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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 25, 2024

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Ryerson Holding Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   26-1251524

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

227 W. Monroe St., 27th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60606

(312) 292-5000

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

 

 

Mark S. Silver

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer

Ryerson Holding Corporation

227 W. Monroe St., 27th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60606

(312) 292-5000

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

 

 

Copies to:

Cristopher Greer, Esq.

Thomas Sharkey, Esq.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

(212) 728-8000

Facsimile: (212) 728-8111

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

 


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PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Debt Securities

Units

Subscription Rights

 

 

and

3,924,478 Shares of Common Stock Offered by the Selling Stockholders

 

 

From time to time, we may offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, either individually or in combination. We may offer these securities in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of offering. The securities may be sold directly to you, through agents, or through underwriters and dealers. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell the securities, their name and a description of their compensation will be set forth in a prospectus supplement.

This prospectus describes the general terms of our common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities, units and subscription rights and the general manner in which such securities may be offered. We will describe the specific manner in which these securities will be offered in supplements to this prospectus, which may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in the securities.

In addition, selling stockholders named in this prospectus may also offer and sell up to 3,924,478 shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, from time to time. The registration of the common stock of the selling stockholders does not necessarily mean that any of the common stock will be offered or sold by the selling stockholders. For information on the selling stockholders, please see the section entitled “Selling Stockholders” beginning on page 19 of this prospectus.

The common stock may be offered from time to time by the selling stockholders in any manner described under the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 21 of this prospectus. The selling stockholders may sell the common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares of common stock are traded or in private transactions, at fixed or negotiated prices, directly to purchasers or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, who may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the selling stockholders, but we will incur expenses in connection with the offering.

Our common stock currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “RYI.” On January 24, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $33.40 per share.

 

 

Investing in the securities involves a high degree of risk. Please carefully read the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6 of this prospectus and any other risk factors included in any accompanying prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement for a discussion of the factors you should carefully consider before deciding to purchase the securities.

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 January 25, 2024.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1  

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     2  

SUMMARY

     4  

RISK FACTORS

     6  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     6  

SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

     6  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     6  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     11  

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

     12  

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

     16  

DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

     17  

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     19  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     21  

LEGAL MATTERS

     24  

EXPERTS

     24  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     24  

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     25  

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the 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 (the “Securities Act”), using a “shelf” registration process for the delayed offering and sale of securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Under this shelf registration statement, we may, from time to time, offer and sell, either individually or in combination, in one or more offerings, any combination of the securities described in this prospectus. In addition, under this shelf registration statement, the selling stockholders may, from time to time, offer or sell up to 3,924,478 shares of our common stock. Because we are a well-known seasoned issuer, we may add to and offer additional securities, including securities held by stockholders, by filing a prospectus supplement with the SEC at the time of the offer.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we and the selling stockholders may offer. Each time we and/or the selling stockholders offer securities under this prospectus, if required by applicable law, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering (and, when applicable, the selling stockholders). The prospectus supplement, or information incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement that is of a more recent date, may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. To the extent that any statement that we make in a prospectus supplement is inconsistent with statements made in this prospectus, the statements made in this prospectus will be deemed modified or superseded by those made in the prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.” We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If information is given or representations are made, you may not rely on that information or representation as having been authorized by us. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities other than the securities described in such accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.

We are not making any representation to any purchaser regarding the legality of an investment by such purchaser under any legal investment or similar laws or regulations. You should not consider any information in this prospectus to be legal, business or tax advice. You should consult your own attorney, business advisor and tax advisor for legal, business and tax advice regarding an investment in the securities.

Market data used throughout this prospectus and the documents incorporated in this prospectus by reference, including information relating to our relative position in the industries in which we conduct our business, is based on the good faith estimates of our management, which estimates are based upon their review of internal surveys, independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market and industry data presented in this prospectus, our estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.”


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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

(Cautionary Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)

This prospectus contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “objectives,” “goals,” “preliminary,” “range,” “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “estimates,” “will,” “should,” “plans” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may involve significant risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may vary materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Among the factors that significantly impact the metals distribution industry and our business are:

 

   

highly cyclical fluctuations resulting from, among others, seasonality, market uncertainty, and costs of goods sold;

 

   

remaining competitive and maintaining market share in the highly competitive and fragmented metals distribution industry;

 

   

managing the costs of purchased metals relative to the price at which we sell our products during periods of rapid price escalation or deflation;

 

   

the management of inventory and other costs and expenses;

 

   

customer, supplier, and competitor consolidation, bankruptcy, or insolvency;

 

   

the impairment of goodwill that could result from, among other things, volatility in the markets in which we operate;

 

   

the impact of geopolitical events;

 

   

future funding for postretirement employee benefits may require substantial payments from current cash flow;

 

   

the failure to effectively integrate newly acquired operations;

 

   

the regulatory and other operational risks associated with our operations located outside of the United States;

 

   

the ability of management to focus on North American and foreign operations;

 

   

currency fluctuations in the U.S. dollar versus the Canadian dollar, the Chinese renminbi, the Mexican peso, and the Hong Kong dollar;

 

   

the adequacy of our efforts to mitigate cyber security risks and threats;

 

   

reduced production schedules, layoffs or work stoppages by our own, our suppliers’, or customers’ personnel;

 

   

certain employee retirement benefit plans are underfunded and the actual costs could exceed current estimates;

 

   

prolonged disruption of our processing centers;

 

   

the ability to retain and attract management and key personnel;

 

   

our risk management strategies may result in losses;

 

   

the incurrence of substantial costs or liabilities to comply with, or as a result of violations of, environmental laws;

 

   

the impact of new or pending litigation against us;

 

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the risk of product liability claims;

 

   

our indebtedness and the covenants in instruments governing such indebtedness;

 

   

the ability to comply with the terms of our asset-based credit facility; and

 

   

the influence of a single investor group over our policies and operations.

These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various factors, including those set forth in this prospectus under “Risk Factors” and the caption “Industry and Operating Trends” included in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in, or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus. Moreover, we caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. We do not undertake any obligation to revise or publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

 

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SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained or incorporated by reference elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read the entire prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference, carefully before making an investment decision, especially the risks discussed under “Risk Factors” and our audited financial statements and the notes to those financial statements, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. The summary contains forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ based on certain factors, including those set forth in “Risk Factors” and “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

This prospectus relates to, securities that we may issue and sell, and up to 3,924,478 shares of common stock that may be offered and sold from time to time by the selling stockholders named in this prospectus. We are registering the offer and sale of the shares to satisfy certain registration rights we have granted to the selling stockholders pursuant to the terms of an investors rights agreement. See “Selling Stockholders.” We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of such shares held by the selling stockholders hereunder. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Except as otherwise indicated herein or as the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” and “Ryerson” refer to Ryerson Holding Corporation and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, except as expressly stated otherwise or unless the context requires otherwise, and the term “securities” refers collectively to our common stock (including the shares of common stock held by the selling stockholders), preferred stock, warrants, debt securities, units, subscription rights or any combination of the foregoing securities.

The Company

We are one of the largest value-add processors and distributors of industrial metals in North America measured in terms of sales. We have approximately 4,600 employees across 110 facilities in North America and four facilities in China. Through this network we serve approximately 40,000 customers across a wide range of manufacturing end markets. Our customers range from local, independently owned fabricators and machine shops to large, international original equipment manufacturers. We carry a full line of approximately 75,000 products in stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel, and alloy steels and a limited line of nickel and red metals in various shapes and forms. In addition to our metals products, we offer numerous value-added processing and fabrication services, and nearly 80% of the products we sell are processed to meet customer requirements.

Our business strategy includes providing a superior level of customer service and responsiveness, technical services, and inventory management solutions while maintaining low operating costs in order to maximize financial results. Our growth strategy is based on increasing our operating results through organic growth activities and strategic acquisitions.

To that end, we continue to focus on our interconnected network, systems, and enhancing our value-added services and online presence to provide increased access, functionality, and flexibility to our customers. We are using advanced analytics to improve pricing and inventory utilization. Our service centers are strategically located near our customers, which permits us to quickly process and deliver our products and services, often the day after receiving an order. We own, lease, or contract a fleet of tractors and trailers, allowing us to efficiently meet our customers’ delivery demands. Our range of products together with our breadth of services allows us to service a diverse customer base and to create long-term partnerships with our customers and enhances our profitability.

 

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We focus on strategic acquisitions that complement and enhance our product, customer, and geographic diversification. Ryerson’s M&A strategy includes both transformative turnaround acquisitions and value-add, bolt-on acquisitions. Recently, Ryerson has focused on bolt-on acquisitions. In 2023, Ryerson’s acquisitions included BLP Holdings, LLC (“BLP”), Norlen Incorporated (“Norlen”), TSA Processing (“TSA”), and Hudson Tool Steel Corporation (“Hudson”). Based out of Houston, Texas, BLP is comprised of three divisions: Absolute Metal Products, Metal Cutting Specialists, and Houston Water Jet, serving various industries such as oil and gas, aerospace, telecommunications, and structural fabrication. BLP provides complex fabrication services in addition to toll processing, including saw cutting, machining, and water jet cutting. Norlen is a full-service metal fabricator, providing stamping, machining, painting, and additional value-added fabrication services to industries including agriculture, HVAC, and defense. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with five other locations across the Midwest and Southern United States, TSA is a stainless steel and aluminum coil and sheet processor. Hudson is headquartered in Cerritos, California, with an additional two facilities located in the Midwest and Northeast. Hudson is a supplier of tool steels and high-speed, carbon, and alloy steels.

Principal Executive Offices

Our principal executive offices are located at 227 W. Monroe St., 27th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and our telephone number is (312) 292-5000. Our website is located at http://www.ryerson.com. We do not incorporate the information contained on, or accessible through, our corporate website into this prospectus (except for the SEC filings expressly incorporated by reference herein), and such information should not be considered to be part of this prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase the securities.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in the securities involves risk. Prior to making a decision about investing in the securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the SEC, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, as well as any amendment or updates to our risk factors reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, including any applicable prospectus supplement. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, results of operations and financial condition could suffer. In that case, the trading price of the securities could decline, and you could lose all or a part of your investment.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate and working capital purposes. General corporate and working capital purposes may include the repurchase, redemption or repayment of our outstanding indebtedness, capital expenditures, possible acquisitions and any other purposes that may be stated in any prospectus supplement.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the common stock by the selling stockholders.

SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including the initial offering price and the net proceeds to us. Such prospectus supplement, and other offering material, relating to such offer, may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We will also include in the prospectus supplement information, where applicable, about material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the securities and the securities exchange, if any, on which the securities will be listed.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

The following summary describes the material terms of our capital stock. However, you should refer to the actual terms of the capital stock contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and applicable law. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our authorized capital stock consists of 100 million shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 7 million shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, that are undesignated as to series.

As of January 16, 2024, there were 34,030,203 shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding.

Common Stock

The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and are not entitled to cumulative votes with respect to the election of directors. The holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends as may be declared by our Board of Directors out of legally available funds. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of common stock are

 

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entitled to share ratably in all assets that are legally available for distribution after payment of all debts and other liabilities, subject to the prior rights of any holders of preferred stock then outstanding. The holders of common stock have no other preemptive, subscription, redemption, sinking fund or conversion rights. All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. The shares of common stock to be issued upon completion of the offering will also be fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of common stock are subject to, and may be negatively impacted by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock which we may designate and issue in the future. The issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock or could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of holders of common stock. In certain circumstances, such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock.

Preferred Stock

Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our Board of Directors has the authority, without action by our stockholders, to designate and issue any authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock (currently up to 7 million shares) in one or more series and to designate the rights, preferences and privileges of each series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of our common stock. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of preferred stock upon the rights of holders of our common stock until our board determines the specific rights of the holders of preferred stock. However, the effects might include, among other things, restricting dividends on the common stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of the common stock and delaying or preventing a change in control of our common stock without further action by our stockholders. There are not any shares of preferred stock outstanding as of the date hereof.

The particular terms of any series of preferred stock will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering. The rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including dividend rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, retirement and sinking fund provisions and liquidation preferences, if any, of the preferred stock of each series will be fixed or designated pursuant to a certificate of designation adopted by our board of directors or a duly authorized committee of our board of directors. The terms, if any, on which shares of any series of preferred stock are convertible or exchangeable into common stock will also be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering. These terms may include provisions for conversion or exchange, either mandatory, at the option of the holder, or at our option, in which case the number of shares of common stock to be received by the holders of preferred stock would be calculated as of a time and in the manner stated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law

We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder is approved in a prescribed manner. Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Generally, an interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, in the case of affiliates or associates of the corporation, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, owned 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock.

The existence of this provision could have anti-takeover effects with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our Board of Directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock. For these purposes Platinum Equity, LLC (“Platinum”) do not constitute “interested stockholders.”

 

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Stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting in the election of directors. The authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to effect a change of control of our company. The foregoing provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware may have the effect of deterring or discouraging hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control of our company.

Charter and Bylaws Anti-Takeover Provisions

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws each provide that on and following the date that Platinum no longer beneficially owns a majority of the voting power of all of our capital stock, any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of the stockholders may only be taken at such annual or special meeting, and not by written consent without a meeting, if it is properly brought before such annual or special meeting.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our Board of Directors will be divided into three classes of directors, with the number of directors in each class to be as nearly equal as possible. Our classified board staggers terms of the three classes and, following our IPO, was implemented through one, two and three-year terms for the initial three classes, followed in each case by full three-year terms. With a classified board, only one-third of the members of our Board of Directors are elected each year. This classification of directors has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our Board of Directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that the number of directors will be fixed from time to time exclusively pursuant to a resolution adopted by our Board of Directors, but must consist of not less than three directors. This provision prevents stockholders from circumventing the provisions of our classified board.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, on and following the date that Platinum no longer beneficially owns a majority of the voting power of all of our capital stock, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding capital stock, voting together as a single class, is required for the following:

 

   

alteration, amendment or repeal of the staggered Board of Directors provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation; and

 

   

alteration, amendment or repeal of certain provisions of our amended and restated bylaws, including the provisions relating to our stockholders’ ability to call special meetings, notice provisions for stockholder business to be conducted at an annual meeting, requests for stockholder lists and corporate records, nomination and removal of directors and filling of vacancies on our Board of Directors.

As of January 16, 2024, Platinum owned 11.5% of the voting power of all of our capital stock. Therefore, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding capital stock, voting together as a single class, is required for the above.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for the issuance by the Board of Directors of up to 7 million shares of preferred stock, with voting power, designations, preferences and other special rights. The issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock or could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of holders of common stock. In certain circumstances, such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock. Preferred stockholders could also make it more difficult for a third party to acquire our company. No shares of preferred stock are outstanding and we currently have no plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Our amended and restated bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholders to bring matters before annual and special stockholder meetings, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our

 

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Board of Directors. These procedures specify the information stockholders must include in their notice and the timeframe in which they must give us notice. At a special stockholder meeting, stockholders may only consider nominations or proposals specified in the notice of meeting. A special stockholder meeting for any purpose may only be called by our Board of Directors, our Chairman, or our Chief Executive Officer, or, prior to the date that Platinum no longer beneficially owns a majority of the voting power of all of our capital stock, the holders of a majority of the voting power of our then outstanding voting stock.

Our amended and restated bylaws do not give the Board of Directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a meeting. However, our amended and restated bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of that item of business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may discourage or deter a potential third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.

The foregoing provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware may have the effect of deterring or discouraging hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control of the company.

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws limit our directors’ liability to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware corporate law. Specifically, our directors are not liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by a director, except for liability:

 

   

for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

 

   

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware; or

 

   

for any transaction from which a director derives an improper personal benefit.

If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Company shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended.

The provision regarding indemnification of our directors and officers in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will generally not limit liability under state or federal securities laws.

Delaware law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that we will, in certain situations, indemnify any person made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by reason of that person’s former or present official capacity with our company against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses including reasonable attorney’s fees. Any person is also entitled, subject to certain limitations, to payment or reimbursement of reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding. In addition, Ryerson is party to certain indemnification agreements pursuant to which it has agreed to indemnify the employees who are party thereto.

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions may also have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent that, in a class action or direct suit, we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

 

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Transfer Agent and Registrar

Our transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “RYI.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any warrants offered under an applicable prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below as set forth therein. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.

General

We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock and/or preferred stock in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock and/or preferred stock, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.

We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue under a separate warrant agreement. We will enter into the warrant agreement with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:

 

   

the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;

 

   

the currency for which the warrants may be purchased;

 

   

if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;

 

   

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

 

   

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

   

the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants;

 

   

the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

 

   

any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;

 

   

the periods during which, and places at which, the warrants are exercisable;

 

   

the manner of exercise;

 

   

the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

 

   

the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified;

 

   

federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants;

 

   

the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and

 

   

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The debt securities will be direct obligations of the Company and will be either senior or subordinated debt securities and may be either secured or unsecured. We will issue the debt securities under an indenture that we will enter into with a trustee named in the indenture. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities. For purposes of this description, references to “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer only to Ryerson Holding Corporation and not to its subsidiaries.

General

We may issue debt securities in one or more series. An officer’s certificate or supplemental indenture will set forth specific terms of each series of debt securities. There will be prospectus supplements relating to particular series of debt securities. Each prospectus supplement will describe:

 

   

the title of the debt securities;

 

   

any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of a series of debt securities that we may issue;

 

   

the date or dates on which the debt securities will mature and the amounts to be paid upon maturity of the debt securities;

 

   

the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at which the debt securities will bear interest, if any, or contingent interest, if any, as well as the dates from which interest will accrue, the dates on which interest will be payable and the record date for the interest payable on any payment date;

 

   

the currency or currencies in which principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, will be paid;

 

   

the place or places where principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, will be payable;

 

   

any provisions regarding our right to redeem or repurchase debt securities or of holders to require us to redeem or repurchase debt securities;

 

   

whether the debt securities are senior or subordinated debt securities, and if subordinated, the terms of such subordination;

 

   

the right, if any, of holders of the debt securities to convert them into common stock or other securities of the Company, including any contingent conversion provisions and any provisions intended to prevent dilution of those conversion rights;

 

   

any provisions by which the Company will be required or permitted to make payments to a sinking fund that will be used to redeem debt securities or a purchase fund that will be used to purchase debt securities;

 

   

any index or formula used to determine the required payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any;

 

   

the percentage of the principal amount of the debt securities that is payable if maturity of the debt securities is accelerated because of a default;

 

   

any special or modified events of default or covenants with respect to the debt securities;

 

   

whether the debt securities of the series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities and, in such case, the depositary for such global security or global securities, and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in such global security or global securities may be

 

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exchanged in whole or in part for the individual securities represented thereby in definitive form registered in the name or names of persons other than such depositary or a nominee or nominees thereof ;

 

   

any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities, including any provisions regarding the circumstances under which collateral may be released or substituted; and

 

   

any other material terms of the debt securities, which may be different from the terms set forth in this prospectus.

The indenture will not contain any restrictions on the payment of dividends or the repurchase of our securities or any financial covenants. However, supplemental indentures relating to particular series of debt securities, or other indentures, may contain provisions of that type.

We may issue debt securities at a discount from, or at a premium to, their stated principal amount. A prospectus supplement may describe federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to a debt security issued with original issue discount or a premium.

If the principal of, premium, if any, or interest, if any, with regard to any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency, then in the prospectus supplement relating to those debt securities, we will describe any restrictions on currency conversions, tax considerations or other material restrictions with respect to that issue of debt securities.

Form of Debt Securities

We may issue debt securities in certificated or uncertificated form, in registered form with or without coupons or in bearer form with coupons, if applicable.

We may issue debt securities of a series in the form of one or more global certificates evidencing all or a portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series. We may deposit the global certificates with depositaries, and the global certificates may be subject to restrictions upon transfer or upon exchange for debt securities in individually certificated form.

Events of Default and Remedies

An event of default with respect to each series of debt securities will include:

 

   

our default in payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any debt securities of any series beyond any applicable grace period;

 

   

our default for 30 days or a different period specified in a supplemental indenture, which may be no period, in payment of any installment of interest due with regard to debt securities of any series;

 

   

our default for 90 days after notice or a different period specified in a supplemental indenture, which may be no period, in the observance or performance of any other covenants in the indenture; and

 

   

certain events involving our bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.

Supplemental indentures or officer’s certificates relating to particular series of debt securities may include other events of default.

Each debt security and, if applicable, each supplemental indenture will provide that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of any series of debt securities of any default (except a default in payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any) if the trustee considers it in the interest of the holders of the series to do so.

 

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The indenture will provide that, if any event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the series of debt securities then outstanding may declare the principal of and accrued interest, if any, on all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. However, if we cure all defaults (except the failure to pay principal, premium or interest which became due solely because of the acceleration) and certain other conditions are met, that declaration may be rescinded and past defaults may be waived by the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the series of debt securities then outstanding.

The holders of a majority of the outstanding principal amount of a series of debt securities will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting proceedings for any remedy available to the trustee, subject to certain limitations to be specified in the Indenture.

A prospectus supplement will describe any additional or different events of default which apply to any series of debt securities.

Modification of the Indenture or Other Indentures

We and the trustee under the indenture may:

 

   

without the consent of holders of debt securities, modify the indenture to cure errors or clarify ambiguities or amend, modify or supplement the indenture, or any supplemental indenture, to make any change that does not materially adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities, provided that any amendment, modification or supplement that conforms the indenture or any supplemental indenture, as applied to any series of debt securities, to the terms described in the prospectus (including any prospectus supplement) pursuant to which such debt securities were initially sold shall be deemed not to adversely affect the rights of Holders;

 

   

with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the debt securities that are outstanding under such indenture, modify the indenture or the rights of the holders of the debt securities generally; and

 

   

with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in outstanding principal amount of any series of debt securities, modify any supplemental indenture relating solely to that series of debt securities or the rights of the holders of that series of debt securities.

However, we may not:

 

   

extend the fixed maturity of any debt securities, reduce the rate or extend the time for payment of interest, if any, on any debt securities, reduce the principal amount of any debt securities or the premium, if any, on any debt securities, impair or affect the right of a holder to institute suit for the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, with regard to any debt securities, change the currency in which any debt securities are payable or impair the right, if any, to convert any debt securities into common stock or any other of our securities, without the consent of each holder of debt securities who will be affected; or

 

   

reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities required to consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver, without the consent of the holders of all the then outstanding debt securities or outstanding debt securities of the series which will be affected.

Mergers and Other Transactions

The indenture will provide that we may not consolidate with or merge into any other entity, or transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to another person, unless (1) the Company is the surviving person or the entity formed by the consolidation or into which we are merged, or that acquires or leases

 

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all or substantially all of our properties and assets, assumes by a supplemental indenture all our obligations with regard to outstanding debt securities and our other covenants under the indenture, and (2) with regard to each series of debt securities, immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no event of default with respect to that series of debt securities, and no event that would become an event of default, will have occurred and be continuing.

This covenant would not apply to any recapitalization transaction, a change of control affecting us or a highly leveraged transaction, unless the transaction or change of control were structured to include a merger or consolidation or transfer or lease of all or substantially all of our properties or assets and may otherwise be modified in the applicable supplemental indenture.

Concerning the Trustee

We will identify the trustee with respect to any series of debt securities in the prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities. You should note that if the trustee becomes a creditor of ours, the indenture and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 limit the rights of the trustee to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property received in respect of certain claims, as security or otherwise. The trustee and its affiliates may engage in, and will be permitted to continue to engage in, other transactions with us and our affiliates. If, however, the trustee, acquires any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, it must eliminate the conflict or resign.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee with regard to that series or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with regard to the securities of that series. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee, in the exercise of its rights and powers, must use the degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request of any of the holders of the debt securities, unless they have offered to the trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee.

Governing Law

Each of the indentures, each supplemental indenture, and the debt securities issued under them will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.

The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement and unit certificate relating to units offered under this prospectus.

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

 

   

the title of the series of units;

 

   

identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units;

 

   

the price or prices at which the units will be issued;

 

   

any provision for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units;

 

   

a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and

 

   

any other terms of the units and their constituent securities.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

We may elect to offer subscription rights from time to time. The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general terms and provisions of the subscription rights that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any subscription rights that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any subscription rights offered in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement that you should read. The terms of any subscription rights offered under an applicable prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below as set forth therein. You should read any prospectus supplement that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the subscription rights being offered.

General

We may issue subscription rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock, warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, debt securities or units. Subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the subscription rights. In connection with any subscription rights offering to our stockholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting arrangement or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons will purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such subscription rights offering. In connection with a subscription rights offering to our stockholders, we will distribute certificates evidencing the subscription rights and a prospectus supplement to our stockholders on the record date that we set for receiving subscription rights in such subscription rights offering. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any subscription rights in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, including the following:

 

   

the title of the subscription rights;

 

   

the securities for which the subscription rights will be exercisable;

 

   

the exercise price for the subscription rights;

 

   

the number of the subscription rights issuable to each stockholder;

 

   

the extent to which the subscription rights will be transferable;

 

   

the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights will commence and the date on which the rights will expire (subject to any extension);

 

   

the extent to which the rights will include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities;

 

   

if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or other purchase arrangement that we may enter into in connection with the subscription rights offering;

 

   

if applicable, a discussion of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of the subscription rights; and

 

   

any other terms of the subscription rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights.

Exercise of Subscription Rights

Each subscription right will entitle the holder of the subscription right to purchase for cash such amount of shares of common stock, preferred stock, warrants or any combination thereof, at such exercise price as shall in each case be set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the prospectus supplement relating to the subscription rights offered thereby. Subscription rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for such subscription rights set forth in the prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised subscription rights will become void.

 

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Subscription rights may be exercised as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the subscription rights offered thereby. Upon receipt of payment and the subscription rights certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the subscription rights agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will forward, as soon as practicable, the shares of common stock or preferred stock, warrants, debts securities or units purchasable upon such exercise. We may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby underwriting arrangements, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

In addition to providing a general description of securities we may offer, this prospectus also relates to the possible sale by RYPS, LLC (“RYPS”), an affiliate of Platinum, or its affiliates, who we refer to in this prospectus as “selling stockholders,” of up to an aggregate amount of 3,924,478 shares of our common stock that were issued and outstanding prior to the original filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We are registering the common stock of the selling stockholders in response to a request from RYPS to include such common stock in this registration statement pursuant to an investors rights agreement (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) entered into in connection with the initial public offering of our common stock completed on August 13, 2014 (the “IPO”). We are registering all of this common stock in order to permit the selling stockholders to offer the common stock for sale from time to time.

The following table sets forth the name of each selling stockholder, the number of shares of common stock owned by or attributable to such selling stockholder immediately prior to this registration (which includes the shares offered by this prospectus and which was prepared based on information supplied to us by the selling stockholders as of January 16, 2024), the number of shares of common stock offered hereby and registered by the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and the number of shares of common stock to be owned by each selling stockholder after the maximum number of shares being offered hereby are sold, which assumes that all shares of common stock covered by this prospectus will be sold by the selling stockholders and that no additional shares of common stock of the Company are subsequently bought or sold by the selling stockholders. However, because the selling stockholders may offer from time to time all, some or none of their shares of common stock under this prospectus, or in another permitted manner, no assurances can be given as to the actual number of shares of common stock that will be sold by the selling stockholders or that will be held by the selling stockholders after completion of the sales. In addition, we do not know how long the selling stockholders will hold their shares before selling them.

In the table below, the percentage of shares beneficially owned is based on 34,030,203 shares of common stock outstanding as of January 16, 2024, determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

     Ownership Prior
to the Registration
    Shares of Common Stock
Covered by this
Registration
Statement
     Ownership After the Covered
Shares are Sold
 

Name

   Number of
Shares
     Percent      Number of
Shares
     Percent  

RYPS

     3,924,478        11.5     3,924,478        0        0

Material Relationships

The Investor Rights Agreement provides for, among other things, demand, piggyback and Form S-3 registration rights and board nomination rights. The Investor Rights Agreement provides that Platinum Equity Capital Partners, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-PF, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-A, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners II, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-PF II, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-A II, L.P. and Platinum Rhombus Principals, LLC and their permitted transferees, including RYPS (the “Platinum Parties”), may make written demands of us to require us to register the shares of our common stock owned by the Platinum Parties; provided, however that we will not be obligated to effect more than two such demand registrations. In addition, the Platinum Parties have piggyback registration rights entitling them to require us to register shares of our common stock owned by them in connection with any registration statements filed by us after the completion of the IPO, subject to certain exceptions. The Platinum Parties also have the right to request an unlimited number of registrations on Form S-3, subject to certain exceptions. The Investor Rights Agreement provides that we will indemnify the Platinum Parties against losses suffered by them in connection with any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any prospectus, offering circular, or other document delivered or made available to investors (or in any related registration statement or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein not misleading, except insofar as the same may be caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to us by the Platinum Parties for use therein.

 

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The Investor Rights Agreement provides that for so long as the Platinum Parties collectively beneficially owns at least (i) 30% of the voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company, the Platinum Parties will have the right to nominate for election to the Board no fewer than that number of directors that would constitute a majority of the number of directors if there were no vacancies on the Board, (ii) at least 15% but less than 30% of the voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company, the Platinum Parties will have the right to nominate two directors (upwardly adjusted to three directors based on the current size of the Board), and (iii) at least 5% but less than 15% of the voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company, the Platinum Parties will have the right to nominate one director (upwardly adjusted to two directors based on the current size of the Board). The agreement also provides that if the size of the Board is increased or decreased at any time, the Platinum Parties’ nomination rights will be proportionately increased or decreased, respectively, rounded up to the nearest whole number. As of January 16, 2024, Platinum owned 11.5% of the voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company. Based on the size of the Board as of January 16, 2024, Platinum has the right to nominate up to two directors pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement. The Investor Rights Agreement was negotiated among management and the Platinum Parties, and we believe the Investor Rights Agreement is on arm’s length terms.

Mary Ann Sigler, Eva M. Kalawski, Jacob Kotzubei and Philip E. Norment, four current members of our board of directors, are affiliated with Platinum.

On August 4, 2021, the Board authorized a share repurchase program that permitted the purchase of up to $50 million of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. The Company repurchased 1,613,022 shares of its common stock from RYPS, an affiliate of Platinum, for $47.7 million, pursuant to a share repurchase agreement, dated May 10, 2022. On August 3, 2022, following the exhaustion of the previous share repurchase program, the Board authorized a new $75 million share repurchase program, effective through August 4, 2024, unless terminated. The Company repurchased 1,513,420 shares of its common from RYPS for $53.0 million, pursuant to a share repurchase agreement, dated February 24, 2023, and 1,369,300 shares of its common from RYPS for $50.0 million, pursuant to a share repurchase agreement, dated May 3, 2023.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or the selling stockholders may sell securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods. We or the selling stockholders may sell the securities separately or together:

 

   

through one or more underwriters or dealers;

 

   

through agents; and/or

 

   

directly to one or more purchasers.

We or the selling stockholders may distribute shares of the securities from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

   

at a fixed price or prices that may be changed;

 

   

at market prices or prevailing at the time of sale;

 

   

at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or

 

   

at negotiated prices.

To the extent required by applicable regulations, the related prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of each offering, including:

 

   

the name or names of any agents, dealers, underwriters or investors who purchase the securities;

 

   

the purchase price of the securities being offered and the proceeds we will receive from the sale, if any;

 

   

the amount of any compensation, discounts, commissions or fees to be received by the underwriters, dealer or agents;

 

   

any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;

 

   

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;

 

   

any securities exchanges on which such securities may be listed;

 

   

the terms of any indemnification provisions, including indemnification from liabilities under the federal securities laws; and

 

   

the nature of any transaction by an underwriter, dealer or agent during the offering that is intended to stabilize or maintain the market prices of the securities.

The selling stockholders may also sell shares of our securities under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, if available, or in other transactions exempt from registration, rather than under this prospectus. The selling stockholders have the sole and absolute discretion not to accept any purchase offer or make any sale of securities if they deem the purchase price to be unsatisfactory at any particular time.

Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents

We or the selling stockholders may solicit directly offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus. We or the selling stockholders may also designate agents to solicit offers to purchase securities from time to time. We or the selling stockholders may sell securities being offered by this prospectus by any method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made directly on the NYSE, on any other existing trading market for the securities or to or through a market maker.

 

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If we or the selling stockholders utilize a dealer in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, we or the selling stockholders will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

Sales Through Underwriters or Dealers

If we or the selling stockholders utilize an underwriter in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, we or the selling stockholders will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter at the time of sale and we will provide the name of any underwriter and a description of their compensation in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of shares of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we or the selling stockholders or the purchasers of the securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and the underwriter may compensate those dealers in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions.

We will provide in the applicable prospectus supplement any compensation we or the selling stockholders will pay to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers. In compliance with guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum consideration or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker dealer may not exceed 8% of the aggregate amount of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof. In the event that an offering made pursuant to this prospectus is subject to FINRA Rule 5121, the prospectus supplement will comply with the prominent disclosure provisions of that rule.

The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than we or the selling stockholders sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of shares of the securities by bidding for or purchasing the securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the securities sold by them is repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

Delayed Delivery Contracts

We or the selling stockholders may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us or the selling stockholders at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we or the selling stockholders pay for solicitation of these contracts.

 

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Derivative Transactions

We or the selling stockholders may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell the securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with any derivative transaction, the third parties may sell the securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use the securities pledged by us or the selling stockholders or borrowed from us or the selling stockholders or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of securities, and may use the securities received from us or the selling stockholders in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of securities. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement or a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. In addition, we or the selling stockholders may otherwise loan or pledge the securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in the securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

General Information

Any securities offered other than common stock will be a new issue and, other than the common stock (which is listed on the NYSE), will have no established trading market. We may elect to list any series of securities on an exchange, and in the case of the common stock, on any additional exchange, but, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement and/or other offering material, we shall not be obligated to do so. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of the securities

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Our counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, New York, New York, will issue an opinion regarding the validity of any securities offered by this prospectus. If the validity of any securities is also passed upon by counsel for the underwriters of an offering of those securities, that counsel will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to that offering.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Ryerson Holding Corporation appearing in Ryerson Holding Corporation’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the effectiveness of Ryerson Holding Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, 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 financial statements are, and audited financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the reports of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the respective dates (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are required to file reports and proxy statements with the SEC. These filings include our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and proxy statements on Schedule 14A, as well as any amendments to those reports and proxy statements. Our filings with the SEC are available to the public through the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov and are also available through our website at https://ir.ryerson.com/. You may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information on our website does not constitute part of, and is not incorporated by reference in, this prospectus (except for the SEC filings expressly incorporated by reference herein as described under “Incorporation by Reference”).

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the securities being offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes part of that registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules which are part of the registration statement. For further information about us and the securities offered, see the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other document to which reference is made are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance where a copy of a contract or other document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, reference is made to the copy so filed, each of those statements being qualified in all respects by the reference.

 

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference our documents listed below and any future information filed (rather than furnished) with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act between the date of this prospectus and the date all securities to which this prospectus relates have been sold or the offering is otherwise terminated and also between the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement, provided, however, that we are not incorporating any information furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K:

 

   

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2023;

 

   

Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for the fiscal quarter ended March  31, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 1, 2023, for the fiscal quarter ended June  30, 2023, filed with the SEC on July 31, 2023, and for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on October 30, 2023;

 

   

Current Reports on Form 8-K (in all cases other than information furnished rather than filed pursuant to any Form 8-K), filed on February 27, 2023February 28, 2023April 28, 2023May 5, 2023May  8, 2023, August  7, 2023, and August 8, 2023;

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on August 4, 2014, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating the description.

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Ryerson Holding Corporation

227 W. Monroe St., 27th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Telephone: (312) 292-5000

You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.

 

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LOGO

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Debt Securities

Units

Subscription Rights

 

 

and

3,924,478 Shares of Common Stock Offered by the Selling Stockholders

 

 

Prospectus

 

 

January 25, 2024

 

 

 


Table of Contents

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the various expenses payable by us in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered hereby. All amounts are estimated except the SEC registration fee.

 

SEC registration fee

   $ 18,738.83

FINRA filing fee (if applicable)

     ** 

Legal fees and expenses

     ** 

Accounting fees and expenses

     ** 

Printing fees and expenses

     ** 

Miscellaneous

     ** 

Total

     ** 

 

*

Except with respect to the fee applicable to the shares of common stock to be sold by the selling stockholders, the registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee in reliance on Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act.

**

These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time.

 

Item 15.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limits our directors’ and officers’ liability to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware corporate law. Specifically, our directors and officers are not liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by a director or officer, except for liability:

 

   

for any breach of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

 

   

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware; or

 

   

for any transaction from which a director or officer derives an improper personal benefit.

If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of our directors and officers shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended.

The provision regarding indemnification of our directors and officers in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not generally limit liability under state or federal securities laws.

Delaware law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provide that we will, in certain situations, indemnify any person made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by reason of that person’s former or present official capacity with our company against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses including reasonable attorney’s fees. Any person is also entitled, subject to certain limitations, to payment or reimbursement of reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding. In addition, certain employment agreements to which we are a party provide for the indemnification of our employees who are party thereto.

 

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We also maintain a directors’ and officers’ insurance policy pursuant to which our directors and officers are insured against liability for actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers.

 

Item 16.

Exhibits.

 

Exhibit         Incorporated by Reference      Filed  
Number   

Exhibit Description

   Form      File No.      Filing Date      Herewith  
1.1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement            
2.1    Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 4, 2018, by and among Joseph T. Ryerson  & Son, Inc., Hunter MergerCo, Inc., Central Steel and Wire Company, and Fortis Advisors LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, solely in its capacity as the Stockholder Representative thereunder.      8-K        001-34735        June 5, 2018     
3.1    Form of Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Ryerson Holding Corporation.      S-1/A-22        333-164484        August 6, 2014     
3.2    Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of Ryerson Holding Corporation.      S-1/A-15        333-164484        May 6, 2013     
4.1    Form of Common Stock Certificate of Ryerson Holding Corporation.      10-K        001-34735        March 9, 2016     
4.2    Form of Investor Rights Agreement, by and among Ryerson Holding Corporation, Platinum Equity Capital Partners, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-PF, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-A, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners II, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-PF II, L.P., Platinum Equity Capital Partners-A II, L.P. and Platinum Rhombus Principals, LLC.      S-1/A-15        333-164484        May 6, 2013     
4.3    Description of the Registrant’s Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934      10-K        001-34735        February 22, 2023     
4.4    Form of Indenture               X  
4.5*    Form of Debt Security            
4.6*    Form of Certificate of Designation            
4.7*    Form of Preferred Stock Certificate            
4.8*    Form of Warrant Agreement            
4.9*    Form of Warrant Certificate            
4.10*    Form of Unit Agreement            
4.11*    Form of Unit Certificate            
4.12*    Form of Subscription Agreement            

 

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Table of Contents
Exhibit        Incorporated by Reference      Filed
Number  

Exhibit Description

   Form      File No.      Filing Date      Herewith
5.1   Opinion of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP             X
23.1   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.             X
23.2   Consent of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)             X
24.1   Power of Attorney (included on the signature pages hereto)             X
25.1*+   Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee under the Indenture.            
107   Calculation of Filing Fee Table             X

 

*

To be filed by amendment or pursuant to a report to be filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, if applicable, and incorporated herein by reference.

+

To be filed separately pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

Item 17.

Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  1.

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  i.

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

  ii.

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in the volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

  iii.

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or 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 part of the registration statement.

 

  2.

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, 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.

 

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  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 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, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  i.

Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

  ii.

Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

  iii.

The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

  iv.

Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 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 the 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 of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such

 

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liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  1.

For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

  2.

For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.

(e) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Chicago, Illinois, on January 25, 2024.

 

RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ James J. Claussen

Name:   James J. Claussen
Title:   Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Mark S. Silver and Camilla R. Merrick as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent for the undersigned, with full power of substitution, for and in the name, place and stead of the undersigned to sign and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (i) any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this registration statement, (ii) any registration statement relating to this offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (iii) any exhibits to any such registration statement or pre-effective or post-effective amendments, (iv) any and all applications and other documents in connection with any such registration statement or pre-effective or post-effective amendments, and generally to do all things and perform any and all acts and things whatsoever requisite and necessary or desirable to enable Ryerson Holding Corporation to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Edward J. Lehner

Edward J. Lehner

  

President and Chief Executive Officer, Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  January 25, 2024

/s/ James J. Claussen

James J. Claussen

  

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

  January 25, 2024

/s/ Molly D. Kannan

Molly D. Kannan

  

Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

(Principal Accounting Officer)

  January 25, 2024

/s/ Kirk K. Calhoun

Kirk K. Calhoun

   Director   January 25, 2024

/s/ Court D. Carruthers

Court D. Carruthers

   Director   January 25, 2024

 

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Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Eva M. Kalawski

Eva M. Kalawski

   Director   January 25, 2024

/s/ Jacob Kotzubei

Jacob Kotzubei

   Director   January 25, 2024

/s/ Stephen P. Larson

Stephen P. Larson

   Director   January 25, 2024

/s/ Philip E. Norment

Philip E. Norment

   Director   January 25, 2024

/s/ Mary Ann Sigler

Mary Ann Sigler

   Director   January 25, 2024

 

II-7

Exhibit 4.4

 

 

RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION

and

[ ]

     , as Trustee

INDENTURE

DATED AS OF     

 

 

 


CROSS REFERENCE TABLE

 

TIA Section

  

Indenture Section

310(a)(1)

   7.10

(a)(2)

   7.10

(a)(3)

   N.A.

(a)(4)

   N.A.

(a)(5)

   N.A.

(b)

   7.08; 7.10

311(a)

   7.11

(b)

   7.11

312(a)

   2.07

(b)

   12.04

(c)

   12.04

313(a)

   7.06

(b)(1)

   7.06

(b)(2)

   7.06

(c)

   7.06

(d)

   7.06

314(a)(1)

   4.02

(a)(2)

   12.03

(a)(4)

   4.04

(b)

   N.A.

(c)

   2.04; 7.02(b); 8.01

(c)(1)

   12.05

(c)(2)

   12.05

(c)(3)

   12.05

(d)

   N.A.

(e)

   4.04; 12.05

(f)

   4.04

315(a)(1)

   6.05; 7.01(b)(i)

(a)(2)

   7.01(b)(ii)

(b)

   7.05; 12.03

(c)

   7.01(a)

(d)(1)

   7.01(b)

(d)(2)

   7.01(c)

(d)(3)

   6.05; 7.01(d)

(e)

   6.13

316(a)(last sentence)

   12.06

(a)(1)(A)

   6.05

(a)(1)(B)

   6.04

(a)(2)

   N.A.

(b)

   6.08

(c)

   9.02; 9.04

317(a)(1)

   6.09

(a)(2)

   6.10

(b)

   2.06

318(a)

   1.02; 12.01

 

 

  N.A.

means Not Applicable.

 

  Note:

This cross-reference table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  ARTICLE ONE DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE      1  

SECTION 1.01.

  Definitions      1  

SECTION 1.02.

  Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act      4  

SECTION 1.03.

  Rules of Construction      4  
  ARTICLE TWO THE SECURITIES      5  

SECTION 2.01.

  Form and Dating      5  

SECTION 2.02.

  Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series      5  

SECTION 2.03.

  Denominations      6  

SECTION 2.04.

  Execution and Authentication      6  

SECTION 2.05.

  Registrar and Paying Agent      8  

SECTION 2.06.

  Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust      8  

SECTION 2.07.

  Securityholder Lists      8  

SECTION 2.08.

  Transfer and Exchange      9  

SECTION 2.09.

  Replacement Securities      9  

SECTION 2.10.

  Outstanding Securities      9  

SECTION 2.11.

  Temporary Securities      10  

SECTION 2.12.

  Cancellation      10  

SECTION 2.13.

  Defaulted Interest      10  

SECTION 2.14.

  CUSIP Numbers      11  
  ARTICLE THREE REDEMPTION      11  

SECTION 3.01.

  Company’s Option to Redeem      11  

SECTION 3.02.

  Notices to Trustee      11  

SECTION 3.03.

  Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed      11  

SECTION 3.04.

  Notice of Redemption at the Company’s Option      11  

SECTION 3.05.

  Effect of Notice of Redemption      12  

SECTION 3.06.

  Deposit of Redemption Price      13  

SECTION 3.07.

  Holder’s Right to Require Redemption      13  

SECTION 3.08.

  Procedure for Requiring Redemption      13  

SECTION 3.09.

  Securities Redeemed in Part      13  
  ARTICLE FOUR COVENANTS      14  

SECTION 4.01.

  Payment of Securities      14  

SECTION 4.02.

  Reporting      14  

SECTION 4.03.

  Corporate Existence      14  

SECTION 4.04.

  Compliance Certificate      14  

SECTION 4.05.

  Further Instruments and Acts      15  
  ARTICLE FIVE MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, SALE OF ASSETS      15  

SECTION 5.01.

  Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms      15  

SECTION 5.02.

  Successor Corporation Substituted      15  

 

i


  ARTICLE SIX DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES      16  

SECTION 6.01.

  Events of Default      16  

SECTION 6.02.

  Acceleration      17  

SECTION 6.03.

  Other Remedies      17  

SECTION 6.04.

  Waiver of Existing Defaults      18  

SECTION 6.05.

  Control by Majority      18  

SECTION 6.06.

  Payments of Securities on Default; Suit Therefor      18  

SECTION 6.07.

  Limitation on Suits      18  

SECTION 6.08.

  Rights of Holders to Receive Payment and to Demand Conversion      19  

SECTION 6.09.

  Collection Suit by Trustee      19  

SECTION 6.10.

  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim      19  

SECTION 6.11.

  Restoration of Positions      20  

SECTION 6.12.

  Priorities      20  

SECTION 6.13.

  Undertaking for Costs      20  

SECTION 6.14.

  Stay, Extension or Usury Laws      21  

SECTION 6.15.

  Liability of Stockholders, Officers, Directors and Incorporators      21  
  ARTICLE SEVEN TRUSTEE      21  

SECTION 7.01.

  Duties of Trustee      21  

SECTION 7.02.

  Rights of Trustee.      23  

SECTION 7.03.

  Individual Rights of Trustee      24  

SECTION 7.04.

  Trustee’s Disclaimer      24  

SECTION 7.05.

  Notice of Defaults      25  

SECTION 7.06.

  Reports by Trustee      25  

SECTION 7.07.

  Compensation and Indemnity      25  

SECTION 7.08.

  Replacement of Trustee      26  

SECTION 7.09.

  Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.      27  

SECTION 7.10.

  Eligibility; Disqualification      27  

SECTION 7.11.

  Preferential Collection of Claims      27  
  ARTICLE EIGHT DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE      28  

SECTION 8.01.

  Termination of the Company’s Obligations      28  

SECTION 8.02.

  Application of Trust Money      28  

SECTION 8.03.

  Repayment to the Company      29  

SECTION 8.04.

  Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust      29  
  ARTICLE NINE AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS      29  

SECTION 9.01.

  Without Consent of Holders      29  

SECTION 9.02.

  With Consent of Holders      30  

SECTION 9.03.

  Compliance with Trust Indenture Act      31  

SECTION 9.04.

  Revocation and Effect of Consents      31  

SECTION 9.05.

  Notation on or Exchange of Securities      31  

SECTION 9.06.

  Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.      31  

 

ii


  ARTICLE TEN CONVERSION OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES      32  

SECTION 10.01.

  Provisions Relating to Conversion or Exchange of Securities      32  
  ARTICLE ELEVEN SINKING OR PURCHASE FUNDS      32  

SECTION 11.01.

  Provisions Relating to Sinking or Purchase Funds      32  
  ARTICLE TWELVE MISCELLANEOUS      32  

SECTION 12.01.

  Trust Indenture Act Controls      32  

SECTION 12.02.

  Supplemental Indentures Contract      33  

SECTION 12.03.

  Notices      33  

SECTION 12.04.

  Communication by Holders with Other Holders      34  

SECTION 12.05.

  Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent      34  

SECTION 12.06.

  When Treasury Securities Disregarded      35  

SECTION 12.07.

  Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent, Registrar      35  

SECTION 12.08.

  Legal Holidays      35  

SECTION 12.09.

  Governing Law and Submission to Jurisdiction      36  

SECTION 12.10.

  Actions by the Company      36  

SECTION 12.11.

  No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements      36  

SECTION 12.12.

  Successors      36  

SECTION 12.13.

  Duplicate Originals      36  

SECTION 12.14.

  Table of Contents, Headings, etc.      36  

SECTION 12.15.

  Authenticating Agent      37  

SECTION 12.16.

  Execution in Counterparts      38  

SECTION 12.17.

  Severability      38  

SECTION 12.18.

  Waiver of Jury Trial      38  

SECTION 12.19.

  Force Majeure      38  

 

iii


INDENTURE, dated as of [ ] between Ryerson Holding Corporation (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation having its principal office at 227 West Monroe Street, 27th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and [ ] (the “Trustee”). Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of each other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Company’s debentures, notes or other evidences of unsecured indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (“Securities”):

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

SECTION 1.01. Definitions.

“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any payment, tender, redemption, transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Security, the rules and procedures of the Depositary for the series of Securities all or part of which is evidenced by such Global Security that apply to such payment, tender, redemption, transfer or exchange.

“Bankruptcy Law” has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.

“Board Resolution” means a resolution by the Board of Directors of the Company (or by a committee of the Board of Directors to the extent any such committee has been authorized by the Board of Directors to establish or approve the matters contemplated) certified by its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary as being duly adopted and in full force and effect.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is authorized or required by law or executive order to close or be closed.

“Capital Stock” means, for any entity, any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) stock issued by that entity.

“Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, as that stock may be reconstituted from time to time.

“Company” means the Person named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it and after that means the successor.

“Company Order” means a written order of the Company, signed by an Officer of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business is principally administered (which at the date of this Indenture is at the location set forth in the first paragraph of this Indenture), Attention: [ ], or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).

 

1


“Corporation” includes corporations, associations, companies and business trusts.

“Custodian” has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.

“Default” means any event that, upon the giving of 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, each Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to Section 2.02(n) until one or more successor Depositaries shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depositary” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any such series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of that series.

“$” means the lawful currency of the United States.

“Event of Default” has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.

“Global Security” means any Security that evidences all or part of a series of Securities, issued in fully-registered certificated form to the Depositary for such series in accordance with Section 2.04 and bearing the legend prescribed in Exhibit A and any other legend required by the Depositary for such series.

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

“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and will include the form and terms of the Securities of each series established as contemplated by Section 2.01.

“Interest Payment Date” means the date on which an installment of interest on the Securities is due and payable.

“Maturity Date” means the date the principal of Securities is due and payable.

“Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting Officer, the Controller, the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary or any Executive Vice President or Vice President.

“Officer’s Certificate” when used with respect to the Company means a certificate signed by an Officer, and delivered to the Trustee. Each such certificate will comply with Section 314 of the TIA and include the statements described in Section 12.05.

“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing signed by legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, which opinion may contain customary exceptions and qualifications as to the matters set forth therein. Each such opinion will include the statements described in Section 12.05 if and to the extent required by that Section.

 

2


“Paying Agent” has the meaning provided in Section 2.05.

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

“Registrar” has the meaning provided in Section 2.05.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities” has the meaning set forth in the first paragraph of this Indenture.

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

“Securities Exchange Act of 1934” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Security Custodian” means the custodian with respect to any Global Security appointed by the Depositary, or any successor Person thereto, and shall initially be the Paying Agent.

“State” means any state of the United States or the District of Columbia.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partners or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (i) such Person; (ii) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or (iii) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

“Supplemental Indenture” means an indenture between the Company and the Trustee that supplements this Indenture.

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, as in effect on the date of this Indenture, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act or any amendment thereto expressly provides for application of the Trust Indenture Act as in effect on another date.

“Trustee” means the Person named as such in this Indenture and, subject to the provisions of Article 7, any successor to that person.

“Trust Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer assigned to the corporate trust department of the Trustee, who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, and for the purposes of Section 7.01(c)(2) and Section 7.05 shall also include any other officer of the Trustee to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

 

3


“United States” means the United States of America.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means:

 

  (1)

direct obligations of the United States for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged; or

 

  (2)

obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States.

SECTION 1.02. 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. In addition, the provisions of Sections 310 to and including 317 of the TIA that impose duties on any person are incorporated by reference in, and form a part of, this Indenture. The following TIA terms mean the following when used in this Indenture:

“Commission” means the SEC;

“indenture securities” means the Securities;

“indenture securityholder” means a Holder or Securityholder;

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company.

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

SECTION 1.03. Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

  (1)

a term has the meaning assigned to it;

 

  (2)

an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States;

 

  (3)

“or” is not exclusive;

 

  (4)

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

 

  (5)

words importing any gender include the other genders;

 

  (6)

references to “writing” include printing, typing, lithography and other means of reproducing words in a visible form;

 

4


  (7)

the words “including,” “includes” and “include” shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; and

 

  (8)

words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular.

ARTICLE TWO

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating.

(a) The Securities of each series will be substantially in the form set forth in an Officer’s Certificate or in one or more Supplemental Indentures relating to the Securities of that series. The Securities may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules or usage. The Company will approve the form of the Securities and any notation, legend or endorsement on them. Each Security will be dated the date of its authentication.

(b) The Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

SECTION 2.02. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of the Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series. Prior to the issuance of Securities of a series, there shall be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate or one or more Supplemental Indenture as to the Securities of that series, to the extent applicable:

 

  (a)

the title of the Securities;

 

  (b)

any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be issued;

 

  (c)

the date or dates on which the Securities will mature and the amounts to be paid upon maturity of the Securities;

 

  (d)

the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at which the Securities will bear interest, if any, or contingent interest, if any, the dates from which interest will accrue, the dates on which interest will be payable and the record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

 

  (e)

the currency or currencies in which principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, will be payable;

 

  (f)

the place or places where principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities will be payable;

 

5


  (g)

any provisions regarding the right of the Company to redeem or repurchase Securities or of holders to require the Company to redeem or repurchase Securities;

 

  (h)

whether the Securities are senior or subordinated debt securities, and if subordinated debt securities, the terms of such subordination;

 

  (i)

the right, if any, of holders of the Securities to convert them into common stock or other securities of the Company, including any contingent conversion provisions and any provisions intended to prevent dilution of those conversion rights;

 

  (j)

any provisions by which the Company will be required or permitted to make payments to a sinking fund that will be used to redeem Securities or a purchase fund that will be used to purchase Securities;

 

  (k)

any index or formula used to determine the required payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any;

 

  (l)

the percentage of the principal amount of the Securities that is payable if maturity of the Securities is accelerated because of a default;

 

  (m)

any special or modified events of default or covenants with respect to the Securities;

 

  (n)

whether the Securities of the series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the Depositary for such Global Security or Global Securities, and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in such Global Security or Global Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for the individual securities represented thereby in definitive form registered in the name or names of Persons other than such Depositary or a nominee or nominees thereof (“Individual Securities”);

 

  (o)

any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities, including any provisions regarding the circumstances under which collateral may be released or substituted; and

 

  (p)

any other terms of the Securities, which may be different from the terms set forth in this Indenture.

SECTION 2.03. Denominations. Unless otherwise provided in the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities, the Securities of each series will be issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and multiples of $1,000.

SECTION 2.04. Execution and Authentication. The Securities of each series shall be signed in the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile signature of its Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary or any of its Executive Vice Presidents.

 

6


At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. A Security will not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Security. The signature will be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

In case any Officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Securities shall cease to be such Officer before the Securities so signed shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, or disposed of by the Company, such Securities nevertheless may be authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the Person who signed such Securities had not ceased to be such Officer of the Company; and any Security may be signed on behalf of the Company by such persons as, at the actual date of the execution of such Security, shall be the Officers of the Company, although at the date of the execution of this Indenture any such Person was not such an Officer.

If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series to be represented by such Global Securities, (ii) shall be registered, if in registered form, in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Global Securities or the nominee of such Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depositary or the applicable Security Custodian or pursuant to such Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the effect (or to such other effect as may be required by such Depositary) as set forth on Exhibit A. The aggregate principal amount of each Global Security may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Security Custodian, as provided in this Indenture, or on a schedule to such Global Security. Each Depositary designated pursuant to Section 2.01 for a Global Security in registered form must, at the time of its designation and at all times while it serves as such Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and any other applicable statute or regulation.

Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Members”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary or by the Security Custodian under such Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Registrar and any of their agents as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Registrar or any of their agents from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Members, the operation of customary practices of the Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of an owner of a beneficial interest in any Global Security. The Holder of a Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Members and Persons that may hold interests through Members, to take any action that a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.

 

7


SECTION 2.05. Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company will maintain an office or agency where Securities of each series may be presented for conversion, registration of transfer or for exchange (the “Registrar”) and an office or agency where Securities of each series may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar will keep a register of the Securities of each series and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent.

The Company will enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-registrar not a party to this Indenture that will incorporate the terms of the TIA. The agreement will implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to that agent. The Company will notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee will act as such. The Company or any Subsidiary may act as Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or transfer agent.

The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as Registrar and Paying Agent in connection with the Securities of each series, except in instances in which the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities appoints a different Registrar or Paying Agent.

SECTION 2.06. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. Prior to each due date of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security, the Company will deposit with the Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay that principal, premium or interest when due. The Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of a series, and if the Paying Agent is not the Trustee, in trust for the benefit of the Trustee, all sums held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal, premium or interest on the Securities of that series and, in the case of a Paying Agent other than the Trustee, the Paying Agent will give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company in making any such payment. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it will segregate the money held by it as Paying Agent and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed by the Paying Agent. Upon complying with this Section, the Paying Agent will have no further liability for the money.

SECTION 2.07. Securityholder Lists. The Trustee will preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Securities of each series. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, in accordance with Section 312(a) of the TIA, the Company will furnish to the Trustee in writing at least five Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request all information in the possession or control of the Company or its Paying Agent as to the names and addresses of Holders of the Securities of a series.

 

8


SECTION 2.08. Transfer and Exchange. Unless otherwise provided in the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to Securities of a series, Securities that are issued in registered form will be transferred only upon the surrender of the Securities for registration of transfer. When a Security is presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer, the Registrar will register the transfer as requested if the requirements of Article 8 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code are met. When Securities are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same series of other denominations, the Registrar will make the exchange as requested if the same requirements are met. To permit registration of transfers and exchanges, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s or co-registrar’s request. The Company will not charge a fee for transfers or exchanges, but the Company may require payment from the applicable Securityholder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge and any other expenses (including fees and expenses of the Trustee) that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of the Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.09, 9.05 not involving any transfer.

The Company will not be required to make, and the Registrar need not register, transfers or exchanges of (i) Securities selected for redemption (except, in the case of Securities to be redeemed in part, transfers or exchanges of the portion of the Securities not to be redeemed) or (ii) any Securities of a series for a period of 15 days before the first mailing of a notice of the Securities of that series which are to be redeemed.

Prior to the due presentation for registration or transfer of any Security which was issued in registered form, the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, any authenticating agent, the Registrar or any co-registrar may deem and treat the person in whose name the Security is registered as the absolute owner of the Security for all purposes, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-registrar will be affected by notice to the contrary.

SECTION 2.09. Replacement Securities. If a mutilated Security that had been issued in registered form is surrendered to the Registrar or if the Holder presents evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee that a Security which had been issued in registered form has been lost or destroyed, the Company will issue and the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee will authenticate a replacement Security of the same series if the requirements of Section 8-405 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code are met and the Holder satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Trustee. If required by the Trustee or the Company, the replacement Security will not be issued until the Holder furnishes an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of the Company and the Trustee to protect the Company, the Trustee, and if applicable, the authenticating agent, the Paying Agent and the Registrar or any co-registrar from any loss which any of them may suffer if the Security is replaced. The Company may charge the Holder for its expenses in replacing a Security.

Every replacement Security will be an obligation of the Company, even if the replaced Security is subsequently found.

SECTION 2.10. Outstanding Securities. The Securities outstanding at any time will be all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee, except those cancelled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section as not outstanding. Subject to Section 12.06, a Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or its affiliate holds the Security.

 

9


If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.09, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Security is held by a protected purchaser (in which case the replaced Security will be treated as outstanding to the extent permitted by Section 8-210 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code).

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company or a Subsidiary) segregates and holds in trust, in accordance with this Indenture, on a redemption date or Maturity Date money sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, payable on that date with respect to the Securities to be redeemed or maturing, as the case may be, then on that date those Securities will cease to be outstanding and interest on them will cease to accrue.

SECTION 2.11. Temporary Securities. Until definitive Securities of a series are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee will authenticate temporary Securities of that series. Temporary Securities will 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 will prepare and the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee will authenticate definitive Securities and deliver them in exchange for temporary Securities.

SECTION 2.12. Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver Securities of a series to the Trustee for cancellation and the Trustee will reduce accordingly the aggregate amount of the Securities of that series which are outstanding. The Registrar and the Paying Agent will forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, or conversion. The Trustee and no one else will cancel and dispose of all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, conversion or cancellation in accordance with its procedures for the disposition of cancelled securities and deliver certificates of such disposition to the Company unless the Company directs the Trustee to deliver the cancelled Securities to the Company. Subject to Section 2.09, the Company may not issue new Securities of a series to replace Securities of the series it has redeemed, paid, converted or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

SECTION 2.13. Defaulted Interest. If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities of a series, it will pay defaulted interest (plus interest on such defaulted interest to the extent lawful) to the persons who are Holders of the Securities of that series on a subsequent special record date, which date will be at least five Business Days prior to the payment date. The Company will fix the special record date and payment date, and, at least 15 days before the special record date, the Company will mail to each Holder of Securities of that series a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest and any interest on that defaulted interest that is to be paid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

 

10


SECTION 2.14. CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP,” “ISIN” or other similar numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP,” “ISIN” or other similar numbers, as the case may be, in notices of redemption or

exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness 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 identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the “CUSIP,” “ISIN” or other similar numbers.

ARTICLE THREE

REDEMPTION

SECTION 3.01. Company’s Option to Redeem. The Company will have the option to redeem Securities of a series only to the extent, if any, and only on the terms, set forth in the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to the Securities of that series. If the Company has the option to redeem Securities of a series, unless otherwise provided in the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to the series, the terms of the redemption will include those set forth in Sections 3.02 through 3.06 and 3.08.

SECTION 3.02. Notices to Trustee. If the Company elects to redeem Securities of a series, it will notify the Trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount and series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company will give each notice provided for in this Section not less than 5 days prior to the date the notice of redemption is sent to Holders (or such shorter period of time as may be acceptable to the Trustee).

SECTION 3.03. Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed. If fewer than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed at the Company’s option, the Trustee will select the Securities of that series to be redeemed by lot or, in its sole discretion, pro-rata, subject in each case to the Applicable Procedures (if applicable). The Trustee will make the selection from outstanding Securities of that series not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities that have denominations larger than the minimum denomination in which Securities of the applicable series may be issued. Securities and portions of Securities the Trustee selects will be in amounts equal to the minimum denomination in which Securities of the applicable series may be issued and multiples of that amount. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption. The Trustee will notify the Company promptly of the Securities or portions of Securities to be redeemed.

SECTION 3.04. Notice of Redemption at the Company’s Option. At least 10 days and not more than 60 days before a date set for redemption at the Company’s option, the Company will deliver in the manner set forth in Section 12.03 a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed in whole or in part. Any notice so given shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. Failure to give such notice, or any defect in such notice to the Holder of any Security of a series designated for redemption, in whole or in part, shall not affect the sufficiency of any notice of redemption with respect to the Holder of any other Security of such series. The notice will identify the principal amount and series of each Security to be redeemed and will state:

 

  (1)

the redemption date;

 

11


  (2)

the redemption price plus accrued interest, if any or if the Redemption Price is not then known, the manner of calculation thereof;

 

  (3)

the name and address of the Paying Agent;

 

  (4)

that Securities called for redemption in whole or in part must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price plus accrued interest, if any;

 

  (5)

that, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on Securities (or portions of Securities) called for redemption will cease to accrue on the redemption date and, if applicable, that those Securities (or the portions of then called for redemption) will cease on the redemption date (or such other date as is provided in the terms of the Securities or Supplemental Indenture relating to the Securities) to be convertible into, or exchangeable for, other securities or assets;

 

  (6)

if applicable, the current conversion or exchange price; and

 

  (7)

the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, assigned to such Securities (and that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the securities).

At the Company’s request delivered at least five (5) days prior to the date such notice of redemption is to be given (unless a shorter period shall be acceptable to the Trustee), the Trustee will give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense. In such event, the Company will provide the Trustee with the information required by clauses (1) through (3), (6) and (7).

Notice of any redemption may at the Company’s discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent. In addition, if such redemption or notice is subject to satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, such notice shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the redemption date may be delayed until such time as any or all such conditions shall be satisfied (or waived by the Company in its sole discretion), or such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied (or waived by the Company in its sole discretion) by the redemption date, or by the redemption date so delayed (which may exceed 60 days from the date of the redemption notice in such case). The Company may also provide in such notice that payment of the redemption price and performance of the Company’s obligations with respect to such redemption may be performed by another Person.

SECTION 3.05. Effect of Notice of Redemption. Unless otherwise set forth in the notice of redemption, once notice of redemption is mailed, Securities, or portions of Securities called for redemption will become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, those Securities will be paid at the redemption price, plus

 

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accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. On and after the date fixed for redemption (unless the Company defaults in the payment of the redemption price, together with interest accrued to the redemption date) interest on the Securities, or portions of them, that are redeemed will cease to accrue and any right to convert those Securities into, or exchange them for, other securities or assets will terminate and those Securities will cease to be convertible or exchangeable. Failure to give notice or any defect in the notice to any Holder will not affect the validity of the notice to any other Holder.

SECTION 3.06. Deposit of Redemption Price. No later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time on the redemption date specified in a notice of redemption, the Company will deposit with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company or a Subsidiary is the Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust) money sufficient to redeem on the redemption date all the Securities called for redemption on that redemption date at the appropriate redemption price, together with accrued interest to the redemption date, other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation or Securities which have been surrendered for conversion or exchange. If any Securities called for redemption are converted or exchanged, any money deposited with the Paying Agent for redemption of those Securities will be paid to the Company upon its request, or, if the money is held in trust by the Company or a Subsidiary as Paying Agent, the money will be discharged from the trust.

SECTION 3.07. Holder’s Right to Require Redemption. Holders of Securities of a series will have the right to require the Company to redeem those Securities only to the extent, and only on the terms, set forth in the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to the Securities of that series. If Holders of Securities of a series have the right to require the Company to redeem those Securities, unless otherwise provided in the Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to the Securities of that series, the terms of the redemption will include those set forth in Section 3.08.

SECTION 3.08. Procedure for Requiring Redemption. If a Holder has the right to require the Company to redeem Securities, to exercise that right, the Holder must deliver the Securities to the Paying Agent, endorsed for transfer and with the form on the reverse side entitled “Option to Require Redemption” completed. Delivery of Securities to the Paying Agent as provided in this Section will constitute an irrevocable election to cause the specified principal amount of Securities to be redeemed. When Securities are delivered to the Paying Agent as provided in this Section, unless the Company fails to make the payments due as a result of the redemption within 20 days after the Securities are delivered to the Paying Agent as provided in this Section interest on the Securities will cease to accrue and, if the Securities are convertible or exchangeable, the Holder’s right to convert or exchange the Securities will terminate.

The Company’s determination of all questions regarding the validity, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance of any Security for redemption will be final and binding.

SECTION 3.09. Securities Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Holder (at the Company’s expense) a new Security equal of the same series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security which was surrendered.

 

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ARTICLE FOUR

COVENANTS

SECTION 4.01. Payment of Securities. The Company will promptly pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on each of the Securities of a series at the places and time and in the manner provided in the Securities and in the Supplemental Indenture relating to the series. An installment of principal, premium or interest will be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or Paying Agent holds on that date in accordance with this Indenture or the applicable Supplemental Indenture money designated for and sufficient to pay the installment then due.

SECTION 4.02. Reporting. The Company shall file with the Trustee and the SEC, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that, unless available on EDGAR, any such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall be filed with the Trustee within 30 days after the same is filed with the SEC; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any correspondence filed with the SEC or any materials for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment by the SEC. For the avoidance of doubt, a failure by the Company to file annual reports, information and other reports with the SEC within the time period prescribed thereof by the SEC shall not be deemed a breach of this Section 4.02.

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive notice or knowledge 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).

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officer’s Certificate).

SECTION 4.03. Corporate Existence. Subject to Article 5, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence.

SECTION 4.04. Compliance Certificate. The Company will deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each year an Officer’s Certificate stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their duties as Officers of the Company they would normally have knowledge of any default by the Company and whether the signers know of any default that occurred during such year. If they do, the certificate will describe the default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto. The Company also will comply with TIA Section 314(a)(4).

 

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SECTION 4.05. Further Instruments and Acts. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purpose of this Indenture.

ARTICLE FIVE

MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, SALE OF ASSETS

SECTION 5.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms. The Company will not consolidate with or merge into any other person or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to another Person, unless:

 

  (1)

the Company shall be the surviving Person or the Person (if other than the Company) formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged into or consolidated with (or, alternatively, if such Person is the wholly owned subsidiary of another Person, such other Person) or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall be organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and any such Person expressly assumes, by Supplemental Indenture, executed and delivered by such Person prior to or simultaneously with such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest and premium, if any, on all the Securities, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all other obligations to the Holders and the Trustee under this Indenture or under the Securities to be performed or observed by the Company;

 

  (2)

with regard to each series of Securities, immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Event of Default with respect to that series of Securities, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default with respect to that series of Securities, will have occurred and be continuing; and

 

  (3)

the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate, each stating that the consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and the supplemental indenture (or the supplemental indentures together) comply with this Article and that all the conditions precedent relating to the transaction set forth in this Section have been fulfilled.

This Section 5.01 shall not apply to any recapitalization transaction, a change of control affecting the Company or a highly leveraged transaction, unless the transaction or change of control is structured to include a merger or transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the Company’s properties or assets.

SECTION 5.02. Successor Corporation Substituted. Upon any event described in Section 5.01, the successor Person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture and all the Supplemental Indentures relating to outstanding series of Securities, and the predecessor corporation will be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and each of those Supplemental Indentures.

 

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ARTICLE SIX

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

SECTION 6.01. Events of Default. An “Event of Default” occurs if:

 

  (1)

The Company defaults in the payment of interest on any Security of any series when it becomes due and payable and the default continues for a period of 30 days (or such other period, which may be no period) as is specified in the terms of the Security or Supplemental Indenture relating to the series;

 

  (2)

The Company defaults in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, on any Security of any series as and when it becomes due and payable at its stated maturity or upon redemption, acceleration or otherwise and, if provided in the terms of the Security or Supplemental Indenture relating to a series, the default continues for a period specified in the terms of the Security or Supplemental Indenture;

 

  (3)

The Company fails to comply with any of its other covenants or agreements with regard to Securities of a series or this Indenture (other than a covenant or agreement, a default in whose performance or whose breach is dealt with specifically elsewhere in this Section) and that failure continues for a period of 90 days after the date of the notice specified below;

 

  (4)

the Company, pursuant to any Bankruptcy Law applicable to the Company:

(A) commences a voluntary case;

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

(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for any substantial part of its property; or

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

 

  (5)

a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any applicable Bankruptcy Law:

(A) for relief in an involuntary case;

(B) appointing a Custodian of the Company or for any substantial part of its property; or

 

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(C) ordering its winding up or liquidation; and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days.

Each of the occurrences described in clauses (1) through (5) will constitute an Event of Default whatever the reason for the occurrence and whether it is voluntary or involuntary or is effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body.

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the United States Code or any similar United States Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, custodian or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

A Default under clause (3) of this Section is not an Event of Default until the Trustee notifies the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of a series with regard to which the Company has failed to comply with a covenant or agreement notify the Company and the Trustee, of the Default and the Company does not cure the Default within 90 days after the giving of the notice. The notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default.”

A Default under clause (1), (2) or (3) with regard to Securities of a series will not constitute a Default with regard to Securities of any other series except to the extent, if any, provided in the terms of such other Security or Supplemental Indenture relating to the other series.

SECTION 6.02. Acceleration. If an Event of Default as to the Securities of a series occurs and is continuing, unless the principal of all of the Securities of the series has already become due and payable, the Trustee by notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series then outstanding by notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare the principal of and accrued interest, if any, on all the Securities of the series to be due and payable. Upon such a declaration, that principal and interest will be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(4) or (5) occurs, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, on all the Securities will automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Securityholders. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of a series then outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of the series, by notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, that has become due solely because of acceleration, and if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree. No such rescission will affect any subsequent default or impair any consequent right.

SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies. If an Event of Default as to a series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of the series or to enforce the performance of any provision under this Indenture or any applicable Supplemental Indenture.

 

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

SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Existing Defaults. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a series then outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of that series, by notice to the Trustee may consent to the waiver of any past Default with regard to Securities of the series and its consequences except (i) a default in the payment of interest or premium, if any, on, or the principal of, Securities of the series, or (ii) a default in respect of a covenant or a provision that under Section 9.02 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holders of all Securities of the series then outstanding. The defaults described in clauses (i) and (ii) in the previous sentence may be waived with the consent of the Holders of all Securities of the series then outstanding. When a Default or Event of Default is waived, it is deemed cured and not continuing, but no waiver will extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any consequent right.

SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of a series then outstanding may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee with regard to the Securities of that series or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with regard to the Securities of that series. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture or, subject to Section 7.01, that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Securityholders or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction. Prior to taking any action as a result of a direction given under this Section, the Trustee will be entitled to indemnification satisfactory to it in its sole discretion against all losses and expenses caused by taking or not taking that action.

SECTION 6.06. Payments of Securities on Default; Suit Therefor. The Company covenants that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default described in Section 6.01(1) or (2), then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Securities in all series, the whole amount that will then have become due and payable on all such Securities for principal, premium, if any, and interest, with interest on the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) on the overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities in all series; and, in addition, such further amount as will be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including a reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys and counsel, and any expenses or liabilities incurred by the Trustee hereunder other than through its gross negligence or willful misconduct. Until such demand by the Trustee, the Company may pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of all series to the registered Holders, whether or not the Securities in that series are overdue.

SECTION 6.07. Limitation on Suits. A Securityholder may not pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture, unless:

 

  (1)

the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice stating that an Event of Default as to a series is continuing;

 

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  (2)

the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of the series then outstanding make a written request to the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

 

  (3)

such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

 

  (4)

the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of security or indemnity, and the Event of Default has not been waived; and

 

  (5)

the Trustee has received no contrary direction from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the series then outstanding during such 60-day period.

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

SECTION 6.08. Rights of Holders to Receive Payment and to Demand Conversion. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security of any series to receive payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Security (and interest on overdue principal and interest on overdue installments of interest, if any, as provided in Section 4.01), on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Security or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date, or in the case of conversion or exchange, to receive the security issuable upon conversion or exchange or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, conversion or exchange on or after the applicable due date, redemption date or conversion or exchange date, as the case may be, against the Company, will not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.

SECTION 6.09. Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default in payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, specified in clause (1) or (2) of Section 6.01 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal, premium, if any, and interest remaining unpaid (together with interest on that unpaid interest to the extent lawful) and the amounts provided for in Section 7.07.

SECTION 6.10. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities of any or all series allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company, its creditors or its property and, unless prohibited by law or applicable regulations, may vote on behalf of the Holders in any election of a trustee in bankruptcy or other person performing similar functions, and any Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make payments to the Trustee and, if the Trustee consents 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 its counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.

 

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SECTION 6.11. Restoration of Positions. If a judicial proceeding by the Trustee or a Securityholder to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture is dismissed or decided favorably to the Company, except as otherwise provided in the judicial proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Securityholders will be restored to the positions they would have been in if the judicial proceeding had not been instituted.

SECTION 6.12. Priorities. If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6 with respect to Securities of a series, subject to Article 11, or, after an Event of Default set forth in Section 6.01(4) or (5), any money or other property distributable in respect of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture, it will pay out the money or property in the following order:

 

FIRST:    to the Trustee (including any predecessor trustee) for amounts due under Section 7.07;
SECOND:    to Securityholders for amounts due and unpaid on the Securities of the series for principal and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Securities of the series for principal and interest, respectively; and
THIRD:    to the Company.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders of Securities of a series pursuant to this Section. At least 15 days before the record date, the Company will mail to each Holder of Securities of the series and the Trustee a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount to be paid.

SECTION 6.13. Undertaking for Costs. In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses (whether incurred before trial, at trial or on appeal or in any bankruptcy, arbitration or other administrative proceeding), against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.13 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07, or a suit by Holders of in aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Securities of a series then outstanding, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Security held by that Holder on or after the due date provided in the Security or to any suit for the enforcement of the right to convert or exchange any Security in accordance with the provisions of that Security or Supplemental Indenture applicable to that Security.

 

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SECTION 6.14. Stay, Extension or Usury Laws. The Company agrees (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim, and will resist any and all efforts to be compelled to take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury or other law, wherever enacted, now or at any subsequent time in force, which would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of, premium, if any, and/or interest on any of the Securities as contemplated in this Indenture, the terms of such Security or a Supplemental Indenture, or which may affect the covenants or performance of this Indenture, and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and agrees that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power granted to the Trustee in this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture, but (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) will suffer and permit the execution of any such power as though no such law had been enacted.

SECTION 6.15. Liability of Stockholders, Officers, Directors and Incorporators. No stockholder, officer, director or incorporator, as such, past, present or future, of the Company, or any of its successor corporations, will have any personal liability in respect of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture or any Securities by reason of his or its status as such stockholder, officer, director or incorporator; provided, however, that nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities will prevent recourse to and enforcement of the liability of any stockholder or subscriber to Capital Stock which have not been fully paid up.

ARTICLE SEVEN

TRUSTEE

SECTION 7.01. Duties of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiver of all Events of Default that may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. In the event an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs; provided that if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own grossly negligent action, its own grossly negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that.

(b) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default that may have occurred:

(i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

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(ii) in the absence of bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of any mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

(c) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Trust Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

(d) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the series of Securities then outstanding 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;

(e) Every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee is subject to the provisions of this Section 7.01 and to the provisions of the TIA;

(f) the Trustee shall not be liable in respect of any payment (as to the correctness of amount, entitlement to receive or any other matters relating to payment) or notice effected by the Company or any Paying Agent or any records maintained by any Registrar with respect to the Securities;

(g) if any party fails to deliver a notice relating to an event the fact of which, pursuant to this Indenture, requires notice to be sent to the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely on its failure to receive such notice as reason to act as if no such event occurred, unless a Trust Officer had actual knowledge of such event;

(h) in the absence of written investment direction from the Company, all cash received by the Trustee shall be placed in a non-interest bearing trust account, and in no event shall the Trustee be liable for the selection of investments or for investment losses incurred thereon or for losses incurred as a result of the liquidation of any such investment prior to its maturity date or the failure of the party directing such investments prior to its maturity date or the failure of the party directing such investment to provide timely written investment direction, and the Trustee shall have no obligation to invest or reinvest any amounts held hereunder in the absence of such written investment direction from the Company; and

(i) in the event that the Trustee is also acting as Custodian, Registrar, Paying Agent, or transfer agent hereunder, the rights and protections afforded to the Trustee pursuant to this Article 7 shall also be afforded to such Custodian, Note Registrar, Paying Agent, or transfer agent.

 

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None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers.

SECTION 7.02. Rights of Trustee. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note, coupon or other paper or document believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate which conforms to Section 12.05. The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such an Officer’s Certificate.

(c) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

(d) The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes, suffers or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, except conduct which constitutes willful misconduct or gross negligence.

(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and any advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion of counsel.

(f) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the expense of the Company for any reasonable expenses incurred and shall incur no liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

(g) Any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution.

(h) Whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, conclusively rely upon an Officer’s Certificate.

 

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(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 pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

(j) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(k) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default except any Default or Event of Default occurring pursuant to clause (1) or (2) of Section 6.01 if, at the time of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, the Trustee is the Paying Agent, unless a Trust Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default shall have been given to a Trust Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

(l) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent and other Person employed to act hereunder.

(m) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded.

SECTION 7.03. 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 any of its affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or co-paying agent may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee must comply with Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

SECTION 7.04. Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee (i) is not responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity, sufficiency or adequacy of this Indenture or any Securities, (ii) will not be responsible for and will not make any representation as to the validity, sufficiency or adequacy of any Supplemental Indenture, (iii) will not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities of any series, and (iv) will not be responsible for any recital or statement of the Company in this Indenture any Supplemental Indenture or any Securities, other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, or in any prospectus used in the sale of any of the Securities, other than statements, if any, provided in writing or approved by the Trustee for use in such a prospectus. The Trustee shall not be responsible to make any calculation with respect to any matter under this Indenture.

 

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SECTION 7.05. Notice of Defaults. The Trustee will give to the Holders of the Securities of a series notice of any Default with regard to the Securities of that series known to the Trustee, within 90 days after it occurs; provided, that, except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on any Security, the Trustee will be protected in withholding notice of the Default if and so long as a committee of its Trust Officers in good faith determines that the withholding of the notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Securities of the series.

SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee. Within 60 days after each May 15 beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Indenture, the Trustee will mail to each Securityholder, at the name and address that appears on the registration books of the Company, and to each Securityholder who has, within the two years preceding the mailing, filed that person’s name and address with the Trustee for that purpose and each Securityholder whose name and address have been furnished to the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.07, a brief report dated as of that May 15 which complies with TIA Section 313(a). The Trustee also will comply with TIA Section 313(b).

A copy of each report will at the time of its mailing to Securityholders be filed with each stock exchange on which Securities are listed and also with the SEC. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee when the Securities of any series are listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting of Securities of any series.

SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity. The Company will pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree in writing. The Trustee’s compensation will not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company will reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred or made by it, including costs of collection, in addition to the compensation for its services. Those expenses will include the reasonable compensation and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and experts. The Company will indemnify the Trustee and its agents against any and all loss, liability or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by it in connection with the administration of the trust created by this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture and the performance of its duties under this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, or any Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, or in connection with enforcing the provisions of this Section. The Trustee will notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company of its obligations under this Section. The Company will defend the claim and the Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company will pay the fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, expense or liability incurred by the Trustee to the extent it is due to the Trustee’s own willful misconduct or gross negligence.

 

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To secure the Company’s obligation to make payments to the Trustee under this Section 7.07, the Trustee will have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, other than money or property held in trust to pay principal or interest on particular Securities. Those obligations of the Company will survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the termination for any reason of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or (5) of Section 6.01 occurs, the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services of the Trustee are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

For purposes of this Section 7.07, “Trustee” will include any predecessor Trustee, but the willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith of any Trustee will not affect the rights of any other Trustee under this Section 7.07.

SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee. The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the Company. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series then outstanding may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company and may appoint a successor Trustee. The Company may remove the Trustee if:

 

  (1)

the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

 

  (2)

the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

 

  (3)

a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

 

  (4)

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 will promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all series then outstanding may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

No removal or appointment of a Trustee will be valid if that removal or appointment would conflict with any law applicable to the Company.

A successor Trustee will deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee will, provided all sums owing to the retiring Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07, transfer all property held by it as a Trustee to the successor Trustee, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee will become effective, and the successor Trustee will have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture and all Supplemental Indentures. A successor Trustee will mail notice of its succession to each Securityholder.

If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, at the Company’s expense, the Company or the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all series then outstanding may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Securityholder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

Notwithstanding the replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 will continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by Merger, etc. Any corporation or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of this Indenture), shall be the successor to the Trustee hereunder without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that in the case of any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee such corporation or other entity shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.10.

If at the time a successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to the Trustee succeeds to the trusts created by this Indenture any of the Securities have been authenticated but not delivered, the successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of the predecessor Trustee, and deliver the Securities which were authenticated by the predecessor Trustee; and if at that time any of the Securities have not been authenticated, the successor to the Trustee may authenticate those Securities either in the name of the predecessor or in its own name as the successor to the Trustee; and in either case the certificates of authentication will have the full force provided in this Indenture for certificates of authentication.

SECTION 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification. The Trustee will at all times satisfy the requirements of TIA Section 310(a). The Trustee will at all times have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recently published annual report of condition, which will be deemed for this paragraph to be its combined capital and surplus. The Trustee will comply with TIA Section 310(b), including the optional provision permitted by the second sentence of TIA Section 310(b)(9); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA §310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA §310(b)(1) are met, other than the fact that such indentures are not described herein.

SECTION 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims. The Trustee will comply with TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed will be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.

 

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ARTICLE EIGHT

DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE

SECTION 8.01. Termination of the Company’s Obligations. When, with respect to the Securities of any series (i) the Company delivers to the Trustee all outstanding Securities of such series (other than Securities replaced pursuant to Section 2.09) for cancellation or (ii) all outstanding Securities of such series have become due and payable, or are due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year, under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for giving the notice of redemption, and the Company irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee (subject to Article Eleven) money or U.S. Government Obligations without reinvestment sufficient to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, and if, in the case of either (i) or (ii) above the Company also pays or causes to be paid all other sums payable by the Company with regard to the Securities of such series under this Indenture, then this Indenture will cease to be of further effect.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s obligations to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities and the Company’s obligations in Sections 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 7.07, 7.08 and in Article Ten will survive until all the Securities of all series are no longer outstanding. Thereafter, the Company’s obligations in Section 7.07 will survive.

Before or after a deposit the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities of a series at a future date to the extent the Securities are redeemable in accordance with Article Three and the applicable Security terms or Supplemental Indenture.

After a deposit pursuant to this Section 8.01 or after all outstanding Securities of such series have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, the Trustee upon request from the Company, accompanied by an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel which complies with Section 12.05, and at the cost of the Company, will acknowledge in writing the satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Securities of such series and this Indenture except for those surviving obligations specified above.

In order to have money available on payment dates to pay principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of a series, the U.S. Government Obligations will be payable as to principal, premium, if any, or interest on or before those payment dates in amounts sufficient to provide the necessary money. U.S. Government Obligations used for this purpose may not be callable at the issuer’s option.

SECTION 8.02. Application of Trust Money. Subject to Article Eleven and Section 8.03, the Trustee will hold in trust money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.01. It will apply the deposited money and the money from the U.S. Government Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture and any applicable Supplemental Indentures to the payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities with regard to which the money or U.S. Government Obligations were deposited.

 

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SECTION 8.03. Repayment to the Company. The Trustee and the Paying Agent will promptly pay to the Company upon request any excess money or securities held by them at any time. The Trustee and the Paying Agent will pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal, premium or interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After such payment, all liability of the Trustee and the Paying Agent with respect to that money will cease.

SECTION 8.04. Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust. The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 8.01 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of outstanding Securities.

ARTICLE NINE

AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS

SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities without notice to or consent of any Securityholder:

 

  (1)

to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein or in any indenture supplemental hereto which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture or to conform the terms hereof, as amended and supplemented, that are applicable to the Securities of any series to the description of the terms of such Securities in the offering memorandum, prospectus supplement or other offering document applicable to such Securities at the time of initial sale thereof;

 

  (2)

to comply with Article 5;

 

  (3)

to establish the form and terms of the Securities of any series as contemplated in Article Two of this Indenture;

 

  (4)

to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; or

 

  (5)

to amend, modify or supplement any of the provisions contained herein or in any supplemental indenture, provided that no such amendment or supplement shall materially adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder, and provided further that any amendment, modification or supplement that conforms this Indenture or any supplemental indenture, as applied to a series of Securities, to the terms described in the prospectus (including any prospectus supplement) pursuant to which such Securities were initially sold shall be deemed not to adversely affect the rights of Securityholders.

 

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After an amendment under this Section becomes effective, the Company will deliver to the Securityholders in a manner contemplated by Section 12.03 a notice briefly describing the amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Securityholders, or any defect in a notice, will not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section.

SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may (i) amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities without notice to any Securityholder but with the written consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series then outstanding or (ii) supplement this Indenture with regard to a series of Securities, amend or supplement a Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities, or amend the Securities of a series, without notice to any Securityholder but with the written consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then outstanding. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of all series then outstanding may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities without notice to any Securityholder. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series then outstanding may waive compliance with any provision of this Indenture, any Supplemental Indenture or the Securities of that series with regard to the Securities of that series without notice to any Securityholder. However, without the consent of the Holder so affected, no amendment, supplement or waiver, including a waiver pursuant to Section 6.04, may:

 

  (1)

extend the fixed maturity of any Security, reduce the rate or extend the time for payment of interest on any Security, reduce the principal amount of any Security or premium, if any, on any Security;

 

  (2)

impair or affect the right of a Holder to institute suit for the payment of interest, if any, principal or premium, if any, on the Securities;

 

  (3)

change the currency in which the Securities are payable from that specified in the Securities or in a Supplemental Indenture applicable to the Securities;

 

  (4)

impair the right, if any, to convert the Securities into, or exchange the Securities for, other securities or assets;

 

  (5)

reduce the percentage of Securities required to consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

 

  (6)

reduce the amount payable upon the redemption of any Security or change the time at which any Security may or will be redeemed;

 

  (7)

modify the provisions of any Supplemental Indenture with respect to subordination of the Securities of a series in a manner adverse to the Securityholders; or

 

  (8)

make any change in Section 6.04 or 6.08 or the fifth sentence of this Section.

 

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It will not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it will be sufficient if the consent approves the substance of the amendment, supplement or waiver.

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Persons entitled to consent to any indenture supplemental hereto. If a record date is fixed, the Holders on such record date, or their duly designated proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to consent to such supplemental indenture, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided, that unless such consent shall have become effective by virtue of the requisite percentage having been obtained prior to the date which is 90 days after such record date, any such consent previously given shall automatically and without further action by any Holder be cancelled and of no further effect.

After an amendment under this Section becomes effective, the Company will mail to the Securityholders a notice briefly describing the amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Securityholders, or any defect in a notice, will not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section.

SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture, any Supplemental Indenture or the Securities will comply with the TIA as then in effect.

SECTION 9.04. Revocation and Effect of Consents. A consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver by a Holder of a Security will bind 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 the Holder’s Security or portion of a Security. For a revocation to be effective, the Trustee must receive notice of the revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective. After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms, it will bind every Holder of every Security of every series to which it applies.

SECTION 9.05. Notation on or Exchange of Securities. If an amendment changes the terms of a series of Securities, the Trustee may require the Holder of a Security of the series to deliver the Holder’s Security to the Trustee, who will place an appropriate notation about the amendment, supplement or waiver on the Security and will return it to the Holder. Alternatively, the Company may, in exchange for the Security, issue, and the Trustee (or an authenticating agent duly appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 12.15) will authenticate, a new Security that reflects the amendment, supplement or waiver.

SECTION 9.06. Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc. In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by Article Two or this Article Nine or the modification thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall receive, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel and an Officer’s Certificate stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee will sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to Article Two or this Article Nine if the amendment, supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does adversely affect those rights, duties, liabilities or immunities, the Trustee may but need not sign it. The Company may not sign an amendment or supplement until the amendment or supplement is approved by an appropriate Board Resolution.

 

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ARTICLE TEN

CONVERSION OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES

SECTION 10.01. Provisions Relating to Conversion or Exchange of Securities. Any rights which Holders of Securities of a series will have to convert those Securities into other securities of the Company or to exchange those Securities for securities of other Persons or other assets, including but not limited to the terms of the conversion or exchange and the circumstances, if any, under which those terms will be adjusted to prevent dilution or otherwise, will be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to the series of Securities. In the absence of provisions in an Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities setting forth rights to convert or exchange the Securities of that series into or for other securities or assets, Holders of the Securities of that series will not have any such rights.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

SINKING OR PURCHASE FUNDS

SECTION 11.01. Provisions Relating to Sinking or Purchase Funds. Any requirements that the Company make, or rights of the Company to make at its option, payments prior to maturity of the Securities of a series which will be used as a fund with which to redeem or to purchase Securities of that series, including but not limited to provisions regarding the amount of the payments, when the Company will be required, or will have the option, to make the payments and when the payments will be applied, will be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to the series of Securities. In the absence of provisions in an Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities setting forth requirements that the Company make, or rights of the Company to make at its option, payments to be used as a fund with which to redeem or purchase Securities of the series, the Company will not be subject to any such requirements and will not have any such rights. However, unless otherwise specifically provided in an Officer’s Certificate or Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities, the Company will at all times have the right to purchase Securities from Holders in market transactions or otherwise.

ARTICLE TWELVE

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 12.01. Trust Indenture Act Controls. If any provision of this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Section 310 through 317 of the TIA, the imposed duties will control.

 

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SECTION 12.02. Supplemental Indentures Contract. If any provision of a Supplemental Indenture relating to a series of Securities is inconsistent with any provision of this Indenture, the provision of the Supplemental Indenture will control with regard to the Securities of the series to which it relates.

SECTION 12.03. Notices. Any notice, demand or other communication authorized by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with, the Company or the Trustee shall be sufficiently made, given, furnished or filed for all purposes if it shall be in writing and mailed, delivered or telefaxed (or, in the case of such notice, demand or other communication by the Company to the Trustee, sent by e-mail that has been confirmed received or otherwise sent in accordance with Section 12.03):

 

if to the Company:   

Ryerson Holding Corporation

227 West Monroe Street, 27th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Facsimile: (312) 292-5000

Attention: James J. Claussen, Chief Financial Officer

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice and shall not be required to be delivered in satisfaction of any requirement hereof) to:   

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Attention: Cristopher Greer

Laura Acker

Facsimile: (212) 728-9214

if to the Trustee:    [ ]

Either the Company or the Trustee by a notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given to Securityholders shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided): (i) if given in writing by first class mail, postage prepaid, to such Holders at their addresses as the same shall appear on the registered books of the Registrar; provided, that in the event of suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give notice by mail, then such notification as shall be given with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute sufficient notice for every purpose hereunder; or (ii) in the case of any Holder of a holder of a Global Security, if transmitted to the Depositary in whose name such Global Securities are registered for such Security (or its designee) in accordance with the applicable procedures of such Depositary.

Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder or any defect in it will not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

 

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If by reason of the suspension of regular mail service, or by reason of any other cause, it is impossible to mail any notice as required by this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture, then any method of notification that is approved by the Trustee will constitute a sufficient mailing of the notice.

The Company may set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of Securityholders entitled to vote or consent to any action by vote or consent authorized or permitted by Sections 6.04 and 6.05. The record date will be the later of 30 days prior to the first solicitation of consents or the date of the most recent list of Holders furnished to the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.07 prior to the solicitation.

The Trustee shall have the right, but shall not be required, to rely upon and comply with notices, instructions, directions or other communications sent by e-mail, facsimile and other similar unsecured electronic methods by persons believed by the Trustee to be authorized to give instructions and directions on behalf of the Company. The Trustee shall have no duty or obligation to verify or confirm that the person who sent such instructions or directions is, in fact, a person authorized to give instructions or directions on behalf of the Company; and the Trustee shall have no liability for any losses, liabilities, costs or expenses incurred or sustained by the Company as a result of such reliance upon or compliance with such notices, instructions, directions or other communications. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit notices, instructions, directions or other communications to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties. The Company shall use all reasonable endeavors to ensure that any such notices, instructions, directions or other communications transmitted to the Trustee pursuant to this Indenture are complete and correct. Any such notices, instructions, directions or other communications shall be conclusively deemed to be valid instructions from the Company to the Trustee for the purposes of this Indenture.

SECTION 12.04. Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Securityholders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. Each of the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else will have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

SECTION 12.05. 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 or any Supplemental Indenture, the Company will furnish to the Trustee:

 

  (1)

an Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signer, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with;

 

  (2)

an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all those conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

 

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  (3)

such other opinions and certificates as may be required by applicable provisions of this Indenture or the Supplemental Indenture.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture or a Supplemental Indenture will include:

 

  (i)

a statement that each person signing the certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

 

  (ii)

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

 

  (iii)

a statement that, in the opinion of the person giving the certificate or opinion, that person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable that person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not the covenant or condition has been complied with; and

 

  (iv)

a statement as to whether, in the opinion of that person, the condition or covenant has been complied with.

Nothing in this Section 12.05 will be construed as requiring that the Company furnish to the Trustee any evidence of compliance with the conditions and covenants provided for in this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture other than the evidence specified in this Section 12.05 except as may be required by any other provision of this Indenture.

SECTION 12.06. When Treasury Securities Disregarded. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Securities owned by the Company, or anyone under direct or indirect control or under direct or indirect common control with the Company will be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee will be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities which a Trust Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned will be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith will not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to act with respect to the Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or a person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under common control with, the Company. Nothing in this Section 12.06 will be construed as requiring that the Company furnish to the Trustee any evidence of compliance with the conditions and covenants provided for in the Indenture other than the evidence specified in this Section 12.06.

SECTION 12.07. Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent, Registrar. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Securityholders. The Paying Agent or Registrar may make reasonable rules for its functions.

SECTION 12.08. Legal Holidays. If a payment date or Maturity Date is not a Business Day, then any action to be taken on such date need not be taken on such date, but may be taken on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if taken on such date, and no interest shall accrue in respect of any payment that would otherwise need to be made on such date on account of the delay.

 

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SECTION 12.09. Governing Law and Submission to Jurisdiction. The laws of the State of New York will govern this Indenture, each Supplemental Indenture and the Securities, and any dispute, case or controversy arising thereunder or relating thereto. The Company submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, in any action or proceeding to enforce any of its obligations under this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture or with regard to the Securities, and agrees not to seek a transfer of any such action or proceeding on the basis of inconvenience of the forum or otherwise (but the Company will not be prevented from removing any such action or proceeding from a state court to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York). The Company agrees that process in any such action or proceeding may be served upon it by registered mail or in any other manner permitted by the rules of the court in which the action or proceeding is brought.

SECTION 12.10. Actions by the Company. Any action or proceeding brought by the Company to enforce any right, assert any claim or obtain any relief in connection with this Indenture, any Supplemental Indenture or the Securities will be brought by the Company exclusively in the courts of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

SECTION 12.11. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. Neither this Indenture nor any Supplemental Indenture may be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary. No such indenture, loan or debt agreement may be used to interpret this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture.

SECTION 12.12. Successors. All agreements of the Company in this Indenture, any Supplemental Indentures and the Securities will bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture and any Supplemental Indentures will bind its successors.

SECTION 12.13. Duplicate Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture or any Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy will be an original, but all of them together will represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (i.e., “pdf” or “tif”) 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 electronic format (i.e., “pdf” or “tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

SECTION 12.14. Table of Contents, Headings, etc. The table of contents, cross-reference sheet and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only. They are not to be considered a part of this Indenture, and will in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture.

 

36


SECTION 12.15. Authenticating Agent. The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent that shall be authorized to act on its behalf and subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Notes in connection with the original issuance thereof and transfers and exchanges of Notes hereunder, including under Section 2.04, Section 2.05, Section 2.09, Section 2.11 and Section 9.05 as fully to all intents and purposes as though the authenticating agent had been expressly authorized by this Indenture and those Sections to authenticate and deliver Notes. For all purposes of this Indenture, the authentication and delivery of Notes by the authenticating agent shall be deemed to be authentication and delivery of such Notes “by the Trustee” and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an authenticating agent shall be deemed to satisfy any requirement hereunder or in the Notes for the Trustee’s certificate of authentication. Such authenticating agent shall at all times be a Person eligible to serve as trustee hereunder pursuant to Section 7.10.

Any corporation or other entity into which any authenticating agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any authenticating agent shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to the corporate trust business of any authenticating agent, shall be the successor of the authenticating agent hereunder, if such successor corporation or other entity is otherwise eligible under this Section 12.15, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto or the authenticating agent or such successor corporation or other entity.

Any authenticating agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any authenticating agent by giving written notice of termination to such authenticating agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time any authenticating agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor authenticating agent (which may be the Trustee), shall give written notice of such appointment to the Company and shall mail or transmit notice of such appointment to all Holders as the names and addresses of such Holders appear on the Note Register.

The Company agrees to pay to the authenticating agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services although the Company may terminate the authenticating agent, if it determines such agent’s fees to be unreasonable.

The provisions of Section 2.08, Section 7.02, Section 7.03 and Section 7.04 and this Section 12.15 shall be applicable to any authenticating agent.

If an authenticating agent is appointed pursuant to this Section 12.15, the Notes may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:

, as Authenticating Agent, certifies that this is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture.

By:

Authorized Officer

 

37


SECTION 12.16. Execution in Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. 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 12.17. Severability. In the event any provision of this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, then (to the extent permitted by law) the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

SECTION 12.18. Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

SECTION 12.19. Force Majeure. In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable best efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

 

38


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties to this Indenture have caused it to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

   RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION
By:  
  Name:
  Title:
 

[ ],

  as Trustee

By:  
  Name:
  Title:

 

1


EXHIBIT A

(Form of Face of Security)

[THIS SECURITY IS ISSUED IN GLOBAL FORM AND REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”) OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC, TO THE COMPANY (AS DEFINED BELOW) OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO., OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR SECURITIES IN DEFINITIVE REGISTERED FORM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS HEREOF AND OF THE INDENTURE (AS DEFINED BELOW), THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY DTC TO A NOMINEE OF DTC OR BY A NOMINEE OF DTC TO DTC OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF DTC OR BY DTC OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY.]*

 

*

Insert in Global Security only.

RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION

% [SENIOR/SUBORDINATED] NOTE DUE

 

   

 

    CUSIP:
    ISIN:
    Common Code:

Ryerson Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation, promises to pay to [Cede & Co.]* [ ], or registered assigns, the principal sum of Dollars on

Interest Payment Dates: and

Record Dates: and

Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the reverse hereof.

 

*

Insert in Global Security only.

 

2


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Security to be signed manually or by facsimile by its duly authorized officer.

 

RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein, referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

[ ] as Trustee
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

3


(Form of Reverse of Security)

RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION

%[SENIOR/SUBORDINATED] NOTE DUE

1. Interest. Ryerson Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and its successors and assigns under the Indenture referred to below, being herein called the “Company”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Security at the interest rate per annum shown above. The Company will pay interest semiannually on and of each year. Interest on the Securities of this series will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid or duly provided for, from . Interest will be computed [on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months] [as set forth in the Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture delivered pursuant to the Indenture].

2. Method of Payment. The Company will pay interest on the Securities of this series (except defaulted interest) to the persons who are registered Holders of Securities of this series at the close of business on the record date next preceding the interest payment date even though such Securities are canceled after the record date and on or before the interest payment date. Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments. The Company will pay principal and interest in money of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. However, the Company may pay principal and interest by check payable in such money. It may mail an interest check to a Holder’s registered address.

3. Paying Agent, Registrar. Initially, [ ] (the “Trustee”), will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may change any Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar without notice. The Company may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.

4. Indenture. The Company issued the Securities of this series under an Indenture dated as of [ ] (the “Indenture”) between the Company and the Trustee. The Securities are unsecured general obligations of the Company issued and to be issued in one or more series under the Indenture and may be issued in an unlimited principal amount. The terms of the Securities include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) (the “TIA”). Capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein are used as defined in the Indenture. The Securities are subject to all such terms, and Securityholders are referred to the Indenture and the TIA for a statement of such terms.

5. Redemption. [Set forth redemption provision, if any.]

6. Denominations; Transfer; Exchange. The Securities of this series are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof [or as otherwise set forth in the Security]. The transfer of Securities may be registered and Securities may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Company shall not be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of a series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption under Section 3.03 of the Indenture and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

7. Defeasance. Subject to certain conditions and unless otherwise provided in the terms of the Securities of this series, the Company at any time may terminate some or all of its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the Company deposits with the Trustee money for the payment of principal and interest on the Securities to maturity or redemption (as applicable).

 

4


8. Persons Deemed Owners. The registered Holder of a Security may be treated as its owner for all purposes, except that interest (other than defaulted interest) will be paid to the person that was the registered Holder on the relevant record date for such payment of interest.

9. Amendments and Waivers. Subject to certain exceptions, (i) the Indenture or the Securities may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of each series affected; and (ii) any existing default with respect to the Securities of this series may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series. Without the consent of any Securityholder, the Indenture or the Securities may be amended or supplemented to, among other things, cure any ambiguity, omission, defect, error or inconsistency, to provide for assumption of Company obligations by a successor to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities, to provide for guarantees with respect to, or security for, the Securities, or to comply with the TIA or to add additional covenants or surrender Company rights.

10. Remedies. If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of this series may declare all the Securities of this series to be due and payable immediately. Securityholders may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities of this series except as provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may require an indemnity before it enforces the Indenture or the Securities. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of a series may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power with respect to such series. The Trustee may withhold from Securityholders notice of any continuing default (except a Default in payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding notice is in their interests. The Company must furnish an annual compliance certificate to the Trustee.

11. Subordination. [Set forth subordination provision, if any.]

12. Trustee Dealings with Company. Subject to the provisions of the TIA, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform services for the Company or its affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the Company or its affiliates, as if it were not Trustee. The Trustee will initially be [ ].

13. No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, incorporator, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

14. Authentication. This Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of an authorized signatory of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.

15. Abbreviations. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Securityholder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

 

5


Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Securities. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers (or as to the accuracy of ISIN numbers, Common Code numbers or similar numbers) as printed on the Securities and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

THE COMPANY WILL FURNISH TO ANY SECURITYHOLDER UPON WRITTEN REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE A COPY OF THE INDENTURE, WHICH HAS IN IT THE TEXT OF THIS SECURITY, IN TWELVE-POINT TYPE. REQUESTS MAY BE MADE TO: INVESTOR RELATIONS, RYERSON HOLDING CORPORATION, 227 WEST MONROE STREET, 27TH FLOOR, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606, TELEPHONE: (312) 292-5052.

 

6


ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

I or we assign and transfer this Security to

(Insert assignee’s

soc. sec or tax I.D.

no.)

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

 and irrevocably appoint agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

Dated:  

 

    Signed:  

 

        (Sign exactly as your name appears
on the other side of this Security)
        Signature Guarantee:

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Exhibit 5.1

 

LOGO   

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019-6099

Tel: 212 728 8000

Fax: 212 728 8111

January 25, 2024

Ryerson Holding Corporation

227 W. Monroe St., 27th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Ryerson Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 to which this opinion is filed as an exhibit (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), for the registration of: (A) the sale by the Company from time to time of (i) common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company, (ii) preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”), of the Company, (iii) debt securities (the “Debt Securities”) of the Company, (iv) warrants to purchase Common Stock and warrants to purchase Preferred Stock (collectively, the “Warrants”), (v) units of the Company comprising any combination of Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants and Subscription Rights (the “Units”) and (vi) subscription rights to purchase Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Warrants, Debt Securities and Units (the “Subscription Rights” and, together with the Common Stock, the Preferred Stock, the Debt Securities, the Warrants and the Units, the “Securities”) and (B) an aggregate of 3,924,478 shares of Common Stock (the “Selling Stockholder Shares”) to be sold from time to time by certain selling stockholders of the Company. The Debt Securities are to be issued under an indenture substantially in the form attached as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Base Indenture”), as may be supplemented.

We have examined copies of the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, the form of the Base Indenture, the Registration Statement, the prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”), relevant resolutions adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”), and other records and documents that we have deemed necessary for the purpose of this opinion.

We have also examined forms of the Debt Securities and the specimen Common Stock and are familiar with originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such other documents, corporate records, papers, statutes and authorities as we have deemed necessary to form a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed.

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the conformity to original documents of all copies submitted to us. As to various questions of fact material to our opinion, we have relied on statements and certificates of officers and representatives of the Company and public officials.

 

 

BRUSSELS    CHICAGO    FRANKFURT     HOUSTON    LONDON    LOS ANGELES    MILAN

NEW YORK    PALO ALTO    PARIS    ROME    SAN FRANCISCO    WASHINGTON


Ryerson Holding Corporation

January 25, 2024

Page 2

 

In connection with the opinions expressed below, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of the delivery of any such security, (i) the Company shall be validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, (ii) the Company shall have duly established the terms of such security and duly authorized the issuance and sale of such security (other than the Selling Stockholder Shares) and such authorization shall not have been modified or rescinded; (iii) such parties other than the Company shall have the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations in accordance with the documents to be executed by such parties, and we have also assumed that upon the execution and delivery by such parties of such documents that such documents shall constitute valid and binding obligations of such parties; (iv) the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto shall be effective under the Act and comply with all applicable laws and such effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded; (v) the appropriate prospectus supplement, free writing prospectus or term sheet relating to the Securities offered thereby shall be prepared and filed with the Commission in compliance with the Act and shall comply with applicable laws at the time the Securities are offered or issued; (vi) such Security shall be issued and sold in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Act and in compliance with the “blue sky” laws of certain states and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto; (vii) there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such Security; (viii) at the time of an issuance of shares of Common Stock, including upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any of the Securities that provides for such conversion, exercise or exchange, as the case may be, there will be sufficient shares of Common Stock authorized under the Certificate of Incorporation, as restated and/or amended, and not otherwise issued or reserved for issuance; (ix) at the time of an issuance of shares of Preferred Stock, including upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any of the Securities that provides for such conversion, exercise or exchange, as the case may be, there will be sufficient shares of Preferred Stock authorized under the Certificate of Incorporation, as restated and/or amended, and not otherwise issued or reserved for issuance; (x) any Securities issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Securities being offered or issued will be duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exercise or exchange and (xi) the Company shall have timely filed all necessary reports pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are incorporated into the Registration Statement by reference. We have also assumed that none of the terms of any security to be established subsequent to the date hereof, nor the issuance and delivery of such security, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms of such security will violate any applicable law or will result in a violation of any provision of any instrument or agreement then binding upon the Company, or any restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.

Based on and subject to the foregoing and to the other qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

1. When an issuance of shares of Common Stock has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) has become effective under the Act, the shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold by the Company, including upon conversion, exercise, or exchange of any of the Securities that provides for such conversion, exercise or exchange, will have been duly authorized and, when such shares of Common Stock are issued, delivered and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement and the terms of any of the Securities that provides for conversion, exercise of exchange, as applicable, at not less than par value per share, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.


Ryerson Holding Corporation

January 25, 2024

Page 3

 

2. Upon (i) designation of the relative rights, preferences and limitations of any series of Preferred Stock and approval of the terms of the offering thereof and related matters in accordance with the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as restated and/or amended and (ii) the proper filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of a Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, when an issuance of shares of Preferred Stock has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) has become effective under the Act, and when such shares of Preferred Stock are issued, delivered and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, including upon conversion, exercise, or exchange of any of the Securities that provides for such conversion, exercise or exchange, and in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement and the terms of any of the Securities that provides for conversion, exercise of exchange, as applicable, at not less than par value per share, such shares of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

3. When (i) the Base Indenture and any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Debt Security have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the relevant trustee and the Company and such Base Indenture, as supplemented, has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, (ii) the specific terms of a particular Debt Security have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and established in accordance with the Base Indenture and supplemental indenture and the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) has become effective under the Act and (iii) such Debt Security has been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued, delivered and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with the Base Indenture and supplemental indenture and the applicable underwriting or other agreement, such Debt Security will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms.

4. When (i) the creation of and the issuance and terms of the Warrants, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters have been duly approved by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) has become effective under the Act, (ii) the warrant agreement or agreements relating to the Warrants have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the warrant agent appointed by the Company and (iii) the Warrants or certificates representing the Warrants have been duly executed, authenticated, issued, delivered and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement, the Warrants will be validly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms.


Ryerson Holding Corporation

January 25, 2024

Page 4

 

5. When (i) the creation of and the issuance and terms of the Units, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters have been duly approved by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post- effective amendments) has become effective under the Act, (ii) the unit agreement, if any, relating to the Units has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and (iii) the Units or certificates representing the Units have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment of the consideration fixed therefor, as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement, the Units will be validly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms.

6. When (i) the creation of and the issuance and terms of the Subscription Rights, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters have been duly approved by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) has become effective under the Act, (ii) the subscription rights agreement or agreements relating to the Subscription Rights have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the subscription rights agent appointed by the Company and (iii) the Subscription Rights or certificates representing the Subscription Rights have been duly executed, authenticated, issued, delivered and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement, the Subscription Rights will be validly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms.

7. The Selling Stockholder Shares are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

The opinions expressed herein are limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and we express no opinion with respect to the laws of any other country, state or jurisdiction. The opinions expressed herein that are based on the laws of the State of New York are limited to the laws generally applicable in transactions of the type covered by the Registration Statement.

The opinions set forth in paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 above are qualified in that the legality or enforceability of the documents referred to therein may be (a) subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (b) limited insofar as the remedies of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to equitable defenses and the discretion of the court before which any enforcement thereof may be sought and (c) subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) including principles of commercial reasonableness or conscionability and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Insofar as provisions of any of the documents referenced in this opinion letter provide for indemnification or contribution, the enforcement thereof may be limited by public policy considerations.

The opinions expressed herein are limited to matters expressly set forth herein, and no opinion is to be implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.


Ryerson Holding Corporation

January 25, 2024

Page 5

 

The opinions expressed herein are given as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update or supplement such opinions after the date hereof. The opinions expressed herein are rendered as of the date first written above and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of facts, circumstances, events or developments that hereafter may be brought to our attention and that may alter, affect or modify the opinions expressed herein. The opinions expressed herein are expressly limited to the matters set forth above and we render no opinion, whether by implication or otherwise, as to any other matters relating to the Company, the selling stockholders or the Selling Stockholder Shares.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement and in the related prospectus or any supplemental prospectus thereto. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of Ryerson Holding Corporation for the registration of its common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities, units and subscription rights and to the incorporation by reference therein of our reports dated February 22, 2023, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and the financial statement schedule of Ryerson Holding Corporation, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Ryerson Holding Corporation, included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Chicago, Illinois
January 25, 2024

Exhibit 107

Calculation of Filing Fee Table

FORM S-3

(Form Type)

Ryerson Holding Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Table 1: Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities

 

                         
     Security
Type
  Security
Class
Title
  Fee
Calculation
or Carry
Forward
Rule
  Amount
Registered
  Proposed
Maximum
Offering
Price Per
Unit
  Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price
  Fee
Rate
  Amount of
Registration
Fee
 

Carry
Forward

Form
Type

 

Carry

Forward

File

Number

  Carry
Forward
Initial
Effective
Date
  Filing Fee
Previously
Paid In
Connection
with Unsold
Securities to
be Carried
Forward
 
Newly Registered Securities
                         

Fees to be 

Paid

  Primary Offering                        
  Equity   Common Stock of Ryerson Holding Corporation, par value $0.01 per share   Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r)   (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)                
  Equity   Preferred Stock of Ryerson Holding Corporation, par value $0.01 per share   Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r)   (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)                
  Other   Warrants of Ryerson Holding Corporation   Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r)   (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)                
  Debt   Debt Securities of Ryerson Holding Corporation   Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r)   (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)                
  Other   Units of Ryerson Holding Corporation   Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r)   (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)                
  Other   Subscription Rights of Ryerson Holding Corporation   Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r)   (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)                
  Secondary Offering                                            
  Equity   Common Stock of Ryerson Holding Corporation, par value $0.01 per share   457(c)   3,924,478 (3)   $32.35(4)   $126,956,863.30(4)   $147.60 per $1 million   $18,738.83(5)                
                         
Fees Previously  Paid                          
                         
Carry Forward Securities                          
                   
    Total Offering Amounts      $126,956,863.30(4)     $18,738.83(5)          
                   
    Total Fees Previously Paid                   
                   
    Total Fee Offsets          $43,037.01 (11)          
                   
    Net Fee Due              $0                

Table 2: Fee Offset Claims and Sources

 

                       
     Registrant
or Filer
Name
  Form
or
Filing
Type
  File
Number
  Initial
Filing
Date
  Filing
Date
  Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Security
Type
Associated
with Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Security
Title
Associated
with Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Unsold
Securities
Associated
with Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Unsold
Aggregate
Offering
Amount
Associated
with Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Fee
Paid
with
Fee
Offset
Source
 
Rule 457(p)
                       
Fee Offset Claims   Ryerson Holding Corporation   S-3   333-252568   January 29, 2021     $27,275.00 (6)   Unallocated (Universal) Shelf   Unallocated (Universal) Shelf   (6)   $250,000,000.00(6)  
                       
Fee Offset Claims   Ryerson Holding Corporation   S-3   333-252568   January 29, 2021     $15,762.01(6)   Equity   Common Stock of Ryerson Holding Corporation, par value $0.01 per share   11,920,220(6)   $144,473,066.40(7)  
                       
Fee Offset Sources   Ryerson Holding Corporation   S-3   333-252568     January 29, 2021             $3,387.50 (8)
                       
Fee Offset Sources   Ryerson Holding Corporation   S-3   333-215381     December 30, 2016             $22,152.88(9)
                       
Fee Offset Sources   Ryerson Holding Corporation   S-3   333-211966     June 10, 2016             $17,496.63(10)

 

(1)

An indeterminate amount of securities of each identified class is being registered as may from time to time be offered hereunder at indeterminate prices, along with an indeterminate number of securities that may be issued upon exercise, settlement, exchange or conversion of the securities offered or sold hereunder. Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers any additional securities that may be offered or issued in connection with any stock split, stock dividend, or pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of any of the securities. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable upon conversion, exercise, or exchange of other securities.

(2)

In accordance with Rule 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, Ryerson Holding Corporation (the “Registrant”) is deferring payment of all registration fees for all securities that may be offered in primary offerings by the registrant and will pay the registration fees subsequently in advance or on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, except for $24,298.18 that the Registrant is entitled to offset pursuant to Rule 457(p) for fees paid with respect to unsold securities as described below.

(3)

The Registrant is hereby registering for sale from time to time by certain selling stockholders named in this registration statement of up to 3,924,478 shares of the Registrant’s common stock.

(4)

Estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) of the rules and regulations under the Securities Act. The calculations of the proposed maximum offering price per share and the proposed maximum aggregate offering price are based on the average of the high and the low sale prices of the Registrant’s common stock reported on the New York Stock Exchange on January 19, 2024.

(5)

The registration fee has been calculated in accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act.

(6)

The Registrant previously registered 21,037,500 shares of common stock issuable by the Registrant for the resale by certain selling stockholders pursuant to Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-215381) filed by the Registrant on December 30, 2016 (the “Prior Secondary Registration Statement”). In connection with the Prior Secondary Registration Statement, the Registrant paid a registration fee in the amount of $34,208.59. No securities were sold under the Prior Secondary Registration Statement, leaving a balance of 21,037,500 unsold securities thereunder. Pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act, the registration fee of $34,208.59 (the “Prior Secondary Registration Statement Fee Balance”) under the Prior Secondary Registration Statement was consequently transferred in full to the Registration Statement on Form S-3, (333-252568) filed by the Registrant on January 29, 2021 (the “2021 Registration Statement”), which registered (i) an indeterminate amount of securities issuable by the Registrant having an aggregate offering price of up to $250,000,000 (the “Primary Securities”) and (ii) 21,037,500 shares of common stock of the Registrant (the “Secondary Shares”) for the resale by certain selling stockholders.

The Registrant previously registered common stock issuable by the Registrant with an aggregate maximum offering price of $250,000,000.00 pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-211966), filed by the Registrant on June 10, 2016 (the “Prior Primary Registration Statement”). In connection with the Prior Primary Registration Statement, the Registrant paid a registration fee in the amount of $25,175.00. $76,250,000.00 of securities were sold under the Prior Primary Registration Statement, leaving a balance of $173,750,000.00 unsold securities thereunder. Pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act, the balance of $17,496.63 from the registration fee under the Prior Primary Registration Statement previously paid in respect of the unsold securities thereunder (the “Prior Primary Registration Statement Fee Balance”) was consequently transferred to the 2021 Registration Statement.

In connection with the 2021 Registration Statement, the Registrant (i) offset the registration fee of $27,817.72 due in connection with the Secondary Shares by $27,817.72 from the Prior Secondary Registration Statement Fee Balance, leaving $6,390.87 of the Prior Secondary Registration Statement Fee Balance remaining, and (ii) offset the registration fee of $27,275.00 due in connection with the Primary Securities with (a) the remaining $6,390.87 from the Prior Secondary Registration Statement Fee Balance and (b) the Prior Primary Registration Statement Fee Balance, and paid the remaining balance of $3,387.50 due in connection with the Primary Securities.

Under the 2021 Registration Statement, the Registrant did not sell any Primary Securities, leaving $27,275.00 in previously paid and unused fees available as an offset against the registration fee due from time to time under this registration statement in connection with any future issuance by the Registrant of any of the securities of each identified class registered hereunder, or any future resale of shares of common stock of the Registrant by certain selling stockholders.

Under the 2021 Registration Statement, there were 9,117,280 of the Secondary Shares sold by the selling stockholders named therein, leaving a balance of 11,920,220 of unsold Secondary Shares thereunder. The filing fee attributable to such sales of Secondary Shares was $12,055.71 (calculated at the fee rate in effect on the filing date of the 2021 Registration Statement, or $0.0001091), leaving $15,762.01 in previously paid and unused fees available as an offset against the registration fee due from time to time under this registration statement in connection with any future issuance by the Registrant of any of the securities of each identified class registered hereunder, or any future resale of shares of common stock of the Registrant by certain selling stockholders.

 

(7)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act. The price is based on the average of the high and low sale prices of the Registrant’s common stock as of January 27, 2021, in connection with the 2021 Registration Statement and as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

(8)

Consists of the contemporaneous fee paid in connection with the 2021 Registration Statement, as described in note 6 above.

(9)

Consists of the contemporaneous fee of $34,208.59 paid in connection with the Prior Secondary Registration Statement, less the $12,055.71 filing fee attributable to sales of Secondary Shares sold by the selling stockholders under the 2021 Registration Statement, as described in note 6 above.

(10)

Consists of the contemporaneous fee of $25,175 paid in connection with the Prior Primary Registration Statement, less the filing fee attributable to the $76,250,000.00 of securities sold under the Prior Primary Registration Statement, as described in note 6 above.

(11)

Pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act, the Registrant is offsetting the registration fees due (i) from time to time under this registration statement and (ii) in connection with the 3,924,478 shares of the Registrant’s common stock being registered for sale from time to time by certain selling stockholders named in this registration statement by $43,037.01, which represents the portion of the registration fees previously paid and unused with respect to the Prior Primary Registration Statement, the Prior Secondary Registration Statement and the 2021 Registration Statement, as described above, and of which $18,738.83 will be used to offset the registration fee for the 3,924,478 shares of the Registrant’s common stock being registered for sale from time to time by certain selling stockholders named in this registration statement, and $24,298.18 will be used to offset the registration fees for all securities that may be offered in primary offerings by the registrant due from time to time under this registration statement. Concurrently with the filing of this registration statement, any offering of unsold Primary Securities and Secondary Shares pursuant to the 2021 Registration Statement is hereby terminated and the full unused amount of the registration fees transferred to and concurrently paid on the 2021 Registration Statement shall be applied to offset any registration fees due from time to time for this registration statement.


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