IMPORTANT NOTICE
All information below is only a sample is not to be used by any party for any reason other than information purposes.
BOOK-ENTRY, DELIVERY AND FORM [– ALTERNATIVE 1][1]
General
Notes sold within the United States to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A (the “Rule 144A Notes”) under the U.S. Securities Act will be represented by one or more global notes in registered form without interest coupons attached (collectively, the “Rule 144A Global Notes”). The Rule 144A Global Notes will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a common depositary (the “Common Depositary”) for the accounts of Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system (“Euroclear”), and Clearstream Banking, S.A. (“Clearstream”) and registered in the name of the nominee of the Common Depositary.
Notes sold outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S (the “Regulation S Notes”) under the U.S. Securities Act will be represented by one or more global notes in registered form without interest coupons attached (collectively, the “Regulation S Global Notes” and, together with the Rule 144A Global Notes, the “Global Notes”). The Regulation S Global Notes will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Common Depositary and registered in the name of the nominee of the Common Depositary.
Except as set forth below, the Notes will be issued in registered, global form in minimum denominations of [●] and integral multiples of [●] in excess thereof. Notes will be issued at the closing of this offering only against payment in immediately available funds.
Ownership of interests in the Rule 144A Global Notes (the “Restricted Book-Entry Interests”) and in the Regulation S Global Notes (the “Regulation S Book-Entry Interests” and, together with the Restricted Book-Entry Interests, the “Book-Entry Interests”) will be limited to persons that have accounts with Euroclear and/or Clearstream, or persons that hold interests through such participants or otherwise in accordance with applicable transfer restrictions set out in the indenture governing the Notes and any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States or any other jurisdiction. Euroclear and Clearstream will hold interests in the Global Notes on behalf of their participants through customers’ securities accounts in their respective names on the books of their respective depositaries. Except under the limited circumstances described below, owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Notes.
Book-Entry Interests will be shown on, and transfers thereof will be done only through, records maintained in book-entry form by Euroclear and Clearstream and their respective participants. The laws of some jurisdictions, including certain states of the United States, may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive certificated form. The foregoing limitations may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge Book-Entry Interests. In addition, while the Notes are in global form, holders of Book-Entry Interests will not be considered the owners or “holders” of Notes for any purpose.
So long as the Notes are held in global form, Euroclear and/or Clearstream (or their respective nominees), as applicable, will be considered the sole holders of Global Notes for all purposes under the indenture. In addition, participants in Euroclear and/or Clearstream must rely on the procedures of Euroclear and/or Clearstream, as the case may be, and indirect participants must rely on the procedures of Euroclear, Clearstream and the participants through which they own Book-Entry Interests, to transfer their interests or to exercise any rights of holders under the indenture.
Neither we nor the trustee under the indenture nor any of our or its respective agents and neither the registrar nor the transfer agent will have any responsibility or be liable for any aspect of the records relating to the Book-Entry Interests.
Redemption of the Global Notes
In the event any Global Note (or any portion thereof) is redeemed, Euroclear and/or Clearstream (or their respective nominees), as applicable, will redeem an equal amount of the Book-Entry Interests in such Global Note from the amount received by it in respect of the redemption of such Global Note. The Common Depositary will surrender such Global Note to the registrar for a cancellation or, in the case of a partial redemption, the Common Depositary will request the registrar or the trustee to mark down, endorse and return the applicable Global Note to reflect the reduction in the principal amount of such Global Note as a result of such partial redemption. The redemption price payable in connection with the redemption of such Book-Entry Interests will be equal to the amount received by Euroclear and Clearstream, as applicable, in connection with the redemption of such Global Note (or any portion thereof). We understand that, under existing practices of Euroclear and Clearstream, if fewer than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, Euroclear and Clearstream will credit their respective participants’ accounts on a proportionate basis (with adjustments to prevent fractions) or by lot or on such other basis as they deem fair and appropriate; provided, however, that no Book-Entry Interest of less than [●][2] in principal amount may be redeemed in part.
Payments on Global Notes
We will make payments of any amounts owing in respect of the Global Notes (including principal, premium, if any, interest and additional interest, if any) to the Common Depositary or its nominee for Euroclear and Clearstream, which will distribute such payments to participants in accordance with their customary procedures. [We will make payments of all such amounts without deduction or withholding for, or on account of, any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature, except as may be required by law and as described under “Description of The Notes—Additional Amounts.” If any such deduction or withholding is required to be made, then, to the extent described under “Description of The Notes—Additional Amounts”, we will pay additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received by any holder of the Global Notes or owner of Book-Entry Interests after such deduction or withholding will equal the net amounts that such holder or owner would have otherwise received in respect of such Global Note or Book-Entry Interest, as the case may be, absent such withholding or deduction.][3] We expect that standing customer instructions and customary practices will govern payments by participants to owners of Book-Entry Interests held through such participants.
Under the terms of the indenture, we and the trustee will treat the registered holders of the Global Notes (i.e., Euroclear or Clearstream (or their respective nominees)) as the owners thereof for the purpose of receiving payments and for all other purposes. Consequently, neither we nor the trustee nor any of our or its respective agents has or will have any responsibility or liability for:
• any aspect of the records of Euroclear, Clearstream or any participant or indirect participant relating to, or payments made on account of, a Book-Entry Interest or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing the records of Euroclear, Clearstream or any participant or indirect participant relating to, or payments made on account of, a Book-Entry Interest; or
• Euroclear, Clearstream or any participant or indirect participant.
Payments by participants to owners of Book-Entry Interests held through participants are the responsibility of such participants.
Currency of Payment for the Global Notes
Except as may otherwise be agreed between Euroclear and/or Clearstream and any holder, the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, and all other amounts payable in respect of, the Global Notes will be paid to holders of interests in such Notes through Euroclear and/or Clearstream in [●][4].
Payments will be subject in all cases to any fiscal or other laws and regulations (including any regulations of the applicable clearing system) applicable thereto. Neither we nor the trustee nor the Initial Purchasers nor any of our or their respective agents will be liable to any holder of a Global Note or any other person for any commissions, costs, losses or expenses in relation to or resulting from any currency conversion or rounding effected in connection with any such payment.
Action by Owners of Book-Entry Interests
Euroclear and Clearstream have advised us that they will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of Notes only at the direction of one or more participants to whose account the Book-Entry Interests in the Global Notes are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of Notes as to which such participant or participants has or have given such direction. Euroclear and Clearstream will not exercise any discretion in the granting of consents, waivers or the taking of any other action in respect of the Global Notes. However, if there is an event of default under the Notes, each of Euroclear and Clearstream reserves the right to exchange the Global Notes for definitive registered Notes in certificated form (the “Definitive Registered Notes”), and to distribute such Definitive Registered Notes to its participants.
Transfers
Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be subject to the applicable rules and procedures of Euroclear and Clearstream and their respective direct or indirect participants, which rules and procedures may change from time to time.
The Global Notes will bear a legend to the effect set forth in “Transfer Restrictions.” Book-Entry Interests in the Global Notes will be subject to the restrictions on transfers as discussed in “Transfer Restrictions.”
Transfers of Restricted Book-Entry Interests to persons wishing to take delivery of Restricted Book-Entry Interests will at all times be subject to the transfer restrictions contained in the legend appearing on the face of the Rule 144A Global Note, as set forth in “Transfer Restrictions.”
Restricted Book-Entry Interests may be transferred to a person who takes delivery in the form of a Regulation S Book-Entry Interest only upon delivery by the transferor of a written certification (in the form provided in the indenture) to the effect that such transfer is being made in accordance with Regulation S or Rule 144A or any other exemption (if available) under the U.S. Securities Act.
In connection with transfers involving an exchange of a Regulation S Book-Entry Interest for a Restricted Book-Entry Interest, appropriate adjustments will be made to reflect a decrease in the principal amount of the Regulation S Global Note and a corresponding increase in the principal amount of the Rule 144A Global Note.
Any Book-Entry Interest in one of the Global Notes that is transferred to a person who takes delivery in the form of a Book-Entry Interest in any other Global Note will, upon transfer, cease to be a Book-Entry Interest in the first mentioned Global Note and become a Book-Entry Interest in such other Global Note and, accordingly, will thereafter be subject to all transfer restrictions, if any, and other procedures applicable to Book-Entry Interests in such other Global Note for as long as it remains such a Book-Entry Interest.
The Notes represented by the Global Notes are expected to be listed on the [●][5]. Transfers of interests in the Global Notes between participants in Euroclear and Clearstream will be effected in the ordinary way in accordance with their respective rules and operating procedures, which rules and operating procedures may change from time to time.
Although Euroclear and Clearstream currently follow the foregoing procedures in order to facilitate transfers of interests in the Global Notes among participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, they are under no obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures, and such procedures may be discontinued or modified at any time. None of the Issuer, the trustee, the paying agent or any of our or their respective agents will have any responsibility for the performance by Euroclear or Clearstream or their respective participants or indirect participants of their respective obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations.
Definitive Registered Notes
Under the terms of the indenture, owners of Book-Entry Interests will receive Definitive Registered Notes if:
• Euroclear or Clearstream notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the Global Notes, and we fail to appoint a successor;
• Euroclear or Clearstream so requests following an event of default under the indenture; or
• the owner of a Book-Entry Interest requests such exchange in writing delivered through either Euroclear or Clearstream, as applicable, following an event of default under the indenture.
Euroclear has advised the Issuer that upon request by an owner of a Book-Entry Interest, its current procedure is to request that the Issuer issue or cause to be issued Notes in definitive registered form to all owners of Book-Entry Interests.
In such an event, the registrar will issue Definitive Registered Notes, registered in the name or names and issued in any approved denominations, requested by or on behalf of Euroclear and/or Clearstream, as applicable (in accordance with their respective customary procedures and based upon directions received from participants reflecting the beneficial ownership of Book-Entry Interests), and such Definitive Registered Notes will bear the restrictive legend set forth in “Transfer Restrictions,” unless that legend is not required by the indenture or applicable law.
To the extent permitted by law, the Issuer, the trustee, the paying agents, the registrars and the transfer agents shall be entitled to treat the registered holder of any Global Note as the absolute owner thereof.
In the case of the issuance of Definitive Registered Notes, the holder of a Definitive Registered Note may transfer such Note by surrendering it to the registrar. In the event of a partial transfer or a partial redemption of a holding of Definitive Registered Notes represented by one Definitive Registered Note, a Definitive Registered Note will be issued to the transferee in respect of the part transferred, and a new Definitive Registered Note in respect of the balance of the holding not transferred or redeemed will be issued to the transferor or the holder, as applicable; provided that no Definitive Registered Note in a denomination less than [●] and in integral multiples of [●], in excess thereof, will be issued. We will bear the cost of preparing, printing, packaging and delivering the Definitive Registered Notes. Holders of the Book-Entry Interests may incur fees normally payable in respect of the maintenance and operation of accounts in Euroclear and/or Clearstream.
If Definitive Registered Notes are issued and a holder thereof claims that such Definitive Registered Notes have been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken or if such Definitive Registered Notes are mutilated and are surrendered to the registrar or at the office of a transfer agent, we will issue and the trustee will authenticate a replacement Definitive Registered Note if the trustee’s and our requirements are met. We or the trustee may require a holder requesting replacement of a Definitive Registered Note to furnish an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of both the trustee and us to protect us, the trustee or the paying agent appointed pursuant to the indenture from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Definitive Registered Note is replaced. We may charge for the expenses of replacing a Definitive Registered Note.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Definitive Registered Note has become or is about to become due and payable, or is about to be redeemed or purchased by us pursuant to the provisions of the indenture, we in our discretion may, instead of issuing a new Definitive Registered Note, pay, redeem or purchase such Definitive Registered Note, as the case may be.
Definitive Registered Notes may be transferred and exchanged for Book-Entry Interests in a Global Note only in accordance with the indenture and, if required, only after the transferor first delivers to the transfer agent a written certification (in the form provided in the indenture) to the effect that such transfer will comply with the transfer restrictions applicable to such Notes. See “Transfer Restrictions.”
[So long as the Notes are listed on the Official List of and the rules of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange so require, the Issuer will publish a notice of any issuance of Definitive Registered Notes in a newspaper having general circulation in Luxembourg (which is expected to be the d’Wort). Payment of principal, any repurchase price, premium and interest on Definitive Registered Notes will be payable at the office of the paying agent in Luxembourg so long as the Notes are listed on the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the rules of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange so require.][6]
[So long as the notes are listed on the Official List of the Irish Stock Exchange and the rules of such exchange so require, we will publish a notice of any issuance of Definitive Registered Notes in a newspaper having general circulation in Ireland (which we expect to be the Irish Times). Payment of principal, any repurchase price, premium and interest on Definitive Registered Notes will be payable at the office of our paying agent in Ireland so long as the notes are listed on the Official List of the Irish Stock Exchange and the rules of such exchange so require.][7]
Global Clearance and Settlement Under the Book-Entry System
Initial Settlement
Initial settlement for the Notes will be made in [●][8]. Book-Entry Interests owned through Euroclear or Clearstream accounts will follow the settlement procedures applicable to conventional bonds in registered form. Book-Entry Interests will be credited to the securities custody accounts of Euroclear and Clearstream holders on the business day following the settlement date against payment for value of the settlement date.
Secondary Market Trading
The Book-Entry Interests will trade through participants of Euroclear or Clearstream and will settle in same-day funds. Since the purchase determines the place of delivery, it is important to establish at the time of trading of any Book-Entry Interests where both the purchaser’s and the seller’s accounts are located to ensure that settlement can be made on the desired value date.
Special Timing Considerations
You should be aware that investors will only be able to make and receive deliveries, payments and other communications involving Notes through Euroclear or Clearstream on days when those systems are open for business.
In addition, because of time-zone differences, there may be complications with completing transactions involving Clearstream and/or Euroclear on the same business day as in the United States. U.S. investors who wish to transfer their interests in the Notes, or to receive or make a payment or delivery of Notes, on a particular day, may find that the transactions will not be performed until the next business day in Luxembourg if Clearstream is used, or Brussels if Euroclear is used.
Clearing Information
We expect that the Notes will be accepted for clearance through the facilities of Euroclear and Clearstream. The international securities identification numbers, common codes and CUSIP numbers for the Notes are set out under “[●][9].”
Information Concerning Euroclear and Clearstream
The following description of the operations and procedures of Euroclear and Clearstream are provided solely as a matter of convenience. These operations and procedures are solely within the control of the respective settlement systems and are subject to changes by them. Neither we nor the Initial Purchasers take any responsibility for these operations and procedures and we urge investors to contact the systems or their participants directly to discuss these matters.
We understand as follows with respect to Euroclear and Clearstream:
Euroclear and Clearstream hold securities for participating organisations. They also facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between their respective participants through electronic book-entry changes in the accounts of such participants. Euroclear and Clearstream provide various services to their participants, including the safekeeping, administration, clearance, settlement, lending and borrowing of internationally traded securities. Euroclear and Clearstream also interface with domestic securities markets in several countries. Euroclear and Clearstream participants are financial institutions such as underwriters, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and certain other organisations. Indirect access to Euroclear or Clearstream is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Euroclear or Clearstream participant, either directly or indirectly.
Euroclear and Clearstream have no record of or relationship with persons holding through their account holders. Since Euroclear and Clearstream only act on behalf of participants, who in turn act on behalf of indirect participants and certain banks, the ability of an owner of a beneficial interest to pledge such interest to persons or entities that do not participate in the Euroclear or Clearstream systems, or otherwise take actions in respect of such interest, may be limited by the lack of a definite certificate for that interest. We understand that, under existing industry practices, if either the Issuer or the trustee requests any action by owners of Book-Entry Interests or if an owner of a Book-Entry Interest desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the indenture, Euroclear and Clearstream would authorise participants owning the relevant Book-Entry Interest to give or take such action, and such participants would authorise indirect participants to give or take such action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of such indirect participants.
The laws of some jurisdictions require that certain persons take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Consequently, the ability to transfer beneficial interests to such persons may be limited. In addition, owners of beneficial interests through the Euroclear or Clearstream systems will receive distributions attributable to the Rule 144A Global Notes only through Euroclear or Clearstream participants.