders of all Securities, whose names and
addresses appear in the information preserved at the
time by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions
of subsection (a) of this Section 4.02, and as to the
approximate cost of mailing to such Securityholders
the form of proxy or other communication, if any,
specified in such application.
If the Trustee shall elect not to afford such
applicants access to such information, the Trustee
shall, upon the written request of such applicants,
mail to each Securityholder whose name and address
appear in the information preserved at the time by
the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of
subsection (a) of this Section 4.02 a copy of the
form of proxy or other communication which is
specified in such request with reasonable promptness
after a tender to the Trustee of the material to be
mailed and of payment, or provision for the payment,
of the reasonable expenses of mailing, unless within
five days after such tender, the Trustee shall mail
to such applicants and file with the Commission,
together with a copy of the material to be mailed, a
written statement to the effect that, in the opinion
of the Trustee, such mailing would be contrary to the
best interests of the holders of Securities of such
series or all Securities, as the case may be, or
would be in violation of applicable law. Such written
statement shall specify the basis of such opinion. If
the Commission, after opportunity for a hearing upon
the objections specified in the written statement so
filed, shall enter an order refusing to sustain any
of such objections or if, after the entry of an order
sustaining one or more of such objections, the
Commission shall find, after notice and opportunity
for hearing, that all the objections so sustained
have been met and shall enter an order so declaring,
the Trustee shall mail copies of such material to all
such Securityholders with reasonable promptness after
the entry of such order and the renewal of such
tender; otherwise the Trustee shall be relieved of
any obligation or duty to such applicants respecting
their application.
(c) Each and every holder of Securities, by receiving and
holding the same, agrees with the Company and the
Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor
any paying agent shall be held accountable by reason
of the disclosure of any such information as to the
names and addresses of the holders of Securities in
accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of
this Section 4.02, regardless of the source from
which such information was derived, and that the
Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of
mailing any material pursuant to a request made under
said subsection (b).
SECTION 4.03. Reports by Company.
23
(a) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the
Trustee, within 15 days after the date on which the
Company is required to file the same with the
Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the
information, documents and other reports (or copies
of such portions of any of the foregoing as said
Commission may from time to time by rules and
regulations prescribe) which the Company may be
required to file with the Commission pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; or,
if the Company is not required to file information,
documents or reports pursuant to either of such
sections, then to file with the Trustee and the
Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations
prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such
of the supplementary and periodic information,
documents and reports which may be required pursuant
to Section 13 of the Exchange Act in respect of a
security listed and registered on a national
securities exchange as may be prescribed from time to
time in such rules and regulations.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the
Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with the
rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by
said Commission, such additional information,
documents and reports with respect to compliance by
the Company with the conditions and covenants
provided for in this Indenture as may be required
from time to time by such rules and regulations.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees to transmit by mail
to all holders of Securities, as the names and
addresses of such holders appear upon the Security
Register, within 30 days after the filing thereof
with the Trustee, such summaries of any information,
documents and reports required to be filed by the
Company pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this
Section 4.03 as may be required by rules and
regulations prescribed from time to time by the
Commission.
(d) Delivery of such reports, information and documents
to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and
the Trustee's receipt of such shall not constitute
constructive notice of any information contained
therein or determinable from information contained
therein, including the Company's compliance with any
of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee
is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers'
Certificates).
SECTION 4.04. Reports by the Trustee.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Securityholders such
reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under
this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the
Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner
provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section
313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall,
within sixty days after each May 15 following the
date of
24
this Indenture, commencing May 15, 1999, deliver to
Securityholders a brief report, dated as of such May
15, which complies with the provisions of such
Section 313(a).
(b) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such
transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the
Trustee with each stock exchange, if any, upon which
the Securities are listed, with the Commission and
with the Company. The Company will promptly notify
the Trustee when the Securities are listed on any
stock exchange.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
ON EVENT OF DEFAULT
SECTION 5.01. Events of Default.
One or more of the following events of default shall
constitute an Event of Default hereunder:
(a) default in the payment of any interest (including
Compounded Interest or Additional Sums, if any), upon
any Security or any Other Debentures when it becomes
due and payable, and continuance of such default for
a period of 30 days; provided, however, that a valid
extension of an interest payment period by the
Company in accordance with the terms hereof shall not
constitute a default in the payment of interest for
this purpose; or
(b) default in the payment of all or any part of the
principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security or
any Other Debentures as and when the same shall
become due and payable either at maturity, upon
redemption, by declaration of acceleration of
maturity or otherwise; or
(c) default in the performance, or breach, of any
covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture
(other than a covenant or warranty a default in whose
performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this
Section specifically dealt with), and continuance of
such default or breach for a period of 90 days after
there has been given, by registered or certified
mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company
and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
Securities a written notice specifying such default
or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating
that such notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder;
or
(d) a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall
enter a decree or order for relief in respect of the
Company in an involuntary case under any
25
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar
law now or hereafter in effect, or appointing a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or
for any substantial part of its property, or ordering
the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and such
decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect
for a period of 90 consecutive days; or
(e) the Company shall commence a voluntary case under any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar
law now or hereafter in effect, shall consent to the
entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case
under any such law, or shall consent to the
appointment of or taking possession by a receiver,
liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian,
sequestrator (or other similar official) of the
Company or of any substantial part of its property,
or shall make any general assignment for the benefit
of creditors, or shall fail generally to pay its
debts as they become due.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities at the time
outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the
holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities
then outstanding may declare the principal amount of all Securities to be due
and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the
Trustee if given by the holders of the outstanding Securities), and upon any
such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable.
The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the
condition that if, at any time after the principal of the Securities shall have
been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the
payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter
provided, (i) the Company shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum
sufficient to pay (A) all matured installments of interest (including Compounded
Interest and Additional Sums, if any), upon all the Securities and the principal
of and premium, if any, on any and all Securities which shall have become due
otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium,
if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under
applicable law, on overdue installments of interest, at the same rate as the
rate of interest specified in the Securities to the date of such payment or
deposit) and (B) such amount as shall be sufficient to cover compensation due to
the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, their respective agents, attorneys and
counsel, pursuant to Section 6.06, and (ii) any and all Events of Default under
the Indenture, other than the non-payment of the principal of the Securities
which shall have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, shall
have been cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided herein, then, in every
such case, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities then outstanding, by written notice to the Company and to the
Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences, but no
such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any
subsequent default or shall impair any right consequent thereon.
In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right
under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or
abandoned because of such rescission or
26
annulment or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the
Trustee, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the holders of
the Securities shall be restored respectively to their several positions and
rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company, the
Trustee and the holders of the Securities shall continue as though no such
proceeding had been taken.
SECTION 5.02. Payment of Securities on Default; Suit
Therefor.
The Company covenants that (a) in case default shall be made
in the payment of any installment of interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any), upon any of the Securities as and when the same shall
become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 30
days, or (b) in case default shall be made in the payment of the principal of or
premium, if any, on any of the Securities as and when the same shall have become
due and payable, whether at maturity of the Securities or upon redemption or by
declaration or otherwise, then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay
to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Securities, the whole
amount that then shall have become due and payable on all such Securities for
principal and premium, if any, or interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any) with interest upon the overdue principal and premium,
if any, and (to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under
applicable law and, if the Securities are held by Argo Capital Trust Co. or a
trustee of such trust, without duplication of any other amounts paid by Argo
Capital Trust Co. or a trustee in respect thereof) upon the overdue installments
of interest (including Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any) at the
rate borne by the Securities; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as
shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including a
reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys and counsel, and
any other amount due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.06.
In case the Company shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts
upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express
trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any actions or proceedings
at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may
enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or any other
obligor on the Securities and collect in the manner provided by law out of the
property of the Company or any other obligor on the Securities wherever situated
the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable.
In case there shall be pending proceedings for the bankruptcy
or for the reorganization of the Company or any other obligor on the Securities
under Xxxxx 00, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Code, or any other applicable law, or in case a
receiver or trustee shall have been appointed for the property of the Company or
such other obligor, or in the case of any other similar judicial proceedings
relative to the Company or other obligor upon the Securities, or to the
creditors or property of the Company or such other obligor, the Trustee,
irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and
payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of
whether the Trustee shall have made any demand pursuant to the provisions of
this Section 5.02, shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such
proceedings or otherwise, to file and prove a claim or claims for the whole
amount of
27
principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and, in
case of any judicial proceedings, 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 amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to 6.06)
and of the Securityholders allowed in such judicial proceedings relative to the
Company or any other obligor on the Securities, or to the creditors or property
of the Company or such other obligor, unless prohibited by applicable law and
regulations, to vote on behalf of the holders of the Securities in any election
of a trustee or a standby trustee in arrangement, reorganization, liquidation or
other bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or person performing similar
functions in comparable proceedings, and to collect and receive any moneys or
other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the
same after the deduction of its charges and expenses; and any receiver, assignee
or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the
Securityholders 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
Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee such amounts as shall be sufficient to
cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their
respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other amounts due to the
Trustee pursuant to Section 6.06.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the
Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any
Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or
composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any holder thereof or to
authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in
any such proceeding.
All rights of action and of asserting claims under this
Indenture, or under any of the Securities, may be enforced by the Trustee
without the possession of any of the Securities, or the production thereof on
any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding
instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an
express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall be for the ratable benefit of
the holders of the Securities.
In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and also any
proceedings involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to
which the Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all
the holders of the Securities, and it shall not be necessary to make any holders
of the Securities parties to any such proceedings.
SECTION 5.03. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee shall be applied in the
order following, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution
of such moneys, upon presentation of the Securities in respect of which moneys
have been collected, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially paid,
and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of costs and expenses of collection
applicable to the Securities and all other amounts due to the Trustee under
Section 6.06;
28
Second: To the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the
Company if and to the extent required by Article XV;
Third: In case the principal of the outstanding Securities in
respect of which moneys have been collected shall not have become due and be
unpaid, to the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Securities for
principal of (and premium, if any) and interest (including Compounded Interest
and Additional Sums, if any), on the Securities, in respect of which or for the
benefit of which money has been collected, ratably, without preference of
priority of any kind, according to the amounts due on such Securities for
principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and
Fourth: To the Company.
SECTION 5.04. Proceedings by Securityholders.
No holder of any Security shall have any right by virtue of or
by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or
proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture
or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy
hereunder, unless such holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written
notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the
Securities specifying such Event of Default, as hereinbefore provided, and
unless also the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of
the Securities then outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee
to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee
hereunder and shall have offered to the Trustee such reasonable indemnity as it
may require against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein
or thereby, and the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to institute any such action,
suit or proceeding, it being understood and intended, and being expressly
covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security with every other taker and
holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of Securities shall have any
right in any manner whatever by virtue of or by availing of any provision of
this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other holder of
Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any
other such holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the
manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all
holders of Securities.
Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Indenture,
however, the right of any holder of any Security to receive payment of the
principal of (premium, if any) and interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any) on such Security, on or after the same shall have
become due and payable, or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such
payment, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such holder
and by accepting a Security hereunder it is expressly understood, intended and
covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security with every other such taker
and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of Securities shall have
any right in any manner whatsoever by virtue or by availing of any provision of
this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of the holders of any
other Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to
any other such holder, or to
29
enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and
for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities. For the
protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every
Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given
either at law or in equity.
The Company and the Trustee acknowledge that pursuant to the
Declaration, the holders of Capital Securities are entitled, in the
circumstances and subject to the limitations set forth therein, to commence a
Direct Action with respect to any Event of Default under this Indenture and the
Securities.
SECTION 5.05. Proceedings by Trustee.
In case an Event of Default occurs with respect to Securities
and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and
enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial
proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any
of such rights, either by suit in equity or by action at law or by proceeding in
bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or
agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power
granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right
vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
SECTION 5.06. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing.
All powers and remedies given by this Article V to the Trustee
or to the Securityholders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed
cumulative and not exclusive of any other powers and remedies available to the
Trustee or the holders of the Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise,
to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants and agreements
contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to the
Securities, and no delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of any of
the Securities to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default
occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or
shall be construed to be a waiver of any such default or an acquiescence
therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 5.04, every power and remedy
given by this Article V or by law to the Trustee or to the Securityholders may
be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by
the Trustee or by the Securityholders.
SECTION 5.07. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of
Defaults by Majority of Securityholders.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities at the time outstanding shall have the right to direct the time,
method, and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the
Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee; provided,
however, that (subject to the provisions of Section 6.01) the Trustee shall have
the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee shall determine
that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the holders not
taking part in such direction or if the Trustee being advised by counsel
determines that the action or proceeding so directed may not
30
lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or
trustees, executive committee, or a trust committee of directors or trustees
and/or Responsible Officers shall determine that the action or proceedings so
directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability. Prior to any
declaration accelerating the maturity of the Securities, the holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time outstanding
may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities waive any past default or
Event of Default and its consequences except a default (a) in the payment of
principal of or premium, if any, or interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any) on any of the Securities or (b) in respect of covenants
or provisions hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of
the holder of each Security affected; provided, however, that if the Securities
are held by the Property Trustee, such waiver or modification to such waiver
shall not be effective until the holders of a majority in aggregate liquidation
amount of Trust Securities shall have consented to such waiver or modification
to such waiver; provided further, that if the consent of the holder of each
outstanding Security is required, such waiver shall not be effective until each
holder of the Trust Securities shall have consented to such waiver. Upon any
such waiver, the default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all
purposes of this Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the
Securities shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder,
respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default
or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any default or Event of Default
hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 5.07, said default
or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Securities and this Indenture
be deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing.
SECTION 5.08. Notice of Defaults.
The Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of a
default with respect to the Securities known to a Responsible Officer of the
Trustee, mail to all Securityholders, as the names and addresses of such holders
appear upon the Security Register, notice of all defaults known to the Trustee,
unless such defaults shall have been cured before the giving of such notice (the
term "defaults" for the purpose of this Section 5.08 being hereby defined to be
the events specified in clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of Section 5.01, not
including periods of grace, if any, provided for therein, and irrespective of
the giving of written notice specified in clause (c) of Section 5.01); and
provided that, except in the case of default in the payment of the principal of
or premium, if any, or interest (including Compounded Interest or Additional
Sums, if any), on any of the Securities, the Trustee shall be protected in
withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive
committee, or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the
Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the
interests of the Securityholders; and provided further, that in the case of any
default of the character specified in Section 5.01(c) no such notice to
Securityholders shall be given until at least 60 days after the occurrence
thereof but shall be given within 90 days after such occurrence.
SECTION 5.09. Undertaking to Pay Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any
Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any
court may in its discretion require, in
31
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 Trustee,
the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs
of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs,
including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, against any party litigant in
such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or
defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 5.09
shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by
any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding in the aggregate more
than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities outstanding, or to any
suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the
principal of (or premium, if any) or interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any), if any, on any Security against the Company on or
after the same shall have become due and payable.
ARTICLE VI
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
With respect to the holders of the Securities issued
hereunder, the Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after
the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred,
undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set
forth in this Indenture. In case an Event of Default has occurred (which has not
been cured or waived) 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
their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances
in the conduct of his own affairs.
No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve
the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent
failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that
(a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after
the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred,
(1) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall
be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the
Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied
covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee;
and
(2) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements
and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or
opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this
Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any
provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the
Trustee shall be
32
under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the
requirements of this Indenture;
(b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment
made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers, unless it shall be
proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action
taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the
direction of the Securityholders pursuant to Section 5.07, relating to the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the
Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this
Indenture.
None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall
require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal
financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise
of any of its rights or powers, if there is reasonable ground for believing that
the repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it under
the terms of this Indenture or adequate indemnity against such risk is not
reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 6.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.01:
(a) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting
or refraining from acting upon any resolution,
certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, consent, order, bond, note,
debenture or other paper or document believed by it
to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by
the proper party or parties;
(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the
Company mentioned herein may be sufficiently
evidenced by an Officers' Certificate (unless other
evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed); and any Board Resolution may be
evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified
by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Company;
(c) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection
and any advice or Opinion of Counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection in respect
of any action taken or suffered omitted by it
hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such
advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(d) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise
any of the rights or powers vested in it by this
Indenture at the request, order or direction of any
of the Securityholders, pursuant to the provisions of
this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall
have offered to the Trustee reasonable and sufficient
security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and
33
liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby;
(e) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken
or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to
be authorized or within the discretion or rights or
powers conferred upon it by this Indenture; nothing
contained herein shall, however, relieve the Trustee
of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default (that has not been cured or waived), to
exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it
by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of care
and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would
exercise or use under the circumstances in the
conduct of his own affairs;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any
investigation into the facts or matters stated in any
resolution, certificate, statement, instrument,
opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order,
approval, bond, debenture, coupon or other paper or
document, unless requested in writing to do so by the
holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the outstanding Securities; provided, however,
that if the payment within a reasonable time to the
Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely
to be incurred by it in the making of such
investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not
reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security
afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the
Trustee may require reasonable indemnity against such
expense or liability as a condition to so proceeding;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either
directly or by or through agents (including any
Authenticating Agent) or attorneys, and the Trustee
shall not be responsible for any misconduct or
negligence on the part of any such agent or attorney
appointed by it with due care;
(h) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of
any Default or Event of Default with respect to the
Securities unless (1) such default is a default under
Sections 5.01(a) (other than a default with respect
to the payment of Compounded Interest or Additional
Sums) and 5.01(b) of the Indenture, (2) a Responsible
Officer shall have actual knowledge of such Default
or Event of Default or (3) written notice of such
Default or Event of Default shall have been given to
the Trustee by the Company or any other obligor on
the Securities or by any holder of the Securities;
and
(i) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it in good faith, without
negligence or willful misconduct and believed by it
to be authorized or within the discretion or rights
or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.
SECTION 6.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc.
34
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities (except in
the certificate of authentication of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent)
shall be taken as the statements of the Company and the Trustee and the
Authenticating Agent assume no responsibility for the correctness of the same.
The Trustee and the Authenticating Agent make no representations as to the
validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee and
the Authenticating Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application by
the Company of any Securities or the proceeds of any Securities authenticated
and delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent in conformity with the
provisions of this Indenture. The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of
any default or Event of Default under Section 5.01 (a) or (b) relating to Other
Debentures unless (i) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee assigned to its
Principal Office shall have actual knowledge thereof or (ii) the Corporation,
any Securityholder or the holder of any Other Debenture shall have given the
Trustee written notice thereof in accordance with Section 13.04.
SECTION 6.04. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying
Agents, Transfer Agents or Registrar May Own Securities.
The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent or any paying agent or
any transfer agent or any Security registrar, in its individual or any other
capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it
would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, paying agent, transfer
agent or Security registrar.
SECTION 6.05. Moneys to be Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.04, all moneys
received by the Trustee or any paying agent shall, until used or applied as
herein provided, be held in trust for the purpose for which they were received,
but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by
law. The Trustee and any paying agent shall be under no liability for interest
on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with
the Company. So long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, all interest allowed on any such moneys shall be paid from time to
time upon the written order of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board
of Directors, the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer or an Assistant
Treasurer of the Company.
SECTION 6.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee.
The Company, as issuer of Securities under this Indenture,
covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to time, and the Trustee
shall be entitled to, such compensation as shall be agreed to in writing between
the Company and the Trustee (which shall not be limited by any provision of law
in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust), and the Company
will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses,
disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with
any of the provisions of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation
and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all persons not
regularly in its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may
arise from its negligence or bad faith. The Company
35
also covenants to indemnify each of the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee (and
its officers, agents, directors and employees) for, and to hold it harmless
against, any and all loss, damage, claim, liability or expense including taxes
(other than taxes based on the income of the Trustee) incurred without
negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee and arising out of or in
connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the
costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim of liability in the
premises. The obligations of the Company under this Section 6.06 to compensate
and indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses,
disbursements and advances shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder.
Such additional indebtedness shall be secured by a lien prior to that of the
Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such,
except funds held in trust for the benefit of the holders of particular
Securities.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in
connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(d) or Section
5.01(e), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its
counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute
expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation
or removal of the Trustee and the defeasance or other termination of this
Indenture.
SECTION 6.07. Officers' Certificate as Evidence.
Except as otherwise provided in Sections 6.01 and 6.02,
whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee
shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established
prior to taking or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other
evidence in respect thereof is herein specifically prescribed) may, in the
absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be
conclusively proved and established by an Officers' Certificate delivered to the
Trustee, and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the
part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken
or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
SECTION 6.08. Conflicting Interest of Trustee.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire any "conflicting interest"
within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and
the Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b)
of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 6.09. Eligibility of Trustee.
The Trustee hereunder shall at all times be a corporation
organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or
any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or a corporation
or other Person permitted to act as trustee by the Commission authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined
36
capital and surplus of at least 50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000) and
subject to supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial, or
District of Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of
condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the
aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this
Section 6.09 the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be
deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent
report of condition so published.
The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as
Trustee.
In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 6.09, the Trustee shall resign
immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 6.10.
SECTION 6.10. Resignation or Removal of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee, or any trustee or trustees hereafter
appointed, may at any time resign by giving written
notice of such resignation to the Company and by
mailing notice thereof to the holders of the
Securities at their addresses as they shall appear on
the Security register. Upon receiving such notice of
resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a
successor trustee or trustees by written instrument,
in duplicate, one copy of which instrument shall be
delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to
the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall
have been so appointed and have accepted appointment
within 60 days after the mailing of such notice of
resignation to the affected Securityholders, the
resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor
trustee, or any Securityholder who has been a bona
fide holder of a Security for at least six months
may, subject to the provisions of Section 5.09, on
behalf of himself and all others similarly situated,
petition any such court for the appointment of a
successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after
such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and
prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
(b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the
provisions of Section 6.08 after written
request therefor by the Company or by any
Securityholder who has been a bona fide
holder of a Security or Securities for at
least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of Section
6.09 and shall fail to resign after written
request therefor by the Company or by any
such Securityholder, or
37
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of
acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or
insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or
of its property shall be appointed, or any
public officer shall take charge or control
of the Trustee or of its property or affairs
for the purpose of rehabilitation,
conservation or liquidation,
then, in any such case, the Company may remove the
Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written
instrument, in duplicate, one copy of which
instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so
removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or,
subject to the provisions of Section 5.09, any
Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a
Security for at least six months may, on behalf of
himself and all others similarly situated, petition
any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal
of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor
trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice,
if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove
the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.
(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the Securities at the time outstanding may
at any time remove the Trustee and nominate a
successor trustee, which shall be deemed appointed as
successor trustee unless within 10 days after such
nomination the Company objects thereto or if no
successor trustee shall have been so appointed and
shall have accepted appointment within 30 days after
such removal, in which case the Trustee so removed or
any Securityholder, upon the terms and conditions and
otherwise as in subsection (a) of this Section 6.10
provided, may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for an appointment of a successor
trustee.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and
appointment of a successor trustee pursuant to any of
the provisions of this Section 6.10 shall become
effective upon acceptance of appointment by the
successor trustee as provided in Section 6.11.
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance by Successor Trustee.
Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 6.10
shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor
trustee an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the
resignation or removal of the retiring trustee shall become effective and such
successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become
vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor
hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as trustee herein; but,
nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor trustee,
the trustee ceasing to act shall, upon payment of any amounts then due it
pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.06, execute and deliver an instrument
transferring to such successor trustee all the rights and powers of the trustee
so ceasing to act and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor
trustee all
38
property and money held by such retiring trustee thereunder. Upon request of any
such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments in
writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor
trustee all such rights and powers. Any trustee ceasing to act shall,
nevertheless, retain a lien upon all property or funds held or collected by such
trustee to secure any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions of Section
6.06.
No successor trustee shall accept appointment as provided in
this Section 6.11 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee
shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 6.08 and eligible under the
provisions of Section 6.09.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as
provided in this Section 6.11, the Company shall mail notice of the succession
of such trustee hereunder to the holders of Securities at their addresses as
they shall appear on the Security register. If the Company fails to mail such
notice within 10 days after the acceptance of appointment by the successor
trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be mailed at the
expense of the Company.
SECTION 6.12. Succession by Merger, etc.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a
party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the
corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee
hereunder without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto.
In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall
succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture any Securities shall have been
authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the
certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee, and deliver such
Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities
shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate
such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name
of the successor trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the
full force which the Securities or this Indenture elsewhere provides that the
certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to
adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or
authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply only
to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.
SECTION 6.13. Limitation on Rights of Trustee as a
Creditor.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust
Indenture Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b)
of the Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be
subject to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included
therein.
SECTION 6.14. Authenticating Agents.
39
There may be one or more Authenticating Agents appointed by
the Trustee upon the request of the Company with power to act on its behalf and
subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Securities issued
upon exchange or transfer thereof as fully to all intents and purposes as though
any such Authenticating Agent had been expressly authorized to authenticate and
deliver Securities; provided, that the Trustee shall have no liability to the
Company for any acts or omissions of the Authenticating Agent with respect to
the authentication and delivery of Securities. Any such Authenticating Agent
shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws
of the United States or of any state or territory thereof or of the District of
Columbia authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a
combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and being subject to
supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial or District of
Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least
annually pursuant to law or the requirements of such authority, then for the
purposes of this Section 6.14 the combined capital and surplus of such
corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth
in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with
the effect herein specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be
merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation
resulting from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any
Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the
corporate trust business of any Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor of
such Authenticating Agent hereunder, if such successor corporation is otherwise
eligible under this Section 6.14 without the execution or filing of any paper or
any further act on the part of the parties hereto or such Authenticating Agent.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving
written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may
at any time terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written
notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon
receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at
any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section
6.14, the Trustee may, and upon the request of the Company shall, promptly
appoint a successor Authenticating Agent eligible under this Section 6.14, shall
give written notice of such appointment to the Company and shall mail notice of
such appointment to all Securityholders as the names and addresses of such
holders appear on the Security Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon
acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all rights,
powers, duties and responsibilities of its predecessor hereunder, with like
effect as if originally named as Authenticating Agent herein.
The Company, as borrower, agrees to pay to any Authenticating
Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. Any
Authenticating Agent shall have no responsibility or liability for any action
taken by it as such in accordance with the directions of the Trustee.
ARTICLE VII
40
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 7.01. Action by Securityholders.
Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of
a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities may take
any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any
notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action) the fact that at
the time of taking any such action the holders of such specified percentage have
joined therein may be evidenced (a) by any instrument or any number of
instruments of similar tenor executed by such Securityholders in person or by
agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of such holders of
Securities voting in favor thereof at any meeting of such Securityholders duly
called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII, or (c) by a
combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a
meeting of such Securityholders.
If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders any
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other
action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers'
Certificate, fix in advance a record date for the determination of
Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction,
notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have no
obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given
before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the
close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for
the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion
of outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other
action, and for that purpose the outstanding Securities shall be computed as of
the record date; provided, however, that no such authorization, agreement or
consent by such Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective
unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture
not later than six months after the record date.
SECTION 7.02. Proof of Execution by Securityholders.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, 6.02 and 8.05,
proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder or his agent or
proxy shall be sufficient if made in accordance with such reasonable rules and
regulations as may be prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be
satisfactory to the Trustee. The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the
Security Register or by a certificate of the Security registrar. The Trustee may
require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section as it
shall deem necessary.
The record of any Securityholders' meeting shall be proved in
the manner provided in Section 8.06.
SECTION 7.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners.
41
Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any
Security, the Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent,
any transfer agent and any Security registrar may deem the person in whose name
such Security shall be registered upon the Security Register to be, and may
treat him as, the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security
shall be overdue) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the
principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 2.06) interest on such
Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor
any Authenticating Agent nor any paying agent nor any transfer agent nor any
Security registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such
payments so made to any holder for the time being or upon his order shall be
valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so paid, effectual to satisfy and
discharge the liability for moneys payable upon any such Security.
SECTION 7.04. Securities Owned by Company Deemed Not
Outstanding.
In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate
principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, consent or
waiver under this Indenture, Securities which are owned by the Company or any
other obligor on the Securities or by any Person directly or indirectly
controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the
Company or any other obligor on the Securities shall be disregarded and deemed
not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided that
for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in
relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities which a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so
disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be
regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 7.04 if the pledgee
shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right to vote
such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any such other
obligor or Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under
direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In
the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon
the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.
SECTION 7.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders
Bound.
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the
Trustee, as provided in Section 7.01, of the taking of any action by the holders
of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities specified in
this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security (or any
Security issued in whole or in part in exchange or substitution therefor),
subject to Section 7.01, the serial number of which is shown by the evidence to
be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action
may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at its principal office and upon
proof of holding as provided in Section 7.02, revoke such action so far as
concerns such Security (or so far as concerns the principal amount represented
by any exchanged or substituted Security). Except as aforesaid any such action
taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such
holder and upon all future holders and owners of such Security, and of any
Security issued in exchange or substitution therefor, irrespective of whether or
not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security or any Security
issued in exchange or substitution therefor.
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ARTICLE VIII
SECURITYHOLDERS' MEETINGS
SECTION 8.01. Purposes of Meetings.
A meeting of Securityholders may be called at any time and
from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article VIII for any of the
following purposes:
(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee,
or to give any directions to the Trustee, or to
consent to the waiving of any default hereunder and
its consequences, or to take any other action
authorized to be taken by Securityholders pursuant to
any of the provisions of Article V;
(b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor
trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article VI;
(c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or
indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the
provisions of Section 9.02; or
(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or
on behalf of the holders of any specified aggregate
principal amount of such Securities under any other
provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.
SECTION 8.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee.
The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of
Securityholders to take any action specified in Section 8.01, to be held at
such time and at such place in the State of Delaware or the City of San
Francisco, California, as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every
meeting of the Securityholders, setting forth the time and the place of such
meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting,
shall be mailed to holders of Securities at their addresses as they shall
appear on the Securities Register. Such notice shall be mailed not less than
20 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
SECTION 8.03. Call of Meetings by Company or
Securityholders.
In case at any time the Company pursuant to a resolution of
the Board of Directors, or the holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal
amount of the Securities then outstanding, shall have requested the Trustee to
call a meeting of Securityholders, by written request setting forth in
reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the
Trustee shall not have mailed the notice of such meeting within 20 days after
receipt of such request, then the Company or such Securityholders may determine
the time and the place in said State of Delaware for such meeting and may call
such meeting to take any action authorized in Section 8.01, by mailing notice
thereof as provided in Section 8.02.
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SECTION 8.04. Qualifications for Voting.
To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Securityholders a
Person shall (a) be a holder of one or more Securities or (b) a Person appointed
by an instrument in writing as proxy by a holder of one or more Securities. The
only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of
Securityholders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their
counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any
representatives of the Company and its counsel.
SECTION 8.05. Regulations.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the
Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any
meeting of Securityholders, in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and
of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of
inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and
other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the
conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit.
The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a
temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by
the Company or by Securityholders as provided in Section 8.03, in which case the
Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in
like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent
secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the meeting.
Subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, at any meeting each
holder of Securities or proxy therefor shall be entitled to one vote for each
$10.00 principal amount of Securities held or represented by him; provided,
however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any
Security challenged as not outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting
to be not outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote
other than by virtue of Securities held by him or instruments in writing as
aforesaid duly designating him as the person to vote on behalf of other
Securityholders. Any meeting of Securityholders duly called pursuant to the
provisions of Section 8.02 or 8.03 may be adjourned from time to time by a
majority of those present, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without
further notice.
SECTION 8.06. Voting.
The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of
holders of Securities shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed
the signatures of such holders or of their representatives by proxy and the
serial number or numbers of the Securities held or represented by them. The
permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who
shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who
shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written
reports in triplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of
the proceedings of each meeting of Securityholders shall be prepared by the
secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original
reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and
affidavits by one or
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more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of
the meeting and showing that said notice was mailed as provided in Section 8.02.
The record shall show the serial numbers of the Securities voting in favor of or
against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the
affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the
duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be
preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted
at the meeting. The holders of the Capital Securities shall vote for all
purposes as a single class.
Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence
of the matters therein stated.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Securityholders.
The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the
Trustee may from time to time and at any time amend the Indenture, without the
consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the
Company, or successive successions, and the
assumption by the successor Person of the covenants,
agreements and obligations of the Company pursuant to
Article X hereof;
(b) to add to the covenants of the Company such further
covenants, restrictions or conditions for the
protection of the Securityholders as the Board of
Directors and the Trustee shall consider to be for
the protection of the Securityholders, and to make
the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of
a default in any of such additional covenants,
restrictions or conditions a default or an Event of
Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of
the remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set
forth; provided, however, that in respect of any such
additional covenant, restriction or condition such
amendment may provide for a particular period of
grace after default (which period may be shorter or
longer than that allowed in the case of other
defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement
upon such default or may limit the remedies available
to the Trustee upon such default;
(c) to provide for the issuance under this Indenture of
Securities in coupon form (including Securities
registrable as to principal only) and to provide for
exchangeability of such Securities with the
Securities issued hereunder in fully registered form
and to make all appropriate changes for such
45
purpose;
(d) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any
provision contained herein or in any supplemental
indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with
any other provision contained herein or in any
supplemental indenture, or to make such other
provisions in regard to matters or questions arising
under this Indenture; provided that any such action
shall not materially adversely affect the interests
of the holders of the Securities;
(e) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of
appointment hereunder by a successor trustee with
respect to the Securities;
(f) to make provision for transfer procedures,
certification, book-entry provisions, the form of
legends, if any, to be placed on Securities, and all
other matters required pursuant to Section 2.07 or
otherwise necessary, desirable or appropriate in
connection with the issuance of Securities to holders
of Capital Securities in the event of a distribution
of Securities by Argo Capital Trust Co. following a
Dissolution Event;
(g) to qualify or maintain qualification of this
Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;
(h) to make any change that does not adversely affect the
rights of any Securityholder in any material respect.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in
the execution of any supplemental indenture to effect such amendment, to make
any further appropriate agreements and stipulations which may be therein
contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer and assignment of any property
thereunder, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to, but may in its
discretion, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the
Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any amendment to the Indenture authorized by the provisions of
this Section 9.01 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the
consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time outstanding,
notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.
SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 7.01) of
the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the
time outstanding, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the
Trustee may from time to time and at any time amend the Indenture for the
purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any
of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of
the holders of the Securities; provided, however, that no such amendment shall
without the
46
consent of the holders of each Security then outstanding and affected thereby
(i) change the Maturity Date of any Security, or reduce the rate or extend the
time of payment of interest thereon (except as contemplated by Article XVI), or
reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce any amount payable on redemption
thereof, or make the principal thereof or any interest or premium thereon
payable in any coin or currency other than that provided in the Securities, or
impair or affect the right of any Securityholder to institute suit for payment
thereof, or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities the holders of
which are required to consent to any such amendment to the Indenture, provided,
however, that if the Securities are held by Argo Capital Trust Co., such
amendment shall not be effective until the holders of a majority in liquidation
amount of Trust Securities shall have consented to such amendment; provided,
further, that if the consent of the holder of each outstanding Security is
required, such amendment shall not be effective until each holder of the Trust
Securities shall have consented to such amendment.
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a copy of a
resolution of the Board of Directors certified by its Secretary or Assistant
Secretary authorizing the execution of any supplemental indenture affecting such
amendment, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of
Securityholders as aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the
execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture
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 supplemental indenture.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of
any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the
Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, prepared
by the Company, setting forth in general terms the substance of such
supplemental indenture, to the Securityholders as their names and addresses
appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such
notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect
the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the
Securityholders under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any
proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent
shall approve the substance thereof.
SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act;
Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to the provisions
of this Article IX shall comply with the Trust Indenture Act. Upon the execution
of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article IX,
this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance
therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties
and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders
of Securities shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder
subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments and all the terms
and conditions of any such
47
supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and
conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
SECTION 9.04. Notation on Securities.
Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of
any supplemental indenture affecting such series pursuant to the provisions of
this Article IX may bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any
matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the
Trustee shall so determine, new Securities so modified as to conform, in the
opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors, to any modification of this
Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and
executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent and delivered in exchange for the Securities then outstanding.
SECTION 9.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental
Indenture to be Furnished Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and
6.02, may receive, in addition to the document required by Section 13.06, an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any
supplemental indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with the requirements
of this Article IX. The Trustee may received an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive
evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is
authorized or permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this Article and that
it is proper for the Trustee under the provisions of this Article to join in the
execution thereof.
ARTICLE X
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE
SECTION 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain
Terms.
Nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the
Securities shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into
any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company, as the case may
be), or successive consolidations or mergers in which the Company or its
successor or successors, as the case may be, shall be a party or parties, or
shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or lease of the property of the
Company, or its successor or successors as the case may be, as an entirety, or
substantially as an entirety, to any other Person (whether or not affiliated
with the Company, or its successor or successors, as the case may be) authorized
to acquire and operate the same; provided, that (a) the Company is the surviving
Person, or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger
(if other than the Company) or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer or lease
of property is made is a Person organized and existing under the laws of the
United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia, and (b) upon any
such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or
48
lease, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any)
and interest on the Securities according to their tenor and the due and
punctual performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of
this Indenture to be kept or performed by the Company shall be expressly
assumed, by supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of
the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect) satisfactory in form to the
Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the Person formed by such
consolidation, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or by the
Person which shall have acquired such property, as the case may be, (c) after
giving effect to such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or
lease, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing
and (d) such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease does
not cause the Securities to be downgraded by a nationally recognized
statistical rating organization.
SECTION 10.02. Successor Corporation to be Substituted
for Company.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, conveyance or
transfer 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 due and punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if
any, and interest on all of the Securities and the due and punctual performance
and observance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be
performed or observed by the Company, such successor Person shall succeed to and
be substituted for the Company, with the same effect as if it had been named
herein as the party of the first part, and the Company thereupon shall be
relieved of any further liability or obligation hereunder or upon the
Securities. Such successor Person thereupon may cause to be signed, and may
issue either in its own name or in the name of Argo Bancorp, Inc., any or all of
the Securities issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed
by the Company and delivered to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent; and,
upon the order of such successor Person instead of the Company and subject to
all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and deliver any
Securities which previously shall have been signed and delivered by the officers
of the Company to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent for authentication,
and any Securities which such successor Person thereafter shall cause to be
signed and delivered to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent for that
purpose. All the Securities so issued shall in all respects have the same legal
rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Securities theretofore or
thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all
of such Indentures had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.
SECTION 10.03. Opinion of Counsel to be Given Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and
6.02, may receive an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any
consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease, and any assumption,
permitted or required by the terms of this Article X complies with the
provisions of this Article X.
ARTICLE XI
49
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 11.01. Discharge of Indenture.
When (a) the Company shall deliver to the Trustee for
cancellation all Securities theretofore authenticated (other than any Securities
which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which shall have been
replaced as provided in Section 2.08) and not theretofore canceled, or (b) all
the Securities not theretofore canceled or delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become
due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one
year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of
redemption, and the Company shall deposit with the Trustee, in trust, funds
sufficient to pay on the Maturity Date or upon redemption all of the Securities
(other than any Securities which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and
which shall have been replaced as provided in Section 2.08) not theretofore
canceled or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal and
premium, if any, and interest (including Compounded Interest and Additional
Sums, if any), due or to become due to the Maturity Date or redemption date, as
the case may be, but excluding, however, the amount of any moneys for the
payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest (including Compounded
Interest and Additional Sums, if any) on the Securities (1) theretofore repaid
to the Company in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.04, or (2) paid
to any State or to the District of Columbia pursuant to its unclaimed property
or similar laws, and if in either case the Company shall also pay or cause to be
paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company, then this Indenture shall
cease to be of further effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.02, 2.07,
2.08, 3.01, 3.02, 3.04, 6.06, 6.10 and 11.04 hereof, which shall survive until
such Securities shall mature and be paid. Thereafter, Sections 6.06, 6.10 and
11.04 shall survive, and the Trustee, on demand of the Company accompanied by
any Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel and at the cost and expense
of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of
and discharging this Indenture, the Company, however, hereby agreeing to
reimburse the Trustee for any costs or expenses thereafter reasonably and
properly incurred by the Trustee in connection with this Indenture or the
Securities.
50
SECTION 11.02. Deposited Moneys and U.S. Government
Obligations to be Held in Trust by Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.04, all moneys and
U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Sections
11.01 or 11.05 shall be held in trust and applied by it to the payment,
either directly or through any paying agent (including the Company if acting
as its own paying agent), to the holders of the particular Securities for the
payment of which such moneys or U.S. Government Obligations have been
deposited with the Trustee, of all sums due and to become due thereon for
principal, premium, if any, and interest.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any
tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government
Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 11.05 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 outstanding Securities.
SECTION 11.03. Paying Agent to Repay Monies Held.
Upon the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all
monies then held by any paying agent of the Securities (other than the Trustee)
shall, upon written demand of the Company, be repaid to it or paid to the
Trustee, and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all further
liability with respect to such monies.
SECTION 11.04. Return of Unclaimed Moneys.
Any monies deposited with or paid to the Trustee or any paying
agent for payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on
Securities and not applied but remaining unclaimed by the holders of Securities
for two years after the date upon which the principal of or premium, if any, or
interest (including Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any) on such
Securities, as the case may be, shall have become due and payable, shall be
repaid to the Company by the Trustee or such paying agent on written demand; and
the holder of any of the Securities shall thereafter look only to the Company
for any payment which such holder may be entitled to collect and all liability
of the Trustee or such paying agent with respect to such monies shall thereupon
cease.
SECTION 11.05. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Monies or U.S.
Government Obligations.
The Company shall be deemed to have been Discharged (as
defined below) from its obligations with respect to the Securities on the 91st
day after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied:
(1) the Company shall have deposited or caused to be
deposited irrevocably with the Trustee or the
Defeasance Agent (as defined below) as trust funds in
trust, specifically pledged as security for, and
dedicated solely to, the benefit of the holders of
the Securities (i) money in an amount, or (ii) U.S.
51
Government Obligations which through the payment of
interest and principal in respect thereof in
accordance with their terms will provide, not later
than one day before the due date of any payment,
money in an amount, or (iii) a combination of (i) and
(ii), sufficient, in the opinion (with respect to
(ii) and (iii)) of a nationally recognized firm of
independent public accountants expressed in a written
certification thereof delivered to the Trustee and
the Defeasance Agent, if any, to pay and discharge
each installment of principal of and interest and
premium, if any, on the outstanding Securities on the
dates such installments of principal, interest or
premium are due;
(2) if the Securities are then listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company shall have delivered
to the Trustee and the Defeasance Agent, if any, an
Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the exercise of
the option under this Section 11.05 would not cause
such Securities to be delisted from such exchange;
(3) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the
Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on
the date of such deposit; and
(4) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee and
the Defeasance Agent, if any, an Opinion of Counsel
to the effect that holders of the Securities will not
recognize income, gain or loss for United States
federal income tax purposes as a result of the
exercise of the option under this Section 11.05 and
will be subject to United States federal income tax
on the same amount and in the same manner and at the
same times as would have been the case if such option
had not been exercised, and such opinion shall be
based on a statute so providing or be accompanied by
a private letter ruling to that effect received from
the United States Internal Revenue Service or a
revenue ruling pertaining to a comparable form of
transaction to that effect published by the United
States Internal Revenue Service.
"Discharged" means that the Company shall be deemed to have
paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by, and obligations
under, the Securities and to have satisfied all the obligations under this
Indenture relating to the Securities (and the Trustee, at the expense of the
Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except (A)
the rights of holders of Securities to receive, from the trust fund described in
clause (1) above, payment of the principal of and the interest and premium, if
any, on the Securities when such payments are due; (B) the Company's obligations
with respect to the Securities under Sections 2.07, 2.08, 5.02 and 11.04; and
(C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder.
"Defeasance Agent" means another financial institution which
is eligible to act as Trustee hereunder and which assumes all of the obligations
of the Trustee necessary to enable the Trustee to act hereunder. In the event
such a Defeasance Agent is appointed pursuant to this
52
Section, the following conditions shall apply:
(1) The Trustee shall have approval rights over the
document appointing such Defeasance Agent and the
document setting forth such Defeasance Agent's rights
and responsibilities;
(2) The Defeasance Agent shall provide verification to
the Trustee acknowledging receipt of sufficient money
and/or U. S. Government Obligations to meet the
applicable conditions set forth in this Section
11.05.
ARTICLE XII
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 12.01. Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate
Obligations.
No recourse for the payment of the principal of or premium, if
any, or interest on any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in
respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or
agreement of the Company in this Indenture, or in any Security, or because of
the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any
incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or
future, of the Company or of any successor Person to the Company, either
directly or through the Company or any successor Person to the Company, whether
by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of
any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all
such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as
a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the
Securities.
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 13.01. Successors.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in
this Indenture contained by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns
whether so expressed or not.
SECTION 13.02. Official Acts by Successor Corporation.
Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture
authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or
officer of the Company shall and may be done
53
and performed with like force and effect by the like board, committee or officer
of any corporation that shall at the time be the lawful sole successor of the
Company.
SECTION 13.03. Surrender of Company Powers.
The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of
2/3 (two-thirds) of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may
surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so
surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company, as the case may be, and as
to any successor Person.
SECTION 13.04. Addresses for Notices, etc.
Any notice or demand which by any provision of this Indenture
is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the holders
of Securities on the Company may be given or served by being deposited postage
prepaid by first class mail, registered or certified mail, overnight courier
service or conformed telecopy addressed (until another address is filed by the
Company with the Trustee for the purpose) to the Company, 0000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, 00000, Attention Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx. Any notice, direction,
request or demand by any Securityholder to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed
to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in
writing at the office of the Wilmington Trust Company, Xxxxxx Square North, 0000
Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000 Attention: Corporate Trust
Administration (unless another address is provided by the Trustee to the Company
for such purpose). Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be
mailed by first class mail to his or her address shown on the register kept by
the Security Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a
Securityholder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect
to other Securityholders.
SECTION 13.05. Governing Law.
This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a
contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware, and for all purposes
shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of said State,
without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.
SECTION 13.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions
Precedent.
Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee
to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company
shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that in the
opinion of the signers all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this
Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion
of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions
precedent have been complied with.
Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and
delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Indenture (except certificates delivered pursuant to
Section 3.05) shall include (1) a statement that the
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Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(2) 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; (3) a statement that, in the opinion of such
Person, he 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 complied with; and (4) a statement as to whether or not, in
the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 13.07. Business Days.
In any case where the date of payment of principal of or
premium, if any, or interest on the Securities will not be a Business Day, the
payment of such principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities
need not be made on such date but may be made on the next succeeding Business
Day, with the same force and effect as if made on the date of payment and no
interest shall accrue for the period from and after such date, except that if
such next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar year,
then such payment shall be made on the immediately preceding Business Day, in
each case with the same force and effect as if made on such date.
SECTION 13.08. Trust Indenture Act to Control.
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture
limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Sections 310 to 317,
inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, such imposed duties shall
control.
SECTION 13.09. Table of Contents, Headings, etc.
The table of contents and the titles 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 hereof, and shall in no way
modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
SECTION 13.10. Execution in Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 13.11. Separability.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this
Indenture or in the Securities shall for any reason be held to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or
unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of
the Securities, but this Indenture and the Securities shall be construed as if
such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained
herein or therein.
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SECTION 13.12. Assignment.
The Company will have the right at all times to assign any of
its respective rights or obligations under this Indenture to a direct or
indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company, provided that, in the event of
any such assignment, the Company will remain primarily liable for all such
obligations. Subject to the foregoing, the Indenture is binding upon and inures
to the benefit of the parties thereto and their respective successors and
assigns. This Indenture may not otherwise be assigned by the parties thereto.
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgement of Rights.
The Company acknowledges that, with respect to any Securities
held by Argo Capital Trust Co. or a trustee of such trust, if the Property
Trustee of such Trust fails to enforce its rights under this Indenture as the
holder of the Securities held as the assets of Argo Capital Trust Co. any holder
of Capital Securities may institute legal proceedings directly against the
Company to enforce such Property Trustee's rights under this Indenture without
first instituting any legal proceedings against such Property Trustee or any
other person or entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing and such event is attributable to the failure of
the Company to pay principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the
Securities when due, the Company acknowledges that a holder of Capital
Securities may directly institute a proceeding for enforcement of payment to
such holder of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the
Securities having a principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount
of the Capital Securities of such holder on or after the respective due date
specified in the Securities.
ARTICLE XIV
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES -- MANDATORY AND
OPTIONAL SINKING FUND
SECTION 14.01. Special Event Redemption.
If, prior to the Initial Optional Redemption Date, a Special
Event has occurred and is continuing then, notwithstanding Section 14.02(a) but
subject to Section 14.02(c), the Company shall have the right, at any time
within 90 days following the occurrence of such Special Event and prior to the
Initial Optional Redemption Date, upon (i) not less than 45 days written notice
to the Trustee and (ii) not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days written
notice to the Securityholders, to redeem the Securities, in whole (but not in
part), at the Special Event Redemption Price. Following a Special Event, the
Company shall take such action as is necessary to promptly determine the Special
Event Redemption Price, including without limitation the appointment by the
Company of a Quotation Agent. The Special Event Redemption Price shall be paid
prior to 12:00 noon, New York time, on the date of such redemption or such
earlier time as the Company determines, provided that the Company shall
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deposit with the Trustee an amount sufficient to pay the Special Event
Redemption Price by 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the date such Special Event
Redemption Price is to be paid. The Company shall provide the Trustee with
written notice of the Special Event Redemption Price promptly after the
calculation thereof, which notice shall include any calculation made by the
Quotation Agent in connection with the determination of the Special Event
Redemption Price.
SECTION 14.02. Optional Redemption by Company.
(a) Subject to the provisions of this Article XIV, the
Company shall have the right to redeem the
Securities, in whole or in part, from time to time,
on or after the Initial Optional Redemption Date, at
100% of the principal amount thereof plus, in each
case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon (including
Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any), to
the date of redemption (the "Optional Redemption
Price").
If the Securities are only partially redeemed
pursuant to this Section 14.02, the Securities to be
redeemed shall be selected on a pro rata basis, by
lot or other method utilized by the Trustee, not more
than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption
from the outstanding Securities not previously called
for redemption. The Optional Redemption Price shall
be paid prior to 12:00 noon, New York time, on the
date of such redemption or at such earlier time as
the Company determines, provided that the Company
shall deposit with the Trustee an amount sufficient
to pay the Optional Redemption Price by 10:00 a.m.,
New York time, on the date such Optional Redemption
Price is to be paid.
(b) Notwithstanding the first sentence of Section 14.02,
upon the entry of an order for dissolution of Argo
Capital Trust Co. by a court of competent
jurisdiction, the Securities thereafter will be
subject to optional redemption, in whole only, but
not in part, on or after ____________, at the
Optional Redemption Price and otherwise in
accordance with this Article XIV.
(c) Any redemption of Securities pursuant to Section
14.01 or Section 14.02 shall be subject to the
receipt by the Company of any required regulatory
approval.
SECTION 14.03. No Sinking Fund.
The Securities are not entitled to the benefit of any sinking
fund.
SECTION 14.04. Notice of Redemption; Selection of
Securities.
In case the Company shall desire to exercise the right to
redeem all, or, as the case may be, any part of the Securities in accordance
with their terms, it shall fix a date for
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redemption and shall mail a notice of such redemption at least 30 and not more
than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption to the holders of Securities
so to be redeemed as a whole or in part at their last addresses as the same
appear on the Security Register. Such mailing shall be by first class mail. The
notice if mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to
have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice. In any
case, failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the
holder of any Security designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not
affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Security.
Each such notice of redemption shall specify the CUSIP number
of the Securities to be redeemed, the date fixed for redemption, the redemption
price at which the Securities are to be redeemed (or the method by which such
redemption price is to be calculated), the place or places of payment that
payment will be made upon presentation and surrender of the Securities, that
interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption will be paid as specified in
said notice, and that on and after said date interest thereon or on the portions
thereof to be redeemed will cease to accrue. If less than all the Securities are
to be redeemed the notice of redemption shall specify the numbers of the
Securities to be redeemed. In case any Security is to be redeemed in part only,
the notice of redemption shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof
to be redeemed and shall state that on and after the date fixed for redemption,
upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal
amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.
By 10:00 a.m. New York time on the redemption date specified
in the notice of redemption given as provided in this Section, the Company will
deposit with the Trustee or with one or more paying agents an amount of money
sufficient to redeem on the redemption date all the Securities so called for
redemption at the appropriate Redemption Price, together with accrued interest
to the date fixed for redemption.
The Company will give the Trustee notice not less than 45
days prior to the redemption date as to the aggregate principal amount of
Securities to be redeemed and the Trustee shall select, in such manner as in
its sole discretion it shall deem appropriate and fair, the Securities or
portions thereof to be redeemed.
SECTION 14.05. Payment of Securities Called for
Redemption.
If notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section
14.04, the Securities or portions of Securities with respect to which such
notice has been given shall become due and payable on the date and at the place
or places stated in such notice at the applicable Redemption Price, together
with interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption (subject to the rights of
holders of Securities on the close of business on a regular record date in
respect of an Interest Payment Date occurring on or prior to the redemption
date), and on and after said date (unless the Company shall default in the
payment of such Securities at the Redemption Price, together with interest
accrued to said date) interest (including Compounded Interest and Additional
Sums, if any), on the Securities or portions of Securities so called for
redemption shall cease to accrue. On presentation and surrender of such
Securities at a place of payment specified in said notice,
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the said Securities or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed
by the Company at the applicable Redemption Price, together with interest
(including Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any), accrued thereon to
the date fixed for redemption (subject to the rights of holders of Securities on
the close of business on a regular record date in respect of an Interest Payment
Date occurring on or prior to the redemption date).
Upon presentation of any Security redeemed in part only, the
Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for
delivery to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security or
Securities of authorized denominations, in principal amount equal to the
unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 15.01. Agreement to Subordinate.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each holder of
Securities issued hereunder likewise covenants and agrees, that the Securities
shall be issued subject to the provisions of this Article XV; and each holder of
a Security, whether upon original issue or upon transfer or assignment thereof,
accepts and agrees to be bound by such provisions.
The payment by the Company of the principal of, premium, if
any, and interest (including Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any) on
all Securities issued hereunder shall, to the extent and in the manner
hereinafter set forth, be subordinated and junior in right of payment to all
Senior Indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of this Indenture or
thereafter incurred.
No provision of this Article XV shall prevent the occurrence
of any Default or Event of Default hereunder.
SECTION 15.02. Default on Senior Indebtedness.
In the event and during the continuation of any default by the
Company in the payment of principal, premium, interest or any other payment due
on any Senior Indebtedness, or in the event that the maturity of any Senior
Indebtedness has been accelerated because of a default, then, in either case, no
payment shall be made by the Company with respect to the principal (including
redemption payments) of or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities.
In the event of the acceleration of the maturity of the
Securities, then no payment shall be made by the Company with respect to the
principal (including redemption payments) of or premium, if any, or interest on
the Securities until the holders of all Senior Indebtedness outstanding at the
time of such acceleration shall receive payment in full of such Senior
Indebtedness (including any amounts due upon acceleration).
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In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment
shall be received by the Trustee when such payment is prohibited by the
preceding paragraphs of this Section 15.02, such payment shall be held in trust
for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of
Senior Indebtedness or their respective representatives, or to the trustee or
trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Indebtedness
may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, but only to the
extent that the holders of the Senior Indebtedness (or their representative or
representatives or a trustee) notify the Trustee in writing, within 90 days of
such payment of the amounts then due and owing on such Senior Indebtedness and
only the amounts specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid to the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 15.03. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy.
Upon any payment by the Company or distribution of assets of
the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities,
to creditors upon any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization
of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency,
receivership or other proceedings, all Senior Indebtedness of the Company shall
first be paid in full, or payment thereof provided for in money in accordance
with its terms, before any payment is made by the Company on account of the
principal (and premium, if any) or interest (including Compounded Interest and
Additional Sums, if any) and Liquidated Damages, if any, on the Securities; and
upon any such dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization, any
payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or
character, whether in cash, property or securities, to which the Securityholders
or the Trustee would be entitled to receive from the Company, except for the
provisions of this Article XV, shall be paid by the Company or by any receiver,
trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other Person making such
payment or distribution, or by the Securityholders or by the Trustee under the
Indenture if received by them or it, directly to the holders of Senior
Indebtedness of the Company (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the
respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holders, as calculated by
the Company) or their representative or representatives, or to the trustee or
trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing such
Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may
appear, to the extent necessary to pay all such Senior Indebtedness in full, in
money or money's worth, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or
distribution to or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, before any
payment or distribution is made to the Securityholders or to the Trustee.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment
or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in
cash, property or securities, prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by
the Trustee before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, or provision is made
for such payment in money in accordance with its terms, such payment or
distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall be paid over or
delivered to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their representative or
representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to
which any instruments evidencing such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued,
as their respective interests may appear, as calculated by the Company, for
application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid to the
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extent necessary to pay all such Senior Indebtedness in full in money in
accordance with its terms, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or
distribution to or for the benefit of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
For purposes of this Article XV, the words "cash, property or
securities" shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as
reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other corporation
provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of which
is subordinated at least to the extent provided in this Article XV with respect
to the Securities to the payment of Senior Indebtedness that may at the time be
outstanding, provided that (i) such Senior Indebtedness is assumed by the new
corporation, if any, resulting from any such reorganization or readjustment, and
(ii) the rights of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness are not, without the
consent of such holders, altered by such reorganization or readjustment. The
consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another
Person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the sale,
conveyance, transfer or lease of its property as an entirety, or substantially
as an entirety, to another Person upon the terms and conditions provided for in
Article X of this Indenture shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding-up,
liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section 15.03 if such
other Person shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance,
transfer or lease, comply with the conditions stated in Article X of this
Indenture. Nothing in Section 15.02 or in this Section 15.03 shall apply to
claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.06 of this
Indenture.
SECTION 15.04. Subrogation.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the
rights of the Securityholders shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders
of such Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of cash,
property or securities of the Company, as the case may be, applicable to such
Senior Indebtedness until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on
the Securities shall be paid in full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation,
no payments or distributions to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness of any
cash, property or securities to which the Securityholders or the Trustee would
be entitled except for the provisions of this Article XV, and no payment over
pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV to or for the benefit of the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness by Securityholders or the Trustee, shall, as
between the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness of
the Company, and the holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a payment by the
Company to or on account of such Senior Indebtedness. It is understood that the
provisions of this Article XV are and are intended solely for the purposes of
defining the relative rights of the holders of the Securities, on the one hand,
and the holders of such Senior Indebtedness on the other hand.
Nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this
Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as between the
Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the
Company, and the holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which
is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the holders of the Securities the
principal of (and premium, if any) and interest (including Compounded Interest
and Additional Sums, if any), on the Securities as and when the same shall
become due and payable in
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accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect the relative
rights of the holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company, as the
case may be, other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, as
the case may be, nor shall anything herein or therein prevent the Trustee or the
holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by
applicable law upon default under the Indenture, subject to the rights, if any,
under this Article XV of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness in respect of
cash, property or securities of the Company, as the case may be, received upon
the exercise of any such remedy.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company
referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of
Article VI of this Indenture, and the Securityholders shall be entitled to
conclusively rely upon any order or decree made by any court of competent
jurisdiction in which such dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or
reorganization proceedings are pending, or a certificate of the receiver,
trustee in bankruptcy, liquidation trustee, agent or other Person making such
payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Securityholders, for
the purposes of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such
distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the
Company, as the case may be, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount
or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or
to this Article XV.
SECTION 15.05. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.
Each Securityholder by such Securityholder's acceptance
thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on such Securityholder's behalf to
take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the
subordination provided in this Article XV and appoints the Trustee such
Securityholder's attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
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SECTION 15.06. Notice by the Company.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible
Officer of the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the
making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the
Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this Article XV or any other provision of this Indenture, the
Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts that
would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in
respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV, unless
and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received written
notice thereof from the Company or a holder or holders of Senior Indebtedness or
from any trustee therefor; and before the receipt of any such written notice,
the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this Indenture, shall be
entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts exist; provided, however,
that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in this
Section 15.06 at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the
terms hereof any money may become payable for any purpose (including, without
limitation, the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest
(including Compounded Interest and Additional Sums, if any) on any Security),
then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee
shall have full power and authority to receive such money and to apply the same
to the purposes for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any
notice to the contrary that may be received by it within two Business Days prior
to such date.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this
Indenture, shall be entitled to conclusively rely on the delivery to it of a
written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior
Indebtedness of the Company (or a trustee on behalf of such holder), as the case
may be, to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of such Senior
Indebtedness or a trustee on behalf of any such holder or holders. In the event
that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with
respect to the right of any Person as a holder of such Senior Indebtedness to
participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article XV, the
Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of such Senior Indebtedness held by
such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such
payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such
Person under this Article XV, and, if such evidence is not furnished, the
Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as
to the right of such Person to receive such payment.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company
referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee and the Securityholders shall be
entitled to rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent
jurisdiction in which such insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation,
reorganization, dissolution, winding up or similar case or proceeding is
pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee,
custodian, receiver, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other
person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the
Securityholders, for the purpose of ascertaining the persons entitled to
participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness
and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon,
the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent
thereto or to this Article XV.
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SECTION 15.07. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior
Indebtedness.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to
all the rights set forth in this Article XV in respect of any Senior
Indebtedness at any time held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of
Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of
any of its rights as such holder.
With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the
Company, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its
covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XV,
and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee.
The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of
such Senior Indebtedness and, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this
Indenture, the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of such Senior
Indebtedness if it shall pay over or deliver to Securityholders, the Company
or any other Person money or assets to which any holder of such Senior
Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XV or otherwise.
Nothing in this Article XV shall apply to claims of, or
payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.06.
SECTION 15.08. Subordination May Not Be Impaired.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior
Indebtedness of the Company to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at
any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on
the part of the Company, as the case may be, or by any act or failure to act, in
good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company, as the
case may be, with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture,
regardless of any knowledge thereof that any such holder may have or otherwise
be charged with.
Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing
paragraph, the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company may, at any time
and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the
Securityholders, without incurring responsibility to the Securityholders and
without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Article XV or
the obligations hereunder of the holders of the Securities to the holders of
such Senior Indebtedness, do any one or more of the following: (i) change the
manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or
alter, such Senior Indebtedness, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner
such Senior Indebtedness or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement
under which such Senior Indebtedness is outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange,
release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise
securing such Senior Indebtedness; (iii) release any Person liable in any manner
for the collection of such Senior Indebtedness; and (iv) exercise or refrain
from exercising any rights against the Company, as the case may be, and any
other Person.
ARTICLE XVI
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EXTENSION OF INTEREST PAYMENT PERIOD
SECTION 16.01. Extension of Interest Payment Period.
So long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,
the Company shall have the right, at any time and from time to time during the
term of the Securities, to defer payments of interest by extending the interest
payment period of such Securities for a period not exceeding 20 consecutive
quarterly periods, including the first such quarterly period during such
extension period (the "Extended Interest Payment Period"), during which Extended
Interest Payment Period no interest shall be due and payable; provided that no
Extended Interest Payment Period shall end on a date other than an Interest
Payment Date or extend beyond the Maturity Date. To the extent permitted by
applicable law, interest, the payment of which has been deferred because of the
extension of the interest payment period pursuant to this Section 16.01, will
bear interest thereon at the Coupon Rate compounded quarterly for each quarterly
period of the Extended Interest Payment Period ("Compounded Interest"). At the
end of the Extended Interest Payment Period, the Company shall pay all interest
accrued and unpaid on the Securities, including any Additional Sums and
Compounded Interest (together, "Deferred Interest") that shall be payable to the
holders of the Securities in whose names the Securities are registered in the
Security Register on the first record date preceding the end of the Extended
Interest Payment Period. Before the termination of any Extended Interest Payment
Period, the Company may further defer payments of interest by further extending
such period, provided that such period, together with all such previous and
further extensions within such Extended Interest Payment Period, shall not
exceed 20 consecutive quarterly periods, including the first such quarterly
period during such Extended Interest Payment Period, end on a date other than an
Interest Payment Date or extend beyond the Maturity Date of the Securities. Upon
the termination of any Extended Interest Payment Period and the payment of all
Deferred Interest then due, the Company may commence a new Extended Interest
Payment Period, subject to the foregoing requirements. No interest shall be due
and payable during an Extended Interest Payment Period, except at the end
thereof, but the Company may prepay at any time all or any portion of the
interest accrued during an Extended Interest Payment Period.
SECTION 16.02. Notice of Extension.
(a) If the Property Trustee is the only registered holder of
the Securities at the time the Company selects an Extended Interest Payment
Period, the Company shall give written notice to the Administrative Trustees,
the Property Trustee and the Trustee of its selection of such Extended Interest
Payment Period five Business Days before the earlier of (i) the next succeeding
date on which Distributions on the Trust Securities issued by the Trust are
payable, or (ii) the date the Trust is required to give notice of the record
date, or the date such Distributions are payable, to any national securities
exchange or to holders of the Capital Securities issued by the Trust, but in any
event at least five Business Days before such record date.
(b) If the Property Trustee is not the only holder of the
Securities at the time the Company selects an Extended Interest Payment Period,
the Company shall give the holders of
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the Securities and the Trustee written notice of its selection of such Extended
Interest Payment Period at least 10 Business Days before the earlier of (i) the
next succeeding Interest Payment Date, or (ii) the date the Company is required
to give notice of the record or payment date of such interest payment to any
national securities exchange.
(c) The quarterly period in which any notice is given pursuant
to paragraphs (a) or (b) of this Section 16.02 shall be counted as one of the 20
quarterly periods permitted in the maximum Extended Interest Payment Period
permitted under Section 16.01.
Wilmington Trust Company hereby accepts the trusts in this
Indenture declared and provided, upon the terms and conditions hereinabove set
forth.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly
authorized, as of the day and year first above written.
ARGO BANCORP, INC.
By: /s/
------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,
as Trustee
By: /s/
------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
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