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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 6, 2018

Registration No. 333-         

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
____________________

Form S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
____________________
AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, INC.
AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

____________________

 
 
 
   Maryland (American Assets Trust, Inc.)
   Maryland (American Assets Trust, L.P.)
27-3338708 (American Assets Trust, Inc.)
27-3338894 (American Assets Trust, L.P.)
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

11455 El Camino Real, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92130
(858) 350-2600
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrants’ principal executive offices)
Ernest S. Rady
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
American Assets Trust, Inc.
11455 El Camino Real, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92130
(858) 350-2600
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:

Julian T.H. Kleindorfer, Esq.
Michael E. Sullivan, Esq.
Latham & Watkins LLP
12670 High Bluff Drive
San Diego, California 92130
(858) 523-5400




APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ý

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective on filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. x

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

American Assets Trust, Inc.
Large accelerated filer ý
Accelerated filer o
 
Non-accelerated filer o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Smaller reporting company o
 
 
Emerging growth company o
 
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for compliance with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. o
American Assets Trust, L.P
Large accelerated filer o
Accelerated filer o
 
Non-accelerated filer ý
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Smaller reporting company o
 
 
Emerging growth company o
 
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for compliance with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. o





CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
 
 
 
 
Title of each class of securities to be registered
Amount to be
registered/proposed
maximum offering price
per unit/proposed
maximum aggregate
offering price
Amount of
registration fee
American Assets Trust, L.P. Debt Securities (4)
(1)(2)
$(3)
American Assets Trust, Inc. Guarantees of Debt Securities (4)
n/a
$(5)

(1)
Omitted pursuant to Form S-3 General Instruction II.E.
(2)
An unspecified number of securities or aggregate principal amount, as applicable, is being registered as may from time to time be offered at unspecified prices.
(3)
In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant is deferring payment of the entire registration fee.
(4)
The debt securities will be issued by American Assets Trust, L.P., a majority-owned subsidiary of American Assets Trust, Inc. The debt securities offered by American Assets Trust, L.P. may be accompanied by guarantees issued by American Assets Trust, Inc.
(5)
No separate consideration will be received for the guarantees. Pursuant to Rule 457(n), no separate fee is payable with respect to the guarantees being registered hereby.





PROSPECTUS
https://cdn.kscope.io/7a372802e2d2b9efd3cb9fd0acdcb288-americanassetstrustin_image1.jpg
AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, INC.

Guarantees

AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, L.P.

Debt Securities

We may offer and sell the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.
Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering, as well as the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.
American Assets Trust, L.P. may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.
American Assets Trust, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AAT.” On February 5, 2018, the last reported sale price of American Assets Trust, Inc.’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $33.15 per share.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is February 6, 2018.
 _____________________________________________________________________________________________





TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
1

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
2

THE COMPANY
4

RISK FACTORS
5

USE OF PROCEEDS
6

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
7

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES AND RELATED GUARANTEES
8

DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, L.P.
16

MATERIAL PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS
24

CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
30

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
35

LEGAL MATTERS
36

EXPERTS
36






ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities (including guarantees of debt securities sold by our operating partnership) from time to time and in one or more offerings as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the prospectus supplement. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.”
We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
References in this prospectus to the “Company” or the “guarantor” refer to American Assets Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation. When we refer to “we,” “our,” “us” and “our company” in this prospectus, we mean the Company, American Assets Trust, L.P., and any of our other subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the holders of the applicable class or series of securities. American Assets Trust, L.P. is a Maryland limited partnership of which we are the sole general partner and to which we refer in this prospectus as our operating partnership.

1


WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Available Information
The Company and the operating partnership file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Information filed with the SEC by us can be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of this information by mail from the Public Reference Room of the SEC at prescribed rates. Further information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov.
Our web site address is www.americanassetstrust.com. The information on our web site, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus.
This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. or through the SEC’s website, as provided above.
Incorporation by Reference
The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement.
We incorporate by reference our documents listed below and any future filings made by American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P. with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the “Exchange Act” in this prospectus, between the date of this prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed below or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including our Compensation Committee report and performance graph or any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:

2


 
 
American Assets Trust, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on February 17, 2017.
 
 
American Assets Trust, Inc.’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2017, June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2017, August 4, 2017 and November 3, 2017.
 
 
American Assets Trust, Inc.’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2017.
 
 
American Assets Trust, Inc.’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 1, 2017, March 27, 2017, April 28, 2017, May 5, 2017, May 23, 2017, June 13, 2017, July 19, 2017 and January 9, 2018 and our Current Report on Form 8-KA filed with the SEC on June 28, 2017.
 
 
The description of American Assets Trust, Inc.’s Common Stock contained in American Assets Trust, Inc.’s registration statement on Form 8-A, dated January 11, 2011, filed with the SEC on January 11, 2011 and any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating the description.
All reports and other documents American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P. subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.
You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus (other than exhibits, unless they are specifically incorporated by reference in the documents) by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, INC.
11455 EL CAMINO REAL, SUITE 200
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92130
ATTENTION: GENERAL COUNSEL
(858) 350-2600

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.



3


THE COMPANY

The Company operates as a full service, vertically integrated and self-administered real estate investment trust, or REIT, that owns, operates, acquires and develops high quality retail, office, multifamily and mixed-use properties in attractive, high-barrier-to-entry markets in Southern California, Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Texas and Hawaii. As of December 31, 2017, our portfolio is comprised of twelve retail shopping centers; seven office properties; a mixed-use property consisting of a 369-room all-suite hotel and a retail shopping center; and six multifamily properties. Additionally, as of December 31, 2017, we owned land at four of our properties that we classified as held for development and construction in progress. Our core markets include San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, Oregon, Bellevue, Washington and Oahu, Hawaii.
The Company is a Maryland corporation that was formed on July 16, 2010, and elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes commencing with the Company’s taxable year ended December 31, 2011. The Company intends to continue operating in a manner that will allow it to maintain its qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. To maintain REIT status, the Company must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that we annually distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income (excluding capital gains) to its stockholders.
Our principal executive office is located at 11455 El Camino Real, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92130, and our telephone number is (858) 350-2600.

4


RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to American Assets Trust, Inc.’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K American Assets Trust, Inc. files after the date of this prospectus, any subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K American Assets Trust, L.P. files after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

5


USE OF PROCEEDS

Our operating partnership intends to use the net proceeds from any sale of the securities pursuant to this prospectus to potentially acquire or develop additional properties and for general corporate purposes, which may include payment of dividends, the repayment of existing indebtedness and capital expenditures for improvements to the properties in our portfolio. Pending application of cash proceeds, we will invest the net proceeds in interest-bearing accounts, money market accounts and interest-bearing securities in a manner that is consistent with the Company’s intention to continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT. Such investments may include, for example, government and government agency certificates, government bonds, certificates of deposit, interest-bearing bank deposits, money market accounts and mortgage loan participations. Further details regarding the use of the net proceeds from the sale of a specific series or class of the securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

6


RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth the Company’s historical ratios of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated.
 
 
For the
period from
January 1,
2017 to
September 30,
2017
 
 
For the Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
 
1.7x
 
 
 
 
1.8x
 
1.7x
 
1.4x
1.3x
 
1.2x
The following table sets forth our operating partnership's historical ratios of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated.
 
 
For the
period from
January 1,
2017 to
September 30,
2017
 
 
For the Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
 
1.7x
 
 
 
 
1.8x
 
1.7x
 
1.4x
1.3x
 
1.2x
The ratios of earnings to fixed charges were computed by dividing earnings by fixed charges. For this purpose, “earnings” consist of pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations before non-controlling interests, equity in earnings (losses) of real estate joint ventures and fixed charges, plus distributed income of real estate joint ventures, less capitalized interest. “Fixed charges” consist of interest expense, capitalized interest, amortization of deferred financing fees, whether expensed or capitalized, amortization of debt fair value adjustments and the interest portion of rent expense.

7


DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES AND RELATED GUARANTEES

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities and related guarantees, if any, that we may offer under this prospectus. When American Assets Trust, L.P. offers to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus, including the terms of any related guarantees. We will also indicate in the prospectus supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
Debt securities may be American Assets Trust, L.P.’s senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be the direct, unsecured obligations of American Assets Trust, L.P. and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture and debt securities carefully for provisions that may be important to you. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined in this prospectus have the meanings specified in the indenture.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of the Company’s board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in such resolutions, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series, including any pricing supplement or term sheet.
Unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be the direct, unsecured obligations of American Assets Trust, L.P. and may be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company. American Assets Trust, L.P. can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement, including any pricing supplement or term sheet, relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, to the extent applicable:
the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions),
the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities,
any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities,
the date or dates on which the principal on the debt securities is payable,
the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date,
the place or places where principal of, and any premium and interest on, the debt securities will be payable, the method of such payment, where debt securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to us relating to the debt securities may be delivered,
the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities,
 
 

8


any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation,
the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations,
the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof,
whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities,
the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount,
the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be U.S. dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency,
the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, and any premium and interest on, the debt securities will be made,
if payments of principal of, or any premium or interest on, the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined,
the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, and any premium and interest on, the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or designated to be payable or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index,
any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities,
any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default (as defined below) described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities,
any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities,
any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities,
a discussion of any material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in the debt securities,
any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities,
whether the debt securities will be senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities and, if applicable, a description of the subordination terms thereof, and
whether the debt securities are entitled to the benefits of the guarantee of any guarantor, and whether any such guarantee is made on a senior or subordinated basis and, if applicable, a description of the subordination terms of any such guarantee.
American Assets Trust, L.P. may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If American Assets Trust, L.P. denominates the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of, and any premium and interest on, any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

9


Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary or DTC, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as otherwise set forth in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, and any premium and interest on, certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary.
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) that could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
American Assets Trust, L.P. may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of American Assets Trust, L.P.’s properties and assets to, any person, which we refer to as a successor person, unless:
American Assets Trust, L.P. is the surviving entity or the successor person (if other than American Assets Trust, L.P.) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes American Assets Trust, L.P.’s obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture,
immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default (as defined below) or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing,
if American Assets Trust, L.P. is not the successor person, each guarantor, unless it has become the successor person, confirms that its guarantee shall continue to apply to the obligations under the debt securities and the indenture to the same extent as prior to such merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, as applicable, and
certain other conditions are met.

10


Notwithstanding the above, any of American Assets Trust, L.P. subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to it.
Events of Default
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default,
“Event of Default” means, with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of that default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period),
default in the payment of principal of any debt security of that series at its maturity,
default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by American Assets Trust, L.P. in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or we and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture,
certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of American Assets Trust, L.P., and
any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain of our or our subsidiaries’ indebtedness outstanding from time to time.
If an Event of Default with respect to outstanding debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of, and any accrued and unpaid interest on, all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of, and any accrued and unpaid interest on, all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense that might be incurred by it in exercising such right or power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.

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No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series, and
the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered reasonable indemnity or security, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days.
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, and any premium and interest on, that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the debt securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the debt securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify and amend the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency,
to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets,”
to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities,
to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture,
to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series,
to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary,
to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities,
to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture,
to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee,
to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act,
to reflect the release of a guarantor of the debt securities in accordance with the terms of the indenture, or
to add guarantors with respect to any or all of the debt securities or to secure any or all of the debt securities or the guarantees.

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We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver,
reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security,
reduce the principal of or premium on, or change the fixed maturity of, any debt security, or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities,
reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity,
waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or any premium or interest on, any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration),
make the principal of, or any premium or interest on, any debt security payable in any currency other than that stated in the debt security,
make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, or any premium and interest on, those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments,
waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security, or
if the debt securities of that series are entitled to the benefit of a guarantee, release any guarantor of such series other than as provided in the indenture or modify the guarantee in any manner adverse to the holders.
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all of the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or any premium or interest on, any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, any premium and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income

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tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants that may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and
any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series, or covenant defeasance.
The conditions include:
depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, any premium and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities, and
delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred.
Covenant Defeasance and Events of Default. In the event we exercise our option to effect covenant defeasance with respect to any series of debt securities and the debt securities of that series are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any Event of Default, the amount of money and/or U.S. government obligations or foreign government obligations on deposit with the trustee will be sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of their stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of the acceleration resulting from the Event of Default. In such a case, we would remain liable for those payments.
“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to debt securities of any series that are denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars, direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.
Regarding the Trustee
The indenture provides that, except during the continuance of an Event of Default, the trustee will perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in the indenture. During the existence of an Event of Default, the trustee will exercise such rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
The indenture and provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are incorporated by reference therein contain limitations on the rights of the trustee, should it become one of our creditors, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases or to realize on certain property received by it in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee is permitted to engage in other transactions with us or any of our affiliates; provided, however, that if it acquires any conflicting interest (as defined in the indenture or in the Trust Indenture Act), it must eliminate such conflict or resign.

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No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Stockholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or stockholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under United States federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the debt securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York (without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, L.P.
We have summarized the material terms and provisions of the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of American Assets Trust, L.P., which we refer to as the “partnership agreement.” This summary is not complete. For more detail, you should refer to the partnership agreement itself, a copy of which is filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. For purposes of this section, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “our company” and the “general partner” refer to American Assets Trust, Inc. in our capacity as the general partner of our operating partnership.
General
Substantially all of the Company’s assets are held by, and substantially all of the Company’s operations are conducted through, our operating partnership, either directly or through its subsidiaries. The Company is the sole general partner of our operating partnership and, as of December 31, 2017, the Company owned an approximate 73.2% partnership interest in the operating partnership.
Certain persons who contributed interests in properties and/or other assets pursuant to the formation transactions related to the Company’s initial public offering received common units of partnership interest in our operating partnership, which we refer to as common units and have the terms described below. Our operating partnership is also authorized to issue a class of units of partnership interest designated as LTIP units, which have the terms described below. The units in the operating partnership are not listed on any exchange or quoted on any national market system.
Provisions in the partnership agreement may delay or make more difficult unsolicited acquisitions of us or changes in our control. These provisions could discourage third parties from making proposals involving an unsolicited acquisition of us or change of our control, although some stockholders might consider such proposals, if made, desirable. These provisions also make it more difficult for third parties to alter the management structure of our operating partnership without the concurrence of the Company’s board of directors. These provisions include, among others:
 
 
redemption rights of limited partners and certain assignees of common units;
 
 
transfer restrictions on units and other partnership interests;
 
 
a requirement that the Company may not be removed as the general partner of our operating partnership without the Company’s consent;
 
 
the Company’s ability in some cases to amend the partnership agreement and to cause our operating partnership to issue preferred partnership interests in our operating partnership with terms that we may determine, in either case, without the approval or consent of any limited partner; and
 
 
the rights of the limited partners to consent to certain direct or indirect transfers of our interest in our operating partnership, including in connection with certain mergers, consolidations and other business combinations involving us, recapitalizations and reclassifications of the Company’s outstanding stock and issuances of the Company’s stock that require approval of the Company’s stockholders.


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Purposes, Business and Management
Our operating partnership was formed for the purpose of conducting any business, enterprise or activity permitted by or under the Maryland Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act. Our operating partnership may enter into any partnership, joint venture, business trust arrangement, limited liability company or other similar arrangement and may own interests in any entity engaged in any business permitted by or under the Maryland Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act. However, our operating partnership may not, without our specific consent, which we may give or withhold in our sole and absolute discretion, take, or refrain from taking, any action that, in our judgment, in our sole and absolute discretion:
 
 
could adversely affect the Company’s ability to continue to qualify as a REIT;
 
 
could subject us to any taxes under Section 857 or Section 4981 of the Code or any other related or successor provision under the Code; or
 
 
could violate any law or regulation of any governmental body or agency having jurisdiction over us, our securities or our operating partnership.
In general, the Company’s board of directors manages the business and affairs of our operating partnership by directing our business and affairs, in our capacity as the sole general partner of our operating partnership. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the partnership agreement and subject to the rights of holders of any class or series of partnership interest, all management powers over the business and affairs of our operating partnership are exclusively vested in us, in the Company’s capacity as the sole general partner of our operating partnership. The Company may not be removed as the general partner of our operating partnership, with or without cause, without the Company’s consent, which the Company may give or withhold in its sole and absolute discretion.
Restrictions on General Partner’s Authority
The partnership agreement prohibits the Company, in our capacity as general partner, from taking any action that would make it impossible to carry out the ordinary business of our operating partnership or performing any act that would subject a limited partner to liability as a general partner in any jurisdiction or any other liability except as provided under the partnership agreement. The Company generally may not, without the prior consent of the partners of our operating partnership (including the Company), amend, modify or terminate the partnership agreement, except for certain amendments described below that require the consent of a majority in interest of the limited partners (excluding the Company and any limited partner 50% or more of whose equity is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company) and certain amendments described below that require the approval of each affected partner. The Company may not, in our capacity as the general partner of our operating partnership, without the consent of a majority in interest of the limited partners (excluding us and any limited partner 50% or more of whose equity is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company):

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take any action in contravention of an express provision or limitation of the partnership agreement;
 
 
transfer all or any portion of the Company’s general partnership interest in our operating partnership or admit any person as a successor general partner, subject to the exceptions described in “—Transfers of Partnership Interests—Restrictions on Transfers by the General Partner”;
 
 
voluntarily withdraw as the general partner; or
 
 
amend the partnership agreement to alter the restrictions on the general partner’s power to transfer all or any portion of its interest in our operating partnership or voluntarily withdraw as the general partner.
Without the consent of each affected limited partner, we may not enter into any contract, mortgage, loan or other agreement that expressly prohibits or restricts the Company or our operating partnership from performing the Company’s or our operating partnership’s specific obligations in connection with a redemption of units or expressly prohibits or restricts a limited partner from exercising its redemption rights in full. For the avoidance of doubt, because the Company has the right to elect to acquire common units tendered for redemption in exchange for shares of common stock, the approval of the limited partners generally should not be required in order for the Company or our operating partnership to enter into loan agreements which conditionally restrict our operating partnership from redeeming common units for cash. In addition to any approval or consent required by any other provision of the partnership agreement, the Company may not, without the consent of each affected partner, amend the partnership agreement or take any other action that would:
 
 
convert a limited partner interest into a general partner interest (except as a result of our acquisition of that interest);
 
 
modify the limited liability of a limited partner;
 
 
alter the rights of any partner to receive the distributions to which such partner is entitled, or alter the allocations specified in the partnership agreement, except to the extent permitted by the partnership agreement in connection with the creation or issuance of any new class or series of partnership interest;
 
 
alter or modify the redemption rights of holders of common units or the related definitions specified in the partnership agreement;
 
 
remove, alter or amend certain provisions of the partnership agreement relating to the requirements for us to qualify as a REIT or permitting us to avoid paying tax under Sections 857 or 4981 of the Code; or
 
 
amend the provisions of the partnership agreement requiring the consent of each affected partner before taking any of the actions described above.

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Additional Partnership Interests and Limited Partners
The Company may cause our operating partnership to issue additional units or other partnership interests and to admit additional limited partners to our operating partnership from time to time, on such terms and conditions and for such capital contributions as the Company may establish in its sole and absolute discretion, without the approval or consent of any limited partner.
The partnership agreement authorizes our operating partnership to issue common units and LTIP units, and our operating partnership may issue additional partnership interests in one or more additional classes, or one or more series of any of such classes, with such designations, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption (including, without limitation, terms that may be senior or otherwise entitled to preference over existing units) as the Company may determine, in its sole and absolute discretion, without the approval of any limited partner or any other person. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company may specify, as to any such class or series of partnership interest:
 
 
the allocations of items of partnership income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to each such class or series of partnership interest;
 
 
the right of each such class or series of partnership interest to share, on a junior, senior or pari passu basis, in distributions;
 
 
the rights of each such class or series of partnership interest upon dissolution and liquidation of our operating partnership;
 
 
the voting rights, if any, of each such class or series of partnership interest; and
 
 
the conversion, redemption or exchange rights applicable to each such class or series of partnership interest.
If the Company issues shares of preferred stock, we anticipate that we will contribute the net proceeds of such issuance to our operating partnership in exchange for preferred units with substantially similar distribution rights.
Ability to Engage in Other Businesses; Conflicts of Interest
The Company may not conduct any business other than in connection with the ownership, acquisition and disposition of partnership interests, the management of the business and affairs of our operating partnership, the Company’s operations as a reporting company with a class (or classes) of securities registered under the Exchange Act, the Company’s operations as a REIT, the offering, sale, syndication, private placement or public offering of stock, bonds, securities or other interests, financing or refinancing of any type related to our operating partnership or its assets or activities and such activities as are incidental to those activities discussed above. In general, the Company must contribute any assets or funds that it acquires to our operating partnership in exchange for additional partnership interests. The Company may, however, in its sole and absolute discretion, from time to time hold or acquire assets in its own name or otherwise other than through our operating partnership so long as the Company takes commercially reasonable measures to ensure that the economic benefits and burdens of such property are otherwise vested in our operating partnership.
Distributions
Our operating partnership will make distributions at such times and in such amounts, as the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion determine:

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first, with respect to any partnership interests that are entitled to any preference in distribution, in accordance with the rights of the holders of such class(es) or series of partnership interest, and, within each such class, among the holders of such class pro rata in proportion to their respective percentage interests of such class; and
 
 
second, with respect to any partnership interests that are not entitled to any preference in distribution, including the common units and, except as described below under “—LTIP Units” with respect to liquidating distributions and as may be provided in our 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan or any other incentive award plan, or any applicable award agreement, the LTIP units, in accordance with the rights of the holders of such class(es) or series of partnership interest, and, within each such class, among the holders of each such class, pro rata in proportion to their respective percentage interests of such class.
Exculpation and Indemnification of General Partner
The partnership agreement provides that the Company is not liable to our operating partnership or any partner for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not derived by our operating partnership or any limited partner, except for liability for our intentional harm or gross negligence. The partnership agreement also provides that any obligation or liability in the Company’s capacity as the general partner of our operating partnership that may arise at any time under the partnership agreement or any other instrument, transaction or undertaking contemplated by the partnership agreement will be satisfied, if at all, out of the Company’s assets or the assets of our operating partnership only, and no such obligation or liability will be personally binding upon any of our directors, stockholders, officers, employees or agents.
In addition, the partnership agreement requires our operating partnership to indemnify the Company, its directors and officers, officers of our operating partnership and any other person designated by us against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (whether joint or several), expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and other legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, that relate to the operations of our operating partnership, unless (1) an act or omission of the person was material to the matter giving rise to the action and either was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (2) such person actually received an improper personal benefit in violation or breach of any provision of the partnership agreement or (3) in the case of a criminal proceeding, the person had reasonable cause to believe the act or omission was unlawful. Our operating partnership must also pay or reimburse the reasonable expenses of any such person upon its receipt of a written affirmation of the person’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification has been met and a written undertaking to repay any amounts paid or advanced if it is ultimately determined that the person did not meet the standard of conduct for indemnification. Our operating partnership will not indemnify or advance funds to any person with respect to any action initiated by the person seeking indemnification without our approval (except for any proceeding brought to enforce such person’s right to indemnification under the partnership agreement) or if the person is found to be liable to our operating partnership on any portion of any claim in the action.
Business Combinations and Dissolution of Our Operating Partnership
Subject to the limitations on the transfer of our interest in our operating partnership described in “—Transfers of Partnership Interests—Restrictions on Transfers by the General Partner,” the Company generally has the exclusive power to cause our operating partnership to merge, reorganize, consolidate, sell all or substantially all of its assets or otherwise combine its assets with another entity. The Company may also elect to dissolve our operating partnership without the consent of any limited partner. However, in connection with the acquisition of properties from persons to whom our operating partnership issues units or other partnership interests as part of the purchase price, in order to preserve such persons’ tax deferral, our operating partnership may contractually agree, in general, not to sell or otherwise transfer the properties for a specified period of time, or in some instances, not to sell or otherwise transfer the properties without compensating the sellers of the properties for their loss of the tax deferral.

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Redemption Rights of Qualifying Parties
Beginning 14 months after first becoming a holder of common units, each limited partner and some assignees of limited partners will have the right, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the partnership agreement, to require our operating partnership to redeem all or a portion of the common units held by such limited partner or assignee in exchange for a cash amount per common unit equal to the value of one share of our common stock, determined in accordance with and subject to adjustment under the partnership agreement. Our operating partnership’s obligation to redeem common units does not arise and is not binding against our operating partnership until the sixth business day after we receive the holder’s notice of redemption or, if earlier, the day we notify the holder seeking redemption that we have declined to acquire some or all of the common units tendered for redemption. If we do not elect to acquire the common units tendered for redemption in exchange for shares of the Company’s common stock (as described below), our operating partnership must deliver the cash redemption amount on or before the tenth business day after we receive the holder’s notice of redemption.
On or before the close of business on the fifth business day after a holder of common units gives notice of redemption to us, the Company may, in its sole and absolute discretion but subject to the restrictions on the ownership and transfer of the Company’s stock set forth in our charter, elect to acquire some or all of the common units tendered for redemption from the tendering party in exchange for shares of the Company’s common stock, based on an exchange ratio of one share of common stock for each common unit, subject to adjustment as provided in the partnership agreement. The partnership agreement does not require the Company to register, qualify or list any shares of common stock issued in exchange for common units with the SEC, with any state securities commissioner, department or agency, under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or with any stock exchange.
Transfers of Partnership Interests
Restrictions on Transfers by Limited Partners
Until the expiration of 14 months after the date on which a limited partner first acquires a partnership interest, the limited partner generally may not directly or indirectly transfer all or any portion of its partnership interest without the Company’s consent, which it may give or withhold in its sole and absolute discretion, except for certain permitted transfers to certain affiliates, family members and charities, and certain pledges of partnership interests to lending institutions in connection with bona fide loans. After the expiration of 14 months after the date on which a limited partner first acquires a partnership interest, the limited partner will have the right to transfer all or any portion of its partnership interest without the Company’s consent to any person that is an “accredited investor,” within the meaning set forth in Rule 501 promulgated under the Securities Act, upon ten business days prior notice to us, subject to the satisfaction of conditions specified in the partnership agreement, including minimum transfer requirements and our right of first refusal.
Restrictions on Transfers by the General Partner
Except as described below, any transfer of all or any portion of the Company’s interest in our operating partnership, whether by sale, disposition, statutory merger or consolidation, liquidation or otherwise, must be approved by the consent of a majority in interest of the limited partners (excluding the Company and any limited partner 50% or more of whose equity is owned, directly or indirectly, by us). Subject to the rights of the Company’s stockholders and the limited partners of our operating partnership to approve certain direct or indirect transfers of the Company’s interests in our operating partnership described below and the rights of holders of any class or series of partnership interest, the Company may transfer all (but not less than all) of its general partnership interest without the consent of the limited partners, voting as a separate class, in connection with a merger, consolidation or other combination of its assets with another entity, a sale of all or substantially all of its assets or a reclassification, recapitalization or change in any outstanding shares of its stock if:

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in connection with such event, all of the limited partners will receive or have the right to elect to receive, for each common unit, the greatest amount of cash, securities or other property paid to a holder of one share of the Company’s common stock (subject to adjustment in accordance with the partnership agreement) in the transaction and, if a purchase, tender or exchange offer is made and accepted by holders of the Company’s common stock in connection with the event, each holder of common units receives, or has the right to elect to receive, the greatest amount of cash, securities or other property that the holder would have received if it had exercised its redemption right and received shares of the Company’s common stock in exchange for its common units immediately before the expiration of the purchase, tender or exchange offer and had accepted the purchase, tender or exchange offer; or
 
 
substantially all of the assets of our operating partnership will be owned by a surviving entity (which may be our operating partnership) in which the limited partners of our operating partnership holding common units immediately before the event will hold a percentage interest based on the relative fair market value of the net assets of our operating partnership and the other net assets of the surviving entity immediately before the event, which interest will be on terms that are at least as favorable as the terms of the common units in effect immediately before the event and as those applicable to any other limited partners or non-managing members of the surviving entity and will include a right to redeem interests in the surviving entity for the consideration described in the preceding bullet or cash on similar terms as those in effect with respect to the common units immediately before the event, or, if common equity securities of the person controlling the surviving entity are publicly traded, such common equity securities.
The Company may also transfer all (but not less than all) of our interest in our operating partnership to a controlled affiliate of ours without the consent of any limited partner, subject to the rights of holders of any class or series of partnership interest.
The Company may not, without prior “partnership approval,” directly or indirectly transfer all or any portion of its interest in our operating partnership, before the later of the death of Mr. Rady and the death of his wife, in connection with a merger, consolidation or other combination of its assets with another entity, a sale of all or substantially all of its assets, a reclassification, recapitalization or change in any outstanding shares of its stock or other outstanding equity interests or an issuance of shares of its stock, in any case that requires approval by its common stockholders. The “partnership approval” requirement is satisfied, with respect to such a transfer, when the sum of the (1) the percentage interest of limited partners consenting to the transfer of the Company’s interest, plus (2) the product of (a) the percentage of the outstanding common units held by the Company multiplied by (b) the percentage of the votes that were cast in favor of the event by the Company’s common stockholders equals or exceeds the percentage required for the Company’s common stockholders to approve the event resulting in the transfer. Limited partners will be entitled to cast one vote for each common unit or LTIP unit, subject to adjustment under the partnership agreement.
In addition, any transferee of the Company’s interest in our operating partnership must be admitted as a general partner of our operating partnership, assume, by operation of law or express agreement, all of the Company’s obligations as general partner under the partnership agreement, accept all of the terms and conditions of the partnership agreement and execute such instruments as may be necessary to effectuate the transferee’s admission as a general partner.
The Company may not voluntarily withdraw as the general partner of our operating partnership without the consent of a majority in interest of the limited partners (excluding the Company and any limited partner 50% or more of whose equity is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company) other than upon the transfer of the Company’s entire interest in our operating partnership and the admission of the Company’s successor as a general partner of our operating partnership.
LTIP Units
Our operating partnership is authorized to issue a class of units of partnership interest designated as “LTIP units.” The Company may cause our operating partnership to issue LTIP units to persons who provide services to or for the benefit of our operating partnership, for such consideration or for no consideration as we may determine to

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be appropriate, and we may admit such persons as limited partners of our operating partnership, without the approval or consent of any limited partner. Further, the Company may cause our operating partnership to issue LTIP units in one or more classes or series, with such terms as it may determine, without the approval or consent of any limited partner. LTIP units may be subject to vesting, forfeiture and restrictions on transfer and receipt of distributions pursuant to the terms of any applicable equity-based plan and the terms of the 2011 Plan or any other award agreement relating to the issuance of the LTIP units.
Conversion Rights
Vested LTIP units are convertible at the option of each limited partner and some assignees of limited partners into common units, upon notice to the Company and our operating partnership, to the extent that the capital account balance of the LTIP unitholder with respect to all of his or her LTIP units is at least equal to our capital account balance with respect to an equal number of common units. The Company may cause our operating partnership to convert vested LTIP units eligible for conversion into an equal number of common units at any time, upon at least 10 and not more than 60 days’ notice to the holder of the LTIP units.
If the Company or our operating partnership is party to a transaction, including a merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets or other business combination, as a result of which common units are exchanged for or converted into the right, or holders of common units are otherwise entitled, to receive cash, securities or other property (or any combination thereof), the Company must cause our operating partnership to convert any vested LTIP units then eligible for conversion into common units immediately before the transaction, taking into account any special allocations of income that would be made as a result of the transaction. Our operating partnership must use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each limited partner (other than a party to such a transaction or an affiliate of such a party) holding LTIP units that will be converted into common units in such a transaction to be afforded the right to receive the same kind and amount of cash, securities and other property (or any combination thereof) for such common units that each holder of common units receives in the transaction.
Transfer
Unless the 2011 Plan, any other applicable equity-based plan or the terms of an award agreement specify additional restrictions on transfer of LTIP units, LTIP units are transferable to the same extent as common units, as described above in “—Transfers of Partnership Interests.”
Voting Rights
Limited partners holding LTIP units are entitled to vote together with limited partners holding common units on all matters on which limited partners holding common units are entitled to vote or consent, and may cast one vote for each LTIP unit so held.
Adjustment of LTIP Units
If our operating partnership takes certain actions, including making a distribution of units on all outstanding common units, combining or subdividing the outstanding common units into a different number of common units or reclassifying the outstanding common units, the Company must adjust the number of outstanding LTIP units or subdivide or combine outstanding LTIP units to maintain a one-for-one conversion ratio and economic equivalence between common units and LTIP units.

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MATERIAL PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF THE COMPANY’S CHARTER AND BYLAWS
The following summary of certain provisions of Maryland law and the Company’s charter and bylaws does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to Maryland law and our charter and bylaws, copies of which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”
The Company’s Board of Directors
The Company’s charter and bylaws provide that the number of directors of the company may be established, increased or decreased only by a majority of the Company’s entire board of directors but may not be fewer than the minimum number required under the MGCL nor, unless our bylaws are amended, more than 15.
We have elected by a provision of the Company’s charter to be subject to a provision of Maryland law requiring that, except as otherwise provided in the terms of any class or series of the Company’s stock, vacancies on the Company’s board of directors may be filled only by the remaining directors and that any individual elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies.
Removal of Directors
The Company’s charter provides that, subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock to elect or remove one or more directors, a director may be removed only for cause (as defined in the Company’s charter) and only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. This provision, when coupled with the exclusive power of the Company’s board of directors to fill vacant directorships, may preclude stockholders from removing incumbent directors except for cause and by a substantial affirmative vote and filling the vacancies created by such removal with their own nominees.
Business Combinations
Under the MGCL, certain “business combinations” (including a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in certain circumstances specified under the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and any interested stockholder, or an affiliate of such an interested stockholder, are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Maryland law defines an interested stockholder as:
any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or
 
 
an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation.
A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. In approving a transaction, however, a board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of the approval, with any terms and conditions determined by it.
After such five-year period, any such business combination must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:

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80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and
 
 
two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom (or with whose affiliate) the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder.
These supermajority approval requirements do not apply if, among other conditions, the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price (as defined in the MGCL) for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
These provisions of the MGCL do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by a corporation’s board of directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. The Company’s board of directors has, by board resolution, elected to opt out of the business combination provisions of the MGCL. However, we cannot assure you that the Company’s board of directors will not opt to be subject to such business combination provisions in the future. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an alteration or repeal of this resolution will not have any effect on any business combinations that have been consummated or upon any agreements existing at the time of such modification or repeal.
Control Share Acquisitions
The MGCL provides that holders of “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights with respect to any control shares except to the extent approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors, generally, excluding shares of stock in a corporation in respect of which any of the following persons is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of the voting power of such shares in the election of directors: (1) the person who made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, (2) an officer of the corporation or (3) an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation. “Control shares” are voting shares of stock that, if aggregated with all other such shares of stock previously acquired by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
one-tenth or more but less than one-third;
 
 
one-third or more but less than a majority; or
 
 
a majority or more of all voting power.
Control shares do not include shares that the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval or shares acquired directly from the corporation. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition, directly or indirectly, of ownership of, or the power to direct the exercise of voting power with respect to, issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, upon satisfaction of certain conditions (including an undertaking to pay expenses and making an “acquiring person statement” as described in the MGCL), may compel the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the control shares. If no request for a special meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.
If voting rights of control shares are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an “acquiring person statement” as required by the statute, then, subject to certain conditions and limitations, the corporation may redeem any or all of the control shares (except those for which voting rights have previously been

25


approved) for fair value determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of such shares are considered and not approved or, if no such meeting is held, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquirer. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of such appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquirer in the control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply to: (1) shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (2) acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
The Company’s bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition statute any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of our stock. We cannot provide you any assurance, however, that the Company’s board of directors will not amend or eliminate this provision at any time in the future.
Subtitle 8
Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to any or all of the following five provisions:
a classified board;
 
 
a two-thirds vote requirement for removing a director;
 
 
a requirement that the number of directors be fixed only by vote of the directors;
 
 
a requirement that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred; or
 
 
a majority requirement for the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders.
The Company has elected by a provision in the Company’s charter to be subject to the provisions of Subtitle 8 relating to the filling of vacancies on the Company’s board of directors. Through provisions in the Company’s charter and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, the Company already (1) requires a two-thirds vote for the removal of any director from the board, which removal will be allowed only for cause, (2) vests in the board the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships, subject to limitations set forth in the Company’s charter and bylaws, and (3) requires, unless called by the chairman of the Company’s board of directors, the Company’s president, its chief executive officer or its board of directors, the request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all votes entitled to be cast on a matter at such meeting to call a special meeting to consider and vote on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders. The Company has not elected to create a classified board. In the future, the Company’s board of directors may elect, without stockholder approval, to create a classified board or elect to be subject to one or more of the other provisions of Subtitle 8.
Amendments to the Company’s Charter and Bylaws
Other than amendments to certain provisions of the Company’s charter described below and amendments permitted to be made without stockholder approval under Maryland law or by a specific provision in the charter, the Company’s charter may be amended only if such amendment is declared advisable by the Company’s board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. The provisions of the Company’s charter relating to the removal of directors or specifying

26


that the Company’s stockholders may act without a meeting only by unanimous consent, or the provision specifying the vote required to amend such provisions, may be amended only if such amendment is declared advisable by the Company’s board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast not less than two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. The Company’s board of directors has the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws or to make new bylaws.
Transactions Outside the Ordinary Course of Business
The Company generally may not merge with or into, convert into or consolidate with another company, sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or engage in a statutory share exchange unless such transaction is declared advisable by the Company’s board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. In addition, to the extent that such a merger, conversion, consolidation, sale of assets of statutory share exchange would require the approval of our stockholders, such transaction may also require the approval of the limited partners of our operating partnership. See “Description of the Partnership Agreement of American Assets Trust, L.P.—Restrictions on Transfers by the General Partner.”
Dissolution of the Company
The dissolution of the Company must be declared advisable by a majority of the Company’s entire board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Meetings of Stockholders
Under the Company’s bylaws, annual meetings of stockholders must be held each year at a date, time and place determined by our board of directors. Special meetings of stockholders may be called by the chairman of the Company’s board of directors, its chief executive officer, its president and its board of directors. Additionally, subject to the provisions of the Company’s bylaws, a special meeting of stockholders to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders must be called by our secretary upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter at such meeting who have requested the special meeting in accordance with the procedures specified in our bylaws and provided the information and certifications required by our bylaws. Only matters set forth in the notice of a special meeting of stockholders may be considered and acted upon at such a meeting.
Advance Notice of Director Nominations and New Business
The Company’s bylaws provide that, with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to the board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders at the annual meeting may be made only:
pursuant to the Company’s notice of the meeting;
 
 
by or at the direction of the Company’s board of directors; or
 
 
by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of the notice required by the Company’s bylaws and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on such other business and who has provided the information and certifications required by the advance notice procedures set forth in our bylaws.
The Company’s bylaws provide that, with respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of meeting may be brought before the meeting of stockholders, and nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors may be made only:

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by or at the direction of the Company’s board of directors; or
 
 
provided that the meeting has been called for the purpose of electing directors, by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of the notice required by the Company’s bylaws and at the time of the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has provided the information and certifications required by the advance notice procedures set forth in the Company’s bylaws.
The purpose of requiring stockholders to give advance notice of nominations and other proposals is to afford the Company’s board of directors the opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees or the advisability of the other proposals and, to the extent considered necessary by our board of directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations regarding the nominations or other proposals. The advance notice procedures also permit a more orderly procedure for conducting our stockholder meetings.
Anti-takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and the Company’s Charter and Bylaws
The restrictions on ownership and transfer of the Company’s stock, the provisions of the Company’s charter regarding the removal of directors, the exclusive power of our board of directors to fill vacancies on the board and the advance notice provisions of the Company’s bylaws could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of the Company that might involve a premium price for holders of the Company’s common stock or otherwise be in their best interests. Likewise, if the Company’s board of directors were to opt in to the business combination provisions of the MGCL or the provisions of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL providing for a classified board of directors, or if the provision in the Company’s bylaws opting out of the control share acquisition provisions of the MGCL were amended or rescinded, these provisions of the MGCL could have similar anti-takeover effects.
Indemnification and Limitation of Directors’ and Officers’ Liability
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision eliminating the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action. The Company’s charter contains a provision that eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
The MGCL requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Company’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or are threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that:
the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and:
was committed in bad faith; or
was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;
the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or
in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.
However, under the MGCL, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer for an adverse judgment in a suit by or on behalf of the corporation or if the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that

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personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer, without requiring a preliminary determination of the director’s or officer’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification, upon the corporation’s receipt of:
i.
a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and
ii.
a written undertaking by the director or officer or on the director’s or officer’s behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer did not meet the standard of conduct.
The Company’s charter authorizes us to obligate the Company and the Company’s bylaws obligate the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding, without requiring a preliminary determination of the director’s or officer’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification, to:
i.
any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or
ii.
any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member or manager of another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.
The Company’s charter and bylaws also permit us, with the approval of the Company’s board of directors, to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of the Company in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of the Company or a predecessor of the Company.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of the Company’s executive officers and directors whereby we have agreed to indemnify such executive officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law against all expenses and liabilities, subject to limited exceptions. These indemnification agreements also provide that, upon an application for indemnity by an executive officer or director to a court of appropriate jurisdiction, such court may order us to indemnify such executive officer or director.
The partnership agreement also provides that we, as general partner, and our directors, officers, employees, agents and designees are indemnified to the extent provided therein. See “Description of the Partnership Agreement of American Assets Trust, L.P.—Exculpation and Indemnification of General Partner.”
Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer
Subject to certain exceptions, the Company’s charter provides that no person or entity may actually or beneficially own, or be deemed to own by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 7.275% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock or more than 7.275% in value of the aggregate outstanding shares of our stock.
REIT Qualification
The Company’s charter provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in the Company’s best interests to continue to be qualified as a REIT.

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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
 The following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to the purchase, ownership and disposition of debt securities issued by the operating partnership, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. The effects of other U.S. federal tax laws, such as estate and gift tax laws, and any applicable state, local or foreign tax laws are not discussed. This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial decisions, and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), in each case in effect as of the date hereof. These authorities may change or be subject to differing interpretations. Any such change or differing interpretation may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect a holder of the debt securities. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to that discussed below regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the debt securities.
This discussion is limited to holders who hold the debt securities as “capital assets” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). In addition, this discussion is limited to persons purchasing the debt securities for cash at original issue and at their original “issue price” within the meaning of Section 1273 of the Code (i.e., the first price at which a substantial amount of the debt securities is sold to the public for cash). This discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to a holder’s particular circumstances, including the impact of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. In addition, it does not address consequences relevant to holders subject to special rules, including, without limitation:
U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;
 
 
persons subject to the alternative minimum tax;
 
 
U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
 
 
persons holding the debt securities as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy or as part of a conversion transaction or other integrated investment;
 
 
banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions;
 
 
REITs or regulated investment companies;
 
 
brokers, dealers or traders in securities;
 
 
“controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
 
 
S corporations, partnerships or other entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and investors therein);
 
 
tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations;
 
 
persons subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of any item of gross income with respect to the notes being taken into account in an applicable financial statement; and;
 
 

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persons deemed to sell the debt securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code.
If an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds debt securities, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, partnerships holding debt securities and the partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them.
THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE DEBT SECURITIES ARISING UNDER OTHER U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS), UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY.
Tax Considerations Applicable to U.S. Holders
Definition of a U.S. Holder
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of debt securities that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as:
an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
 
 
a corporation created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia;
 
 
an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or
 
 
a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) has a valid election in effect to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Payments of Interest
Interest on a debt security generally will be taxable to a U.S. Holder as ordinary income at the time such interest is received or accrued, in accordance with such U.S. Holder’s method of tax accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition
A U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of a debt security. The amount of such gain or loss will generally equal the difference between the amount received for the debt security in cash or other property valued at fair market value (less amounts attributable to any accrued but unpaid interest, which will be taxable as interest to the extent not previously included in income) and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the debt security. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in a debt security generally will be equal to the amount the U.S. Holder paid for the debt security. Any gain or loss will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held the debt security for more than one year at the time of sale or other taxable disposition. Otherwise, such gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains recognized by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, will be taxable at a reduced rate. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
A U.S. Holder may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding when such holder receives payments on a debt security or receives proceeds from the sale or other taxable disposition of a debt security (including a redemption or retirement of a debt security). Certain U.S. Holders are exempt from backup withholding, including corporations and certain tax-exempt organizations. A U.S. Holder will be subject to backup withholding if such holder is not otherwise exempt and such holder:
fails to furnish the holder’s taxpayer identification number, which for an individual is ordinarily his or her social security number;
 
 
furnishes an incorrect taxpayer identification number;
 
 
is notified by the IRS that the holder previously failed to properly report payments of interest or dividends; or
 
 
fails to certify under penalties of perjury that the holder has furnished a correct taxpayer identification number and that the IRS has not notified the holder that the holder is subject to backup withholding.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their qualification for an exemption from backup withholding and the procedures for obtaining such an exemption.
Tax Considerations Applicable to Non-U.S. Holders
Definition of a Non-U.S. Holder
For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of a debt security that is neither a U.S. Holder nor an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Payments of Interest
Interest paid on a debt security to a Non-U.S. Holder that is not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, or withholding, provided that:
the Non-U.S. Holder does not, actually or constructively, own 10% or more of the operating partnership’s capital or profits;
 
 
the Non-U.S. Holder is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the operating partnership through actual or constructive stock ownership; and
 
 
either (1) the Non-U.S. Holder certifies in a statement provided to the applicable withholding agent under penalties of perjury that it is not a United States person and provides its name and address; (2) a securities clearing organization, bank or other financial institution that holds customers’ securities in the ordinary course of its trade or business and holds the debt security on behalf of the Non-U.S. Holder certifies to the applicable withholding agent under penalties of perjury that it, or the financial institution between it and the Non-U.S. Holder, has received from the Non-U.S. Holder a statement under penalties of perjury that such holder is not a United States person and provides a copy of such statement to the applicable withholding agent; or (3) the Non-U.S. Holder holds its debt security directly through a “qualified intermediary” (within the meaning of applicable Treasury Regulations) and certain conditions are satisfied.

32


If a Non-U.S. Holder does not satisfy the requirements above, such Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to withholding tax of 30%, subject to a reduction in or an exemption from withholding on such interest as a result of an applicable tax treaty. To claim such entitlement, the Non-U.S. Holder must provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable documentation) claiming a reduction in or exemption from withholding tax under the benefit of an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established.
If interest paid to a Non-U.S. Holder is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such interest is attributable), the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the U.S. federal withholding tax described above. To claim the exemption, the Non-U.S. Holder must furnish to the applicable withholding agent a valid IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that interest paid on a debt security is not subject to withholding tax because it is effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a trade or business within the United States.
Any such effectively connected interest generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected interest, as adjusted for certain items.
The certifications described above must be provided to the applicable withholding agent prior to the payment of interest and must be updated periodically. Non-U.S. Holders that do not timely provide the applicable withholding agent with the required certification, but that qualify for a reduced rate under an applicable income tax treaty, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty.
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition
A Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of a debt security (such amount excludes any amount allocable to accrued and unpaid interest, which generally will be treated as interest and may be subject to the rules discussed above in “—Payments of Interest”) unless:
the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such gain is attributable); or
 
 
the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met.
Gain described in the first bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a foreign corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected gain, as adjusted for certain items.
Gain described in the second bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty), which may be offset by U.S. source capital losses of the Non-U.S. Holder (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States), provided the Non-U.S. Holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.
Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding any applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

33


Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Payments of interest generally will not be subject to backup withholding, provided the applicable withholding agent does not have actual knowledge or reason to know the holder is a United States person and the holder certifies its non-U.S. status as described above under “—Payments of Interest.” However, information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with any interest paid to the Non-U.S. Holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. In addition, proceeds of the sale or other taxable disposition of a debt security (including a retirement or redemption of the debt security) within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related brokers generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting, if the applicable withholding agent receives the statement described above and does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a United States person or the holder otherwise establishes an exemption. Proceeds of a disposition of a debt security paid outside the United States and conducted through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting.
Copies of information returns that are filed with the IRS may also be made available under the provisions of an applicable treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Additional Withholding Tax on Payments Made to Foreign Accounts
Withholding taxes may be imposed under Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or “FATCA”) on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on payments of interest on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, a debt security paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code), unless (1) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations, (2) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial United States owner, or (3) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements in (1) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain “specified United States persons” or “United States-owned foreign entities” (each as defined in the Code), annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on certain payments to non-compliant foreign financial institutions and certain other account holders. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.
Under the applicable Treasury Regulations, withholding under FATCA generally applies to payments of interest on a debt security, and will apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of a debt security on or after January 1, 2019.
Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of withholding under FATCA to their investment in the debt securities.

34


PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the offered securities from time to time:
through underwriters or dealers;
 
 
through agents;
 
 
directly to one or more purchasers; or
 
 
through a combination of any of these methods of sale.
We will identify the specific plan of distribution, including any underwriters, dealers, agents or direct purchasers and their compensation in the applicable prospectus supplement.

35


LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP, San Diego, California. Venable LLP, Baltimore, Maryland, has issued an opinion to us regarding certain matters of Maryland law, including the validity of the securities offered hereby. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P. appearing in American Assets Trust, Inc.’s and American Assets Trust, L.P.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016 (including schedules appearing therein), and the effectiveness of American Assets Trust, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and American Assets Trust, Inc.’s management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016 are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The statement of revenues over certain operating expenses of Pacific Ridge Apartments for the year ended December 31, 2016, appearing in our Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on June 28, 2017 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such statement of revenues over certain operating expenses is incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firms as experts in accounting and auditing.



36


PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by the registrant) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby.
 
 
 
SEC registration fee
$
(1)
Printing expenses
$
(2)
Legal fees and expenses
$
(2)
Accounting fees and expenses
$
(2)
Miscellaneous
$
(2)
Total
$
(2)
(1)    Pursuant to Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the SEC registration fee will be paid at the time of any particular offering of securities under the registration statement, and is therefore not currently determinable.
(2)    These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time
Item 15.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision eliminating the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action. Our charter contains a provision which eliminates our directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Maryland law requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that: (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or on behalf of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

37


The Company’s charter authorizes the Company to obligate ourselves and our bylaws obligate us, to indemnify, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of our company and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member or manager of another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any of the foregoing capacities and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our charter and bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any individual who served a predecessor of our company in any of the capacities described above and any employees or agents of our company or a predecessor of our company.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors whereby we have agreed to indemnify such executive officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law against all expenses and liabilities, subject to limited exceptions. These indemnification agreements also provide that upon an application for indemnity by an executive officer or director to a court of appropriate jurisdiction, such court may order us to indemnify such executive officer or director.
In addition, our directors and officers are indemnified for specified liabilities and expenses pursuant to the partnership agreement of American Assets Trust, L.P., the partnership of which we serve as sole general partner. See “Description of the Partnership Agreement of American Assets Trust, L.P.—Exculpation and Indemnification of General Partner.”
Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable
Item 16.    Exhibits
(a) Exhibits
EXHIBIT INDEX
 
Exhibit
Number
 
Description
 
 
 
 
 
1.1
Form of Underwriting Agreement.(1)
3.1
3.2
3.3
Form of Articles Supplementary of American Assets Trust, Inc. (1)
4.1
4.2
Form of Certificate for Preferred Stock of American Assets Trust, Inc. (1)
4.3
5.1
5.2
12.1
23.1
23.2
23.3

38


23.4
24.1
Power of Attorney (included on Signature Page).(3)
 
 
(1)
To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of a particular class or series of securities.
 
 
 
 
 
(2)
Incorporated herein by reference to American Assets Trust, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-11, as amended (File No. 333-169326), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 13, 2010.
 
 
 
 
 
(3)
Filed herewith.
 
Item 17.    Undertakings
(a) Each of the undersigned registrants hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii), and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is a part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such

39


form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:
Each of the undersigned registrants undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) Each of the undersigned registrants hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in 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.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, each of the registrants has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC 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 in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


40


SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrants certify that they have reasonable grounds to believe that they meet all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and have duly caused this registration statement to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, State of California on this 6th day of February, 2018.
American Assets Trust, Inc.
 
 
By:
 
/s/ ERNEST S. RADY
 
 
Ernest S. Rady
 
 
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

American Assets Trust, L.P.
 
 
By:
 
American Assets Trust, Inc.
 
 
Its General Partner
 
 
 
By:
 
/s/ ERNEST S. RADY
 
 
Ernest S. Rady
 
 
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

41


POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Ernest S. Rady and Robert F. Barton, or either of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to file and sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments and any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective under Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, to this registration statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith as fully, to all intents and purposes, as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




42


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following officers and directors of the Company on behalf of the Company in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE
 
TITLE
 
DATE
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ ERNEST S. RADY 
 
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
 
February 6, 2018
 
Ernest S. Rady
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ ROBERT F. BARTON
 
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
 
February 6, 2018
 
Robert F. Barton
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ LARRY E. FINGER
 
Director
 
February 6, 2018
 
Larry E. Finger
 
 
 
 
 
 
/S/    DUANE A. NELLES
Director
February 6, 2018
Duane A. Nelles

 
 
 
/S/    THOMAS S. OLINGER
Director
February 6, 2018
Thomas S. Olinger
 
/S/    ROBERT S. SULLIVAN
Director
February 6, 2018
Robert S. Sullivan




 



43
Exhibit


Exhibit 4.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 











AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, L.P.
INDENTURE
Dated as of __________ __, 20__
____________________________
Trustee

















 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 







TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 
 
 
PAGE
ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
2
Section 1.1
Definitions.
2
Section 1.2
Other Definitions.
5
Section 1.3
Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
6
Section 1.4
Rules of Construction.
6
ARTICLE II. THE SECURITIES
7
Section 2.1
Issuable in Series.
7
Section 2.2
Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.
7
Section 2.3
Execution and Authentication.
9
Section 2.4
Registrar and Paying Agent.
10
Section 2.5
Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.
11
Section 2.6
Securityholder Lists.
11
Section 2.7
Transfer and Exchange.
11
Section 2.8
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
12
Section 2.9
Outstanding Securities.
13
Section 2.10
Treasury Securities.
13
Section 2.11
Temporary Securities.
13
Section 2.12
Cancellation.
14
Section 2.13
Defaulted Interest.
14
Section 2.14
Global Securities.
14
Section 2.15
CUSIP Numbers.
15
ARTICLE III. REDEMPTION
15
Section 3.1
Notice to Trustee.
15
Section 3.2
Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
16
Section 3.3
Notice of Redemption.
16
Section 3.4
Effect of Notice of Redemption.
17
Section 3.5
Deposit of Redemption Price.
17
Section 3.6
Securities Redeemed in Part.
17
ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS
17
Section 4.1
Payment of Principal and Interest.
17
Section 4.2
SEC Reports.
17
Section 4.3
Compliance Certificate.
18
Section 4.4
Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.
18
ARTICLE V. SUCCESSORS
18
Section 5.1
When Company May Merge, Etc.
19
Section 5.2
Successor Corporation Substituted.
19
ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
19




i



 
 
 
 
Section 6.1
Events of Default.
19
Section 6.2
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
21
Section 6.3
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
21
Section 6.4
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
22
Section 6.5
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities
23
Section 6.6
Application of Money Collected.
23
Section 6.7
Limitation on Suits.
23
Section 6.8
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest
24
Section 6.9
Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
24
Section 6.10
Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
24
Section 6.11
Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
24
Section 6.12
Control by Holders.
25
Section 6.13
Waiver of Past Defaults.
25
Section 6.14
Undertaking for Costs.
25
ARTICLE VII. TRUSTEE
26
Section 7.1
Duties of Trustee.
26
Section 7.2
Rights of Trustee.
27
Section 7.3
Individual Rights of Trustee.
28
Section 7.4
Trustee’s Disclaimer.
28
Section 7.5
Notice of Defaults.
28
Section 7.6
Reports by Trustee to Holders.
28
Section 7.7
Compensation and Indemnity.
29
Section 7.8
Replacement of Trustee.
29
Section 7.9
Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
30
Section 7.10
Eligibility; Disqualification.
30
Section 7.11
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company
30
ARTICLE VIII. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
31
Section 8.1
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
31
Section 8.2
Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
32
Section 8.3
Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.
32
Section 8.4
Covenant Defeasance.
34
Section 8.5
Repayment to Company.
35
Section 8.6
Reinstatement.
35
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
35
Section 9.1
Without Consent of Holders.
35
Section 9.2
With Consent of Holders.
36
Section 9.3
Limitations.
37
Section 9.4
Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.
37
Section 9.5
Revocation and Effect of Consents.
37






ii



 
 
 
 
Section 9.6
Notation on or Exchange of Securities.
38
Section 9.7
Trustee Protected.
38
ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS
38
Section 10.1
Trust Indenture Act Controls.
38
Section 10.2
Notices.
39
Section 10.3
Communication by Holders with Other Holders.
40
Section 10.4
Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.
40
Section 10.5
Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
40
Section 10.6
Rules by Trustee and Agents.
40
Section 10.7
Legal Holidays.
40
Section 10.8
No Recourse Against Others.
41
Section 10.9
Counterparts.
41
Section 10.10
Governing Law.
41
Section 10.11
No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
41
Section 10.12
Successors.
41
Section 10.13
Severability.
41
Section 10.14
Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.
41
Section 10.15
Securities in a Foreign Currency.
42
Section 10.16
Judgment Currency.
42
ARTICLE XI. SINKING FUNDS
43
Section 11.1
Applicability of Article.
43
Section 11.2
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
43
Section 11.3
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
44
ARTICLE XII. GUARANTEE
44
Section 12.1
Unconditional Guarantee.
44
Section 12.2
Execution and Delivery of Notation of Guarantee.
45
Section 12.3
Limitation on Guarantors’ Liability.
46
Section 12.4
Release of Guarantors from Guarantee.
46

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A    Form of Notation of Guarantee


iii



AMERICAN ASSETS TRUST, L.P.
Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and Indenture,
dated as of_____ __, 20__

Section 310
(a)(1)
7.10
 
(a)(2)
7.10
 
(a)(3)
Not Applicable
 
(a)(4)
Not Applicable
 
(a)(5)
7.10
 
(b)
7.10
Section 311
(a)
7.11
 
(b)
7.11
 
(c)
Not Applicable
Section 312
(a)
2.6
 
(b)
10.3
 
(c)
10.3
Section 313
(a)
7.6
 
(b)(1)
7.6
 
(b)(2)
7.6
 
(c)(1)
7.6
 
(d)
7.6
Section 314
(a)
4.2, 10.5
 
(b)
Not Applicable
 
(c)(1)
10.4
 
(c)(2)
10.4
 
(c)(3)
Not Applicable
 
(d)
Not Applicable
 
(e)
10.5
 
(f)
Not Applicable
Section 315
(a)
7.1
 
(b)
7.5
 
(c)
7.1
 
(d)
7.1
 
(e)
6.14
Section 316
(a)
2.10
 
(a)(1)(a)
6.12
 
(a)(1)(b)
6.13
 
(b)
6.8
Section 317
(a)(1)
6.3
 
(a)(2)
6.4
 
(b)
2.5
Section 318
(a)
10.1
________________
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.






Indenture dated as of _______ ___, 20__ among American Assets Trust, L.P., a Maryland limited partnership (the “Company”), the Guarantors (as defined herein) party hereto and _________, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.

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ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.1    Definitions.
“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.
“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company’s General Partner or any duly authorized committee thereof.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York (or in connection with any payment, the place of payment) on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
“Capital Stock” means (a) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock; (b) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated and whether or not voting) of corporate stock, including each class of common stock and preferred stock of such person; and (c) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership or membership interests (whether general or limited).
“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business related to this Indenture shall be principally administered.
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depositary for such Series by the Company, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any

2



time there is more than one such person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of such Series.
“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of The United States of America.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of the United States of America, including the Euro.
“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.
“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depositary for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.
“Guarantor” means each person that executes this Indenture as a guarantor and its respective successors and assigns, in each case until the Guarantee of such person has been released in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture; provided, however, that such person shall be a Guarantor only with respect to a Series of Securities for which such person has executed a Notation of Guarantee with respect to such Series.
“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered.
“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented, from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.
“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
“Notation of Guarantee” means a notation, substantially in the form of Exhibit A, executed by a Guarantor and affixed to each Security of any Series to which the Guarantee of such Guarantor under Article XII of this Indenture applies.

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“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and any Vice President of the Company.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.
“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.
“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office having responsibility for administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.
“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.
“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are direct obligations of, or guaranteed by, The United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged and which are

4



not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depositary receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.
Section 1.2    Other Definitions.
TERM
DEFINED IN SECTION
 
 
 
 
 
“Bankruptcy Law”
6.1
“Custodian”
6.1
“Guarantee”
12.1(b)
“Event of Default”
6.1
“Judgment Currency”
10.16
“Legal Holiday”
10.7
“mandatory sinking fund payment”
11.1
“Market Exchange Rate”
10.15
“New York Banking Day”
10.16
“Notice Agent”
2.4
“optional sinking fund payment”
11.1
“Paying Agent”
2.4
“Registrar”
2.4
“Required Currency”
10.6
 “successor person”
5.1
Section 1.3    Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
“indenture securities” means the Securities.
“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

5



All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.
Section 1.4    Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)    a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(b)    an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(c)    “or” is not exclusive;
(d)    words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and
(e)    provisions apply to successive events and transactions.
ARTICLE II.
THE SECURITIES
Section 2.1    Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officer’s Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
Section 2.2    Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.
At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2.1 and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.23) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate:
2.2.1    the title (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series) and ranking (including the terms of any subordination provisions) of the Series;
2.2.2    the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;
2.2.3    any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon

6



registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);
2.2.4    the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;
2.2.5    the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
2.2.6    the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
2.2.7    if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
2.2.8    the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
2.2.9    the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;
2.2.10    if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;
2.2.11    the forms of the Securities of the Series and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities;
2.2.12    if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
2.2.13    the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
2.2.14    the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;
2.2.15    if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;

7



2.2.16    the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined byreference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
2.2.17    the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series or the Guarantees;
2.2.18    any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;
2.2.19    any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;
2.2.20    any Depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;
2.2.21    the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of such Series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price, the conversion or exchange period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, at the option of the Holders thereof or at the option of the Company, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange if such Series of Securities are redeemed;
2.2.22    any other terms of the Series (which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series), including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that Series; and
2.2.23    whether the Securities of such Series are entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee of any Guarantor pursuant to this Indenture, whether any such Guarantee shall be made on a senior or subordinated basis and, if applicable, a description of the subordination terms of any such Guarantee.
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate referred to above.
Section 2.3    Execution and Authentication.
Any Officer shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual or facsimile signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

8



The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officer’s Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice presidents or a committee of Responsible Officers shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
Section 2.4    Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered (“Notice Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional notice agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional notice agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Notice Agent” includes any additional notice agent. The Company or any of its Affiliates may serve as Registrar or Paying Agent.

9



The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.
Section 2.5    Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities.
Section 2.6    Securityholder Lists.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.
Section 2.7    Transfer and Exchange.
Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business 15 days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.
Section 2.8    Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

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If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or indemnity bond as may be required by each of them to hold itself and any of its agents harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 2.9    Outstanding Securities.
The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
The Company may purchase or otherwise acquire the Securities, whether by open market purchases, negotiated transactions or otherwise. A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security (but see Section 2.10 below).
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the

11



amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
Section 2.10    Treasury Securities.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11    Temporary Securities.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon receipt of a Company Order shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.
Section 2.12    Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy such canceled Securities (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act and the Trustee) and deliver a certificate of such cancellation to the Company upon written request of the Company. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.13    Defaulted Interest.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least ten days before the special record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.
Section 2.14    Global Securities.
2.14.1    Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities.
2.14.2    Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depositary for

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such Security or its nominee only if (a) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event or (b) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.
Except as provided in this Section 2.14.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depositary, by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.
2.14.3    Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depositary or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.”
2.14.4    Acts of Holders. The Depositary, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.
2.14.5    Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.
2.14.6    Consents, Declaration and Directions. The Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depositary or by the applicable procedures of the Depositary with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.
Section 2.15    CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.


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ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION
Section 3.1    Notice to Trustee.
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 15 days before the redemption date (or such shorter period as may be acceptable to the Trustee).
Section 3.2    Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed in any manner that the Trustee deems fair and appropriate, including by lot or other method, unless otherwise required by law or applicable stock exchange requirements, subject, in the case of Global Securities, to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities of the Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2.10, the minimum principal denomination for each Series and the authorized integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption.
Section 3.3    Notice of Redemption.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, at least 15 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
(a)    the redemption date;
(b)    the redemption price;
(c)    the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(d)    if any Securities are being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date and upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Security shall be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Security;
(e)    that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

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(f)    that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
(g)    the CUSIP number, if any; and
(h)    any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.
At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense, provided, however, that the Company has delivered to the Trustee, at least five days (unless a shorter time shall be acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the notice date, an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice.
Section 3.4    Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once notice of redemption is mailed as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. Except as otherwise provided in the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate for a Series, a notice of redemption may not be conditional. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date.
Section 3.5    Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.
Section 3.6    Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
ARTICLE IV.
COVENANTS

Section 4.1    Payment of Principal and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture. On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the applicable payment date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of each Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
Section 4.2    SEC Reports.
The Company shall, so long as any Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations

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prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a). Reports, information and documents filed with the SEC via the EDGAR system will be deemed to be delivered to the Trustee as of the time of such filing via EDGAR for purposes of this Section 4.2.
Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under this Section 4.2 are for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive or actual notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).
Section 4.3    Compliance Certificate.
The Company and each Guarantor (to the extent that such Guarantor is so required under the TIA) shall, so long as any Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officer’s Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officer with a view to determining whether the Company and any Guarantor has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of such Officer’s knowledge the Company and any Guarantor has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which such Officer may have knowledge).
The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, promptly upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 4.4    Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
ARTICLE V.
SUCCESSORS

Section 5.1    When Company May Merge, Etc.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”) unless:
(i)    the Company is the surviving entity or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S.

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domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture;
(j)    immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(k)    if the Company is not the successor person, then each Guarantor, unless it has become the successor person, shall confirm that its Guarantee shall continue to apply to the obligations under the Securities and this Indenture to the same extent as prior to such merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, as applicable.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officer’s Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.
Notwithstanding the above, any Subsidiary of the Company may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to the Company. Neither an Officer’s Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered in connection therewith.
Section 5.2    Successor Corporation Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
ARTICLE VI.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.1    Events of Default.
“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(a)    default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the 30th day of such period); or
(b)    default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; or
(c)    default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than defaults pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above or pursuant to a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or

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certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or
(d)    the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(i)    commences a voluntary case,
(ii)    consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
(iii)    consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,
(iv)    makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
(v)    generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or
(e)    a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(i)    is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,
(ii)    appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or
(iii)    orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or
(f)    any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.
The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
Section 6.2    Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(d) or (e)), then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter

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in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration, if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.3    Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if
(a)    default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(b)    default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or
(c)    default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of a Security,
then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
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, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 6.4    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

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(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 6.5    Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 6.6    Application of Money Collected.
Any money or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and
Third: To the Company or the Guarantors, as applicable.
Section 6.7    Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

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(a)    such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;
(b)    the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c)    such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Trustee in compliance with such request;
(d)    the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e)    no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;
it being understood, intended and expressly covenanted by the Holder of every Security with every other Holder and the Trustee that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders of the applicable Series.
Section 6.8    Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.9    Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 6.10    Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

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Section 6.11    Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 6.12    Control by Holders.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that
(a)    such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,
(b)    the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction,
(c)    subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability, and
(d)    prior to taking any action as directed under this Section 6.12, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
Section 6.13    Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.14    Undertaking for Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding

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Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).
ARTICLE VII.
TRUSTEE

Section 7.1    Duties of Trustee.
(a)    If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(b)    Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(i)    The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others.
(ii)    In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the form requirements of this Indenture.
(c)    The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(vi)    This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.
(vii)    The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(viii)    The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series in accordance with Section 6.12.
(d)    Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.
(e)    The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power.

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(f)    The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
(g)    No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if adequate indemnity against such risk is not assured to the Trustee to its reasonable satisfaction.
(h)    The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections and immunities as are set forth in paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of this Section, each with respect to the Trustee.
Section 7.2    Rights of Trustee.
(d)    The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(e)    Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate.
(f)    The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depositary shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depositary.
(g)    The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute willful misconduct or negligence.
(h)    The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without willful misconduct or negligence, and in reliance thereon.
(i)    The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(j)    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.
(k)    The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture.


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Section 7.3    Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
Section 7.4    Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.
Section 7.5    Notice of Defaults.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.
Section 7.6    Reports by Trustee to Holders.
Within 60 days after each anniversary of the date of this Indenture, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such anniversary date, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA Section 313.
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each national securities exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing when Securities of any Series are listed on any national securities exchange.
Section 7.7    Compensation and Indemnity.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any cost, expense or liability, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations under this Section 7.7 except to the extent that the Company suffers actual prejudice as a result of such failure. The Company shall defend the

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claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through willful misconduct or negligence.
To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture.
Section 7.8    Replacement of Trustee.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:
(a)    the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(b)    the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;
(c)    a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(d)    the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to

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the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it for actions taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with its rights, powers and duties under this Indenture prior to such replacement.
Section 7.9    Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee, subject to Section 7.10.
Section 7.10    Eligibility; Disqualification.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b).
Section 7.11    Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.
ARTICLE VIII.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

Section 8.1    Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(l)    either
(i)    all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii)    all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(1)    have become due and payable, or
(2)    will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

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(3)    have been called for redemption or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or
(4)    are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable;
and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount of money or U.S. Government Obligations sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;
(m)    the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(n)    the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.
If the Company exercises the satisfaction and discharge provisions in compliance with this Indenture with respect to Securities of a particular Series that are entitled to the benefit of the Guarantee of any Guarantor, the Guarantee will terminate with respect to that Series of Securities.
Section 8.2    Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
(a)    Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Section 8.3 or 8.4.
(b)    The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.
(c)    The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Order any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Section 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose

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for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.
Section 8.3    Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.
Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2, to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect and any Guarantee will terminate with respect to that Series of Securities (and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, execute instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
(a)    the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;
(b)    the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and
(c)    the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith;
provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(d)    the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;
(e)    such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit (and any similar concurrent deposit related to other indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary) and the granting of liens to secure such borrowings);

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(f)    no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;
(g)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;
(h)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(i)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Section 8.4    Covenant Defeasance.
Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2.18 and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(a)    With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;
(b)    Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound

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(other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit (and any similar concurrent deposit related to other indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary) and the granting of liens to secure such borrowings);
(c)    No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;
(d)    The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred;
(e)    The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(f)    The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Section 8.5    Repayment to Company.
Subject to applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.
Section 8.6    Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money deposited with respect to Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 8.1 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series and under the Securities of such Series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.1 until such time as the Trustee or the Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.1; provided, however, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent after payment in full to the Holders.

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ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

Section 9.1    Without Consent of Holders.
The Company, any Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder:
(d)    to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
(e)    to comply with Article V;
(f)    to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(g)    to surrender any of the Company’s rights or powers under this Indenture;
(h)    to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of Securities of any Series;
(i)    to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;
(j)    to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;
(k)    to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;
(l)    to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee;
(m)    to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(n)    to reflect the release of any Guarantor in accordance with Article XII; or
(o)    to add Guarantors with respect to any or all of the Securities or to secure any or all of the Securities or the Guarantees.
Section 9.2    With Consent of Holders.
The Company, any Guarantors and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.


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It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.3    Limitations.
Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:
(g)    reduce the principal amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(h)    reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;
(i)    reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;
(j)    reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;
(k)    waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
(l)    make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;
(m)    make any change in Section 6.8, 6.13 or 9.3 (this sentence);
(n)    waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, provided that such redemption is made at the Company’s option; or
(o)    if the Securities of that Series are entitled to the benefit of the Guarantee, release any Guarantor of such Series other than as provided in this Indenture or modify the Guarantee in any manner adverse to the Holders.
Section 9.4    Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.
Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

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Section 9.5    Revocation and Effect of Consents.
Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.
Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.
The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the second immediately preceding paragraph, those persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or take any such action, whether or not such persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date.
Section 9.6    Notation on or Exchange of Securities.
The Company or the Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
Section 9.7    Trustee Protected.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures upon delivery of such an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights.

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ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS

Section 10.1    Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 10.2    Notices.
Any notice or communication by the Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:
if to the Company or any Guarantor:

American Assets Trust, L.P.
11455 El Camino Real, Suite 200
San Diego, California 92130
Facsimile:    (858) 350-2620
Attention:     General Counsel


with a copy to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
12670 High Bluff Drive
San Diego, California 92130
Facsimile:    (858) 523-5450
Attention:     Michael E. Sullivan
if to the Trustee:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Facsimile:
 
Attention:
 

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The Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.
If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.
If the Company or any Guarantor mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption) to a Holder of a Global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee) pursuant to the customary procedures of such Depositary.
Section 10.3    Communication by Holders with Other Holders.
Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).
Section 10.4    Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(a)    an Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(b)    an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
Section 10.5    Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:
(e)    a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(f)    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;

36



(g)    a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(h)    a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 10.6    Rules by Trustee and Agents.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 10.7    Legal Holidays.
Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Section 10.8    No Recourse Against Others.
A director, officer, employee or stockholder (past or present), as such, of the Company or any Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities, the Guarantee or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
Section 10.9    Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Section 10.10    Governing Law.
THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE INDENTURE OR THE SECURITIES, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAWS PROVISIONS THEREOF OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW).
Section 10.11    No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

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Section 10.12    Successors.
All agreements of the Company and the Guarantors in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind their respective successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 10.13    Severability.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 10.14    Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.
The Table of Contents, Cross Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 10.15    Securities in a Foreign Currency.
Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in more than one currency, then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be determined by converting any such other currency into a currency that is designated upon issuance of any particular Series of Securities. Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, such conversion shall be at the spot rate for the purchase of the designated currency as published in The Financial Times in the “Currency Rates” section (or, if The Financial Times is no longer published, or if such information is no longer available in The Financial Times, such source as may be selected in good faith by the Company) on any date of determination. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
All decisions and determinations provided for in the preceding paragraph shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Trustee and all Holders.
Section 10.16    Judgment Currency.
The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could

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purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
ARTICLE XI.
SINKING FUNDS

Section 11.1    Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series if so provided by the terms of such Securities pursuant to Section 2.2, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.
Section 11.2    Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officer’s Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held

39



by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.
Section 11.3    Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
ARTICLE XII.
GUARANTEE

Section 12.1    Unconditional Guarantee.
(f)    Notwithstanding any provision of this Article XII to the contrary, the provisions of this Article XII shall be applicable only to, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Securities of any Series designated, pursuant to Section 2.2.23, as entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee of each Guarantor identified in such designation and that has executed a Notation of Guarantee with respect to such Series.
(g)    For value received, each Guarantor hereby jointly and severally, fully, unconditionally and absolutely guarantees (the “Guarantee”) to the Holders and to the Trustee the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on each Series of Securities for which such Guarantor has executed a Notation of Guarantee with respect to such Series and all other amounts due and payable under this Indenture and the Securities of such Series by the Company, when and as such principal and interest shall become due and payable, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, according to the terms of such Securities and this Indenture, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 12.3.
(h)    Failing payment when due of any amount guaranteed pursuant to the Guarantee, for whatever reason, each of the Guarantors will be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. Each of the Guarantors hereby agrees that its obligations hereunder shall be full, unconditional and absolute, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Securities, the Guarantee (including the Guarantee of any other Guarantor) or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Securities with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the

40



recovery of any judgment against the Company or any other Guarantor, or any action to enforce the same or any other circumstances which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of any of the Guarantors. Each Guarantor hereby agrees that in the event of a default in payment of the principal of or interest on the Securities entitled to the Guarantee of such Guarantor, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, legal proceedings may be instituted by the Trustee on behalf of the Holders or, subject to Section 6.7, by the Holders, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Indenture, directly against such Guarantor to enforce the Guarantee without first proceeding against the Company or any other Guarantor.
(i)    Each Guarantor hereby (i) waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of the merger, insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any of the Guarantors, and all demands whatsoever and (ii) acknowledges that any agreement, instrument or document evidencing the Guarantee may be transferred and that the benefit of its obligations hereunder shall extend to each holder of any agreement, instrument or document evidencing the Guarantee without notice to it. Each Guarantor further agrees that if at any time all or any part of any payment theretofore applied by any person to the Guarantee is, or must be, rescinded or returned for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation, the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or any of the Guarantors, the Guarantee shall, to the extent that such payment is or must be rescinded or returned, be deemed to have continued in existence notwithstanding such application, and the Guarantee shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, as though such application had not been made.
(j)    Each Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights of the Holders and the Trustee against the Company in respect of any amounts paid by such Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture; provided, however, that such Guarantor shall not be entitled to enforce or to receive any payments arising out of, or based upon, such right of subrogation until all of the Securities entitled to the Guarantee of such Guarantor and the Guarantee shall have been paid in full or discharged.
Section 12.2    Execution and Delivery of Notation of Guarantee.
To evidence the Guarantee of a Guarantor of a Series of Securities, a Notation of Guarantee, executed by either manual or facsimile signature of an Officer of such Guarantor, shall be affixed on each Security entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee of such Guarantor. If any Officer of any Guarantor whose signature is on a Notation of Guarantee no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates a Security to which such Notation of Guarantee is affixed or at any time thereafter, the Guarantee of such Security shall be valid nevertheless. The delivery of any Security by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of any Guarantee relating to such Security set forth in the Indenture on behalf of the Guarantor.
Section 12.3    Limitation on Guarantors’ Liability.
Each Guarantor by its acceptance hereof and each Holder of Security entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the guarantee by such Guarantor pursuant to the Guarantee not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of any federal or state law. To effectuate the foregoing intention, each Holder of a Security entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee and each Guarantor hereby irrevocably agrees that the obligations of each Guarantor under the Guarantee shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor and to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under the Guarantee, not result in the obligations of such Guarantor under the Guarantee constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law.

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Section 12.4    Release of Guarantors from Guarantee.
(a)    Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Guarantee of any Guarantor may be released upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Section 8.1, Section 8.3 and this Section 12.4. Provided that no Default shall have occurred and shall be continuing under this Indenture, the Guarantee incurred by a Guarantor pursuant to this Article XII shall be unconditionally released and discharged (i) automatically upon (A) any sale, exchange or transfer, whether by way of merger or otherwise, to any person that is not an Affiliate of the Company, of all of the Company’s direct or indirect equity interests in such Guarantor (provided such sale, exchange or transfer is not prohibited by this Indenture) or (B) the merger of such Guarantor into the Company or any other Guarantor or the liquidation and dissolution of such Guarantor (in each case to the extent not prohibited by this Indenture) or (ii) with respect to any Series of Securities, upon the occurrence of any other condition set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate establishing the terms of such Series.
(b)    Upon receipt of a written request of the Company accompanied by an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel to the effect that any Guarantor is entitled to release from the Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing the release of such Guarantor from the Guarantee. Any Guarantor not so released shall remain liable for the full amount of principal of and interest on the Securities entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee as provided in this Indenture, subject to the limitations of Section 12.3.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
American Assets Trust, L.P.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name:
 
 
 
 
 
Title:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
, as a Guarantor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name:
 
 
 
 
 
Title:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[Trustee]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name:
 
 
 
 
 
Title:
 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO INDENTURE






EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF]
NOTATION OF GUARANTEE
Each Guarantor signing below has fully, unconditionally and absolutely guaranteed, to the extent set forth in the Indenture and subject to the provisions in the Indenture, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on the Securities to which this notation is affixed and all other amounts due and payable under the Indenture and the Securities to which this notation is affixed by the Company.
The obligations of such Guarantor to the Holders of Securities to which this notation is affixed and to the Trustee pursuant to the Guarantee and the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article XII of the Indenture and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for the precise terms of the Guarantee.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[NAME OF GUARANTOR(S)]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
 
 
 
 
 
Name:
 
 
 
 
Title:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Exhibit

Exhibit 5.1

https://cdn.kscope.io/7a372802e2d2b9efd3cb9fd0acdcb288-lwa05.jpg
355 South Grand Avenue, Suite 100
Los Angeles, California 90071-1560
Tel: +1.213.485.1234 Fax: +1.213.891.8763
www.lw.com
 
FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
 
Barcelona
Moscow
 
Beijing
Munich
 
Boston
New York
February 6, 2018
Brussels
Orange County


Century City
Paris
 
Chicago
Riyadh
 
Dubai
Rome
 
Düsseldorf
San Diego
 
Frankfurt
San Francisco
 
Hamburg
Seoul
American Assets Trust, Inc.
Hong Kong
Shanghai
American Assets Trust, L.P.
Houston
Silicon Valley
11455 El Camino Real, Suite 200
London
Singapore
San Diego, California 92130
Los Angeles
Tokyo
 
Madrid
Washington, D.C.


Re:
American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P.
Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to American Assets Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and American Assets Trust, L.P., a Maryland limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), in connection with the filing on the date hereof with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”).
You have provided us with a draft of the Registration Statement in the form in which it will be filed, which includes a base prospectus (the “Prospectus”). The Prospectus provides that it will be supplemented in the future by one or more supplements to the Prospectus (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”). The Registration Statement registers, among other things, the offering (i) by the Operating Partnership of one or more series of debt securities (the “Operating Partnership Debt Securities”) to be issued pursuant to an indenture in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (as may be supplemented from time to time, the “Operating Partnership Indenture”), and (ii) by the Company of guarantees of the Operating Partnership Debt Securities (the “Guarantees”).
This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S‑K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to




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the contents of the Registration Statement or related Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Operating Partnership Debt Securities and the Guarantees.
As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company, the Operating Partnership and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the internal laws of the State of New York, and we express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the laws of any other jurisdiction or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state. Various issues concerning the Maryland General Corporation Law and the internal laws of the State of Maryland are addressed in the opinion of Venable LLP, separately provided to you. We express no opinion with respect to those matters herein, and to the extent elements of those opinions are necessary to the conclusions expressed herein, we have, with your consent, assumed such matters.
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:
1. When the Operating Partnership Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary limited partnership action of the Operating Partnership and corporate action of the Company and duly executed and delivered by the Operating Partnership and the Company, and when the specific terms of a particular Operating Partnership Debt Security have been duly established in accordance with the Operating Partnership Indenture and authorized by all necessary limited partnership action of the Operating Partnership, and such Operating Partnership Debt Security has been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment therefor, and when the Guarantees of such Operating Partnership Debt Security have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with the Operating Partnership Indenture and, in each case, in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus and the applicable Prospectus Supplement(s) and by such limited partnership and corporate action, as applicable, such Operating Partnership Debt Security and Guarantees will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Operating Partnership and the Company, respectively, enforceable against the Operating Partnership and the Company in accordance with their respective terms.
Our opinion is subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, preference, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief), concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the discretion of the court before which a proceeding is brought; (iii) the invalidity under certain circumstances under law or court decisions of provisions providing for the indemnification of or contribution to a party with respect to a liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy; and (iv) we express no opinion as to (a) any provision for liquidated





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damages, default interest, late charges, monetary penalties, make-whole premiums or other economic remedies to the extent such provisions are deemed to constitute a penalty, (b) consents to, or restrictions upon, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, arbitration, remedies or judicial relief, (c) waivers of rights or defenses, (d) any provision requiring the payment of attorneys’ fees, where such payment is contrary to law or public policy, (e) any provision permitting, upon acceleration of any Operating Partnership Debt Security, collection of that portion of the stated principal amount thereof which might be determined to constitute unearned interest thereon, (f) the creation, validity, attachment, perfection, or priority of any lien or security interest, (g) advance waivers of claims, defenses, rights granted by law, or notice, opportunity for hearing, evidentiary requirements, statutes of limitation, trial by jury or at law, or other procedural rights, (h) waivers of broadly or vaguely stated rights, (i) provisions for exclusivity, election or cumulation of rights or remedies, (j) provisions authorizing or validating conclusive or discretionary determinations, (k) grants of setoff rights, (l) proxies, powers and trusts, (m) provisions prohibiting, restricting, or requiring consent to assignment or transfer of any right or property, (n) provisions purporting to make a guarantor primarily liable rather than as a surety, (o) provisions purporting to waive modifications of any guaranteed obligation to the extent such modification constitutes a novation, (p) any provision to the extent it requires that a claim with respect to a security denominated in other than U.S. dollars (or a judgment in respect of such a claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange at a particular date, to the extent applicable law otherwise provides, and (q) the severability, if invalid, of provisions to the foregoing effect.

With your consent, we have assumed (i) that the Operating Partnership Indenture, the Operating Partnership Debt Securities, the Guarantees and any related supplemental indenture or officers’ certificate establishing the terms thereof (collectively, the “Documents”) will be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, (ii) that each of the Documents will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto, (iii) that each of the Documents will constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto other than the Operating Partnership and the Company, as applicable, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms, and (iv) that the status of each of the Documents as legally valid and binding obligations of the parties will not be affected by any (a) breaches of, or defaults under, agreements or instruments, (b) violations of statutes, rules, regulations or court or governmental orders, or (c) failures to obtain required consents, approvals or authorizations from, or to make required registrations, declarations or filings with, governmental authorities.





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This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm contained in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 
Very truly yours,
 
 
 
/s/ Latham & Watkins LLP





Exhibit

Exhibit 5.2




February 6, 2018


American Assets Trust, Inc.
American Assets Trust, L.P.
11455 El Camino Real, Suite 200
San Diego, California 92130


Re:    Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have served as Maryland counsel to American Assets Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and American Assets Trust, L.P., a Maryland limited partnership (the “Partnership”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law arising out of the registration on a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (together with all amendments thereto, the “Registration Statement”) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the offering and sale of (collectively, the “Securities”): (a) debt securities of the Partnership (the “Debt Securities”) and (b) guarantees by the Company of the obligations of the Partnership under the Debt Securities (the “Guarantees”).
In connection with our representation of the Company and the Partnership, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Documents”):
1.The Registration Statement and the related form of prospectus included therein in the form in which it was transmitted to the Commission for filing under the Securities Act;
2.The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);
3.The Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
4.The Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, certified by the SDAT;



American Assets Trust, Inc.
American Assets Trust, L.P.
February 6, 2018
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5.The Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Partnership;
6.A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of each of the Company and the Partnership, dated as of a recent date;
7.Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), acting in its own capacity and in its capacity as the sole general partner of the Partnership, relating to, among other matters, the registration and issuance of the Securities (the “Resolutions”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
8.A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and
9.Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.
In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:
1.Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.
2.Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company or the Partnership) is duly authorized to do so.
3.Each of the parties (other than the Company or the Partnership) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.
4.All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.
5.The issuance, and certain terms, of the Guarantees to be issued by the Company from time to time will be authorized and approved by the Board, or a duly authorized committee thereof, in accordance with the Resolutions, the Maryland General Corporation Law





American Assets Trust, Inc.
American Assets Trust, L.P.
February 6, 2018
Page 3

(the “MGCL”), the Charter and the Bylaws (such approval referred to herein as the “Corporate Proceedings”).
6.The issuance of, and certain terms of, the Debt Securities to be issued by the Partnership from time to time will be authorized and approved by the Board, or a duly authorized committee thereof, acting in the Company’s capacity as sole general partner of the Partnership, in accordance with the Resolutions, the MGCL, the Charter, the Bylaws and the Partnership Agreement (such approvals referred to herein as the “Partnership Proceedings”).
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:
1.The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT. The Partnership is a limited partnership duly formed and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.
2.Upon the completion of all Corporate Proceedings, the issuance of the Guarantees will be duly authorized.
3.Upon the completion of all Partnership Proceedings, the issuance of the Debt Securities will be duly authorized.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of any federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.
This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act.
 
Very truly yours,
 
 
 
/s/ Venable LLP





Exhibit


Exhibit 12.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
American Assets Trust, Inc.
Calculation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges
(in thousands, except ratios)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For the Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Calculations of Earnings:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Add:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations before adjustments for equity investees
 
46,203
 
 
54,210
 
 
31,605
 
 
23,239
 
 
14,965
 
Fixed charges (including discontinued operations)
 
55,713
 
 
62,801
 
 
64,397
 
 
62,809
 
 
61,213
 
Distributed income of equity investees
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
Subtract:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest capitalized
 
1,551
 
 
7,569
 
 
5,490
 
 
2,113

 
 
752

 
Total earnings
 
100,365
 
 
109,442
 
 
90,512
 
 
83,935
 
 
75,426
 
Fixed charges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest expenses and capitalized
 
55,038
 
 
62,398
 
 
63,946
 
 
62,246
 
 
60,547
 
Interest portion of rent expense
 
676
 
 
403
 
 
451
 
 
563
 
 
666
 
Total fixed charges
 
55,714
 
 
62,801
 
 
64,397
 
 
62,809
 
 
61,213
 
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
 
1.8
 
 
1.7
 
 
1.4
 
 
1.3
 
 
1.2
 






Exhibit 12.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
American Assets Trust, L.P.
Calculation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges
(in thousands, except ratios)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For the Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Calculations of Earnings:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Add:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations before adjustments for equity investees
 
46,203
 
 
54,210
 
 
31,605
 
 
23,239
 
 
14,965
 
Fixed charges (including discontinued operations)
 
55,713
 
 
62,801
 
 
64,397
 
 
62,809
 
 
61,213
 
Distributed income of equity investees
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
Subtract:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest capitalized
 
1,551
 
 
7,569
 
 
5,490
 
 
2,113

 
 
752

 
Total earnings
 
100,365
 
 
109,442
 
 
90,512
 
 
83,935
 
 
75,426
 
Fixed charges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest expenses and capitalized
 
55,038
 
 
62,398
 
 
63,946
 
 
62,246
 
 
60,547
 
Interest portion of rent expense
 
676
 
 
403
 
 
451
 
 
563
 
 
666
 
Total fixed charges
 
55,714
 
 
62,801
 
 
64,397
 
 
62,809
 
 
61,213
 
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
 
1.8
 
 
1.7
 
 
1.4
 
 
1.3
 
 
1.2
 







Exhibit


Exhibit 23.3

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
for American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P.

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Experts" in this Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P. for the registration of (1) American Assets Trust, Inc.’s guarantees of debt securities and (2) American Assets Trust, L.P.’s debt securities and to the incorporation by reference therein of our reports dated February 17, 2017, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P., and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of American Assets Trust, Inc., included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 
 
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
 
 
 
 
 
 
San Diego, California
February 5, 2018
 
 




Exhibit


Exhibit 23.4

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditor for Pacific Ridge Apartments
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Experts" in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of American Assets Trust, Inc. and American Assets Trust, L.P. for the registration of (1) American Assets Trust, Inc.’s guarantees of debt securities and (2) American Assets Trust, L.P.’s debt securities and to the incorporation by reference therein of our report dated June 28, 2017, with respect to the statement of revenues over certain operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2016 of Pacific Ridge Apartments included in American Assets Trust, Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K/A dated June 28, 2017, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 
 
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
 
 
 
 
 
 
San Diego, California
February 5, 2018