EX-99.1 8 tm2226354d2_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

COTERRA ENERGY INC.

 

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

 

OFFERS TO EXCHANGE

 

$687,217,000 PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF ITS 3.90% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2027, THE ISSUANCE OF WHICH HAS BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED,

 

FOR

 

AN EQUAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF ITS 3.90% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2027

 

AND

 

$433,171,000 PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF ITS 4.375% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2029, THE ISSUANCE OF WHICH HAS BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED,

 

FOR

 

AN EQUAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF ITS 4.375% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2029

 

THE EXCHANGE OFFERS AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON
                                 , 2022 (THE “EXPIRATION DATE”) UNLESS EXTENDED.

 

The Exchange Agent is:

 

U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

 

By Hand, Registered, Certified or
Express Mail or by Overnight Courier:

 

Corporate Trust Services

60 Livingston Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55107-2292

Attn: Specialized Finance

 

For Information Call:

 

(800) 934-6802

 

 

 

For Facsimile Transmission (for Eligible Institutions only):

 

(651) 466-5400

 

E-mail Inquiries:

 

cts.specfinance@usbank.com

 

 

 

IF YOU WISH TO EXCHANGE CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING RESTRICTED NOTES FOR AN EQUAL AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THE RESPECTIVE SERIES OF REGISTERED NOTES PURSUANT TO THE EXCHANGE OFFERS, YOU MUST VALIDLY TENDER (AND NOT WITHDRAW) RESTRICTED NOTES TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON                         , 2022 BY DELIVERING A PROPERLY COMPLETED AND SIGNED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT OR BY CAUSING AN AGENT’S MESSAGE TO BE RECEIVED BY THE EXCHANGE AGENT PRIOR TO SUCH TIME. CERTAIN TERMS USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH BUT NOT DEFINED ARE DEFINED BELOW.

 

Delivery of this Letter of Transmittal (this “Letter of Transmittal”) to an address other than as set forth above will not constitute a valid delivery. Only hard copies of this Letter of Transmittal or presentations via The Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) Automated Tender Offer Program (“ATOP”) will be accepted.

 

The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the Prospectus dated                                   , 2022 (the “Prospectus”) of Coterra Energy Inc. (the “Issuer”) and this Letter of Transmittal, which together describe the Issuer’s offers (the “Exchange Offers”) to exchange all of its outstanding unregistered 3.90% Senior Notes due 2027 (CUSIP Nos. 127097AE3 and U12246AB7) and 4.375% Senior Notes due 2029 (CUSIP Nos. 127097AH6 and U12246AC5) (collectively, the “Restricted Notes”), in each case issued by the Issuer on October 7, 2021 in private offers pursuant to which such notes were exchanged for notes of the Company’s subsidiary, Cimarex Energy Co., that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn for an equal principal amount of the respective series of the Issuer’s 3.90% Senior Notes due 2027 and 4.375% Senior Notes due 2029 (collectively, the “Registered Notes”), the offers of which have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Exchange Offers are being made in reliance on the position of the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Staff”) enunciated in its interpretive letters to Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation (May 13, 1988), Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated (June 5, 1991) and Shearman & Sterling (July 2, 1993).

 

The terms of the Registered Notes to be issued in the Exchange Offers are substantially identical in all material respects to the Restricted Notes, except that the Registered Notes will not be subject to restrictions on transfer or to any increase in annual interest rate for failure to comply with the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of October 7, 2021 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), by and among the Issuer and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., PNC Capital Markets LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Capital One Securities, Inc., CIBC World Markets Corp., KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., Truist Securities, Inc. and MUFG Securities Americas Inc.

 

The Issuer is not making the Exchange Offers to holders of the Restricted Notes in any jurisdiction in which the Exchange Offers or the acceptance of the Exchange Offers would not be in compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdiction. Nor will the Issuer also accept surrenders for exchange from holders of the Restricted Notes in any jurisdiction in which the Exchange Offers or the acceptance of the Exchange Offers would not be in compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdiction.

 

Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the same meaning given them in the Prospectus.

 

YOUR BANK OR BROKER CAN ASSIST YOU IN COMPLETING THIS FORM. THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED WITH THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL MUST BE FOLLOWED. QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE PROCEDURE FOR TENDERING AND REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE OR FOR ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE PROSPECTUS AND THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT.

 

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The undersigned has checked the appropriate boxes below and signed this Letter of Transmittal to indicate the action the undersigned desires to take with respect to the Exchange Offers.

 

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND THE PROSPECTUS
CAREFULLY BEFORE CHECKING ANY BOX BELOW.

 

List below the Restricted Notes to which this Letter of Transmittal relates. If the space provided below is inadequate, the aggregate principal amounts should be listed on a separate signed schedule affixed hereto.

 

DESCRIPTION OF RESTRICTED NOTES TENDERED HEREWITH

Name(s) and Address(es) of Registered Holder(s)

(Please fill in)

 

Aggregate

Principal Amount

Represented by

Restricted

Notes*

Principal

Amount

Tendered**

       
       
       
       
       
  Total:    

*  Need not be completed by book-entry holders.

 

** Unless otherwise indicated, the holder will be deemed to have tendered the full aggregate principal amount represented by such Restricted Notes. See instruction 2.

 

Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “holder” for purposes of this Letter of Transmittal means any person in whose name Restricted Notes are registered or any other person who has obtained a properly completed bond power from the registered holder or any person whose Restricted Notes are held of record by DTC.

 

¨CHECK HERE IF REGISTERED NOTES ARE TO BE ISSUED TO A PERSON OTHER THAN THE PERSON SIGNING THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL:

 

Name:

 

Address:

 

¨CHECK HERE IF REGISTERED NOTES ARE TO BE DELIVERED TO AN ADDRESS DIFFERENT FROM THAT LISTED ELSEWHERE IN THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL:

 

Name:

 

Address:

 

¨CHECK HERE IF YOU ARE A BROKER-DEALER THAT ACQUIRED RESTRICTED NOTES FOR YOUR OWN ACCOUNT AS A RESULT OF MARKET MAKING OR OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES AND WISH TO RECEIVE 10 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE PROSPECTUS AND 10 COPIES OF ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO.

 

Name:

 

Address:

 

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If the undersigned is not a broker-dealer, the undersigned represents that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, a distribution of Registered Notes. If the undersigned is a broker-dealer that will receive Registered Notes for its own account in exchange for Restricted Notes that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, it acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Registered Notes; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, the undersigned will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act. A broker-dealer may not participate in the Exchange Offers with respect to Restricted Notes acquired other than as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities. Any holder who is an “affiliate” of the Issuer or who has an arrangement or understanding with respect to the distribution of the Registered Notes to be acquired pursuant to the Exchange Offers, or any broker-dealer that purchased Restricted Notes from the Issuer to resell pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act or any other available exemption under the Securities Act must comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements under the Securities Act.

 

PLEASE READ THE ACCOMPANYING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Exchange Offers, the undersigned hereby tenders to the Issuer the principal amount of the Restricted Notes indicated above. Unless otherwise indicated above, the undersigned will be deemed to have tendered the full aggregate principal amount represented by the Restricted Notes. Subject to, and effective upon, the acceptance for exchange of any portion of the Restricted Notes tendered herewith in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers (including, if the Exchange Offers are extended or amended, the terms and conditions of any such extension or amendment), the undersigned hereby exchanges, assigns and transfers to, or upon the order of, the Issuer all right, title and interest in and to such Restricted Notes as are being tendered herewith. The undersigned hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints the Exchange Agent as the true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact of the undersigned (with full knowledge that the Exchange Agent also acts as the agent of the Issuer, in connection with the Exchange Offers) to cause the Restricted Notes to be assigned, transferred and exchanged.

 

The undersigned represents and warrants that it has full power and authority to tender, exchange, assign and transfer the Restricted Notes and to acquire Registered Notes issuable upon the exchange of such tendered Restricted Notes, and that, when the same are accepted for exchange, the Issuer will acquire good and unencumbered title to the tendered Restricted Notes, free and clear of all liens, restrictions, charges and encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claim. The undersigned also warrants that it will, upon request, execute and deliver any additional documents deemed by the Exchange Agent or the Issuer to be necessary or desirable to complete the exchange, assignment and transfer of the tendered Restricted Notes or transfer ownership of such Restricted Notes on the account books maintained by the book-entry transfer facility. The undersigned further agrees that acceptance of any and all validly tendered Restricted Notes by the Issuer and the issuance of Registered Notes in exchange therefor shall constitute performance in full by the Issuer of its obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement, and that the Issuer shall have no further obligations or liabilities thereunder. The undersigned will comply with its obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

The undersigned understands that tenders of Restricted Notes pursuant to any one of the procedures described in the Prospectus and in the instructions attached hereto will, upon the Issuer’s acceptance for exchange of such tendered Restricted Notes, constitute a binding agreement between the undersigned and the Issuer upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Exchange Offers. The undersigned recognizes that, under circumstances set forth in the Prospectus, the Issuer may not be required to accept for exchange any of the Restricted Notes.

 

By tendering Restricted Notes and executing this Letter of Transmittal, the undersigned represents that (i) the holder is not an “affiliate” of the Issuer within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act or, if such an affiliate, will comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act to the extent applicable in connection with the resale of the Registered Notes; (ii) the holder is not engaging in and does not intend to engage in, and has no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in, the distribution (within the meaning of the Securities Act) of the Registered Notes in violation of the provisions of the Securities Act; (iii) the holder is acquiring any Registered Notes to be received by it in its ordinary course of business; and (iv) if the holder is a broker-dealer that will receive the Registered Notes for its own account in exchange for the Restricted Notes that were acquired as a result of market-making or other trading activities, such holder will deliver a prospectus (or, to the extent permitted by law, make available a prospectus to purchasers) meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resales of the Registered Notes. If the undersigned or the person receiving such Registered Notes, whether or not such person is the undersigned, is a broker-dealer that will receive Registered Notes for its own account in exchange for Restricted Notes that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, it acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Registered Notes; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, the undersigned will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.

 

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The undersigned understands that all resales of the Registered Notes must be made in compliance with applicable state securities or blue sky laws. If a resale does not qualify for an exemption from these laws, the undersigned acknowledges that it may be necessary to register or qualify the Registered Notes in a particular state or to make the resale through a licensed broker-dealer in order to comply with these laws. The undersigned further understands that the Issuer assumes no responsibility regarding compliance with state securities or blue sky laws in connection with resales.

 

Any holder of Restricted Notes using the Exchange Offers to participate in a distribution of the Registered Notes (i) cannot rely on the position of the Staff enunciated in its interpretive letter with respect to Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation (May 13, 1988) or similar interpretive letters and (ii) must comply with the registration and prospectus requirements of the Securities Act in connection with a secondary resale transaction.

 

All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred shall survive the death or incapacity of the undersigned and every obligation of the undersigned hereunder shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned. Except as stated in the Prospectus, this tender is irrevocable but tendered Restricted Notes may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Date in accordance with the terms of this Letter of Transmittal.

 

All Registered Notes delivered in exchange for tendered Restricted Notes and any Restricted Notes delivered herewith but not exchanged, in each case if registered in the name of the undersigned, shall be delivered to the undersigned at the address shown below the signature of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned, by completing the box entitled “Description of Restricted Notes Tendered Herewith” above and signing this letter, will be deemed to have tendered the Restricted Notes as set forth in such box.

 

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TENDERING HOLDER(S) SIGN HERE

(Complete accompanying IRS Form W-9 or IRS Form W-8, as applicable)

 

Must be signed by registered holder(s) exactly as name(s) appear(s) on Registered Notes hereby tendered or in whose name Registered Notes are registered on the books of DTC or one of its participants, or by any person(s) authorized to become the registered holder(s) by endorsements and documents transmitted herewith. If signature is by a trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, attorney-in-fact, officer of a corporation or other person acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, please set forth the full title of such person. See Instruction 3.

 

 

 

 

(Signatures(s) of Holder(s))

 

Date  
   
Name(s)  

(Please Print)

 

Capacity (full title)  
   
Address  

(Including Zip Code)

 

Daytime Area Code and Telephone No.

 
   
Taxpayer Identification No.  

 

GUARANTEE OF SIGNATURE(S)
(If Required-See Instruction 3)

 

Authorized Signature  

 

Dated  

 

Name  

 

Title  

 

Name of Firm  
   
Address of Firm  

(Include Zip Code)

 

Area Code and

Telephone No.

 

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SPECIAL ISSUANCE INSTRUCTIONS
(See Instructions 3 and 4)
(Complete accompanying IRS Form W-9 or
IRS Form W-8, as applicable)

 

To be completed ONLY if Registered Notes or Restricted Notes not tendered are to be issued in the name of someone other than the registered holder of the Restricted Notes whose name(s) appear(s) above.

 

Issue¨ Restricted Notes not tendered to:

¨ Registered Notes to:

 

Name(s)  

(Please Print)

 

Address  
   
   

(Including Zip Code)

 

Daytime Area Code and Telephone No.  

 

 

Taxpayer Identification No.

 

SPECIAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS
(See Instructions 3 and 4)

 

To be completed ONLY if Registered Notes or Restricted Notes not tendered are to be delivered to the registered holder(s) at an address other than that shown above.

 

Deliver¨ Restricted Notes not tendered to:

¨ Registered Notes to:

 

Name(s)  

(Please Print)

 

Address  
   
   

(Including Zip Code)

 

Daytime Area Code and Telephone No.  

 

 

Taxpayer Identification No.

 

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INSTRUCTIONS
FORMING PART OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS

 

1.Delivery of this Letter of Transmittal.

 

A holder of Restricted Notes may tender the same by (i) properly completing and signing this Letter of Transmittal and delivering the same, together with the Restricted Notes being tendered and any required signature guarantees and any other documents required by this Letter of Transmittal, to the Exchange Agent at its address set forth above on or prior to the Expiration Date or (ii) complying with the procedure for book-entry transfer described below.

 

Holders of Restricted Notes may tender Restricted Notes by book-entry transfer by crediting the Restricted Notes to the Exchange Agent’s account at DTC in accordance with ATOP and by complying with applicable ATOP procedures with respect to the Exchange Offers. DTC participants that are accepting the Exchange Offers should transmit their acceptance to DTC, which will edit and verify the acceptance and execute a book-entry delivery to the Exchange Agent’s account at DTC. DTC will then send a computer-generated message (an “Agent’s Message”) to the Exchange Agent for its acceptance in which the holder of the Restricted Notes acknowledges and agrees to be bound by the terms of, and makes the representations and warranties contained in, this Letter of Transmittal or the DTC participant confirms on behalf of itself and the beneficial owners of such Restricted Notes all provisions of this Letter of Transmittal (including any representations and warranties) applicable to it and such beneficial owners as fully as if it had completed the information required herein and executed and transmitted this Letter of Transmittal to the Exchange Agent. Delivery of the Agent’s Message by DTC will satisfy the terms of the Exchange Offers as to execution and delivery of a Letter of Transmittal by the participants identified in the Agent’s Message.

 

The method of delivery of this Letter of Transmittal, the Restricted Notes and any other required documents is at the election and risk of the holder, and except as otherwise provided below, the delivery will be deemed made only when actually received or confirmed by the Exchange Agent. If such delivery is by mail, it is suggested that registered mail with return receipt requested, properly insured, be used. In all cases, sufficient time should be allowed to permit timely delivery. No Restricted Notes or Letters of Transmittal should be sent to the Issuer. The Issuer reserves the right to reject any particular Restricted Note not properly tendered, or any acceptance that might, in the Issuer’s judgment, be unlawful. The Issuer also reserves the right to waive any defects or irregularities with respect to the form of, or procedures applicable to, the tender of any particular Restricted Note before the Expiration Date. Unless waived, any defects or irregularities in connection with tenders of Restricted Notes must be cured before the Expiration Date.

 

The Exchange Agent must receive the book-entry confirmation, together with this properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal or Agent’s Message with any required signature guarantees and any other documents required by this Letter of Transmittal, prior to the Expiration Date, all as provided in the Prospectus.

 

No alternative, conditional, irregular or contingent tenders will be accepted. All tendering holders, by execution of this Letter of Transmittal, shall waive any right to receive notice of the acceptance of the Restricted Notes for exchange.

 

2.Partial Tenders (not applicable to holders that tender by book-entry transfer); Withdrawals.

 

If less than the entire principal amount of Restricted Notes is tendered, the tendering holder must fill in the aggregate principal amount of Restricted Notes tendered in the box entitled “Description of Restricted Notes Tendered Herewith.” All Restricted Notes delivered to the Exchange Agent will be deemed to have been tendered unless otherwise clearly indicated.

 

If not yet accepted, a tender pursuant to the Exchange Offers may be withdrawn prior to the Expiration Date.

 

To be effective with respect to the tender of Restricted Notes, a written notice of withdrawal must specify the name of the person who tendered the Restricted Notes to be withdrawn, identify the Restricted Notes to be withdrawn (including the principal amount of such Restricted Notes and, if applicable, the registration numbers and total principal amount of such Restricted Notes) and, where certificates for Restricted Notes have been transmitted, specify the name in which such Restricted Notes were registered if different from that of the withdrawing holder. Any such notice of withdrawal must also be signed by the person having tendered the Restricted Notes to be withdrawn in the same manner as the original signature on the letter of transmittal by which these Restricted Notes were tendered, including any required signature guarantees, or be accompanied by documents of transfer sufficient to permit the trustee for the Restricted Notes to register the transfer of these Restricted Notes into the name of the person having made the original tender and withdrawing the tender and, if applicable because the Restricted Notes have been tendered through the book-entry procedure, specify the name and number of the participant’s account at DTC to be credited if different than that of the person having tendered the Restricted Notes to be withdrawn.

 

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If Restricted Notes have been delivered or otherwise identified to the Exchange Agent, then, prior to the release of such Restricted Notes, the withdrawing holder must also submit the serial numbers of the particular certificates to be withdrawn and a signed notice of withdrawal with signatures guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor Institution (as defined below) unless such holder is an Eligible Guarantor Institution.

 

If Restricted Notes have been tendered pursuant to the procedure for book-entry transfer described above, any notice of withdrawal must specify the name and number of the account at DTC to be credited with the withdrawn Restricted Notes and otherwise comply with the procedures of such facility. The Issuer will determine all questions as to the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) of such notices, and the Issuer’s determination shall be final and binding on all parties. The Issuer will deem any Restricted Notes so withdrawn not to have been validly tendered for exchange for purposes of the Exchange Offers. Any Restricted Notes that have been tendered for exchange but that are not exchanged for any reason will be returned to their holder without cost to the holder (or, in the case of Restricted Notes tendered by book-entry transfer into the Exchange Agent’s account of DTC according to the procedures described above, such Restricted Notes will be credited to an account maintained with DTC for Restricted Notes) promptly after withdrawal, rejection of tender or termination of the Exchange Offers. Properly withdrawn Restricted Notes may be retendered by following one of the procedures described under “Terms of the Exchange Offers—Procedures for Tendering the Restricted Notes” in the Prospectus at any time prior to the Expiration Date.

 

3.Signature on this Letter of Transmittal; Written Instruments and Endorsements; Guarantee of Signatures.

 

If this Letter of Transmittal is signed by the registered holder(s) of the Restricted Notes tendered hereby, the signature must correspond with the name(s) as written on the face of the certificates without alteration, enlargement or any change whatsoever. If any of the Restricted Notes tendered hereby are owned of record by two or more joint owners, all such owners must sign this Letter of Transmittal.

 

If a number of Restricted Notes registered in different names are tendered, it will be necessary to complete, sign and submit as many separate copies of this Letter of Transmittal as there are different registrations of Restricted Notes.

 

When this Letter of Transmittal is signed by the registered holder or holders (which term, for the purposes described herein, shall include the book-entry transfer facility whose name appears on a security listing as the owner of the Restricted Notes) of Restricted Notes listed and tendered hereby, no endorsements of certificates or separate written instruments of transfer or exchange are required.

 

If this Letter of Transmittal is signed by a person other than the registered holder or holders of the Restricted Notes listed, such Restricted Notes must be endorsed or accompanied by separate written instruments of transfer or exchange in form satisfactory to the Issuer and duly executed by the registered holder, in either case signed exactly as the name or names of the registered holder or holders appear(s) on the Restricted Notes.

 

If this Letter of Transmittal, any certificates or separate written instruments of transfer or exchange are signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, such persons should so indicate when signing, and, unless waived by the Issuer, proper evidence satisfactory to the Issuer of their authority so to act must be submitted.

 

Endorsements on certificates or signatures on separate written instruments of transfer or exchange required by this Instruction 3 must be guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor Institution.

 

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Signatures on this Letter of Transmittal must be guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor Institution, unless Restricted Notes are tendered: (i) by a holder who has not completed the box entitled “Special Issuance Instructions” or “Special Delivery Instructions” on this Letter of Transmittal; or (ii) for the account of an Eligible Guarantor Institution. In the event that the signatures in this Letter of Transmittal or a notice of withdrawal, as the case may be, are required to be guaranteed, such guarantees must be by an Eligible Guarantor Institution which is a member of a firm of a registered national securities exchange or of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States or another “eligible guarantor institution” within the meaning of Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (an “Eligible Guarantor Institution”). If Restricted Notes are registered in the name of a person other than the signer of this Letter of Transmittal, the Restricted Notes surrendered for exchange must be endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer or exchange, in satisfactory form as determined by the Issuer, in its sole discretion, duly executed by the registered holder with the signature thereon guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor Institution.

 

4.Special Issuance and Delivery Instructions.

 

Tendering holders should indicate, as applicable, the name and address to which the Restricted Notes not exchanged are to be issued or delivered, if different from the name or address of the person signing this Letter of Transmittal. In the case of issuance in a different name, the taxpayer identification number of the person named must also be indicated and, as described in Instruction 8, a duly completed IRS Form W-9 or IRS Form W-8, as applicable, must be provided. Holders tendering Restricted Notes by book-entry transfer may request that Restricted Notes not exchanged be credited to such account maintained at the book-entry transfer facility as such holder may designate.

 

5.Transfer Taxes.

 

If Restricted Notes for principal amounts not tendered or accepted for exchange are to be registered or issued in the name of any person other than the registered holder of the Restricted Notes tendered, or if tendered Restricted Notes or Registered Notes are to be registered in the name of any person other than the person signing this Letter of Transmittal, or if a transfer tax is imposed for any other reason, the amount of any such transfer taxes (whether imposed on the registered holder or any other person) will be payable by the applicable holder. If satisfactory evidence of payment of such taxes or exemption therefrom is not submitted herewith, the amount of such transfer taxes will be billed directly to such applicable holder.

 

6.Waiver of Conditions.

 

The Issuer reserves the absolute right to waive, in whole or in part, any of the conditions to the Exchange Offers set forth in the Prospectus.

 

7.Taxpayer Information; IRS Form W-9; IRS Form W-8.

 

Under U.S. federal income tax law, a tendering holder whose Restricted Notes are accepted for exchange for Registered Notes may be subject to backup withholding on reportable payments made on the Registered Notes unless the holder provides the Exchange Agent, Issuer, or other payor with its correct taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) and certain other information on Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form W-9, which is provided below, or otherwise establishes an exemption. If the Exchange Agent, Issuer or other payor is not provided with the correct TIN or an adequate basis for an exemption, a holder may be subject to a penalty imposed by the IRS, and backup withholding (currently, at a rate of 24%) may apply to any reportable payments on the Registered Notes made to such holder. Such reportable payments generally will be subject to information reporting, even if the Exchange Agent, Issuer or other payor is provided with a TIN. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability of a person subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely provided to the IRS.

 

To prevent backup withholding on reportable payments made on the Registered Notes, each holder that is a “United States person” for U.S. federal income tax purposes should provide a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-9. Please see the instructions to the enclosed IRS Form W-9 for further information.

 

Certain holders (including, among others, generally all corporations and certain non-U.S. persons) are not subject to backup withholding. Exempt U.S. holders may establish their exempt status on IRS Form W-9. A non-U.S. holder may qualify as an exempt recipient by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN, Form W-8BEN-E, W-8ECI, W-8EXP or W-8IMY, as the case may be, signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to that holder’s exempt status. The applicable IRS Form W-8 can be obtained from the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

 

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8.Requests for Assistance or Additional Copies.

 

Questions relating to the procedure for tendering, as well as requests for additional copies of the Prospectus and this Letter of Transmittal, may be directed to the Exchange Agent at the address and telephone number set forth above. In addition, all questions relating to the Exchange Offers, as well as requests for assistance or additional copies of the Prospectus and this Letter of Transmittal, may be directed to the Exchange Agent at the address and telephone number indicated above.

 

IMPORTANT: This Letter of Transmittal (together with Restricted Notes or confirmation of book-entry transfer and all other required documents) must be received by the Exchange Agent on or prior to the Expiration Date.

 

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