<PAGE>
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MARCH 10, 1998
REGISTRATION NO. 333-47035
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
------------------------
AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
------------------------
NORDSTROM, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Washington 91-0515058
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation
or organization)
1501 Fifth Avenue KAREN E. PURPUR
Seattle, Washington 98101 1321 Second Avenue
(206) 628-2111 Seattle, Washington 98101
(Address, including zip code, and (206) 233-6248
telephone (Name, address, including zip code, and
number, including area code, of telephone
registrant's principal executive offices) number, including area code, of agent for
service)
Copies to:
MICHAEL E. MORGAN PAUL A. WEBBER
LAWRENCE J. STEELE Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP 777 South Figueroa Street, Suite 3200
1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4100 Los Angeles, CA 90017
Seattle, Washington 98101-2338
</TABLE>
------------------------
APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:
As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.
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, please check the following box. / /
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. / /
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities
Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration
statement for the same offering. / /
If delivery of the Prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box. / /
------------------------
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.
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<PAGE>
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION OR AMENDMENT. A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD NOR MAY
OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED PRIOR TO THE TIME THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES
EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES
IN ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR
TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE.
<PAGE>
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 10, 1998
$300,000,000
NORDSTROM, INC.
% SENIOR DEBENTURES DUE , 2028
-------------
Interest on the % Senior Debentures due 2028 ("Debentures") is payable
on September 15 and March 15 of each year, commencing September 15, 1998. The
Debentures are not redeemable at the option of the Company prior to maturity and
are not entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund. The Debentures are
unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank PARI PASSU with each other
and with all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. The
Debentures will be represented by one or more Global Debentures registered in
the name of a nominee of The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"). Beneficial
interests in the Global Debentures will be shown on, and transfers thereof will
be effected only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants.
Debentures in definitive form will not be issued. The Debentures will be issued
only in registered form in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples
thereof. See "Description of the Debentures."
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR
HAS THE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED
UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
INITIAL PUBLIC UNDERWRITING PROCEEDS TO
OFFERING PRICE(1) DISCOUNT(2) COMPANY(1)(3)
------------------ ------------------ ------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Per Debenture...................................... % % %
Total.............................................. $ $ $
</TABLE>
(1) Plus accrued interest, if any, from , 1998.
(2) The Company has agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.
(3) Before deducting estimated expenses of $ payable by the Company.
------------------
The Debentures offered hereby are offered severally by the Underwriters, as
specified herein, subject to receipt and acceptance by them, and subject to
their right to reject orders in whole or in part. It is expected that the
Debentures will be ready for delivery in book-entry form only through the
facilities of DTC in New York, New York, on or about , 1998,
against payment therefor in immediately available funds.
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
J.P. MORGAN & CO.
------------------
The date of this Prospectus is , 1998.
<PAGE>
CERTAIN PERSONS PARTICIPATING IN THIS OFFERING MAY ENGAGE IN TRANSACTIONS
THAT STABILIZE, MAINTAIN OR OTHERWISE AFFECT THE PRICE OF THE DEBENTURES,
INCLUDING OVER-ALLOTMENT, STABILIZING AND SHORT-COVERING TRANSACTIONS IN THE
DEBENTURES, AND THE IMPOSITION OF A PENALTY BID, IN CONNECTION WITH THE
OFFERING. FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THESE ACTIVITIES, SEE "UNDERWRITING."
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Nordstrom, Inc. (the "Company" or "Nordstrom") is subject to the
informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act"), and, in accordance therewith, files reports, proxy
statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission"). Such reports, proxy statements and other information can be
inspected and copied at the public reference room of the Commission at Room
1024, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549, and the public reference
facilities in the New York Regional Office, Seven World Trade Center, Suite
1300, New York, New York 10048, and the Chicago Regional Office, Citicorp
Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661. Copies of
such material can be obtained at prescribed rates by writing to the Public
Reference Section of the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20549. In addition, electronic copies of the Company's filings with the
Commission may be accessed on the world wide web via the Commission's EDGAR
database at its website (http:// www.sec.gov).
This Prospectus does not contain all the information set forth in the
Registration Statement on Form S-3 ("Registration Statement") and the exhibits
which the Company has filed with the Commission under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and to which reference is hereby made for further information.
The information so omitted may be obtained from the Commission's principal
office in Washington, D.C. upon payment of the fees prescribed by the
Commission.
Certain statements contained herein contain "forward looking" information
(as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that
involves risks and uncertainties including anticipated store openings, planned
capital expenditures and trends in Company operations. Actual future results and
trends may differ materially depending upon a variety of factors, including but
not limited to, the Company's ability to predict fashion trends, consumer
apparel buying patterns, the Company's ability to control costs and expenses,
trends in personal bankruptcies and bad debt write-offs, employee relations,
adverse weather conditions and other hazards of nature such as earthquakes and
floods, the Company's ability to continue its expansion plans and the impact of
competitive market forces.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The following documents filed with the Commission by the Company are
incorporated into this Prospectus by reference:
1. The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
January 31, 1997;
2. The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
April 30, 1997;
3. The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
July 31, 1997; and
4. The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
October 31, 1997.
All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
of which this Prospectus is a part and prior to the termination of the offering
of the Debentures shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this
Prospectus and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents.
The Company will provide without charge to each person to whom a copy of
this Prospectus is delivered, upon the written or oral request of any such
person, a copy of any or all of the documents
2
<PAGE>
incorporated by reference herein, other than exhibits to such documents.
Requests for such copies should be directed to: Nordstrom, Inc., 1321 Second
Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101, Attention: Karen E. Purpur, Secretary,
telephone (206) 233-6248.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The Company recently announced its unaudited financial results for its
fourth quarter and the fiscal year ended January 31, 1998 ("Fiscal 1997"). Net
income for the fourth quarter was $59.1 million, a 38.2% increase from $42.8
million in the fourth quarter of the year ended January 31, 1997 ("Fiscal
1996"). Net sales increased to $1.5 billion, up 10.1% from $1.3 billion in the
fourth quarter of Fiscal 1996.
For Fiscal 1997, the Company had net income of $186.2 million, a 26.2%
increase over net income of $147.5 million in Fiscal 1996. Net sales increased
8.9% to $4.9 billion in Fiscal 1997 from $4.5 billion in Fiscal 1996.
Comparable store sales increased 3.8% for Fiscal 1997, compared to a 0.6%
increase in Fiscal 1996. The Company attributes this growth to a strong economic
environment and a positive reaction to merchandising changes implemented in its
women's apparel departments. The remainder of the growth in sales was the result
of new store openings and higher sales in the Company's direct sales catalog
business.
The Company's operating margin improved in Fiscal 1997 compared to Fiscal
1996. As a percentage of sales, total costs and expenses were 93.7%, compared to
94.5% in Fiscal 1996. Merchandise markups were higher and markdowns were lower
in Fiscal 1997 compared to Fiscal 1996, reflecting growth in sales and recovery
from the impact of changes in the Company's women's apparel departments
implemented in Fiscal 1996.
In February 1998, the Company's board of directors approved a $400 million
common stock repurchase program. Prior to such approval, the Company completed a
$100 million common stock repurchase program approved in February 1997. Subject
to the Company's ability to obtain shares on the open market in sufficient
quantities and at target prices, the Company may complete the common stock
repurchase program during its fiscal year ending January 31, 1999 ("Fiscal
1998"), however, no assurance can be given that it will be able to do so.
At January 31, 1998, the Company's debt to capital ratio was 32%. The
Company anticipates that during Fiscal 1998 this ratio will rise above 40% if
the common stock repurchase program is substantially completed, based in part on
the expectation that, as a consequence of the common stock repurchase program,
long-term debt, including current portion, would increase during Fiscal 1998
from the January 1, 1998 level of $422 million.
USE OF PROCEEDS
The net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Debentures will be used
primarily for the repayment of an estimated $210 million in outstanding
short-term indebtedness with interest rates ranging from 5.5% to 5.6% and
maturity dates approximately concurrent with the date of this offering. The
remainder of such proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes,
including repurchase of the Company's common stock pursuant to its common stock
repurchase program. Pending such uses, the net proceeds will be temporarily
invested in money market instruments.
3
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The selected consolidated financial data presented below under the captions
"Operating Results" and "Balance Sheet Data" for, and as of the end of, each of
the years in the five-year period ended January 31, 1997 have been derived from
the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company. The selected
consolidated financial data presented below under the captions "Operating
Results" and "Balance Sheet Data" as of and for the nine month periods ended
October 31, 1996 and 1997 have been derived from unaudited interim condensed
consolidated financial information of the Company. In the opinion of management,
the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial information has been
prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements and
includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments,
necessary to fairly state the information set forth therein. The results of
operations for the nine months ended October 31, 1997 are not necessarily
indicative of results to be expected for the full fiscal year or for any future
period. This information is qualified in its entirety by and should be read in
conjunction with the detailed information and financial statements and
applicable management's discussion and analysis included in the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 1997 and Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q for the quarters ended April 30, 1997, July 31, 1997 and October 31,
1997.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NINE MONTHS ENDED
OCTOBER 31,
FISCAL YEAR ENDED JANUARY 31, (UNAUDITED)
------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1996 1997
---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
(DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SQUARE FOOT AMOUNTS)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
OPERATING RESULTS:
Net sales.............. $3,421,979 $3,589,938 $3,894,478 $ 4,113,517 $ 4,453,063 $ 3,131,866 $ 3,396,876
Net earnings........... 136,619 140,418 202,958 165,112 147,505 104,714 127,080
BALANCE SHEET DATA (AT
PERIOD END):
Total assets........... $2,053,170 $2,177,481 $2,396,783 $ 2,732,619 $ 2,702,507 $ 2,894,421 $ 3,126,308
Notes payable.......... 38,319 40,337 87,388 232,501 163,770 190,890 241,348
Long-term debt,
including current
portion.............. 481,945 438,574 373,910 439,943 380,632 404,970 472,044
Shareholders' equity... 1,052,031 1,166,504 1,343,800 1,422,972 1,473,192 1,461,550 1,484,029
OTHER DATA:
Ratio of earnings to
fixed charges (1)...... 4.41x 4.95x 6.79x 5.14x 4.99x 4.66x 5.43x
Number of stores (at
period end)............ 72 74 76 78 83 83 90
Total square footage
(at period end)........ 9,224,000 9,282,000 9,998,000 10,713,000 11,754,000 11,743,000 12,592,000
Net sales per square
foot................... $ 381 $ 383 $ 395 $ 382 $ 377 $ 358 $ 364
</TABLE>
- ------------------------------
(1) For the purpose of this ratio, earnings consist of earnings before income
taxes plus fixed charges less capitalized interest. Fixed charges consist of
interest expense, capitalized interest and the estimated interest portion of
rent expense.
4
<PAGE>
BUSINESS
Nordstrom is a specialty retailer selling a wide selection of apparel, shoes
and accessories for women, men and children. Most of Nordstrom's merchandise
categories are offered in each of its 65 large fashion specialty stores
currently located in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois,
Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. In addition, Nordstrom
operates 21 clearance stores in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Washington under the name "Nordstrom
Rack," one clearance store in Arizona, under the name "Last Chance Shoes and
Apparel," three specialty stores in California and New York under the name
"Faconnable" and two shoe stores in Hawaii. Nordstrom's marketing philosophy is
to offer a wide selection of merchandise, to create customer loyalty by
providing a high level of customer service and to respond rapidly to local
market conditions and fashion trends through decentralized buying and
merchandise selection. The Company's executive offices are located at 1501 Fifth
Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101, telephone (206) 628-2111.
The following table sets forth the total store area (exclusive of corporate
and administrative offices in Seattle, Washington) as of January 31, 1998 of all
stores currently operated by Nordstrom:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TOTAL STORE NUMBER OF
DESCRIPTION AREA STORES
- -------------------------------------------------- ------------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
California Group.................................. 4,258,000 25
East Coast Group.................................. 2,883,000 13
Northwest Group................................... 2,692,000 19
Midwest Group..................................... 1,867,000 8
Rack Group........................................ 857,000 22
Other............................................. 57,000 5
--
-------------
Total......................................... 12,614,000 92
--
--
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-------------
</TABLE>
Nordstrom currently anticipates opening three specialty stores in 1998 in
Atlanta, Georgia, Overland Park, Kansas, and Scottsdale, Arizona. The Company
also plans to open five new Nordstrom Rack stores in 1998. These stores will
contain a total of approximately 923,000 square feet. In addition, the Company
plans to open a new and larger flagship store in downtown Seattle, Washington,
replacing an existing store.
Nordstrom currently anticipates opening four specialty stores in 1999 in
Norfolk, Virginia, Providence, Rhode Island, Mission Viejo, California, and
Columbia, Maryland, and replacing an existing store in Spokane, Washington.
These stores will contain a total of approximately 809,000 square feet. In 1999,
Nordstrom also plans to complete the expansion and remodeling of a store in San
Diego, California.
Nordstrom is also considering other locations in Colorado, Illinois,
Georgia, Texas, Hawaii, Missouri and Florida for potential store openings. With
respect to any proposed store, it is possible that in one or more instances
store site negotiations may be terminated and the store may not be built, or
delays may occur. Furthermore, environmental and land use regulations and the
difficulties encountered by shopping center developers in securing financing
could make future development of stores more difficult, time-consuming and
expensive.
The Company regularly employs on a full or part-time basis an average of
approximately 41,000 employees. Due to the seasonal nature of the Company's
business, the number increased to approximately 49,000 employees in July 1997
for the Company's anniversary sale and in December 1997 for the Christmas
selling season.
5
<PAGE>
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEBENTURES
The Debentures are to be issued under an Indenture (the "Indenture"), dated
as of 1998, between the Company and Norwest Bank Colorado, National
Association, as Trustee (the "Trustee"). A copy of the Indenture substantially
in the form in which it will be executed is filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. The statements
under this caption relating to the Debentures and the Indenture summaries do not
purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by such reference to
the Debentures and the Indenture. Whenever a defined term is indicated by
capital letters, the definition thereof is contained in the Indenture.
The principal of and interest and premium (if any) on the Debentures will be
payable, the transfer of Debentures will be registrable and the Debentures may
be presented for exchange at the office of the Trustee located at Norwest Bank
Minnesota, N.A., Corporate Trust Operations, Sixth Street & Marquette Avenue,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479-0113. So long as the Debentures are represented by
Global Debentures, the interest payable on the Debentures will be paid to Cede &
Co., the nominee of DTC, or its registered assigns, as the registered owner of
the Global Debentures, by wire transfer of immediately available funds on each
of the applicable interest payment dates, not later than 2:30 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time. If the Debentures are no longer represented by Global Debentures,
payment of interest may, at the option of the Company, be made by check mailed
to the address of the Person entitled thereto. No service charge will be made
for any transfer or exchange of Debentures, but the Company may require payment
of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in
connection therewith.
The Debentures are not subject to redemption by the Company and no sinking
fund will be provided for them.
GENERAL
The Debentures will be limited to $300,000,000 in aggregate principal amount
and will be senior debt securities of the Company and will rank PARI PASSU with
other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. The Debentures
will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof, in
fully registered form only, will bear interest from , 1998, at the
rate of interest stated in their title and will mature on March 15, 2028.
Interest will be payable semiannually on September 15 and March 15 in each year
to the persons in whose names the Debentures are registered at the close of
business on the preceding September 1 and March 1. The first interest payment
date is September 15, 1998.
BOOK-ENTRY SYSTEM
The Debentures will be issued in the form of one or more fully registered
Global Debentures which will be deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC, as
depository, and registered in the name of DTC's nominee. Except as set forth
below, the Global Debentures may be transferred, in whole and not in part, only
by DTC to a nominee of DTC or by a nominee of DTC to DTC or another nominee of
DTC or by DTC or any nominee to a successor depository or any nominee of such
successor.
DTC has advised as follows: it is a limited-purpose trust company organized
under the New York Banking Law, a "banking organization" within the meaning of
the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing
corporation" within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a
"clearing agency" registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. DTC hold securities that its
participants ("Participants") deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the
settlement among Participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and
pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry
changes in Participants' accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical
movement of securities certificates.
6
<PAGE>
"Direct Participants" include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust
companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations. DTC is owned
by a number of its Direct Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.,
the American Stock Exchange, Inc., and the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as
securities brokers and dealers, banks, and trust companies that clear through or
maintain a custodial relationship with a Direct Participant, either directly or
indirectly ("Indirect Participants"). The Rules applicable to DTC and its
Participants are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Purchases of interests in the Global Debentures under the DTC system must be
made by or through Direct Participants, which will receive a credit for such
interests on DTC's records. The ownership interest of each actual purchaser of
interests in the Global Debentures ("Beneficial Owner") is in turn to be
recorded on the Direct and Indirect Participants' records. Beneficial Owners
will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchase, but Beneficial
Owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of the
transaction, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the Direct
or Indirect Participant through which the Beneficial Owner entered into the
transaction. Transfers of ownership interests in the Global Debentures are to be
accomplished by entries made on the books of Participants acting on behalf of
Beneficial Owners. Beneficial Owners will not receive certificates representing
their ownership interests in the Global Debentures, except as described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all Global Debentures deposited by
Participants with DTC are registered in the name of DTC's partnership nominee,
Cede & Co. The deposit of Global Debentures with DTC and their registration in
the name of Cede & Co. effect no change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no
knowledge of the actual Beneficial Owners of the interests in the Global
Debentures; DTC's records reflect only the identity of the Direct Participants
to whose accounts interests in the Global Debentures are credited, which may or
may not be the Beneficial Owners. The Participants will remain responsible for
keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Direct
Participants, by Direct Participants to Indirect Participants, and by Direct
Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by
arrangements among them, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as
may be in effect from time to time.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. will consent or vote with respect to the Global
Debentures. Under its usual procedures, DTC mails an Omnibus Proxy to the issuer
as soon as possible after the record date. The Omnibus Proxy assigns Cede &
Co.'s consenting or voting rights to those Direct Participants to whose accounts
interests in the Global Debentures are credited on the record date (identified
in a listing attached to the Omnibus Proxy).
Principal and interest payments on the Debentures will be made to Cede & Co.
DTC's practice is to credit Direct Participants' accounts on the payable date in
accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC's records unless DTC has
reason to believe that it will not receive payment on the payable date. Payments
by Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by standing instructions
and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the accounts of
customers in bearer form or registered in "street name," and will be the
responsibility of such Participant and not of DTC, the Paying Agent, or the
Corporation, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in
effect from time to time. Payment of principal and interest to DTC is the
responsibility of the Corporation or the Paying Agent, disbursement of such
payments to Direct Participants shall be the responsibility of DTC, and
disbursement of such payments to the Beneficial Owners shall be the
responsibility of Direct and Indirect Participants.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as depository with respect to the
Debentures at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Company or the Paying
Agent. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depository is not
obtained, definitive Debenture certificates are required to be
7
<PAGE>
printed and delivered. The Company may decide to discontinue use of the system
of book-entry transfers through DTC (or a successor depository).
Global Debentures representing all but not part of the Debentures offered
hereby are exchangeable for Debentures in definitive form of like tenor and
terms if (i) DTC notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue
as depository for such Global Debentures or if at any time DTC ceases to be a
clearing agency registered as such under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the Company does not appoint a successor depository within 90 days
of receipt by the Company of such notice or of the Company becoming aware of
such ineligibility or (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a
Company Order that such Global Debentures shall be exchangeable. The Global
Debentures exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable
for Debentures Issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof and registered in such names as DTC shall direct.
The Information in this section concerning DTC and DTC's book-entry system
has been obtained from sources that the Corporation believes to be reliable, but
the Corporation takes no responsibility for the accuracy thereof.
SAME-DAY SETTLEMENT AND PAYMENT
Settlement for the Debentures will be made by the Underwriters in
immediately available funds. So long as the Debentures are represented by Global
Debentures, all payments of principal and interest will be made by the Company
in immediately available funds. So long as the Debentures are represented by
Global Debentures registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, the Debentures
will trade in DTC's Same-Day Funds Settlement System, and secondary market
trading activity in the Debentures will therefore be required by DTC to settle
in immediately available funds. No assurance can be given as to the effect, if
any, of settlement in immediately available funds on trading activity in the
Debentures.
LIMITATIONS ON LIENS
The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary (as
defined below) to, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any indebtedness
for money borrowed ("Debt") secured by a Mortgage (as defined below) upon any
Operating Property (as defined below), or upon shares of capital stock or Debt
issued by any Restricted Subsidiary and owned by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of the Indenture or thereafter acquired,
without effectively providing concurrently that the Debentures are secured
equally and ratably with or, at the option of the Company, prior to such Debt so
long as such Debt shall be so secured.
The foregoing restriction shall not apply to, and there shall be excluded
from Debt in any computation under such restriction, Debt secured by (i)
Mortgages on any property existing at the time of the acquisition thereof; (ii)
Mortgages on property of a corporation existing at the time such corporation is
merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or at
the time of a sale, lease or other disposition of the properties of such
corporation (or a division thereof) as an entirety or substantially as an
entirety to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, PROVIDED that any such
Mortgage does not extend to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or
disposition; (iii) Mortgages on property of a corporation existing at the time
such corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; (iv) Mortgages in favor of the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; (v) Mortgages to secure all or part of the
cost of acquisition, construction, development or improvement of the underlying
property, or to secure Debt incurred to provide funds for any such purpose,
PROVIDED that the commitment of the creditor to extend the credit secured by any
such Mortgage shall have been obtained not later than 365 days after the later
of (a) the completion of the acquisition, construction, development or
improvement of such property, or (b) the placing in operation of such property;
(vi) Mortgages in favor of the United States of America or any State
8
<PAGE>
thereof, or any department, agency or instrumentality or political subdivision
thereof, to secure partial, progress, advance or other payments; and (vii)
Mortgages existing on the date of the Indenture or any extension, renewal,
replacement or refunding of any Debt secured by a Mortgage existing on the date
of the Indenture or referred to in clauses (i) to (iii) or (v), PROVIDED that
the principal amount of Debt secured thereby and not otherwise authorized by
clauses (i) to (iii) or (v) shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt, plus
any premium or fee payable in connection with any such extension, renewal,
replacement or refunding, so secured at the time of such extension, renewal,
replacement or refunding.
Notwithstanding the restrictions described above, the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries may create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee Debt
secured by Mortgages without equally and ratably securing the Debentures if, at
the time of such creation, incurrence, issuance, assumption or guarantee, after
giving effect thereto and to the retirement of any Debt which is concurrently
being retired, the aggregate amount of all outstanding Debt secured by Mortgages
which would otherwise be subject to such restrictions (other than any Debt
secured by Mortgages permitted as described in clauses (i) through (vii) of the
immediately preceding paragraph) does not exceed the greater of (i) 15% of
Consolidated Net Assets (as defined below) and (ii) $150 million.
"Consolidated Net Assets" means the aggregate amount of assets (less
applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting
therefrom (i) all current liabilities (excluding any indebtedness for money
borrowed having a maturity of less than 12 months from the date of the most
recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company but which by its terms is
renewable or extendable beyond 12 months from such date at the option of the
borrower), and (ii) all investments in subsidiaries other than Restricted
Subsidiaries, all as set forth on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of
the Company and computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles.
"Mortgage" means, with respect to any property or assets, any mortgage or
deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, security interest, lien,
encumbrance, or other security arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on
or with respect to such property or assets (including any conditional sale or
other title retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as
any of the foregoing).
"Operating Property" means any real property or equipment located within the
United States and owned by, or leased to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries
that has a net book value (after deduction of accumulated depreciation) in
excess of 1.0% of Consolidated Net Assets.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company that owns any
Operating Property.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT, NOTICE AND WAIVER
The Indenture provides that if an Event of Default specified therein shall
have happened and be continuing either the Trustee or the holders of 25% in
principal amount of the Debentures then outstanding may declare the principal of
all such Debentures to be due and payable; provided, however, that if any and
all defaults (other than the non-payment of principal of and accrued interest on
Debentures which shall have become due by acceleration) shall have been
remedied, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Debentures
then outstanding may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences.
Events of Default are defined in the Indenture as being (i) default for 30
days in payment of any interest installment; (ii) default in payment of
principal and premium, if any, when due and payable, (iii) default in the
performance, or breach, for 60 days after written notice to the Company by the
Trustee or by the holders of at least 25 percent in principal amount of the
outstanding Debentures, in any other covenant or warranty in the Indenture; and
(iv) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization.
The Indenture provides that the Trustee shall, within 90 days after the
occurrence of a default, give to the Debenture holders notice of all uncured
defaults known to it unless, except in the case of default in
9
<PAGE>
the payment of principal and premium, if any, or interest on any of the
Debentures, withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Debenture
holders. The term "default" for the purpose of this provision only shall mean
the happening of any of the Events of Default specified above, not including any
grace period or any requirement for the giving of written notice.
The Indenture contains a provision entitling the Trustee, subject to the
duty of the Trustee during default to act with the required standard of care, to
be indemnified by the holders of the Debentures before proceeding to exercise
any right or power under the Indenture at the request of the Debenture holders.
The Indenture provides that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the
outstanding Debentures 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.
In certain cases, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the
outstanding Debentures may on behalf of the holders of all Debentures waive any
past default or Event of Default except, unless theretofore cured, a default in
payment of the principal and premium, if any, or interest on any of the
Debentures.
MODIFICATIONS OF THE INDENTURE
The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company and the Trustee,
with the consent of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the
outstanding Debentures, to execute supplemental indentures adding any provisions
to or changing or eliminating any of the provisions of the Indenture or
modifying the rights of the holders of the Debentures, except that no such
supplemental Indenture may (i) extend the fixed maturity of any Debentures, or
reduce the principal amount thereof or any premium thereon, or (ii) reduce the
rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, without the consent of
the holders of the Debentures.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Indenture provides that no Debenture holder may institute any action
against the Company under the Indenture (except actions for payment of overdue
principal or interest and for enforcement of conversion rights) unless the
holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of Debentures then outstanding
shall have requested the Trustee to institute such action and shall have offered
reasonable indemnity against costs, expenses and liabilities and the Trustee
shall not have instituted such action within 60 days of such request.
THE TRUSTEE
The Trustee is a national bank with its principal office in Denver,
Colorado. The Trustee also is the trustee under two indentures covering
outstanding medium term notes of Nordstrom Credit, Inc., a subsidiary of the
Company.
10
<PAGE>
UNDERWRITING
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Underwriting Agreement,
the Company has agreed to sell to each of the Underwriters named below, and each
of such Underwriters has severally agreed to purchase, the principal amount of
the Debentures set forth opposite its name below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT OF
UNDERWRITER DEBENTURES
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
<S> <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co................................................................... $
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation................................................
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc............................................................
----------------
Total............................................................................. $ 300,000,000
----------------
----------------
</TABLE>
Under the terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the
Underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the Debentures, if any are
taken.
The Underwriters propose to offer the Debentures in part directly to the
public at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this
Prospectus and in part to certain securities dealers at such price less a
concession of % of the principal amount of the Debentures. The Underwriters
may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession not to exceed % of the
principal amount of the Debentures to certain brokers and dealers. After the
Debentures are released for sale to the public, the offering price and other
selling terms may from time to time be varied by the Underwriters.
The Debentures are a new issue of securities with no established trading
market. The Company has been advised by the Underwriters that they intend to
make a market in the Debentures but are not obligated to do so and may
discontinue market making at any time without notice. No assurance can be given
as to the liquidity of the trading market for the Debentures.
In connection with the offering, the Underwriters may purchase and sell the
Debentures in the open market. These transactions may include over-allotment and
stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover short positions created by the
Underwriters in connection with the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist
of certain bids or purchases for the purpose of preventing or retarding a
decline in the market price of the Debentures, and short positions created by
the Underwriters involve the sale by the Underwriters of a greater number of
Debentures than they are required to purchase from the Company in the offering.
The Underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, whereby selling concessions
allowed to other broker-dealers in respect of the Debentures sold in the
offering may be reclaimed by the Underwriters if such Debentures are repurchased
by the Underwriters in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities
may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the Debentures,
which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open
market; and these activities, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
These transactions may be effected in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
In the ordinary course of business, certain of the Underwriters have in the
past performed, and may in the future perform, investment banking services for
the Company for which they have received, and may in the future receive, fees or
other compensation.
The Company has agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain
liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.
LEGAL OPINIONS
Certain matters with respect to the legality of the Debentures offered
hereby will be passed upon for the Company by Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP,
1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4100, Seattle, Washington 98101, and for the
Underwriters by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, 777 South Figueroa Street,
11
<PAGE>
Suite 3200, Los Angeles, California 90017. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
will rely, as to matters of Washington law, on the opinion of Lane Powell Spears
Lubersky LLP. D. Wayne Gittinger, a director of the Company, is a partner in the
firm of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP. At January 31, 1998, members of that
firm beneficially owned directly or indirectly an aggregate of approximately
5,300,000 shares of Common Stock of the Company.
EXPERTS
The financial statements and the related financial statement schedule
incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 1997, have been audited by Deloitte &
Touche LLP, independent auditors, as stated in their reports, which are
incorporated herein by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance upon
the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
12
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, AND, IF GIVEN OR
MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN
AUTHORIZED. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES OTHER THAN THE SECURITIES
DESCRIBED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER
TO BUY SUCH SECURITIES IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION
IS UNLAWFUL. NEITHER THE DELIVERY OF THIS PROSPECTUS NOR ANY SALE MADE HEREUNDER
SHALL, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO
CHANGE IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY SINCE THE DATE HEREOF OR THAT THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS CORRECT AS OF ANY TIME SUBSEQUENT TO ITS DATE.
------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
----
<S> <C>
Available Information..................................................... 2
Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference........................... 2
Recent Developments....................................................... 3
Use of Proceeds........................................................... 3
Selected Consolidated Financial Data...................................... 4
Business.................................................................. 5
Description of the Debentures............................................. 6
Underwriting.............................................................. 11
Legal Opinions............................................................ 11
Experts................................................................... 12
</TABLE>
$300,000,000
NORDSTROM, INC.
% SENIOR DEBENTURES
DUE , 2028
------------
PROSPECTUS
-----------
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
J.P. MORGAN & CO.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The following is an itemized statement of the amounts of all expenses with
the sale and distribution of the Debentures registered hereby:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Registration Fee................................................. $ 88,500
Printing and engraving........................................... 75,000
Legal fees and expenses.......................................... 70,000
Accountants' fees and expenses................................... 45,000
Trustee's and authenticating agent's fees and expenses........... 5,100
Blue Sky fees and expenses....................................... 5,000
Miscellaneous.................................................... 11,400
---------
Total........................................................ $ 300,000
---------
---------
</TABLE>
All except the first of the foregoing amounts are estimates.
ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Article XII of the amended and restated Bylaws of the Registrant authorizes
the Registrant to indemnify any present or former director, officer, employee or
agent to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Washington Business
Corporation Act. Provisions of the Washington Business Corporation Act (RCW
23B.08.510 and .570) give the Registrant power to indemnify directors, officers,
employees and agents of the Registrant and those serving at the Registrant's
request in similar positions in any other corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise, in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.
The Registrant carries directors' and officers' liability insurance which
generally insures officers and directors of the Registrant against certain
liabilities by reason of certain acts and omissions in connection with their
duties for the Registrant.
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
* 1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.
* 4.1 Form of Indenture dated , 1998, between Registrant and Norwest Bank
Colorado, National Association, as Trustee.
* 4.2 Form of Debenture (included in Exhibit 4.1 hereto).
* 5.1 Opinion of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP to the Registrant.
+12.1 Statement regarding computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges.
*23.1 The consent of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP is contained to their opinion filed
as Exhibit 5.1.
*23.2 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP independent certified public accountants.
+24.1 Power of attorney.
*25.1 Form T-1, Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of Norwest Bank Colorado,
National Association, as Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
* Filed herewith.
+ Previously filed.
II-1
<PAGE>
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
1. That, for purposes of determining liability under the Securities Act
of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section
13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.
2. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to
be delivered with the Prospectus, to each person to whom the Prospectus is
sent or given, the latest annual report to security holders that is
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and furnished pursuant to and
meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934; and, where interim financial information required to
be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X are not set forth in the
Prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the
Prospectus is sent or given, the latest quarterly report that is
specifically incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to provide such
interim financial information.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions referred to in Item 15 above, 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 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant 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 of whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-2
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, THE REGISTRANT
CERTIFIES THAT IT HAS REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE THAT IT MEETS ALL THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR FILING ON FORM S-3 AND HAS DULY CAUSED THIS AMENDMENT TO
REGISTRATION STATEMENT TO BE SIGNED ON ITS BEHALF BY THE UNDERSIGNED, THEREUNTO
DULY AUTHORIZED, IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE, STATE OF WASHINGTON ON THE 10TH DAY OF
MARCH, 1998.
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
NORDSTROM, INC.
By /s/ JOHN J. WHITACRE
------------------------------------------
John J. Whitacre,
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
</TABLE>
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registration
Statement has been signed on March 10, 1998 by the following persons in the
capacities indicated:
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
/s/ JOHN J. WHITACRE
- ------------------------------------------- Chairman of the Board of Directors
John J. Whitacre
*
- ------------------------------------------- Executive Vice President and Treasurer
John A. Goesling
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
D. Wayne Gittinger
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
Enrique Hernandez, Jr.
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
Charles A. Lynch
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
Ann D. McLaughlin
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
John A. McMillan
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
Bruce A. Nordstrom
</TABLE>
II-3
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
John N. Nordstrom
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
Alfred E. Osborne, Jr.
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
William D. Ruckelshaus
*
- ------------------------------------------- Director
Elizabeth Crownhart Vaughan
</TABLE>
*By /s/ JOHN J. WHITACRE
-------------------------
John J. Whitacre
II-4
<PAGE>
NORDSTROM, INC.
____% SENIOR DEBENTURES DUE _________, 2028
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March __, 1998
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
As representatives of the several Underwriters
Named in Schedule I hereto
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Nordstrom, Inc., a Washington corporation (the "Company"), proposes, subject to
the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of $300,000,000
principal amount of the ____% Senior Debentures Due 2028 of the Company,
specified above (the "Securities").
1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-47035) (the
"Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Securities has been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the
Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto,
each in the form heretofore delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits
thereto but including all documents incorporated by reference in the
prospectus contained therein, to you for each of the other Underwriters,
have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a
registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a
"Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became effective
upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration
Statement or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been
filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness
of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto
or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no
proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the
Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration
Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules
and regulations of the Commission under the Act is hereinafter called a
"Preliminary Prospectus"; the various parts of the Initial Registration
Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all
exhibits thereto but excluding Form T-1 and including (i) the information
contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a)
hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the
Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective and
(ii) the documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in
the Initial Registration Statement at the time such part of the Initial
Registration Statement became effective, each
<PAGE>
as amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement
became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if
any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively
called the "Registration Statement"; such final prospectus, in the form
first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called
the "Prospectus" and any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or
the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the
Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the
case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus
or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and incorporated by reference in
such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any
reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to
refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the
Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement;
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary
Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company
by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use
therein;
(c) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when they
became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be,
conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or
Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto,
when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as
the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements
of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, not
misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall
not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(d) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of
the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable
effective date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto
and as of the
2
<PAGE>
applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement
thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions
made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in
writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co.
expressly for use therein or the information contained in the Statement of
Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act
on Form T-1 (the "T-1") filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement;
(e) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since
the date of the latest audited financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any material loss or
interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of
which information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, there has not been any material change in the capital stock or
long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material
adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse
change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial
position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries (taken as a whole), otherwise than as set forth or
contemplated in the Prospectus;
(f) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Washington,
with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly
qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is
in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns
or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such
qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by
reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction; and each
subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation;
(g) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company
have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable and all of the issued shares of capital stock of Nordstrom
Credit, Inc. and Nordstrom National Credit Bank have been duly and validly
authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are
beneficially owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear
of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(h) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and
delivered pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly executed,
authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of the Company subject, as to enforcement,
to bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization and other laws of
general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to
general equity principles (regardless of whether enforceability is
considered in a proceeding at law or in equity); the Securities and the
indenture dated as of March __, 1998 (the "Indenture") will conform to
the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus; and the Securities are
entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture between the Company
and Norwest Bank Colorado, National Association, as Trustee (the
"Trustee"), under which they are to be issued, which is substantially in
the form filed as an exhibit to the
3
<PAGE>
Registration Statement; the Indenture has been duly authorized and duly
qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and constitutes a valid and legally
binding instrument, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as
to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization and
other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors'
rights and to general equity principles (regardless of whether
enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity); and the
Securities and the Indenture will conform to the descriptions thereof in
the Prospectus;
(i) The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company
with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Indenture and this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of
any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of
the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
subject, except for any conflict that would not have a material adverse
effect on the consolidated financial position, shareholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the Articles of
Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule
or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is
required for the issue and sale of the Securities or the consummation by
the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the
Indenture, except the registration under the Act of the Securities, such as
have been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act and such consents,
approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be
required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;
(j) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its
Articles of Incorporation or By-laws; nor is the Company or any of its
subsidiaries in default in the performance or observance of any obligation,
covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a
party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, which default
could have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial
position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries;
(k) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of the Debentures" insofar as they purport to constitute a
summary of the terms of the Securities and in the first, second, and
seventh paragraphs under the caption "Underwriting" insofar as they
purport to describe provisions of this Agreement are accurate, complete
and fair;
(l) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate
have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position,
shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries; and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such
proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
threatened by others;
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(m) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale
of the Securities, will not be an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");
(n) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates does business with the
government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba within
the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes; and
(o) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements
of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as
required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to
issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of
________% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest, if any, from
___________, 1998 to the Time of Delivery hereunder, the principal amount of
Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Securities, the several
Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale upon the terms and
conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4.
(a) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder will be
represented by one or more definitive global Securities in book-entry form
which will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company with The Depository
Trust Company ("DTC") or its designated custodian. The Company will
deliver the Securities to Goldman, Sachs & Co., for the account of each
Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the
purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the
account specified by the Company to Goldman, Sachs & Co. at least
forty-eight hours in advance, by causing DTC to credit the Securities to
the account of Goldman, Sachs & Co. at DTC. The Company will cause the
certificates representing the Securities to be made available to Goldman,
Sachs & Co. for checking at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of
Delivery (as defined below) at the office of DTC or its designated
custodian (the "Designated Office"). The time and date of such delivery
and payment shall be 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on ______________, 1998
or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may
agree upon in writing. Such time and date are herein called the "Time of
Delivery".
(b) The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf
of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the
cross-receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by
the Underwriters pursuant to Section 7(i) hereof, will be delivered at the
offices of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, 400 Sansome Street, San
Francisco, California 94111 (the "Closing Location"), and the Securities
will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at the Time of Delivery. A
meeting will be held at the Closing Location at ___________ p.m., New York
City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the Time of
Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be
delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review
by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, "New York
Business Day" shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City
are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
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(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form reasonably approved by you and to
file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than
the Commission's close of business on the second business day following the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier
time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no
further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or
Prospectus prior to the Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you
promptly after reasonable notice thereof, to advise you, promptly after it
receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration
Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the
Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with
copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or
information statements required to be filed by the Company with the
Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the
delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or
sale of the Securities; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice
thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any
order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or
prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for
offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of
any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission
for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or
Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance
of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any such qualification,
to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably
request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the
securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with
such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in
such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the
distribution of the Securities (but in no event shall the Company be
required to bear the expenses of such compliance after nine months after
the date hereof), provided that in connection therewith the Company shall
not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general
consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;
(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day
next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to
furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in New York City in
such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a
prospectus is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months
after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering
or sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred
as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would
include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light
of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is
delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be
necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or
to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in
the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the Exchange Act or the
Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such
document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and
to any dealer in securities as many copies as you may from time to time
reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the
Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such
compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus
in connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months
or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but
at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such
Underwriter as many copies as you may request of an amended or
supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
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(d) To make generally available to its security holders as soon as
practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the
effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158 (c)),
an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not
be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the
Company, Rule 158);
(e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and
including the later of the Time of Delivery and such earlier time as you
may notify the Company, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise
dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any debt securities of the
Company, except for short-term obligations which mature not more than 270
days after such Time of Delivery without your prior written consent;
(f) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file
a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with
Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the
Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or
give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule
111(b) under the Act;
(g) Upon request, to furnish to the holders of the Securities after the
end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and
statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public
accountants) and, after the end of each of the first three quarters of
each fiscal year (beginning with the first fiscal quarter ending after the
effective date of the Registration Statement), consolidated summary
financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such
quarter in reasonable detail;
(h) During a period of five years from the effective date of the
Registration Statement, to furnish to you upon request copies of all
reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to
shareholders, and to deliver to you copies of any reports and
financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any
national securities exchange on which the Securities or any class of
securities of the Company is listed; and
(i) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the securities
pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Prospectus under
the caption "Use of Proceeds".
6. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the
Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees,
disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in
connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all
other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of
the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus
and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of
copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing
or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the
Indenture, the Blue Sky and Legal Investment Memoranda, closing documents
(including a reasonable number of compilations thereof) and any other
documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of
the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of
the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as
provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such
qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky and legal investment
surveys; (iv) any fees charged by securities rating services for rating the
Securities; (v) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vi) the fees and
expenses of the Trustee and any agent of the Trustee and the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture
and the Securities; and (vii) all other costs and expenses incident to the
performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however,
that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the
Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the
fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by
them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject, in their
discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and
other statements of the Company herein
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are, at and as of the Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition
that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder
theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by
the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a)
hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Rule
462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M.,
Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part
thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall
have been initiated or (to the best of the Company's knowledge) threatened
by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part
of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable
satisfaction;
(b) Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, counsel for the Underwriters,
shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions dated the Time
of Delivery, with respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (vii),
(viii) and (xxi) of subsection (c) below as well as such other related
matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received
such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them
to pass upon such matters;
(c) Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have
furnished to you their written opinion, dated the Time of Delivery, in form
and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
of Washington, with corporate power and authority to own its
properties and conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in
the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company is in good standing under the laws of each other
jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts
any business so as to require such qualification.
(iv) Nordstrom Credit, Inc. has been duly incorporated and is
validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; and all of the
issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the
Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are
fully paid and non-assessable, and are owned directly or
indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities or claims (such counsel being entitled
to rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions
of local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon
certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries,
provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that
both you and they are justified upon such opinions and
certificates);
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(v) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than as set
forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if
determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, individually or in the aggregate, could
reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on
the consolidated financial position, shareholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries;
and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no such
proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental
authorities or threatened by others;
(vi) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(vii) The Securities have been duly authorized, executed,
authenticated, issued and delivered and constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of the Company entitled to the
benefits provided by the Indenture except to the extent that
enforcement thereof may be limited by (A) bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or other laws now or
hereafter in effect relating to or affecting creditors' rights
generally, and (B) general principles of equity (regardless of
whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or
in equity), and the Securities and the Indenture conform to
the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus;
(viii) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Company and, assuming due execution and delivery by the
Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization and other laws of general applicability
relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general
equity principles (regardless of whether enforceability is
considered in a proceeding at law or in equity); and the
Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture
Act;
(ix) The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by
the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities,
the Indenture, and this Agreement and the consummation of
the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of
the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under,
any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or
other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which
the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or
to which any of the property or assets of the Company is
subject, except for any conflict, breach, violation or
default that would have a material adverse effect on the
consolidated financial position, shareholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company, nor will such actions
result in any violation of the provisions of the Articles of
Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or
any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental
agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any
of its material properties;
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(x) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or
body is required for the issue and sale of the Securities or
the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or the Indenture except such as
have been obtained under the Act and the Trust Indenture Act
and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders,
registrations or qualifications as may be required under state
securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;
(xi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Debentures" insofar as they purport to
constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities are
accurate, complete and fair in all material respects;
(xii) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or
any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the
Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules therein, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became
effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, complied as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable,
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
and such counsel has no reason to believe that any of such
documents, when such documents became effective or were
so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a
registration statement which became effective under the Act,
an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the
case of other documents which were filed under the Act or the
Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made when such documents
were so filed, not misleading; and
(xiii) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any further
amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior
to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements
and related schedules and financial data derived from
accounting records included therein and the T-1 as to which
such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder; although they do not assume
any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness
of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus, except for those referred to in the opinion in
subsection [_____] of this Section 7(c), such counsel has no
reason to believe that, as of its effective date, the
Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto made
by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules and financial data
derived from accounting records included therein and the T-1
as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its
date, the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement
thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery
(other than the financial statements and related schedules and
financial data derived from accounting records included
therein and the T-1 as to which such counsel need express no
opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading or that, as of the Time
of Delivery, either the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made
by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules and financial data
derived from accounting records included therein and the T-1
as to which such counsel
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need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading; and such counsel
does not know of any amendment to the Registration Statement
required to be filed or of any contracts or other documents of
a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by
reference into the Prospectus or required to be described in
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not
filed or incorporated by reference or described as required;
(d) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this
Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to
the date of this Agreement and also at the Time of Delivery, Deloitte &
Touche LLP shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the
respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to
you, to the effect set forth in Annex I;
(e) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or
interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as
of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been
any change in the capital stock (other than upon exercise of options issued
pursuant to the Company's common stock option plans and the repurchase of
common stock pursuant to the Company's common stock repurchase program) or
long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or
any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general
affairs, management, financial position, shareholders' equity or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case
described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the Representatives
so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to
proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the
terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(f) On or after the date hereof (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in
the rating accorded the Company's debt securities by any "nationally
recognized statistical rating organization", as that term is defined by the
Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such
organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance
or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the
Company's debt securities;
(g) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of the
following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities
generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on the NASDAQ Stock Market;
(ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company's
securities on the NASDAQ Stock Market; (iii) a general moratorium on
commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York
authorities; or (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving
the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national
emergency or war, if the effect of any such event specified in this
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Clause (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable
or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(h) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c)
hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York
Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and
(i) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at
the Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory
to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the
Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by
the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior
to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a)
and (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably
request.
8.
(a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission
to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each
Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such
Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action
or claim as such expenses are incurred; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company
shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss,
claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made
in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through
Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become
subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are
based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or
are based upon the omission or alleged
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omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to
the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any
such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through
Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the
Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company
in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as
such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified
party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the
indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in
writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may
have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In
case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it
shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the
indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the
extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party
similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel
satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the
consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party),
and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of
its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall
not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal
expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently
incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof
other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall,
without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement
or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to,
any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the
indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim)
unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an
unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising
out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or
an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of
any indemnified party. With respect to any action or claim, no
indemnifying party shall be responsible for the fees and expenses of more
than one counsel (plus any local counsel) to the indemnified parties in
circumstances in which the indemnified parties do not have potentially
conflicting defenses available.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection
(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities
(or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying
party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified
party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities. If,
however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is
not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give
the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying
party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified
party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such
relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one
hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one
hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same
proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts
and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in
the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be
determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged
omission to state a material fact
13
<PAGE>
relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge,
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement
or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be
just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were
determined by PRO RATA allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as
one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which
does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in
this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as
a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed
to include any reasonable legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection
(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of
the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by
it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the
amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to
pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution
from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
The Underwriters' obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are
several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not
joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations
of the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any
liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of
the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of the Act.
9. If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the
Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder, you may in your discretion
arrange for you or another party or other parties reasonably satisfactory to the
Company to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within
thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for
the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further
period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other
parties reasonably satisfactory to you to purchase such Securities on such
terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify
the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or
the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such
Securities, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Time of
Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever
changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to
file promptly any amendments to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as
used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section
with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement
with respect to such Securities.
(a) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the
Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount
of such Securities which remains unpurchased does
14
<PAGE>
not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the
Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each
non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities
which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder and, in addition, to
require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share
(based on the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed
to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing
herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its
default.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the
Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount
of Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the
aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall
not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require
non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate,
without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the
Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the
Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and
contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall
relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and
other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in
this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this
Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company,
or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the
Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as
provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but, if for any other reason, the
Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein,
the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket
expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of
counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the
purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities, but the Company shall then be
under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6
and 8 hereof.
12. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you in care of Goldman, Sachs & Co., 85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004, Attention: Registration Department; and if to the
Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to
the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention:
Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to
Section 8 (c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters'
Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be
supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests,
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of,
the Underwriters,
15
<PAGE>
the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the
officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company
or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from
any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such
purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term
"business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in Washington,
D.C. is open for business.
15. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto
in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one
and the same instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us six counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on
behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall
constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company.
It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the
Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among
Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for
examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority
of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
Nordstrom, Inc.
By:
---------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
By:
-----------------------------------------
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE I
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT OF
SECURITIES
TO BE
Underwriter PURCHASED
----------- ---------
<S> <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . .
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$300,000,000
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
DEBT MODEL A
ANNEX I
Pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect to
the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the
applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary
financial information and schedules (and, if applicable, prospective
financial statements and/or pro forma financial information) examined by
them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with
the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as
applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder;
and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of
the consolidated interim financial statements, selected financial data, pro
forma financial information, prospective financial statements and/or
condensed financial statements derived from audited financial statements of
the Company for the periods specified in such letter, as indicated in their
reports thereon, copies of which have been separately furnished to the
representatives of the Underwriters (the "Representatives");
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established
by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited
condensed consolidated statement of income, consolidated balance sheets and
consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or
included in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q incorporated by
reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon copies
of which have been separately furnished to the Representatives; and on the
basis of specified procedures including inquiries of officials of the
Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters
regarding whether the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
referred to in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in the related
in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the
Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations,
nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that the
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not comply as to
form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and
regulations;
(iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to the
consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Company
for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus and
included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the
corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited
consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were
included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Reports on
Form 10-K for such fiscal years;
(v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under
selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and on
the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to
their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to
believe that this information does not conform in all material respects
with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d),
respectively, of Regulation
S-K;
A-1
<PAGE>
(vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting
of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other information
referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books
of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus,
inquiries of officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for
financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may
be specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to
believe that:
(A) (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income,
consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows
included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by
reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated
by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the
Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, or (ii)
any material modifications should be made to the unaudited
consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
consolidated statements of cash flows included or incorporated by
reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated
by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items
included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding items
in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which such
data and items were derived, and any such unaudited data and items
were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis
for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included in the
Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited condensed
financial statements referred to in Clause (A) and any unaudited
income statement data and balance sheet items included in the
Prospectus and referred to in Clause (B) were not determined on a
basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do
not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the published rules and
regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not been
properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those
statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the date
of such letter, there have been any changes in the consolidated
capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock upon exercise of
options and stock appreciation rights, upon earn-outs of performance
shares and upon conversions of convertible securities, in each case
which were outstanding on the date of the latest balance sheet
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus) or any
increase in the consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its
subsidiaries, or any decreases in consolidated
A-2
<PAGE>
net current assets or stockholders' equity or other items specified by
the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the
Representatives, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the
latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus, except in each case for changes, increases or decreases
which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are
described in such letter; and
(F) for the period from the date of the latest financial statements
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to the
specified date referred to in Clause (E) there were any decreases in
consolidated net revenues or operating profit or the total or per
share amounts of consolidated net income or other items specified by
the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the
Representatives, in each case as compared with the comparable period
of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding
length specified by the Representatives, except in each case for
increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or
may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their report(s)
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited
procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures
referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out
certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance
with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain
amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the
Representatives which are derived from the general accounting records of
the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding
documents incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in exhibits and
schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representatives
or in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by
the Representatives, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages
and financial information with the accounting records of the Company and
its subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.
A-3
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 4.1
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
NORDSTROM, INC.
TO
NORWEST BANK COLORADO, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
TRUSTEE
----------
INDENTURE
DATED AS OF , 1998
----------------
----------
$300,000,000
% SENIOR DEBENTURES DUE ,2028
----
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
NORDSTROM, INC.
-------------
RECONCILIATION AND TIE BETWEEN INDENTURE
DATED AS OF , 1998
---------------
AND
TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TRUST INDENTURE ACT INDENTURE
SECTION SECTION
- ------- -------
<S> <C>
Section 310(a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
(a)(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
(a)(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
(a)(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
610
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
Section 311(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613(a)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613(b)
(b)(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
703(b)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
Section 312(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701
702(a)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702(b)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702(c)
Section 313(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(b)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
703(b)
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(c)
Section 314(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
(c)(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
(c)(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
(c)(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Section 315(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601(a)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Section 316(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
(a)(1)(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
512
</TABLE>
2
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C>
(a)(1)(B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
(a)(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Section 317(a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
(a)(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1003
Section 318(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
</TABLE>
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a
part of the Indenture.
3
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RECITALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ARTICLE ONE - DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL
APPLICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
SECTION 101. DEFINITIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
AFFILIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
AUTHENTICATING AGENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
BOARD OF DIRECTORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
BOARD RESOLUTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
BUSINESS DAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
COMMISSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
COMPANY REQUEST AND COMPANY ORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
CONSOLIDATED NET ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
CORPORATE TRUST OFFICE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DEBENTURE REGISTER AND DEBENTURE REGISTRAR. . . . . . . . . . . .10
DEFAULTED INTEREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
DEPOSITARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
EVENT OF DEFAULT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
GLOBAL DEBENTURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
HOLDER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
INDENTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
INTEREST PAYMENT DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
MATURITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
MORTGAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
OPERATING PROPERTY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
OPINION OF COUNSEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
OUTSTANDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
PAYING AGENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
PERSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
PLACE OF PAYMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
PREDECESSOR DEBENTURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
REGULAR RECORD DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
RESPONSIBLE OFFICER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
SPECIAL RECORD DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
STATED MATURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
SUBSIDIARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
4
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TRUSTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
TRUST INDENTURE ACT or TIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
VICE PRESIDENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
SECTION 102. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS . . . . . . . . . .13
SECTION 103. FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE . . . . . . . . .13
SECTION 104. ACTS OF HOLDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
SECTION 105. NOTICES, ETC., TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY. . . . . . . . . .14
SECTION 106. NOTICES TO HOLDERS; WAIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
SECTION 107. CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT. . . . . . . . . . . .15
SECTION 108. EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . .15
SECTION 109. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
SECTION 110. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
SECTION 111. BENEFITS OF INDENTURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
SECTION 112. GOVERNING LAW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
SECTION 113. LEGAL HOLIDAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
ARTICLE TWO - DEBENTURE FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
SECTION 201. FORM GENERALLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
SECTION 202. FORM OF FACE OF DEBENTURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
SECTION 203. FORM OF REVERSE OF DEBENTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
SECTION 204. FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION. . . . . . . . . .19
SECTION 205. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN GLOBAL DEBENTURE . . .20
ARTICLE THREE - THE DEBENTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
SECTION 301. TITLE AND TERMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
SECTION 302. DENOMINATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
SECTION 303. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY . . . . . . . . .21
SECTION 304. TEMPORARY DEBENTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
SECTION 305. REGISTRATION, TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE. . . . . . . . . . .22
SECTION 306. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN DEBENTURES. . . . .23
SECTION 307. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED . . . . .24
SECTION 308. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
SECTION 309. CANCELLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
ARTICLE FOUR - SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
SECTION 401. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE. . . . . . . . .26
SECTION 402. APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
SECTION 403. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
SECTION 404. REINSTATEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
ARTICLE FIVE - REMEDIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
SECTION 501. EVENTS OF DEFAULT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
5
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SECTION 502. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT . . .28
SECTION 503. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR
ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
SECTION 504. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM . . . . . . . . . . . .29
SECTION 505. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT POSSESSION OF
DEBENTURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
SECTION 506. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
SECTION 507. LIMITATION ON SUITS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
SECTION 508. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE
PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
SECTION 509. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES . . . . . . . . . . .31
SECTION 510. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
SECTION 511. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
SECTION 512. CONTROL BY HOLDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
SECTION 513. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
SECTION 514. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
SECTION 515. WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS . . . . . . . . . . . .34
ARTICLE SIX - THE TRUSTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
SECTION 601. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. . . . . . . . . . .34
SECTION 602. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
SECTION 603. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
SECTION 604. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE
OF DEBENTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
SECTION 605. MAY HOLD DEBENTURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
SECTION 606. MONEY HELD IN TRUST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
SECTION 607. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
SECTION 608. DISQUALIFICATION; CONFLICTING INTERESTS. . . . . . . . .37
SECTION 609. CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY. . . . . . . . .37
SECTION 610. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR. . . .37
SECTION 611. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR . . . . . . . . .39
SECTION 612. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION
TO BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
SECTION 613. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY. . . .39
SECTION 614. APPOINTMENT OF AUTHENTICATING AGENT. . . . . . . . . . .39
ARTICLE SEVEN - HOLDER'S LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY. . . . .41
SECTION 701. COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES
OF HOLDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
SECTION 702. PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS TO
HOLDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
SECTION 703. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
SECTION 704. REPORTS BY COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
ARTICLE EIGHT - CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE
OR TRANSFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
SECTION 801. COMPANY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS . .42
SECTION 802. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED. . . . . . . . . . . .43
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ARTICLE NINE - SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
SECTION 901. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS . . .43
SECTION 902. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS. . . . .44
SECTION 903. EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES . . . . . . . . . .44
SECTION 904. EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES. . . . . . . . . . . .45
SECTION 905. CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT. . . . . . . . . . .45
SECTION 906. REFERENCE IN DEBENTURES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES . . .45
ARTICLE TEN - COVENANTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
SECTION 1001. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST. . . . . . .45
SECTION 1002. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . .45
SECTION 1003. MONEY FOR DEBENTURE PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST. . . .46
SECTION 1004. CORPORATE EXISTENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
SECTION 1005. LIMITATIONS ON LIENS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
SECTION 1006. STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
SECTION 1007. WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
7
<PAGE>
INDENTURE, dated as of ____________, 1998, between NORDSTROM, INC., a Washington
corporation (hereinafter called the "Company") having its principal office at
1501 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington, and Norwest Bank Colorado, National
Association, a national banking association duly organized and existing under
the laws of the United States (hereinafter called the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the creation of an issue of its debentures
(hereinafter called the "Debentures") of substantially the tenor and of the
amount hereinafter set forth, and to provide therefor the Company has duly
authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.
All things necessary to make the Debentures, when executed by the Company
and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder and duly issued by the
Company, the valid obligations of the Company, and to make this Indenture a
valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with their and its terms, have
been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Debentures by
the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and
proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Debentures, as follows:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
SECTION 101. DEFINITIONS.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided
or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them
in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture
Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them
therein;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings
assigned to them from time to time in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles; and
(4) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an "Article"
or a "Section" refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this
Indenture; and
(5) 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.
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"ACT," when used with respect to any Holders has the meaning specified in
Section 104.
"AFFILIATE" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to
direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise;
and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.
"AUTHENTICATING AGENT" means any Person authorized by the Trustee to act on
behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities.
"BOARD OF DIRECTORS" means either the board of directors of the Company or
any duly authorized committee of that board.
"BOARD RESOLUTION" means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board
of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
"BUSINESS DAY" means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
which is not a day on which banking institutions in the Place of Payment are
authorized or obligated by law to close.
"COMMISSION" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to
time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or if at
any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing
and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then
the body performing such duties on such date.
"COMPANY" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first paragraph of
this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become such pursuant to
the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Company" shall mean
such successor corporation.
"COMPANY REQUEST" and "COMPANY ORDER" mean, respectively, a written request
or order signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of
Directors, a President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant
Treasurer, Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.
"CONSOLIDATED NET ASSETS" means the aggregate amount of assets (less
applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting
therefrom (i) all current liabilities (excluding any indebtedness for money
borrowed having a maturity of less than 12 months from the date of the most
recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company but which by its terms is
renewable or extendable beyond 12 months from such date at the option of the
borrower) and (ii) all Investments in Subsidiaries other than Restricted
Subsidiaries, all as set forth on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of
the Company and computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles.
"CORPORATE TRUST OFFICE" means the principal office of the Trustee in the
City of Denver, State of Colorado, at which at any particular time its corporate
trust business shall be administered, which
9
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office at the date of the execution of this Indenture is located at 1740
Broadway, Denver, Colorado 80264, except that with respect to the presentation
of Debentures for payment or for registration of transfer or exchange and the
location of the Debenture Registrar, such term means the office or agency of the
Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate agency business shall be
conducted.
"DEBENTURE REGISTER" and "DEBENTURE REGISTRAR" have the respective meanings
specified in Section 305.
"DEFAULTED INTEREST" has the meaning specified in Section 307.
"DEPOSITARY" means, with respect to Debentures issued in the form of one or
more Global Debentures, the Person designated as Depositary for such Debentures
by the Company pursuant to Section 301, which Person shall be a clearing agency
registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
"EVENT OF DEFAULT" has the meaning specified in Article Five.
"GLOBAL DEBENTURE" means a Debenture in the form prescribed in Section 205,
issued to the Depositary or its nominee, and registered in the name of such
Depositary or such nominee.
"HOLDER" means a Person in whose name a Debenture is registered in the
Debenture Register.
"INDENTURE" means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from
time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental
hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.
"INTEREST PAYMENT DATE" means the Stated Maturity of an installment of
interest on the Debentures.
"MATURITY" when used with respect to any Debenture means the date on which
the principal of such Debenture becomes due and payable as therein or herein
provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration or
otherwise.
"MORTGAGE" means, with respect to any property or assets, any mortgage or
deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, security interest, lien,
encumbrance, or other security arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on
or with respect to such property or assets (including any conditional sale or
other title retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as
any of the foregoing).
"OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE" means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the
Board of Directors, a President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an
Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, and
delivered to the Trustee.
"OPERATING PROPERTY" means any real property or equipment located within
the United States and owned by, or leased to, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries that has a net book value (after deduction of accumulated
depreciation) in excess of 1.0% of Consolidated Net Assets.
10
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"OPINION OF COUNSEL" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel
for the Company, or who may be other counsel, acceptable to the Trustee.
"OUTSTANDING" when used with respect to Debentures means, as of the date of
determination, all Debentures theretofore authenticated and delivered under this
Indenture, except:
(i) Debentures theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to
the Trustee for cancellation;
(ii) Debentures for whose payment money in the necessary amount has
been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than
the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company
(if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such
Debentures; and
(iii) Debentures in exchange for or in lieu of which other
Debentures have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this
Indenture;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite
principal amount of Debentures Outstanding have given any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, Debentures owned
by the Company or any other obligor upon the Debentures or any Affiliate of the
Company or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be
Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected
in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent or waiver, only Debentures which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall
be so disregarded. Debentures so owned which have been pledged in good faith
may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of
the Trustee the pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Debentures and
that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Debentures or
any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor.
"PAYING AGENT" means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the
principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Debentures on behalf of
the Company.
"PERSON" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"PLACE OF PAYMENT" means a city or any political subdivision thereof
designated as such in Article Three.
"PREDECESSOR DEBENTURES" of any particular Debenture means every previous
Debenture evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such
particular Debenture; and for the purposes of this definition, any Debenture
authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or
stolen Debenture shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost,
destroyed or stolen Debenture.
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"REGULAR RECORD DATE" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date
means the date specified in Section 202.
"RESPONSIBLE OFFICER" when used with respect to the Trustee means the
Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chairman or
Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, a President,
any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, any
Assistant Treasurers, the Cashier; any Assistant Cashier, any Trust Officer or
Assistant Trust Officer, the Controller and any Assistant Controller 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.
"RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARY" means any Subsidiary of the Company that owns any
Operating Property.
"SPECIAL RECORD DATE" for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a
date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.
"STATED MATURITY" when used with respect to any Debenture or any
installment of interest thereon means the date specified in such Debenture as
the fixed date on which the principal of such Debenture or such installment of
interest is due and payable.
"SUBSIDIARY" means any corporation of which at least a majority of the
outstanding stock having by the terms thereof ordinary voting power to elect a
majority of the directors of such corporation, irrespective of whether or not at
the time stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall have or
might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency, is at the
time, directly or indirectly, owned or controlled by the Company or by one or
more Subsidiaries thereof, or by the Company and one or more Subsidiaries.
"TRUSTEE" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first paragraph of
this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the
applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Trustee" shall mean
such successor Trustee.
"TRUST INDENTURE ACT" or "TIA" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in
force at the date as of which this instrument is executed or as hereafter
amended.
"VICE PRESIDENT" when used with respect to the Company or Trustee means any
vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added
before or after the title "Vice President".
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SECTION 102. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS.
Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Indenture, upon any
application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under
any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided
for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with
and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such
conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case
of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents
is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such
particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be
furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or
covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or
opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein
relating thereto;
(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 each such individual, he
has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to
express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition
has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether in the opinion of each such
individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 103. FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or
covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all
such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based,
insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are
erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as
it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the
information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the
Company, unless such counsel knows or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such
matters are erroneous.
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Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more
applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other
instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and
form one instrument.
SECTION 104. ACTS OF HOLDERS.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may
be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar
tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing or
by any Person duly authorized by means of any certification, proxy or other
authorization furnished by a Depositary; and, except as herein otherwise
expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or
instruments are delivered to the Trustee, and, where it is hereby expressly
required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action
embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the
"Act" of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments or, in the case of
the Depositary, furnishing the written certification, proxy or other
authorization pursuant to which such instrument or instruments are signed.
Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such
agent, or authorizing any such Person or any such written certification or
proxy, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to
Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company and any agent of
the Trustee or the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such
instrument or writing may be proved by a certificate of a notary public or other
officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the
individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution
thereof. Where such execution is by a Person acting in other than his
individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall constitute sufficient
proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such
instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may
also be proved in any other manner the Trustee deems sufficient and the Trustee
may in any instance require proof with respect to any of the matters referred to
in this Section.
(c) The ownership of Debentures shall be proved by the Debenture Register.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or other Act of the Holder of any Debenture shall bind every future Holder of
the same Debenture and the Holder of every Debenture issued upon the transfer
thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of anything done,
omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any
Paying Agent, or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of
such action is made upon such Debenture.
SECTION 105. NOTICES, ETC., TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY.
Except as otherwise provided herein, any request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided
or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed
with,
14
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(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed
in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention:
Corporate Trust and Escrow Services, or
(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein provided)
if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company
addressed to the attention of its Secretary at the address of its principal
office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other
address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.
SECTION 106. NOTICES TO HOLDERS; WAIVER.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such
notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided)
if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder, at his
address as it appears on the Debenture Register, not later than the latest date,
and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such
notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the
failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any
particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to
other Holders, and any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided
shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not received
by any particular Holder. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any
manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive
such notice either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the
equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the
Trustee but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of
any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
In case, by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason
of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then
such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall
constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
SECTION 107. CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with any of the
duties imposed by operation of Section 318(c) of the TIA, the imposed duties
shall control.
SECTION 108. EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for
convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
SECTION 109. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind
its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
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SECTION 110. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.
In case any provision of this Indenture or in the Debentures shall be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of
the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
SECTION 111. BENEFITS OF INDENTURE.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Debentures, express or implied, shall
give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any
Security Registrar, or any Authenticating Agent and their respective successors
hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under this Indenture.
SECTION 112. GOVERNING LAW.
This Indenture and the Debentures shall be construed in accordance with and
governed by the laws of the State of Washington.
SECTION 113. LEGAL HOLIDAYS.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date or the Stated Maturity of any
Debenture, or any date upon which any Defaulted Interest is proposed to be paid,
shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any
other provision of this Indenture or of the Debentures) payment of interest or
principal (and premium, if any) need not be made at such Place of Payment on
such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of
Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date,
or at the Stated Maturity, the date for payment of Defaulted Interest, provided
that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest
Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.
ARTICLE TWO
DEBENTURE FORM
SECTION 201. FORM GENERALLY.
The Debentures and the certificate of authentication shall be in
substantially the forms set forth in this Article, with such appropriate
insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or
permitted by this Indenture and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of
identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon, as may be
required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange, or as may,
consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Debentures,
as evidenced by their execution of the Debentures.
The definitive Debentures shall be printed, lithographed or engraved or
produced by any combination of these methods or may be produced in any other
manner permitted, all as determined by the officers executing such Debentures.
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SECTION 202. FORM OF FACE OF DEBENTURE.
NORDSTROM, INC.
% SENIOR DEBENTURE DUE 2028
---
$ No
----- ---
NORDSTROM, INC., a Washington corporation (hereinafter called the
"Company," which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture
hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to
____________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of ______________ Dollars
on ____________, 2028 and to pay interest thereon, semiannually on March 15 and
September 15 in each year, at the rate of ____% per annum, until the principal
hereof is paid or made available for payment, such interest to be payable from
________________, 1998 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which
interest has been paid or duly provided for. The interest so payable on any
March 15 or September 15 will be, subject to certain exceptions provided for in
the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, paid to the Person in whose
name this Debenture (or one or more Predecessor Debentures) is registered at the
close of business on March 1 or September 1, as the case may be, next preceding
such March 15 or September 15. Payment of the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on this Debenture will be made at the office or agency of the
Company in the City of Seattle, State of Washington, or in the Borough of
Manhattan, the City of New York, or in the City of Denver, State of Colorado, in
such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment
is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that
payment of interest may be made at the option of the Company by check mailed to
the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the
Debenture Register.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Debenture set
forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes
have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Trustee under the Indenture, or any Authenticating Agent, by the manual
signature of one of its authorized officers, this Debenture shall not be
entitled to any benefit under such Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any
purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under a facsimile of its corporate seal.
Dated:
NORDSTROM, INC.
By
---------------------------
[Seal]
17
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Attest:
- -------------------------
Secretary
SECTION 203. FORM OF REVERSE OF DEBENTURE.
NORDSTROM, INC.
% SENIOR DEBENTURE DUE 2028
---
THIS DEBENTURE is one of a duly authorized issue of Debentures of the
Company designated as its ___% Senior Debentures Due 2028 (herein called the
"Debentures"), limited in aggregate principal amount to $300,000,000, issued and
to be issued under an indenture dated as of __________________, 1998 (herein
called the "Indenture"), between the Company and Norwest Bank Colorado, National
Association, as Trustee (herein called the "Trustee", which term includes any
successor Trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all Indentures
supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective
rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Debentures,
and the terms upon which the Debentures are, and are to be, authenticated and
delivered.
The Debentures will rank equally with all unsecured and unsubordinated
indebtedness of the Company and this Debenture is issued subject to such
provisions of the Indenture.
If an Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture) shall occur and be
continuing, the principal of all the Debentures may be declared due and payable
in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the
amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Company and the rights of the Holders of the Debentures under the Indenture at
any time by the Company with the consent of the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Debentures at the time Outstanding, as defined
in the Indenture. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders
of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures at the
time Outstanding, as defined in the Indenture, on behalf of the Holders of all
the Debentures, by written consent to waive compliance by the Company with
certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the
Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of
this Debenture shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all
future Holders of this Debenture and of any Debenture issued upon the transfer
hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such
consent or waiver is made upon this Debenture.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Debenture or
of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is
absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest on this Debenture at the time, place and rate, and in the coin or
currency, herein and in the Indenture prescribed.
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<PAGE>
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set
forth, the transfer of this Debenture may be registered on the Debenture
Register of the Company, upon surrender of this Debenture for registration of
transfer at the office or agency of the Company in the City of Seattle, State of
Washington, or in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, or in the City
of Denver, State of Colorado, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written
instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Debenture
Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in
writing, and thereupon one or more new Debentures of authorized denominations
and for the same aggregate principal amount will be issued to the designated
transferee or transferees.
The Debentures are issuable only as registered Debentures without coupons
in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof approved by the
Company. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, Debentures are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal
amount of new Debentures of authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder
surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such transfer or exchange, but the
Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company may deem and treat
the Person in whose name this Debenture is registered as the absolute owner
hereof for all purposes whether or not this Debenture be overdue, and neither
the Company, nor the Trustee, nor any agent of the Company shall be affected by
notice to the contrary. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the
principal (or premium of) or interest on this Debenture or for any claim based
hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the
Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto, personally, against any
organizer, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future,
of the Company or any successor or predecessor whether by virtue of any
constitution, statute or rule of law or equity, or by the enforcement of any
assessment or penalty, all such liability being, by acceptance hereof and as
part of the consideration for the issue hereof expressly waived and released to
the fullest extent permitted by law.
All terms used in this Debenture which are defined in the Indenture shall
have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
This Debenture, including without limitation the obligation of the Company
contained herein to pay principal of and interest on this Debenture in
accordance with the terms hereof and of the Indenture, shall be construed in
accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Washington.
SECTION 204. FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION.
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<PAGE>
This is one of the Debentures NORWEST BANK COLORADO, NATIONAL
described in the within-mentioned ASSOCIATION
Indenture.
By
----------------------------------
Authorized Officer
SECTION 205. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN GLOBAL DEBENTURE.
Any Global Debenture issued hereunder shall bear a legend as follows:
This Debenture is a Global Debenture within the meaning of the Indenture
hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of a Depositary or a
nominee of Depositary. This Global Debenture is exchangeable for Debentures
registered in the name of a person other than the Depositary or its nominee
only in the limited circumstances hereinafter described and may not be
transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the
Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another
nominee of the Depositary.
In addition, such Global Debenture shall contain the following provision:
This Debenture is a Global Debenture and shall be exchangeable, in whole
but not in part, for Debentures registered in the names of Persons other
than the Depositary with respect to this Global Debenture or its nominee
only if (i) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or
unable to continue as Depositary for this Global Debenture or at any time
ceases to be a clearing agency registered as such under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (y) the Company executes and delivers to
the Trustee a Company Order that this Global Debenture shall be
exchangeable, or (z) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event
of Default with respect to the Debentures. If this Global Debenture is
exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence it shall be exchangeable
for Debentures issued in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof (or such other denominations and integral multiples thereof
specified as contemplated by Section 301), registered in such names as the
Depositary shall direct.
ARTICLE THREE
THE DEBENTURES
SECTION 301. TITLE AND TERMS.
The aggregate principal amount of Debentures which may be authenticated and
delivered under this Indenture is limited to $300,000,000 except for Debentures
authenticated and delivered upon transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of
other Debentures pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306 or 906.
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<PAGE>
The Debentures shall be known and designated as the "___% SENIOR DEBENTURES
DUE 2028" of the Company. Their Stated Maturity shall be March 15, 2028 and
they shall bear interest at the rate of ______________ percent (____%) per annum
from ______________, 1998, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to
which interest has been paid or duly provided for, payable semiannually on
September 15 and March 15 commencing September 15, 1998, until the principal
thereof is paid or made available for payment.
The principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Debentures shall
be payable at the office or agency of the Company in the City of Seattle, State
of Washington, or in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or in the
City of Denver, State of Colorado (the "Place of Payment"); PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that unless the Debenture is a Global Debenture interest may be payable at the
option of the Company by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled
thereto as such address shall appear on the Debenture Register.
SECTION 302. DENOMINATIONS.
The Debentures may be issued in denominations of $1,000 and any integral
multiple thereof approved by the Company.
SECTION 303. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY.
The Debentures shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman
of the Board, one of its Presidents or one of its Vice Presidents under its
corporate seal reproduced thereon and attested by its Secretary or one of its
Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on the Debentures
may be manual or facsimile.
Debentures bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who
were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company,
notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such
offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Debentures or did not
hold such offices at the date of such Debentures.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this
Indenture, the Company may deliver Debentures, together with a Company Order
executed by the Company to the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent, for the
authentication and delivery of such Debentures; and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver such Debentures as provided in such Company Order.
Each Debenture shall be dated the date of its authentication.
No Debenture shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be
valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Debenture a
certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein,
executed by the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent by the manual signature of
one of its authorized officers, and such certificate upon any Debenture shall be
conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Debenture has been duly
authenticated and delivered hereunder.
21
<PAGE>
SECTION 304. TEMPORARY DEBENTURES.
Pending the preparation of definitive Debentures, the Company may execute,
and upon Company Order the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent shall authenticate
and deliver, temporary Debentures which are printed, lithographed, typewritten,
mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any denomination, substantially of the
tenor of the definitive Debentures in lieu of which they are issued, with such
appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the
officers executing such Debentures may determine, as evidenced by their
execution of such Debentures.
If temporary Debentures are issued, the Company will cause definitive
Debentures to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of
definitive Debentures, the temporary Debentures shall be exchangeable for
definitive Debentures upon surrender of the temporary Debentures at the office
or agency of the Company at a Place of Payment, without charge to the Holder.
Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Debentures, the
Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange
therefor a like principal amount of definitive Debentures of authorized
denominations. Until so exchanged, the temporary Debentures shall in all
respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive
Debentures.
SECTION 305. REGISTRATION, TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the
Trustee a register (herein sometimes referred to as the "Debenture Register") in
which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company
shall provide for the registration and registration of transfers of Debentures
as herein provided. The Trustee is hereby appointed "DEBENTURE REGISTRAR" for
the purpose of registering Debentures and transfers of Debentures as herein
provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Debenture at the
designated office or agency of the Company at a Place of Payment, the Company
shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of
the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Debentures of a like
tenor, aggregate principal amount and Stated Maturity, all as requested by the
transferor.
At the option of the Holder, Debentures may be exchanged for other
Debentures of any authorized denominations, of a like tenor, aggregate principal
amount and Stated Maturity, upon surrender of the Debentures to be exchanged at
such office or agency. Whenever any Debentures are so surrendered for exchange,
the Company shall execute, and the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent shall
authenticate and deliver, the Debentures which the Holder making the exchange is
entitled to receive.
All Debentures issued upon registration of transfer of Debentures shall be
the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to
the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Debentures surrendered for such
registration of transfer.
Every Debenture presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or
exchange shall be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of
transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Debenture Registrar duly
executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
22
<PAGE>
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
registration of transfer or exchange of Debentures, other than exchanges
pursuant to Section 304 or 906 not involving any transfer.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise specified as
contemplated by Section 301, Global Debentures shall be exchangeable, in whole
but not in part, pursuant to this Section for Debentures registered in the names
of Persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only as provided in this
paragraph. A Global Debenture shall be exchangeable pursuant to this Section if
(x) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to
continue as Depositary or at any time ceases to be a clearing agency registered
as such under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (y) the Company
executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order that such Global Debenture
shall be so exchangeable, or (z) there shall have occurred and be continuing an
Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time
or both, would constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Debentures.
Any Global Debenture that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence
shall be exchangeable for Debentures issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any
integral multiple thereof (or such denominations and integral multiples thereof
specified as contemplated by Section 301), registered in such names as the
Depositary for such Global Debentures shall direct.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a Global Debenture may
not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of such
Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another
nominee of such Depositary.
SECTION 306. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN DEBENTURES.
A mutilated Debenture may be surrendered and thereupon the Company shall
execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a
new Debenture of like tenor, principal amount and Stated Maturity, and bearing a
number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee
(i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or
theft of any Debenture, and
(ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save
each of them and any agent of either of them harmless,
then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Debenture
has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon
its request the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and
deliver in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Debenture, a new Debenture
of like tenor, principal amount and Stated Maturity, and bearing a number not
contemporaneously outstanding.
23
<PAGE>
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debenture has become
or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may,
instead of issuing a new Debenture, pay such Debenture.
Upon the issuance of any new Debenture under this Section, the Company may
require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including
the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Debenture issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any
destroyed, lost or stolen Debenture shall constitute an original additional
contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or
stolen Debenture 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 Debentures duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the
extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or
payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debentures.
SECTION 307. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED.
Interest on any Debenture 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 Debenture (or one or more Predecessor Debentures) is registered at the
close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest at the office or
agency maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 1002, provided, however,
that at the option of the Company, any interest on any Debenture that is not a
Global Debenture may be paid by check mailed to the address of the Person
entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Debenture Register.
Any interest which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided
for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called "DEFAULTED INTEREST") shall
forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on the relevant Regular
Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder; and such Defaulted Interest
may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in
Clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted
Interest to the Persons in whose names the Debentures (or their respective
Predecessor Debentures) are registered at the close of business on a
Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall
be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in
writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each
Debenture and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the
Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the
aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest
or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit
prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be
held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted
Interest as in this Clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a
Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted
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<PAGE>
Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days
prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after
the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The
Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and,
in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the
proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date
therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder at his
address as it appears in the Debenture Register not less than 10 days prior
to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such
Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so
mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names
the Debentures (or their respective Predecessor Debentures) are registered
at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be
payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any
other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any
securities exchange on which the Debentures may be listed, and upon such
notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the
Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause,
such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Debenture
delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange
for or in lieu of any other Debenture shall carry the rights to interest accrued
and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Debenture.
SECTION 308. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.
Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company, the
Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent and any other agent of the
Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Debenture is
registered as the owner of such Debenture for the purpose of receiving payment
of principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 307) interest, if
any, on such Debenture and for all other purposes whatsoever whether or not such
Debenture be overdue, and neither the Company, nor the Trustee, any Paying
Agent, any Authenticating Agent nor any other agent of the Company or the
Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
No holder of any beneficial interest in any Global Debenture held on its
behalf by a Depositary shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect
to such Global Debenture, and such Depositary may be treated by the Company, the
Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global
Debenture for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing
herein shall impair, as between a Depositary and such holders of beneficial
interest, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the
rights of the Depositary as Holder of any Debenture.
SECTION 309. CANCELLATION.
All Debentures surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or
exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be
delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly canceled by it. The Company may
at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Debentures previously
authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any
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<PAGE>
manner whatsoever, and all Debentures so delivered shall be promptly canceled by
the Trustee. No Debentures shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for
any Debentures canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly
permitted by this Indenture. All canceled Debentures held by the Trustee shall
be destroyed by the Trustee and the Trustee shall deliver a certificate of such
destruction to the Company, unless the Company shall direct that such canceled
Debentures be returned to it.
ARTICLE FOUR
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 401. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE.
This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to any
surviving rights of conversion, transfer or exchange of Debentures herein
expressly provided for), and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the
Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and
discharge of this Indenture, when
(1) either
(A) all Debentures theretofore authenticated and delivered (other
than (i) Debentures which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which
have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306 and (ii) Debentures
money for whose payment has theretofore been deposited in trust or
segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the
Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003) have
been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(B) all such Debentures not theretofore delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity
within one year
and the Company, in the case of (i) or (ii) above, has deposited or caused
to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an
amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on such
Debentures not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for
principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit
(in the case of Debentures which have become due and payable), or to the
Stated Maturity, as the case may be;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable
hereunder by the Company; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and
an Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided
for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been
complied with.
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SECTION 402. APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY.
The Trustee or Paying Agent shall hold in trust money deposited with it
pursuant to Section 401 and shall apply the deposited money in accordance with
this Indenture to the payment of principal and premium, if any, and interest on
the Debenture.
SECTION 403. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY.
Subject to Section 401, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly pay
to the Company upon request any excess money or securities held by them at any
time including any such excess money as shall result from interest earned on the
money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
SECTION 404. REINSTATEMENT.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance
with Section 401 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 Debentures shall be revived and reinstated as though no
deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 401 until such time as the Trustee or
Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section
401, PROVIDED, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of,
premium, if any, or interest on any Debentures because of the reinstatement of
its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of
such Debentures to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or
Paying Agent.
ARTICLE FIVE
REMEDIES
SECTION 501. EVENT OF DEFAULT.
"EVENT OF DEFAULT", wherever used herein, means any one of the following
events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be
voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any
judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any
administrative or governmental body,
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Debenture when
it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of
30 days; or
(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if
any, on) any Debenture at its Maturity; or
(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or
warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or
warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in
this Section specifically dealt with) and continuance of such default or
breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or
certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the
Trustee by the Holders of at
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least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures, a written
notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied
and stating that such notice is a "NOTICE OF DEFAULT" hereunder; or
(4) the entry of an order or decree, by a court having
jurisdiction in the premises, for relief against the Company in an
involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator,
assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of
the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the
winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of such order
or decree unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or
(5) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or
proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or
other similar law, or the consent by it to the entry of an order for relief
against it in any involuntary case or proceeding under any such law, or to
the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Company or of any
substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for
the benefit of creditors, or the failure of it generally to pay its debts
as they become due, or the admission by it in writing of such failure, or
the taking of any corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any
such action.
SECTION 502. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then in every such case
the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the
Debentures Outstanding may declare the principal of all the Debentures to be due
and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the
Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal shall
become immediately due and payable.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made and
before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by
the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority
in principal amount of the Debentures Outstanding, by written notice to the
Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences if
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum
sufficient to pay
(A) all overdue interest on all Debentures,
(B) the principal of (and premium, if any) on any
Debentures which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of
acceleration and interest thereon at the rate borne by the Debentures,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful,
interest upon overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by
the Debentures, and
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(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and
the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of
the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and
(2) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of the
principal of Debentures which have become due solely by such declaration of
acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right
consequent thereon.
SECTION 503. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY
TRUSTEE.
The Company covenants that if
(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any
Debenture when such interest becomes due and payable and such default
continues for a period of 30 days, or
(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any, on) any Debenture at the Maturity thereof,
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the
Holders of such Debentures, the whole amount then due and payable on such
Debentures for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, with interest upon
the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and, to, the extent that payment of
such interest shall be legally enforceable, overdue interest, at the rate borne
by the Debentures; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be
sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee,
its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the
Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a
judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may
prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same
against the Company or any other obligor upon the Debentures and collect the
moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of
the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Debentures, wherever
situated.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its
discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the
Holders by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most
effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific
enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the
exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
SECTION 504. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation,
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other
judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the
Debentures or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their
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creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Debentures
shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration of
acceleration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have
made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest)
shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise,
(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal
(and premium, if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the
Debentures and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary
or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any
claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances
of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such
judicial proceeding, and
(ii) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or
deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any receiver, assignee, custodian, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator (or
other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by
each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the
Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to
pay to the Trustee any amount due 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 607.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize or consent to or accept, or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Debentures
or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in
respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 505. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT POSSESSION OF DEBENTURES.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Debentures may
be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the
Debentures or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any
such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as
trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision
for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and
advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of
the Holders of the Debentures.
SECTION 506. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be
applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and,
in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal (or premium,
if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Debentures and the notation
thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if
fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 607;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of
(and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Debentures ratably, without
preference or priority of any kind,
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according to the amounts due and payable on the Debentures, for principal (and
premium, if any) and interest, if any, respectively; and
THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled thereto.
SECTION 507. LIMITATION ON SUITS.
No Holder of any Debenture shall have any right to institute any
proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the
appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee
of a continuing Event of Default;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the
Outstanding Debentures shall have made written request to the Trustee to
institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name
as Trustee hereunder;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable
indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in
compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding;
and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been
given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority
in principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures;
it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders shall have any
right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of
this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holder,
or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other Holder
or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein
provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders of Debentures.
SECTION 508. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM
AND INTEREST.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any
Debenture shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive
payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Debenture
on the Stated Maturity expressed in such Debenture and to institute suit for the
enforcement of any such payment and such right shall not be impaired without the
consent of such Holder.
SECTION 509. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any
right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued
or abandoned for any reason, or has been
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determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such
case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall, subject to any
determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to
their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the
Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been
instituted.
SECTION 510. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE.
Except as otherwise provided herein with respect to the replacement or
payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debentures, no right or remedy
herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended
to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall,
to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other
right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in
equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy
hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or
employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
SECTION 511. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right
or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or
remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence
therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee
or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be
deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
SECTION 512. CONTROL BY HOLDERS.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures
shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or
power conferred on the Trustee, provided that
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law
or with this Indenture, and
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the
Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
Upon receipt by the Trustee of any written notice directing the time,
method or place of conducting any such proceeding or exercising any such trust
or power, with respect to Debentures all or part of which is represented by a
Global Debenture, a record date shall be established for determining Holders of
Outstanding Debentures entitled to join in such notice, which record date shall
be at the close of business on the day the Trustee receives such notice. The
Holder on such record date, or their duly designated proxies, and only such
Persons, shall be entitled to join in such notice, whether or not such Holders
remain Holders after such record date; PROVIDED, that unless the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures shall have joined in
such notice prior to the day which is 90 days after such record date, such
notice shall automatically and without further action by any Holder be canceled
and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a Holder, or
a proxy of a Holder, from giving, after expiration of such 90-day period, a new
notice
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identical to a notice which has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the
preceding sentence, in which event a new record date shall be established
pursuant to the provisions of this Section 512.
SECTION 513. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Debentures may on behalf of the Holders of all the Debentures waive
any past default hereunder and its consequences, except a default
(1) in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest, if any, on any Debenture, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under
Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the
Holder of each Outstanding Debenture affected.
The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the
purpose of determining the Persons entitled to waive any past default hereunder.
If a record date is fixed, the Holders on such record date, or their duly
designated proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to waive any
default hereunder, or to retract (prior to the requisite percentage for such
waiver to become effective having been obtained) any such waiver previously
given, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date;
provided, that such waiver shall be effected no later than the 90th day after
such record date.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of
Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose
of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other
default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 514. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Debenture by
his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its
discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under
this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such
suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in
its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees,
against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and
good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the
provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the
Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any
Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal
amount of the Outstanding Debentures, or to any suit instituted by any Holder
for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest on any Debenture on or after the Stated Maturity expressed in such
Debenture.
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SECTION 515. WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it
will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or
take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted,
now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the
performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may
lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such
law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any
power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of
every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
ARTICLE SIX
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 601. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,
(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such
duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied
covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the
Trustee; and
(2) in the absence of bad faith on 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.
(b) In case 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 man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his
own affairs.
(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the
Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure
to act, or its own willful misconduct, EXCEPT that
(1) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of
Subsection (a) of this Section;
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made
in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the
Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action
taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the
direction of the Holders of a majority in
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principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures relating to the time, method
and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the
Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under
this Indenture; and
(4) 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 duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any
of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing
that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this
Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording
protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.
SECTION 602. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.
Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default hereunder, the Trustee
shall transmit by mail to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear in
the Debenture Register, notice of such default hereunder known to the Trustee,
unless such default shall have been cured or waived; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that,
except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium,
if any) or interest, if any, on any Debenture, the Trustee shall be protected in
withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive
committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the
Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the
interest of the Holders; and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that in the case of any default
of the character specified in Section 501(3) no such notice to Holders shall be
given until at least 60 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of
this Section, the term "DEFAULT" means any event which is, or after notice or
lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default.
SECTION 603. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 601:
(a) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining
from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion,
report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other
evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed and presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be
sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and any resolution
of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall
deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking,
suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence
be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part,
rely upon an Officers' Certificate;
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(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such
counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and
protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder
in good faith and in reliance thereon;
(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights
or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of
the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered
to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and
liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or
direction;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the
facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument,
opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture,
note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document but the Trustee,
in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such
facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make
such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the
books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;
and
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or
perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or
attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or
negligence on the part of any agent or attorney, including any Authenticating
Agent, appointed with due care by it hereunder.
SECTION 604. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF DEBENTURES.
The recitals contained herein and in the Debentures, except the
certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company,
and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility
for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity
or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Debentures. Neither the Trustee nor
any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the
Company of Debentures or the proceeds thereof.
SECTION 605. MAY HOLD DEBENTURES.
The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, the Debenture
Registrar or any other agent of the Company or the Trustee, in their individual
or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Debentures and,
subject to Sections 608 and 613, may otherwise deal with the Company with the
same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying
Agent, Debenture Registrar or such other agent.
SECTION 606. MONEY HELD IN TRUST.
Money held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent in trust hereunder need not
be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. Neither
the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall have any liability for interest on any
money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.
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SECTION 607. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT.
The Company agrees
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation
shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation
of a trustee of an express trust);
(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse
the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and
advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision
of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses
and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense,
disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad
faith; and
(3) to indemnify the Trustee and its agents for, and to hold them
harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without
negligence or bad faith on their part, arising out of or in connection with
the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the costs and
expenses of defending themselves against any claim or liability in
connection with the exercise or performance of any of their powers or
duties hereunder.
SECTION 608. DISQUALIFICATION; CONFLICTING INTERESTS.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the
meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such
interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to
the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture.
SECTION 609. CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States,
any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to
exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50,000,000, subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State or
District of Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of
condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the
aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this
Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to
be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of
condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible
in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately
in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.
SECTION 610. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a
successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the
acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 611.
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(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to
the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by
Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after
the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any
court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures, delivered to the
Trustee and to the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 608(a) after
written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a
bona fide Holder of a Debenture for at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 609 and
shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by
any such Holder, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be
adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its
property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or
control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of
rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation
then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the
Trustee, or (ii) subject to Section 514, any Holder who has been a bona fide
Holder of a Debenture for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all
others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting,
or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, the Company,
by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. If, within
one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of
such vacancy, a successor Trustee shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures delivered to the
Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall,
forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment, become the successor Trustee
and supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor
Trustee shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted
appointment in the manner hereinafter provided, any Holder who has been a bona
fide Holder of a Debenture for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and
all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for
the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of
the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee by mailing written
notice of such event by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holders of
Debentures as their names and addresses appear in the Debenture Register. Each
notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its
Corporate Trust Office.
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SECTION 611. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR.
Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and
deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such
appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee
shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed
or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and
duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company or the successor
Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges due hereunder,
execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the
rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee, and shall duly assign,
transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by
such retiring Trustee hereunder, subject to the lien, if any, provided for in
Section 607. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall
execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and
confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts.
No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of
such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under
this Article.
SECTION 612. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with
which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger,
conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any
corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust
business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder,
provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this
Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Debentures shall have been
authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor
by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt
such authentication and deliver the Debentures so authenticated with the same
effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Debentures.
SECTION 613. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or
any other obligor upon the Debentures), the Trustee shall be subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding collection of claims against the
Company (or any such other obligor).
SECTION 614. APPOINTMENT OF AUTHENTICATING AGENT.
At any time after the execution of this Indenture, the Trustee may appoint
an Authenticating Agent or Agents which shall be authorized to act on behalf of
the Trustee to authenticate and deliver Debentures to be originally issued under
this Indenture and Debentures so authenticated and delivered shall be entitled
to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all
purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is
made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Debentures by the
Trustee or the Trustee's certificate of authentication, such reference shall be
deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an
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Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of
the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent.
The Trustee may from time to time appoint one or more Authenticating Agents
which shall be acceptable to the Company and may from time to time rescind such
appointments. Each Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a bank or trust
company or corporation organized and doing business and in good standing under
the laws of the United States or of any State thereof or the District of
Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a
combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to
supervision or examination by Federal, State or District of Columbia
authorities. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at
least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or
examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital
and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined
capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so
published.
Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent
shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or
corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an
Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible
under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further
act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of
resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time
terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of
termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving
such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time
such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating
Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail written notice of
such appointment by first class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders, as their
names and addresses appear on the Debenture Register. Any successor
Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become
vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with
like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent herein. No
successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the
provisions of this Section.
The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time
reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the Trustee
shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments under and subject to the
provisions of Section 607.
Pursuant to each appointment made under this Section, the Debentures may
have endorsed thereon, in lieu of the Trustee's certificate of authentication,
an alternate certificate of authentication substantially in the following form:
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This is one of the Debentures described in the within-mentioned Indenture.
NORWEST BANK COLORADO, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
By[print name of Authenticating Agent]
-----------------------------------------
As Authenticating Agent
for the Trustee
By:
---------------------------------
Authorized Officer
ARTICLE SEVEN
HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
SECTION 701. COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF HOLDERS.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee
(a) semiannually, not more than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, a
list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of all the information
in the possession or control of the Company, or any of its Paying Agents other
than the Trustee as to the names and addresses of the Holders as of such Regular
Record Date; and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, promptly,
and in any event, not later than 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any
such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than
15 days prior to the time such list is furnished, excluding from such list, if
the Trustee shall then be the Debenture Registrar, names and addresses received
by the Trustee in such capacity;
provided, that in the case of (a) and (b) above, any such list may exclude
names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity of Debenture
Registrar.
SECTION 702. PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS TO HOLDERS.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably
practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent
list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 701 and the names and
addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as Debenture Registrar
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or Paying Agent, if so acting. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it
as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a new complete list so furnished.
(b) The rights of the Holders to communicate with other Holders with
respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Debentures, and the
corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by the
Trust Indenture Act.
(c) Every Holder of the Debentures, by receiving and holding the same,
agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee
nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any
disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to
the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 703. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE.
(a) Within 60 days after each May 15, beginning with May 15, 1998, the
Trustee shall mail to each Holder as provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust
Indenture Act a brief report, dated as of such May 15, that complies with
Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, if required by Section 313(a) of the
Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 704. REPORTS BY COMPANY.
The Company shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, and transmit to
Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries
thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and
in the manner provided pursuant to such Act; provided that any such information,
documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be filed with
the Trustee within 15 days after the same is so filed with the Commission.
Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for
informational purposes only and the Trustee's receipt of such shall not
constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or
determinable from information contained therein, including the Company's
compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is
entitled to rely exclusively on Officers' Certificates).
ARTICLE EIGHT
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE OR TRANSFER
SECTION 801. COMPANY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other corporation
or convey or transfer its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to
any Person, unless:
(1) the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the
Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer
the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall
be a corporation organized and existing under the
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laws of the United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia,
and shall, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to
the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, expressly assume the due
and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest
on all the Debentures and the performance of every covenant of this
Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event
of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both
would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing;
and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such
consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer and such supplemental
indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedents
herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
SECTION 802. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any conveyance or transfer of the
properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance
with Section 801, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into
which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance or 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 in the event of any such
conveyance or transfer, the Company (which term shall for this purpose mean the
Person named as the "COMPANY" in the first paragraph of this Indenture for any
successor corporation which shall theretofore become such in the manner
prescribed in Section 801) shall be discharged from all liability under this
Indenture and in respect of the Debentures and may be dissolved and liquidated.
ARTICLE NINE
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 901. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS.
Without the consent of any Holder, the Company when authorized by a Board
Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into
one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee,
for any of the following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another corporation to the
Company, and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the
Company herein and in the Debentures; or
(2) to add to the covenants of the Company, for the benefit of the
Holders, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the
Company; or
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(3) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision
herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to
make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising
under this Indenture, PROVIDED such action shall not adversely affect the
interests of the Holders in any material respect; or
(4) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of the appointment
hereunder by a successor Trustee pursuant to Section 611; or
(5) to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this
Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to maintain the
qualification of this Indenture under the TIA, or under any similar Federal
statute hereafter enacted, and to add to this Indenture such other
provisions as may be expressly permitted by the TIA.
SECTION 902. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority of the
Outstanding Debentures, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the
Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may
enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of
adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the
provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the
Holders under this Indenture; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such supplemental
indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debenture
affected thereby,
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any
installment of interest on, any Debenture, or reduce the principal amount
thereof or the rate of interest thereon, or change any place of payment
where, or the coin or currency in which, any Debenture or the interest
thereon is payable or impair the right to institute suit for the
enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof, or
(2) modify any of the provisions of Section 513, except to
increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of
this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the
Holder of each Debenture affected thereby.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to
approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall
be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
SECTION 903. EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any
supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of
the trusts created by this Indenture the Trustee shall be entitled to receive
and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon an Opinion
of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is
authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be
obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the
Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
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SECTION 904. EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this
Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental
indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder
of Debentures theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder
shall be bound thereby.
SECTION 905. CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall
conform to the requirements of the TIA as then in effect.
SECTION 906. REFERENCE IN DEBENTURES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.
Debentures authenticated and delivered after the execution of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by
the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter
provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine,
new Debentures so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the
Board of Directors, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and
executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or any
Authenticating Agent in exchange for Outstanding Debentures.
ARTICLE TEN
COVENANTS
SECTION 1001. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.
The Company will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on the Debentures in accordance with the terms of the
Debentures and this Indenture.
SECTION 1002. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.
The Company will maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment
where Debentures may be presented or surrendered for payment, registration of
transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in
respect of the Debentures and this Indenture may be served, provided, however,
that at the option of the Company, payment of interest on Debentures other than
Global Debentures may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person
entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Debenture Register. The
Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in the
location of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to
maintain such office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the
address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made
or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby
appoints the Trustee its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders,
notices and demands.
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SECTION 1003. MONEY FOR DEBENTURE PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on
or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on
any of the Debentures, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the
Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if
any) or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons
or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the
Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will, prior
to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any
Debentures, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal
(and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust
for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal (and premium, if any)
or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will
promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute
and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree
with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying
Agent will
(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of
(and premium, if any) or interest on Debentures in trust for the benefit of
the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons
or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any
other obligor upon the Debentures) in the making of any payment of
principal (and premium, if any) or interest; and
(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default upon
the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums
so held in trust by such Paying Agent.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company
Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by
the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the
same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such
Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such
Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such
money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any money deposited with any Paying
Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of
(and premium, if any) or interest, if, any, on any Debenture and remaining
unclaimed for six years after such principal (and premium, if any) or interest,
if any, has become due and payable shall, unless otherwise required by mandatory
provisions of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be paid
to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be
discharged from such trust; and the Holder of any such Debenture shall, unless
otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat or abandoned or
unclaimed property law, thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look
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only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or
such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the
Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment,
may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper
published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day
and of general circulation in each Place of Payment with respect to Debentures,
notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified
therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication,
any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will, unless otherwise
required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed
property law, be repaid to the Company.
SECTION 1004. CORPORATE EXISTENCE.
Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate
existence and that of each Subsidiary and the rights (charter and statutory) and
franchises of the Company or any Subsidiary; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company
shall not be required to preserve any such corporate existence of any Subsidiary
or any such right or franchise if the Company shall determine that the
preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of
the Company or any Subsidiary and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous
in any material respect to the Holders.
SECTION 1005. LIMITATIONS ON LIENS.
The Company agrees that it will not, and will not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any notes, bonds,
debentures or other similar evidence of indebtedness for money borrowed
("Debt"), secured by a Mortgage upon any Operating Property, or upon shares of
capital stock or Debt issued by any Restricted Subsidiary and owned by the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of this
Indenture or hereafter acquired, without effectively providing concurrently that
the outstanding Debentures (together with, if the Company shall so determine,
any other Debt of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary then existing or
thereafter created which is not subordinate to the Debenture) shall be secured
equally and ratably with or, at the option of the Company, prior to such Debt so
long as such Debt shall be so secured, unless, at the time of such creation,
incurrence, issuance, assumption or guarantee, after giving effect thereto and
to the retirement of any Debt which is concurrently being retired, the aggregate
amount of all such Debt secured by Mortgages which would otherwise be subject to
such restrictions (other than any Debt secured by Mortgages permitted in Clauses
(1) through (7) of this Section 1005 would not exceed the greater of (i) 15% of
Consolidated Net Assets and (ii) $150,000,000; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this
Section shall not apply to, and there shall be excluded from Debt in any
computation under this Section, Debt secured by:
(1) Mortgages on property existing at the time of the acquisition thereof;
(2) Mortgages on property of a corporation existing at the time such
corporation is merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary or at the time of a sale, lease or other disposition of the
properties of such corporation (or a division thereof) as an entirety or
substantially as an entirety to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, provided
that any such Mortgage does not
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extend to any property owned by the Company or Restricted Subsidiary immediately
prior to such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or disposition;
(3) Mortgages on property of a corporation existing at the time such
corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary;
(4) Mortgages in favor of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;
(5) Mortgages to secure all or part of the cost of acquisition,
construction, development or improvement of the underlying property, or to
secure Debt incurred to provide funds for any such purpose, provided that the
commitment of the creditor to extend the credit secured by any such Mortgage
shall have been obtained not later than 365 days after the later of (A) the
completion of the acquisition, construction, development or improvement of such
property or (B) the placing in operation of such property;
(6) Mortgages in favor of the United States of America or any State
thereof, or any department, agency or instrumentality or political subdivision
thereof, to secure partial, progress, advance or other payments; and
(7) Mortgages existing on the date of this Indenture or any extension,
renewal, replacement or refunding of any Debt secured by a Mortgage existing on
the date of this Indenture or referred to in clauses (1) to (3) or (5) of this
Section 1005, provided that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby and not
otherwise authorized by clauses (1) to (3) or (5) shall not exceed the principal
amount of Debt, plus any premium or fee payable in connection with any such
extension, renewal, replacement or refunding, so secured at the time of such
extension, renewal, replacement or refunding.
SECTION 1006. STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of
each fiscal year ending after t the date hereof, an Officer's Certificate
stating, as to each signer thereof, that to the best of his knowledge, the
Company is not in default in the fulfillment of any of its obligations under
Section 1001 to 1005 hereunder, or specifying each such default known to him and
the nature and status thereof.
SECTION 1007. WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any covenant
or condition set forth in Sections 1002 to 1005, inclusive, if before the time
for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of
the Debentures at the time Outstanding shall, by Act of such Holders, either
waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such
covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such
covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such
waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of
the Trustee, in respect of any such covenant or condition shall remain in full
force and effect.
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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.
NORDSTROM, INC.
----------------------------------------
[Seal]
Attest:
NORWEST BANK COLORADO,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Trustee
----------------------------------------
[Seal]
Attest:
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STATE OF WASHINGTON )
) ss.
COUNTY OF KING )
On this _______ day of _______________, 1998 before me, ____________ a
notary public of the State of Washington, duly commissioned and sworn,
personally appeared and, known to me to be a Co-Chairman of the Board of
Directors and Secretary, respectively, of NORDSTROM, INC., one of the
corporations that executed the within instrument and also known to me to be the
persons who executed the within instrument on behalf of such corporation, and
they acknowledged to me that such corporation executed the within instrument
pursuant to its by-laws or a resolution of its board of directors.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official
seal in the city, county and state aforesaid the day and year in this
certificate first above written.
---------------------------------------
[Notary Signature]
---------------------------------------
[Type or Print Name of Notary]
NOTARY PUBLIC for the State of
Washington, residing
at
------------------------------------
My appointment expires:
---------------------------------------
STATE OF COLORADO )
) ss.
CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER )
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this _____ day of
____________, 1998 by ______________________ and ______________________, as
Senior Vice President and Vice President, respectively, of Norwest Bank
Colorado, National Association, a national banking association.
Witness my hand and official seal.
---------------------------------------
Notary Public for the State of Colorado
My Commission expires:
- -----------------------------------
50
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 5.1
March 10, 1998
Nordstrom, Inc.
1501 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
Gentlemen:
At your request, we have examined the Registration Statement to be filed by
you with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Registration
Statement") in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") of $300,000,000 of Senior Debentures
of the Company (the "Debentures"). The Company plans to sell the Debentures
to one or more underwriters for public offering.
As your counsel, we have examined the proceedings relating to the issuance and
sale of the Debentures to be issued and sold by you. It is our opinion that the
Debentures, when issued and sold in the manner referred to in the Registration
Statement will be legally issued and binding obligations of Nordstrom, Inc.
We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the
Registration Statement, including the prospectus constituting a part thereof,
any amendments or supplements thereto, and the prospectus in the form first
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations
under the Securities Act.
Very truly yours,
LANE POWELL SPEARS LUBERSKY LLP
cc: Mr. John A. Goesling
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 23.2
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Amendment No. 1 to
Registration Statement No. 333-47035 of Nordstrom, Inc. on Form S-3 of our
reports dated March 10, 1997, appearing in and incorporated by reference in the
Annual Report on Form 10-K of Nordstrom, Inc. for the year ended January 31,
1997 and to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in the Prospectus,
which is part of this Registration Statement.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Seattle, Washington
March 10, 1998
<PAGE>
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
---------
FORM T-1
STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A
CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
Check if an application to determine eligibility of a
Trustee pursuant to Section 305(b)(2)______
---------
NORWEST BANK COLORADO, N.A.
(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)
NOT APPLICABLE 84-0187632
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or --------------------
Organization if not a U.S. national (I.R.S. Employer
bank) Identification No.)
1740 BROADWAY
DENVER, COLORADO 80274-8693
(Address of principal executive office) (Zip Code)
NORWEST BANK COLORADO, N.A.
ATTN:: CORPORATE TRUST DEPARTMENT
1740 BROADWAY
DENVER, CO 80274-8693
303-863-6247
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
---------
NORDSTROM, INC.
(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)
WASHINGTON 91-0515058
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
1501 FIFTH AVENUE
SEATTLE, WA 98101
(Address of principal executive office) (Zip Code)
---------
NORDSTROM, INC., $300,000,000 _____% SENIOR DEBENTURES DUE 2028
<PAGE>
ITEM 1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Furnish the following information as to the trustee:
(a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to
which it is subject.
Name Address
---- -------
Comptroller of the Currency Washington, D.C.
Federal Reserve Bank of Denver Denver, Colorado
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Dallas, Texas
National Bank Examiners - Western District Denver, Colorado
(b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.
Yes.
ITEM 2. AFFILIATIONS WITH OBLIGOR.
If the Obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe such
affiliation.
None.
ITEM 3. VOTING SECURITIES OF THE TRUSTEE.
(a) Furnish the following information as to each class of voting
securities of the trustee.
As of March 2, 1998
--------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B
------ ------
Title of Class Amount Outstanding
-------------- ------------------
Not Applicable
ITEM 4. TRUSTEESHIPS UNDER OTHER INDENTURES.
If the trustee is a trustee under another indenture under which any
other securities, or certificates of interest or participation in any
other securities, of the obligor are outstanding, furnish the
following information:
(a) Title of the securities outstanding under each such other
indenture.
<PAGE>
Nordstrom Credit, Inc. Medium-Term Notes Series A
Nordstrom Credit, Inc. Medium-Term Notes Series C
Nordstrom Credit, Inc. Medium-Term Notes Series D
Nordstrom Credit, Inc. Medium-Term Notes Series E
Nordstrom Credit, Inc. 6.70% Notes Due July 1, 2005
(b) A brief statement of the facts relied upon as a basis for the
claim that no conflicting interest within the meaning of Section
310(b)(1) of the Act arises as a result of the trusteeship under
any such other indentures, including a statement as to how the
indenture securities will rank as compared with the securities
under such other indentures.
Not applicable, none of the issues is in default.
ITEM 5. INTERLOCKING DIRECTORATES AND SIMILAR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OBLIGOR
OR UNDERWRITERS.
If the trustee or any of the directors or executive officers of the
trustee is a director, officer, partner, employee, appointee, or
representative of the obligor or of any underwriter for the obligor,
identify each such person having any such connection and state the
nature of each such connection.
Not applicable.
ITEM 6. VOTING SECURITIES OF THE TRUSTEE OWNED BY THE OBLIGOR OR ITS
OFFICIALS.
Furnish the following information as to the voting securities of the
trustee owned beneficially by the obligor and each director, partner
and executive officer of the obligor:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
As of March 2, 1998
----------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B Col. C Col. D
- ------------- -------------- ------------ ----------------------
Percentage of Voting
Securities Represented
Amount Owned by Amount Given
Name of Owner Title of Class Beneficially In Col. C
- ------------- -------------- ------------ ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
None
</TABLE>
ITEM 7. VOTING SECURITIES OF THE TRUSTEE OWNED BY THE UNDERWRITERS OR THEIR
OFFICIALS.
<PAGE>
Furnish the following information as to the voting securities of the
trustee owned beneficially by each underwriter for the obligor and
each director, partner, and executive officer of each such
underwriter:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
As of March 2, 1998
--------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B Col. C Col. D
- ------------- -------------- ------------ ----------------------
Percentage of Voting
Securities Represented
Amount Owned by Amount Given
Name of Owner Title of Class Beneficially in Col. C
- ------------- -------------- ------------ ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
None
</TABLE>
ITEM 8. SECURITIES OF THE OBLIGOR OWNED OR HELD BY THE TRUSTEE.
Furnish the following information as to securities of the obligor
owned beneficially or held as collateral security for obligations in
default by the trustee:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
As of March 2, 1998
--------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B Col. C Col. D
- --------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------
Whether the Amount Owned Percentage of
Securities are Beneficially or Class
Voting or Held as Collateral Represented by
Title of Nonvoting Security for Amount Given
Class Securities Obligations in Default in Col. C
- --------- -------------- ---------------------- --------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
None
</TABLE>
ITEM 9. SECURITIES OF UNDERWRITERS OWNED OR HELD BY THE TRUSTEE.
If the trustee owns beneficially or holds as collateral security for
obligations in default any securities of an underwriter for the
obligor, furnish the following information as to each class of
securities of such underwriter, any of which are so owned or held by
the trustee:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
As of March 2, 1998
--------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B Col. C Col. D
- ------------- -------------- ---------------------- ----------------------
Amount Owned
Name of Beneficially or Held Percentage of Class
Issuer and as Collateral Security Securities Represented
<PAGE>
Title of Amount for Obligations in by Amount Given
Class Outstanding Default by Trustee in Col. C
- ------------- -------------- ---------------------- ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
None
</TABLE>
ITEM 10. OWNERSHIP OR HOLDINGS BY THE TRUSTEE OF VOTING SECURITIES OF CERTAIN
AFFILIATES OR SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE OBLIGOR.
If the trustee owns beneficially or holds as collateral security for
obligations in default any voting securities of a person who, to the
knowledge of the trustee (1) owns 10 percent or more of the voting
securities of the obligor or (2) is an affiliate, other than a
subsidiary, of the obligor, furnish the following information as to
the voting securities of such person:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
As of March 2, 1998
--------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B Col. C Col. D
- -------------- ----------- ---------------------- ----------------------
Amount Owned
Beneficially or Held Percentage of Class
Name of Issuer as Collateral Security Securities Represented
and Title Amount for Obligations in by Amount Given
Of Class Outstanding Default by Trustee in Col. C
- -------------- ----------- ---------------------- ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
None
</TABLE>
ITEM 11. OWNERSHIP OR HOLDINGS BY THE TRUSTEE OF ANY SECURITIES OF A PERSON
OWNING 50 PERCENT OR MORE OF THE VOTING SECURITIES OF THE OBLIGOR.
If the Trustee owns beneficially or holds as collateral security for
obligations in default any securities of a person who, to the
knowledge of the trustee, owns 50 percent or more of the voting
securities of the obligor, furnish the following information as to
each class of securities of such person, any of which are so owned
or held by the trustee:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
As of March 2, 1998
--------------
(within 31 days)
Col. A Col. B Col. C Col. D
- -------------- ----------- ---------------------- ----------------------
Amount Owned
Beneficially or Held Percentage of Class
Name of as Collateral Security Securities Represented
Issuer and Amount for Obligations in by Amount Given
Title of Class Outstanding Default by Trustee in Col. C
- -------------- ----------- ---------------------- ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
None
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
ITEM 12. INDEBTEDNESS OF THE OBLIGOR TO THE TRUSTEE.
Except as noted in the instructions, if the obligor is indebted to the
trustee, furnish the following information:
Col. A Col. B Col. C
------------ ------------ ------------
N/A N/A N/A
ITEM 13. DEFAULTS BY THE OBLIGOR.
(a) State whether there is or has been a default with respect to the
securities under this indenture. Explain the nature of any such
default.
None.
(b) If the trustee is a trustee under another indenture under which
any other securities, or certificates of interest or
participation in any other securities, of the obligor are
outstanding, or is trustee for more than one outstanding series
of securities under the indenture, state whether there has been a
default under any such indenture or series. Identify the
indenture or series affected, and explain the nature of any such
default.
None.
ITEM 14. AFFILIATIONS WITH THE UNDERWRITERS.
If any underwriter is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such
affiliation.
Not applicable.
ITEM 15. FOREIGN TRUSTEE.
Identify the order or rule pursuant to which the foreign trustee is
authorized to act as sole trustee under indentures qualified or to be
qualified under the Act.
Not applicable.
ITEM 16. LIST OF EXHIBITS.
List below all exhibits filed as a part of this statement of
eligibility.
1. A copy of the articles of association of the trustee as now in
effect.*
2. A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate
trust powers.*
3. A copy of the existing bylaws of the trustee, or instruments
corresponding thereto.*
<PAGE>
4. A copy of the latest report of condition of the trustee published
pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or
examining authority.
* EXHIBITS 1, 2 AND 3 ARE HEREIN INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE TO EXHIBITS
BEARING IDENTICAL NUMBERS IN ITEM 16 OF THE FORM T-1 OF NORWEST BANK
COLORADO, N.A. FILED AS EXHIBIT 25.1 TO THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON
AMENDMENT NO.2 TO FORM S-4 OF ICG HOLDINGS, INC., FILED WITH THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JUNE 5, 1997 (REGISTRATION NO. 333-24359).
<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Trustee Indenture Act of 1939
the trustee, Norwest Bank Colorado, N.A., organized and existing under the
laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of
eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, all in the City and County of Denver, and State of Colorado on
the 2nd day of March, 1998.
NORWEST BANK COLORADO, N.A.
By: /s/ Cheryl J. Hanson
-------------------------
Cheryl J. Hanson
Vice President
<PAGE>
CONSENT OF TRUSTEE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, in connection with the issue of Nordstrom, Inc. _____% Senior
Debentures Due 2028 we hereby consent that reports of examinations by
Federal, State, Territorial, or District authorities may be furnished by such
authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request therefore.
NORWEST BANK COLORADO, N.A.
By: /s/ Cheryl J. Hanson
------------------------
Cheryl J. Hanson
Vice President
Dated: March 2, 1998
