As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 8, 2020 

Registration No. 333-__________

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE

SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

TD HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   45-4077653
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

 

Room 104, No. 33 Section D,

No. 6 Middle Xierqi Road,

Haidian District, Beijing, China 100085

+86 (010) 59441080

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Vcorp Services, LLC

701 S Carson St Suite #200,

Carson City, NV 89701

1-888-528-2677

(Name, address including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

With copies to:

Joan Wu Esq.

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li, LLC

800 Third Avenue, Suite 2800

New York, NY 10022

Tel: (212) 530-2210

Facsimile: (212) 202-6380

 

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. þ

 

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. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer þ

Smaller reporting company

þ

    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 the Securities Act. ☐

 

 

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered  Amount to be Registered   Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share   Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price   Amount of Registration  Fee 
Primary Offering                    
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (1)   (2)   (3)          
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (1)   (2)   (3)          
Debt Securities (1)   (2)   (3)          
Warrants (1)   (2)   (3)          
Rights (1)   (2)   (3)          
Units (1)   (2)   (3)          
Total Primary Offering (4)            $100,000,000   $12,980 
Secondary Offering   (6)   (7)          
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, issuable upon exercise of warrants (5)(8)   1,680,000   $2.20   $3,696,000   $480 
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, issuable upon exercise of warrants (5)(8)   1,080,000   $1.32   $1,425,600   $185 
Total Secondary Offering   2,760,000   $  N/A   $5,121,600   $665 
Total            $105,121,600   $13,645 

 

(1) With respect to the securities issuable in the primary offering, the securities being registered consist of such indeterminate number of common stock and preferred stock, such indeterminate number of warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, such indeterminate number of units, and such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, as may be determined from time to time at indeterminate prices. The securities registered for the primary offering also include such indeterminate number of common stock and preferred stock and such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities as may be issued upon conversion of or exchange for preferred stock or debt securities that provide for conversion or exchange, upon exercise of warrants or pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of any such securities. In no event will the aggregate maximum offering price of all securities issued in the primary offering pursuant to this registration statement exceed $100,000,000, or, if any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, such greater amount as will result in an aggregate initial offering price of $100,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all securities previously issued hereunder in the primary offering.
   
(2) Not required to be included in accordance with General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3 under the Securities Act.
   
(3) With respect to the primary offering, the proposed maximum offering price per security and 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.
   
(4) Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities act of 1933, as amended.
   
(5) As described in greater detail in the prospectus contained in this registration statement, the shares of common stock to be offered for resale by selling stockholders include an aggregate of 2,760,000 shares of common stock underlying warrants to purchase common stock issued to the selling stockholders in connection with private transactions.
   
(6) All shares registered pursuant to the Secondary Offering of this registration statement are to be offered for resale by the Selling Stockholders (defined below). Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers such indeterminate number of additional shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share, issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar events. No additional consideration will be received for such additional number of shares of common stock, and therefore no registration fee is required pursuant to Rule 457(i) under the Securities Act.
   
(7) Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act.
   
(8) Relates to the shares of common stock underlying the common stock purchase warrants, if such warrants are exercised for cash. If such warrants are exercised on a cashless basis, then the underlying shares of common stock shall be covered by the registration fee in respect of the common stock.

 

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 of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

  SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED JULY 8, 2020

 

PROSPECTUS

 

TD Holdings, Inc.

$100,000,000

 

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Rights

Units

 

2,760,000 Shares of Common Stock underlying Warrants Offered by Selling Stockholders

 

We may offer to the public from time to time in one or more series or issuances of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants to purchase our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, debt securities consisting of debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, units consisting of a combination of the foregoing securities, or any combination of these securities

 

Selling Stockholders may also offer up to an aggregate of 2,760,000 shares underlying Warrants (the “Warrants”) currently held by such Selling Stockholders as follows: (a) 1,680,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Company’s common stock purchase warrants first issued on April 11, 2019, and later amended on May 23, 2019 and August 30, 2019 (the “April Warrants”); and (b) 1,080,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Company’s common stock purchase warrants issued on May 20, 2019 (the “May Warrants”), of TD Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”). The holders of the Warrants are each referred to herein as a “Selling Stockholder” and collectively as the “Selling Stockholders.” Each of the April Warrants is exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.20 per share, and each of the May Warrants is exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.32 per share.

 

This prospectus also covers any additional shares of Common Stock that may become issuable upon any anti-dilution adjustment pursuant to the terms of the Warrants issued to the Selling Stockholders by reason of stock splits, stock dividends, and other events described therein.

 

The securities may be sold by us or the Selling Stockholders to or through underwriters or dealers, directly to purchasers or through agents designated from time to time. The Selling Stockholders identified in this prospectus, or their respective transferees, pledgees, donees or other successors-in-interest, may offer the Warrants issuable from time to time upon exercise of the Warrants, through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. For additional information on the methods of sale, see the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” on page 8. For a list of the Selling Stockholders, see the section entitled “Selling Stockholders” on page 6.

 

The Selling Stockholders may sell any, all or none of the securities offered by this prospectus, and we do not know when or in what amount the Selling Stockholders may sell their shares of Common Stock hereunder following the effective date of this registration statement.

 

We are registering the Warrants on behalf of the Selling Stockholders, to be offered and sold by them from time to time. While we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants, we may receive up to $2.20 per share upon the cash exercise of each of the April Warrants and up to $1.32 per share upon the cash exercise of each of the May Warrants. However, we cannot predict when and in what amounts or if the Warrants will be exercised, and it is possible that the Warrants may expire and never be exercised, in which case we would not receive any cash proceeds. We have agreed to bear all of the expenses incurred in connection with the registration of the Warrants. The Selling Stockholders will pay or assume discounts, commissions, fees of underwriters, selling brokers or dealer managers and similar expenses, if any, incurred for the sale the Warrants.

 

Our Common Stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “GLG.”

 

The aggregate market value of our outstanding voting and nonvoting common equity held by non-affiliates is approximately $[*] million. We have not offered any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the prior 12-month calendar period that ends on, and includes, the date of this prospectus.

 

If any underwriters are involved in the sale of the securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered, the names of such underwriters and any applicable discounts or commissions and over-allotment options will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. This prospectus also describes the general manner in which the Warrants may be offered and sold. If necessary, the specific manner in which the Warrants may be offered and sold will be described in a supplement to this prospectus.

 

Investing in our Common Stock involves risks. You should carefully review the risks described under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6 and in the documents which are incorporated by reference herein before you invest in our securities.

 

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       , 2020.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS 1
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 1
OUR COMPANY 2
ABOUT THE SECONDARY OFFERING 5
RISK FACTORS 6
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS 6
USE OF PROCEEDS 8
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 8
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK AND SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER 11
DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITY 18
LEGAL MATTERS 18
EXPERTS 18
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION 18
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE 19

 

i

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is a part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Commission, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer to sell any of the securities, or any combination of the securities, described in this prospectus, in each case in one or more offerings, up to a total amount of $100,000,000 and the Selling Stockholders may offer from time to time up to an aggregate of 2,760,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrant. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and the related exhibits, any prospectus supplement or amendment thereto and the documents incorporated by reference, or to which we have referred you, before making your investment decision. Neither we nor the Selling Stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus, any prospectus supplement or amendments thereto do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the Common Stock offered by this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or amendments thereto in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom or from whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation of an offer in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or amendments thereto, as well as information we have previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of the applicable document.

 

If necessary, the specific manner in which the securities may be offered and sold will be described in a supplement to this prospectus, which supplement may also add, update or change any of the information contained in this prospectus. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement, provided that if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date-for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement-the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

 

Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any distribution of Common Stock pursuant to this prospectus shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in the information set forth or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or in our affairs since the date of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such date.

 

When used herein, unless the context requires otherwise, references to the “TD Holdings,” “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to TD Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or amendment and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus contain various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which represent our expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, which depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and/or which include words such as “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “may,” “will” or similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance, ongoing strategies or prospects, and possible future actions, which may be provided by our management, are also forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our company, economic and market factors, and the industry in which we do business, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. Factors that could cause our actual performance, future results and actions to differ materially from any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the heading “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. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or any amendments thereto and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus represent our views as of the date such statements are made. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date such statements are made.

 

1

 

 

OUR COMPANY

 

This summary highlights information contained in the documents incorporated herein by reference. Before making an investment decision, you should read the entire prospectus, and our other filings with the SEC, including those filings incorporated herein by reference, carefully, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

Overview

 

TD Holdings, Inc., (formerly known as Bat Group, Inc.) has become a used luxurious car leasing business as well as a commodities trading business operating in China since the disposition of its direct loans, loan guarantees and financial leasing services to small-to-medium sized businesses, farmers and individuals (the “Micro-lending Business”) in July 2018. Our current operations consist of leasing of luxurious pre-owned automobiles and operation of a non-ferrous metal commodities trading business.

 

The Company operates a luxurious car business that is conducted under the brand name “Batcar” through the Company’s VIE entity, Beijing Tianxing Kunlun Technology Co. Ltd (“Beijing Tianxing”), from its headquarters in Beijing. The Company also conducts a commodities trading business via its other VIE entity, Shenzhen Huamucheng Trading Co., Ltd. (“Huamucheng”).

 

Our Business

 

Used Luxurious Car Leasing Business

 

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, the Company, through Beijing Tianxing, offers our customers the opportunity to rent luxurious pre-owned automobiles in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Chengdu, China. Currently the Company has eleven used luxurious cars with net book value of approximately US$ 2.43 million. To determine the model of vehicles to be purchased, we collect data related to customers’ demands and preferences through sales and online promotions. Our professional procurement personnel will then compare models of vehicles offered by different sellers. The decision to purchase a specific vehicle is based on a number of considerations including time of delivery, vehicle condition, vehicle safety feature, mileage, repairing and maintenance history, accidents history, market scarcity, and etc. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company earned income from operating lease of $1,830,148 and $488,062, respectively.

 

Commodities Trading Business

 

In order to diversify the Company’s business, on November 22, 2019, the Company’s indirectly   wholly owned subsidiary Hao Limo Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“Hao Limo”) entered into a series of agreements (the “Huamucheng VIE Agreements”) with Huamucheng and the shareholders of Huamucheng who collectively hold 100% of Huamucheng.

 

Through Huamucheng’s VIE structure, the Company launched its commodities trading operations. Huamucheng focuses on trading of non-ferrous metal commodities such as aluminum, copper, silver, and gold, and is striving to become an emerging platform in the non-ferrous metal e-commerce industry by offering all participants in the non-ferrous metal e-commerce industry a seamless, one-stop transaction experience. In connection with the commodity trading business, the Company primarily generates revenues from sales of commodities products and providing of supply chain management services such as loan recommendation and distribution services to customers in the PRC.

 

In December 2019, the Company generated revenue of $100,427 from commodities trading business and $562,586 from supply chain management services (including loan recommendation service fee of $323,623 and distribution service fee of $238,963), respectively.

  

Our Services

 

Used Luxurious Car Leasing Business

 

Renting Service  

 

We rent our luxurious cars to both our individual and corporate customers from our stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Chengdu. The rental price varies based on the rental term which ranges from one day to one month; the longer the rental term, the cheaper the price. The daily rental price is the highest, while the average weekly rental prices and average monthly rental prices are 10% to 20% and 20% to 30% cheaper, respectively, than that of the daily rental price.

 

Customers can confirm the time and place for vehicle delivery and rental term via SMS messages, phone calls or face-to-face communication with our sales personnel, as well as through our website and WeChat Applet. Our sales personnel will then deliver the vehicle to the customers as designated. The customer, before signing the car rental agreement, will inspect the vehicle in person and pay the rent along with the deposit with their credit card, Wechat Pay or Alipay. The customer is responsible for the gas, toll, and any other expenses related to the use of the vehicle during the rental term.

  

2

 

 

Our operations for our luxury vehicle leasing business consists of the following 7 steps:

 

  1) Pre-lease Preparation: Our asset management personnel are regularly scheduled to conduct comprehensive inspections, repairs, maintenance, and cleaning of the vehicles.

 

  2) Lease Preparation: Our sales personnel will introduce to the customer in detail information regarding our car rental conditions, price, distance and time limit, required procedures, the main contents of the rental contract terms, other rental instructions, and related services.

 

  3) Paperwork Preparation: Individual customers are required to provide their original identification card, driver’s license, and house or land ownership certificate. Corporate customers are required to provide their company’s business license, enterprise organization code certificate, and the legal person’s power of attorney and driver’s license.

 

  4) Signing the Contract: Before signing the contract, our personnel will repeat to the customer material terms of the rental contract. After filling in the vehicle’s information and other rental terms, the customer will be required to enter their personal information and sign the contract.

 

  5) Rent and Deposit Prepayment: The prepayment of rental fees and the deposit must be paid by the customer prior to renting the vehicle. The amount of the prepayment is determined by the rental duration and price of the vehicle.

 

  6) Delivery Inspection: When the vehicle is delivered to the customer, the sales personnel will hand over the vehicle key, instructions, and other accessories such as data cables and mobile phone holders. The sales personnel will then guide the customer through a thorough vehicle inspection including the exterior, steering system, braking system, lubrication system, coolant, tires, and lights. After the vehicle inspection is completed, the customer will be asked to fill in an inspection form, of which both the customer and the sales department will retain a copy.

 

  7) Guidance on Operating the Luxury Vehicle: The sales personnel will explain the operation of the luxury vehicle to the customer according to its performance and characteristics so as to mitigate any damage caused by mishandling. Customers will also be reminded to keep their communications open at all times during the rental period.

 

Car Pooling Service with Peer Companies

 

In addition to directly renting to customers, we also rent to other auto rental companies in a similar fashion but at a discounted rate. We and our peer companies have formed a vehicle pool consisting of all available pre-owned vehicles. In the scenario where a customer places a rental order with a company which does not currently have the requested vehicle in stock, another company in the vehicle pool possessing the requested vehicle will rent it to the company at a discounted price upon its request.

 

Commodities Trading Business

 

Business Model

 

We source bulk commodity from non-ferrous metal mines or its designated distributors and sell to manufactures who need these metals in large quantities. We work with many upstream suppliers in the sourcing of commodities. Suppliers we source from include various metal and mineral suppliers such as Kunsteel Group, Baosteel Group, Aluminum Corporate of China Limited, Yunnan Benyuan, Yunnan Tin, and Shanghai Copper. Potential customers include large infrastructure companies such as China National Electricity, Datang Power, China Aluminum Foshan International Trade, Tooke Investment (China), CSSC International Trade Co., Ltd., Shenye Group, and Keliyuan.

 

The Company has entered into a Warehousing Agreement with Foshan Nanchu to designate it as the Company’s warehouse. The Company’s criteria for choosing its warehouse is based primarily on the convenience of its location for transportation, which is highly conducive to the transportation of non-ferrous metal commodities, and secondarily based on its storage price.

 

3

 

 

Our inventory management procedure involves (1) an Application for Storage, (2) Storage of the Commodities, (3) an Application for Shipment, and (4) Shipment of Commodities, which are further described below.

 

  1) Application for Storage

 

  The upstream suppliers apply for storage with the Company’s leased warehouse center upon the sale of commodities to the Company. The application requires information including the commodities’ production company, brand, specifications, weight, quantity, and storage time.

 

  2) Storage of the Commodities

 

  Upon the arrival of the commodities at the warehouse, the warehouse checks and accepts the commodities according to the delivery instructions provided by the transportation company, ensuring that the delivery instructions, storage application, and the delivered commodities are all consistent.

 

  Upon acceptance, the warehouse scans and places the commodities into sorted storage. The warehouse then issues a certificate of inspection, which includes information such as the brand name, specifications, weight, quantity, packaging information, arrival time, storage location and other information of the received commodities. The certificate of inspection is then signed and stamped by the delivery driver, the warehouse manager, and the warehouse. Four copies of the certificate of inspection are made, two of which are provided to the transportation company and the supplier.

 

  3) Application for Shipment

 

  The downstream customers apply for shipment with the warehouse upon the purchase of Commodities from the Company. The application requires information including the production company, brand, specifications, weight, quantity, delivery time, and storage location number.

 

  The downstream customers also fill in a delivery entrustment letter, including the name of the delivery company, the name of the delivery person, his or her ID number, the delivery vehicle’s license plate number, the time, quantity, and information regarding the warehouse for delivery.

 

  4) Shipment of Commodities

 

  The warehouse prepares the commodities in advance according to the pick-up time and the Application for Shipment.

 

  Upon arrival of the pick-up driver at the warehouse, the Company reviews the identity of the pick-up driver according to the delivery entrustment letter.

 

  Upon completing the loading of the commodities for shipment, the warehouse issues a certificate of sale, which includes information such as the brand name, specifications, weight, quantity, delivery time, and storage location number. The pick-up driver, warehouse manager, and the warehouse signs and stamps the certificate of sale. Four copies of the certificate of sale are made, two of which are provided to the transportation company and the customer.

 

Distribution Services

 

We offer a distribution service to bulk suppliers of precious metals by acting as a sales intermediary, procuring small to medium-sized buyers through our own professional sales team and channels and distributing to them the bulk precious metals of the suppliers. Upon the execution of a purchase order from our sourced buyers, we charge the suppliers with a commission fee ranging from 1% to 1.5% of the distribution order, depending on the size of the order. In December 2019, the Company generated revenue of $238,963 from its distribution services.

 

Loan Recommendation and Referral Services

 

We offer to our downstream customers who require additional funding for the purchase of precious metals recommendations and referrals to third-party licensed financial institutions and small credit providers while assuming no credit risks ourselves. When our recommendation and referrals are accepted and our downstream customers proceed with the loan, we charge our downstream customers between 2% to 5% of the loan principal as our referral fee. In December 2019, the Company generated revenue of $323,623 from its loan recommendation services

 

4

 

 

About THE SECONDARY Offering

 

The secondary offering of this prospectus relates to the offer and resale by the Selling Stockholders of an aggregate of 2,760,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants. All of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants, when sold, will be sold by the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders may sell the shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants from time to time at prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices.

 

Common Stock underlying Warrants Offered by the Selling Stockholders:   2,760,000 shares of common stock.
     
     
Common Stock Outstanding at July 8, 2020:   68,677,088 (1)
     
Use of Proceeds:   While we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants offered by this prospectus by the Selling Stockholders, we may receive cash proceeds of up to $4,830,000 from the cash exercise of the Warrants, as each of the April Warrants have an exercise price of $2.20 per share and each of the May Warrants have an exercise price of $1.32 per share and collectively, such Warrants are exercisable into an aggregate of 2,760,000 shares of our Common Stock.
     
Risk Factors:   An investment in the Common Stock offered under this prospectus is highly speculative and involves substantial risk. Please carefully consider the “Risk Factors” section on page 6 and other information in this prospectus for a discussion of risks. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also impair our business and operations.
     
Nasdaq Symbol:   GLG

 

(1) The number of shares of our Common Stock outstanding prior to and that will be outstanding after this offering excludes all Warrants outstanding or issuable in connection with this offering.

 

5

 

 

RISK FACTORS

 

An investment in our Common Stock involves significant risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors contained in any prospectus supplement and in our filings with the SEC, as well as all of the information contained in this prospectus and the related exhibits, any prospectus supplement or amendments thereto, and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, before you decide to invest in our Common Stock. Our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected as a result of any of such risks. The value of our Common Stock could decline as a result of any of these risks. You could lose all or part of your investment in our Common Stock. Some of our statements in sections entitled “Risk Factors” are forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that we have described are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

The table below lists the Selling Stockholders and other information regarding the “beneficial ownership” of the shares of Common Stock by the Selling Stockholders. In accordance with Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), “beneficial ownership” includes any shares of Common Stock as to which the Selling Stockholders have sole or shared voting power or investment power and any shares of Common Stock that the Selling Stockholders have the right to acquire within sixty (60) days (including shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock that are currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days).

 

The second column indicates the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Selling Stockholders, based on their respective ownership as of July 8, 2020. The second column also assumes the exercise of all of the Warrants held by the Selling Stockholders as of July 8, 2020, without regard to any limitations on exercise described in this prospectus or in the Warrants.

 

The third column lists the shares of Common Stock being offered by this prospectus by the Selling Stockholders.

 

This prospectus covers the resale of all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants that are held by the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders can offer all, some or none of their shares of Common Stock, thus we have no way of determining the number of the shares of Common Stock underlying Warrants that will be held after this offering. Therefore, the fourth and fifth columns assume that the Selling Stockholders will sell all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants which are covered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

   Number of Shares of Common Stock Owned Prior to Offering (1)   Maximum Number of Shares of Common Stock to be Sold Pursuant to this Prospectus   Number of Shares of Common Stock Owned After Offering (1)   Percentage Beneficially Owned After Offering (1) 
Hudson Bay Master Fund Ltd. (2)   920,000    920,000    0        *%
Anson Investments Master Fund LP (3)   920,000    920,000    0    * 
Intracoastal Capital LLC (4)   920,000    920,000    0    * 
TOTAL   2,760,000    2,760,000    0    *%

 

* Less than 1%

 

(1) Includes shares of Common Stock owned by the Selling Stockholders upon full exercise of all Warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock that are held by the Selling Stockholders. The April Warrants are each exercisable for one share of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.20 per share and the May Warrants are each exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.32 per share.

 

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(2) Hudson Bay Capital Management LP, the investment manager of Hudson Bay Master Fund Ltd., has voting and investment power over these securities. Sander Gerber is the managing member of Hudson Bay Capital GP LLC, which is the general partner of Hudson Bay Capital Management LP. Each of Hudson Bay Master Fund Ltd. and Sander Gerber disclaims beneficial ownership over these securities.
   
(3) Anson Advisors Inc and Anson Funds Management LP, the Co-Investment Advisers of Anson Investments Master Fund LP (“Anson”), hold voting and dispositive power over the Common Shares held by Anson. Bruce Winson is the managing member of Anson Management GP LLC, which is the general partner of Anson Funds Management LP. Moez Kassam and Amin Nathoo are directors of Anson Advisors Inc. Mr. Winson, Mr. Kassam and Mr. Nathoo each disclaim beneficial ownership of these Common Shares except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein. The principal business address of Anson is Walkers Corporate Limited, Cayman Corporate Centre, 27 Hospital Road, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-9008, Cayman Islands.
   
(4) Mitchell P. Kopin (“Mr. Kopin”) and Daniel B. Asher (“Mr. Asher”), each of whom are managers of Intracoastal Capital LLC (“Intracoastal”), have shared voting control and investment discretion over the securities reported herein that are held by Intracoastal. As a result, each of Mr. Kopin and Mr. Asher may be deemed to have beneficial ownership (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of the securities reported herein that are held by Intracoastal.

 

Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders

 

We have had the following material relationships with the Selling Stockholders in the last three (3) years:

 

Registered Direct Offering 

 

On April 11, 2019, the Company and certain institutional investors entered into a securities purchase agreement, pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to such investors an aggregate of 1,680,000 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering and warrants to purchase up to approximately 1,680,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock in a concurrent private placement, for gross proceeds of approximately $3.7 million. The warrants will be exercisable immediately following the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $2.20. The warrants will expire 5 years from the earlier of the date on which the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be sold pursuant to an effective registration statement or may be exercised on a cashless basis and be immediately sold pursuant to Rule 144. The purchase price for each share of Common Stock and the corresponding warrant is $2.20. Each warrant is subject to anti-dilution provisions to reflect stock dividends and splits or other similar transactions, but not as a result of future securities offerings at lower prices. The warrants contain a mandatory exercise right for the Company to force exercise of the warrants if the Company’s common stock trades at or above $6.60 for 20 consecutive trading days provided, among other things, that the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are registered or could be sold pursuant to Rule 144 and the daily trading volume exceeds 200,000 shares per trading day on each trading day in a period of 20 consecutive trading days prior to the applicable date.

 

On May 20, 2019, the Company and certain institutional investors entered into a securities purchase agreement, pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to such investors an aggregate of 1,440,000 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering and warrants to purchase up to approximately 1,080,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock in a concurrent private placement, for gross proceeds of approximately $1.5 million. The warrants will be exercisable after 6 months of the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $1.32. The warrants will expire 5.5 years from the date of issuance. Each warrant is subject to anti-dilution provisions to reflect stock dividends and splits or other similar transactions, but not as a result of future securities offerings at lower prices. The warrants contain a mandatory exercise right for the Company to force exercise of the warrants if the Company’s common stock trades at or above $3.96 for 20 consecutive trading days provided, among other things, that the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are registered or could be sold pursuant to Rule 144 and the daily trading volume exceeds 200,000 shares per trading day on each trading day in a period of 20 consecutive trading days prior to the applicable date.

  

In addition, with the registered direct offering and warrants to purchase up to approximately 1,080,000 shares on May 20, 2019, the Company agreed to reduce the exercise of the warrants issued on April 15, 2019 from $2.20 to $1.32 (“Replacement Warrants”)However, the Company’s issuance of the Replacement Warrants had resulted in noncompliance of Nasdaq Listing Rules 5635(d)(1) and 5635(d)(2), subjecting the Company to a potential delisting from the Nasdaq Capital Market in the event the deficiency is not cured.

 

On August 30, 2019, the Company and the Purchasers entered into an amendment and exchange agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company shall issue to the Purchasers exchange warrants (the “Exchange Warrants”) to purchase up to 1,680,000 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price of $2.20 in exchange for the cancellation and termination of the Replacement Warrants.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a specific offering, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities by us under this prospectus for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Additional information on the use of net proceeds from the sale of securities by us under this prospectus may be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the specific offering.

 

We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus by any Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholders will receive all of the proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock under the secondary offering of this prospectus. To the extent that we receive proceeds from the exercise of the April Warrants and May Warrants, we will use those proceeds to pay for the expenses of this offering and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. The Selling Stockholders will pay any agent’s commissions and expenses they incur for brokerage, accounting, tax or legal services or any other expenses that they incur in disposing of the shares of Common Stock. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of the shares of Common Stock covered by this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. These may include, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, SEC filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws.

 

See “Plan of Distribution” elsewhere in this prospectus for more information.

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We may sell the securities offered through this prospectus (i) to or through underwriters or dealers, (ii) directly to purchasers, including our affiliates, (iii) through agents, or (iv) through a combination of any these methods. The securities may be distributed at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, market prices prevailing at the time of sale, prices related to the prevailing market prices, or negotiated prices. The prospectus supplement will include the following information:

 

  the terms of the offering;
     
  the names of any underwriters or agents;
     
  the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters;
     
  the purchase price of the securities;
     
  any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;
     
  the net proceeds from the sale of the securities;
     
  any delayed delivery arrangements;
     
  any underwriting discounts, commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation;
     
  any initial public offering price;
     
  any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;
     
  any commissions paid to agents; and
     
  any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed.

  

Sale through Underwriters or Dealers

 

Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. If underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account, including through underwriting, purchase, security lending or repurchase agreements with us. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. Underwriters may sell the securities in order to facilitate transactions in any of our other securities (described in this prospectus or otherwise), including other public or private transactions and short sales. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.

 

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If dealers are used in the sale of securities offered through this prospectus, we will sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The prospectus supplement will include the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.

 

We will provide in the applicable prospectus supplement any compensation we will pay to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers.

   

Direct Sales and Sales through Agents

 

We may sell the securities offered through this prospectus directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. Such securities may also be sold through agents designated from time to time. The prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities and will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.

 

We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. The terms of any such sales will be described in the prospectus supplement.

 

Delayed Delivery Contracts

 

If the prospectus supplement indicates, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.

 

Market Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions

 

Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, other than our common stock all securities we offer under this prospectus will be a new issue and will have no established trading market. We may elect to list offered securities on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market. Any underwriters that we use in the sale of offered securities may make a market in such securities, but may discontinue such market making at any time without notice. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the securities will have a liquid trading market.

 

Any underwriter may also engage in stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Rule 104 under the Securities Exchange Act. Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase the underlying security in the open market for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions.

 

Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of the transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.

 

Selling Shareholders’ Plan of Distribution

 

The Selling Stockholders and any of their respective pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their securities covered hereby on any trading market, stock exchange or other trading facility on which the securities are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. The Selling Stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling securities:

 

  ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;
     
  block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
     
  purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

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  an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;
     
  privately negotiated transactions;
     
  settlement of short sales;
     
  in transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the Selling Stockholders to sell a specified number of such securities at a stipulated price per security;
     
  through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;
     
  a combination of any such methods of sale; or
     
 

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

 

The Selling Stockholders may also sell securities under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus.

 

Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of securities, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2440.

 

In connection with the sale of the securities covered hereby, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The Selling Stockholders may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The Selling Stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

 

The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. We are requesting that each Selling Stockholder inform us that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities. We will pay certain fees and expenses incurred by us incident to the registration of the securities.

 

Because the Selling Stockholders may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, they will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, including Rule 172 thereunder. In addition, any securities covered by this prospectus which qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than under this prospectus. We are requesting that each Selling Stockholder confirm that there is no underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with the proposed sale of the resale securities by the Selling Stockholder.

 

We intend to keep this prospectus effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the Selling Stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for us to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. The resale securities will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale securities covered hereby may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

 

Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale securities may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the Common Stock for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Stockholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of the Common Stock by the Selling Stockholders or any other person. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Stockholders and are informing the Selling Stockholders of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

General

 

The following description of our capital stock (which includes a description of securities we may offer pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus, as the same may be supplemented, forms a part) does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and by the applicable provisions of Delaware law.

 

Our authorized capital stock consists of 110,000,000 shares, par value $0.001 per share, consisting of 100,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our amended certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which have been filed previously with the SEC, and applicable provisions of Delaware law.

 

We, directly or through agents, dealers or underwriters designated from time to time, may offer, issue and sell, together or separately, up to $100,000,000 in the aggregate of:

 

  common stock;
     
  preferred stock;
     
  secured or unsecured debt securities consisting of notes, debentures or other evidences of indebtedness which may be senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt securities or subordinated debt securities, each of which may be convertible into equity securities;
     
  warrants to purchase our securities;
     
  rights to purchase our securities; or
     
  units comprised of, or other combinations of, the foregoing securities.

 

We may issue the debt securities as exchangeable for or convertible into shares of common stock, preferred stock or other securities. The preferred stock may also be exchangeable for and/or convertible into shares of common stock, another series of preferred stock or other securities. The debt securities, the preferred stock, the common stock and the warrants are collectively referred to in this prospectus as the “securities.” When a particular series of securities is offered, a supplement to this prospectus will be delivered with this prospectus, which will set forth the terms of the offering and sale of the offered securities.

 

Common Stock

 

As of July 8, 2020, there were 68,677,088 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding, held of record by approximately 262 stockholders. The outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The common stock has no cumulative voting rights, including with respect to the election of directors.

 

Subject to preferential rights with respect to any outstanding preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefore. Pursuant to Section 281 of Delaware General Corporation Law, in the event of our dissolution, the holders of common stock are entitled to the remaining assets after payment of all liabilities of the company.

 

Our common stock has no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights.

 

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Preferred Stock

 

Our certificate of incorporation, as amended, empowers our board of directors, without action by our shareholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock from time to time in one or more series, which preferred stock may be offered by this prospectus and supplements thereto. As of the date of this prospectus, no shares of preferred stock were designated or issued and outstanding. Our board may fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of our authorized but undesignated preferred shares, including:

 

  dividend rights and preferences over dividends on our common stock or any series of preferred stock;
     
  the dividend rate (and whether dividends are cumulative);
     
  conversion rights, if any;
     
  voting rights;
     
  rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions, if any);
     
  redemption price and liquidation preferences of any wholly unissued series of any preferred stock and the designation thereof of any of them; and
     
  to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series subsequent to the issue of shares of that series but not below the number of shares then outstanding.

 

You should refer to the prospectus supplement relating to the series of preferred stock being offered for the specific terms of that series, including:

 

  title of the series and the number of shares in the series;
     
  the price at which the preferred stock will be offered;
     
  the dividend rate or rates or method of calculating the rates, the dates on which the dividends will be payable, whether or not dividends will be cumulative or noncumulative and, if cumulative, the dates from which dividends on the preferred stock being offered will cumulate;

 

  the voting rights, if any, of the holders of shares of the preferred stock being offered;
     
  the provisions for a sinking fund, if any, and the provisions for redemption, if applicable, of the preferred stock being offered, including any restrictions on the foregoing as a result of arrearage in the payment of dividends or sinking fund installments;
     
  the liquidation preference per share;
     
  the terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred stock being offered will be convertible into our common stock, including the conversion price, or the manner of calculating the conversion price, and the conversion period;
     
  the terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred stock being offered will be exchangeable for debt securities, including the exchange price, or the manner of calculating the exchange price, and the exchange period;
     
  any listing of the preferred stock being offered on any securities exchange;
     
  a discussion of any material federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock being offered;
     
  any preemptive rights;
     
  the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock being offered as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or the winding up of our affairs;
     
  any limitations on the issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior or equal to the series of preferred stock being offered as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or the winding up of our affairs; and
     
  any additional rights, preferences, qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the series.

 

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Upon issuance, the shares of preferred stock will be fully paid and nonassessable, which means that its holders will have paid their purchase price in full and we may not require them to pay additional funds.

 

Any preferred stock terms selected by our board of directors could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of our common stock or adversely affect the rights and power, including voting rights, of the holders of our common stock without any further vote or action by the stockholders. The rights of holders of our common stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any preferred stock that may be issued by us in the future. The issuance of preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult.

 

Debt Securities

 

As used in this prospectus, the term “debt securities” means the debentures, notes, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness that we may issue from time to time. The debt securities will either be senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt or subordinated debt securities. We may also issue convertible debt securities. Debt securities issued under an indenture (which we refer to herein as an Indenture) will be entered into between us and a trustee to be named therein. It is likely that convertible debt securities will not be issued under an Indenture.

 

The Indenture or forms of Indentures, if any, will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The statements and descriptions in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement regarding provisions of the Indentures and debt securities are summaries thereof, do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the Indentures (and any amendments or supplements we may enter into from time to time which are permitted under each Indenture) and the debt securities, including the definitions therein of certain terms.

 

General

 

Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be direct secured or unsecured obligations of our company. The senior debt securities will rank equally with any of our other unsecured senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any senior indebtedness.

  

We may issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series, in each case with the same or various maturities, at par or at a discount. Unless indicated in a prospectus supplement, we may issue additional debt securities of a particular series without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series outstanding at the time of the issuance. Any such additional debt securities, together with all other outstanding debt securities of that series, will constitute a single series of debt securities under the applicable Indenture and will be equal in ranking.

 

Should an indenture relate to unsecured indebtedness, in the event of a bankruptcy or other liquidation event involving a distribution of assets to satisfy our outstanding indebtedness or an event of default under a loan agreement relating to secured indebtedness of our company or its subsidiaries, the holders of such secured indebtedness, if any, would be entitled to receive payment of principal and interest prior to payments on the senior indebtedness issued under an Indenture.

 

Prospectus Supplement

 

Each prospectus supplement will describe the terms relating to the specific series of debt securities being offered. These terms will include some or all of the following:

 

  the title of debt securities and whether they are subordinated, senior subordinated or senior debt securities;
     
  any limit on the aggregate principal amount of debt securities of such series;
     
  the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities of any series will be issued;
     
  the ability to issue additional debt securities of the same series;
     
  the purchase price for the debt securities and the denominations of the debt securities;
     
  the specific designation of the series of debt securities being offered;
     
  the maturity date or dates of the debt securities and the date or dates upon which the debt securities are payable and the rate or rates at which the debt securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, which may be fixed or variable, or the method by which such rate shall be determined;

 

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  the basis for calculating interest if other than 360-day year or twelve 30-day months;
     
  the date or dates from which any interest will accrue or the method by which such date or dates will be determined;
     
  the duration of any deferral period, including the maximum consecutive period during which interest payment periods may be extended;
     
  whether the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the debt securities may be determined with reference to any index, formula or other method, such as one or more currencies, commodities, equity indices or other indices, and the manner of determining the amount of such payments;
     
  the dates on which we will pay interest on the debt securities and the regular record date for determining who is entitled to the interest payable on any interest payment date;
     
  the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the debt securities will be payable, where any securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange or conversion, as applicable, and notices and demands may be delivered to or upon us pursuant to the applicable Indenture;
     
  the rate or rates of amortization of the debt securities;
     
  if we possess the option to do so, the periods within which and the prices at which we may redeem the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to optional redemption provisions, and the other terms and conditions of any such provisions;
     
  our obligation or discretion, if any, to redeem, repay or purchase debt securities by making periodic payments to a sinking fund or through an analogous provision or at the option of holders of the debt securities, and the period or periods within which and the price or prices at which we will redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and the other terms and conditions of such obligation;
     
  the terms and conditions, if any, regarding the option or mandatory conversion or exchange of debt securities;
     
  the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any debt securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part at our option and, if other than by a board resolution, the manner in which any election by us to redeem the debt securities shall be evidenced;
     
  any restriction or condition on the transferability of the debt securities of a particular series;
     
  the portion, or methods of determining the portion, of the principal amount of the debt securities which we must pay upon the acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities in connection with any event of default if other than the full principal amount;

  

  the currency or currencies in which the debt securities will be denominated and in which principal, any premium and any interest will or may be payable or a description of any units based on or relating to a currency or currencies in which the debt securities will be denominated;
     
  provisions, if any, granting special rights to holders of the debt securities upon the occurrence of specified events;
     
  any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the events of default or our covenants with respect to the applicable series of debt securities, and whether or not such events of default or covenants are consistent with those contained in the applicable Indenture;
     
  any limitation on our ability to incur debt, redeem stock, sell our assets or other restrictions;
     
  the application, if any, of the terms of the applicable Indenture relating to defeasance and covenant defeasance (which terms are described below) to the debt securities;
     
  what subordination provisions will apply to the debt securities;

 

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  the terms, if any, upon which the holders may convert or exchange the debt securities into or for our common stock, preferred stock or other securities or property;

 

  whether we are issuing the debt securities in whole or in part in global form;
     
  any change in the right of the trustee or the requisite holders of debt securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable because of an event of default;
     
  the depositary for global or certificated debt securities, if any;
     
  any material federal income tax consequences applicable to the debt securities, including any debt securities denominated and made payable, as described in the prospectus supplements, in foreign currencies, or units based on or related to foreign currencies;
     
  any right we may have to satisfy, discharge and defease our obligations under the debt securities, or terminate or eliminate restrictive covenants or events of default in the Indentures, by depositing money or U.S. government obligations with the trustee of the Indentures;
     
  the names of any trustees, depositories, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars or other agents with respect to the debt securities;
     
  to whom any interest on any debt security shall be payable, if other than the person in whose name the security is registered, on the record date for such interest, the extent to which, or the manner in which, any interest payable on a temporary global debt security will be paid if other than in the manner provided in the applicable Indenture;
     
  if the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities is to be payable in one or more currencies or currency units other than as stated, the currency, currencies or currency units in which it shall be paid and the periods within and terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amounts payable (or the manner in which such amount shall be determined);
     
  the portion of the principal amount of any debt securities which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities pursuant to the applicable Indenture if other than the entire principal amount;
     
  if the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of any debt security of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such debt securities as of any such date for any purpose, including the principal amount thereof which shall be due and payable upon any maturity other than the stated maturity or which shall be deemed to be outstanding as of any date prior to the stated maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined); and
     
  any other specific terms of the debt securities, including any modifications to the events of default under the debt securities and any other terms which may be required by or advisable under applicable laws or regulations.

 

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not be listed on any securities exchange. Holders of the debt securities may present registered debt securities for exchange or transfer in the manner described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as limited by the applicable Indenture, we will provide these services without charge, other than any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the exchange or transfer.

 

Debt securities may bear interest at a fixed rate or a variable rate as specified in the prospectus supplement. In addition, if specified in the prospectus supplement, we may sell debt securities bearing no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below the prevailing market rate, or at a discount below their stated principal amount. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement any special federal income tax considerations applicable to these discounted debt securities.

 

We may issue debt securities with the principal amount payable on any principal payment date, or the amount of interest payable on any interest payment date, to be determined by referring to one or more currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity indices or other factors. Holders of such debt securities may receive a principal amount on any principal payment date, or interest payments on any interest payment date, that are greater or less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable on such dates, depending upon the value on such dates of applicable currency, commodity, equity index or other factors. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information as to how we will determine the amount of principal or interest payable on any date, as well as the currencies, commodities, equity indices or other factors to which the amount payable on that date relates and certain additional tax considerations.

 

15

 

 

Warrants

 

We may issue warrants for the purchase of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities or any combination thereof. Warrants may be issued independently or together with our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities and may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. To the extent warrants that we issue are to be publicly-traded, each series of such warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with such warrants. The warrant agent will not have any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

 

We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report on Form 8-K that we file with the SEC, forms of the warrant and warrant agreement, if any. The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the warrants and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement, if any. These terms may include the following:

 

  the title of the warrants;
     
  the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;
     
  the designation, amount and terms of the securities or other rights for which the warrants are exercisable;
     
  the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each other security;
     
  the aggregate number of warrants;
     
  any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants;
     
  the price or prices at which the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;
     
  if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable;
     
  a discussion of any material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants;
     
  the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire;
     
  the maximum or minimum number of warrants that may be exercised at any time;
     
  information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; and
     
  any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

 

Exercise of Warrants. Each warrant will entitle the holder of warrants to purchase the amount of securities or other rights, at the exercise price stated or determinable in the prospectus supplement for the warrants. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date shown in the applicable prospectus supplement, unless otherwise specified in such prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, if applicable, unexercised warrants will become void. Warrants may be exercised in the manner described in the applicable prospectus supplement. When the warrant holder makes the payment and properly completes and signs the warrant certificate at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent, if any, or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as possible, forward the securities or other rights that the warrant holder has purchased. If the warrant holder exercises less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants.

 

16

 

 

Rights

 

We may issue rights to purchase our securities. The rights may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and one or more banks, trust companies or other financial institutions, as rights agent, that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among other matters:

 

  the date of determining the security holders entitled to the rights distribution;
     
  the aggregate number of rights issued and the aggregate amount of securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights;
     
  the exercise price;
     
  the conditions to completion of the rights offering;
     
  the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence and the date on which the rights will expire; and
     
  any applicable federal income tax considerations.

 

Each right would entitle the holder of the rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of securities at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void.

 

If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than our security holders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Units

 

We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we may issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent, if any, may be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent, if any, in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units. Specific unit agreements, if any, will contain additional important terms and provisions. We will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report that we file with the SEC, the form of unit and the form of each unit agreement, if any, relating to units offered under this prospectus.

 

If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable

 

  the title of the series of units;
     
  identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units;
     
  the price or prices at which the units will be issued;
     
  the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable;
     
  a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and
     
  any other material terms of the units and their constituent securities.

 

17

 

 

DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION
FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITY

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC of New York, New York. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

EXPERTS

 

The financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the registration statement have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of Friedman LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

The financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the registration statement have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO China Shu Lun Pan Certified Public Accountants LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

This prospectus constitutes a part of a registration statement on Form S-3 filed under the Securities Act. As permitted by the SEC’s rules, this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, which form a part of the registration statement, do not contain all the information that is included in the registration statement. You will find additional information about us in the registration statement and its exhibits. Any statements made in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement concerning legal documents are not necessarily complete and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter.

 

You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of these documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities.

 

We are subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These reports, proxy statements and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and website of the SEC referred to above. We also maintain a website at www.summitwireless.com, at which you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. However, the information contained in or accessible through our website is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and investors should not rely on such information in making a decision to purchase our Common Stock in this offering.

 

18

 

 

INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

 

The SEC permits us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information contained in documents that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus from the date those documents are filed. We have filed with the SEC and incorporate by reference in this prospectus, except as superseded, supplemented or modified by this prospectus, the documents listed below:

 

  Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on May 29, 2020;
     
  Our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 10, 2020, January 22, 2020, February 5, 2020, March 2, 2020, March 12, 2020, March 23, 2020, March 27, 2020, May 15, 2020, June 15, 2020 and June 30, 2020; and
     
 

Our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on August 12, 2013, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating the description of our common stock therein.

 

We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus additional documents that we may file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof but before the completion or termination of this offering (excluding any information not deemed “filed” with the SEC). Any statement contained in a previously filed document is deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes the statement, and any statement contained in this prospectus is deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes the statement.

 

We will provide, without charge, to each person to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, including any beneficial owner, upon the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference herein, including exhibits. Requests should be directed to:

 

TD Holdings, Inc.

Room 104, No. 33 Section D,

No. 6 Middle Xierqi Road,

Haidian District, Beijing, China

+86 (010) 59441080

Copies of these filings are also available on our website at www.ir.imbatcar.com. For other ways to obtain a copy of these filings, please refer to “Where You Can Find More Information” above.

 

19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TD Holdings, Inc.

 

$100,000,000

 

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Rights

Units

 

 

2,760,000 Shares of Common Stock underlying Warrants

Offered by Selling Stockholders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

, 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART II - INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

 

The following table sets forth an estimate of the fees and expenses relating to the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which shall be borne by the registrant. All of such fees and expenses, except for the SEC registration fee, are estimated:

 

SEC registration fee  $13,645 
Legal fees and expenses   (1)
Accounting fees and expenses   (1)
Miscellaneous fees and expenses   (1)
Total  $(1)

 

(1)These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time

 

Item 15. Indemnification of Officers and Directors.

 

Section 145 of the DGCL (“Section 145”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was, is or is threatened to be made, party to any threatened, pending or completed 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 is or was 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 person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was illegal. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who are, were or are a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests, provided that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the officer, director, employee or agent is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him against the expenses which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred.

 

Section 145 further authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who 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 or agent of another corporation or enterprise, against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would otherwise have the power to indemnify him under Section 145.

 

Our bylaws provide that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL and must also pay expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition upon delivery of an undertaking, by or on behalf of an indemnified person, to repay all amounts so advanced if it should be determined ultimately that such person is not entitled to be indemnified.

 

We have entered into indemnification agreements with certain of our executive officers and directors pursuant to which we have agreed to indemnify such persons against all expenses and liabilities incurred or paid by such person in connection with any proceeding arising from the fact that such person is or was an officer or director of our company, and to advance expenses as incurred by or on behalf of such person in connection therewith.

 

The indemnification rights set forth above shall not be exclusive of any other right which an indemnified person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of our certificate of incorporation, as amended, our bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

II-1

 

 

We maintain standard policies of insurance that provide coverage (1) to our directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and (2) to us with respect to indemnification payments that we may make to such directors and officers.

 

See “Item 17. Undertakings” for a description of the SEC’s position regarding such indemnification provisions.

 

Item 16. Exhibits.

 

The list of exhibits in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

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 of 1933, as amended;
     
  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this 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 the volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of the 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 Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 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 the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (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 furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, 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 of 1933, as amended, 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 of 1933, as amended, 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 of 1933, as amended, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such 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 that 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 the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the 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 the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date;

 

II-2

 

 

  (5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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;
     
  (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;

 

  (7) To supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering;
     
  (8) 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 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act; and
     
  (9)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 of 1933, as amended, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

II-3

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Form S-3 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on July 8, 2020.

 

  TD HOLDINGS, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Renmei Ouyang
    Renmei Ouyang
    Chief Executive Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose individual signature appears below hereby authorizes and appoints Jiaxi Gao and Yang An, and each of them, with full power of substitution and resubstitution and full power to act without the other, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act in his or her name, place and stead, and to execute in the name and on behalf of each person, individually and in each capacity stated below, and to file any and all amendments to this registration statement, any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all pre- or post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, 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 for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or any substitute or substitutes for each of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated have signed this registration statement below.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Renmei Ouyang   Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman of the Board   July 8, 2020
Renmei Ouyang   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ Yang An   Chief Financial Officer and Secretary   July 8, 2020
Yang An   (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)    
         
/s/ Jin Ding   Chief Product Officer   July 8, 2020
Jin Ding        
         
/s/ Qun Xie   Chief Strategy Officer and Director   July 8, 2020
Qun Xie        
         
/s/ Siyuan Zhu   Director   July 8, 2020
Siyuan Zhu        

 

/s/ Weicheng Pan

 

 

Director

 

 

July 8, 2020

Weicheng Pan        
         
/s/ Wei Sun   Director   July 8, 2020
Wei Sun        
         
/s/ Kecen Liu   Director   July 8, 2020
Kecen Liu        

 

/s/ Jialin Cui   Director   July 8, 2020
Jialin Cui        

  

II-4

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.  

Description of Exhibit

     
4.1   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 12, 2019)
     
4.2   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 22, 2019)
     
4.3   Form of Amended & Restated Common Stock Purchase Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 22, 2019)
     
4.4   Form of Exchange Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 3, 2019)
     
4.5*   Form of Indenture
     
4.6**   Form of Debt Securities
     
4.7**   Form of Warrant Agreement, if any, including form of Warrant
     
4.8**   Form of Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation
     
4.9**   Form of Right Certificate
     
5.1*   Opinion of Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC
     
10.1   Letter Agreement, dated February 25, 2019, by and between the Company and Maxim Group LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 12, 2019)
     
10.2   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated April 11, 2019, by and among the Company and certain institutional investors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 12, 2019)
     
10.3   Form of Lock-up Agreement, dated April 11, 2019, by and among the Company and certain individuals (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 12, 2019)
     
10.4   Letter Agreement, dated May 17, 2019, by and between the Company and Maxim Group LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 22, 2019)
     
10.5   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated May 20, 2019, by and among the Company and certain institutional investors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 22, 2019)
     
10.6   Form of Exchange Agreement dated August 30, 2019, among the Company and certain institutional investors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 3, 2019)
     
21.1   List of Subsidiaries (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on May 29, 2020)
     
23.1*   Consent of BDO China Shu Lun Pan Certified Public Accountants LLP
     
23.2*   Consent of Friedman LLP
     
23.2*   Consent of Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC (included in Exhibit 5.1)
     
24.1*   Power of Attorney (see signature page of this registration statement).

 

 

*Filed herewith.

**To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a filing with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of securities to the extent required for any such offering.

 

 

II-5

 

 

Exhibit 4.5

 

TD HOLDINGS, INC.

 

and

 

                                                                      , as Trustee

 

FORM OF INDENTURE

 

Dated as of             ,             

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    PAGE
ARTICLE 1        DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 1
   
1.1. DEFINITIONS 1
     
1.2. OTHER DEFINITIONS 4
     
1.3. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT 5
     
1.4. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION 5
     
ARTICLE 2        THE SECURITIES 5
   
2.1. ISSUABLE IN SERIES 5
     
2.2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES 6
     
2.3. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION 8
     
2.4. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT 8
     
2.5. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD ASSETS IN TRUST 9
     
2.6. SECURITYHOLDER LISTS 9
     
2.7. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE 9
     
2.8. REPLACEMENT SECURITIES 10
     
2.9. OUTSTANDING SECURITIES 10
     
2.10. WHEN TREASURY SECURITIES DISREGARDED; DETERMINATION OF HOLDERS’ ACTION 10
     
2.11. TEMPORARY SECURITIES 11
     
2.12. CANCELLATION 11
     
2.13. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; DEFAULTED INTEREST; COMPUTATION OF INTEREST 11

 

i

 

 

2.14. CUSIP NUMBER 11
     
2.15. PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES 12
     
2.16. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS 13
     
ARTICLE 3        REDEMPTION 13
   
3.1. NOTICES TO TRUSTEE 13
     
 3.2. SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED 13
     
 3.3. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION 13
     
3.4. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION 14
     
3.5. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE 14
     
3.6. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART 15
     
ARTICLE 4        COVENANTS 15
   
4.1. PAYMENT OF SECURITIES 15
     
4.2. SEC REPORTS 15
     
4.3. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE 15
     
4.4. CORPORATE EXISTENCE 16
     
ARTICLE 5        SUCCESSOR CORPORATION 16
   
5.1.  LIMITATION ON CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS 16
     
5.2.  SUCCESSOR PERSON SUBSTITUTED 16
     
ARTICLE 6        DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES 17
   
6.1. EVENTS OF DEFAULT 17
     
6.2. ACCELERATION 18
     
6.3. REMEDIES 18
     
6.4. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT 18
     
6.5. CONTROL BY MAJORITY 18
     
6.6. LIMITATION ON SUITS 19
     
6.7. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT 19
     
6.8. COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE 19
     
6.9. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM 19

 

ii

 

 

6.10. PRIORITIES 20
     
6.11. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS 20
     
ARTICLE 7        TRUSTEE 20
   
7.1. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE 20
     
7.2. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE 21
     
7.3. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE 22
     
7.4. TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER 22
     
7.5. NOTICE OF DEFAULT 22
     
7.6. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS 22
     
7.7. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY 23
     
7.8. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE 23
     
7.9. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR CONVERSION 24
     
7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION 24
     
7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY 24
     
7.12. PAYING AGENTS 24
     
ARTICLE 8        AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS 25
   
8.1. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS 25
     
8.2. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS 25
     
8.3. COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT 26
     
8.4. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS 26
     
8.5. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES 27
     
8.6. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC. 27
     
ARTICLE 9        DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE 27
   
9.1. DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE 27
     
9.1. LEGAL DEFEASANCE 27
     
9.3. COVENANT DEFEASANCE 28
     
9.4. CONDITIONS TO LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE 28
     
9.5. DEPOSITED MONEY AND U.S. AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 29

 

iii

 

 

9.6. REINSTATEMENT 29
     
9.7. MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT 30
     
9.8. MONEYS HELD BY TRUSTEE 30
     
ARTICLE 10        MISCELLANEOUS 30
   
10.1. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS 30
     
10.2. NOTICES 30
     
10.3. COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS 31
     
10.4. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT 31
     
10.5. STATEMENT REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE AND OPINION 32
     
10.6. RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS 32
     
10.7. BUSINESS DAYS; LEGAL HOLIDAYS; PLACE OF PAYMENT 32
     
10.8. GOVERNING LAW 32
     
10.9. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS 32
     
10.10. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS 32
     
10.11. SUCCESSORS 33
     
10.12. MULTIPLE COUNTERPARTS 33
     
10.13. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC. 33
     
10.14. SEVERABILITY 33
     
10.15. SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN EUROS 33
     
10.16. JUDGMENT CURRENCY 34

 

iv

 

 

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE

 

TIA SECTION   INDENTURE SECTION
310(a)(1)(2)(5)   7.10
310(a)(3)(4)   Inapplicable
310(b)   7.8; 7.10
310(c)   Inapplicable
     
311(a)(b)   7.11
311(c)   Inapplicable
     
312(a)   2.6
312(b)(c)   10.3
     
313(a)(b)   7.6
313(c)   7.6; 10.2
313(d)   7.6
     
314(a)   4.2; 4.4; 10.2
314(b)   N/A
314(c)(1)(2)   10.4; 10.5
314(c)(3)   Inapplicable
314(d)   Inapplicable
314(e)   10.5
314(f)   Inapplicable
     
315(a)   7.1, 7.2
315(b)   7.5; 10.2
315(c)   7.1
315(d)   7.1; 7.2
315(e)   6.11
     
316(a)(last sentence)   2.10
316(a)(1)(A)   6.5
316(a)(1)(B)   6.4
316(a)(2)   8.2
316(b)   6.7
316(c)   8.4
     
317(a)(1)   6.8
317(a)(2)   6.9
317(b)   2.5; 7.12
     
318(a)   10.1

Note: This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.

 

v

 

 

FORM OF INDENTURE

 

INDENTURE, dated as of                     ,         , by and between TD Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as Issuer (the “Company”) and                                         , a                                         organized under the laws of                                         , as Trustee (the “Trustee”).

 

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

 

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its secured or unsecured debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (the “Securities”), as herein provided, on such terms and up to such principal amount as may from time to time be authorized in or pursuant to one or more resolutions of the Board of Directors or by supplemental indenture.

 

All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company in accordance with its terms have been done, and the execution and delivery thereof have been in all respects duly authorized by the parties hereto.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

 

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities of a Series thereof, as follows:

 

ARTICLE 1

 

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

 

1.1. DEFINITIONS.

 

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person which, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.

 

“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent, co-registrar or agent for service of notices and demands.

 

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee duly authorized to act therefor.

 

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification which has been delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock, partnership interests or any other participation, right or other interest in the nature of an equity interest in such Person or any option, warrant or other security convertible into any of the foregoing.

 

“Company” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor replaces such party pursuant to Article 5 of this Indenture, and thereafter means the successor and any other primary obligor on the Securities.

 

1

 

 

“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be its Chief Executive Officer or its Chief Financial Officer.

 

“Company Request” means any written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any Vice President, its Chief Financial Officer or its Treasurer and attested to by its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary.

 

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered.

 

“Default” means any event that is, or that with the passing of time or giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.

 

“Depository” 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 Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, until a successor Depository shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depository” shall mean each Person who is then a Depository hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, such Persons.

 

“Dollars” means the currency of the United States of America.

 

“Euro” means the single currency of participating member states of the economic and monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.

 

“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 that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, (i) direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by, or acting as an agency or instrumentality of, such government, the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clauses (i) and (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied as in effect in the United States of America from time to time.

 

“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 Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee, and bearing the legend set forth in Section 2.15(c) (or such other legend(s) as may be applied to such Securities in accordance with Section 2.2(24)).

 

“Holder” or “Securityholder” means the Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.

 

“Indebtedness” means (without duplication), with respect to any Person, any indebtedness at any time outstanding, secured or unsecured, contingent or otherwise, which is for borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a portion thereof), or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments, or representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property (excluding any balances that constitute accounts payable or trade payables, and other accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business), if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

2

 

 

“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Interest Payment Date,” when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any property or assets of any Person, any mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security interest, lien, charge, easement, encumbrance, preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on or with respect to such property or assets (including, without limitation, any capitalized lease obligation, conditional sales or other title retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).

 

“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security, or an installment of principal, becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect payment or otherwise.

 

“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company, or any other officer designated by the Board of Directors, as the case may be.

 

“Officers’ Certificate” means, with respect to any Person, a certificate signed by the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Senior or Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer or any Treasurer of such Person, that shall comply with applicable provisions of this Indenture.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel, which counsel is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government (including any agency or political subdivision thereof).

 

“Redemption Date,” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption pursuant to this Indenture.

 

“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department or division of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

 

“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as constituted from time to time, or any successor performing substantially the same functions.

 

“Securities” means the securities that are issued under this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to this Indenture.

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes, bonds or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2.

 

“Significant Subsidiary” means (i) any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof, or (ii) any group of direct or indirect Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together as a group, would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof.

 

3

 

 

“Stated Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security, or such installment of principal or interest, is due and payable, and when used with respect to any other Indebtedness, means the date specified in the instrument governing such Indebtedness as the fixed date on which the principal of such Indebtedness, or any installment of interest thereon, is due and payable.

 

 “Subsidiary” of any specified Person means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, whether now existing or hereafter organized or acquired, (i) in the case of a corporation, of which more than 50% of the total voting power of the Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors thereof is held, directly or indirectly, by such Person or any of its Subsidiaries; or (ii) in the case of a partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, with respect to which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such entity by contract or otherwise, or if in accordance with GAAP such entity is consolidated with such Person for financial statement purposes.

 

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Section 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture (except as provided in Section 8.3).

 

“Trustee” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it pursuant to this Indenture, and thereafter means the successor, 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 direct non-callable obligations of, or non-callable obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which obligation or guarantee the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged.

 

1.2. OTHER DEFINITIONS.

 

The definitions of the following terms may be found in the sections indicated as follows:

 

TERM   DEFINED IN SECTION
     
“Bankruptcy Law”   6.1
     
“Business Day”   10.7
     
“Covenant Defeasance”   9.3
     
“Custodian”   6.1
     
“Event of Default”   6.1
     
“Journal”   10.15
     
“Judgment Currency”   10.16
     
“Legal Defeasance”   9.2
     
“Legal Holiday”   10.7
     
“Market Exchange Rate”   10.15
     
“Paying Agent”   2.4
     
“Place of Payment”   10.7
     
“Registrar”   2.4
     
“Required Currency”   10.16
     
“Service Agent”   2.4

 

4

 

 

1.3. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

 

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the portion of such provision required to be incorporated herein in order for this Indenture to be qualified under the TIA 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 securityholder” means a Holder or Securityholder.

 

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

 

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

 

“obligor on the indenture securities” means the Company.

 

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined in the TIA by reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule have the meanings therein assigned to them.

 

1.4. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

 

Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it herein, whether defined expressly or by reference;

 

(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

 

(3) “or” is not exclusive;

 

(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

 

(5) words used herein implying any gender shall apply to each gender; and

 

(6) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

 

ARTICLE 2

 

THE SECURITIES

 

2.1. ISSUABLE IN SERIES.

 

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is $[                    ]. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, Stated Maturity, 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.

 

5

 

 

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 a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, in each case, pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:

 

(1) the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);

 

(2) 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 8.5);

 

(3) the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

 

(4) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

 

(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;

 

(6) the place or places where the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series shall be payable, or the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;

 

(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;

 

(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;

 

(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;

 

(10) if other than denominations of $[          ] and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

 

(11) the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer (if to be issued outside of the United States of America) or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities);

 

6

 

 

(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;

 

 (13) the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, including, but not limited to, the Euro, and, if such currency of denomination is a composite currency other than the Euro, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;

 

(14) the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series will be made;

 

(15) if payments of principal of, or interest or premium, 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;

 

(16) the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, or interest and premium, 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;

 

(17) the provisions, if any, relating to any collateral provided for the Securities of the Series;

 

(18) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles 4 or 5 that applies to Securities of the Series;

 

(19) any addition to 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;

 

(20) the terms and conditions, if any, for conversion of the Securities into or exchange of the Securities for shares of common stock or preferred stock of the Company that apply to Securities of the Series;

 

(21) any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;

 

(22) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Securities shall be subordinated in right of payment to other Indebtedness of the Company;

 

(23) if applicable, that the Securities of the Series, in whole or any specified part, shall be defeasible pursuant to Article 9; and

 

 (24) any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 8.1, but which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such 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 or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, however, the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.

 

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2.3. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.

 

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company or an Officer and an Assistant Secretary of the Company. Each such signature may be either manual or facsimile. The Company’s seal may be impressed, affixed, imprinted or reproduced on the Securities and may be in facsimile form.

 

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

 

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee 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 Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. 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 Officers’ 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 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ 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 Officers’ 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 any Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised in writing by outside counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken; 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 shall reasonably determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability, or cause it to have a conflict of interest with respect 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. Any appointment shall be evidenced by an instrument signed by an authorized officer of the Trustee, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Company. 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.

 

2.4. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.

 

The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for any Series of Securities (i) an office or agency where such Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”), (ii) an office or agency where such Securities may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”), and PROVIDED, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the register for the Securities maintained by the Registrar), and (iii) an office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served (“Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office, or to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the address of the Trustee as set forth in Section 10.2. If the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it for the payment of principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company may change any Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or any other Agent without notice to any Securityholder.

 

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The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes, and may from time to time rescind such designations; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of such designation or rescission, and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

 

The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such Agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, or agent for service of notices and demands, or fails to give the foregoing notice, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.

 

2.5. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD ASSETS IN TRUST.

 

The Trustee as Paying Agent shall, and the Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that each Paying Agent shall, hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of any Series of Securities or the Trustee all assets held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Series of Securities (whether such assets have been distributed to it by the Company or any other obligor on such Series of Securities), and the Company and the Paying Agent shall notify the Trustee in writing of any Default by the Company (or any other obligor on such Series of Securities) in making any such payment. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and account for any assets disbursed, and the Trustee may, at any time during the continuance of any payment default with respect to any Series of Securities, upon written request to a Paying Agent, require such Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and to account for any assets distributed. Upon distribution to the Trustee of all assets that shall have been delivered by the Company to the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for such assets.

 

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. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee as of each regular record date for the payment of interest on the Securities of a Series and before each related 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.

 

2.7. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.

 

When Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar with a request to register the transfer thereof, the Registrar shall register the transfer as requested if the requirements of applicable law are met, and when such Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of other authorized denominations of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested. To permit transfers and exchanges, upon surrender of any Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 2.4, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request.

 

If Securities are issued as Global Securities, the provisions of Section 2.15 shall apply.

 

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

 

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Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Registrar or a co-registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar or a co-registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

 

Any exchange or transfer shall be without charge, except that the Company may require payment by the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation to a transfer or exchange, but this provision shall not apply to any exchange pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 8.5. The Trustee shall not be required to register transfers of Securities of any Series, or to exchange Securities of any Series, for a period of [  ] days before the record date for selection for redemption of such Securities. The Trustee shall not be required to exchange or register transfers of Securities of any Series called or being called for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of such Security being redeemed in part.

 

2.8. REPLACEMENT SECURITIES.

 

If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or if the Holder of a Security presents evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. An indemnity bond may be required by the Company or the Trustee that is sufficient in the reasonable judgment of the Company or the Trustee, as the case may be, to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Company may charge such Holder for the Company’s out-of-pocket expenses in replacing a Security, including the fees and expenses of the Trustee. Every replacement Security shall constitute an original additional 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.

 

2.9. OUTSTANDING SECURITIES.

 

Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee, except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section 2.9 as not outstanding.

 

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8 (other than a mutilated Security surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding until the Company and the Trustee receive proof satisfactory to each of them that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser. A mutilated Security ceases to be outstanding upon surrender of such Security and replacement thereof pursuant to Section 2.8.

 

If a Paying Agent holds on a Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity money sufficient to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on, Securities payable on that date, and is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders thereof pursuant to the terms of this Indenture (PROVIDED, that if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made), then on and after that date such Securities cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

 

A Security does not cease to be outstanding solely because the Company or an Affiliate holds the Security.

 

2.10. WHEN TREASURY SECURITIES DISREGARDED; DETERMINATION OF HOLDERS’ ACTION.

 

In determining whether the Holders of the required aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any Series have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, the Securities of any Series owned by the Company or any other obligor on such Securities, or by any Affiliate of any of them, shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities of such Series which the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities of such Series so owned which have been pledged in good faith shall not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to the Securities of such Series and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of such Series, or an Affiliate of any of them.

 

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2.11. TEMPORARY SECURITIES.

 

Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form, and shall carry all rights, of definitive Securities, but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities without charge to the Holder.

 

2.12. CANCELLATION.

 

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption or registration of transfer or exchange, or for credit against any sinking fund payment, shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee or, at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent, and no one else, shall cancel, and at the written request of the Company shall dispose of, all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation. If the Company shall acquire any of the Securities, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation pursuant to this Section 2.12. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section 2.12, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture.

 

2.13. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; DEFAULTED INTEREST; COMPUTATION OF INTEREST.

 

Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 2.2 with respect to any Series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest, as provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the terms of such Series.

 

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities, it shall pay the defaulted amounts, plus any interest payable on defaulted amounts pursuant to Section 4.1, to the Persons who are Securityholders on a subsequent special record date, which date shall be the [  ] day next preceding the date fixed by the Company for the payment of defaulted interest, or the next succeeding Business Day if such date is not a Business Day. At least [ ] days before the special record date, the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed to each Securityholder, with a copy to the Trustee, a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest, and interest payable on such defaulted interest, if any, to be paid.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series, interest on the Securities of each Series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

  

2.14. CUSIP NUMBER.

 

The Company in issuing the Securities may use one or more “CUSIP” numbers, and, if the Company does so, the Trustee shall use the CUSIP number(s) in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders, PROVIDED, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number(s) printed in the notice or on the Securities, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and that any such redemption or exchange shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of any such numbers.

 

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2.15. PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES.

 

(a) A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ 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 Depository for such Global Securities or Securities.

 

(b) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 and in addition thereto, if, and only if the Depository (i) at any time is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and (ii) a successor Depository is not appointed by the Company within [  ] days after the date the Company is so informed in writing or becomes aware of the same, the Company promptly will execute and deliver to the Trustee definitive Securities, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Request for the authentication and delivery of such definitive Securities (which the Company will promptly execute and deliver to the Trustee) and an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, will authenticate and deliver definitive Securities, without charge, registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depository shall direct in writing (pursuant to instructions from its direct and indirect participants or otherwise) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms. Upon the exchange of a Global Security for definitive Securities, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for definitive Securities, as provided in this Section 2.15(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.

 

(c) 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 Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a Person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”

 

(d) The Depository, 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.

 

(e) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, any Global Security shall be made to the Depository or its nominee in its capacity as the Holder thereof.

 

(f) Except as provided in Section 2.15(e) above, the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a Person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of any Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository (which may be in the form of a participants’ list for such Series) 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, PROVIDED, that until the Trustee is so provided with a written statement, it may treat the Depository or any other Person in whose name a Global Security is registered as the owner of such Global Security for the purpose of receiving payment of the principal of, and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on, such Global Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

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2.16. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.

 

Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and any agent of the Company, the Registrar or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of the principal of, and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar or any agent of the Company, the Trustee or the Registrar shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

ARTICLE 3

 

REDEMPTION

 

3.1. NOTICES 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 or the related Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company elects to redeem all or part of such Series of Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the Redemption Date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed at least 45 days (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) before the Redemption Date. Any such notice may be canceled at any time prior to notice of such redemption being mailed to any Holder, and shall thereby be void and of no effect.

 

3.2. SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.

 

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series of Securities by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of a Series to be redeemed pro rata, by lot or by any other method that the Trustee considers fair and appropriate (unless the Company specifically directs the Trustee otherwise) and, if such Securities are listed on any securities exchange, by a method that complies with the requirements of such exchange.

 

The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of a Series outstanding and not previously called for redemption, and shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Security selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed at least [  ] but not more than [  ] days before the Redemption Date. Securities of a Series in denominations of $[    ] may be redeemed only in whole. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of a Series that have denominations larger than $[   ]. Securities of a Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $[   ] 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 integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption.

 

3.3. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

 

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least [  ] days, and no more than [  ] days, before a Redemption Date, the Company shall mail, or cause to be mailed, a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at his or her last address as the same appears on the registry books maintained by the Registrar. The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:

 

(1) the Redemption Date;

 

(2) the redemption price, and that such redemption price shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date;

 

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(3) if any Security of a Series is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Security of a Series to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date and upon surrender of such Security of a Series, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued;

 

(4) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

 

(5) that Securities of a Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price, and the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for such payment;

 

(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on the Securities of a Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on the Redemption Date, and the only remaining right of the Holders of such Securities is to receive payment of the redemption price upon surrender to the Paying Agent of the Securities redeemed;

 

(7) if fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities of a Series (or portion thereof) to be redeemed, as well as the aggregate principal amount of Securities of a Series to be redeemed and the aggregate principal amount of Securities of a Series to be outstanding after such partial redemption.

 

(8) the CUSIP number, if any, printed on the Securities being redeemed; and

 

(9) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.

 

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s sole expense.

 

3.4. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

 

Once the notice of redemption described in Section 3.3 is mailed, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the redemption price, plus interest, if any, accrued to the Redemption Date. Upon surrender to the Trustee or Paying Agent, such Securities of a Series shall be paid at the redemption price, plus accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; PROVIDED, that if the Redemption Date is after a regular interest payment record date and on or prior to the next Interest Payment Date, the accrued interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Securities registered on the relevant record date, as specified by the Company in the notice to the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.1.

 

3.5. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.

 

On or prior to the Redemption Date (but no later than 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time on such 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 other than Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on that date which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

On and after any Redemption Date, if money sufficient to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest on, Securities called for redemption shall have been made available in accordance with the preceding paragraph and the Company and the Paying Agent are not prohibited from paying such moneys to Holders, the Securities called for redemption will cease to accrue interest and the only right of the Holders of such Securities will be to receive payment of the redemption price of and, subject to the proviso in Section 3.4, accrued and unpaid interest on such Securities to the Redemption Date. If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid, interest will be paid, from the Redemption Date until such redemption payment is made, on the unpaid principal of the Security and any interest or premium, if any, not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case, at the rate and in the manner provided in the Securities.

 

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3.6. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART.

 

Upon surrender of a Security of a Series that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, for a Holder a new Security of the same Series equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

 

ARTICLE 4

 

COVENANTS

 

4.1. PAYMENT OF SECURITIES.

 

The Company shall pay the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, each Series of Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in such Securities and this Indenture.

 

An installment of principal or interest shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or Paying Agent holds on that date money designated for and sufficient to pay such installment and is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or otherwise.

 

The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal, and overdue interest, to the extent lawful, at the rate specified in the Series of Securities.

 

4.2. SEC REPORTS.

 

The Company will deliver to the Trustee within [  ] days after the filing of the same with the SEC, copies of the quarterly and annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports, if any, which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that each such report or document will be deemed to be so delivered to the Trustee if the Company files such report or document with the SEC through the SEC’s EDGAR database no later than the time such report or document is required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company will file with the SEC, to the extent permitted, and provide the Trustee with, such quarterly and annual reports and such information, documents and other reports specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company will also comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a).

   

4.3. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.

 

(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within [   ] days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate which complies with TIA Section 314(a)(4) stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during such fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and that there is no 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 he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities is prohibited, or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

(b) (i) If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or (ii) if any Holder seeks to exercise any remedy hereunder with respect to a claimed Default under this Indenture or the Securities, within five Business Days after the Company becoming aware of such occurrence the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying such event, notice or other action and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

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4.4. CORPORATE EXISTENCE.

 

Subject to Article 5, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence, in accordance with the organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or its corporate existence, 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 that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

 

ARTICLE 5

 

SUCCESSOR CORPORATION

 

5.1. LIMITATION ON CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS.

 

(a) The Company will not, in any transaction or series of transactions, merge or consolidate with or into, or sell, assign, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties and assets (as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in one transaction or a series of related transactions), to any Person or Persons, unless at the time of and after giving effect thereto (i) either (A) if the transaction or series of transactions is a merger or consolidation, the Company shall be the surviving Person of such merger or consolidation, or (B) the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which the properties and assets of the Company are transferred (any such surviving Person or transferee Person being the “Surviving Entity”) shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, or a corporation or comparable legal entity organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction and shall expressly assume by a supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Company (including, without limitation, the obligation to pay the principal of, and premium and interest, if any, on, the Securities and the performance of the other covenants) under the Securities of each Series and this Indenture, and in each case, this Indenture shall remain in full force and effect; and (ii) immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions on a pro forma basis (including, without limitation, any Indebtedness incurred or anticipated to be incurred in connection with or in respect of such transaction or series of transactions), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 

(b) In connection with any consolidation, merger or transfer of assets contemplated by this Section 5.1, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer, and the supplemental indenture in respect thereto, comply with this Section 5.1, and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction or transactions have been complied with.

 

5.2. SUCCESSOR PERSON SUBSTITUTED.

 

Upon any consolidation, merger or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1 above, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company is merged or to which such transfer 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 corporation had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter (except with respect to any such transfer which is a lease) the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

 

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ARTICLE 6

 

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

 

6.1. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

 

“Events 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 Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

 

(1) there is a default in the payment of any principal of, or premium, if any, on, the Securities when the same becomes due and payable at Maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;

 

(2) there is a default in the payment of any interest on any Security of a Series when the same becomes due and payable, and the Default continues for a period of [  ] days;

 

(3) the Company defaults in the observance or performance of any other covenant in the Securities of a Series or in this Indenture for [  ] days after written notice from the Trustee or the Holders of not less than [   ]% in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding, which notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default”;

 

(4) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

 

(A) commences a voluntary case,

 

(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

 

(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,

 

(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or

 

(E) generally is not paying its debts as they become due;

 

(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

 

(A) is for relief against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary case;

 

(B) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary; or

 

(C) orders the liquidation of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for [  ] consecutive days; or

 

(6) 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 Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2(19).

 

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.

 

The Trustee may withhold notice of any Default (except in the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities) to the Holders of the Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 7.5. When a Default is cured, it ceases to exist.

 

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6.2. ACCELERATION.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding (other than an Event of Default arising under Section 6.1(4) or (5)) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by written notice to the Company, or the Holders of not less than [  ]% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that Series then outstanding by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare that the entire principal amount of all the Securities of that Series then outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of acceleration are immediately due and payable, in which case such amounts shall become immediately due and payable; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that after such acceleration but before a judgment or decree based on such acceleration is obtained by the Trustee, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences if (i) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of accelerated principal, interest or premium, if any, that has become due solely because of the acceleration, have been cured or waived, (ii) to the extent the payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest and overdue principal, which has become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration, has been paid and (iii) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto. In case an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4) or (5) with respect to the Company occurs, such principal, premium, if any, and interest amount with respect to all of the Securities of that Series shall be due and payable immediately without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities of that Series.

 

6.3. REMEDIES.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of the principal of, or interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of that Series, or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of that Series or this Indenture.

 

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities of that Series or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Securityholder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All available remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

 

6.4. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

 

Subject to Sections 6.2, 6.7 and 8.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series then outstanding have the right to waive any existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series or compliance with any provision of this Indenture (with respect to such Series) or the Securities of such Series. Upon any such waiver, such Default with respect to such Series shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default with respect to such Series 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 Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereto. This Section 6.4 shall be in lieu of TIA Section 316(a)(1)(B), and TIA Section 316(a)(1)(B) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and Section as permitted by the TIA.

 

6.5. CONTROL BY MAJORITY.

 

Subject to Sections 6.2, 6.7 and 8.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series then outstanding may 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 by this Indenture with respect to such Series. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, or that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of another Securityholder, or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability; PROVIDED, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction. This Section 6.5 shall be in lieu of TIA Section 316(a)(1)(A), and TIA Section 316(a)(1)(A) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and Section as permitted by the TIA.

 

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6.6. LIMITATION ON SUITS.

 

Subject to Section 6.7, a Securityholder may not institute any proceeding or pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities of a Series unless:

 

(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;

 

(2) the Holders of at least [   ]% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

 

 

(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense to be incurred in compliance with such request;

 

(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within [  ] days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and

 

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such [  ]-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding.

 

A Securityholder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Securityholder, or to obtain a preference or priority over another Securityholder.

 

6.7. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security of a Series to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Security of such Series on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Security of such Series, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, is absolute and unconditional, and shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.

 

6.8. COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.

 

If an Event of Default in payment of principal, interest or premium, if any, specified in Section 6.1(1) or (2) with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities of that Series) for the whole amount of unpaid principal and premium, if any, and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate then borne by the Securities of that Series, and such further amounts 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, as set forth in Section 7.7.

 

6.9. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.

 

The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents, and take other actions (including sitting on a committee of creditors), as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Securityholders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities), any of their respective creditors or any of their respective property, and the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after deduction of its charges and expenses to the extent that any such charges and expenses are not paid out of the estate in any such proceedings, and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Securityholder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.

 

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Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to, or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of a Series or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceedings.

 

6.10. PRIORITIES.

 

If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

 

FIRST: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.7;

 

SECOND: to Securityholders for amounts then due and unpaid for the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, 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 any premium and interest, respectively; and

 

THIRD: to the Company.

 

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Securityholders pursuant to this Section 6.10. At least [  ] days before such record date, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.

 

6.11. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.

 

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.7 or a suit by Holders of more than [  ]% in principal amount of the Securities of a Series then outstanding.

 

ARTICLE 7

 

TRUSTEE

 

7.1. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.

 

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent Person would exercise or use under the same circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

 

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

 

(1) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no covenants or obligations shall be implied in this Indenture against the Trustee.

 

(2) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture, but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

 

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(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(1) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.1.

 

(2) 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.

 

(3) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Sections 6.2 and 6.5.

 

(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds, or otherwise incur any financial liability, in the performance of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

(e) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 7.1 shall govern every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee.

 

(f) The Trustee and Paying Agent shall not be liable for interest on any money received by either of them, except as the Trustee and Paying Agent 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 the law.

 

(g) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care set forth in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) of this Section 7.1 and in Section 7.2 with respect to the Trustee.

 

7.2. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.

 

(a) Subject to Section 7.1:

 

(1) The Trustee may rely on, and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon, any document reasonably 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.

 

(2) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel, or both, which shall conform to the provisions of Section 10.5. The Trustee shall be protected and shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such certificate or opinion.

 

(3) The Trustee may act through agents and attorneys, and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed by it with due care.

 

(4) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it reasonably believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.

 

(5) The Trustee may consult with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, which may be counsel to the Company, and the advice or opinion of such counsel as to matters of law shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.

 

(6) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.

 

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(7) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any fact or matter (including, without limitation, a Default or Event of Default) unless such fact or matter is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee.

 

(8) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein or in the Securities of a Series or the related Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, the Trustee shall not have any responsibility with respect to reports, notices, certificates or other documents filed with it hereunder, except to make them available for inspection, at reasonable times, by Securityholders, it being understood that delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (except as set forth in Section 4.4).

 

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 make loans to, accept deposits from, perform services for or otherwise deal with the Company, or any Affiliate thereof, with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee, however, shall be subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

 

7.4. TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER.

 

The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities (except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture and authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder), and the Trustee shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the sale of Securities or any money paid to the Company pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its certificates of authentication.

 

7.5. NOTICE OF DEFAULT.

 

If a Default or an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series, and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of the Default or the Event of Default, as the case may be, within [  ] days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default (except if such Default or Event of Default has been validly cured or waived before the giving of such notice). Except in the case of a Default or an Event of Default in payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the Board of Directors of the Trustee, the executive committee or any trust committee of such board and/or its Responsible Officers in good faith determine(s) that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Securityholders of that Series.

 

7.6. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS.

 

If and to the extent required by the TIA, within 60 days after April 1 of each year, commencing the April 1 following the date of this Indenture, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a brief report dated as of such April 1 that complies with TIA Section 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Sections 313(b) and 313(c).

 

 A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders shall be filed with the SEC and any stock exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange or any delisting thereof, and the Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 313(d).

 

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7.7. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.

 

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee within [  ] days after receipt of request for all reasonable out-of-pocket disbursements and expenses incurred or made by it in connection with its duties under this Indenture, including the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

 

The Company shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any and all loss or liability incurred by it in connection with the acceptance or performance of its duties under this Indenture including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim asserted against the Trustee for which it may seek indemnity.

 

The failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not however relieve the Company of its obligations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company need not reimburse the Trustee for any expense or indemnify it against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee through its negligence or bad faith. To secure the payment obligations of the Company in this Section 7.7, 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 such money or property held in trust to pay the principal of, interest and premium, if any, on particular Securities of that Series.

 

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4) or (5) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

For purposes of this Section 7.7, the term “Trustee” shall include any trustee appointed pursuant to this Article 7.

 

7.8. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.

 

The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company in writing at least [  ] days in advance of such resignation.

 

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by notifying the removed Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to that Series with the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series at its election if:

 

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with, or ceases to be eligible under, Section 7.10;

 

(2) 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;

 

(3) a Custodian or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

 

(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.

 

(5) If the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee, with respect to any Series of Securities for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint, by Board Resolution, a successor Trustee.

 

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series does not take office within [  ] days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least [  ]% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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If the Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Securityholder of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately following such delivery, (i) the retiring Trustee with respect to one or more Series shall, subject to its rights under Section 7.7, transfer all property held by it as Trustee with respect to such Series to the successor Trustee, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and (iii) the successor Trustee with respect to such Series shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series shall mail notice of its succession to each Securityholder of such Series.

 

7.9. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR CONVERSION.

 

If the Trustee, or any Agent, consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust assets to, another corporation, subject to Section 7.10, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee or Agent, as the case may be.

 

7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.

 

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Sections 310(a)(1), (2) and (5) in every respect. The Trustee (or in the case of a Trustee that is a Person included in a bank holding company system, the related bank holding company) shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b), including the provision in Section 310(b)(1). In addition, if the Trustee is a Person included in a bank holding company system, the Trustee, independently of such bank holding company, shall meet the capital requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(2). If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.10, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article 7.

 

7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.

 

The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.

 

7.12. PAYING AGENTS.

 

The Company shall cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to it and the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 7.12:

 

(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as agent for the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any obligor on the Securities) in trust for the benefit of Holders of the Securities or the Trustee;

 

(2) that it will at any time during the continuance of any Event of Default, upon written request from the Trustee, deliver to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by it together with a full accounting thereof; and

 

(3) that it will give the Trustee written notice within three Business Days after any failure of the Company (or by any obligor on the Securities) in the payment of any installment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities when the same shall be due and payable.

 

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ARTICLE 8

 

AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS

 

8.1. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS.

 

The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without notice to or consent of any Securityholder:

 

(1) to comply with Section 5.1;

 

(2) to provide for certificated Securities in addition to uncertificated Securities;

 

(3) to comply with any requirements of the SEC under the TIA;

 

(4) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, or to make any other change herein or in the Securities that does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;

 

(5) to provide for the issuance of, and establish the form and terms and conditions of, Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture; or

 

(6) 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.

 

The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture which adversely affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture.

 

8.2. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS.

 

(a) The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series with the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series affected by such amendment or supplement without notice to any Securityholder. The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each such Series affected by such amendment or supplement may waive compliance by the Company in a particular instance with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities of such Series without notice to any Securityholder. Subject to Section 8.4, without the consent of each Securityholder affected, however, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not:

 

(1) reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver to this Indenture or the Securities;

 

(2) reduce the rate of, or change the time for payment of, interest on any Security;

 

(3) 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;

 

(4) make any Security payable in money other than that stated in the Security;

 

(5) change the amount or time of any payment required by the Securities, or reduce the premium payable upon any redemption of the Securities, or change the time before which no such redemption may be made;

 

(6) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, 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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(7) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, or change any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any Securities;

 

(8) make any changes in Section 6.6 or this Section 8.2, except to increase any percentage of Securities the Holders of which must consent to any matter; or

 

(9) take any other action otherwise prohibited by this Indenture to be taken without the consent of each Holder affected thereby.

 

(b) Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the receipt by the Trustee of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Securityholders as aforesaid and of the documents described in Section 8.6, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture, unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture.

 

(c) It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

 

After an amendment or supplement under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Securityholders a notice briefly describing the amendment or supplement. Any failure of the Company to mail any such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any supplemental indenture.

 

8.3. COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

 

Every amendment to, or supplement of, this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.

 

8.4. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS.

 

Until an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent conclusive and binding upon such Holder and every subsequent Holder of the same Security or portion thereof, and of any Security issued upon the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in place thereof, even if notation of the consent is not made on any such Security. Any such Holder or subsequent Holder, however, may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security, if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective.

 

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver, which record date shall be at least [  ] days prior to the first solicitation of such consent. If a record date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to consent to such amendment, supplement or waiver, or to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date.

 

After an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective, it shall bind every Securityholder, unless it makes a change described in any of clauses (1) through (9) of Section 8.2. In that case, the amendment, supplement, waiver or other action 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; PROVIDED, that any such waiver shall not impair or affect the right of any Holder to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, a Security, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates without the consent of such Holder.

 

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8.5. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES.

 

If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Security of any Series, the Trustee may request the Holder of such Security to deliver it to the Trustee. In such case, the Trustee shall place an appropriate notation on such Security about the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, the Company, in exchange for such Security, may issue, and the Trustee shall authenticate, a new security that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Security shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.

 

8.6. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC.

 

The Trustee shall sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article 8 if the amendment, supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may, but need not, sign it. In signing or refusing to sign such amendment, supplement or waiver the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and, subject to Section 7.1, shall be fully protected in relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that such amendment, supplement or waiver is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Company may not sign an amendment or supplement until the Board of Directors of the Company approves it.

 

ARTICLE 9

 

DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE

 

9.1. DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE.

 

The Company may terminate its obligations under the Securities of any Series and this Indenture with respect to such Series, except the obligations referred to in the last paragraph of this Section 9.1, if there shall have been canceled by the Trustee, or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, all Securities of such Series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than any Securities of such Series that are asserted to have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced as provided in Section 2.8) and the Company has paid all sums payable by it hereunder or deposited all required sums with the Trustee.

 

After such delivery the Trustee upon request shall acknowledge in a writing prepared by or on behalf of the Company the discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Securities of such Series and this Indenture, except for those surviving obligations specified below.

 

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company in Sections 7.7, 9.5 and 9.6 shall survive.

 

9.2. LEGAL DEFEASANCE.

 

The Company may at its option, by Board Resolution, be discharged from its obligations with respect to the Securities of any Series on the date upon which the conditions set forth in Section 9.4 below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Securities of such Series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, subject to Section 9.6, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same, as are delivered to it by the Company), except for the following, which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A) the rights of Holders of outstanding Securities of such Series to receive solely from the trust funds described in Section 9.4 and as more fully set forth in such section, payments in respect of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of such Series when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of such Series under Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8 and 2.9, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder (including claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.7) and (D) this Article 9. Subject to compliance with this Article 9, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 9.2 with respect to the Securities of any Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 9.3 below with respect to the Securities of such Series.

 

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9.3. COVENANT DEFEASANCE.

 

At the option of the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, the Company shall be released from its obligations with respect to the outstanding Securities of any Series under Sections 4.2 through 4.5, inclusive, and Section 5.1, with respect to the outstanding Securities of such Series, on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 9.4 are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified section or portion thereof, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such specified Section or portion thereof or by reason of any reference in any such specified section or portion thereof to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities of any Series shall be unaffected thereby.

 

9.4. CONDITIONS TO LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.

 

The following shall be the conditions to application of Section 9.2 or Section 9.3 to the outstanding Securities of a Series:

 

(1) the Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 7.10 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article 9 applicable to it) as 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 the Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of, and accrued interest and premium, if any, on, the outstanding Securities of such Series at the Stated Maturity of such principal, interest or premium, if any, or on dates for payment and redemption of such principal, interest and premium, if any, selected in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of the Securities of such Series;

 

(2) no Event of Default or Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit, or shall have occurred and be continuing at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit or, if longer, ending on the day following the expiration of the longest preference period under any Bankruptcy Law applicable to the Company in respect of such deposit as specified in the Opinion of Counsel identified in paragraph (8) below (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period);

 

(3) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest for purposes of the TIA with respect to any securities of the Company;

 

(4) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

 

(5) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that, as a result of such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, neither the trust nor the Trustee will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;

 

(6) in the case of an election under Section 9.2, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling to the effect that or (ii) there has been a change in any applicable Federal income tax law with the effect that, and such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Series or Persons in their positions will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes solely as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner, including as a result of prepayment, and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

 

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(7) in the case of an election under Section 9.3, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance, and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

 

(8) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Article 9 relating to either the Legal Defeasance under Section 9.2 or the Covenant Defeasance under Section 9.3 (as the case may be) have been complied with;

 

(9) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit under clause (1) was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and

 

(10) the Company shall have paid, or duly provided for payment under terms mutually satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee, all amounts then due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.7.

 

9.5. DEPOSITED MONEY AND U.S. AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

 

All money, U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 9.4 in respect of the outstanding Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, accrued interest and premium, if any, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 9.4 or the principal, interest and premium, if any, received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Securities.

 

Anything in this Article 9 to the contrary notwithstanding, but subject to payment of any of its outstanding fees and expenses, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held by the Trustee as provided in Section 9.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally-recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

 

9.6. REINSTATEMENT.

 

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations in accordance with Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4 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 Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article 9 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations, as the case may be, in accordance with Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, or accrued interest or premium, if any, on, 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, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

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9.7. MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT.

 

In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, all moneys then held by any Paying Agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee, or, if sufficient moneys have been deposited pursuant to Section 9.1, to the Company, and thereupon such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys.

 

9.8. MONEYS HELD BY TRUSTEE.

 

Any moneys deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or then held by the Company in trust for the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the Holder of such Security for [   ] after the date upon which the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Security shall have respectively become due and payable shall be repaid to the Company upon Company Request, or if such moneys are then held by the Company in trust, such moneys shall be released from such trust; and the Holder of such Security entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money shall thereupon cease; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may, at the expense of the Company, either mail to each Securityholder affected, at the address shown in the register of the Securities maintained by the Registrar, or cause to be published once a week for two successive weeks, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published each Business Day and of general circulation in the City of New York, New York, a notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than [  ] days from the date of such mailing or publication, any unclaimed balance of such moneys then remaining will be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company or the release of any money held in trust by the Company, Securityholders entitled to the money must look only to the Company for payment as general creditors, unless applicable abandoned property law designates another Person.

 

ARTICLE 10

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

10.1. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS.

 

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, the required provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the TIA which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

 

10.2. NOTICES.

 

Any notice or communication shall be given in writing and delivered in Person, sent by facsimile (and receipt confirmed by telephone or electronic transmission report), delivered by commercial courier service or mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

 

If to the Company:

 

TD Holdings, Inc.

Room 104, No. 33 Section D,

No. 6 Middle Xierqi Road,

Haidian District, Beijing, China 100085

Tel: +86 010 59441080

 

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Copy to:

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li, LLC

800 Third Avenue, Suite 2800

New York, NY 10022

Tel: 212-530-2208

Fax: 212-202-6380

Attention: Joan Wu, Esq.

 

 

If to the Trustee:

 

[               ] 

 

The Company or the Trustee by written notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications. Any notice or communication to the Company or the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given or made as of the date so delivered if personally delivered; when receipt is confirmed by telephone or electronic transmission report, if sent by facsimile; and three Business Days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (except that a notice of change of address shall not be deemed to have been given until actually received by the addressee).

 

Any notice or communication mailed to a Securityholder shall be mailed to such Securityholder by first-class mail, postage prepaid, at such Securityholder’s address shown on the register kept by the Registrar.

 

Failure to mail, or any defect in, a notice or communication to a Securityholder shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders. If a notice or communication to a Securityholder is mailed in the manner provided above, it shall be deemed duly given, three Business Days after such mailing, whether or not the addressee receives it.

 

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impossible to mail any notice as required by this Indenture, then such method of notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient mailing of such notice.

 

In the case of Global Securities, notices or communications to be given to Securityholders shall be given to the Depository, in accordance with its applicable policies as in effect from time to time.

 

In addition to the manner provided for in the foregoing provisions, notices or communications to Securityholders shall be given by the Company by release made to Reuters Economic Services and Bloomberg Business News.

 

10.3. COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS.

 

Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 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 any other Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and any other Person shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

  

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:

 

(1) an Officers’ Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.5 below) 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

 

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(2) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.5 below) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.

 

10.5. STATEMENT REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE AND OPINION.

 

Each certificate and opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than pursuant to Section 4.4) shall include:

 

(1) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

 

(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

 

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, it or he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable it or him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

 

(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such covenant or condition has been complied with.

 

10.6. RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS.

 

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at meetings of Securityholders. The Registrar and Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.

 

10.7. BUSINESS DAYS; LEGAL HOLIDAYS; PLACE OF PAYMENT.

 

A “Business Day” is a day that is not a Legal Holiday. A “Legal Holiday” is a Saturday, a Sunday, a federally-recognized holiday or a day on which banking institutions are not authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to be open in the State of New York.

 

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. “Place of Payment” means the place or places where the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of a Series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 2.2. If the regular record date is a Legal Holiday, the record date shall not be affected.

 

10.8. GOVERNING LAW.

 

THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS MADE AND PERFORMED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW.

 

10.9. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS.

 

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan, security or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary thereof. No such indenture, loan, security or debt agreement may be used to interpret this Indenture.

 

10.10. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS.

 

A director, officer, employee, stockholder or incorporator, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. Such waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Securities.

 

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10.11. SUCCESSORS.

 

All covenants and agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind the Company’s successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All agreements of the Trustee, any additional trustee and any Paying Agents in this Indenture shall bind their respective successors and assigns.

 

10.12. MULTIPLE COUNTERPARTS.

 

The parties may sign multiple counterparts of this Indenture. Each signed counterpart shall be deemed an original, but all of them together represent one and the same agreement.

 

10.13. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC.

 

The table of contents, cross-reference sheet 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.

 

10.14. SEVERABILITY.

 

Each provision of this Indenture shall be considered separable, and if for any reason any provision which is not essential to the effectuation of the basic purpose of this Indenture or 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, and a Holder shall have no claim therefor against any party hereto.

 

10.15. SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN EUROS.

 

Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 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 in a coin or currency other than Dollars (including Euros), 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 that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time. For purposes of this Section 10.15, “Market Exchange Rate” shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, in the case of Euros, Market Exchange Rate shall mean the rate of exchange determined by the Commission of the European Union (or any successor thereto) as published in the Official Journal of the European Union (such publication or any successor publication, the “Journal”). If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, in its sole discretion and without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or, in the case of Euros, the rate of exchange as published in the Journal, as of the most recent available date, or quotations or, in the case of Euros, rates of exchange from one or more major banks in New York City or in the country of issue of the currency in question or, in the case of Euros, in Luxembourg or such other quotations or, in the case of Euros, rates of exchange as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in the Trustee’s sole discretion, and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive to the extent permitted by law for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.

 

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10.16. JUDGMENT CURRENCY.

 

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 premium, if any, 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 Business Day, in which instance, 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 Business 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 or 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.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

  TD HOLDINGS, INC.
   
  By:
  Name:
  Title:
   
  [Name of Trustee]
   
  By:
  Name:
  Title:
   
  By:
  Name:
  Title:

 

 

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Exhibit 5.1

 

 

 

July 8, 2020 

 

TD Holdings, Inc.

Room 104, No. 33 Section D,

No. 6 Middle Xierqi Road,

Haidian District, Beijing, China

 

  Re: TD Holdings, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as securities counsel for TD Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing by the Company of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Prospectus”) to which this opinion letter has been filed as an exhibit (the “Registration Statement”), relating to (A) the offer and sale by the Company from time to time, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of up to an aggregate amount of $100,000,000 of: (i) shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), (iii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”), in one or more series, (iv) warrants to purchase Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Debt Securities (the “Warrants”), (v) subscription rights to purchase Common Stock or Preferred Stock (the “Rights”), and (vi) units consisting of one or more of the foregoing (the “Units”), and (B) the offer and sale from time to time by certain stockholders of the Company (the “Selling Stockholders”) of 2,760,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of certain warrants to purchase Common Stock (the “RD Warrants”) issued to the Selling Stockholders on (a) April 11, 2019, as amended on May 23, 2019 and August 30, 2019, and (b) on May 20, 2019. The Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants, Rights and Units are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.” Such Securities may be offered and sold from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, at which time it is contemplated that the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement will be supplemented by one or more supplements (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”).

 

In rendering our opinions set forth below, we have reviewed such corporate documents and records of the Company, such certificates of public officials and such other matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion letter. As to facts material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon oral and written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company. We have not independently verified or investigated, nor do we assume any responsibility for, the factual accuracy or completeness of such factual statements. We also have assumed (a) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals; (b) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; (c) the genuineness of all signatures; (d) the legal capacity of natural persons; and (e) the truth, accuracy and completeness of the information, factual matters, representations and warranties contained in all of such documents.

 

Based upon such examination, and subject to the further assumptions, qualifications and limitations contained herein, it is our opinion that:

 

1. The Common Stock and Preferred Stock to be sold by the Company (including any Common Stock or Preferred Stock duly issued upon (i) the exercise of any duly issued Warrants exercisable for Common Stock or Preferred Stock, (ii) the exercise of any duly issued Rights exercisable for Common Stock or Preferred Stock, (iii) the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities which are exchangeable or convertible into Common Stock or Preferred Stock or (iv) any Common Stock or Preferred Stock which are included within Units), upon issuance and delivery of certificates (or book-entry notation if uncertificated) for such Common Stock or Preferred Stock against payment therefor of such lawful consideration as the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

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2. The Debt Securities, upon issuance and delivery of certificates of indebtedness or notes (or book-entry notation if uncertificated) evidencing such Debt Securities against payment therefor of such lawful consideration as the Board (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be validly issued and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

 

3. The Warrants, upon their issuance and delivery of certificates (or book-entry notation if uncertificated) for such Warrants against payment therefor of such lawful consideration as the Board (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be validly issued and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

 

4. The Rights, upon their issuance and delivery of certificates (or book-entry notation if uncertificated) for such Rights against payment therefor of such lawful consideration as the Board (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be validly issued and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

 

5. The Units, upon their issuance and delivery of certificates (or book-entry notation if uncertificated) for such Units against payment therefor of such lawful consideration as the Board (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, to the extent that such Units constitute Common Stock or Preferred Stock, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and to the extent such Units constitute or include Debt Securities, will be validly issued and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

 

6. The shares of Common Stock that are issuable upon exercise of the RD Warrants, when issued upon the exercise of the Warrants in accordance with the terms therein, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

In rendering the foregoing opinions, we have assumed that: (i) the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto, shall have become effective under the Securities Act and will remain effective at the time of issuance of any Securities thereunder; (ii) a Prospectus Supplement describing each class or series of Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, to the extent required by applicable law and relevant rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), will be timely filed with the Commission; (iii) the definitive terms of each class or series of Securities shall have been established in accordance with resolutions duly adopted by the Board (or an authorized committee thereof) (each, a “Board Action”), the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, (the “Certificate”) and applicable law; (iv) the Company will issue and deliver the Securities in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the applicable Prospectus Supplement and any applicable underwriting agreement; (v) the total number of shares of Common Stock issuable (including upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other Security) will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under its Certificate; (vi) the Board Action authorizing the Company to issue, offer and sell the Securities will have been adopted by the Board (or an authorized committee thereof) and will be in full force and effect at all times at which the Securities are offered or sold by the Company; and (vii) all Securities will be issued in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. 

 

With respect to any Securities consisting of Preferred Stock, we have further assumed that: (i) such Preferred Stock shall have been issued pursuant to a Certificate of Designation filed by the Company with the Delaware Secretary of State (the “Certificate of Designation”); (ii) such Certificate of Designation shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Company; (iii) all terms of such Preferred Stock shall have been provided in the Certificate of Designation; (iv) such Certificate of Designation, as filed, does not violate any law applicable to the Company or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company; (v) such Certificate of Designation, as filed, will comply with all requirements and restrictions, if any, applicable to the Company, whether imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vi) the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable (including upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other Security) will not exceed the total number of shares of Preferred Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under its Certificate or the Certificate of Designation.

 

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With respect to any Securities consisting of Debt Securities, we have further assumed that: (i) such Debt Securities shall have been issued pursuant to an indenture (individually, and as supplemented from time to time, an “Indenture”) between the Company and a trustee to be identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement (the “Trustee”); (ii) such Indenture shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Company; (iii) all terms of such Debt Securities not provided for in such Indenture shall have been established in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and reflected in appropriate documentation approved by us and, if applicable, executed and delivered by the Company and the Trustee; (iv) such Debt Securities shall have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of such Indenture; (v) such Debt Securities, as executed and delivered, do not violate any law applicable to the Company or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company; and (vi) such Debt Securities, as executed and delivered, comply with all requirements and restrictions, if any, applicable to the Company, whether imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company.

 

With respect to any Securities consisting of Warrants, we have further assumed that (i) such Warrants shall have been issued pursuant to a warrant agreement (individually, a “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and a warrant agent to be identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement (the “Warrant Agent”); (ii) such Warrant Agreement shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Company; (iii) all terms of such Warrants shall have been established in accordance with the provisions of such Warrant Agreement(s); (iv) such Warrants shall have been duly executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of such Warrant Agreement(s); (v) such Warrants and the related Warrant Agreement(s), as executed and delivered, do not violate any law applicable to the Company or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company; and (vi) such Warrants and the related Warrant Agreement(s), as executed and delivered, comply with all requirements and restrictions, if any, applicable to the Company, in any case whether imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company.

 

With respect to any Securities consisting of Rights, we have further assumed that (i) such Rights shall have been issued pursuant to a rights agreement (individually, a “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and a rights agent to be identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement (the “Rights Agent”); (ii) such Rights Agreement shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Company; (iii) all terms of such Rights shall have been established in accordance with the provisions of such Rights Agreement(s); (iv) such Rights shall have been duly executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of such Rights Agreement(s); (v) such Rights and the related Rights Agreement(s), as executed and delivered, do not violate any law applicable to the Company or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company; and (vi) such Rights and the related Rights Agreement(s), as executed and delivered, comply with all requirements and restrictions, if any, applicable to the Company, in any case whether imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company.

 

To the extent that the obligations of the Company under an Indenture may be dependent on such matters, we further have assumed for purposes of this opinion letter that the Trustee under each Indenture (i) is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; (ii) is duly qualified to engage in activities contemplated by such Indenture; (iii) has duly authorized, executed and delivered such Indenture and such Indenture constitutes the legally valid and binding obligation of such Trustee enforceable against such Trustee in accordance with its terms; (iv) is in compliance, with respect to acting as a trustee under such Indenture, with all applicable laws and regulations; and (v) has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such Indenture.

 

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To the extent that the obligations of the Company under any Warrant or Warrant Agreement may be dependent on such matters, we further have assumed for purposes of this opinion letter that the Warrant Agent under each Warrant Agreement (i) is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; (ii) is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by such Warrant Agreement; (iii) has duly authorized, executed and delivered such Warrant Agreement and such Warrant Agreement constitutes the legally valid and binding obligation of such Warrant Agent enforceable against such Warrant Agent in accordance with its terms; (iv) is in compliance, with respect to acting as a Warrant Agent under such Warrant Agreement, with all applicable laws and regulations; and (v) has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such Warrant Agreement.

 

To the extent that the obligations of the Company under any Rights or Rights Agreement may be dependent on such matters, we further have assumed for purposes of this opinion letter that the Rights Agent under each Rights Agreement (i) is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; (ii) is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by such Rights Agreement; (iii) has duly authorized, executed and delivered such Rights Agreement and such Rights Agreement constitutes the legally valid and binding obligation of such Rights Agent enforceable against such Rights Agent in accordance with its terms; (iv) is in compliance, with respect to acting as a Rights Agent under such Rights Agreement, with all applicable laws and regulations; and (v) has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such Rights Agreement.

 

We express no opinion with respect to the enforceability of: (i) provisions relating to choice of law, choice of venue, jurisdiction or waivers of jury trial, or (ii) any waiver of any usury defense. This opinion letter is rendered as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated or assumed herein or any subsequent changes in applicable law that may come to our attention, and we have assumed that no change in the facts stated or assumed herein or in applicable law after the date hereof will affect adversely our ability to render an opinion letter after the date hereof (i) containing the same legal conclusions set forth herein; and (ii) subject only to such (or fewer) assumptions, limitations and qualifications as are contained herein.

 

The foregoing opinions are limited to the statutory provisions of Delaware corporate law, including the rules and regulations underlying those provisions, all applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and all applicable judicial and regulatory determinations (with respect to the opinions in paragraphs 1 through 5), and limited to the laws of the State of New York (with respect to the opinion in paragraph 6) and applicable federal laws of the United States of America, and we express no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction, domestic or foreign. We are not rendering any opinion as to compliance with any federal or state antifraud law, rule, or regulation relating to securities, or to the sale or issuance thereof.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter with the Commission as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S−K under the Securities Act and to the reference to our firm therein and in the Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that this firm is within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC
   
  HUNTER TAUBMAN FISCHER & LI LLC
 

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Exhibit 23.1

 

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

TD Holdings, Inc.

 

Room 104, No. 33 Section D,

No. 6, Middle Xierqi Road,

Haidian District, Beijing, China

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated April 5, 2019, relating to the consolidated financial statements of TD Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”, formerly known as China Bat Group, Inc.) as of December 31, 2018, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

We also consent to the reference to us under the caption “Experts” in this Registration Statement.

 

/s/ BDO China Shu Lun Pan Certified Public Accountants LLP

 

BDO China Shu Lun Pan Certified Public Accountants LLP

 

July 8, 2020

Exhibit 23.2

 

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements of TD Holdings Inc. (formerly Bat Group Inc.) (the “Company”) on Form S-3 of our report dated May 29, 2020, relating to the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2019, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity (deficit), and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019, which appears in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

 

/s/ Friedman LLP

 

New York, New York

July 8, 2020