As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 8, 2024
Registration No. 333- | ||
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Potbelly Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | 36-4466837 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | ||||
111 N. Canal Street, Suite 325
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 951-0600
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 951-0600
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Adiya Dixon
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Potbelly Corporation
111 N. Canal Street, Suite 325
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 951-0600
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Potbelly Corporation
111 N. Canal Street, Suite 325
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 951-0600
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Flora R. Perez, Esq.
Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
401 East Las Olas Boulevard Suite 2000
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 765-0500
Flora R. Perez, Esq.
Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
401 East Las Olas Boulevard Suite 2000
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 765-0500
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☒ | ||||
Non-accelerated filer ☐ | Smaller reporting company ☒ | ||||
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 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with
Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED May 8, 2024
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$75,000,000
POTBELLY CORPORATION
COMMON STOCK
PREFERRED STOCK
DEBT SECURITIES
WARRANTS
UNITS
PREFERRED STOCK
DEBT SECURITIES
WARRANTS
UNITS
We may offer, issue and sell, from time to time, in one or more offerings and series, together or separately, shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock, debt securities, warrants or units, in amounts, at prices and on terms that will be determined at the time of any such offering and described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. The debt securities and preferred stock we may offer may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for debt, common or preferred stock or other securities of Potbelly Corporation or debt or equity securities of one or more other entities.
This prospectus provides a general description of the securities that we may offer and the general manner in which we will offer them. Each time we offer securities for sale using this prospectus, we will provide specific terms and describe the specific manner in which we will offer these securities in supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change the information in this prospectus.
This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement that includes a description of the method and terms of the offering.
You should carefully read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate herein by reference, before you invest in our securities. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the “Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “PBPB.”
Investing in our securities involves risks. Please refer to the “Risk Factors” section on page 9 and the supplemental risk factors contained in any applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents we incorporate herein by reference for a description of the risks you should consider before making an investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is ___________, 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a “shelf” registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and/or sell, in one or more offerings and series, together or separately, shares of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants or units. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we offer and sell our securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement and attach it to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will contain more specific information about the terms of the securities and the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in a prospectus supplement. Before purchasing any of our securities, you should read both this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement that we may provide to you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. This prospectus is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, in any state where the offer or sale is prohibited. The information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any documents incorporated herein or therein by reference is accurate as of the date contained on the cover of such documents. Neither the delivery of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, nor any sale made under this prospectus or any prospectus supplement will, under any circumstances, imply that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is correct as of any date after the date of this prospectus or any such prospectus supplement.
Unless indicated otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Potbelly,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Potbelly Corporation and its subsidiaries.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are made throughout this prospectus and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “strives,” “goal,” “seeks,” “projects,” “intends,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “may,” “will” or “should” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. They appear in a number of places throughout this Annual Report and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industry in which we operate.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We believe that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in the section of this prospectus titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus and in other documents incorporated herein or therein (including in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K), which include, but are not limited to, the following:
•competition in the restaurant industry, which is highly competitive and includes many larger, more well-established companies;
•changes in economic conditions, including the effects of consumer confidence and discretionary spending;
•our ability to manage our growth and successfully implement our business strategy;
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•our reliance on a limited number of suppliers for our major products and on a distribution network with a limited number of distribution partners for the majority of our national distribution program;
•the future cost and availability of credit, and the liquidity or operations of our suppliers and other service providers;
•fluctuation in price and availability of commodities, including but not limited to items such as beef, poultry, grains, dairy and produce and energy supplies, where prices could increase or decrease more than we expect;
•our ability to expand into new markets and successfully identify, open and operate new shops (which is dependent upon various factors such as the availability of attractive sites for new shops);
•our ability to negotiate suitable lease terms, terminate on acceptable terms or sublease or assign leases for underperforming shops;
•our ability to identify new franchisees to open and operate new shops;
•our ability to control construction and development costs and obtain capital to fund such costs;
•our ability to recruit, train and retain qualified operating personnel;
•changes in consumer tastes and lack of acceptance or awareness of our brand in existing or new markets;
•failure of our marketing efforts to attract and retain customers;
•risks of food safety and food-borne illnesses and other health concerns about our food;
•damage to our reputation caused by, for example, any perceived reduction in the quality of our food, service or staff, an adverse change in our culture or the operations of our franchisees;
•the seasonality of our business;
•our supply chain;
•demographic trends, traffic patterns and our ability to effectively respond in a timely manner to changes in traffic patterns;
•the cost of advertising and media;
•inflation or deflation, unemployment rates, interest rates, and increases in various costs, such as real estate and insurance costs;
•risks associated with labor disputes, labor unions, or our ability to offset higher labor costs;
•adverse weather conditions, natural disasters and other disasters, especially in local or regional areas in which our shops are concentrated;
•our ability to grow our digital business;
•litigation or legal complaints alleging, among other things, illness, injury or violations of federal and state workplace and employment laws and our ability to obtain and maintain required licenses and permits;
•government actions and policies; tax and other legislation; regulation of the restaurant industry; and accounting standards or pronouncements;
•security breaches of confidential customer information in connection with our electronic processing of credit and debit card transactions or the failure of our information technology system;
•the volatility of our common stock and actions by activist stockholders;
•our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property;
•the costs associated with complying or meeting environmental, social and governance regulations and stakeholder expectations;
•the impact of climate-related risks on our financial results, leased premises and operations; and
•other factors discussed under “Business” in Item 1, “Risk Factors” in Item 1A and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K.
These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements included in this document. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks of which we are not aware or which we currently do not believe to be material, may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our
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forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
You should read this prospectus completely and with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and achievements may be different from what we expect and that these differences may be material. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
POTBELLY CORPORATION
Potbelly Corporation is a sandwich concept that has been feeding customers’ smiles with warm, toasty sandwiches, signature salads, hand-dipped shakes, freshly-baked cookies and other fresh menu items, customized just the way customers want them, for more than 40 years. Potbelly promises Fresh, Fast & Friendly service in a welcoming environment that reflects the local neighborhood. Our employees are trained to engage with our customers in a genuine way to provide a personalized experience. We believe the combination of our great food, people and atmosphere creates a devoted base of Potbelly customers.
We believe that a key to our past and future success is our culture. It is embodied in The Potbelly Way, which is an expression of our Vision, Mission and Values, and the foundation of everything we do. Our Vision is to be the most loved sandwich brand in every neighborhood. Our Mission is to delight customers with great food and good vibes. Our Values embody both how we lead and how we behave and form the cornerstone of our culture. We use clear language that resonates from the frontline associate to the most senior levels of the organization, creating shared expectations and accountabilities in how we approach our day-to-day activities. We strive to be a fun, friendly and hardworking group of people who enjoy taking care of our customers, while at the same time taking care of each other.
As of December 31, 2023, we had 424 shops in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Of these, the Company operated 345 shops and franchisees operated 79 shops.
We were incorporated in Delaware in June 2001 as Potbelly Sandwich Works, Inc. and changed our name to Potbelly Corporation in 2002. Our principal offices are located at 111 North Canal Street, Suite 325, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and our telephone number is (312) 951-0600. We maintain a website with the address www.potbelly.com. The contents of our website are not incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves risks. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in any applicable prospectus supplement and under the caption “Risk Factors” in any of our filings with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, which are incorporated herein by reference, before you decide whether to purchase any of our securities. These risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and you may lose part or all of your investment. For more information, see the section of this prospectus titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless stated otherwise in a prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of securities described in this prospectus will be used for general corporate purposes.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following is a description of certain general terms and provisions of our common stock and preferred stock. This description does not purport to be complete and is subject in all respects to applicable Delaware law and qualified by reference to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws. Copies of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws are incorporated by reference herein and will be provided to stockholders upon request. See “Where Can You Find More Information.”
General
The Company’s authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock. As of April 28, 2024, we had 29,358,757 shares of common stock and no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each outstanding share of common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting in connection with the election of directors, and accordingly, holders of more than 50% of the shares voting are able to elect all of the directors. The holders of a majority of the shares of common stock issued and outstanding constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, holders of outstanding shares of common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of assets legally available at the times and in the amounts as the board of directors may from time to time determine.
Liquidation Rights
Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of preferred stock of the Company then outstanding, in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our assets that are legally available for distribution, after payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any holders of preferred stock then outstanding.
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Redemption, Conversion or Preemptive Rights
Holders of common stock have no redemption rights, conversion rights or preemptive rights to subscribe to any or all additional issues of shares of capital stock the Company or securities convertible into capital stock of the Company.
Listing
Currently, our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “PBPB.”
Preferred Stock
We are authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, from time to time, in one or more series. Our board of directors may, without further action by our stockholders, from time to time, direct the issuance of shares of preferred stock in series and may, at the time of issuance, determine the designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights as well as the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of the common stock. Satisfaction of any dividend preferences of outstanding shares of preferred stock would reduce the amount of funds available for the payment of dividends on shares of our common stock. Holders of shares of preferred stock may be entitled to receive a preference payment in the event of our liquidation before any payment is made to the holders of shares of our common stock. Under specified circumstances, the issuance of shares of preferred stock may render more difficult or tend to discourage a merger, tender offer or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our securities or the removal of incumbent management. Upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office, our board of directors, without stockholder approval, may issue shares of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights that could adversely affect the holders of shares of our common stock and the market value of our common stock.
Prior to the issuance of shares of each series, the board of directors is required by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to adopt resolutions and file a certificate of designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The certificate of designation fixes for each class or series the designations, powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences.
All shares of preferred stock offered by this prospectus will, when issued, be fully paid and non-assessable and will not have any preemptive or similar rights. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in our control and may adversely affect the market price of the common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock.
We will describe in a prospectus supplement relating to the class or series of preferred stock being offered the following terms:
•the title and stated value of the preferred stock;
•the number of shares of the preferred stock offered, the liquidation preference per share and the offering price of the preferred stock;
•the dividend rate(s), period(s) or payment date(s) or method(s) of calculation applicable to the preferred stock;
•whether dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends on the preferred stock will accumulate;
•the procedures for any auction and remarketing, if any, for the preferred stock;
•the provisions for a sinking fund, if any, for the preferred stock;
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•the provision for redemption, if applicable, of the preferred stock;
•any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange;
•the terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred stock will be convertible into common stock, including the conversion price or manner of calculation and conversion period;
•voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock;
•a discussion of any material or special U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock;
•the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs;
•any limitations on issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the class or series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; and
•any other specific terms, preferences, rights, limitations or restrictions of the preferred stock.
Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the preferred stock will rank, relating to dividends and upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up:
•senior to all classes or series of our common stock and to all of our equity securities ranking junior to the preferred stock;
•on a parity with all of our equity securities the terms of which specifically provide that the equity securities rank on a parity with the preferred stock; and
•junior to all of our equity securities the terms of which specifically provide that the equity securities rank senior to the preferred stock.
The term equity securities does not include convertible debt securities.
Exclusive Forum
The Company’s certificate of incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in the name of the Company, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware. Although the Company believes this provision benefits the Company by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against the Company’s directors and officers.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Under the DGCL, a Delaware corporation may include in its certificate of incorporation a provision that, subject to the limitations described below, eliminates or limits the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of fiduciary duty as a director. Such a provision may not eliminate or limit the liability of a director for (i) any breach of the duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) the willful or negligent payment of unlawful dividends or purchases or redemptions of shares of stock, or (iv) transactions from which such director derived an improper personal benefit.
The DGCL also provides that a Delaware corporation has the power to indemnify any person who is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee of another entity, against reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, in actions not brought by or in the right of the corporation, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, in each case, actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, but only if such person acted in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that in any action brought by or
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in the right of the corporation, such indemnification may not be made if such person is adjudged liable to the corporation (unless otherwise determined by the court in which such action, suit or proceeding was brought or the Delaware Court of Chancery). In addition, under Delaware law, to the extent that a present or former director or officer of a Delaware corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above or any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she must be indemnified by the corporation against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her. Furthermore, under Delaware law, a Delaware corporation is permitted to maintain directors’ and officers’ insurance.
Our certificate of incorporation limits the liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and our bylaws provide that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by such law. We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Delaware law and the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may prevent or discourage a third party from acquiring the Company, even if the acquisition would be beneficial to our stockholders.
Pursuant to the certificate of incorporation, our board of directors have the authority to create one or more series of preferred stock of the Company and to fix the designations and the powers, preferences and rights, if any, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions, if any, of shares of such new series of preferred stock of the Company and to issue shares of such series without a stockholder vote, which could be used to dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer.
Pursuant to the certificate of incorporation, our board of directors have the power to amend the bylaws of the Company, which may allow our board of directors to take certain actions to prevent an unsolicited takeover.
The Company is also subject to Delaware law prohibiting the Company from engaging in any “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years subsequent to the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder unless:
•prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction in which the stockholder became an interested stockholder;
•upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of the outstanding voting stock (with certain exclusions); or
•at or after the person becomes an interested stockholder, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized by a vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of the Company not owned by the interested stockholder.
For purposes of Delaware law, an “interested stockholder” generally is defined as an entity or person (other than the corporation and any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the corporation) directly or indirectly beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated or associated with such entity or person.
For purposes of Delaware law, a “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in financial benefit to a stockholder. This Delaware law could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change of control attempts with respect to the Company and, accordingly, may discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by stockholders of the Company.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the Company’s common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the prospectus supplement the extent to which the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
As used in this section only, “Potbelly,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to Potbelly Corporation, excluding its subsidiaries, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
•the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions);
•any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
•the date or dates on which the principal of and premium, if any, on the debt securities is payable and/or the method of determination thereof;
•the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
•place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered;
•the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;
•the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities;
•the obligation, if any, of Potbelly to redeem or purchase debt securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions (including payments made in cash in participation of future sinking fund
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obligations) or at the option of a holder thereof and the period or periods within which (or manner of determining the same), the price or prices at which (or manner of determining the same), and the terms and
•conditions upon which, debt securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
•the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations;
•the form of the debt securities of the series;
•the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
•whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;
•the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;
•if other than U.S. dollars, the currency in which the debt securities will be paid or denominated;
•if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined;
•the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or designated to be payable or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
•any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;
•any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
•any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
•the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange;
•if other than the trustee, the identity of the trustee, the registrar, paying agent and custodian for the depositary; and
•any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities.
We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set
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forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary.
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.
No Protection In the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person (a “successor person”) unless:
•we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than us) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and
•immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.
Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us.
Events of Default
“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
•default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of that default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period);
•default in the payment of principal of any debt security of that series at its maturity;
•default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive
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written notice from the trustee or Potbelly and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture;
•certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of Potbelly; or
•any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain of our indebtedness or that of our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. Such acceleration will not be effective until the earlier of (1) the acceleration of indebtedness under our senior secured credit facilities or (2) five business Days after receipt by us of written notice of such acceleration, at which time the principal, premium, if any, interest and any other monetary obligations on all the then outstanding series of debt securities will become due and payable immediately. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in exercising such right of power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.
No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
•that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and
•the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered reasonable indemnity or security, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days.
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
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The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the debt securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the debt securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify and amend the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
•to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
•to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets;”
•to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities;
•to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities;
•to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture;
•to add covenants for the benefit of the holders or to surrender any right or power conferred upon Potbelly;
•to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or
•to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments.
We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
•reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
•reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security;
•reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities;
•reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;
•waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
•make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security;
•make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; and
•waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security.
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our
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compliance with provisions of the indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
•we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and
•any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series (“covenant defeasance”).
The conditions include:
•depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and
•delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred.
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Covenant Defeasance and Events of Default. In the event we exercise our option to effect covenant defeasance with respect to any series of debt securities and the debt securities of that series are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any Event of Default, the amount of money and/or U.S. government obligations or foreign government obligations on deposit with the trustee will be sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of their stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of the acceleration resulting from the Event of Default. However, we shall remain liable for those payments.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the State of New York.
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
We may issue warrants, including warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or as part of a unit with any other securities and may be attached to or separate from the underlying securities. We may issue warrants directly or under a warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent, as detailed in the prospectus supplement relating to warrants being offered. Any warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants of a particular series and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.
A prospectus supplement relating to any warrants being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering, including a description of any other securities sold together with the warrants. These items will include:
•the title of the warrants;
•the aggregate number of the warrants;
•the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;
•the designation, amount and terms of the common stock, preferred stock or debt securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and procedures by which those numbers may be adjusted;
•the designation and terms of the other offered securities, if any, with which the warrants are issued and the number of the warrants issued with each security;
•if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the offered securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable;
•the price or prices at which the offered securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;
•the date on which the right to exercise the warrants shall commence and the date on which the right shall expire;
•the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
•the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants;
•any terms relating to the modification of the warrants;
•the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;
•information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
•discussion of any material federal income tax considerations; and
•any other material terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the transferability, exchange, exercise or redemption of the warrants.
The descriptions of the warrants in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement are summaries of the applicable provisions of the applicable agreements. These descriptions do not restate those agreements in their entirety and do not contain all of the information that you may find useful. We urge you to read the applicable agreements because they, and not the summaries, define your rights as holders of the warrants or any warrant units.
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For more information, please review the form of the relevant agreements, which will be filed with the SEC promptly after the offering of the warrants or warrant units and will be available as described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
We may issue units consisting of one or more debt securities, shares of preferred stock, or shares of common stock, or any combination of such of our securities, as specified in a related prospectus supplement.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may from time to time offer and/or sell some or all of the securities covered by this prospectus. Registration of securities covered by this prospectus does not mean, however, that those securities necessarily will be offered or sold. We may sell the securities in any of three ways (or in any combination) from time to time:
•to or through underwriters or dealers for resale;
•directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser; or
•through agents.
The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering of such securities, including:
•the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of shares underwritten or purchased by each of them;
•the public offering price of the securities;
•the net proceeds to us;
•any discounts, commissions or concessions or other compensation allowed or reallowed or paid to underwriters, dealers or agents; and
•any exchange or market on which the securities are listed or to which application will be made to list the securities.
We may designate agents to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment and to sell securities on a continuing basis, including pursuant to “at the market offerings.”
We may offer these securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or through underwriters without a syndicate. If underwriters are used, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Unless otherwise indicated in the related prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to customary conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the securities offered if any of the securities are purchased. Underwriters may sell securities to or through dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
Underwriters and agents may from time to time purchase and sell the securities described in this prospectus and the relevant prospectus supplement in the secondary market, but are not obligated to do so. No assurance can be given that there will be a secondary market for the securities or liquidity in the secondary market if one develops. From time to time, underwriters and agents may make a market in the securities.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of these securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on these securities. Specifically, the underwriters may over-allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position in the securities for their own accounts. In addition, to cover over-allotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of
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underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering, if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities, and may end any of these activities at any time.
Underwriters named in a prospectus supplement are, and dealers and agents named in a prospectus supplement may be, deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with the securities offered thereby, and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. We may have agreements with the underwriters, agents and dealers to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect of these liabilities. Underwriters, agents and dealers may engage in transactions with or perform services for Potbelly or our subsidiaries and affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
One or more firms, referred to as “remarketing firms,” may also offer or sell the securities, if the prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the securities in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to the terms of the securities. The prospectus supplement will identify any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm’s compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities they remarket. Remarketing firms may be entitled under agreements that may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
Unless indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we do not expect to apply to list the securities on a securities exchange.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Greenberg Traurig, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and counsel for any underwriters or agents, if any, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the reports of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information we file with the SEC. This means that we are disclosing important information to you by referring to other documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, except for any information superseded by information contained directly in this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC under the Exchange Act will automatically update information in this prospectus. In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information included in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below (other than any portions thereof, that, under the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules, are not deemed “filed”
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under the Exchange Act) and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of the offering of securities covered by this prospectus:
•Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023;
•Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024;
•Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 12, 2024;
•Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 5, 2024 (solely with respect to those portions incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023); and
•The description of our common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on September 30, 2013, including any amendments or reports filed for the purposes of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 8, 2024.
All other documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the initial filing of the registration statement and prior to the termination of the offering of securities covered by this prospectus shall also be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and to be a part hereof from the respective dates of the filing of such documents (other than any such documents, or portions thereof that, under the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules, are not deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act). If we have incorporated by reference any statement or information in this prospectus and we subsequently modify that statement or information with information contained in this prospectus or a subsequent incorporated document, the statement or information previously incorporated in this prospectus is also modified or superseded in the same manner.
You may also request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by visiting our website at www.potbelly.com or by writing or telephoning us at:
Potbelly Corporation
111 N. Canal Street, Suite 325
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Phone: (312) 951-0600
111 N. Canal Street, Suite 325
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Phone: (312) 951-0600
Exhibits to any documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have been specifically referenced in this prospectus. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information contained on our website as part of this prospectus.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the fees and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the sale of the securities being registered hereby:
| Amount to be paid | |||||
SEC Registration Fee | $ 8,183(1) | ||||
Accounting Fees and Expenses | * | ||||
Legal Fees and Expenses | * | ||||
Transfer Agent and Registrar Fees and Expenses | * | ||||
Miscellaneous | * | ||||
Total | * | ||||
(1) In accordance with Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, the filing fee previously paid in connection with the securities registered in the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-255845), all of which remain unsold, will continue to be applied to the securities registered under this Registration Statement. Please see the registration fee table contained in Exhibit 107 to this registration statement for more information.
* The foregoing sets forth the general categories of fees and expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) that we anticipate we will incur in connection with the offering of securities under this registration statement. Because an indeterminate amount of securities is covered by this registration statement, certain expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of securities are not currently determinable. An estimate of the aggregate fees and expenses in connection with each sale of securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The Company is governed by the DGCL. Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or completed legal action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person was or is an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided such officer, director, employee or agent acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the corporation’s best interest and, for criminal proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or contemplated action or suit by or in the right of such corporation, under the same conditions, except that such indemnification is limited to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person, and except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if such person is adjudged to be liable to such corporation. Where an officer or director of a corporation is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or any claim, issue or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify that person against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) which such officer or director actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.
The Company’s amended and restated by-laws authorize the indemnification of its officers and directors, consistent with Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended. The Company has entered into
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indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers. These agreements, among other things, require the Company to indemnify each director and executive officer to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, including advancement of expenses such as attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by the director or executive officer in any action or proceeding, including any action or proceeding by or in right of the Company, arising out of the person’s services as a director or executive officer.
Under the Company’s certificate of incorporation, a director of the Company will not be liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL. Reference is made to Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, which enables a corporation in its original certificate of incorporation or an amendment thereto to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director for violations of the director’s fiduciary duty, except (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, which provides for liability of directors for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions or (iv) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.
The Company maintains standard policies of insurance that provide coverage (i) to its directors and officers against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and (ii) to the Company with respect to indemnification payments that it may make to such directors and officers.
Item 16. Exhibits.
See the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the signature pages of this registration statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or
II-2
furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in this registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into this registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in this registration statement or prospectus that was part of this registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
II-3
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
II-4
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit No. | Description | ||||
1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | ||||
4.1 | |||||
4.2 | |||||
4.3 | |||||
4.4* | Form of Debt Security. | ||||
4.5* | Form of Warrant Agreement. | ||||
4.6* | Form of Warrant Certificate. | ||||
4.7* | Form of Unit Agreement. | ||||
5.1 | |||||
23.1 | |||||
23.2 | |||||
24.1 | Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page to this registration statement). | ||||
25.1** | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. | ||||
107.1 | |||||
| * | To be filed, if applicable, by amendment or by a current report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein prior to the issuance of the applicable securities. | ||||
| ** | To be filed pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. | ||||
II-5
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on May 8, 2024.
| POTBELLY CORPORATION | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Robert D. Wright | |||||||
| Name: | Robert D. Wright | |||||||
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |||||||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each of the undersigned officers and directors of Potbelly Corporation hereby severally constitutes and appoints Robert D. Wright, Steven Cirulis and Adiya Dixon, as the attorneys-in-fact for the undersigned, in any and all capacities, with full power of substitution, to sign any and all pre- or post-effective amendments to this registration statement, any subsequent registration statement for the same offering which may be filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any and all pre-and post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||
/s/ Robert D. Wright Robert D. Wright | President and Chief Executive Officer; Director (principal executive officer) | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ Steven W. Cirulis Steven W. Cirulis | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ Joseph Boehm Joseph Boehm | Chairman of the Board | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ Vann Avedisian Vann Avedisian | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ Adrian Butler Adrian Butler | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ Jill Sutton Jill Sutton | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ David Head David Head | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ David J. Near David J. Near | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ David Pearson David Pearson | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
/s/ Todd W. Smith Todd W. Smith | Director | May 8, 2024 | ||||||
Exhibit 107.1
Calculation of Filing Fee Tables
Form S-3
(Form Type)
Potbelly Corporation
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Table 1: Newly Registered Securities
| Security Type | Security Class Title | Fee Calculation or Carry Forward Rule | Amount Registered | Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit | Maximum Aggregate Offering Price | Fee Rate | Amount of Registration Fee | Carry Forward Form Type | Carry Forward File Number | Carry Forward Initial Effective Date | Filing Fee Previously Paid in Connection with Unsold Securities to be Carried Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Newly Registered Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fees to be Paid | Equity | Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | (1) | (2) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity | Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share | (1) | (2) | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | Warrants | (1) | (2) | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | Units | (1) | (2) | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unallocated (Universal) Shelf | - | 457(o) | (1) | (2) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carry Forward Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carry Forward Securities | Equity | Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | (3) | - | - | S-3 | 333-255845 | May 13, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity | Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share | (3) | - | - | S-3 | 333-255845 | May 13, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | Warrants | (3) | - | - | S-3 | 333-255845 | May 13, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | Units | (3) | - | - | S-3 | 333-255845 | May 13, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unallocated (Universal) Shelf | - | 415(a)(6) | (3) | $75,000,000 | - | S-3 | 333-255845 | May 13, 2021 | $8,183 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Offering Amounts | $75,000,000 | - | $8,183 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Fees Previously Paid | $8,183 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Fee Offsets | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Fee Due | $0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exhibit 107.1
(1)An indeterminate amount of securities of each identified class is being registered as may from time to time be offered pursuant to this registration statement at indeterminate prices, along with an indeterminate number of shares that may be issued upon exercise, settlement, exchange or conversion of securities offered or sold hereunder. These securities may also be sold separately, together or as units with the other securities registered hereunder. The securities registered hereunder will have an aggregate offering price that does not exceed $75 million or the equivalent in any other currency, currency unit or units, or composite currency or currencies. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable upon exercise, settlement, conversion or exchange of other securities or that are issued in units. Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s securities that become issuable by reason of any stock split, stock dividends, recapitalization, or other similar transactions.
(2)The proposed maximum aggregate offering price per class of security will be determined from time to time by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder and is not specified as to each class of security pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3 under the Securities Act.
(3)Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, the securities registered pursuant to this registration statement include $75,000,000 of unsold securities (the “Unsold Securities”) previously registered pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-255845), which initially became effective upon filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2021 (the “Prior Registration Statement”). The registrant paid filing fees for the Unsold Securities in an aggregate amount of $8,183. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, the Unsold Securities are being carried forward and the filing fee previously paid in connection with the Unsold Securities will continue to be applied to the Unsold Securities registered hereunder, and no additional filing fee is due with respect to the Unsold Securities in connection with the filing of this registration statement. To the extent that, after the filing date hereof and prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, the registrant sells any Unsold Securities pursuant to the Prior Registration Statement, the registrant will identify in a pre-effective amendment to this registration statement the updated number of Unsold Securities from the Prior Registration Statement to be included in this registration statement pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) and the updated amount of new securities to be registered on this registration statement. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6), the offering of securities under the Prior Registration Statement will be deemed terminated as of the date of effectiveness of this registration statement.
Exhibit 4.3
POTBELLY CORPORATION
____________________________________
FORM OF INDENTURE
Dated as of , 20
____________________________________
[Name of Trustee]
Trustee
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| page | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 1.1. | Definitions. | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 1.2. | Other Definitions. | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 1.3. | Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 1.4. | Rules of Construction. | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE II. THE SECURITIES | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.1. | Issuable in Series. | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.2. | Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities. | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.3. | Execution and Authentication. | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.4. | Registrar and Paying Agent. | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.5. | Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.6. | Securityholder Lists. | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.7. | Transfer and Exchange. | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.8. | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities. | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.9. | Outstanding Securities. | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.10. | Treasury Securities. | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.11. | Temporary Securities. | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.12. | Cancellation. | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.13. | Defaulted Interest. | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.14. | Global Securities. | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2.15. | CUSIP Numbers. | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE III. REDEMPTION | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 3.1. | Notice to Trustee. | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 3.2. | Selection of Securities to be Redeemed. | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 3.3. | Notice of Redemption. | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 3.4. | Effect of Notice of Redemption. | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 3.5. | Deposit of Redemption Price. | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 3.6. | Securities Redeemed in Part. | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 4.1. | Payment of Principal and Interest. | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 4.2. | SEC Reports. | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 4.3. | Compliance Certificate. | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 4.4. | Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 4.5. | Corporate Existence. | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE V. SUCCESSORS | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 5.1. | When Company May Merge, Etc. | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 5.2. | Successor Corporation Substituted. | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.1. | Events of Default. | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.2. | Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment. | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.3. | Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.4. | Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.5. | Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities. | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.6. | Application of Money Collected. | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
1
| Section 6.7. | Limitation on Suits. | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.8. | Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest. | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.9. | Restoration of Rights and Remedies. | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.10. | Rights and Remedies Cumulative. | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.11. | Delay or Omission Not Waiver. | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.12. | Control by Holders. | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.13. | Waiver of Past Defaults. | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 6.14. | Undertaking for Costs. | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE VII. TRUSTEE | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.1. | Duties of Trustee. | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.2. | Rights of Trustee. | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.3. | Individual Rights of Trustee. | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.4. | Trustee’s Disclaimer. | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.5. | Notice of Defaults. | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.6. | Reports by Trustee to Holders. | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.7. | Compensation and Indemnity. | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.8. | Replacement of Trustee. | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.9. | Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.10. | Eligibility; Disqualification. | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 7.11. | Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE VIII. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 8.1. | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 8.2. | Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification. | 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 8.3. | Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series. | 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 8.4. | Covenant Defeasance. | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 8.5. | Repayment to Company. | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 8.6. | Reinstatement. | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.1. | Without Consent of Holders. | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.2. | With Consent of Holders. | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.3. | Limitations. | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.4. | Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.5. | Revocation and Effect of Consents. | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.6. | Notation on or Exchange of Securities. | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 9.7. | Trustee Protected. | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS | 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.1. | Trust Indenture Act Controls. | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.2. | Notices. | 32 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.3. | Communication by Holders with Other Holders. | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.4. | Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.5. | Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.6. | Rules by Trustee and Agents. | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.7. | Legal Holidays. | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.8. | No Recourse Against Others. | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.9. | Counterparts. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.10. | Governing Laws. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.11. | No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2
| Section 10.12. | Successors. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.13. | Severability. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.14. | Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.15. | Securities in a Foreign Currency. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.16. | Judgment Currency. | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 10.17. | Force Majeure. | 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE XI. SINKING FUNDS | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 11.1. | Applicability of Article. | 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 11.2. | Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities. | 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 11.3. | Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTICLE XII. SUBORDINATION | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 12.1 | Additional Subordination Terms | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||
3
Potbelly Corporation
Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and
Indenture, dated as of , 20
| § 310(a)(1) | 7.10 | |||||||
| (a)(2) | 7.10 | |||||||
| (a)(3) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| (a)(4) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| (a)(5) | 7.10 | |||||||
| (b) | 7.10 | |||||||
| § 311(a) | 7.11 | |||||||
| (b) | 7.11 | |||||||
| (c) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| § 312(a) | 2.6 | |||||||
| (b) | 10.3 | |||||||
| (c) | 10.3 | |||||||
| § 313(a) | 7.6 | |||||||
| (b)(1) | 7.6 | |||||||
| (b)(2) | 7.6 | |||||||
| (c)(1) | 7.6 | |||||||
| (d) | 7.6 | |||||||
| § 314(a) | 4.2, 10.5 | |||||||
| (b) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| (c)(1) | 10.4 | |||||||
| (c)(2) | 10.4 | |||||||
| (c)(3) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| (d) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| (e) | 10.5 | |||||||
| (f) | Not Applicable | |||||||
| § 315(a) | 7.1 | |||||||
| (b) | 7.5 | |||||||
| (c) | 7.1 | |||||||
| (d) | 7.1 | |||||||
| (e) | 6.14 | |||||||
| § 316(a) | 2.10 | |||||||
| (a)(1)(A) | 6.12 | |||||||
| (a)(1)(B) | 6.13 | |||||||
| (b) | 6.8 | |||||||
| § 317(a)(1) | 6.3 | |||||||
| (a)(2) | 6.4 | |||||||
| (b) | 2.5 | |||||||
| § 318(a) | 10.1 | |||||||
| Note: | This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture. | ||||
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Indenture dated as of , 20 between Potbelly Corporation, a Delaware company (“Company”), and [ ] (“Trustee”).
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Section 1.1. Definitions.
“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.
“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York (or in connection with any payment, the place of payment) on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
“Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock.
“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business related to this Indenture shall be principally administered.
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depositary for such Series by the Company, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of such Series.
“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of The United States of America.
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“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of The United States of America.
“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.
“GAAP” means (1) generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America which are in effect as of the date of determination or (2) if elected by the Company by written notice to the Trustee in connection with the delivery of financial statements and information, the accounting standards and interpretations (“IFRS”) adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board, as in effect on the first date of the period for which the Company is making such election; provided, that (a) any such election once made shall be irrevocable, (b) all financial statements and reports required to be provided after such election pursuant to this Indenture shall be prepared on the basis of IFRS, (c) from and after such election, all determinations based on GAAP contained in this Indenture shall be computed in conformity with IFRS, (d) in connection with the delivery of financial statements (x) for any of its first three financial quarters of any financial year, it shall restate its consolidated interim financial statements for such interim financial period and the comparable period in the prior year to the extent previously prepared in accordance with GAAP as in effect as of the date of determination and (y) for delivery of audited annual financial information, it shall provide consolidated historical financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS for the prior most recent fiscal year to the extent previously prepared in accordance with GAAP as in effect as of the date of determination.
“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depositary for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.
“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered.
“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.
“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
“Officer” means the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, President, any Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or Vice President, member, partner, Treasurer or Secretary of the Company.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.
“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.
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“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.
“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified person:
(1) any corporation, association, or other business entity (other than a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity) of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time of determination owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof; and
(2) any partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity of which
(a) more than 50% of the capital accounts, distribution rights, total equity and voting interests or general or limited partnership interests, as applicable, are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof whether in the form of membership, general, special or limited partnership or otherwise; and
(b) such person is a general partner or otherwise controls such entity.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb), as amended and as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.
“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are direct obligations of, or guaranteed by, The United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
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Section 1.2. Other Definitions.
| TERM | DEFINED IN SECTION | |||||||
“Bankruptcy Law” | 6.1 | |||||||
“Custodian” | 6.1 | |||||||
“Event of Default” | 6.1 | |||||||
“Judgment Currency” | 10.16 | |||||||
“Legal Holiday” | 10.7 | |||||||
“mandatory sinking fund payment” | 11.1 | |||||||
“New York Banking Day” | 10.16 | |||||||
“Notice Agent” | 2.4 | |||||||
“optional sinking fund payment” | 11.1 | |||||||
“Paying Agent” | 2.4 | |||||||
“Registrar” | 2.4 | |||||||
“Required Currency” | 10.16 | |||||||
“successor person” | 5.1 | |||||||
Section 1.3. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
“indenture securities” means the Securities.
“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.
Section 1.4. Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(c) “or” is not exclusive;
(d) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and
(e) provisions apply to successive events and transactions.
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ARTICLE II.
THE SECURITIES
Section 2.1. Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
Section 2.2. Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.
At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2.1 and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.24) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate:
2.2.1. the title (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series) and ranking (including the terms of any subordination provisions) of the Series;
2.2.2. the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;
2.2.3. any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);
2.2.4. the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;
2.2.5. the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
2.2.6. the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
2.2.7. if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
2.2.8. the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
2.2.9. the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;
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2.2.10. if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;
2.2.11. the forms of the Securities of the Series and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities;
2.2.12. if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
2.2.13. the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
2.2.14. the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;
2.2.15. if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;
2.2.16. the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
2.2.17. the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series;
2.2.18. any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;
2.2.19. any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;
2.2.20. any Depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;
2.2.21. the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of such Series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price, the conversion or exchange period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, at the option of the Holders thereof or at the option of the Company, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange if such Series of Securities are redeemed; and
2.2.22. any other terms of the Series (which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series), including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that Series.
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate referred to above.
Section 2.3. Execution and Authentication.
An Officer shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
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A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual or facsimile signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officer’s Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice-presidents or a committee of Responsible Officers shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
Section 2.4. Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered (“Notice Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional notice agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional notice agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Notice Agent” includes any additional notice agent. The Company or any of its Affiliates may serve as Registrar or Paying Agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.
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Section 2.5. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities.
Section 2.6. Securityholder Lists.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.
Section 2.7. Transfer and Exchange.
Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.
Section 2.8. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity bond as may be required by each of them to hold itself and any of its agents harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
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Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 2.9. Outstanding Securities.
The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
The Company may purchase or otherwise acquire the Securities, whether by open market purchases, negotiated transactions or otherwise. A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
Section 2.10. Treasury Securities.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11. Temporary Securities.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon receipt of a Company Order shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.
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Section 2.12. Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy such canceled Securities (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act and the Trustee) and deliver a certificate of such cancellation to the Company upon written request of the Company. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.13. Defaulted Interest.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least 10 days before the special record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.
Section 2.14. Global Securities.
2.14.1. Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities.
2.14.2. Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depositary for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event or (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.
Except as provided in this Section 2.14.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depositary, by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.
2.14.3. Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depositary or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.”
2.14.4. Acts of Holders. The Depositary, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.
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2.14.5. Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.
2.14.6. Consents, Declaration and Directions. Except as provided in Section 2.14.4, the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depositary or by the applicable procedures of such Depositary with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.
Section 2.15. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION
Section 3.1. Notice to Trustee.
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 15 days before the redemption date.
Section 3.2. Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed in any manner that the Trustee deems fair and appropriate, including by lot or other method, unless otherwise required by law or applicable stock exchange requirements, subject, in the case of Global Securities, to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities of the Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2.10, the minimum principal denomination for each Series and the authorized integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption.
Section 3.3. Notice of Redemption.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, at least 15 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
(a) the redemption date;
(b) the redemption price;
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(c) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(d) if any Securities are being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date and upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Security shall be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Security;
(e) that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(f) that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date unless the Company defaults in the deposit of the redemption price;
(g) the CUSIP number, if any; and
(h) any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.
At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense, provided, however, that the Company has delivered to the Trustee, at least three days (unless a shorter time shall be acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the notice date, an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice.
Section 3.4. Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once notice of redemption is mailed as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. Except as otherwise provided in the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate for a Series, a notice of redemption may not be conditional. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date.
Section 3.5. Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.
Section 3.6. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
ARTICLE IV.
COVENANTS
Section 4.1. Payment of Principal and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture. On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the applicable payment date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of each Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
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Section 4.2. SEC Reports.
To the extent any Securities of a Series are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA § 314(a). Reports, information and documents filed with the SEC via the EDGAR system will be deemed to be delivered to the Trustee as of the time of such filing via EDGAR for purposes of this Section 4.2.
Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under this Section 4.2 are for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive or actual notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of their covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).
Section 4.3. Compliance Certificate.
To the extent any Securities of a Series are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officer’s Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his/her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which the Officer may have knowledge).
The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, within 30 Business Days of any Officer becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 4.4. Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities; and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
Section 4.5. Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and rights (charter and statutory); provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.
ARTICLE V.
SUCCESSORS
Section 5.1. When Company May Merge, Etc.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”) unless:
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(a) the Company is the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture; and
(b) immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officer’s Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.
Notwithstanding the above, any Subsidiary of the Company may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to the Company. Neither an Officer’s Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered in connection therewith.
Section 5.2. Successor Corporation Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
ARTICLE VI.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.1. Events of Default.
“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(a) default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the 30th day of such period); or
(b) default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; or
(c) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than defaults pursuant to paragraphs (a) or (b) above or pursuant to a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or
(d) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(i) commences a voluntary case,
(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,
(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
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(v) generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or
(e) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,
(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or
(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company,
and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or
(f) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.
The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
Section 6.2. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(d) or (e)) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series 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) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. Such acceleration will not be effective until the earlier of (1) the acceleration of indebtedness under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities or (2) five Business Days after receipt by the Company of written notice of such acceleration, at which time the principal, premium, if any, interest and any other monetary obligations on all the then outstanding Securities of that Series will become due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.3. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if
(a) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(b) default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or
(c) default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, if any, when and as due by the terms of a Security,
then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
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If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 6.4. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 6.5. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 6.6. Application of Money Collected.
Any money or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
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First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and
Third: To the Company.
Section 6.7. Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless
(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;
(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Trustee in compliance with such request;
(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;
it being understood, intended and expressly covenanted by the Holder of every Security with every other Holder and the Trustee that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders of the applicable Series.
Section 6.8. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.9. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
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Section 6.10. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 6.11. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 6.12. Control by Holders.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that
(a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,
(b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction,
(c) subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability, and
(d) prior to taking any action as directed under this Section 6.12, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
Section 6.13. Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.14. Undertaking for Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder
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for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).
ARTICLE VII.
TRUSTEE
Section 7.1. Duties of Trustee.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(i) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others.
(ii) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the form requirements of this Indenture.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own bad faith, its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.
(ii) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(iii) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series in accordance with Section 6.12.
(d) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.
(e) The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
(g) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if adequate indemnity against such risk is not assured to the Trustee in its satisfaction.
(h) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections and immunities as are set forth in paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of this Section and in Section 7.2, each with respect to the Trustee.
Section 7.2. Rights of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
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(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.
(c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depositary shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depositary.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute bad faith, willful misconduct or negligence.
(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without bad faith, willful misconduct or negligence, and in reliance thereon.
(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(g) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.
(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture.
(i) In no event shall the Trustee be liable to any person for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.
(j) The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so.
Section 7.3. Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
Section 7.4. Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.
Section 7.5. Notice of Defaults.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a
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committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.
Section 7.6. Reports by Trustee to Holders.
Within 60 days after [ ] in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such [ ] 1, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA § 313.
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each national securities exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing when Securities of any Series are listed on any national securities exchange.
Section 7.7. Compensation and Indemnity.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any cost, expense or liability, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder, unless and to the extent that the Company is materially prejudiced thereby. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through bad faith, willful misconduct or negligence.
To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture.
Section 7.8. Replacement of Trustee.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:
(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
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(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;
(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it for actions taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with its rights, powers and duties under this Indenture prior to such replacement.
Section 7.9. Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee, subject to Section 7.10.
Section 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b).
Section 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated.
ARTICLE VIII.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
Section 8.1. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(a) either
(i) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
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(ii) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(1) have become due and payable, or
(2) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(3) have been called for redemption or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or
(4) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable;
and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.
Section 8.2. Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.3 or 8.4.
(b) The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.
(c) The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Order any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Sections 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.
Section 8.3. Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.
Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2.20, to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, execute instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
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(a) the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;
(b) the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and
(c) the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith;
provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(d) the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;
(e) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;
(f) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;
(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;
(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(i) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Section 8.4. Covenant Defeasance.
Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2.20 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2.20 (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2.18 and designated as an Event of Default shall not
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constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(a) With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;
(b) Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;
(c) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;
(d) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred;
(e) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(f) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Section 8.5. Repayment to Company.
Subject to applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.
Section 8.6. Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money deposited with respect to Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 8.1 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series and under the Securities of such Series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.1 until such time as the Trustee or the Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.1; provided, however, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
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Section 9.1. Without Consent of Holders.
The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
(b) to comply with Article V;
(c) to provide for certificated securities in addition to or in place of uncertificated securities;
(d) to make any change that does not materially adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;
(e) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;
(f) to add covenants for the benefit of the Securityholders or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company;
(g) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; or
(h) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA.
Section 9.2. With Consent of Holders.
The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.3. Limitations.
Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:
(a) reduce the principal amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(b) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;
(c) reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;
(d) reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;
(e) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
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(f) make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;
(g) make any change in Sections 6.8, 6.13 or 9.3 (this sentence); or
(h) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, provided that such redemption is made at the Company’s option.
Section 9.4. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.
Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
Section 9.5. Revocation and Effect of Consents.
Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.
Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.
Section 9.6. Notation on or Exchange of Securities.
The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
Section 9.7. Trustee Protected.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both complying with Section 10.4. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures upon delivery of such an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel or both, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 10.1. Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 10.2. Notices.
Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:
if to the Company:
Potbelly Corporation
111 N. Canal St., Suite 325
31
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Attention: Chief Legal Officer
Telephone: (312) 951-0600
with a copy to:
[ ]
Attention: [Name]
Telephone: [ ]
if to the Trustee:
[ ]
Attention: [ ]
Telephone: [ ]
with a copy to:
[ ]
Attention: [ ]
Telephone: [ ]
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to Securityholders) will be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if transmitted by facsimile or e-mail; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.
Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.
If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
In addition to the foregoing, the Trustee agrees to accept and act upon notice, instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods. If the party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The party providing electronic instructions agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption) to a Holder of a Global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee) pursuant to the customary procedures of such Depositary.
Section 10.3. Communication by Holders with Other Holders.
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Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).
Section 10.4. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(a) an Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(b) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
Section 10.5. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and shall include:
(a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 10.6. Rules by Trustee and Agents.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 10.7. Legal Holidays.
Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Section 10.8. No Recourse Against Others.
A director, officer, employee or stockholder (past or present), as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
Section 10.9. Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
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Section 10.10. Governing Laws.
THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE INDENTURE OR THE SECURITIES, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT ANY LEGAL ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING AGAINST IT WITH RESPECT TO ITS OBLIGATIONS, LIABILITIES OR ANY OTHER MATTER ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INDENTURE OR THE SECURITIES MAY BE BROUGHT IN ANY NEW YORK STATE OR U.S. FEDERAL COURT SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS AND SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF EACH SUCH COURT IN PERSONAM, GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING FOR ITSELF AND IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTIES, ASSETS AND REVENUES. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 10.11. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 10.12. Successors.
All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 10.13. Severability.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 10.14. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.
The Table of Contents, Cross Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 10.15. Securities in a Foreign Currency.
Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated more than one currency, then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be determined by converting any such other currency into a currency that is designated upon issuance of any particular Series of Securities.
All decisions and determinations provided for in the preceding paragraph shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Trustee and all Holders.
Section 10.16. Judgment Currency.
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Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, the Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
Section 10.17. Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services, it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable best efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
ARTICLE XI.
SINKING FUNDS
Section 11.1. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series if so provided by the terms of such Securities pursuant to Section 2.2 and except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.
Section 11.2. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been
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previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officer’s Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.
Section 11.3. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
ARTICLE XII.
SUBORDINATION
Section 12.1. Additional Subordination Terms.
Pursuant to Section 2.2, a supplemental indenture hereto pursuant to which Securities are issued or a Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate in which the terms of the Securities are set forth may set forth subordination provisions and terms.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| Potbelly Corporation | ||||||||
| By: | ||||||||
| Name: | ||||||||
| Title: | ||||||||
[ ], as Trustee | ||||||||
| By: | ||||||||
| Name: | ||||||||
| Title: | ||||||||
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Exhibit 5.1
May 8, 2024
Potbelly Corporation
111 N. Canal Street, Suite 325
Chicago, IL 60606
Re: Potbelly Corporation Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have served as counsel to Potbelly Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing on May 8, 2024, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the offering by the Company from time to time of up to $75 million in aggregate amount of: (i) shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, (ii) one or more series of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Company, (iii) one or more series of debt securities of the Company, which may be either senior, senior subordinated or subordinated debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), (iv) warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Debt Securities (the “Warrants”) and (v) units consisting of any combination of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Debt Securities (the “Units”). The Common Stock, the Preferred Stock, the Debt Securities, the Warrants and the Units are hereinafter referred to, collectively, as the “Securities.” The Registration Statement includes a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), which provides that it will be supplemented in the future by one or more supplements to the Base Prospectus (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”, and together with the Base Prospectus, a “Prospectus”).
This opinion letter is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
In connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement and this opinion letter, we have examined, considered and relied upon the following documents (collectively, the “Documents”):
Greenberg Traurig, P.A. | Attorneys at Law 401 East Las Olas Boulevard | Suite 2000 | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33301 | T +1 954.765.0500 | F +1 954.765.1477 | |||||
Albany. Amsterdam. Atlanta. Austin. Berlin¬. Boston. Chicago. Dallas. Delaware. Denver. Fort Lauderdale. Houston. Las Vegas. London.* Los Angeles. Mexico City+. Miami. Milan». Minneapolis. New Jersey. New York. Northern Virginia. Orange County. Orlando. Philadelphia. Phoenix. Sacramento. Salt Lake City. San Francisco. Seoul∞. Shanghai. Silicon Valley. Tallahassee. Tampa. Tel Aviv^. Tokyo¤. Warsaw~. Washington, D.C. West Palm Beach. Westchester County.  Operates as: ¬Greenberg Traurig Germany, LLP; *A separate UK registered legal entity; +Greenberg Traurig, S.C.; »Greenberg Traurig Santa Maria; ∞Greenberg Traurig LLP Foreign Legal Consultant Office; ^A branch of Greenberg Traurig, P.A., Florida, USA; ¤GT Tokyo Horitsu Jimusho and Greenberg Traurig Gaikokuhojimubegoshi Jimusho; ~Greenberg Traurig Grzesiak sp.k. | |||||
(i)the Company’s seventh amended and restated certificate of incorporation;
(ii)the Company’s Amended and Restated By-laws;
(iii)certain resolutions adopted by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) with respect to the Registration Statement;
(iv)the Registration Statement, including the Base Prospectus contained therein, and exhibits thereto;
(v)the form of indenture included as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (as such indenture may be amended or supplemented from time to time (the “Indenture”)); and
(vi)such corporate records of the Company, certificates of public officials, officers of the Company and other persons, and other documents, agreements and instruments, as we have deemed necessary as a basis for the opinions expressed below.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have not reviewed any documents other than the Documents. We have assumed that there exists no provision in any document relating to the matters covered by this opinion letter that we have not reviewed that is inconsistent with the Documents or the opinions stated herein. We have conducted no independent factual investigation of our own but rather have relied solely upon the Documents, the statements and information set forth therein and the additional matters recited or assumed herein, all of which we have assumed to be true, complete and accurate in all material respects. In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed without investigation (i) the genuineness of all signatures on the Documents; (ii) the legal capacity under all applicable laws and regulations of all natural persons signing each of the Documents as or on behalf of the parties thereto; (iii) the authenticity of all Documents submitted to us as originals; (iv) the conformity to authentic original documents of all Documents submitted to us as copies; and (v) that the Documents, in the forms submitted to us for our review, have not been and will not be, altered or amended in any respect material to our opinion as set forth herein.
In expressing our opinions below, we have assumed that: (i) the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including any and all post-effective amendments thereto) will have become effective under the Securities Act and will comply with all applicable laws; (ii) the Registration Statement (including any and all post-effective amendments thereto) will be effective under the Securities Act and will comply with all applicable laws at the time the Securities are offered or sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement (including any and
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all post-effective amendments thereto), the Base Prospectus, and the applicable Prospectus Supplement; (iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (including any and all post-effective amendments thereto) will have been issued and remain in effect; (iv) a Prospectus Supplement describing the Securities offered thereby and the offering thereof and complying with all applicable laws will have been prepared and filed with the Commission; (v) the Securities will be offered and sold in the form and with the terms set forth in the Registration Statement (including any and all post-effective amendments thereto), the Base Prospectus, and the applicable Prospectus Supplement(s) and the organizational documents of the Company, as applicable; (vi) all Securities will be offered and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement (including any and all post-effective amendments thereto), the Base Prospectus, and the applicable Prospectus Supplement(s); (vii) the Company will have obtained any and all legally required consents, approvals, authorizations and other orders of the Commission and any and all other regulatory authorities and other third parties necessary to offer and sell the Securities being offered; (viii) a definitive purchase, underwriting, sales or similar agreement (each a “Purchase Agreement”) with respect to any Securities offered and sold will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (ix) the Indenture will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; and (x) any Securities or other securities issuable upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any Security being offered and sold will be duly authorized, created, and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exchange or exercise.
Our opinion expressed in paragraph 3 below is subject to the qualifications that we express no opinion as to the applicability of, compliance with or effect of: (i) any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, preference, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally (including, without limitation, Sections 547 and 548 of the United States Bankruptcy Code and Article 10 of the New York Debtor and Creditor Law); (ii) general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief), concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the discretion of the court before which a proceeding is brought; or (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain certain remedies.
We express no opinion as to (i) any provision providing for the indemnification of or contribution to a party with respect to a liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy, (ii) consents to, or restrictions upon, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, arbitration, remedies or judicial relief, (iii) the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of any state to the
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offer or sale of the Securities and (iv) the antifraud provisions of the securities or other laws of any jurisdiction.
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:
1. With respect to the offer and sale of shares of Common Stock, when (a) an issuance of Common Stock has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and (b) the shares of Common Stock have been issued, delivered and paid for in an amount not less than the par value thereof in the manner contemplated by the applicable Prospectus and by such corporate action and either in accordance with the applicable Purchase Agreement or upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other security, in accordance with the terms of such security or the instrument governing such security providing for such conversion, exchange or exercise as approved by the Board, and (c) the total amounts and numbers of shares of Common Stock issued do not exceed the respective total amounts and numbers of shares (i) available under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (as amended, the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and (ii) authorized by the Board in connection with the offering contemplated by the applicable Prospectus, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
2. With respect to shares of any series of Preferred Stock, when (a) a series of Preferred Stock has been duly established in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, including the adoption of a resolution establishing and designating the series and fixing and determining the preferences, limitations and relative rights thereof and the filing of a certificate of designation with respect to the series with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), (b) the shares of Preferred Stock have been issued, delivered and paid for in an amount not less than the par value thereof in the manner contemplated by the applicable Prospectus and by such corporate action and either in accordance with the applicable Purchase Agreement or upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other security, in accordance with the terms of such security or the instrument governing such security providing for such conversion, exchange or exercise as approved by the Board, and (c) the total amounts and numbers of shares of Preferred Stock issued do not exceed the respective total amounts and numbers of shares (i) available under the Certificate of Incorporation and (ii) authorized by the board of directors of the Company in connection with the offering contemplated by the applicable Prospectus, such shares of such series of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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3. With respect to Debt Securities to be issued under an Indenture, when (a) the trustee has duly executed and delivered the applicable Indenture, (b) the applicable Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of a resolution in form and content as required by applicable law duly authorizing the execution and delivery of such Indenture) and duly executed and delivered by the Company, (c) the applicable Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, (d) the specific terms of a particular issuance of Debt Securities have been duly established in accordance with such Indenture, if any, and all applicable law and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of a resolution in form and content as required by applicable law duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of the Debt Securities), and (e) the Debt Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Indenture and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting, or similar agreement upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for therein, such Debt Securities will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
4. With respect to any Warrants issued, when (a) a warrant agreement, if any, has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate actions of the Company (including, without limitation, the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of a resolution in form and content as required by applicable law duly authorizing the execution and delivery of such warrant agreement) and duly executed and delivered by the Company, (b) the specific terms of a particular issuance of Warrants have been duly established in accordance with such warrant agreement, if any, and all applicable law and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of a resolution in form and content as required by applicable law duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of the Warrants), and (c) the Warrants have been duly executed, issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with such warrant agreement, if any, the applicable Purchase Agreement and all applicable law, such Warrants will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
5. With respect to any Units issued, when (a) a unit agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate actions of the Company (including, without limitation, the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of a resolution duly authorizing the execution and delivery of such unit agreement) and duly executed and delivered by the Company, (b) the specific terms of a particular issuance of the related Units have been duly established in accordance with such
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unit agreement and all applicable law and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of a resolution in form and content as required by applicable law duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of the Units), and such (c) Units have been duly executed, issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with such unit agreement, the applicable Purchase Agreement and all applicable law, such Units will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
The opinions expressed above are limited to the laws of the State of New York and the DGCL and we have not considered and express no opinion on the effect of any laws or the laws of any other state or jurisdiction, including state and federal laws relating to securities or other federal laws, or the rules and regulations of stock exchanges or any other regulatory body.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Yours very truly,
/s/ Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
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CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our reports dated March 8, 2024, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Potbelly Corporation and the effectiveness of Potbelly Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Potbelly Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2023. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Chicago, Illinois
May 8, 2024