UNITED
STATES
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CURRENT REPORT
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 8.01. Other Events
On February 15, 2024, Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) by and among the Company and MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. as representatives of the underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to the Underwriters $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Securities”). The Securities were offered and sold pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-276713), filed on January 26, 2024. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of this offering, together with cash on hand, to repay amounts outstanding under the Company’s $500 million three-year variable term loan credit agreement.
On February 20, 2024, the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, entered into a Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 20, 2024 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), to the Indenture, dated as of October 15, 2021 (the “Base Indenture,” and together with the Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance of the Securities.
The Securities are the Company’s senior unsecured obligations and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company’s other existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness. The Securities will not be guaranteed by any of the Company’s subsidiaries. The Securities bear interest at 6.350% per annum and will mature on February 20, 2034. Interest on the Securities is payable on February 20 and August 20 of each year, beginning on August 20, 2024. At any time and from time to time prior to November 20, 2033, the Company may redeem the Securities, in whole or in part, at a “make-whole” redemption price as described in the Indenture. At any time and from time to time on or after November 20, 2033, the Company may redeem some or all of the Securities at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date as described in the Indenture.
The Indenture contains certain restrictions, including a limitation that restricts the Company’s ability and the ability of its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiaries to incur liens and enter into sale and leaseback transactions. The Indenture also restricts the ability of the Company to consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of their assets, and requires the Company to offer to repurchase the Securities upon certain change of control events.
The foregoing descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 1.1, the Base Indenture, which was filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 15, 2021, and the Supplemental Indenture (including the form of the Securities attached thereto), which is filed herewith as Exhibit 4.1, each incorporated by reference herein. The form of the Securities is filed as Exhibit 4.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC. | ||||
| Date: | February 20, 2024 | By: | /s/ Vineet Khurana | |
| Name: | Vineet Khurana | |||
| Title: | Senior Vice President and Global Controller | |||
Exhibit 1.1
$500,000,000
Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.
6.350% Senior Notes due 2034
Underwriting Agreement
February 15, 2024
MUFG Securities Americas Inc.
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.
SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto
c/o
MUFG Securities
Americas Inc.
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10020
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.
250 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281
SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10172
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Kyndryl Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), $500,000,000 principal amount of its 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Securities”). The Securities will be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of October 15, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a Second Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of February 20, 2024, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”).
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The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Securities, as follows:
1. Registration Statement.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-276713), including a prospectus, relating to the Securities. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”. As used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities. Any reference in this agreement (this “Agreement”) to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be and any reference to “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to 4:30 P.M., New York City time, on February 15, 2024, the time when sales of the Securities were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated February 15, 2024, and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.
2. Purchase and Sale of the Securities.
(a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amount of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price equal to 99.226% of the principal amount of the Securities, plus accrued interest, if any, from February 20, 2024, to the Closing Date. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any of the Securities except upon payment for all the Securities to be purchased as provided herein.
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(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the Time of Sale Information. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Securities purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
(c) Payment for and delivery of the Securities will be made at the offices of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, 825 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10019, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on February 20, 2024, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. The time and date of such payment and delivery is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”
(d) Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Company to the Representatives against delivery to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of the Underwriters, of one or more global notes representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Note”), with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Securities duly paid by the Company. The Global Note will be made available for inspection by the Representatives not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date.
(e) The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Underwriter is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Securities contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Representatives or any Underwriter of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Representatives or such Underwriter, as the case may be, and shall not be on behalf of the Company or any other person.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, which, for the avoidance of doubt, such information consists only of the Underwriter Provided Information as defined in Section 7(b).
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(b) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale, did not, and at the Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus, which, for the avoidance of doubt, such information consists only of the Underwriter Provided Information as defined in Section 7(b). No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) the Prospectus, (iv) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, including a Pricing Term Sheet substantially in the form of Annex B hereto, which constitute part of the Time of Sale Information, and (v) any electronic road show or other written communications, in each case used in accordance with Section 4(c) hereof. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus filed prior to the first use of such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at the Time of Sale, did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, which, for the avoidance of doubt, such information consists only of the Underwriter Provided Information as defined in Section 7(b).
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(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, which, for the avoidance of doubt, such information consists only of the Underwriter Provided Information as defined in Section 7(b).
(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(f) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting schedules, if any, of the Company included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
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(g) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (i) there has not been any material change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole have not sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(h) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its significant subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they currently are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified, in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement and the Securities (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The subsidiaries listed in Schedule 2 to this Agreement are the only significant subsidiaries of the Company.
(i) Capitalization. The Company has the capitalization as set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (except, in the case of any foreign subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares and except as otherwise described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party (collectively, “Liens”) other than Permitted Liens (as defined in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus).
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(j) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby has been duly and validly taken.
(k) The Indenture. The Base Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, re-organization moratorium, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”); the Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and on the Closing Date will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms by each of the parties thereto, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions; and on the Closing Date the Base Indenture and the Supplemental Indenture will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
(l) The Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(m) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(n) Descriptions of the Transaction Documents. Each Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(o) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its significant subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(p) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in each of the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents to which each is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for (i) the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, (ii) the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act and (iii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.
(r) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company, no such Actions are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others.
(s) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
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(t) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and valid title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title, in the case of all other real and personal property, except for those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Intellectual Property. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, (i) to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its subsidiaries own or have the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary in the conduct of their respective businesses, except for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person except for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or other violation relating to Intellectual Property of any person, except for any such claim or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property of the Company and its subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person.
(v) No Undisclosed Relationships. No material relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Time of Sale Information.
(w) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(x) Taxes. In each case, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; and except as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or properly reflected in the financial statements, there is no material tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets.
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(y) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub- licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where such revocation, modification or non-renewal would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of the Company’s or any of the Company’s subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(aa) Certain Environmental Matters. (i) The Company and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) except as described in each of the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, (x) there is no proceeding that is pending, or that is known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $300,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that would have a Material Adverse Effect, and (z) none of the Company or its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.
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(bb) Compliance with ERISA. (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the Company under Section 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no Plan has failed (whether or not waived), or is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Plan; (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; (v) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vi) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or its Controlled Group affiliates in the current fiscal year of the Company and its Controlled Group affiliates compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s and its Controlled Group affiliates’ most recently completed fiscal year has not occurred or is reasonably likely to occur, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (i) through (vi) hereof, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(cc) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
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(dd) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.
(ee) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are expected to be adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that material capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing material insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(ff) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee , including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
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(gg) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti- Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(hh) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors or officers, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee of the Company or agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as initial purchaser, underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(ii) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No significant subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except for any such restrictions (a) contained in the Credit Agreements (as defined in the Prospectus), or (b) that will be permitted by the Indenture.
(jj) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities.
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(kk) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.
(ll) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
(mm) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(nn) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(oo) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(pp) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards intended to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same. Except as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
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(qq) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(rr) Status under the Securities Act. The Company is not an ineligible issuer and is a well-known seasoned issuer, in each case as defined under the Securities Act, in each case at the times specified in the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.
4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the Pricing Term Sheet referred to in Annex B hereto) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act, and the Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below); and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fees for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, a conformed electronic copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein (unless publicly available on the Company’s website or the website of the Commission), to the extent reasonably requested by the Representatives; and (ii) to each Underwriter, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, electronic copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements; Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes effective the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object, unless in the reasonable judgment of the Company and its counsel, such proposed amendment or supplement is necessary to comply with law or to make the statements contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information, Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, not misleading.
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(d) Notice to the Representatives. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been filed; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission or any other governmental or regulatory authority of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (v) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, any of the Time of Sale Information or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Time of Sale Information, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Time of Sale Information. If at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which any of the Time of Sale Information as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) as may be necessary so that the statements in any of the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented (including such documents to be incorporated by reference therein) will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, be misleading or so that any of the Time of Sale Information will comply with law.
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(f) Ongoing Compliance. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented (including such documents to be incorporated by reference therein) will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law.
(g) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(h) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided that the Company will be deemed to have complied with such requirement by filing with the Commission a report that satisfies the requirements for an “earning statement” under Rule 158 of the Securities Act.
(i) Clear Market. During the period from the date hereof through the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company and having a tenor of more than one year.
(j) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”
(k) DTC. The Company will assist the Underwriters in arranging for the Securities to be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.
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(l) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
(m) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that it has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that, solely as a result of use by such Underwriter, would not trigger an obligation to file such free writing prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such Underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Underwriters may use the Pricing Term Sheet referred to in Annex B hereto without the consent of the Company.
6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase Securities on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(b) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Time of Sale and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Securities or any other debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Securities or of any other debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
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(d) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(g) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in each of the Time of Sale Information (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(e) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of an executive officer of the Company who has specific knowledge of the Company’s financial matters and is satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officer has carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officer, the representations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(f) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-1 and C-2, respectively, hereto.
(h) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
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(i) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.
(j) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(k) DTC. The Securities shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.
(l) Indenture and Securities. The Indenture shall have been duly executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of the Company and the Trustee, and the Securities shall have been duly executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of the Company and duly authenticated by the Trustee.
(m) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its employees, affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable and documented legal fees and other reasonable and documented expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, which, for the avoidance of doubt, such information consists only of the Underwriter Provided Information as defined in Section 7(b).
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(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable and documented legal fees and other reasonable and documented expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, it being understood and agreed that the only such information (“Underwriter Provided Information”) consists of the following language in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus: the third sentence in the eighth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)”; and the ninth, tenth and eleventh paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)”.
(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under paragraph (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under paragraph (a) or (b) above. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 7 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such reasonable and documented fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors and officers and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
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(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraph (a) or (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
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(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
8. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above.
9. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on the New York Stock Exchange or the over-the-counter market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
10. Defaulting Underwriter.
(a) If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 10, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
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(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
11. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Securities and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing each of the Transaction Documents; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the reasonable and documented related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Securities; (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any paying agent (including related fees and expenses of any counsel to such parties); (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with, any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (including any documented expenses of counsel to the Underwriters is not to exceed $25,000 in the aggregate), and the approval of the Securities for book-entry transfer by DTC and (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors. Except as provided in Section 7 and this Section 11, the Underwriters shall pay all of their own costs and expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of their counsel.
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(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
13. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Securities and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.
14. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (d) the term “significant subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
15. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
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16. Miscellaneous.
(a) Authority of the Representatives. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representatives shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives at:
| · | MUFG Securities Americas Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10022 (fax: 626-434-3455), Attention: Capital Markets Group; |
| · | Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., 250 Vesey Street, New York, New York 10281, Attention: Debt Capital Markets; |
| · | SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172, Attention: Debt Capital Markets; |
with a copy to: Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, 825 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10019 (fax: 212-474-1000); Attention: Stephen L. Burns, Michael E. Mariani.
Notices to the Company shall be given to it at:
| · | Kyndryl Holdings, Inc., One Vanderbilt Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10017; Attention: General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. |
with a copy to: Josh Gordon, Treasurer and Senior Vice President, Tax
(c) Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(d) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding in such courts. The Company agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which Company is subject by a suit upon such judgment.
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(e) Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
(f) Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(i) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(ii) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
As used in this Section 16(f):
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
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(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
(h) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(i) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
[Signature Pages Follow]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding , please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC., | |||
| By: | /s/ David B. Wyshner | ||
| Name: | David B. Wyshner | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||
[Signature Page – Kyndryl Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: As of the date first written above
Very truly yours,
MUFG Securities Americas Inc.
For itself and on behalf of the
several Underwriters
| By: | /s/ Richard Testa |
| Name: | Richard Testa | |
| Title: | Managing Director |
[Signature Page – Kyndryl Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: As of the date first written above
Very truly yours,
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.
For itself and on behalf of the
several Underwriters
| By: | /s/ Michael Ravanesi |
| Name: | Michael Ravanesi | |
| Title: | Managing Director & Head |
[Signature Page – Kyndryl Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: As of the date first written above
Very truly yours,
SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.
For itself and on behalf of the
several Underwriters
| By: | /s/ Thomas Bausano |
| Name: | Thomas Bausano | |
| Title: | Managing Director | |
[Signature Page – Kyndryl Underwriting Agreement]
Schedule 1
| Underwriter | Securities Principal Amount | |||
| MUFG Securities Americas Inc. | $ | 100,000,000 | ||
| Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. | $ | 100,000,000 | ||
| SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. | $ | 100,000,000 | ||
| BBVA Securities Inc. | $ | 45,000,000 | ||
| Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. | $ | 45,000,000 | ||
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC | $ | 45,000,000 | ||
| TD Securities (USA) LLC | $ | 45,000,000 | ||
| Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC | $ | 20,000,000 | ||
| Total | $ | 500,000,000 | ||
ANNEX A
Additional Time of Sale Information
1. Term sheet containing the terms of the Securities, substantially in the form of Annex B.
ANNEX B
February 15, 2024
PRICING TERM SHEET
[See attached]
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration No. 333-276713
February 15, 2024
Relating to Preliminary Prospectus Supplement
dated February 15, 2024
PRICING TERM SHEET
Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.
$500,000,000 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034
This pricing term sheet (this “Pricing Term Sheet”) is qualified in its entirety by reference to the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated February 15, 2024 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), and the related base prospectus, dated January 26, 2024 (the “Base Prospectus” and, together with the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”), of Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. The information in this Pricing Term Sheet supplements the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and updates and supersedes the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement to the extent it is inconsistent with the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.
| Issuer: | Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (the “Issuer”) |
| Security Description: | $500,000,000 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Notes”) |
| Principal Amount: | $500,000,000 |
| Coupon: | 6.350% |
| Maturity: | February 20, 2034 |
| Offering Price: | 99.876% plus accrued interest, if any, from February 20, 2024, if settlement occurs after that date. |
| Yield to Maturity: | 6.367% |
| Benchmark Treasury: | 4.000% due February 15, 2034 |
| Spread to Benchmark Treasury: | 212.5 basis points |
| Benchmark Treasury Price/Yield: | 98-01+ / 4.242% |
| Expected Ratings*: | Baa2 (stable outlook) (Moody’s) BBB- (stable outlook) (S&P) BBB (stable outlook) (Fitch) |
| Interest Payment Dates: | February 20 and August 20 of each year, commencing on August 20, 2024. |
| Optional Redemption: | Prior to November 20, 2033 (three months prior to their maturity date) (the “Par Call Date”), the Issuer may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of: |
| (1) | (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date (assuming the Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the date of redemption, and | |
| (2) | 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, | |
| plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date. | ||
| On or after the Par Call Date, the Issuer may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date. | ||
| Use of Proceeds: | The Issuer intends to use the net proceeds of this offering, together with cash on hand, to repay amounts outstanding under its Term Loan Credit Agreement. |
| Trade Date: | February 15, 2024 |
| Settlement Date: | February 20, 2024 (T+2) |
| CUSIP / ISIN: | 50155Q AN0 / US50155QAN07 |
| Denominations: | $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof |
| Joint Book-Running Managers | MUFG Securities Americas Inc. Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. |
| SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. | |
| BBVA Securities Inc. | |
| Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. Mizuho Securities USA LLC TD Securities (USA) LLC |
| Co-Manager: | Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC |
* A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time. An explanation of the significance of ratings may be obtained from the ratings agencies. Generally, ratings agencies base their ratings on such material and information, and such of their own investigations, studies and assumptions, as they deem appropriate. Each of the security ratings above should be evaluated independently of any other security rating.
The Issuer has filed a registration statement (including a base prospectus) and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the accompanying base prospectus in that registration statement, this pricing term sheet and other documents the Issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Issuer and this offering. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the final prospectus supplement (when available) and the accompanying base prospectus if you request it by calling MUFG Securities Americas Inc. at +1 (877) 649-6848, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. at +1 (800) 372-3930 or SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. at +1 (888) 868-6856.
Any disclaimers or other notices that may appear below are not applicable to this communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimers were automatically generated as a result of this communication being sent via Bloomberg or another email system.
Exhibit 4.1
KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC.
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
as Trustee
SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of February 20, 2024
to
INDENTURE
Dated as of October 15, 2021
Relating to
$500,000,000 of 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||
| Article One | ||
| Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application | ||
| Section 1.01. | References | 1 |
| Section 1.02. | Definitions | 1 |
| Article Two | ||
| General Terms and Conditions of the Notes | ||
| Section 2.01. | Designation and Principal Amount | 7 |
| Section 2.02. | Maturity | 8 |
| Section 2.03. | Form and Payment | 8 |
| Section 2.04. | Interest | 9 |
| Section 2.05. | Other Terms and Conditions | 9 |
| Article Three | ||
| Redemption | ||
| Section 3.01. | Optional Redemption of the Notes | 9 |
| Article Four | ||
| Additional Covenants | ||
| Section 4.01. | Purchase of Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event | 11 |
| Section 4.02. | Limitation on Liens | 13 |
| Section 4.03. | Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions | 15 |
| Article Five | ||
| Additional Events of Default | ||
| Section 5.01. | Additional Events of Default | 16 |
| Article Six | ||
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Section 6.01. | Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders | 16 |
| Section 6.02. | Application of Second Supplemental Indenture | 16 |
| i |
| Section 6.03. | Trust Indenture Act | 17 |
| Section 6.04. | Conflict with Base Indenture | 17 |
| Section 6.05. | Governing Law | 17 |
| Section 6.06. | Successors | 17 |
| Section 6.07. | Counterparts | 17 |
| Section 6.08. | Trustee Disclaimer | 18 |
| ii |
SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of February 20, 2024 (this “Second Supplemental Indenture”), between Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), to the Base Indenture (as defined below).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an Indenture, dated as of October 15, 2021 (as heretofore amended and supplemented, the “Base Indenture” and, together with this Second Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance from time to time of its notes and other evidences of senior debt securities, to be issued in one or more series as therein provided;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Base Indenture, on the date hereof, the Company desires to provide for the establishment of a new series of securities to be known as its 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Notes”), the form and substance of such notes and the terms, provisions and conditions thereof to be set forth as provided in the Base Indenture and herein;
WHEREAS, the conditions set forth in the Base Indenture for the execution and delivery of this Second Supplemental Indenture have been met; and
WHEREAS, the Company has requested and hereby requests that the Trustee join with it in the execution and delivery of this Second Supplemental Indenture, and all acts and requirements necessary to make this Second Supplemental Indenture a legal, valid and binding agreement of the parties, in accordance with its terms, and a valid supplement to, the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes have been done and performed.
WITNESSETH:
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises contained herein, each party agrees for the benefit of each other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes, as follows:
Article One
Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application
Section 1.01. References. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Second Supplemental Indenture shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Base Indenture. References in this Second Supplemental Indenture to article and section numbers shall be deemed to be references to article and section numbers of this Second Supplemental Indenture unless otherwise specified.
Section 1.02. Definitions. For purposes of this Second Supplemental Indenture, the following terms have the meanings ascribed to them as follows:
“Additional Notes” means any additional Notes that may be issued from time to time pursuant to Section 2.01(b).
“Attributable Debt” means, with respect to any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, at the time of determination, the lesser of: (a) the fair value of the assets subject to such a transaction (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors); and (b) the present value (discounted at a rate per annum equal to the average interest borne by all Outstanding Notes determined on a weighted-average basis and compounded semi-annually) of the obligations of the lessee for rental payments (other than amounts required to be paid on account of property taxes as well as maintenance, repairs, insurance, water rates and other items which do not constitute payments for property rights) during the term of the related lease. In the case of any lease which is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, such present value shall be the lesser of (i) the present value determined assuming termination upon the first date such lease may be terminated (in which case the present value shall also include the amount of the penalty, but shall not include any rent that would be required to be paid under such lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be terminated) or (ii) the present value assuming no such termination.
“Base Indenture” has the meaning provided in the Recitals.
“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
(1) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets and the assets of the Company’s Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than to the Company or one of the Company’s Subsidiaries;
(2) the adoption of a plan relating to the Company’s liquidation or dissolution; or
(3) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any “person” (as defined above), including any group defined as a person for the purpose of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act, becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the then-outstanding number of shares of the Company’s Voting Stock, provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the beneficial owner of, or to own beneficially, (A) any securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such person or any of such person’s affiliates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange thereunder, or (B) any securities if such beneficial ownership (i) arises solely as a result of a revocable proxy delivered in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to the applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, and (ii) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D (or any successor schedule) under the Exchange Act.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be considered to be a Change of Control if (a) the Company becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of another person and (b) immediately following that transaction, a majority of Voting Stock of such person is held by the direct or indirect holders of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to such transaction and in substantially the same proportion as immediately prior to such transaction.
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“Change of Control Offer” has the meaning provided in Section 4.01(a).
“Change of Control Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 4.01(a).
“Change of Control Repurchase Event” means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Ratings Event.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Company” means the corporation named as the “Company” in the Preamble until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
“Consolidated Subsidiary” means, as of the time of determination and with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of that Person whose financial data is, in accordance with GAAP, reflected in that Person’s consolidated financial statements.
“Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of the time of determination, total assets of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as reflected on the Company’s most recent consolidated balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP contained in an annual report on Form 10-K or a quarterly report on Form 10-Q or any amendment thereto pursuant to the Exchange Act filed by the Company prior to the time as of which “Consolidated Total Assets” is being determined or, if the Company is not required to so file, as reflected on the Company’s most recent consolidated balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP.
“Depositary” has the meaning provided in Section 2.03(d).
“Fitch” means Fitch Ratings, Inc. and its successors.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America in effect from time to time.
“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any specified Person, the obligations of such Person under: (1) interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements; (2) other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk; and (3) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices.
“incur” means issue, incur, create, assume, guarantee or otherwise become liable for.
“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, obligations (other than Nonrecourse Obligations) of such Person for borrowed money (including, without limitation, indebtedness for borrowed money evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments).
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“Indenture” has the meaning provided in the Recitals.
“Initial Notes” means the aggregate principal amount of Notes issued on the date hereof, as specified on the first paragraph of Section 2.01.
“Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.04.
“Investment Grade” means a rating of Baa3 or better by Moody’s (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of Moody’s); a rating of BBB- or better by Fitch (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of Fitch); a rating of BBB- or better by S&P (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of S&P); and the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any additional Rating Agency or Rating Agencies selected by the Company.
“Lien” means any lien, security interest, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, and any agreement to give any security interest).
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and its successors.
“Non-recourse Obligation” means indebtedness or other obligations substantially related to (1) (A) the acquisition of assets not previously owned by the Company or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries, or (B) the financing of a project involving the development or expansion of the Company’s properties or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries, in each case as to which the obligee with respect to such Indebtedness or obligation has no recourse to the Company or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries or such Subsidiary’s assets other than the assets which were acquired with the proceeds of such transaction or the project financed with the proceeds of such transaction (and the proceeds thereof) or (2) a receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from lenders against such receivables or the proceeds thereof).
“Notes” has the meaning provided in the Recitals. For the avoidance of doubt, “Notes” shall include any Additional Notes.
“Par Call Date” means November 20, 2033.
“Permitted Liens” means:
(1) Liens securing Hedging Obligations designed to protect the Company from fluctuations in interest rates, currencies, equities or the price of commodities and not for speculative purposes;
(2) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities or financial institutions in respect of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;
(3) Liens arising by reason of deposits necessary to qualify the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to conduct business, maintain self-insurance or obtain the benefit of, or comply with, any law, including Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance or other forms of governmental insurance or benefits;
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(4) Liens of any landlord on fixtures located on premises leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and tenants’ rights under leases, easements and similar Liens not materially impairing the use or value of the Property involved;
(5) easements, zoning restrictions, building restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances or charges on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that are of a nature generally existing with respect to Properties of a similar character;
(6) Liens in connection with bankers’ acceptance financing or used in the ordinary course of trade practices, statutory lessor and vendor privilege Liens and Liens in connection with good faith bids, tenders and deposits;
(7) Liens arising under consignment or similar arrangements for the sale of goods;
(8) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made under workmen’s compensation laws unemployment insurance laws or similar legislation, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts or leases, or deposits to secure the Company’s public or statutory obligations, or deposits for the payment of rent;
(9) judgment Liens not giving rise to a default or Event of Default so long as such Lien is adequately bonded and any appropriate legal proceedings that may have been initiated for the review of such judgment, decree or order shall not have been finally terminated or the period within which such proceedings may be initiated shall not have expired;
(10) Liens upon specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds of any person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of banker’s acceptances issued or credited for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or goods;
(11) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit in the ordinary course of business that encumber cash, documents and other Property relating to such letters of credit and proceeds thereof;
(12) Liens in favor of the Company or any of its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries; and
(13) customary Liens granted in favor of a trustee to secure fees and other amounts owing to such trustee under an indenture.
“Property” means any property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or intangible, including shares of capital stock.
“Prospectus Supplement” means that certain final prospectus supplement dated February 15, 2024, related to the offering and sale of the Notes.
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“Rating Agency” means, with respect to the Notes, (1) each of Moody’s, Fitch and S&P; and (2) if any two of Moody’s, Fitch and S&P cease to rate the Notes or fail to make a rating of such Notes publicly available, a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, selected by the Company as a replacement agency for Moody’s, Fitch or S&P, or all of them, as the case may be.
“Ratings Event” means, with respect to the Notes, during the period commencing on the date of the Company’s first public announcement of any Change of Control (or pending Change of Control) (the “Rating Date”) and ending 60 days following consummation of such Change of Control, the rating of the Notes shall be reduced by at least two of the three Rating Agencies and such Notes are rated below Investment Grade by at least two of the three Rating Agencies and are not, within such period, subsequently upgraded by such Rating Agencies to an Investment Grade rating; provided, however, that a Ratings Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating will not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus will not be deemed a Ratings Event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control Repurchase Event) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply do not announce or confirm to the Company in writing at the Company’s request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control has occurred at the time of the Ratings Event).
“S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and its successors.
“Second Supplemental Indenture” has the meaning provided in the Preamble.
“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.
The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily) - H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities–Treasury constant maturities–Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields – one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life – and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.
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If on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second Business Day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.
“Trustee” has the meaning provided in the Preamble.
“U.S. Subsidiary” means any subsidiary that is organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
“Voting Stock” of any specified “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) as of any date means the capital stock of such person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such person.
Article Two
General Terms and Conditions of the Notes
Section 2.01. Designation and Principal Amount.
(a) There is hereby authorized and designated a new series of securities: the 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034. The Notes may be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture in an unlimited aggregate principal amount. The Notes issued on the date hereof pursuant to the terms of the Indenture shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $500,000,000. The amount shall be set forth in the written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of the Notes pursuant to Section 3.01 of the Base Indenture. The Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank on the same basis with all of the Company’s other senior unsecured indebtedness from time to time outstanding.
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(b) In addition, without the consent of the Holders of the Notes, the Company may from time to time, without notice to or the consent of such Holders, create and issue Additional Notes having the same terms as, and ranking equally and ratably with, the Notes (except for the issue date, the public offering price and, if applicable, the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of such Additional Notes and the first payment of interest following the issue date of such Additional Notes); provided that if such Additional Notes are not fungible with the Notes offered hereby for U.S. federal securities laws or U.S. federal income tax purposes, such Additional Notes will have one or more separate CUSIP numbers. Such Additional Notes may be consolidated and form a single series with, and will have the same terms as to ranking, redemption, waivers, amendments or otherwise, as the Notes, and will vote together as one class on all matters with respect to the Notes.
Section 2.02. Maturity.
Unless an earlier redemption has occurred, the principal amount of the Notes shall mature and be due and payable, together with any accrued interest thereon, on February 20, 2034. If the maturity date of the Notes falls on a day that is not a Business Day, payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest for the Notes then due will be paid on the next Business Day. No interest on that payment will accrue from and after the maturity date.
Section 2.03. Form and Payment.
(a) The Notes shall be issued as global notes in fully registered book-entry form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
(b) The Notes and the Trustee’s Certificates of Authentication to be endorsed thereon are to be substantially in the form of Exhibit A, which form is hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Second Supplemental Indenture.
(c) The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Second Supplemental Indenture, and the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Second Supplemental Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
(d) Principal, premium, if any, and/or interest, if any, on the global notes representing the Notes shall be made to The Depository Trust Company (together with any successor thereto, the “Depositary”).
(e) The global notes representing the Notes shall be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary and shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. No global note may be transferred except as a whole by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or such nominee to a successor of the Depositary or a nominee of such successor.
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Section 2.04. Interest.
Interest on the Notes shall accrue at the rate of 6.350% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 20 and August 20 of each year, beginning on August 20, 2024. Each such interest payment date is referred to as an “Interest Payment Date”.
Interest on the Notes shall be payable to the Holders in whose names the Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding February 6 and August 6. Interest on the Notes will accrue from and including February 20, 2024, to, but excluding, the first Interest Payment Date and then from and including the immediately preceding Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for to, but excluding, the next Interest Payment Date or maturity date, as the case may be. Interest on the Notes shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months. If any Interest Payment Date or other payment date for the Notes is not a Business Day, then payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the date such payment was due, and no interest on such payment shall accrue on that payment for the period from and after that Interest Payment Date or other payment date, as the case may be, to the date of that payment on the next succeeding Business Day.
Section 2.05. Other Terms and Conditions.
(a) The Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance provisions of the Article Thirteen of the Base Indenture will apply to the Notes and the covenants set forth in Article Four shall be subject to the provisions of Section 13.03 of the Base Indenture. The provisions of Article Four of the Base Indenture will apply to the Notes.
(b) The Notes will be subject to the Events of Default provided in Section 5.01 of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by Section 5.01.
(c) The Trustee will initially be the Security Registrar and Paying Agent for the Notes.
(d) The Notes will be subject to the covenants provided in Article Ten of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by Article Four.
Article Three
Redemption
Section 3.01. Optional Redemption of the Notes.
(a) Subject to Section 6.04, the provisions of Article Eleven of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by the provisions of this Second Supplemental Indenture, shall apply to the Notes.
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(b) Prior to the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:
(i) (A) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points less (B) interest accrued to the date of redemption, and
(ii) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed,
plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
(c) On or after the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
(d) The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the Redemption Price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
(e) On and after any Redemption Date for the Notes, interest will cease to accrue on such Notes or any portion thereof called for redemption, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any. On or before the relevant Redemption Date for the Notes, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or a Paying Agent, funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of such Notes to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest, if any. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed shall be selected in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary; provided, however, that in no event shall Notes of a principal amount of $2,000 or less be redeemed in part.
(f) Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered (or otherwise transmitted in accordance with DTC procedures) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each holder of Notes to be redeemed. Such notice shall state the Redemption Price (if known) or the formula pursuant to which the Redemption Price is to be determined if the Redemption Price cannot be determined at the time the notice is given. If the Redemption Price cannot be determined at the time such notice is to be given, the actual Redemption Price, calculated as described above in clause (b) or (c) of this Section 3.01, as applicable, shall be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee no later than two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date. Notice of redemption having been given as provided in the Indenture, the Notes called for redemption shall become due and payable on the relevant Redemption Date and at the applicable Redemption Price, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the Redemption Date.
(g) If the Redemption Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, the accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the person in whose name the applicable Note is registered at the close of business on such interest record date, and no additional interest is payable to holders whose Notes will be subject to redemption by the Company.
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(h) In the case of a partial redemption, selection of the Notes for redemption will be made pro rata, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion deems appropriate and fair. No Notes of a principal amount of $2,000 or less will be redeemed in part. The principal amount of a Note remaining outstanding after redemption in part will be $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to the Note will state the portion of the principal amount of the Note to be redeemed. Except in the case of a global note, a new Note in a principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Note will be issued in the name of the holder of the Note upon surrender for cancellation of the original Note. For so long as the Notes are held by DTC (or another depositary), DTC (or such other depositary) will determine the allocation of the redemption price among beneficial owners of such Notes in accordance with DTC’s (or such other depositary’s) applicable procedures.
(i) Unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, on and after the Redemption Date interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.
(j) Except as described above, the Notes will not be redeemable by the Company prior to their maturity date and will not be entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund.
(k) The Company will notify the Trustee of the Redemption Price promptly after the calculation thereof, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility for, or liability in connection with, any calculation or determination in respect of the Redemption Price of any Note (or any component thereof) or determining whether manifest error has occurred with regard to the Company’s actions and determinations in determining the Redemption Price, and shall be entitled to receive, and fully-protected in relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate from the Company that states such Redemption Price.
Article Four
Additional Covenants
Section 4.01. Purchase of Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event.
(a) If a Change of Control Repurchase Event occurs with respect to the Notes, unless the Company shall have exercised its right to redeem the Notes as set forth in Section 3.01 of this Second Supplemental Indenture, the Company shall be required to make an offer (the “Change of Control Offer”) to each Holder of the Notes to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof) of such Holder’s Notes, at a repurchase price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased to, but not including, the date of repurchase (subject to the right of the holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date). Within 30 days following any Change of Control Repurchase Event with respect to the Notes or, at the Company’s option, prior to any Change of Control, but after the public announcement of the transaction or transactions that constitute or may constitute the Change of Control, the Company shall electronically deliver or mail a notice to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, describing the transaction or transactions that constitute or may constitute the Change of Control Repurchase Event and offering to repurchase the Notes on the payment date specified in the notice, which date shall be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is electronically delivered or mailed (the “Change of Control Payment Date”). The notice shall, if electronically delivered or mailed prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Repurchase Event occurring on or prior to the Change of Control Payment Date specified in the notice.
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(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:
(i) accept for payment all the Notes or portions of the Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;
(ii) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all the Notes or portions of the Notes properly tendered; and
(iii) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted, together with an Officer’s Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased by the Company.
(c) The Paying Agent will promptly deliver to each Holder of Notes properly tendered the payment for the Notes, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and deliver (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of any such Notes surrendered; provided, that each new Note will be in a minimum principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company will not be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.
(e) If Holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Notes validly tender and do not withdraw such Notes in an offer to repurchase the applicable Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event and the Company, or any third party making an offer to repurchase such Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event in lieu of the Company pursuant to Section 4.01(d) hereof, purchases all of the Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn by such Holders, the Company shall have the right, upon not less than 10 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice, given not more than 30 days following the Change of Control Payment Date, to redeem all Notes that remain Outstanding following such purchase at a Redemption Price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of the Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).
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(f) The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder, to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of Notes as a result of a Change of Control Repurchase Event. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with this Section 4.01, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 4.01 by virtue of any such conflict.
(g) The Trustee shall have no responsibility for any calculation or determination in respect of the Change of Control Repurchase Event or repurchase price of any Notes, or any component thereof, and shall be entitled to receive, and fully-protected in relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate from the Company stating that such change of Change of Control Repurchase Event has occurred and specifying such repurchase price.
Section 4.02. Limitation on Liens.
(a) The Company shall not incur, nor shall the Company permit any of its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries to incur, any Liens upon any Property of the Company or any of its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries, whether now owned or hereafter created or acquired, in order to secure Indebtedness of the Company or any of its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries, in each case, unless prior to or at the same time, the Notes are equally and ratably secured with (or, at the Company’s option, senior to) such secured Indebtedness until such time as such Indebtedness is no longer secured by such Lien.
(b) The foregoing restriction, however, will not apply to:
(1) Liens on Property or Indebtedness existing with respect to any Person at the time such Person becomes the Company’s Subsidiary or a Subsidiary of any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, provided that such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary;
(2) Liens on Property or Indebtedness existing at the time of acquisition by the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries or a Subsidiary of any of the Company’s Subsidiaries of such Property or Indebtedness (which may include Property previously leased by the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries and leasehold interests on such Property; provided that the lease terminates prior to or upon the acquisition) or Liens on Property or Indebtedness to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price of such Property or Indebtedness, or Liens on Property or Indebtedness to secure any Indebtedness incurred prior to, at the time of, or within 12 months after, the latest of the acquisition of such Property or Indebtedness or, in the case of Property, the completion of construction, the completion of improvements or the commencement of substantial commercial operation of such Property for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price of the Property and related costs and expenses, the construction or the making of the improvements;
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(3) Liens securing the Company’s Indebtedness or the Indebtedness of any of the Company’s Subsidiaries owing to the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries;
(4) Liens existing on the date of issuance of the Initial Notes;
(5) Liens on Property or assets of a Person existing at the time such Person is merged into or consolidated with the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, at the time such Person becomes the Company’s Subsidiary, or at the time of a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Properties or assets of a Person to the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries; provided that such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of the merger, consolidation, sale, lease, other disposition or other such transaction;
(6) Liens created in connection with or to secure a Non-recourse Obligation or a project financed thereby;
(7) Liens created to secure the Notes;
(8) Liens imposed by law or arising by operation of law, including, without limitation, landlords’, mailmen’s, suppliers’, vendors’, carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanic’s Liens and other similar Liens, Liens for master’s and crew’s wages and other similar laws, arising in the ordinary course of business, in each case for sums not yet overdue by more than 60 calendar days or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or other Liens arising out of judgments or awards against such Person with respect to which such Person shall then be proceeding with an appeal or other proceedings for review and Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating to banker’s Liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution;
(9) Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies on Property not yet due or payable or subject to penalties for non-payment or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings;
(10) Liens to secure the performance of obligations with respect to statutory or regulatory requirements, bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance or return-of-money bonds and other obligations of a like nature;
(11) Permitted Liens; or
(12) any extensions, renewals or replacements of any Lien referred to in clauses (1) through (11) without increase of the principal of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien (except to the extent of any fees or other costs associated with any such extension, renewal or replacement); provided, however, that any Liens permitted by any of clauses (1) through (11) shall not extend to or cover any of the Company’s Property or the Property of any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, as the case may be, other than the Property specified in such clauses and improvements to such Property.
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(c) Notwithstanding the restrictions set forth in Section 4.02(a), the Company and its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries may incur Indebtedness secured by Liens, which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions without equally and ratably securing the Notes, provided that, after giving effect to such Indebtedness, the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness secured by Liens (not including Liens permitted under clauses (1) through (12) of Section 4.02(b) hereof), together with all Attributable Debt outstanding pursuant to Section 4.03(b) hereof, does not exceed 15% of Consolidated Total Assets calculated as of the date of the creation or incurrence of the Lien. The Company and its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries may also, without equally and ratably securing the Notes, create or incur Liens that renew, substitute or replace (including successive renewals, substitutions or replacements), in whole or in part, any Lien permitted pursuant to the preceding sentence.
Section 4.03. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
(a) The Company shall not, nor shall the Company permit any of its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries to, enter into any sale and leaseback transaction for the sale and leasing back of any Property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, unless:
(1) such transaction was entered into prior to the date of issuance of the Initial Notes;
(2) such transaction was for the sale and leasing back to the Company or any of its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries of any Property by one of the Company’s Subsidiaries;
(3) such transaction involves a lease for not more than three years (or which may be terminated by the Company or its Subsidiaries within a period of not more than three years);
(4) the Company would be entitled to incur Indebtedness secured by a Lien with respect to such sale and leaseback transaction without equally and ratably securing the Notes pursuant to Section 4.02(b); or
(5) the Company applies an amount equal to the net proceeds from the sale of such Property to the purchase of other Property or assets used or useful in the Company’s business or to the retirement of long-term Indebtedness within 12 months before or after the effective date of any such sale and leaseback transaction; provided that, in lieu of applying such amount to the retirement of long-term Indebtedness, the Company may deliver debt securities (which may include the Notes) to the applicable trustee for cancellation, such debt securities to be credited at the cost thereof to it.
(b) Notwithstanding the restrictions set forth in Section 4.03(a) hereof, the Company and its wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiaries may enter into any sale and leaseback transaction which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions if, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of all Attributable Debt with respect to such transactions (not including Attributable Debt permitted under clauses (1) through (5) of Section 4.03(a) hereof), together with all Indebtedness outstanding pursuant to Section 4.02(c) hereof, does not exceed 15% of Consolidated Total Assets calculated as of the closing date of the sale and leaseback transaction.
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Article Five
Additional Events of Default
Section 5.01. Additional Events of Default. In addition to the Events of Default set forth in Section 5.01 of the Base Indenture, an “Event of Default” with respect to the Notes occurs if:
(a) failure by the Company to repurchase the Notes tendered for repurchase following the occurrence of a Change of Control Repurchase Event in conformity with Section 4.01 hereof; or
(b) (i) a failure to make any payment at maturity, including any applicable grace period, on any Indebtedness of the Company (other than Indebtedness the Company owes to any of its Subsidiaries) outstanding in an amount in excess of $250 million and continuance of this failure to pay or (ii) a default on any Indebtedness of the Company (other than Indebtedness the Company owes to any of its Subsidiaries), which default results in the acceleration of such indebtedness in an amount in excess of $250 million without such indebtedness having been discharged or the acceleration having been cured, waived, rescinded or annulled, in the case of clause (i) or (ii) above, for a period of 30 days after written notice thereof to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of Outstanding Notes (including any Additional Notes); provided, however, that if any failure, default or acceleration referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above ceases or is cured, waived, rescinded or annulled, then the Event of Default will be deemed cured.
Article Six
Miscellaneous
Section 6.01. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders. In addition to Section 9.01 of the Base Indenture, without the consent of any Holders, the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, to conform any provision in this Second Supplemental Indenture to the “Description of Notes” in the Prospectus Supplement to the extent that such provision was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision in the “Description of Notes” in the Prospectus Supplement.
Section 6.02. Application of Second Supplemental Indenture.
The Indenture, as supplemented by this Second Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed. This Second Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided.
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Section 6.03. Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by the Trust Indenture Act, the imposed duties shall control.
Section 6.04. Conflict with Base Indenture.
To the extent not expressly amended or modified by this Second Supplemental Indenture, the Base Indenture shall remain in full force and effect. If any provision of this Second Supplemental Indenture relating to the Notes is inconsistent with any provision of the Base Indenture, the provision of this Second Supplemental Indenture shall control.
Section 6.05. Governing Law.
THIS SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Section 6.06. Successors.
All agreements of the Company in the Base Indenture, this Second Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in the Base Indenture and this Second Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors.
Section 6.07. Counterparts.
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
The exchange of copies of this Second Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic (i.e., “pdf” or “tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Second Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Second Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. The exchange of copies of this Second Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages that are executed by manual signatures that are scanned, photocopied or faxed or by other electronic signing created on an electronic platform (such as DocuSign) or by digital signing (such as Adobe Sign), in each case that is approved by the Trustee, shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Second Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto that are executed by manual signatures that are scanned, photocopied or faxed or by other electronic signing created on an electronic platform (such as DocuSign) or by digital signing (such as Adobe Sign), in each case that is approved by the Trustee, shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes of this Second Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original.
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Anything in this Second Supplemental Indenture or the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding, for the purposes of the transactions contemplated by this Second Supplemental Indenture, any Notes and any document to be signed in connection with the Second Supplemental Indenture or the Notes (including any Securities, a Trustee’s certificate of authentication and amendments, supplements, waivers, consents and other modifications, Officer’s Certificates, Company Orders and Opinions of Counsel and other issuance, authentication and delivery documents) or the transactions contemplated hereby may be signed by manual signatures that are scanned, photocopied or faxed or other electronic signatures created on an electronic platform (such as DocuSign) or by digital signature (such as Adobe Sign), in each case that is approved by the Trustee, and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Trustee, and the keeping of records in electronic form, are hereby authorized, and each shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature in ink or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be.
Section 6.08. Trustee Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity, adequacy or sufficiency of this Second Supplemental Indenture and the Notes other than as to the validity of the execution and delivery of the Second Supplemental Indenture by the Trustee and the authentication of the Notes by the Trustee. The recitals and statements herein and in the Notes are deemed to be those of the Company and not the Trustee and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the same and the Trustee does not make any representation with respect to such matters. The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Notes or the proceeds thereof.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Indenture to be duly executed.
| KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Josh Gordon | ||
| Name: | Josh Gordon | ||
| Title: | Treasurer and Senior Vice President, Tax | ||
[Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. - Signature Page to Second Supplemental Indenture]
| THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | |||
| TRUST COMPANY, N.A., | |||
| as Trustee | |||
| By: | /s/ Michael C. Jenkins | ||
| Name: | Michael C. Jenkins | ||
| Title: | Vice President | ||
[Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. - Signature Page to Second Supplemental Indenture]
Exhibit A
FORM OF GLOBAL NOTE
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO DTC, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.
KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC.
6.350% Senior Notes due 2034
CUSIP No.: 50155Q AN0
No. R-[●]
ISIN No.: US50155QAN07
$[●]
As revised by the
Schedule of Increases or
Decreases attached
hereto
KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), for value received promises to pay to [________________] or registered assigns the principal sum of [●] DOLLARS, as revised by the Schedule of Increases or Decreases attached hereto, on February 20, 2034 (the “Stated Maturity”).
Interest Payment Dates: February 20 and August 20 (each, an “Interest Payment Date”), commencing on August 20, 2024, and upon the Stated Maturity.
Interest Record Dates: February 6 and August 6 (each, a “Regular Record Date”).
Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note contained herein, which will for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed.
| KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | [ ] | ||
| Title: | [ ] | ||
[Signature Page to Note]
This is one of the Notes designated herein and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated: [●]
| THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | |||
| TRUST COMPANY, N.A., | |||
| as Trustee | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | [ ] | ||
| Title: | [ ] | ||
[Signature Page to Note]
(REVERSE OF NOTE)
KYNDRYL HOLDINGS, INC.
6.350% Senior Notes due 2034
1. Interest.
Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at the rate per annum described above. Cash interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid; or, if no interest has been paid, from February 20, 2024. Interest on this Note will be paid to but excluding the relevant Interest Payment Date or on such earlier date as the principal amount shall become due in accordance with the provisions hereof. The Company will pay interest semi-annually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date, beginning on August 20, 2024, and on the Stated Maturity. If any Interest Payment Date, Stated Maturity or other payment date with respect to the Notes is not a Business Day, the required payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest will be due on the next succeeding Business Day as if made on the date that such payment was due, and no interest will accrue on that payment for the period from and after that Interest Payment Date, Stated Maturity or other payment date, as the case may be, to the date of that payment on the next succeeding Business Day. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal from time to time on demand at the rate borne by the Notes and at the same rate on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any applicable grace periods) to the extent lawful from the dates such amounts are due until such amounts are paid or made available for payment.
2. Paying Agent.
Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the “Trustee”) will act as paying agent. The Company may change any paying agent without notice to the Holders.
3. Indenture; Defined Terms.
This Note is one of the 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Notes”) issued under the Indenture, dated as of October 15, 2021 (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance therewith, the “Base Indenture” and, as supplemented by the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 20, 2024, the “Indenture”), by and between the Company and the Trustee, as trustee. This Note is a “Security” and the Notes are “Securities” under the Indenture.
For purposes of this Note, unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms herein are used as defined in the Indenture. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) (the “TIA”) as in effect on the date on which the Indenture is qualified under the TIA. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Notes are subject to all such terms, and holders of Notes are referred to the Indenture and the TIA for a statement of them. To the extent the terms of the Indenture and this Note are inconsistent, the terms of the Indenture shall govern.
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4. Denominations; Transfer; Exchange.
The Notes are in registered form, without coupons, in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. A Holder shall register the transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with the Indenture. The Company may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and to pay certain transfer taxes or similar governmental charges payable in connection therewith as permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not issue, authenticate, register the transfer of or exchange any Notes or portions thereof for a period of fifteen (15) days before the sending of a notice of redemption, nor need the Company register the transfer or exchange of any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part.
5. Amendment; Modification; Waiver.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding affected thereby. The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of a series at the time Outstanding with respect to which a default under the Indenture shall have occurred and be continuing, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive, with certain exceptions, such past default with respect to such series and its consequences. The Indenture also permits the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of a series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note. Without notice to or consent of any Holder, the Indenture also permits the amendment or supplement thereof to, among other things, cure any ambiguity, error, defect or inconsistency, or make any other change that does not adversely affect the interests of the Holders.
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6. Optional Redemption.
The Company may redeem the Notes in whole or in part, at its option, at any time or from time to time prior to maturity on at least 10 days, but not more than 60 days, prior notice electronically delivered or mailed to the registered address of each Holder of the Notes (the “Redemption Date”) pursuant to the following terms:
Prior to the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:
(i) (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 35 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the date of redemption, and
(ii) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed,
plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
On or after the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the Redemption Price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
On and after the Redemption Date for the Notes, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or any portion thereof called for redemption, unless the Issuer defaults in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any. On or before the Redemption Date for the Notes, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or a Paying Agent, funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of the Notes to be redeemed on the Redemption Date, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest, if any. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed shall be selected in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary; provided, however, that in no event shall Notes of a principal amount of $2,000 or less be redeemed in part.
Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered (or otherwise transmitted in accordance with DTC procedures) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed. Such notice shall state, among other things, the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price and the place or places that payment shall be made upon presentation and surrender of Notes to be redeemed. If the Redemption Price cannot be determined at the time such notice is to be given, the actual Redemption Price, calculated as set forth in the Indenture, shall be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate of the Company delivered to the Trustee no later than two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date. Notice of redemption having been given as provided in the Indenture, the Notes called for redemption shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the applicable Redemption Price, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the Redemption Date.
Any redemption or notice of any redemption may, at the Company’s discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, completion of an equity offering or change of control, issuance of indebtedness or other transaction or event. If any redemption is subject to satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, the notice of redemption in respect thereof shall describe each such condition, and if applicable, shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the Redemption Date may be delayed until such time as any or all such conditions shall be satisfied (or waived by the Issuer in its sole discretion), or that such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied (or waived by the Issuer in its sole discretion) by the Redemption Date as stated in such notice, or by the Redemption Date as so delayed. The Company may provide in such notice that payment of the applicable Redemption Price and the performance of the Company’s obligations with respect to such redemption may be performed by another Person.
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If the Redemption Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, the accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the person in whose name the applicable Note is registered at the close of business on such interest record date, and no additional interest is payable to holders whose Notes will be subject to redemption by us.
7. Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control Repurchase Event.
If a Change of Control Repurchase Event occurs with respect to the Notes, unless the Company shall have exercised its right to redeem the Notes, the Company shall be required to make an offer (the “Change of Control Offer”) to each Holder of the Notes to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof) of that Holder’s Notes on the terms set forth in the Second Supplemental Indenture and in the Notes. In the Change of Control Offer, the Company shall be required to offer payment in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased to, but not including, the date of repurchase (subject to the right of the holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).
Within 30 days following any Change of Control Repurchase Event with respect to the Notes or, at the option of the Company, prior to any Change of Control, but after the public announcement of the transaction or transactions that constitute or may constitute the Change of Control, the Company shall electronically deliver or mail a notice to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, describing the transaction or transactions that constitute or may constitute the Change of Control Repurchase Event and offering to repurchase the Notes on the payment date specified in the notice, which date shall be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is electronically delivered or mailed (the “Change of Control Payment Date”). The notice shall, if electronically delivered or mailed prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Repurchase Event occurring on or prior to the Change of Control Payment Date specified in the notice.
On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:
(i) accept for payment all the Notes or portions of the Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;
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(ii) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all the Notes or portions of the Notes properly tendered; and
(iii) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted, together with an Officer’s Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased by the Company.
If Holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes validly tender and do not withdraw such Notes in an offer to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event and the Company, or any third party making an offer to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event in lieu of the Company, purchases all of the Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn by such Holders, the Company shall have the right, upon not less than 10 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice, given not more than 30 days following the Change of Control Payment Date, to redeem all Notes that remain Outstanding following such purchase at a Redemption Price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of the Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).
8. Defaults and Remedies.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes may declare the principal amount of all the Notes to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) shall become immediately due and payable.
The Indenture permits, subject to certain limitations therein provided, Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes 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, with respect to the Notes.
9. Authentication.
This Note shall not be valid until the Trustee signs the certificate of authentication on this Note by manual or PDF or other electronically imaged (such as DocuSign or Adobe Sign) signature.
10. Abbreviations.
Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder of a Note or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).
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11. CUSIP Numbers.
Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes as a convenience to the Holders of the Notes. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers as printed on the Notes and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed hereon.
12. Governing Law.
The laws of the State of New York shall govern the Indenture and this Note.
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Note, fill in the form below:
I or we assign and transfer this Note to
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)
and irrevocably appoint agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Issuer. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
| Date: | Your Signature: |
Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note.
| Signature Guarantee: | Signature | |
| Signature must be guaranteed | Signature |
Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
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SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES
The following increases or decreases in this Security have been made:
|
Date of Exchange |
Amount of
|
Amount of
|
Principal
|
Signature
of |
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REPURCHASE EXERCISE NOTICE UPON A CHANGE OF CONTROL
To: Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.
The undersigned registered owner of this Security hereby acknowledges receipt of a notice from Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (the “Issuer”) as to the occurrence of a Change of Control Repurchase Event with respect to the Issuer and hereby directs the Issuer to pay, or cause the Trustee to pay, _________________ an amount in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes, or the portion thereof (which is $2,000 principal amount or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof) below designated, to be repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the repurchase date, except as provided in the Indenture. The undersigned hereby agrees that the Notes will be repurchased as of the Change of Control Payment Date pursuant to the terms and conditions thereof and the Indenture.
Dated:_________________________________
Signature: ______________________________
Principal amount to be repurchased (at least $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof): _________________________________
Remaining principal amount following such repurchase:
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| Authorized Signatory |
11
Exhibits 5.1 and 23.1
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Davis Polk & Wardwell llp 450 Lexington Avenue davispolk.com |
February 20, 2024
Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.
One Vanderbilt Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10017
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Kyndryl Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-276713) (the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), certain securities, including $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.350% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Securities”). The Securities are to be issued pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture dated as of October 15, 2021 (the “Original Indenture”) between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Second Supplemental Indenture establishing the terms of the Securities, dated as of February 20, 2024, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Second Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Original Indenture, the “Indenture”). The Securities are to be sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement dated February 15, 2024 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Company and the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”).
We, as your counsel, have examined originals or copies of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.
In rendering the opinion expressed herein, we have, without independent inquiry or investigation, assumed that (i) all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and complete, (ii) all documents submitted to us as copies conform to authentic, complete originals, (iii) all signatures on all documents that we reviewed are genuine, (iv) all natural persons executing documents had and have the legal capacity to do so, (v) all statements in certificates of public officials and officers of the Company that we reviewed were and are accurate and (vi) all representations made by the Company as to matters of fact in the documents that we reviewed were and are accurate.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional assumptions and qualifications set forth below, we advise you that, in our opinion, when the Securities have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, provided that we express no opinion as to, (x) the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or stay law, (y) the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above, or (z) the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision that permits holders to collect any portion of stated principal amount upon acceleration of the Securities to the extent determined to constitute unearned interest.
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Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. |
In addition, we have assumed that the Indenture and the Securities (collectively, the “Documents”) are valid, binding and enforceable agreements of each party thereto (other than as expressly covered above in respect of the Company). We have also assumed that the execution, delivery and performance by each party to each Document to which it is a party (a) are within its corporate powers, (b) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other constitutive documents of such party, (c) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (d) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon such party, provided that we make no such assumption to the extent that we have specifically opined as to such matters with respect to the Company.
We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and the foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, except that we express no opinion as to any law, rule or regulation that is applicable to the Company, the Documents or such transactions solely because such law, rule or regulation is part of a regulatory regime applicable to any party to any of the Documents or any of its affiliates due to the specific assets or business of such party or such affiliate.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a report on Form 8-K to be filed by the Company on the date hereof and its incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement and further consent to the reference to our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus supplement which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
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