SEC Filing | Labcorp

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Laboratory Corporation of America

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 5, 2005

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

13-3757370

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

358 South Main Street,

Burlington, North Carolina 27215

336-229-1127

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Bradford T. Smith

Executive Vice President and Secretary

358 South Main Street

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Burlington, North Carolina 27215

(336) 229-1127

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

Copy to:

Michael J. Silver

Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.

111 S. Calvert Street, Suite 1600

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

(410) 659-2700

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

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

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

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. x

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

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


Title of each class of securities to be registered		Amount to be registered/ Proposed maximum offering price per unit/ Proposed maximum offering price/ Amount of registration fee
Senior Debt Securities
Subordinated Debt Securities
Preferred Stock		$0⁽¹⁾
Common Stock, par value $0.10 per Share including related Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
Warrants

(1)

The registrant is registering hereby an unspecified amount of securities of each identified class of securities and is relying on Rules 456(b) and 457(r). Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable on exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities. In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee.

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Senior Debt Securities

Subordinated Debt Securities

Preferred Stock

Common Stock

Warrants

We may, from time to time, offer to sell senior or subordinated debt securities, preferred stock, common stock, or warrants to purchase our debt securities, preferred stock and common stock. The debt securities, preferred stock and warrants we may offer may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for debt or common or preferred stock or other securities of the Company or debt or equity securities of one or more other entities. We refer to our senior or subordinated debt securities, preferred stock, common stock, and warrants collectively as the “securities.” We may offer the securities separately or together, in separate series or classes and in amounts, at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. In addition, this prospectus may be used to offer securities for the account of persons other than us.

This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities. The specific terms of any securities to be offered, and any other information relating to a specific offering, will be set forth in a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or in a supplement to this prospectus or may be set forth in one or more documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

We or any selling securityholder may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, on a continuous or delayed basis.

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LH.”

Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of the prospectus is December 5, 2005.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page
Forward-Looking Statements		1
Where You Can Find More Information		3
Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference		4
The Company		5
Risk Factors		6
Use of Proceeds		13
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges		13
Description of Securities		14
Debt Securities		14
Preferred Stock		28
Common Stock		27
Warrants		30
Legal Matters		32
Experts		32

You should rely only on the information provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of these securities is not permitted. You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

You should read carefully the entire prospectus, as well as the documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision.

When used in this prospectus, except where the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, together with other statements and information incorporated by reference, contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are based on assumptions and expectations that may not be realized and are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy and some of which might not even be anticipated. Future events and actual results, performance, transactions or achievements, financial or otherwise, may differ materially from the results, performance, transactions or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that might cause such differences, some of which could be material, include, but are not limited to:

changes in federal, state, local and third party payer regulations or policies (or in the interpretation of current regulations) affecting governmental and third-party reimbursement for clinical laboratory testing;

adverse results from investigations of clinical laboratories by the government, which may include significant monetary damages and/or exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs;

loss or suspension of a license or imposition of a fine or penalties under, or future changes in, the law or regulations of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1967, and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988, or those of Medicare, Medicaid, the False Claims Act or other federal, state or local agencies;

failure to comply with the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements and the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act which may result in penalties and loss of licensure;

failure to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPPA, which could result in significant fines;

failure of third party payors to complete testing with the Company, or accept or remit transactions, in HIPAA-required standard transaction and code set format, could result in an interruption in the Company’s cash flow;

increased competition, including price competition;

changes in payer mix, including an increase in capitated managed-cost health care or the impact of a shift to consumer-driven health plans;

failure to obtain and retain new customers and alliance partners, or a reduction in tests ordered or specimens submitted by existing customers;

10.

failure to retain or attract managed care business as a result of changes in business models, including new risk based or network approaches, or other changes in strategy or business models by managed care companies;

11.

failure to effectively manage newly acquired businesses and the cost related to such integration;

12.

adverse results in litigation matters;

13.

inability to attract and retain experienced and qualified personnel;

14.

failure to maintain the Company’s days sales outstanding levels;

15.

decrease in our credit ratings by Standard & Poor’s and/or Moody’s Investors Service;

16.

failure to develop or acquire licenses for new or improved technologies, or if customers use new technologies to perform their own tests;

17.

inability to commercialize newly licensed tests or technologies or to obtain appropriate reimbursement for such tests, which could result in impairment in the value of certain capitalized licensing costs;

18.

inability to obtain and maintain adequate patent and other proprietary rights for protection of the Company’s products and services and successfully enforce the Company’s proprietary rights;

19.

the scope, validity and enforceability of patents and other proprietary rights held by third parties which might have an impact on the Company’s ability to develop, perform, or market the Company’s tests or operate its business;

20.

failure in the Company’s information technology systems resulting in an increase in testing turnaround time or billing processes or the failure to meet future regulatory or customer information technology and connectivity requirements;

21.

failure of the Company’s disaster recovery plans to provide adequate protection against the interruption of business and/or the recovery of business operations;

22.

business interruption or other impact on the business due to adverse weather (including hurricanes), fires and/or other natural disasters;

23.

failure by the Company to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including Section 404 of that Act which requires management to report on, and our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to and report on, our internal controls; and

24.

liabilities that result from the inability to comply with new corporate governance requirements.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. You may read and copy any reports, statements or other information on file at the SEC’s public reference room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. These filings are available at the Internet website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. You can also inspect copies of our public filings at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). For further information about obtaining copies of our public filings from the NYSE, please call (212) 656-5060.

We have filed with the SEC a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the securities that may be offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement, but does not contain all of the information in the registration statement. We have omitted parts of the registration statement in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For more detail about us and any securities that may be offered by this prospectus, you may examine the registration statement on Form S-3 and the exhibits filed with it at the locations listed in the previous paragraph.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

We incorporate information into this prospectus by reference, which means that we disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except to the extent superseded by information contained herein or by information contained in documents filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below, the file number for each of which is 1-11353, that have been previously filed with the SEC (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):

(1)

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004;

(2)

Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2005, June 30, 2005 and September 30, 2005;

(3)

Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 14, March 8, March 11, March 31, and December 1, 2005 (as amended by Form 8-K/A filed on December 2, 2005); and

(4)

The description of the Company’s Common Stock in our Registration Statement on Form 8-B filed on July 1, 1994 as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto dated April 27, 1995, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the description of the related stock purchase rights in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on December 21, 2001, including amendments thereto, and any report filed for the purpose of updating such descriptions.

We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus additional documents that we may file with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from the date of this prospectus until we have sold all of the securities to which this prospectus relates or the offering is otherwise terminated. We do not incorporate by reference additional documents or information furnished and not filed with the SEC.

You may obtain copies of any of these filings through Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings as described below, through the SEC or through the SEC’s Internet website as described above. Documents incorporated by reference are available without charge, excluding all exhibits unless an exhibit has been specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus, by requesting them in writing, by telephone or via the Internet at:

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

358 South Main Street

Burlington, North Carolina 27215

336-229-1127

Attn: Office of the Corporate Secretary

Internet Website: www.labcorp.com

The information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus, and our website address supplied above is intended to be an inactive textual reference only and not an active hyperlink to our website.

THE COMPANY

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings and its subsidiaries, headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina, is the second largest independent clinical laboratory company in the United States based on 2004 net revenues. Since its founding in 1971, the Company has grown into a national network of 32 primary laboratories and over 1,300 service sites, consisting of branches, patient service centers and STAT laboratories, which are laboratories that have the ability to perform certain routine tests quickly and report the results to the physician immediately. Through its national network of laboratories, the Company offers a broad range of clinical laboratory tests which are used by the medical profession in routine testing, patient diagnosis, and in the monitoring and treatment of disease. In addition, the Company has developed specialty and niche businesses based on certain types of specialized testing capabilities and client requirements, such as oncology testing, HIV genotyping and phenotyping, diagnostic genetics and clinical research trials.

RISK FACTORS

Your investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus involves certain risks. Before deciding to invest, you should consider carefully, among other matters, the following discussion of risks and the other risks and information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. The discussion set forth below may be supplemented, updated or superseded by risk factors and other information contained in a prospectus supplement or other filing by us with the SEC.

If any of these risks are realized, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to service debt could be materially adversely affected.

Risks Associated with our Business

Changes in federal, state, local and third-party payor regulations or policies (or in the interpretation of current regulations or policies) may adversely affect governmental and third-party reimbursement for clinical laboratory testing.

Government payors, such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as insurers, including managed care organizations, have increased their efforts to control the cost, utilization and delivery of health care services. From time to time, Congress has considered and implemented changes in the Medicare fee schedules in conjunction with budgetary legislation. Further reductions of reimbursement for Medicare services may be implemented from time to time. Reimbursement for the pathology services component of our business is also subject to statutory and regulatory reduction. Reductions in the reimbursement rates of other third-party payors may occur as well. Such changes in the past have resulted in reduced prices as well as added costs and have decreased test utilization for the clinical laboratory industry by adding often more complex new regulatory and administrative requirements. Further changes in federal, state, local and third-party payor regulations or policies may have a material adverse impact on our business.

We could face significant monetary damages and penalties and/or exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs if we violate health care anti-fraud and abuse laws.

We are subject to extensive government regulation at the federal, state and local levels. Our failure to meet governmental requirements under these regulations, including those relating to billing practices and relationships with physicians and hospitals, could lead to civil and criminal penalties, exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid and possible prohibitions or restrictions on the use of our laboratories. While we believe we have structured our operations and relationships with care in an effort to meet all statutory and regulatory requirements, there is a risk that government authorities might take a contrary position. Such occurrences, regardless of their outcome, could damage our reputation and adversely affect important business relationships we have with third parties.

Our business would be harmed from the loss or suspension of a license or imposition of a fine or penalties under, or future changes in, the law or regulations of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 or those of Medicare, Medicaid or other federal, state or local agencies.

The clinical laboratory testing industry is subject to extensive regulation, and many of these statutes and regulations have not been interpreted by the courts. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (“CLIA”) extend federal oversight to virtually all clinical laboratories by requiring that they be certified by the federal government or by a federally-approved accreditation agency. The sanction for failure to comply with CLIA requirements may be suspension, revocation or limitation of a laboratory’s CLIA certificate, which is necessary to conduct business, as well as significant fines and/or criminal penalties. In addition, we are subject to regulation under state law. State laws may require that laboratories and/or laboratory personnel meet certain qualifications, specify certain quality controls or require maintenance of certain records.

We cannot assure you that applicable statutes and regulations will not be interpreted or applied by a prosecutorial, regulatory or judicial authority in a manner that would adversely affect our business. Potential sanctions for violation of these statutes and regulations include significant fines and the suspension or loss of various licenses, certificates and authorizations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, compliance with future legislation could impose additional requirements on us which may be costly.

Failure to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act and the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, which may result in fines and penalties and loss of licensure, would have a material adverse effect upon our business.

We are subject to licensing and regulation under federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and human health and safety, including laws and regulations relating to the handling, transportation and disposal of medical specimens, infectious and hazardous waste and radioactive materials as well as to the safety and health of laboratory employees. All of our laboratories are subject to applicable federal and state laws and regulations relating to biohazard disposal of all laboratory specimens, and we utilize outside vendors for disposal of such specimens. In addition, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established extensive requirements relating to workplace safety for health care employers, including clinical laboratories, whose workers may be exposed to blood-borne pathogens such as HIV and the hepatitis B virus. These requirements, among other things, require work practice controls, protective clothing and equipment, training, medical follow-up, vaccinations and other measures designed to minimize exposure to, and transmission of, blood-borne pathogens. In addition, the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requires, among other things, that we include in our safety programs the evaluation and use of engineering controls such as safety needles if found to be effective at reducing the risk of needlestick injuries in the workplace.

Failure to comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations could subject us to denial of the right to conduct business, fines, criminal penalties and/or other enforcement actions which would have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, compliance with future legislation could impose additional requirements on us which may be costly.

Regulations requiring the use of “standard transactions” for health care services issued under HIPAA may negatively impact our profitability and cash flows.

Pursuant to HIPAA, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, has issued final regulations designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system by facilitating the electronic exchange of information in certain financial and administrative transactions while protecting the privacy and security of the information exchanged.

HHS issued guidance on July 24, 2003 stating that it will not penalize a covered entity for post-implementation date transactions that are not fully compliant with the transactions standards, if the covered entity can demonstrate its good faith efforts to comply with the standards. HHS’ stated purpose for this flexible enforcement position was to “permit health plans to mitigate unintended adverse effects on covered entities’ cash flow and business operations during the transition to the standards, as well as on the availability and quality of patient care.” However, beginning October 1, 2005, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services no longer processes incoming non-HIPAA-compliant electronic Medicare claims.

The HIPAA transaction standards are complex, and subject to differences in interpretation by payors. For instance, some payors may interpret the standards to require us to provide certain types of information, including demographic information not usually provided to us by physicians. As a result of inconsistent application of transaction standards by payors or our inability to obtain certain billing information not usually provided to us by physicians, we could face increased costs and complexity, a temporary disruption in receipts and ongoing

reductions in reimbursements and net revenues. In addition, new requirements for additional standard transactions, such as claims attachments or use of a national provider identifier, could prove technically difficult, time-consuming or expensive to implement. We are working closely with our payors to establish acceptable protocols for claims submissions and with our trade association and an industry coalition to present issues and problems as they arise to the appropriate regulators and standards setting organizations.

Compliance with the HIPAA security regulations and privacy regulations may increase our costs.

The HIPAA privacy and security regulations, which became fully effective in April 2003 and April 2005 respectively, establish comprehensive federal standards with respect to the uses and disclosures of protected health information by health plans, healthcare providers and healthcare clearinghouses, in addition to setting standards to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of protected health information. The regulations establish a complex regulatory framework on a variety of subjects, including:

•

the circumstances under which uses and disclosures of protected health information are permitted or required without a specific authorization by the patient, including but not limited to treatment purposes, activities to obtain payments for our services, and our healthcare operations activities;

•

a patient’s rights to access, amend and receive an accounting of certain disclosures of protected health information;

•

the content of notices of privacy practices for protected health information; and

•

administrative, technical and physical safeguards required of entities that use or receive protected health information.

We have implemented policies and procedures related to compliance with the HIPAA privacy and security regulations, as required by law. The privacy regulations establish a “floor” and do not supersede state laws that are more stringent. Therefore, we are required to comply with both federal privacy regulations and varying state privacy laws. In addition, for healthcare data transfers from other countries relating to citizens of those countries, we must comply with the laws of those other countries. The federal privacy regulations restrict our ability to use or disclose patient identifiable laboratory data, without patient authorization, for purposes other than payment, treatment or healthcare operations (as defined by HIPAA), except for disclosures for various public policy purposes and other permitted purposes outlined in the privacy regulations. The privacy and security regulations provide for significant fines and other penalties for wrongful use or disclosure of protected health information, including potential civil and criminal fines and penalties. Although the HIPAA statute and regulations do not expressly provide for a private right of damages, we also could incur damages under state laws to private parties for the wrongful use or disclosure of confidential health information or other private personal information.

Increased competition, including price competition, could have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability.

The clinical laboratory business is intensely competitive both in terms of price and service. Pricing of laboratory testing services is one of the significant factors often used by health care providers and third-party payors in selecting a laboratory. As a result of the clinical laboratory industry undergoing significant consolidation, larger clinical laboratory providers are able to increase cost efficiencies afforded by large-scale automated testing. This consolidation results in greater price competition. We may be unable to increase cost efficiencies sufficiently, if at all, and as a result, our net earnings and cash flows could be negatively impacted by such price competition.

Additional competition, including price competition, could have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability.

If we fail to develop, or acquire licenses for, new or improved testing technologies, or if our customers use new technologies to perform their own tests, we may not be able to successfully achieve our business strategy.

The clinical laboratory testing industry is subject to changing technology and new product introductions. Our success in maintaining a leadership position in genomic and other advanced testing technologies will depend, in part, on our ability to license new and improved technologies for early diagnosis on favorable terms. We may not be able to negotiate acceptable licensing arrangements and we cannot be certain that such arrangements will yield commercially successful diagnostic tests. If we are unable to license these testing methods at competitive rates, our research and development costs may increase as a result. In addition, if we are unable to license new or improved technologies to expand our esoteric testing businesses, our testing methods may become outdated when compared with our competition and our testing volume and revenue may be materially and adversely affected.

In addition, advances in technology may lead to the development of more cost-effective point-of-care testing equipment that can be operated by physicians or other healthcare providers in their offices or by patients themselves without requiring the services of freestanding clinical laboratories. Development of such technology and its use by our customers would reduce the demand for our laboratory testing services and negatively impact our revenues.

Currently, most clinical laboratory testing is categorized as “high” or “moderate” complexity, and thereby is subject to extensive and costly regulation under CLIA. The cost of compliance with CLIA reduces the cost effectiveness for most physicians to operate clinical laboratories in their offices, and other laws limit the ability of physicians to have ownership in a laboratory and to refer tests to such a laboratory. However, manufacturers of laboratory equipment and test kits could seek to increase their sales by marketing point-of-care laboratory equipment to physicians and by selling test kits approved for home or physician office use to both physicians and patients. Diagnostic tests approved for home use are automatically deemed to be “waived” tests under CLIA, which may then be performed in physician office laboratories as well as by patients in their homes with minimal regulatory oversight. Other tests meeting certain FDA criteria also may be classified as “waived” for CLIA purposes. The FDA has regulatory responsibility over instruments, test kits, reagents and other devices used by clinical laboratories and has taken responsibility from the Centers for Disease Control for classifying the complexity of tests for CLIA purposes. Increased approval of “waived” test kits could lead to increased testing by physicians in their offices, which could affect our market for laboratory testing services and negatively impact our revenues.

Changes in payor mix, including an increase in capitated managed-cost health care or new national or networking managed care purchasing models, could have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability.

Most testing services are billed to a party other than the physician or other authorized person that ordered the test. In addition, tests ordered by a single physician may be billed to different payors depending on the medical benefits of a particular patient. Increases in the percentage of services billed to government and managed care payors could have an adverse impact on our net revenues. For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, the percentage of accessions by payor was:

•

private patients—2.5%,

•

Medicare, Medicaid and other—21.3%,

•

commercial clients—34.7% and

•

managed care—41.5%.

Managed care providers typically contract with a limited number of clinical laboratories and then designate the laboratory or laboratories to be used for tests ordered by participating physicians. The majority of our managed care testing is negotiated on a fee-for-service basis at a discount from our patient prices. Such discounts have historically resulted in price erosion and have negatively impacted our operating margins. In addition, managed care organizations have used capitated payment contracts in an attempt to fix the cost of laboratory

testing services for their enrollees. Under a capitated payment contract, the clinical laboratory and managed care organization agree to a per member, per month payment to cover all laboratory tests during the month, regardless of the number or cost of the tests actually performed. Such contracts shift the risk of additional testing beyond that covered by the capitated payment to the clinical laboratory. Pursuant to legislation passed in late 2003, the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare managed care plans is expected to increase. For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, capitated contracts accounted for approximately $102.2 million, or 4.1%, of our net sales.

Recently, managed care companies have announced their intention to adopt new national or networking managed care laboratory services purchasing models. If we are unable to participate in these new models, it would have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability.

In addition, Medicare and Medicaid and private insurers have increased their efforts to control the cost, utilization and delivery of health care services, including clinical laboratory services. Measures to regulate health care delivery in general, and clinical laboratories in particular, have resulted in reduced prices, added costs and decreased test utilization for the clinical laboratory industry by increasing complexity and adding new regulatory and administrative requirements.

We expect efforts to impose reduced reimbursements and more stringent cost controls by government and other payors to continue. If we cannot offset additional reductions in the payments we receive for our services by reducing costs, increasing test volume and/or introducing new procedures, it would have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability.

Our failure to obtain and retain new customers and alliance partners, or a reduction in tests ordered or specimens submitted by existing customers, could impact our ability to successfully grow our business.

To offset efforts by payors to reduce the cost and utilization of clinical laboratory services, we need to obtain and retain new customers and alliance partners. In addition, a reduction in tests ordered or specimens submitted by existing customers, without offsetting growth in our customer base, could impact our ability to successfully grow our business and could have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability. We compete primarily on the basis of the quality of our testing, reporting and information systems, our reputation in the medical community, the pricing of our services and our ability to employ qualified personnel. Our failure to successfully compete on any of these factors could result in the loss of customers and a reduction in our ability to expand our customer base.

In addition, we rely on developing alliances with hospitals to expand our business through traditional and non-traditional business models. Reference agreements, or the traditional business model, provide a means for hospitals to outsource patient laboratory testing services that are esoteric or complex, or that are not time critical. A non-traditional business model is where we provide technical support services in a variety of health care settings. Our ability to expand the number of alliances with hospitals and maintain current alliances, many of which are terminable on short notice, could impact our ability to successfully grow our business.

Our failure to integrate newly acquired businesses and the costs related to such integration could have a material adverse impact on our net revenues and profitability.

The successful integration of any business we may acquire in the future entails numerous risks, including, among others:

•

loss of key customers or employees;

•

difficulty in consolidating redundant facilities and infrastructure and in standardizing information and other systems;

•

failure to maintain the quality of services that such companies have historically provided;

•

coordination of geographically-separated facilities and workforces; and

•

diversion of management’s attention from the day-to-day business of our company.

We cannot assure you that current or future acquisitions, if any, or any related integration efforts will be successful, or that our business will not be adversely affected by any future acquisitions. Even if we are able to successfully integrate the operations of companies or businesses we may acquire in the future, we may not be able to realize the benefits that we expect to result from such integration, including projected cost savings within the projected time frame or at all.

Adverse results in material litigation matters could have a material adverse effect upon our business.

Although we are not currently involved in any material legal actions, we may become subject in the ordinary course of business to material legal action related to, among other things, intellectual property disputes, professional liability and employee-related matters, as well as inquiries from governmental agencies and Medicare or Medicaid carriers requesting comment on allegations of billing irregularities that are brought to their attention through billing audits or third parties. Legal actions could result in substantial monetary damages as well as damage to our reputation with customers, which could have a material adverse effect upon our business.

Our ability to attract and retain experienced and qualified personnel could adversely affect our business.

The loss of key management personnel or our inability to attract and retain experienced and qualified skilled employees at our clinical laboratories and research centers could adversely affect the business. Our success is dependent in part on the efforts of key members of our management team. Our success in maintaining our leadership position in genomic and other advanced testing technologies will depend in part on our ability to attract and retain skilled research professionals. In addition, the success of our clinical laboratories also depends on employing and retaining qualified and experienced laboratory professionals, including specialists, who perform our clinical laboratory testing services. In the future, if competition for the services of these professionals increases, we may not be able to continue to attract and retain individuals in our markets. Our revenues and earnings could be adversely affected if a significant number of professionals terminate their relationship with us or become unable or unwilling to continue their employment.

Failure to maintain our days sales outstanding levels would have an adverse effect on our business.

Billing for laboratory services is a complex process. Laboratories bill many different payors such as doctors, patients, hundreds of different insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid and employer groups, all of whom have different billing requirements. We believe that a majority of our bad debt expense, which was 5.3% of our net revenues at September 30, 2005, is the result of non-credit related issues which slow the billing process. If we are unable to maintain our days sales outstanding level (“DSO”), which as of September 30, 2005 was approximately 55 days, through efforts to reduce the number of requisitions that are missing certain billing information, our bad debt expense and DSO could increase, which would have an adverse effect on our business.

Failure in our information technology systems could significantly increase testing turn-around time or billing processes and otherwise disrupt our operations.

Our laboratory operations depend, in part, on the continued and uninterrupted performance of our information technology systems. Despite network security measures and other precautions we have taken, our information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to physical or electronic break-ins, computer viruses and similar disruptive problems. In addition, we are in the process of integrating the information technology systems of our recently acquired subsidiaries, and we may experience system failures or interruptions as a result of this process. Sustained system failures or interruption of our systems in one or more of our laboratory operations could disrupt our ability to process laboratory requisitions, perform testing, provide test results in a timely manner and/or bill the appropriate party. Failure of our information technology systems could adversely affect our business, profitability and financial condition.

Our operations may be disrupted and adversely impacted by the effects of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, or acts of terrorism or other criminal activities.

Our operations may be adversely impacted by the effects of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, or acts of terrorism or other criminal activities. Such events may result in a temporary decline in the number of patients who seek laboratory testing services. In addition, such events may temporarily interrupt our ability to transport specimens, our ability to utilize certain laboratories or to receive material from our suppliers.

Failure by the Company to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including Section 404 of that Act which requires management to report on, and our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to and report on, our internal controls, could cause sanctions and investigations by regulatory authorities, such as the SEC.

If we are not able to continue to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, our independent auditors may not be able to certify as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and we may be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the SEC. As a result, there could be an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements. In addition, we may be required to incur costs in connection with continued testing and strengthening of our internal control system.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless we specify otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from sales of securities by us to provide additional funds for general corporate purposes. If net proceeds from a specific offering will be used to repay indebtedness, the applicable prospectus supplement will describe the relevant terms of the debt to be repaid. We will not receive proceeds from sales of securities by persons other than us except as may otherwise be stated in an applicable prospectus supplement.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES


	Fiscal Years Ended December 31,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges	4.33	7.40	10.03	8.15	9.59	9.97

These computations include us and our consolidated subsidiaries. For purposes of calculating the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of income before provision for income taxes, plus fixed charges. Fixed charges include interest expense on debt and the portion of rental expense which is deemed representative of the interest factor.

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

DEBT SECURITIES

This prospectus may be used for an offering of any combination of our senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. Senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities will be issued under separate indentures between us, as issuer, and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee. Further information regarding the trustee may be provided in the prospectus supplement. The form of each type of indenture is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Particular debt securities will be issued in one or more series that will be established by board resolution, officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture, which will be filed by us with the SEC in connection with a particular offering. Where we refer to either indenture below, we mean the indenture as well as any applicable board resolution, officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture.

The prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that may be offered and may supplement the terms summarized below. The following summaries of the debt securities and the indentures are not complete. We urge you to read the indentures filed as exhibits to the registration statement which includes this prospectus and the description of the additional terms of the debt securities included in the applicable prospectus supplement.

General

We may issue an unlimited principal amount of debt securities in separate series. We may specify a maximum aggregate principal amount for the debt securities of any series. The debt securities will have terms that are consistent with the indentures. Senior debt securities will rank equal in right of payment with all our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt. Subordinated debt securities will be paid only if all payments due under our senior indebtedness, including any outstanding senior debt securities, have been made.

Because we are a holding company whose operations are conducted through operating subsidiaries, the debt securities will be structurally subordinated to any and all existing and future indebtedness, whether or not secured, and other liabilities and claims of holders of preferred stock of any of our subsidiaries. The indenture under which the senior debt securities will be issued restricts in certain circumstances, but does not otherwise prohibit, our subsidiaries from issuing additional indebtedness or preferred stock that would be structurally senior in right of payment to the senior debt securities. The indenture under which the subordinated debt securities will be issued does not restrict our subsidiaries from issuing additional indebtedness or preferred stock that would be structurally senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities.

The indentures do not limit the amount of other debt that we may incur or whether that debt is senior to the debt securities offered by this prospectus. Other than the restrictions on liens, sale and leaseback transactions and indebtedness and preferred stock issued by our subsidiaries applicable to senior debt securities described below, the indentures do not contain financial or similar restrictive covenants. The indentures do not contain any provision to protect holders of debt securities against a sudden or dramatic decline in our ability to pay our debt.

The prospectus supplement will describe the debt securities being offered and the price or prices at which debt securities will be offered. The description will include:

•

the title of the debt securities and whether the debt securities are senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities;

•

any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the series of debt securities being offered;

•

the date or dates on which we must repay the principal;

•

the rate or rates at which the debt securities will bear interest;

•

the date, if any, from which interest will accrue, and the dates, if any, on which we must pay interest;

•

the terms and conditions on which we may redeem any debt security, if at all, at our option;

•

our obligation, if any, to redeem or purchase any debt securities, and the terms and conditions on which we must do so;

•

the denominations in which we may issue the debt securities, if other than integral multiples of $1,000;

•

the manner in which we will determine the amount of principal of or any premium or interest on the debt securities;

•

the currency in which we will pay the principal of and any premium or interest on the debt securities;

•

the amount that will be deemed to be the principal amount of the debt securities for any purpose, including the principal amount that will be due and payable upon maturity or that will be deemed to be outstanding as of any date;

•

if applicable, the terms of any right to convert debt securities into, or exchange debt securities for, debt securities, shares of our preferred stock or common stock or other securities or property;

•

whether we will issue the debt securities in the form of one or more global securities and, if so, the depositary for the global securities and the terms of the global securities;

•

any additional or different subordination provisions that will apply to any series of subordinated debt securities;

•

any addition to or change in the events of default applicable to the debt securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal amount of any of the debt securities due and payable;

•

any addition to or change in the covenants in the indentures applicable to the debt securities; and

•

any other terms of the debt securities not inconsistent with the applicable indentures.

We may sell the debt securities at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount. We will describe U.S. federal income tax considerations, if any, applicable to debt securities sold at an original issue discount in the prospectus supplement. An “original issue discount security” is any debt security sold for less than its face value, and which provides that the holder cannot receive the full face value if the maturity of the security is accelerated. The prospectus supplement relating to any original issue discount securities will describe the particular provisions relating to acceleration of the maturity upon the occurrence of an event of default. In addition, we will describe U.S. federal income tax or other considerations applicable to any debt securities that are denominated in a currency or unit other than U.S. dollars in the prospectus supplement.

Conversion and Exchange Rights

The prospectus supplement will describe, if applicable, the terms on which you may convert debt securities into or exchange them for debt securities, preferred stock, common stock or other securities or property. The conversion or exchange may be mandatory or may be at your option. The prospectus supplement will describe how the amount of debt securities, number of shares of preferred stock or common stock, or the amount of other securities or property to be received upon conversion or exchange would be calculated.

Optional Redemption

The prospectus supplement will set forth whether we will have the right to redeem a series of debt securities before maturity. Unless the prospectus supplement provides otherwise, we will mail a notice of redemption to holders at least 30, but not more than 60 days, prior to the date of redemption. If we have the right to redeem less than all of a series of debt securities, the trustee shall select pro rata, by lot or in such other manner as it deems appropriate the debt securities to be redeemed. If any debt securities of a series are to be redeemed only in part, the notice of redemption will state the portion of the principal amount of the debt security to be redeemed. Upon

cancellation of a debt security surrendered for redemption in part, we will issue a new debt security in principal amount in multiples of $1,000 equal to the unredeemed portion of the surrendered note in the name of the holder thereof. Debt securities called for redemption will become due on the date fixed for redemption. On and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on debt securities or portions of the debt securities called for redemption.

Make Whole Redemption

The prospectus supplement will set forth whether we will have the right to redeem a series of debt securities in whole or in part at a price based on a Make-Whole Amount. Unless the prospectus supplement provides otherwise, the following terms shall apply to our right to redeem a series of debt securities based on a Make-Whole Amount. We may redeem all or part of the debt securities of the affected series at any time at our option at a redemption price equal to the greater of:

(1) 100% of the principal amount of the debt securities being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date or

(2) the Make-Whole Amount for the debt securities being redeemed.

For purposes of a redemption at a price based on a Make-Whole Amount:

“Make-Whole Amount” means the sum, as determined by the Quotation Agent, of the present values of the scheduled payments of principal and interest (exclusive of interest to the redemption date) from the redemption date to the maturity date of the debt securities being redeemed, in each case discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis, assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months, at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of the debt securities being redeemed to the redemption date.

“Adjusted Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(519)” or any successor publication which is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the remaining term of the securities of the series being redeemed, yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue shall be determined and the Adjusted Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month) or (2) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per year equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date, in each case calculated on the third business day preceding the redemption date, plus the spread (the “Make-Whole Spread”) specified in a prospectus supplement relating to the affected series of debt securities.

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by the Quotation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term from the redemption date to the maturity date of the debt securities being redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the debt securities of a series.

“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, if clause (2) of the Adjusted Treasury Rate is applicable, the average of three, or such lesser number as is obtained by the trustee, Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date.

“Quotation Agent” means a Reference Treasury Dealer selected by us.

“Reference Treasury Dealer” means any of three nationally recognized investment banking firms selected by us that are primary U.S. government securities dealers.

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue, expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount, quoted in writing to the trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third business day preceding such redemption date.

Covenants Applicable to Senior Debt Securities

The covenants summarized below will apply to each series of senior debt securities as long as any senior debt securities of that series are outstanding, unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise.

Limitation on Liens

So long as any debt securities of a series are outstanding, we will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any Principal Property or shares of stock or Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary to secure any Indebtedness, without effectively providing that the outstanding debt securities of the series shall (so long as such other Indebtedness shall be so secured) be equally and ratably secured.

The foregoing limitation does not apply to:

(1)

Liens for taxes not yet due or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on our books or the books of our Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, in conformity with GAAP;

(2)

carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business securing obligations that are not overdue for a period of more than 90 days or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings;

(3)

pledges or deposits in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation and deposits securing liability to insurance carriers under insurance or self-insurance arrangements;

(4)

deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts (other than for borrowed money), leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(5)

easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances incurred in the ordinary course of business that, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount and that do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of our business or of such Restricted Subsidiary;

(6)

Liens in existence on the first date of the issuance of debt securities of the series;

(7)

Liens arising in connection with trade letters of credit issued for our account or the account of a Restricted Subsidiary securing the reimbursement obligations in respect of such letters of credit, provided, that such Liens encumber only the property being acquired through payments made under such letters of credit or the documents of title and shipping and insurance documents relating to such property;

(8)

Liens on intellectual property acquired by us or a Restricted Subsidiary (such as software) securing our obligation or the obligation of such Restricted Subsidiary to make royalty or similar payments to the seller of such intellectual property, provided, that such Liens encumber only the intellectual property to which such payments relate;

(9)

any Lien upon any property or assets created at the time of the acquisition, purchase, lease, improvement or development of property or assets used or held by us or any Restricted Subsidiary or within one year after such time to secure all or a portion of the purchase price or lease for, or the costs of improvement or development of, such property or assets;

(10)

any Lien upon any property or assets existing thereon at the time of the acquisition thereof (provided such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of such acquisition) by us or any Restricted Subsidiary (whether or not the obligations secured thereby are assumed by us or any Restricted Subsidiary);

(11)

any Lien in favor of us or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(12)

Liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default;

(13)

Liens to secure any extension, renewal, refinancing or refunding (or successive extensions, renewals, refinancings or refundings), in whole or in part, of any Indebtedness secured by Liens referred to in the foregoing clauses (6) through (12) or Liens created in connection with any amendment, consent or waiver relating to such Indebtedness, so long as such Lien does not extend to any other property and the Indebtedness so secured does not exceed the fair market value (as determined by our board of directors) of the assets subject to such Liens at the time of such extension, renewal, refinancing or refunding, or such amendment, consent or waiver, as the case may be; or

(14)

any Lien securing any Indebtedness in an amount which, together with, without duplication, (x) all other Indebtedness secured by a Lien that is not otherwise permitted by the foregoing provisions, (y) the Attributable Debt of any Sale and Leaseback Transaction that is not otherwise permitted under clauses (1) through (4) under “—Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions,” and (z) any Indebtedness incurred by a Subsidiary of ours pursuant to clause (3) under “—Limitation on Subsidiary Indebtedness and Preferred Stock,” does not at the time of the incurrence of the Indebtedness so secured exceed 5% of our Consolidated Total Assets.

Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions

So long as any senior debt securities of a series are outstanding, we will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction with respect to any Principal Property unless:

(1)

the Sale and Leaseback Transaction involves a lease for a term of not more than five years;

(2)

the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is between us and a Subsidiary Guarantor or between Subsidiary Guarantors;

(3)

we or a Restricted Subsidiary would be entitled to incur Indebtedness secured by a Lien on such property or assets involved in such Sale and Leaseback Transaction without equally and ratably securing the senior debt securities pursuant to the covenant described under “—Limitation on Liens”;

(4)

the cash proceeds of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction are at least equal to the fair market value thereof or the debt attributable thereto and we apply an amount equal to the greater of the net proceeds of such sale or the Attributable Debt with respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction within 270 days of such sale to either (or a combination) of (x) the retirement (other than the mandatory retirement, mandatory prepayment or sinking fund payment or by payment at maturity) of our long-term debt or the long-term debt of a Restricted Subsidiary (other than long-term debt that is subordinated to the senior debt securities) or (y) the acquisition, purchase, improvement or development of other comparable property, including the acquisition of other businesses; or

(5)

the Attributable Debt of the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is in an amount which, together with, without duplication, (x) all of our Attributable Debt and that of our Restricted Subsidiaries under this clause (5), (y) all other Indebtedness secured by a Lien that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of clauses (1) through (13) under “—Limitation on Liens” above, and (z) any Indebtedness incurred by a Subsidiary of ours pursuant to clause (3) under “—Limitation on Subsidiary Indebtedness and Preferred Stock,” does not at the time of such transaction exceed 5% of our Consolidated Total Assets.

Limitation on Subsidiary Indebtedness and Preferred Stock

So long as any senior debt securities of a series are outstanding, we will not cause or permit our direct or indirect Subsidiaries to incur, create, issue, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness or Preferred Stock (other than Permitted Indebtedness) unless the amount of such Indebtedness or Preferred Stock, when taken together with, without duplication, (1) all other Indebtedness (other than Permitted Indebtedness) incurred pursuant to this covenant, (2) all other Indebtedness secured by a Lien that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of clauses (1) through (13) under “—Limitation on Liens” above, and (3) any Attributable Debt of the Sale and Leaseback Transactions that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of clauses (1) through (4) under “—Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions,” does not at the time of the incurrence exceed the greater of (x) $170.0 million and (y) 5% of our Consolidated Total Assets.

For purposes of these covenants and other provisions of the indentures:

“Acquired Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of a Person (1) existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary or (2) assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets by such Person, in each case, other than Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Subsidiary or such acquisition, as the case may be. For purposes of the provisions described above as “—Limitation on Subsidiary Indebtedness and Preferred Stock”, any Acquired Indebtedness shall not be deemed to have been incurred until 270 days from the date (1) the Person obligated on such Acquired Indebtedness becomes our Subsidiary or (2) the acquisition of assets, in connection with which such Acquired Indebtedness was assumed, is consummated.

“Attributable Debt” means, with respect to a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, an amount equal to the lesser of: (1) the fair market value of the property (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors); and (2) the present value of the total net amount of rent payments to be made under the lease during its remaining term, discounted at the rate of interest set forth or implicit in the terms of the lease, compounded semi-annually.

“Capitalized Lease” means any obligation of a Person to pay rent or other amounts incurred with respect to real property or equipment acquired or leased by such Person and used in its business that is required to be recorded as a capital lease in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Total Assets” means, with respect to any Person as of any date, the amount of total assets as shown on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person for the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been filed with the SEC, prepared in accordance with GAAP.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America in effect from time to time, including those set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements of pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other entity as are approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession.

“Governmental Obligations” means securities that are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt

issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933) as custodian with respect to any such Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt; provided, however, that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication (1) any obligation of such Person for money borrowed, (2) any obligation of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (3) any reimbursement obligation of such Person in respect of letters of credit or other similar instruments which support financial obligations which would otherwise become Indebtedness, and (4) any obligation of such Person under Capitalized Leases; provided, however, that “Indebtedness” of such Person shall not include any obligation of such Person to any Subsidiary of such Person or to any Person with respect to which such Person is a Subsidiary.

“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, lien or other security interest.

“Permitted Acquired Indebtedness” means any Acquired Indebtedness that remains outstanding following the expiration of a good faith offer by us or a Subsidiary obligated under such Acquired Indebtedness to acquire such Acquired Indebtedness, including, without limitation, an offer to exchange such Acquired Indebtedness for debt securities for us, on terms, which in the opinion of an independent investment banking firm of national reputation and standing, are consistent with market practices in existence at the time for offers of a similar nature; provided that the initial expiration date of any such offer shall be not later than the expiration of the 270-day period referred to in the definition of “Acquired Indebtedness”; provided further, that the amount of Acquired Indebtedness that shall constitute “Permitted Acquired Indebtedness” shall only be equal to the amount of Acquired Indebtedness that we or such Subsidiary has made an offer to acquire in accordance with the foregoing.

“Permitted Indebtedness” means (a) Indebtedness outstanding on the first date of the issuance of debt securities of the series; (b) intercompany Indebtedness or Preferred Stock to the extent owing to or held by us or a Subsidiary; (c) any Permitted Acquired Indebtedness; (d) Indebtedness under performance bonds or with respect to workers’ compensation claims, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business; and (e) Indebtedness of any Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that if such Subsidiary shall cease to be a Subsidiary Guarantor, such Indebtedness will be treated as incurred at that time and will no longer constitute Permitted Indebtedness pursuant to this clause (e).

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

“Preferred Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares of preferred stock (however designated) issued by such Person, that is entitled to preference or priority over one or more series or classes of capital stock issued by such Person upon any distribution of such Person’s property and assets, whether by dividend or on liquidation, whether now outstanding, or issued after the date hereof.

“Principal Property” means any real property and any related buildings, fixtures or other improvements located in the United States owned by us or our Subsidiaries (1) that is an operating property included in the list of principal properties in Item 2 (or any successor Item thereto) of our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the most recently ended fiscal year, or is an operating property acquired subsequent to such filing that would have been included in such Item 2 if it had been owned prior to the date of such filing or (2) the net book value of which as of the end of the last fiscal quarter ending immediately prior to the date of determination exceeds 1% of our Consolidated Total Assets as of the same date.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means any of our Subsidiaries that owns a Principal Property.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any arrangement with any Person providing for the leasing by us or any Restricted Subsidiary of real or personal property that is to be sold or transferred by us or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person or to any other Person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such Person on the security of such property or rental obligations of ours or such Restricted Subsidiary.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (i) any corporation at least a majority of whose outstanding voting stock shall at the time be owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its

Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any general partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of whose outstanding partnership or similar interests shall at the time be owned by such Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner.

“Subsidiary Guarantor” means any of our Subsidiaries if and so long as such Subsidiary provides a guarantee of the Securities.

Subordination of Subordinated Debt Securities

The indebtedness underlying any subordinated debt securities will be payable only if all payments due under our senior indebtedness, including any outstanding senior debt securities, have been made. Senior indebtedness includes the principal, premium (if any) and unpaid interest on all present and future:

(1)

indebtedness for borrowed money;

(2)

obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments;

(3)

obligations under (i) interest rate swaps, caps, collars, options and similar arrangements, (ii) any foreign exchange contract, currency swap contract, futures contract, currency option contract or other foreign currency hedge and (iii) credit swaps, caps, floors, collars and similar arrangements;

(4)

indebtedness incurred, assumed or guaranteed in connection with the acquisition by us or any of our subsidiaries of any business, properties or assets (except purchase-money indebtedness classified as accounts payable under GAAP);

(5)

all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) in respect of leases required, in conformity with GAAP, to be accounted for as capitalized lease obligations on the balance sheet and all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) under any lease or related document (including a purchase agreement) in connection with the lease or real property which provides that we are contractually obligated to purchase or cause a third party to purchase the leased property and thereby guarantee a minimum residual value of the leased property to the lessor and the obligations under such lease or related document to purchase or to cause a third party to purchase such leased property;

(6)

reimbursement obligations in respect of letters of credit relating to indebtedness or other obligations that qualify as indebtedness or obligations of the kind referred to in clauses (1) through (5); and

(7)

obligations under direct and indirect guaranties in respect of, and obligations (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or otherwise acquire, or otherwise to assure a creditor against loss in respect of, indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses (1) through (6),

in each case unless the instrument creating or evidencing the indebtedness or obligation or pursuant to which the same is outstanding provides that (x) such indebtedness or obligation is not senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities or (y) such indebtedness or obligation is subordinated to any other obligation, unless such indebtedness or obligation expressly provides that such indebtedness or obligations be senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities.

If we distribute our assets to creditors upon any dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar proceedings, we must first pay all amounts due or to become due on all senior indebtedness before we pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, the subordinated debt securities. In the event the subordinated debt securities are accelerated because of an event of default, we may not make any payment on the subordinated debt securities until we have paid all senior indebtedness or the acceleration is rescinded. If the payment of subordinated debt securities accelerates because of an event of default, we must promptly notify holders of senior indebtedness of the acceleration.

If we experience a bankruptcy, dissolution or reorganization, holders of senior indebtedness may receive more, ratably, and holders of subordinated debt securities may receive less, ratably, than our other creditors. The indenture for subordinated debt securities will not limit our ability to incur additional senior indebtedness.

Form, Exchange and Transfer

Unless the prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, we will issue debt securities only in fully registered form, without coupons, and only in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. The holder of a debt security may elect, subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities, to exchange them for other debt securities of the same series of any authorized denomination and of similar terms and aggregate principal amount.

Holders of debt securities may present them for exchange as provided above or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer duly executed, at the office of the transfer agent we designate for that purpose. We will not impose a service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities, but we may require a payment sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the transfer or exchange. Unless the prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, the corporate trust office of the trustee will be the transfer agent for the debt securities. We may designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, but we must maintain a transfer agent in each place where we will make payment on debt securities.

Global Securities

The debt securities of a series may be represented by one or more global securities that will have an aggregate principal amount equal to that of all debt securities of that series, meaning that beneficial owners of the debt securities will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the debt securities, except in the event the book-entry system for the debt securities of that series is discontinued. Each global security will be registered in the name of a depository identified in the prospectus supplement. We will deposit the global security with the depository or a custodian, and the global security will bear a legend regarding the restrictions on exchanges and registration of transfer.

The Depository Trust Company is expected to serve as depository. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities represented thereby, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depository for the global security to a nominee of such depository or by a nominee of such depository to such depository or another nominee of such depository or by the depository or any nominee of such depository to a successor depository or a nominee of such successor. The specific terms of the depository arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities that differ from the terms described here will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we anticipate that the following provisions will apply to depository arrangements.

Upon the issuance of a global security, the depository for the global security or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the respective amounts of the individual debt securities represented by such global security to the accounts of persons that have accounts with such depository, who are called “participants.” Such accounts shall be designated by the underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to the debt securities or by us if the securities are offered and sold directly by us. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to the depository’s participants or persons that may hold interests through such participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in the global security will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the applicable depository or its nominee (with respect to beneficial interests of participants) and records of the participants (with respect to beneficial interests of persons who hold through participants). The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to own, pledge or transfer beneficial interest in a global security.

So long as the depository for a global security or its nominee is the registered owner of such global security, such depository or nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities

represented by such global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture. Except as provided below or in the prospectus supplement, owners of beneficial interest in a global security will not be entitled to have any of the individual debt securities of the series represented by such global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any such debt securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture.

Payments of amounts payable with respect to individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depository or its nominee will be made to the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security representing such debt securities. None of us, our officers and board members or any trustee, paying agent or security registrar for an individual series of debt securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for such securities or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

We expect that the depository for a series of debt securities offered by means of this prospectus or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other amount in respect of a permanent global security representing any of such debt securities, will immediately credit its participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal amount of such global security as shown on the records of such depository or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in such global security held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers registered in “street name.” Such payments will be the responsibility of such participants.

If a depository for a series of debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depository and a successor depository is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue individual debt securities of such series in exchange for the global security representing such series of debt securities. In addition, we may, at any time and in our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities, determine not to have any debt securities of such series represented by one or more global securities and, in such event, will issue individual debt securities of such series in exchange for the global security or securities representing such series of debt securities.

Payment and Paying Agents

We will pay principal and any premium or interest on a debt security to the person in whose name the debt security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest.

We will pay principal and any premium or interest on the debt securities at the office of our designated paying agent. Unless the prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, the trustee will act as our paying agent.

Any other paying agents we designate for the debt securities of a particular series will be named in the prospectus supplement. We may designate additional paying agents, rescind the designation of any paying agent or approve a change in the office through which any paying agent acts, but we must maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities.

The paying agent will return to us all money we pay to it for the payment of the principal, premium or interest on any debt security that remains unclaimed for a specified period. Thereafter, the holder may look only to us for payment, as an unsecured general creditor.

Limitation on Mergers and Consolidations

So long as any debt securities of a series remain outstanding, we may not consolidate or merge with or into any Person, or sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, or assign any of our obligations under an indenture or the debt securities, to any Person, unless:

(1)

the Person formed by or surviving such consolidation or merger (if other than us), or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition or arrangement shall be made (collectively, the “Successor”), is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia and the Successor assumes by supplemental indenture in a form reasonably satisfactory to the trustee all of our obligations under the indenture and under the debt securities;

(2)

immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no event which is, or after notice or passage of time would be an event of default under the indenture shall have occurred and be continuing; and

(3)

we shall have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture (if any) comply with the applicable indenture.

The Successor shall be the successor to us and shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, us under the indenture, and we (except in the case of a lease) shall be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the debt securities.

Events of Default

Each of the following will constitute an Event of Default under each indenture with respect to each series of debt securities:

(1)

failure to pay interest on the debt securities when due, which failure continues for 30 days;

(2)

failure to pay principal of the debt securities when due;

(3)

failure to comply with “—Limitation on Mergers and Consolidations”;

(4)

failure to observe or perform any other covenant of ours set forth in the indenture for the series of debt securities, which failure continues for 60 days after notice as provided in the indenture;

(5)

certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization with respect to us (the “bankruptcy provision”);

(6)

any default or event of default under any Indebtedness of ours or any of our Subsidiaries (other than any Indebtedness of ours or any Subsidiary to the seller of a business or asset incurred in connection with the purchase thereof) which default or event of default results in at least $50 million of aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness being declared due and payable prior to maturity; and

(7)

failure by us or any of our Subsidiaries to pay at maturity or otherwise when due (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness at any one time.

Within 60 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default known to the trustee, the trustee is required to transmit notice thereof to the holders of the debt securities. Except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of or interest on the debt securities, the trustee may withhold such notice if and so long as the trustee, in good faith, determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the holders of the debt securities. If an Event of Default (other than the bankruptcy provision) occurs and is continuing with respect to a series of debt securities, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may declare the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on all the debt securities of that series immediately due and payable. If a bankruptcy event occurs, the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the debt securities shall become immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holders of such debt securities. However, if prior to the entry of any judgment or decree for the accelerated amount, we shall pay or deposit with the trustee all principal and interest in arrears, the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series shall have the right to waive all defaults and the consequences of having all principal payments due. This waiver will not, however, be operative as against nor impair any rights arising as a result of any subsequent Event of Default. The trustee will not be charged with knowledge of any Event of Default other than our failure to make principal and interest payments unless actual written notice thereof is received by the trustee.

The indenture contains provisions regarding limitations on the right to institute legal proceedings. No holder of debt securities of a series shall have the right to institute an action or proceeding for rights arising under the indenture unless:

(1)

such holder has given written notice of default to the trustee;

(2)

the holders of not less than 25% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series shall have made a written request to the trustee to institute an action and offered the trustee such indemnification satisfactory to it;

(3)

the trustee shall have not commenced such action within 60 days of receipt of such notice and indemnification offer; and

(4)

no direction inconsistent with such request has been given to the trustee by the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to applicable law, nothing shall prevent the holders of debt securities of a series from enforcing payment of the principal of or interest on their debt securities.

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. The trustee, however, may refuse to follow such direction if the trustee determines that the action so directed may not lawfully be taken, or that the action so directed would be unduly prejudicial to the holders of the debt securities of a series not taking part in such action or that such action would involve the trustee in personal liability.

The indenture provides that, in case an Event of Default shall occur (which shall not have been cured or waived), the trustee will be required to use the degree of care a prudent person would use in the conduct of their own affairs. Subject to such provisions, 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 of a series unless they shall have offered the trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it.

We will be required to furnish to the trustee annually a statement as to the fulfillment by us of all our obligations under the indenture.

Supplemental Indentures

We and the trustee may enter into supplemental indentures and indentures without the consent of any holders of debt securities with respect to specific matters, including:

•

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

•

to provide for the assumption by a Successor of our obligations under the indenture in accordance with the provisions described above under “—Limitation on Mergers and Consolidations”;

•

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

•

to add to the covenants for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us or to add any additional events of default for the benefit of all or any series of debt securities;

•

to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of any series of debt securities prior to their issuance;

•

to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities in any material respect;

•

to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series, to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of an indenture or any series of debt securities or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities; or

•

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of one or more series and to add or change any of the provisions of an indenture as necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts by more than one trustee.

In addition, under the indentures, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, we and the trustee may only make the following changes with the consent of the holder of each debt security affected:

•

changing the fixed maturity of principal or interest payments on the debt securities;

•

reducing the principal amount or reducing the rate of interest, or any premium payable upon the redemption, of any debt securities; or

•

reducing the percentage of debt securities of any series the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment or waiver.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may waive any past default under the indenture with respect to debt securities of that series, except a default in the payment of principal, premium or interest on any debt security of that series or in respect of a covenant or provision of the indenture that cannot be amended without each holder’s consent.

Except in limited circumstances, we may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the holders of outstanding debt securities of any series entitled to give or take any direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action under the indentures. In limited circumstances, the trustee may set a record date. To be effective, the action must be taken by holders of the requisite principal amount of such debt securities within a specified period following the record date.

Defeasance

Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement, at any time, we may terminate all of our obligations under a series of debt securities and our obligations under an indenture with respect to that series of debt securities, or “legal defeasance,” except for certain obligations, including those respecting the defeasance trust and obligations to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities of a series, to replace mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and to maintain a registrar and paying agent in respect of the debt securities.

In addition, unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement, at any time we may terminate with respect to any series of senior debt securities our and our Subsidiaries’ obligations under the covenants described under “—Covenants Applicable to Senior Debt Securities” or “covenant defeasance.”

We may exercise our legal defeasance option with respect to a series of senior debt securities notwithstanding the prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option. If we exercise our legal defeasance option, payment of the debt securities of a series may not be accelerated because of an event of default with respect thereto. If we exercise our covenant defeasance option with respect to a series of senior debt securities, payment of the debt securities may not be accelerated because of an event of default specified in clause (4) under “—Events of Default” above due to a violation of covenants described under “—Covenants Applicable to Senior Debt Securities”.

In order to exercise either of our defeasance options as to debt securities of a series, we must irrevocably deposit in trust (the “defeasance trust”) with the trustee money or Governmental Obligations sufficient to pay all remaining principal and interest on the debt securities, and must comply with certain other conditions, including delivery to the trustee of an opinion of counsel to the effect that holders of the debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance and

will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred (and, in the case of legal defeasance only, such opinion of counsel must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or other change in applicable Federal income tax law).

Governing Law

The indentures and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

COMMON STOCK

The following description of our common stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the common stock that may be offered under this prospectus. For the complete terms of our common stock, please refer to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that are filed as exhibits to our reports incorporated by reference into the registration statement that includes this prospectus. The General Corporation Law of Delaware may also affect the terms of our common stock.

General

Our certificate of incorporation provides that we have authority to issue 265,000,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.10 per share. At September 30, 2005, there were 133,665,860 shares of common stock issued and outstanding (net of shares held in treasury). In addition, as of that date, 6,263,896 shares of common stock were issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, and 9,977,634 shares of common stock were issuable upon the conversion of outstanding convertible securities. The outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.

Voting Rights

Each holder of common stock is entitled to attend all special and annual meetings of the stockholders and to vote upon any matter, including, without limitation, the election of directors. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share.

Liquidation Rights

In the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of us, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of common stock will be entitled to participate in the distribution of any assets remaining after we have paid all of our debts and liabilities and have paid, or set aside for payment, to the holders of any class of stock having preference over the common stock in the event of dissolution, liquidation or winding up, the full preferential amounts, if any, to which they are entitled.

Dividends

Dividends may be paid on the common stock and on any class or series of stock entitled to participate therewith when and as declared by the board. We have not historically paid dividends on our common stock. In addition, our credit facilities in effect from time to time may place certain limits on the payment of dividends.

Other Rights and Restrictions

The holders of common stock have no preemptive or subscription rights to purchase additional securities issued by us, nor any rights to convert their common stock into other of our securities or to have their shares of common stock redeemed by us. Our common stock is not subject to redemption by us. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not restrict the ability of a holder of common stock to transfer his or her shares of

common stock. When we issue shares of common stock under this prospectus, the shares will be fully paid and non-assessable.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LH”.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer and Trust Company.

Limitations of Director Liability

Delaware law authorizes corporations to limit or eliminate the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breach of directors’ fiduciary duty of care. Although Delaware law does not change directors’ duty of care, it enables corporations to limit available relief to equitable remedies such as injunction or rescission. Our certificate of incorporation limits the liability of directors to us and our stockholders to the full extent permitted by Delaware law. Specifically, directors are not personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for breach of the director’s fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:

•

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

•

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

•

unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; and

•

any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our certificate of incorporation provides for mandatory indemnification of directors and officers against any expense, liability or loss to which they may become subject, or which they may incur as a result of being or having been a director or officer. In addition, we must advance or reimburse directors and officers for expenses they incur in connection with indemnifiable claims. We also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

Shareholder Rights Plan

We adopted a stockholder rights plan effective as of December 13, 2001 that provides that each share of common stock outstanding has one right attached. Each right entitles the holder to purchase from us one-hundredth of a share of a new series of participating preferred stock at an initial purchase price of four hundred dollars. These rights will become exercisable and will detach from our common stock if any person becomes the beneficial owner of 15% or more of our common stock. In that event, each right will entitle the holder, other than the acquiring person, to purchase, for the initial purchase price, shares of our common stock having a value of twice the initial purchase price. The rights will expire on December 13, 2011, unless earlier exchanged or redeemed.

PREFERRED STOCK

The following description of our preferred stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the preferred stock that may be offered under this prospectus. For the complete terms of our preferred stock, please refer to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that are filed as exhibits to our reports incorporated by reference into the registration statement that includes this prospectus. The General Corporation Law of Delaware, as amended, may also affect the terms of our preferred stock.

General

We are authorized to issue 30,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $.10 per share, of which none are issued and outstanding. The Board of Directors has the authority, without any further vote or action by the stockholders, to issue preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the number of shares, designations, relative rights (including voting rights), preferences and limitations of such series to the full extent now or hereafter permitted by Delaware law.

Preferred Stock That May Be Offered

Our board is authorized to issue the preferred stock in one or more series and to fix and designate the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock, including:

•

dividend rights;

•

conversion rights;

•

voting rights;

•

redemption rights and terms of redemption; and

•

liquidation preferences.

Our board may fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designations of these series.

The rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock of each series will be fixed by a certificate of designations relating to each series. The prospectus supplement relating to each series will specify the terms of the preferred stock, including:

•

the maximum number of shares in the series and the distinctive designation;

•

the terms on which dividends will be paid, if any;

•

the terms on which the shares may be redeemed, if at all;

•

the liquidation preference, if any;

•

the terms of any retirement or sinking fund for the purchase or redemption of the shares of the series;

•

the terms and conditions, if any, on which the shares of the series will be convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes of capital stock;

•

the voting rights, if any, on the shares of the series; and

•

any or all other preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights or qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the shares.

We will describe the specific terms of a particular series of preferred stock in the prospectus supplement relating to that series. The description of preferred stock above and the description of the terms of a particular series of preferred stock in the prospectus supplement are not complete. You should refer to the applicable certificate of designations for complete information. The prospectus supplement will also contain a description of U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the preferred stock, if material.

Voting Rights

The General Corporation Law of Delaware provides that the holders of preferred stock will have the right to vote separately as a class on any proposal involving fundamental changes in the rights of holders of that preferred stock. This right is in addition to any voting rights that may be provided for in the applicable certificate of designations.

Other

Our issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control. Our issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock or other preferred stock or could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the holders of common stock or other preferred stock. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for the preferred stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

WARRANTS

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that may be offered under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may issue, together with other securities or separately, warrants to purchase our debt securities, preferred stock or common stock. We will issue the warrants under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as shall be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will file the forms of the warrant agreements and the related warrant certificates for each type of warrant we may offer under this prospectus as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or as exhibits to a document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We use the term “warrant agreement” to refer to any of these warrant agreements. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants of the series being offered and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms, where applicable, of warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:

•

the title of the warrants;

•

the designation, amount and terms of the securities for which the warrants are exercisable and the procedures and conditions relating to the exercise of such warrants;

•

the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security;

•

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

•

the aggregate number of warrants;

•

any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants;

•

the price or prices at which the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;

•

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable;

•

if material, a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants;

•

any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants;

•

the date on which the right to exercise the warrants shall commence, and the date on which the right shall expire;

•

the maximum or minimum number of warrants which may be exercised at any time; and

•

information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any.

Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including the right to receive dividends, if any, or payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any.

Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase for cash or other consideration specified in an applicable prospectus supplement the amount of debt securities, the number of shares of preferred stock and the number of shares of common stock at the exercise price as shall in each case be set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

Warrants may be exercised as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the warrants offered thereby. Upon receipt of payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the purchased securities. If less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, a new warrant certificate will be issued for the remaining warrants. Holders of warrants will be required to pay any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with transferring the underlying securities in connection with the exercise of the warrants.

Enforceability of Rights of Holders of Warrants

Each warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as a warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, that holder’s warrants.

LEGAL MATTERS

Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., Baltimore, Maryland, will provide us with an opinion as to the legal validity of the securities offered hereby unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the fees and expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. All amounts are estimates.


SEC Registration Fee		*
Trustee’s Fees and Expenses	$	10,000
Accounting Fees and Expenses		25,000
Legal Fees and Expenses		50,000
Printing Expenses		10,000
Blue Sky Fees and Expenses		10,000
Rating Agency Fees and Expenses		10,000
Miscellaneous Expenses		25,000

Total		140,000

Under SEC Rule 456(b) and 457(r), the SEC registration fee will be paid at the time of any particular offering of securities under this registration statement, and is therefore not currently determinable.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

As authorized by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“Delaware Corporation Law”), each director and officer of the Company may be indemnified by the Company against expenses (including attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of any threatened, pending, or completed legal proceedings in which he/she is involved by reason of the fact that he/she is or was a director or officer of the Company; provided that he/she acted in good faith and in a manner that he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest of the Company; and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, that he/she had no reasonable cause to believe that his/her conduct was unlawful. If the legal proceeding, however, is by or in the right of the Company, the director or officer may not be indemnified in respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which he shall have adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the Company unless a court determines otherwise.

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware Corporation Law provides that a corporation may eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for willful or negligent conduct in paying dividends or repurchasing stock out of other than lawfully available funds, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. No such provision shall eliminate or limit the liability of a director for any act or omission occurring prior to the date when such provision becomes effective.

Article Six of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company provides that no director of the Company shall be personally liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of his fiduciary duty as director; provided, however, that such clause shall not apply to any liability of a director (i) for any breach of such director’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the Delaware Corporation Law or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. In addition, the provisions of Article VII of the Company’s By-laws provide that the Company shall indemnify persons entitled to be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware Corporation Law.

II-1

The Company maintains policies of officers’ and directors’ liability insurance in respect of acts or omissions of current and former officers and directors of the Company, its subsidiaries, and “constituent” companies that have been merged with the Company.

Item 16. Exhibits


Exhibit Number		Description

1.01		Form of Underwriting Agreement**

4.01		Specimen of the Company’s Common Stock Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, File No. 001-11353)

4.02		Rights Agreement dated December 13, 2001 between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as rights Agent (incorporated herein by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission on December 21, 2001, File No. 001-11353)

4.03		Form of Senior Indenture*

4.04		Form of Subordinated Indenture*

4.08		Form of Warrant**

5.01		Opinion of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.*

12.01		Statement of Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges*

23.01		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP*

23.02		Consent of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P. (included in their opinion filed as Exhibit 5.01)*

24.01		Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)

25.01		Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 for Senior Indenture*

25.02		Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 for Subordinated Indenture*

Filed herewith.

To be filed, if necessary, as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

The registrant undertakes to provide to each stockholder requesting the same a copy of each exhibit referred to herein upon payment of a reasonable fee limited to the registrant’s reasonable expenses in furnishing such exhibit.

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

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 of 1933;

(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 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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

II-2

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

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.

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.

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

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

II-3

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

That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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 Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, 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 of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the 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 of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

II-4

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of 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 the city of Burlington, state of North Carolina, on December 5, 2005.


LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS

By:		/S/ BRADFORD T. SMITH
		Bradford T. Smith Executive Vice President and Secretary

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOWN ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the individuals whose signatures appear below hereby constitute and appoint Bradford T. Smith and William B. Hayes, or each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and any Registration Statement relating to this Registration Statement under Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any applicable securities exchange or securities self-regulatory body, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their, his or her substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below on December 5, 2005 by the following persons in the capacities indicated:


Signature		Title

/S/ THOMAS P. MAC MAHON Thomas P. Mac Mahon		Chairman of the Board President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

/S/ WILLIAM B. HAYES William B. Hayes		Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

/S/ JEAN-LUC BELINGARD Jean-Luc Belingard		Director

/S/ WENDY E. LANE Wendy E. Lane		Director

/S/ ROBERT E. MITTELSTAEDT, JR. Robert E. Mittelstaedt, Jr.		Director

/S/ ARTHUR H. RUBENSTEIN Arthur H. Rubenstein		Director

/S/ ANDREW G. WALLACE, M.D. Andrew G. Wallace, M.D.		Director

/S/ M. KEITH WEIKEL M. Keith Weikel		Director

II-5

EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit Number		Description

1.01		Form of Underwriting Agreement**

4.01		Specimen of the Company’s Common Stock Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, File No. 001-11353)

4.02		Rights Agreement dated December 13, 2001 between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as rights Agent (incorporated herein by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission on December 21, 2001, File No. 001-11353)

4.03		Form of Senior Indenture*

4.04		Form of Subordinated Indenture*

4.08		Form of Warrant**

5.01		Opinion of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.*

12.01		Statement of Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges*

23.01		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP*

23.02		Consent of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P. (included in their opinion filed as Exhibit 5.01)*

24.01		Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)

25.01		Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 for Senior Indenture*

25.02		Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 for Subordinated Indenture*

Filed herewith.

To be filed, if necessary, as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

II-6

Form of Senior Indenture

EXHIBIT 4.03

LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS

ISSUER

AND

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

TRUSTEE

INDENTURE

DATED AS OF [ ], [ ]

SENIOR DEBT SECURITIES

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE¹


Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as Amended		Indenture
310(a)		7.10
310(b)		7.08; 7.10
310(c)		Inapplicable
311(a)		7.11
311(b)		7.11
311(c)		Inapplicable
312(a)		2.12, 2.13(a)
312(b)		2.13(c)
312(c)		Inapplicable
313(a)		7.06
313(b)		7.06
313(c)		7.06
313(d)		7.06
314(a)		4.11; 5.03
314(b)		Inapplicable
314(c)		12.07
314(d)		Inapplicable
314(e)		12.07
314(f)		Inapplicable
315(a)		7.01
315(b)		7.05
315(c)		7.01
315(d)		7.01
315(e)		6.11; 7.07
316(a)		6.04
316(b)		6.07
316(c)		8.01
317(a)		6.08
317(b)		4.04
318(a)		12.09

¹	This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS¹


		PAGE
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS		1

ARTICLE II ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01 DESIGNATION AND TERMS OF SECURITIES		6
SECTION 2.02 FORM OF SECURITIES AND TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE		7
SECTION 2.03 DENOMINATIONS: PROVISIONS FOR PAYMENT		7
SECTION 2.04 EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION		8
SECTION 2.05 REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE		9
SECTION 2.06 TEMPORARY SECURITIES		10
SECTION 2.07 MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN SECURITIES		10
SECTION 2.08 CANCELLATION		11
SECTION 2.09 BENEFITS OF INDENTURE		11
SECTION 2.10 AUTHENTICATING AGENT		11
SECTION 2.11 GLOBAL SECURITIES		11
SECTION 2.12 COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF SECURITYHOLDERS		12
SECTION 2.13 PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATION WITH SECURITYHOLDERS		13
SECTION 2.14 CUSIP NUMBERS		13
SECTION 2.15 OUTSTANDING SECURITIES		13

ARTICLE III REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 3.01 REDEMPTION		13
SECTION 3.02 NOTICES TO TRUSTEE		13
SECTION 3.03 SELECTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED		13
SECTION 3.04 NOTICE OF REDEMPTION		13
SECTION 3.05 EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION		14
SECTION 3.06 DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE		14
SECTION 3.07 SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART		14

ARTICLE IV COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES		14
SECTION 4.02 MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE AND PAYMENT OF SECURITIES		15
SECTION 4.03 APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF TRUSTEE		15
SECTION 4.04 PROVISION AS TO PAYING AGENT		15
SECTION 4.05 MAINTENANCE OF CORPORATE EXISTENCE		16
SECTION 4.06 LIMITATION ON LIENS		16
SECTION 4.07 LIMITATION ON SALE AND LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS		17
SECTION 4.08 LIMITATION ON SUBSIDIARY INDEBTEDNESS AND PREFERRED STOCK		18
SECTION 4.09 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE		18
SECTION 4.10 FURTHER INSTRUMENTS AND ACTS		18
SECTION 4.11 COMMISSION REPORTS		18

ARTICLE V SUCCESSOR COMPANY		19
SECTION 5.01 WHEN COMPANY MAY MERGE OR TRANSFER ASSETS		19

ARTICLE VI DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01 EVENTS OF DEFAULT		19

¹	This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

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SECTION 6.02 ACCELERATION		20
SECTION 6.03 OTHER REMEDIES		21
SECTION 6.04 WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS		21
SECTION 6.05 CONTROL BY MAJORITY		21
SECTION 6.06 LIMITATION ON SUITS		21
SECTION 6.07 RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE A PAYMENT		22
SECTION 6.08 COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE		22
SECTION 6.09 TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM		22
SECTION 6.10 PRIORITIES		22
SECTION 6.11 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS		22
SECTION 6.12 WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS		23

ARTICLE VII CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01 DUTIES OF TRUSTEE		23
SECTION 7.02 RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE		24
SECTION 7.03 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE		24
SECTION 7.04 TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER		24
SECTION 7.05 NOTICE OF DEFAULTS		24
SECTION 7.06 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS		24
SECTION 7.07 COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY		25
SECTION 7.08 REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE		25
SECTION 7.09 SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER		26
SECTION 7.10 ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION		26
SECTION 7.11 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY		26

ARTICLE VIII CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 8.01 EVIDENCE OF ACTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS		27
SECTION 8.02 PROOF OF EXECUTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS		27
SECTION 8.03 WHO MAY BE DEEMED OWNERS		27
SECTION 8.04 CERTAIN SECURITIES OWNED BY COMPANY DISREGARDED		27
SECTION 8.05 ACTIONS BINDING ON FUTURE SECURITYHOLDERS		28

ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.01 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS		28
SECTION 9.02 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS		29
SECTION 9.03 EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES		30
SECTION 9.04 SECURITIES AFFECTED BY SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES		30
SECTION 9.05 EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES		30
SECTION 9.06 PAYMENT FOR CONSENT		30

ARTICLE X SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
SECTION 10.01 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE		30
SECTION 10.02 DEFEASANCE		31
SECTION 10.03 CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE		31
SECTION 10.04 APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY		32
SECTION 10.05 REPAYMENT TO COMPANY		33
SECTION 10.06 INDEMNITY FOR GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATIONS		33
SECTION 10.07 REINSTATEMENT		33

ARTICLE XI IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 11.01 NO RECOURSE		33

ARTICLE XII MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

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SECTION 12.01 EFFECT ON SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS		34
SECTION 12.02 ACTIONS BY SUCCESSOR		34
SECTION 12.03 SURRENDER OF COMPANY POWERS		34
SECTION 12.04 NOTICES		34
SECTION 12.05 GOVERNING LAW		34
SECTION 12.06 TREATMENT OF SECURITIES AS DEBT		34
SECTION 12.07 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS		34
SECTION 12.08 PAYMENTS ON BUSINESS DAYS		35
SECTION 12.09 CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT		35
SECTION 12.10 COUNTERPARTS		35
SECTION 12.11 SEPARABILITY		35
SECTION 12.12 ASSIGNMENT		35

-v-

INDENTURE, dated as of [ ], [ ], between LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a national banking association, as trustee (the “Trustee”):

WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of unsecured debt securities (hereinafter referred to as the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as registered Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the certificate of the Trustee;

WHEREAS, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed as follows for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of Securities or of series thereof.

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS.

The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, or that are by reference in said Trust Indenture Act defined in the Securities Act (except as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this instrument.

“ADJUSTED TREASURY RATE” means, with respect to any redemption date, (i) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(519)” or any successor publication which is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the remaining term of the Securities of the series being redeemed, yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue shall be determined and the Adjusted Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month) or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per year equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date, in each case calculated on the third Business Day preceding the redemption date, plus the make-whole spread specified in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture establishing the terms of the series of Securities being redeemed in accordance with Section 2.01.

“ACQUIRED INDEBTEDNESS” means Indebtedness of a Person (1) existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary or (2) assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets by such Person, in each case, other than Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Subsidiary or such acquisition, as the case may be. For purposes of Section 4.08, any Acquired Indebtedness shall not be deemed to have been incurred until 270 days from the date (1) the Person obligated on such Acquired Indebtedness becomes a Subsidiary of the Company or (2) the acquisition of assets, in connection with which such Acquired Indebtedness was assumed, is consummated.

“AFFILIATE” means, as applied to any Person, (i) any other Person, directly or indirectly, Controlling or Controlled by or under direct or indirect common Control with such specified Person or (ii) any Person who is a director or officer (A) of such Person, (B) of any Subsidiary of such Person or (C) of any Person described in clause (i) above.

“ATTRIBUTABLE DEBT” means, with respect to a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, an amount equal to the lesser of: (1) the fair market value of the property (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors); and (2) the present value of the total net amount of rent payments to be made under the lease during its remaining term, discounted at the rate of interest set forth or implicit in the terms of the lease, compounded semi-annually.

“AUTHENTICATING AGENT” means an authenticating agent with respect to all or any of the series of Securities appointed with respect to all or any series of the Securities by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.10.

“BANKRUPTCY LAW” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

“BOARD OF DIRECTORS” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.

“BOARD RESOLUTION” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification.

“BUSINESS DAY” means a day other than a Legal Holiday.

“CAPITALIZED LEASE” means any obligation of a Person to pay rent or other amounts incurred with respect to real property or equipment acquired or leased by such Person and used in its business that is required to be recorded as a capital lease in accordance with GAAP.

“CAPITAL STOCK” means any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock of a corporation, any and all equivalent ownership interests in a Person (other than a corporation) and any and all warrants or options to purchase any of the foregoing.

“CERTIFICATE” means a certificate signed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company. The Certificate need not comply with the provisions of Section 12.07.

“COMMISSION” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“COMPANY” means Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware until a successor replaces it in accordance with Article V and thereafter means the successor and, for purposes of any provision contained herein and required by the TIA, each other obligor on the Securities.

“COMPARABLE TREASURY ISSUE” means the United States Treasury security selected by the Quotation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term from the redemption date to the maturity date of the Securities being redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Securities.

“COMPARABLE TREASURY PRICE” means, with respect to any redemption date, if clause (ii) of the Adjusted Treasury Rate is applicable, the average of three, or such lesser number as is obtained by the Trustee, Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date.

“CONSOLIDATED TOTAL ASSETS” means, with respect to any Person as of any date, the amount of total assets as shown on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person for the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been filed with the Commission, prepared in accordance with GAAP.

“CONTROL” shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, and the terms “Controlled” and “Controlling” shall have meanings correlative thereto.

“CORPORATE TRUST OFFICE” means the office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 10161 Centurion Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256.

“COVENANT DEFEASANCE OPTION” has the meaning given in Section 10.02.

“CUSTODIAN” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

“DEFAULT” means any event, act or condition which is, or that with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.

“DEFAULTED INTEREST” has the meaning given in Section 2.03.

“DEPOSITARY” means, with respect to Securities of any series, for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.01 or 2.11.

“EVENT OF DEFAULT” means, with respect to Securities of a particular series any event specified in Section 6.01, continued for the period of time, if any, therein designated.

“EXCHANGE ACT” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute or statutes thereto.

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“GLOBAL SECURITY” means, with respect to any series of Securities, a Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.

“GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATIONS” means securities that are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act) as custodian with respect to any such Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt; provided, however, that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.

“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.

“INDEBTEDNESS” of any Person means, without duplication (1) any obligation of such Person for money borrowed, (2) any obligation of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (3) any reimbursement obligation of such Person in respect of letters of credit or other similar instruments which support financial obligations which would otherwise become Indebtedness, and (4) any obligation of such Person under Capitalized Leases; provided, however, that “Indebtedness” of such Person shall not include any obligation of such Person to any Subsidiary of such Person or to any Person with respect to which such Person is a Subsidiary.

“INDENTURE” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into in accordance with the terms hereof, including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 2.01.

“INTEREST PAYMENT DATE”, when used with respect to any installment of interest on a Security of a particular series, means the date specified in such Security or in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, in an Officer’s Certificate or in an indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.

“LEGAL DEFEASANCE OPTION” has the meaning given in Section 10.02.

“LEGAL HOLIDAY” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banking institutions are not required to be open in the State of New York.

“LIEN” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, lien or other security interest.

“MAKE-WHOLE AMOUNT” means the sum, as determined by a Quotation Agent, of the present values of the scheduled payments of principal and interest (exclusive of interest to the redemption date) from the redemption date to the maturity date of the Securities being redeemed, in each case discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis, assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months, at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of the Securities being redeemed to the redemption date.

“OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE” means a certificate signed by the President or a Vice President and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer or the Controller or an Assistant Controller or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 12.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.

“OPINION OF COUNSEL” means an opinion in writing of legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 12.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.

“ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT SECURITY” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof.

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“PAYING AGENT” has the meaning given in Section 4.04.

“PERMITTED ACQUIRED INDEBTEDNESS” means any Acquired Indebtedness that remains outstanding following the expiration of a good faith offer by the Company or the Subsidiary of the Company obligated under such Acquired Indebtedness to acquire such Acquired Indebtedness, including, without limitation, an offer to exchange such Acquired Indebtedness for debt securities of the Company, on terms, which in the opinion of an independent banking firm of national reputation and standing, are consistent with market practices in existence at the time for offers of a similar nature; provided that the initial expiration date of any such offer shall be not later than the expiration of the 270-day period referred to in the definition of “Acquired Indebtedness”; provided further, that the amount of Acquired Indebtedness that shall constitute “Permitted Acquired Indebtedness” shall only be equal to the amount of Acquired Indebtedness that the Company or such Subsidiary has made an offer to acquire in accordance with the foregoing.

“PERMITTED INDEBTEDNESS” as to a series of Securities means (a) Indebtedness outstanding on the date of the issuance of Securities of such series; (b) intercompany Indebtedness or Preferred Stock to the extent owing to or held by the Company or another Subsidiary; (c) any Permitted Acquired Indebtedness; (d) Indebtedness under performance bonds or with respect to workers’ compensation claims, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business; and (e) Indebtedness of any Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that if such Subsidiary shall cease to be a Subsidiary Guarantor, such Indebtedness will be treated as incurred at that time and will no longer constitute Permitted Indebtedness pursuant to this clause (e).

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

“PREDECESSOR SECURITY” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

“PREFERRED STOCK” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares of preferred stock (however designated) issued by such Person, that is entitled to preference or priority over one or more series or classes of Capital Stock issued by such Person upon any distribution of such Person’s property and assets, whether by dividend or on liquidation, whether now outstanding, or issued after the date hereof.

“PRINCIPAL PROPERTY” means any real property and any related buildings, fixtures or other improvements located in the United States owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries (1) that is an operating property included in the list of principal properties in Item 2 (or any successor Item thereto) of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission for the most recently ended fiscal year, or is an operating property acquired subsequent to such filing that would have been included in such Item 2 if it had been owned prior to the date of such filing or (2) the net book value of which as of the end of the last fiscal quarter ending immediately prior to the date of determination exceeds 1% of the Consolidated Total Assets of the Company as of the same date.

“QUOTATION AGENT” means the Reference Treasury Dealer selected by the Company.

“REFERENCE TREASURY DEALER” means Banc of America Securities LLC and its successors and assigns, and two other nationally recognized investment banking firms selected by the Company that are primary U.S. Government securities dealers.

“REFERENCE TREASURY DEALER QUOTATIONS” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue, expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount, quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such redemption date.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICER” when used with respect to the Trustee means the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, any trust officer, any corporate trust officer or any other officer or assistant officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

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“RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARY” means any Subsidiary of the Company that owns a Principal Property.

“SALE AND LEASEBACK TRANSACTION” means any arrangement with any Person providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of real or personal property that is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person or to any other Person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such Person on the security of such property or rental obligations of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary.

“SECURITIES” means the debt Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“SECURITIES ACT” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor statute or statutes thereto.

“SECURITYHOLDER”, “HOLDER of SECURITIES”, “REGISTERED HOLDER”, “HOLDER” or other similar term, means the Person or Persons in whose name or names a particular Security shall be registered on the books of the Company kept for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

“SECURITY REGISTER” has the meaning given in Section 2.05.

“SECURITY REGISTRAR” has the meaning given in Section 2.05.

“STATED MATURITY” means, with respect to any Security of a series, the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the final payment of principal of such Security is due and payable.

“SUBSIDIARY” means, with respect to any Person, (i) any corporation at least a majority of whose outstanding Voting Stock shall at the time be owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any general partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of whose outstanding partnership or similar interests shall at the time be owned by such Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner.

“SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR” means any Subsidiary of the Company if and so long as such Subsidiary provides a guarantee of the Securities substantially in the form of Annex A of this Indenture.

“TRUSTEE” means the The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. and, subject to the provisions of Article VII, shall also include its successors and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such capacity hereunder, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person. The term “Trustee” as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the trustee with respect to that series.

“TRUST INDENTURE ACT” and “TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, subject to the provisions of Sections 9.01, 9.02, and 12.09, as in effect at the date of execution of this instrument.

“TRUST OFFICER” means any officer or assistant officer of the Trustee assigned by the Trustee to administer its corporate trust matters and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

“UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE” means the New York Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time.

“VOTING STOCK”, as applied to stock of any Person, means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.

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ARTICLE II

ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION,

REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES

SECTION 2.01 DESIGNATION AND TERMS OF SECURITIES.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series from time to time authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial issuance of Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in an Officers’ Certificate or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:

(1) the title of the Security of the series including CUSIP numbers (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities);

(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of, transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of that series);

(3) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable and the place(s) of payment;

(4) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest or the manner of calculation of such rate or rates, if any;

(5) the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest will be payable or the manner of determination of such Interest Payment Dates, the place(s) of payment, and the record date or other method for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable on any such Interest Payment Dates;

(6) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;

(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which, Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series or at the option of a holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions upon which, Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

(9) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication for such series;

(10) if other than denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the series shall be issuable;

(11) any and all other terms with respect to such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the terms of this Indenture, as amended by any supplemental indenture) including any terms which may be required by or advisable under U.S. laws or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that series;

(12) whether the Securities of the series are issuable as a Global Security and, in such case, the identity of the Depositary for such series;

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(13) whether the Securities of the series will be convertible into shares of common stock or other securities of the Company and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible, including the conversion price and the conversion period;

(14) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01;

(15) any additional or different Events of Default or restrictive covenants provided for with respect to the Securities of the series;

(16) whether the Securities of the series shall not be defeasible pursuant to Section 10.02 and, if other than by a Board Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to defease such Securities shall be evidenced; and

(17) if other than the currency of the United States of America, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for any purpose.

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to any such Board Resolution or in any indentures supplemental hereto. If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the series. Securities of any particular series may be issued at various times, with different dates on which the principal or any installment of principal is payable, with different rates of interest, if any, or different methods by which rates of interest may be determined, with different dates on which such interest may be payable and with different redemption dates. Notwithstanding Section 2.01(2) and unless otherwise expressly provided with respect to a series of Securities, the aggregate principal amount of a series of Securities may be increased and additional Securities of such series may be issued up to the maximum aggregate principal amount authorized with respect to such series as increased.

SECTION 2.02 FORM OF SECURITIES AND TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE.

The Securities of any series and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Securities shall be substantially of the tenor and purport as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or as provided in or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in an Officers’ Certificate. The Securities may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which Securities of that series may be listed, or to conform to usage.

SECTION 2.03 DENOMINATIONS: PROVISIONS FOR PAYMENT.

The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities and in the denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, subject to Section 2.01(10). The Securities of a particular series shall bear interest payable on the dates and at the rates specified or provided for with respect to that series. Except as contemplated by Section 2.01(17), the principal of and the interest on the Securities of any series, as well as any premium thereon in case of redemption thereof prior to maturity, shall be payable in the coin or currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for public and private debt, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication by the Trustee. Except as contemplated by Section 2.01(4), interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months. Except as contemplated by Section 2.01(5), the

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interest installment on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such Security as provided in Section 3.03. Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of the same series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:

(1) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such special record date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be mailed, first class postage prepaid, to each Securityholder at his or her address as it appears in the Security Register (as hereinafter defined), not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on such special record date.

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Unless otherwise set forth in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, in an Officers’ Certificate or one or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term “regular record date” as used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities with respect to any Interest Payment Date for such series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first day of a month, or the first day of the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a month, whether or not such date is a Business Day. Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Security.

SECTION 2.04 EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.

The Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company by any two of its President, any Vice President, its Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary. Signatures may be in the form of a manual or facsimile signature. The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person who shall have been a President or Vice President thereof, or of any Person who shall have been the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the

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Secretary or an Assistant Secretary thereof, notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be the President or a Vice President, or the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company. The Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, signed by its President or any Vice President and its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. In authenticating such Securities and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the form and terms thereof have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture and that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to any Bankruptcy Law or other insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

SECTION 2.05 REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.

(a) Securities of any series may be exchanged upon presentation thereof at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, for other Securities of such series of authorized denominations, with the same terms, and for a like aggregate principal amount, upon payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, all as provided in this Section. In respect of any Securities so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange therefor the Security or Securities of the same series that the Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive, bearing numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.

(b) The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, at its office or agency designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, or such other location designated by the Company a register or registers (herein referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall register the Securities and the transfers of Securities as in this Article provided and which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Trustee. The registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfer of Securities as herein provided shall be appointed as authorized by Board Resolution (the “Security Registrar”). Upon surrender for transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in the name of the transferee or transferees a new Security or Securities of the same series as the Security presented for a like aggregate principal amount. All Securities presented or surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer, as provided in this Section, shall be accompanied (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company or the Security Registrar, duly executed by the registered holder or by such holder’s duly authorized attorney in writing.

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The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of less than all the outstanding Securities of the same series and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, nor (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions thereof called for redemption. The provisions of this Section 2.05 are, with respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.

SECTION 2.06 TEMPORARY SECURITIES.

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities (printed, lithographed or typewritten) of any authorized denomination. Such temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every temporary Security of any series shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with like effect, as the definitive Securities of such series. Without unnecessary delay the Company will execute and will furnish definitive Securities of such series and thereupon any or all temporary Securities of such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor (without charge to the holders), at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, and the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange for such temporary Securities an equal aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of such series, unless the Company advises the Trustee to the effect that definitive Securities need not be executed and furnished until further notice from the Company. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of such series shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series authenticated and delivered hereunder.

SECTION 2.07 MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN SECURITIES.

In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company (subject to the next succeeding sentence) shall execute, and upon the Company’s request the Trustee (subject as aforesaid) shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the same series, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of the applicant’s Security and of the ownership thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith. In case any Security that has matured or is about to mature shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security, pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Security) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as they may require to save them harmless, and, in case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee of the destruction, loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof. Every replacement Security issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be found at any time, or be enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

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SECTION 2.08 CANCELLATION.

All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption, exchange or registration of transfer shall, if surrendered to the Company or any paying agent, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, or, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be cancelled by it, and no Securities shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly required or permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. On request of the Company at the time of such surrender, the Trustee shall deliver to the Company canceled Securities held by the Trustee. In the absence of such request the Trustee may dispose of canceled Securities in accordance with its standard procedures and deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company upon its request therefor. If the Company shall otherwise acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

SECTION 2.09 BENEFITS OF INDENTURE.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and the holders of the Securities any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and of the holders of the Securities.

SECTION 2.10 AUTHENTICATING AGENT.

So long as any of the Securities of any series remain outstanding there may be an Authenticating Agent for any or all such series of Securities which the Trustee shall have the right to appoint. Said Authenticating Agent shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon exchange, transfer or partial redemption thereof, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. All references in this Indenture to the authentication of Securities by the Trustee shall be deemed to include authentication by an Authenticating Agent for such series. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall be a corporation that has a combined capital and surplus, as most recently reported or determined by it, sufficient under the laws of any jurisdiction under which it is organized or in which it is doing business to conduct a trust business, and that is otherwise authorized under such laws to conduct such business and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with these provisions, it shall resign immediately. 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 (and upon request by the Company shall) terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon resignation, termination or cessation of eligibility of any Authenticating Agent, the Trustee may appoint an eligible successor Authenticating Agent acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent pursuant hereto. Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided that such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

SECTION 2.11 GLOBAL SECURITIES.

(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that

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(1) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, all or a portion of the outstanding Securities of such series,

(2) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee,

(3) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, and

(4) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to the Depositary, another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.”

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.05, the Global Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 2.05, only to the Depositary for such series, another nominee of the Depositary for such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.

(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and subject to Section 2.05, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to the Securities of such series. In such event the Company will execute and subject to Section 2.05, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers’ Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

SECTION 2.12 COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF SECURITYHOLDERS.

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee

(1) not more than 15 days after each regular record date (as defined in Section 2.03) a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the holders of each series of Securities as of such regular record date, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to furnish or cause to furnish such list at any time that the list shall not differ in any respect from the most recent list furnished to the Trustee by the Company, and

provided, however, that, in either case, no such list need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.

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SECTION 2.13 PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS WITH SECURITYHOLDERS.

(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of Securities contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 and as to the names and addresses of holders of Securities received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if acting in such capacity).

(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities.

SECTION 2.14 CUSIP NUMBERS.

The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other 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” numbers.

SECTION 2.15 OUTSTANDING SECURITIES.

Securities of a series outstanding at any time are all Securities of such series authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section 2.15 as not outstanding. Subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, a Security of a series does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee and the Company receipt proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Security is held by a protected person (as such term is defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code).

If the Paying Agent segregates and holds in trust, in accordance with this Indenture, on a redemption date or at Stated Maturity money sufficient to pay all principal and interest payable on that date with respect to the Securities of a series (or a portion thereof) to be redeemed or maturing, as the case may be, then on and after that date such Securities (or portions thereof) cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 3.01 REDEMPTION.

(a) The Company may redeem the Securities of any series issued hereunder on and after the dates and as set forth herein and in accordance with the terms established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

(b) Unless otherwise provided for in Section 2.01 hereof, the Company may redeem the Securities of any series at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date or (2) the Make-Whole Amount for the Securities of the series being redeemed.

SECTION 3.02 NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.

If the Company elects to redeem Securities of any series issued hereunder pursuant to Section 3.01, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give each notice to the Trustee provided for in this Section at least 45 days before the redemption date unless the Trustee consents to a shorter period. Such notice shall be accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such redemption will comply with the conditions herein.

SECTION 3.03 SELECTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.

If fewer than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed pro rata or by lot or by a method that complies with applicable legal and securities exchange requirements, if any, and that the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be fair and appropriate and in accordance with methods generally used at the time of selection by fiduciaries in similar circumstances. The Trustee shall make the selection from outstanding Securities of a series not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities and portions of them the Trustee selects to be redeemed shall be in principal amounts of $1,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of the Securities or portions of Securities to be redeemed.

SECTION 3.04 NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a date for redemption of Securities of any series, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address.

The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers) and shall state:

(1) the redemption date;

(2) a description of how the redemption price will be calculated;

(3) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

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(4) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(5) if fewer than all the outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification and principal amounts of the particular Securities to be redeemed;

(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment, interest on Securities (or portion thereof) called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; and

(7) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.

The Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense. The Company shall provide the Trustee with the information required by this Section.

SECTION 3.05 EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

Once notice of redemption is mailed, Securities called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price stated in the notice. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price stated in the notice, plus accrued interest to the redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the related interest payment date). Failure to give notice or any defect in the notice to any Holder shall not affect the validity of the notice to any other Holder.

SECTION 3.06 DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.

On the Business Day next preceding a redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company or a Subsidiary is the Paying Agent, shall segregate and hold in trust) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on all Securities to be redeemed on such date other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation. On or after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on such Securities or portions thereof called for redemption so long as the Company has deposited with the Paying Agent funds sufficient to pay the principal of, plus accrued but unpaid interest, if any, on the Securities to be redeemed.

SECTION 3.07 SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART.

Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder (at the Company’s expense) a new Security equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

SECTION 4.01 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES.

The Company shall promptly pay the principal of and interest on the Securities on the dates and in the manner provided herein and established with respect to such Securities and in this Indenture. Principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if on such date the Trustee or the Paying Agent holds in accordance with this Indenture money sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Indenture, the Company may, to the extent it is required to do so by law, deduct or withhold income or other similar taxes imposed by applicable law from principal or interest payments hereunder.

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The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate specified therefor in the Securities, and subject to Section 2.11, it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate to the extent lawful.

SECTION 4.02. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE AND PAYMENT OF SECURITIES.

So long as any of the Securities shall remain outstanding, the Company shall maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, State of New York, where the Securities of a series may be surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer as in this Indenture provided, and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect to such Securities may be served, and where such Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment. The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where Securities of a series may be presented or surrendered for any and all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, State of New York for such purposes. The Company shall give to the Trustee prompt written notice of the location of any such office or agency and of any change of location thereof. The Company initially appoints the Trustee, The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, for each of said purposes. In case the Company shall fail to maintain any such office or agency or shall fail to give such notice of the location or of any change in the location thereof, such surrenders, presentations and demands may be made and notices may be served at the principal office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee its agent to receive at the aforesaid office all such surrenders, presentations, notices and demands. The Trustee shall give the Company prompt notice of any change in location of the Trustee’s principal office.

SECTION 4.03 APPOINTMENT TO FILL A VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF TRUSTEE.

The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, shall appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.08, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

SECTION 4.04 PROVISION AS TO PAYING AGENT.

(a) If the Company shall appoint one or more paying agents for all or any series of the Securities (each a “Paying Agent” and collectively, the “Paying Agents”) other than the Trustee, it shall cause such Paying Agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall undertake, subject to the provisions of this Section 4.04,

(1) that it shall hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal of or interest on the Securities of any series such sums which have been paid to it by the Company (or by any other obligor on the Securities) in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of such series and shall notify the Trustee of the receipt of sums to be so held,

(2) that it shall give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or by any other obligor on the Securities) to make any payment of the principal of or interest on the Securities of any series when the same shall be due and payable,

(3) that it shall at any time during the continuance of any Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(1) or 6.01(2), upon the written request of the Trustee, deliver to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by it, and

(4) acknowledge, accept and agree to comply in all aspects with the provisions of this Indenture relating to the duties, rights and liabilities of such Paying Agent.

(b) If the Company shall not act as its own Paying Agent, it shall, by the opening of business (New York City time) on each due date of the principal and interest on any Security, deposit with such Paying Agent a sum in same day funds sufficient to pay the principal of or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of Securities of a series entitled to such principal of or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of its failure so to act.

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(c) If the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent, it shall, by the opening of business (New York City time) on each due date of the principal and interest on any Security, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the persons entitled thereto, a sum sufficient to pay such principal or interest so becoming due and shall notify the Trustee of any failure to take such action.

(d) Anything in this Section 4.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, or for any other reason, pay or cause to be paid to the Trustee all sums held in trust by it, or any Paying Agent hereunder, as required by this Section 4.03, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the trusts herein contained.

(e) Anything in this Section 4.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section 4.04 is subject to the provisions of Sections 10.05 and 10.07.

SECTION 4.05 MAINTENANCE OF CORPORATE EXISTENCE.

So long as any of the Securities shall remain outstanding, the Company shall at all times (except as otherwise provided or permitted elsewhere in this Indenture) do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and franchises.

SECTION 4.06 LIMITATION ON LIENS.

So long as any of the Securities of any series are outstanding, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any Principal Property or shares of stock or Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary to secure any Indebtedness, without effectively providing that the Securities of that series then outstanding shall (so long as such other Indebtedness shall be so secured) be equally and ratably secured; provided, however, that this restriction shall not apply to or prevent the creation or existence of:

(a) Liens for taxes not yet due or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, in conformity with GAAP;

(b) carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business securing obligations that are not overdue for a period of more than 90 days or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings;

(c) pledges or deposits in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation and deposits securing liability to insurance carriers under insurance or self-insurance arrangements;

(d) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts (other than for borrowed money), leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(e) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances incurred in the ordinary course of business that, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount and that do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary;

(f) Liens in existence on the first date of the issuance of Securities of a series;

(g) Liens arising in connection with trade letters of credit issued for the account of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary securing the reimbursement obligations in respect of such letters of credit, provided that such Liens encumber only the property being acquired through payments made under such letters of credit or the documents of title and shipping and insurance documents relating to such property;

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(h) Liens upon intellectual property acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (such as software) securing the obligation of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to make royalty or similar payments to the seller of such intellectual property, provided that such Liens encumber only the intellectual property to which such payments relate;

(i) any Lien upon any property or assets created at the time of the acquisition, purchase, lease, improvement or development of property or assets used or held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or within one year after such time to secure all or a portion of the purchase price or lease for, or the costs of improvement or development of, such property or assets;

(j) any Lien upon any property or assets existing thereon at the time of the acquisition thereof (provided such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of such acquisition) by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (whether or not the obligations secured thereby are assumed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary);

(k) any Lien in favor of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(l) Liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default for the applicable series of Securities;

(m) Liens to secure any extension, renewal, refinancing or refunding (or successive extensions, renewals, refinancings or refundings), in whole or in part, of any Indebtedness secured by Liens referred to in the foregoing clauses (f) through (l) or Liens created in connection with any amendment, consent or waiver relating to such Indebtedness, so long as such Lien does not extend to any other property and the Indebtedness so secured does not exceed the fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors) of the assets subject to such Liens at the time of such extension, renewal, refinancing or refunding, or such amendment, consent or waiver, as the case may be; or

(n) any Lien securing any Indebtedness in an amount which, together with, without duplication, (1) all other Indebtedness secured by a Lien that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Section 4.06, and (2) all Attributable Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries with respect to Sale and Leaseback Transactions that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of Sections 4.07(a) through (d), and (3) any indebtedness incurred by a Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to clause (3) of Section 4.08, does not at the time of the incurrence of the Indebtedness so secured exceed 5% of the Company’s Consolidated Total Assets.

SECTION 4.07 LIMITATION ON SALE AND LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS.

So long as any Securities of any series are outstanding, the Company shall not enter into, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to enter into, any Sale and Leaseback Transaction with respect to any Principal Property unless:

(a) such Sale and Leaseback Transaction involves a lease for a term of not more than five years;

(b) such Sale and Leaseback Transaction is between the Company and a Subsidiary Guarantor or between Subsidiary Guarantors;

(c) the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary would be entitled to incur Indebtedness secured by a Lien on such property or assets involved in such Sale and Leaseback Transaction without equally and ratably securing the Securities pursuant to Section 4.06 above;

(d) the cash proceeds of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction are at least equal to the Attributable Debt with respect to the Sale and Leaseback Transaction

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and the Company applies an amount equal to the greater of the net proceeds of such sale or the Attributable Debt with respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction within 270 days of such sale to either (or a combination) of (1) the retirement (other than the mandatory retirement, mandatory prepayment or sinking fund payment or by payment at maturity) of long-term debt of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (other than long-term debt that is subordinated to the Securities) or (2) the acquisition, purchase, improvement or development of other comparable property, including the acquisition of other businesses; or

(e) the Attributable Debt of the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is an amount which, together with, without duplication, (1) all Attributable Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries under this clause (e), (2) all other Indebtedness secured by a Lien that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of Sections 4.06(a) through (m), and (3) any Indebtedness incurred by a Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to clause (3) of Section 4.08, does not at the time of such transaction exceed 5% of Consolidated Total Assets.

SECTION 4.08 LIMITATION ON SUBSIDIARY INDEBTEDNESS AND PREFERRED STOCK.

So long as any Securities of any series are outstanding, the Company shall not cause or permit its direct or indirect Subsidiaries to incur, create, issue, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness or Preferred Stock (other than Permitted Indebtedness) unless the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness or Preferred Stock, when taken together with, without duplication, (1) all other Indebtedness (other than Permitted Indebtedness) incurred pursuant to this Section 4.08, (2) all other Indebtedness secured by a Lien that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of Sections 4.06(a) through (m), and (3) any Attributable Debt of Sale and Leaseback Transactions that is not otherwise permitted by the provisions of Sections 4.07(a) through (d), does not at the time of the incurrence exceed the greater of (x) $170 million and (y) 5% of the Company’s Consolidated Total Assets. For the purposes of this Section 4.08, the aggregate principal amount of any Preferred Stock shall be the greater of (i) the aggregate maximum liquidation value of such Preferred Stock and (ii) the maximum aggregate mandatory redemption or aggregate mandatory repurchase price with respect to such Preferred Stock.

SECTION 4.09 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company an Officers’ Certificate stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their duties as Responsible Officers of the Company they would normally have knowledge of any Default and whether or not the signers know of any Default or Event of Default that occurred during such period. If they do, the certificate shall describe the Default or Event of Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto. The Company also shall comply with TIA Section 314(a)(4). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

SECTION 4.10 FURTHER INSTRUMENTS AND ACTS.

Upon request of the Trustee or as necessary, the Company shall 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.

SECTION 4.11 COMMISSION REPORTS.

Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall file with the Commission (so long as permitted by the Commission) and provide the Trustee and Securityholders with such annual reports and such information, documents and other reports as are specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act and applicable to a U.S. corporation subject to such Sections, such information, documents and other reports to be so filed and provided at the times specified for the filing of such information, documents and reports under such Sections. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a).

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ARTICLE V

SUCCESSOR COMPANY

SECTION 5.01 WHEN COMPANY MAY MERGE OR TRANSFER ASSETS.

The Company shall not, while any of the Securities remain outstanding, consolidate or merge with or into any Person, or sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, or assign any of its obligations under this Indenture or any series of Securities, to any Person, unless:

(1) the Person formed by or surviving such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition or arrangement shall be made (collectively, the “Successor Company”), is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia and the Successor Company assumes by supplemental indenture in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee all of the obligations of the Company under this Indenture and under the Securities;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction no Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and

(3) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture (if any) comply with this Indenture.

The Successor Company shall be the successor to the Company and shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture, and the predecessor Company (except in the case of a lease) shall be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Securities.

ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

SECTION 6.01 EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

An “Event of Default” occurs with respect to a series of Securities if:

(1) the Company defaults in any payment of interest on any of the Securities of that series when the same becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days;

(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of any of the Securities of that series when the same becomes due and payable at its Stated Maturity, upon optional redemption, upon declaration or otherwise;

(3) the Company fails to comply with Section 5.01;

(4) the Company fails to comply with any of its agreements in the Securities of that series or this Indenture (other than those referred to in clauses (1), (2) or (3) above) and such failure continues for 60 days after the notice specified below;

(5) any default or event of default under any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary to the seller of a business or asset incurred in connection with the purchase thereof) which default or event of default results in at least $50.0 million of aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness being declared due and payable prior to maturity (the “cross acceleration provision”);

(6) failure by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to pay at maturity or otherwise when due (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) at least $50.0 million aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness at any one time;

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(7) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(A) commences a voluntary case;

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

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

(E) takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency; or

(8) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(A) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case;

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

or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws and the order, decree or relief remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days.

The foregoing shall constitute Events of Default whatever the reason for any such Event of Default 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.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a default under Section 6.01(4) shall not constitute an Event of Default until the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such series notify the Company of the default and the Company does not cure such default within the time specified in Section 6.01(4) after receipt of such notice. Such notice must specify the default, demand that it be remedied and state that such notice is a “Notice of Default.”

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, promptly after the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officers’ Certificate of any Event of Default under clauses (3), (5) and (6) and, within 30 days after the occurrence thereof, written notice of any event which with the giving of notice or the lapse of time would become an Event of Default under clause (4), its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

SECTION 6.02 ACCELERATION.

If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8)) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series by notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of such series to be due and payable. Upon such a declaration, such principal and interest shall be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8) occurs, the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of such series shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders. The Holders of a majority in principal

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amount of the Securities of such series outstanding by notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal or interest that has become due solely because of acceleration. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereto.

SECTION 6.03 OTHER REMEDIES.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, with respect to a series of Securities, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities of such series or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of such series or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities of such series or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall 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 PAST DEFAULTS.

The Holders of a majority in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series by notice to the Trustee may waive an existing Default and its consequences except (i) a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on a Security or (ii) a Default in respect of a provision that under Section 9.02 cannot be amended without the consent of each Holder affected. When a Default is waived, it is deemed cured, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any consequent right.

SECTION 6.05 CONTROL BY MAJORITY.

The Holders of a majority in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee. 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 reasonably determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders or 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 hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification satisfactory to it in its sole discretion against all losses and expenses caused by taking or not taking such action.

SECTION 6.06 LIMITATION ON SUITS.

Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal or interest when due, no Holder of Securities of a particular series may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities of such series unless:

(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice stating that an Event of Default is continuing;

(2) the Holders of at least 25% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it 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

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(5) the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request during such 60-day period.

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

SECTION 6.07 RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on the Securities held by such Holder, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Securities, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 6.08 COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.

If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(1) or (2) 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 then due and owing (together with interest on any unpaid interest to the extent lawful) and the amounts provided for in Section 7.07.

SECTION 6.09 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 allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company, its Subsidiaries or their respective creditors or properties 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, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and its counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.

SECTION 6.10. PRIORITIES.

If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

FIRST: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07;

SECOND: to Holders for amounts due and unpaid on the Securities of such series for principal and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Securities of such series for principal and interest, respectively; and

THIRD: to the Company.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 2.03, the Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 6.10. At least 15 days before such record date, the Company shall mail to each Holder and the Trustee a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.

SECTION 6.11 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken 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, against any party litigant in the suit,

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having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 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 more than 10% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series.

SECTION 6.12 WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS.

The Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) shall not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and shall not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

ARTICLE VII

CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 7.01 DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of certificates or opinions specifically required by any provision hereof to be furnished to it, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions 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 may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of Section 7.01(b);

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

(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.

(e) Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(f) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds to believe that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

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(g) Every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 7.01 and to the provisions of the TIA.

SECTION 7.02 RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely on any document (whether in original or facsmile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on the Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers; provided, however, that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute willful misconduct or negligence.

(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and the advice or opinion of counsel with respect to legal matters relating to this Indenture and the Securities shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect to any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.

(f) 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.

(g) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, 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.

(h) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.

(i) 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, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

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 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 shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, it shall not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent (other than itself as Paying Agent), and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the Company in this Indenture or in any document issued in connection with the sale of the Securities or in the Securities other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication.

SECTION 7.05 NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.

If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing and it is known to a Trust Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder notice of the Default or Event of Default within 60 days after it occurs or promptly upon the Trustee’s attaining knowledge of such Default or Event of Default, whichever comes first. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of, or interest on, any Security, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as a committee of its Trust Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Holders.

SECTION 7.06 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS.

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shall mail to each Holder a brief report dated as of such May 15 that complies with TIA Section 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Section 313(b). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail all reports required by TIA Section 313(c).

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders shall be filed by the Company with the Commission and each stock exchange (if any) on which the Securities are listed. The Company agrees to notify promptly the Trustee whenever the Securities become listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.

SECTION 7.07 COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, reasonable compensation for its services. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a Trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred or made by it, including costs of collection, costs of preparing and reviewing reports, certificates and other documents, costs of preparation and mailing of notices to Holders and reasonable fees and expenses of counsel retained by the Trustee in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and experts. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by it in connection with the administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture (including this Section 7.07) and of defending itself against any claims (whether asserted by any Holder, the Company or otherwise). The Trustee, upon a Trust Officer receiving written notice thereof, shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith.

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section 7.07, the Trustee shall 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 of and interest on particular Securities. The Trustee’s right to receive payment of any amounts due under this Section 7.07 shall not be subordinate to any other liability or indebtedness of the Company.

The Company’s payment obligations pursuant to this Section 7.07 shall survive the discharge of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee. When the Trustee incurs expenses after the occurrence of a Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8) with respect to the Company, the expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

SECTION 7.08 REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.

The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of a series may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and may appoint a successor Trustee as to such series. The Company shall remove the Trustee if:

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(2) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;

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

(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns, is removed by the Company, is removed by the Holders of a majority in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of a series and such Holders do not reasonably promptly

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appoint a successor Trustee, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason (the Trustee in such event being referred to herein as the retiring Trustee), the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to the Securityholders. The retiring Trustee shall (upon payment of its charges) promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07.

If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee or the Holders of 10% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of a series at the expense of the Company may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

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 7.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

SECTION 7.09 SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER.

If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all its corporate trust business or assets to, another corporation or banking association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation or banking association without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

If at the time such successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture, any of the Securities of a series shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee, and deliver such Securities so authenticated; and if at that time any of the Securities of a series shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities of a series or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have.

SECTION 7.10 ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.

The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of TIA Section 310(a). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA Section 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 Section 310(b)(1) are met.

SECTION 7.11 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.

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

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ARTICLE VIII

CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS

SECTION 8.01 EVIDENCE OF ACTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS.

Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a majority or specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such majority or specified percentage of that series have joined therein may be evidenced by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such holders of Securities of that series in Person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing. If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, and for that purpose the outstanding Securities of that series shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.

SECTION 8.02 PROOF OF EXECUTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS.

Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder (such proof will not require notarization) or his agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:

(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee.

(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security Registrar thereof.

SECTION 8.03 WHO MAY BE DEEMED OWNERS.

Prior to the due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name such Security shall be registered upon the books of the Company as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notice of ownership or writing thereon made by anyone other than the Security Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 2.03) interest on such Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any paying agent nor any Security Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

SECTION 8.04 CERTAIN SECURITIES OWNED BY COMPANY DISREGARDED.

In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Securities of a particular series have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, the Securities of that series that are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that a Trust Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned that have been

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pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee. Also, subject to the foregoing, only Securities of a series outstanding at the time shall be considered in any such determination.

SECTION 8.05 ACTIONS BINDING ON FUTURE SECURITYHOLDERS.

At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security of that series that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee, and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange therefor, on registration of transfer thereof or in place thereof, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security. Any action taken by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the holders of all the Securities of that series.

ARTICLE IX

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

SECTION 9.01 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS.

In addition to any supplemental indenture otherwise authorized by this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein, or in the Securities of any series;

(2) to comply with Article V;

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

(4) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company or to add any additional Events of Default for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such additional Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such additional Events of Default are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series);

(5) to add to, delete from, or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication, and delivery of a series of Securities (prior to the issuance thereof), as herein set forth;

(6) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;

(7) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the Securities of any series as provided in Section 2.01, to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of Securities; or

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(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 7.10.

The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.

SECTION 9.02 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS.

With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.01) of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures at the time outstanding, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner not covered by Section 9.01 the rights of the holders of the Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holders of each Security then outstanding and affected thereby:

(1) change the maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security or any other Security which would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01 or change the coin or currency in which any Security or any premium or interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date), or

(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose holders is required for any waiver of certain defaults hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture, or

(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 6.04 relating to waivers of default, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Security affected thereby; provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 7.10 and 9.01(8).

A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the holders of Securities of any other series. It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders of any series affected thereby under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.

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SECTION 9.03 EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article, this Indenture shall, with respect to such series, be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of Securities of the series affected thereby shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.

SECTION 9.04 SECURITIES AFFECTED BY SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Securities of any series, affected by a supplemental indenture, authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article, may bear a notation in form approved by the Company, provided such form meets the requirements of any exchange upon which such series may be listed, as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of that series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of that series then outstanding.

SECTION 9.05 EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by its Board Resolutions authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders required to consent thereto as aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into such supplemental indenture. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, shall be provided with an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is authorized or permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this Article and that it is proper for the Trustee under the provisions of this Article to join in the execution thereof; provided, however, that such Opinion of Counsel need not be provided in connection with the execution of a supplemental indenture that establishes the terms of a series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the Securityholders of all series affected thereby as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.

SECTION 9.06 PAYMENT FOR CONSENT

Neither the Company nor any Affiliate of the Company shall, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture or the Securities of a series unless such consideration is offered to be paid to all Holders of a series of Securities that so consent, waiver or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or agreement.

ARTICLE X

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

SECTION 10.01 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE.

This Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect with respect to a series of Securities (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of such series of Securities herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to such series, when:

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Obligations have theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.05) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or (B) all Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (i) have become due and payable, or (ii) will by their terms become due and payable within one year, or (iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose (x) moneys in an amount, or (y) noncallable Governmental Obligations the scheduled principal of and interest on which in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (z) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the case of (y) or (z), in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, at maturity or upon redemption, all Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with respect to such series by the Company; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all the conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to such series of Securities have been complied with. Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to a series of Securities, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 7.07 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (y) of clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Sections 10.03 and 10.05 shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.

SECTION 10.02 DEFEASANCE.

(a) Subject to Sections 10.02(b) and 10.03, the Company at any time may terminate (1) all of its obligations under a particular series of Securities and under this Indenture with respect to that series of Securities (“legal defeasance option”) or (2) with respect to a particular series of Securities, its obligations under Sections 4.06, 4.07 and 4.08 (“covenant defeasance option”); provided, however, no deposit under this Article X shall be effective to terminate the obligations of the Company under a series of Securities or this Indenture with respect to that series of Securities prior to 91 days following any such deposit. The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option notwithstanding its prior exercise of its covenant defeasance option.

If the Company exercises its legal defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default. If the Company exercises its covenant defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default specified in Sections 6.01(4) due to a violation of Sections 4.06, 4.07 and 4.08.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth herein and upon request of the Company, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of those obligations that the Company terminates.

(b) The Company’s obligations in Sections 2.02, 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 7.07 and 7.08 and this Article X shall survive until the Securities have been paid in full. Thereafter, the Company’s obligations in Sections 7.07 and 10.05 shall survive.

SECTION 10.03 CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE.

The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option with respect to a series of Securities only if:

(1) the Company irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee money or Governmental Obligations for the payment of principal of and interest on that series of the Securities to Stated Maturity or redemption, as the case may be;

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(2) the Company delivers to the Trustee a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of independent accountants expressing their opinion that the payments of principal and interest when due and without reinvestment on the deposited Governmental Obligations plus any deposited money without reinvestment will provide cash at such times and in such amounts as will be sufficient to pay principal and interest when due on all the Securities of that series to Stated Maturity or redemption, as the case may be;

(3) 91 days pass after the deposit is made and during the 91-day period no Default specified in Sections 6.01(7) or (8) occurs which is continuing at the end of the periods;

(4) the deposit does not constitute a default under any other agreement binding on the Company;

(5) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the trust resulting from the deposit does not constitute, or is qualified as, a regulated investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(6) in the case of the legal defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (B) since the date of this Indenture there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Securityholders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such legal defeasance had not occurred;

(7) in the case of the covenant defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Securityholders shall not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and shall be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred;

(8) the Securityholders shall have a perfected security interest under applicable law in the cash or Governmental Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 10.03(1) above;

(9) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, to the effect that, after the passage of 91 days following the deposit, the trust funds shall not be subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar law affecting creditors’ rights generally;

(10) such defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest with respect to any securities of the Company; and

(11) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the defeasance and discharge of the Securities and this Indenture as contemplated by this Article VIII have been complied with.

Before or after a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date in accordance with Article III.

SECTION 10.04 APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY.

The Trustee shall hold in trust money or Governmental Obligations deposited with it pursuant to this Article X. It shall apply the deposited money and the money from Governmental Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities.

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SECTION 10.05 REPAYMENT TO COMPANY.

The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly turn over to the Company upon request any excess money or securities held by them upon payment of all the obligations under this Indenture. Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities that remains unclaimed for two years, and, thereafter, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors.

SECTION 10.06 INDEMNITY FOR GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATIONS.

The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against deposited Governmental Obligations or the principal and interest received on such Governmental Obligations.

SECTION 10.07 REINSTATEMENT.

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Governmental Obligations in accordance with this Article X by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article X until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money or Governmental Obligations in accordance with this Article X; provided, however, that, if the Company has made any payment of interest on or principal of any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or Governmental Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE XI

IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS,

STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

SECTION 11.01 NO RECOURSE.

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, or of any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, past, present or future as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any such predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, stockholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Securities.

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ARTICLE XII

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SECTION 12.01 EFFECT ON SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.

All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture contained by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

SECTION 12.02 ACTIONS BY SUCCESSOR.

Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the corresponding board, committee or officer of any corporation that shall at the time be the lawful successor of the Company.

SECTION 12.03 SURRENDER OF COMPANY POWERS.

The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company and as to any successor corporation.

SECTION 12.04 NOTICES.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein any notice, instruction, request or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the holders of Securities to or on the Company may be given or served by being deposited first class postage prepaid in a post-office letterbox addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Trustee), as follows: 358 South Main Street, Burlington, North Carolina 27215. Any notice, election, request or demand by the Company or any Securityholder to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in writing at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

SECTION 12.05 GOVERNING LAW.

This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a contract made under the internal laws of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be construed in accordance with the laws of said State.

SECTION 12.06 TREATMENT OF SECURITIES AS DEBT.

It is intended that the Securities will be treated as indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.

SECTION 12.07 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS.

(a) Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company, shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture shall include

(i) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

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

(iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

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SECTION 12.08 PAYMENTS ON BUSINESS DAYS.

Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and as set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in any case where the date of maturity of interest or principal of any Security or the date of redemption of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the nominal date of maturity or redemption, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such nominal date.

SECTION 12.09 CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

SECTION 12.10 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.

SECTION 12.11 SEPARABILITY.

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities, but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.

SECTION 12.12 ASSIGNMENT.

The Company will have the right at all times to assign any of its rights or obligations under this Indenture to a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company, provided that, in the event of any such assignment, the Company, will remain liable for all such obligations. Subject to the foregoing, the Indenture is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the parties thereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Indenture may not otherwise be assigned by the parties thereto.

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


LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS

By:
Name:
Title:

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee

By:
Name:
Title:

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ANNEX A

[FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE TO BE DELIVERED BY SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS]

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of [ ] among [ ] (the “Subsidiary Guarantor”), a [ ] corporation and a subsidiary of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, a Delaware corporation (or its permitted successor) (the “Company”), the Company, [other Subsidiary Guarantors] and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee under the Indenture (the “Trustee”).

W I T N E S S E T H

WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an indenture (the “Indenture”), dated as of [ ], [ ], providing for the issuance of senior debt securities (the “Securities”);

WHEREAS, in its discretion, the Company may have the Subsidiary Guarantor to execute and deliver to the Trustee a Guaranty Agreement pursuant to which the Subsidiary Guarantor will Guarantee payment of the Securities; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01(4) of the Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantor[, the other Subsidiary Guarantors] and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities as follows:

SECTION 1. Capitalized Terms. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

SECTION 2. Guaranties. The Subsidiary Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees[, jointly and severally with the other Guarantors], to each Holder and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns (a) the full and punctual payment of principal of and interest on the Securities when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, and all other monetary obligations of the Company under the Indenture and the Securities and (b) the full and punctual performance within applicable grace periods of all other obligations of the Company under the Indenture and the Securities (all the foregoing being hereinafter collectively called the “Obligations”).

The Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that the Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice to or further assent from the Subsidiary Guarantor and that the Subsidiary Guarantor will remain bound under this Supplemental Indenture notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Obligation.

The Subsidiary Guarantor waives presentation to, demand of, payment from and protest to the Company of any of the Obligations and also waives notice of protest for nonpayment. The Subsidiary Guarantor waives notice of any default under the Securities or the Obligations. The obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be affected by (a) the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against the Company or any other Person under the Indenture, this Supplemental Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement or otherwise; (b) any extension or renewal of any thereof; (c) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of any of the terms or provisions of the Indenture, this Supplemental Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement; (d) the release of any security held by any Holder or the Trustee for the Obligations or any of them; (e) the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to exercise any right or remedy against any other guarantor of the Obligations; or (f) except as set forth in Section 7 of this Supplemental Indenture, any change in the ownership of the Subsidiary Guarantor.

The Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that its guaranty herein constitutes a guarantee of payment, performance and compliance when due (and not a guarantee of collection) and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any Holder or the Trustee to any security held for payment of the Obligations.

Except as expressly set forth in Section 10.02 of the Indenture and Sections 3 and 7 of this Supplemental Indenture, the obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense of setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever or by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantor herein shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under the Indenture, this Supplemental Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any provision thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the Obligations, or by any other act or thing or omission or delay to do any other act or thing which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of the Subsidiary Guarantor or would otherwise operate as a discharge of the Subsidiary Guarantor as a matter of law or equity.

The Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that its guaranty herein shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by any Holder or the Trustee upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise.

In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Holder or the Trustee has at law or in equity against the Subsidiary Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay the principal of or interest on any Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, or to perform or comply with any other Obligation, the Subsidiary Guarantor hereby promises to and shall, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Holders or the Trustee an amount equal to the sum of (1) the unpaid amount of such Obligations, (2) accrued and unpaid interest on such Obligations (but only to the extent not prohibited by law) and (3) all other monetary Obligations of the Company to the Holders and the Trustee.

The Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that, as between it, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the Obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article VI of the Indenture for the purposes of the Subsidiary Guarantor’s guaranty herein, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such Obligations as provided in Article 6 of the Indenture, such Obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Subsidiary Guarantor for the purposes of this Supplemental Indenture.

The Subsidiary Guarantor also agrees to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this Section 2.

SECTION 3. Limitation on Liability. Any term or provision of this Supplemental Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum aggregate amount of the Obligations guaranteed hereunder by the Subsidiary Guarantor shall not exceed the maximum amount that can be hereby guaranteed without rendering this Supplemental Indenture, as it relates to the Subsidiary Guarantor, voidable under applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.

SECTION 4. Successors and Assigns. This Supplemental Indenture shall be binding upon the Subsidiary Guarantor and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Trustee and the Holders and, in the event of any transfer or assignment of rights by any

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Holder or the Trustee, the rights and privileges conferred upon that party in this Supplemental Indenture and in the Securities shall automatically extend to and be vested in such transferee or assignee, all subject to the terms and conditions of this Supplemental Indenture.

SECTION 5. No Waiver. Neither a failure nor a delay on the part of either the Trustee or the Holders in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Supplemental Indenture shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any right, power or privilege. The rights, remedies and benefits of the Trustee and the Holders herein expressly specified are cumulative and not exclusive of any other rights, remedies or benefits which either may have under this Supplemental Indenture at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.

SECTION 6. Modification. No modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Supplemental Indenture, nor the consent to any departure by the Subsidiary Guarantor therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Trustee, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. No notice to or demand on the Subsidiary Guarantor in any case shall entitle the Subsidiary Guarantor to any other or further notice or demand in the same, similar or other circumstances.

SECTION 7. Release. Upon the sale or other disposition (including by way of consolidation or merger) of the Subsidiary Guarantor or the sale or disposition of all or substantially all the assets of the Subsidiary Guarantor (in each case other than a sale or disposition to the Company or an affiliate of the Company), the Subsidiary Guarantor shall be deemed released from all obligations under this Supplemental Indenture without any further action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. At the request and expense of the Company, the Trustee shall execute and deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release.

Upon the merger or consolidation of the Subsidiary Guarantor with or into, or the dissolution and liquidation of the Subsidiary Guarantor into, a Subsidiary Guarantor or another Person that Guarantees the Securities, the Subsidiary Guarantor shall be released from all obligations under this Supplemental Indenture without any further action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. At the request and expense of the Company, the Trustee shall execute and deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release.

SECTION 8. Governing Law. This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York but without giving effect to applicable principles of conflicts of law to the extent that the application of the laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.

SECTION 9. No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Subsidiary Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or of the Subsidiary Guarantor under its guaranty, the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Holder shall waive and release all such liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

SECTION 10. Multiple Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. One signed copy is enough to prove this Supplemental Indenture.

SECTION 11. Headings. The headings of the Sections of this Supplemental Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof and shall not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

SECTION 12. Contribution. The Subsidiary Guarantor shall be entitled upon payment in full of all guaranteed Obligations to a contribution from each other Subsidiary Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Subsidiary Guarantor’s pro rata portion of such payment based on the respective net assets of all the Subsidiary Guarantors at the time of such payment determined in accordance with GAAP.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.


[SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR],

by
Name:
Title:

LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS,

by
Name:
Title:

[OTHER SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS],

by
Name:
Title:

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., Trustee

by
Name:
Title:

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Form of Subordinated Indenture

EXHIBIT 4.04

LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS

ISSUER

AND

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY , N.A.

TRUSTEE

INDENTURE

DATED AS OF [ ], [ ]

SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE¹


Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as Amended		Indenture
310(a)		7.10
310(b)		7.08; 7.10
310(c)		Inapplicable
311(a)		7.11
311(b)		7.11
311(c)		Inapplicable
312(a)		5.01; 5.02(a)
312(b)		5.02(c)
312(c)		Inapplicable
313(a)		7.06
313(b)		7.06
313(c)		7.06
313(d)		7.06
314(a)		4.06
314(b)		Inapplicable
314(c)		12.07
314(d)		Inapplicable
314(e)		12.07
314(f)		Inapplicable
315(a)		7.01
315(b)		7.05
315(c)		7.01
315(d)		7.01
315(e)		6.11; 7.07
316(a)		6.04
316(b)		6.07
316(c)		8.01
317(a)		6.08
317(b)		4.04
318(a)		12.09

¹	This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS¹


ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01	DEFINITIONS OF TERMS	1

ARTICLE II ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES
Section 2.01	DESIGNATION AND TERMS OF SECURITIES	5
Section 2.02	FORM OF SECURITIES AND TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE	6
Section 2.03	DENOMINATIONS: PROVISIONS FOR PAYMENT	6
Section 2.04	EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION	8
Section 2.05	REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE	8
Section 2.06	TEMPORARY SECURITIES	9
Section 2.07	MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN SECURITIES	9
Section 2.08	CANCELLATION	10
Section 2.09	BENEFITS OF INDENTURE	10
Section 2.10	AUTHENTICATING AGENT	10
Section 2.11	GLOBAL SECURITIES	11
Section 2.12	CUSIP NUMBERS	11
Section 2.13	OUTSTANDING SECURITIES	11

ARTICLE III REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS
Section 3.01	REDEMPTION	11
Section 3.02	NOTICES TO TRUSTEE	12
Section 3.03	SELECTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED	12
Section 3.04	NOTICE OF REDEMPTION	12
Section 3.05	EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION	12
Section 3.06	DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE	13
Section 3.07	SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART	13

ARTICLE IV COVENANTS
Section 4.01	PAYMENT OF SECURITIES	13
Section 4.02	MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE AND PAYMENT OF SECURITIES	13
Section 4.03	PROVISION AS TO PAYING AGENT	14
Section 4.04	APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANCY IN OFFICE OF TRUSTEE	14
Section 4.05	WHEN COMPANY MAY MERGE OR TRANSFER ASSETS	14
Section 4.06	STATEMENT BY OFFICERS AS TO DEFAULT	15

ARTICLE V SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
Section 5.01	COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF SECURITYHOLDERS	15
Section 5.02	PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS WITH SECURITYHOLDERS	15
Section 5.03	REPORTS BY THE COMPANY	16

ARTICLE VI DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.01	EVENTS OF DEFAULT	16
Section 6.02	ACCELERATION	17
Section 6.03	OTHER REMEDIES	18
Section 6.04	WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS	18
Section 6.05	CONTROL BY MAJORITY	18
Section 6.06	LIMITATION ON SUITS	18
Section 6.07	RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE A PAYMENT	19
Section 6.08	COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE	19
Section 6.09	TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM	19

¹	This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

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Section 6.10	PRIORITIES	19
Section 6.11	UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS	19
Section 6.12	WAIVER AND STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS	20

ARTICLE VII CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
Section 7.01	DUTIES OF THE TRUSTEE	20
Section 7.02	RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE	21
Section 7.03	INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE	21
Section 7.04	TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER	21
Section 7.05	NOTICE OF DEFAULT	21
Section 7.06	REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS	22
Section 7.07	COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY	22
Section 7.08	REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE	22
Section 7.09	SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER	23
Section 7.10	ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALLIFICATION	23
Section 7.11	PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY	23

ARTICLE VIII CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
Section 8.01	EVIDENCE OF ACTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS	24
Section 8.02	PROOF OF EXECUTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS	24
Section 8.03	WHO MAY BE DEEMED OWNERS	24
Section 8.04	CERTAIN SECURITIES OWNED BY COMPANY DISREGARDED	24
Section 8.05	ACTIONS BINDING ON FUTURE SECURITYHOLDERS	25

ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.01	SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS	25
Section 9.02	SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS	26
Section 9.03	EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES	27
Section 9.04	SECURITIES AFFECTED BY SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES	27
Section 9.05	EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES	27
Section 9.06	PAYMENT FOR CONSENT	27

ARTICLE X SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
Section 10.01	SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE	28
Section 10.02	DEFEASANCE	28
Section 10.03	CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE	29
Section 10.04	APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY	30
Section 10.05	REPAYMENT TO COMPANY	30
Section 10.06	INDEMNITY FOR GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATIONS	30
Section 10.07	REINSTATEMENT	30

ARTICLE XI IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 11.01	NO RECOURSE	30

ARTICLE XII MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 12.01	EFFECT ON SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS	31
Section 12.02	ACTIONS BY SUCCESSOR	31
Section 12.03	SURRENDER OF COMPANY POWERS	31
Section 12.04	NOTICES	31
Section 12.05	GOVERNING LAW	31
Section 12.06	TREATMENT OF SECURITIES AS DEBT	31
Section 12.07	COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS	31
Section 12.08	PAYMENTS ON BUSINESS DAYS	32
Section 12.09	CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT	32
Section 12.10	COUNTERPARTS	32
Section 12.11	SEPARABILITY	32
Section 12.12	ASSIGNMENT	32

ARTICLE XIII SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
Section 13.01	SUBORDINATION OF TERMS	33

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WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of unsecured subordinated debt securities (hereinafter referred to as the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as registered Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the certificate of the Trustee;

WHEREAS, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS.

The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act or that are by reference in said Trust Indenture Act defined in the Securities Act (except as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this instrument.

“ADJUSTED TREASURY RATE” means, with respect to any redemption date, (i) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(519)” or any successor publication which is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the remaining term of the Securities of the series being redeemed, yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue shall be determined and the Adjusted Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month) or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per year equal to the semi- annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date, in each case calculated on the third Business Day preceding the redemption date, plus the make-whole spread specified in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture establishing the terms of the series of Securities being redeemed in accordance with Section 2.01.

“BANKRUPTCY LAW” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

“BOARD OF DIRECTORS” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.

“BUSINESS DAY” means a day other than a Legal Holiday.

“COMMISSION” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“COVENANT DEFEASANCE OPTION” has the meaning given in Section 10.02.

“CUSTODIAN” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

“DEFAULT” means any event, act or condition which is, or that with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.

“DEFAULTED INTEREST” has the meaning given in Section 2.03.

“EVENT OF DEFAULT” means, with respect to Securities of a particular series any event specified in Section 6.01, continued for the period of time, if any, therein designated.

“EXCHANGE ACT” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute or statutes thereto.

“HEREIN”, “HEREOF” and “HEREUNDER”, and other words of similar import, refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

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“INTEREST PAYMENT DATE”, when used with respect to any installment of interest on a Security of a particular series, means the date specified in such Security or in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, in an Officers’ Certificate or in an indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.

“LEGAL DEFEASANCE OPTION” has the meaning given in Section 10.02.

“LEGAL HOLIDAY” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banking institutions are not required to be open in the State of New York.

“QUOTATION AGENT” means the Reference Treasury Dealer selected by the Company.

“RESPONSIBLE OFFICER” when used with respect to the Trustee means the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, any trust officer, any corporate trust officer or any other officer or assistant officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

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“SECURITIES” means the debt Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“SECURITIES ACT” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor statute or statutes thereto.

“SECURITY REGISTER” has the meaning given in Section 2.05.

“SECURITY REGISTRAR” has the meaning given in Section 2.05.

“SENIOR INDEBTEDNESS” means the principal, premium (if any) and unpaid interest on all present and future (i) indebtedness of the Company for borrowed money; (ii) obligations of the Company evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments; (iii) obligations of the Company under (a) interest rate swaps, caps, collars, options and similar arrangements, (b) any foreign exchange contract, currency swap contract, futures contract, currency option contract, or other foreign currency hedge and (c) credit swaps, caps, floors, collars and similar arrangements; (iv) indebtedness incurred, assumed or guaranteed by the Company in connection with the acquisition by it or a subsidiary of the Company of any business, properties or assets (except purchase-money indebtedness classified as accounts payable under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles); (v) all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) in respect of leases of the Company required, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, to be accounted for as capitalized lease obligations on the balance sheet of the Company and all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) under any lease or related document (including a purchase agreement) in connection with the lease or real property which provides that the Company is contractually obligated to purchase or cause a third party to purchase the leased property and thereby guarantee a minimum residual value of the leased property to the lessor and the obligations of the Company under such lease or related document to purchase or to cause a third party to purchase such leased property; (vi) reimbursement obligations of the Company in respect of letters of credit relating to indebtedness or other obligations of the Company that qualify as indebtedness or obligations of the kind referred to in clauses (i) through (v) above; and (vii) obligations of the Company under direct or indirect guaranties in respect of, and obligations (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or otherwise acquire, or otherwise to assure a creditor against loss in respect of, indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) above, in each case as to clauses (i) through (vii) above unless in the instrument creating or evidencing the indebtedness or obligation or pursuant to which the same is outstanding provides that (x) such indebtedness or obligation is not senior in right of payment to the Securities or (y) such indebtedness or obligation is subordinated to any other indebtedness or obligation of the Company, unless such indebtedness or obligation expressly provides that such indebtedness or obligations be senior in right of payment to the Securities.

“TRUSTEE” means The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., and, subject to the provisions of Article VII, shall also include its successors and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such capacity hereunder, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person. The term “Trustee” as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the trustee with respect to that series.

“TRUST INDENTURE ACT” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, subject to the provisions of Sections 9.01, 9.02, and 12.09, as in effect at the date of execution of this instrument.

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“UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE” means the New York Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time.

ARTICLE II

ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION,

REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES

SECTION 2.01 DESIGNATION AND TERMS OF SECURITIES.

(1) the title of the Security of the series including CUSIP numbers (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities);

(3) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable and the place(s) of payment;

(4) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest or the manner of calculation of such rate or rates, if any;

(6) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;

(9) any additional or different subordination terms applicable to the Securities of the series;

(10) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication for such series;

(11) if other than denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the series shall be issuable;

(12) any and all other terms with respect to such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the terms of this Indenture, as amended by any supplemental indenture) including any terms which may be required by or advisable under U.S. laws or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that series;

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(13) whether the Securities of the series are issuable as a Global Security and, in such case, the identity of the Depositary for such series;

(14) whether the Securities of the series will be convertible into shares of common stock or other securities of the Company and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible, including the conversion price and the conversion period;

(15) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01;

(16) any additional or different Events of Default or restrictive covenants provided for with respect to the Securities of the series;

(17) whether the Securities of the series shall not be defeasible pursuant to Section 10.02 and, if other than by a Board Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to defease such Securities shall be evidenced; and

(18) if other than the currency of the United States of America, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for any purpose.

SECTION 2.02 FORM OF SECURITIES AND TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE.

SECTION 2.03 DENOMINATIONS: PROVISIONS FOR PAYMENT.

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public and private debt, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication by the Trustee. Except as contemplated by Section 2.01(4), interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months. Except as contemplated by Section 2.01(5), the interest installment on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such Security as provided in Section 3.03. Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of the same series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:

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SECTION 2.04 EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.

The Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company by any of two of its President, any Vice President, its Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary. Signatures may be in the form of a manual or facsimile signature. The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person who shall have been a President or Vice President thereof, or of any Person who shall have been the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary thereof, notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be the President or a Vice President, or the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company. The Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, signed by its President or any Vice President and its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. In authenticating such Securities and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the form and terms thereof have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture and that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to any Bankruptcy Law or other insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

SECTION 2.05 REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.

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(c) No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Securities, or issue of new Securities in case of partial redemption of any series, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 2.06, Section 3.07 and Section 9.04 not involving any transfer. The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of less than all the outstanding Securities of the same series and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, nor (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions thereof called for redemption. The provisions of this Section 2.05 are, with respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.

SECTION 2.06 TEMPORARY SECURITIES.

SECTION 2.07 MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN SECURITIES.

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with any and all other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

SECTION 2.08 CANCELLATION.

SECTION 2.09 BENEFITS OF INDENTURE.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and the holders of the Securities (and, with respect to the provisions of Section 4.05, the holders of Senior Indebtedness) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and of the holders of the Securities (and, with respect to the provisions of Section 4.05, the holders of Senior Indebtedness).

SECTION 2.10 AUTHENTICATING AGENT.

Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided that such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

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SECTION 2.11 GLOBAL SECURITIES.

(1) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, all or a portion of the outstanding Securities of such series,

(2) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee,

(3) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, and

(4) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect:

“Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to the Depositary, another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.”

SECTION 2.12 CUSIP NUMBERS

SECTION 2.13 OUTSTANDING SECURITIES.

Securities of a series outstanding at any time are all Securities of such series authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section 2.13 as not outstanding. Subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, a Security of a series does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 3.01 REDEMPTION.

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SECTION 3.02 NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.

SECTION 3.03 SELECTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.

If fewer than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed pro rata or by lot or by a method that complies with applicable legal and securities exchange requirements, if any, and that the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be appropriate and in accordance with methods generally used at the time of selection by fiduciaries in similar circumstances. The Trustee shall make the selection from outstanding Securities of a series not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities and portions of them the Trustee selects to be redeemed shall be in principal amounts of $1,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of the Securities or portions of Securities to be redeemed.

SECTION 3.04 NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers) and shall state:

(1) the redemption date;

(2) a description of how the redemption price will be calculated;

(3) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(4) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(5) if fewer than all the outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification and principal amounts of the particular Securities to be redeemed;

(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment, interest on Securities (or portion thereof) called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; and

(7) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.

The Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense. The Company shall provide the Trustee with the information required by this Section.

SECTION 3.05 EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

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such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price stated in the notice, plus accrued interest to the redemption date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the related interest payment date). Failure to give notice or any defect in the notice to any Holder shall not affect the validity of the notice to any other Holder.

SECTION 3.06 DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.

SECTION 3.07 SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

SECTION 4.01 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES.

SECTION 4.02 MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE AND PAYMENT OF SECURITIES.

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SECTION 4.03 PROVISION AS TO PAYING AGENT.

(4) acknowledge, accept and agree to comply in all aspects with the provisions of this Indenture relating to the duties, rights and liabilities of such Paying Agent.

(d) Anything in this Section 4.03 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, or for any other reason, pay or cause to be paid to the Trustee all sums held in trust by it, or any Paying Agent hereunder, as required by this Section 4.03, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the trusts herein contained.

(e) Anything in this Section 4.03 to the contrary notwithstanding, the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section 4.03 is subject to the provisions of Sections 10.05 and 10.07.

SECTION 4.04 APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANCY IN OFFICE OF TRUSTEE.

The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.09, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

SECTION 4.05 WHEN COMPANY MAY MERGE OR TRANSFER ASSETS.

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(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction no Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and

SECTION 4.06 STATEMENT BY OFFICERS AS TO DEFAULT.

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate, stating whether or not to the best knowledge of the signer thereof the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided hereunder) and, if the Company shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature and status thereof of which such signer may have knowledge. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

ARTICLE V

SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS

BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 5.01 COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF SECURITYHOLDERS.

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee

(2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however, that, in either case, no such list need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.

SECTION 5.02 PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS WITH SECURITYHOLDERS.

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(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities.

SECTION 5.03 REPORTS BY THE COMPANY.

(a) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; or, if the Company is not required to file information, documents or reports pursuant to either of such sections, then to file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such of the supplementary and periodic information, documents and reports that may be required pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act, in respect of a security listed and registered on a national securities exchange as may be prescribed from time to time in such rules and regulations.

(b) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed from to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants provided for in this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations.

(c) The Company covenants and agrees to transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, or reputable overnight delivery service that provides for evidence of receipt, to the Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the Company pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.

ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

SECTION 6.01 EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

An “Event of Default” occurs with respect to a series of Securities if:

(1) the Company defaults in any payment of interest on any of the Securities of that series when the same becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days;

(3) the Company fails to comply with Section 4.05;

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(7) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(A) commences a voluntary case;

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

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

(E) takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency; or

(8) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(A) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case;

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

or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws and the order, decree or relief remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days.

SECTION 6.02 ACCELERATION.

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Securities of such series shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series outstanding by notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal or interest that has become due solely because of acceleration. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereto.

SECTION 6.03 OTHER REMEDIES.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to a series of Securities, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities of such series or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of such series or this Indenture.

SECTION 6.04 WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.

SECTION 6.05 CONTROL BY MAJORITY.

SECTION 6.06 LIMITATION ON SUITS.

(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice stating that an Event of Default is continuing;

(2) the Holders of at least 25% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it 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

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(5) the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request during such 60-day period.

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

SECTION 6.07 RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.

SECTION 6.08 COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.

SECTION 6.09 TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.

SECTION 6.10 PRIORITIES.

If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

FIRST: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07;

THIRD: to the Company.

SECTION 6.11 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.

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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, 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 6.11 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 more than 10% in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of such series.

SECTION 6.12 WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS.

ARTICLE VII

CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 7.01 DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of certificates or opinions specifically required by any provision hereof to be furnished to it, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions 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 may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of Section 7.01(b);

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

(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.

(e) Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

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SECTION 7.02 RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely on any document (whether in original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

SECTION 7.03 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.

SECTION 7.04 TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER.

SECTION 7.05 NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.

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SECTION 7.06 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS.

As promptly as practicable after each May 15 beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Indenture, and in any event prior to July 15 in each year, if required by TIA Section 313, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder a brief report dated as of such May 15 that complies with TIA Section 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Section 313(b). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail all reports required by TIA Section 313(c).

SECTION 7.07 COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.

SECTION 7.08 REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(2) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;

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

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(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns, is removed by the Company, is removed by the Holders of a majority in outstanding principal amount of the Securities of a series and such Holders do not reasonably promptly appoint a successor Trustee, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason (the Trustee in such event being referred to herein as the retiring Trustee), the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.

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 7.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

SECTION 7.09 SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER.

SECTION 7.10 ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.

SECTION 7.11 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.

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ARTICLE VIII

CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS

SECTION 8.01 EVIDENCE OF ACTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS.

SECTION 8.02 PROOF OF EXECUTION BY SECURITYHOLDERS.

(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee.

(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security Registrar thereof.

SECTION 8.03 WHO MAY BE DEEMED OWNERS.

SECTION 8.04 CERTAIN SECURITIES OWNED BY COMPANY DISREGARDED.

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Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that a Trust Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee. Also, subject to the foregoing, only Securities of a series outstanding at the time shall be considered in any determination.

SECTION 8.05 ACTIONS BINDING ON FUTURE SECURITYHOLDERS.

ARTICLE IX

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

SECTION 9.01 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS.

(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein, or in the Securities of any series;

(2) to comply with Section 4.05;

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

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(6) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;

SECTION 9.02 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF SECURITYHOLDERS.

(4) modify the provisions of this Indenture with respect to the subordination of such Security in a manner adverse to the holder thereof.

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SECTION 9.03 EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

SECTION 9.04 SECURITIES AFFECTED BY SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

SECTION 9.05 EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

SECTION 9.06 PAYMENT FOR CONSENT

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ARTICLE X

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

SECTION 10.01 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE.

(1) either (A) all Securities of that series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) any Securities that shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.07 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money or noncallable Governmental Obligations have theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.05) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or (B) all Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (i) have become due and payable, or (ii) will by their terms become due and payable within one year, or (iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose (x) moneys in an amount, or (y) noncallable Governmental Obligations the scheduled principal of and interest on which in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (z) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the case of (y) or (z), in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, at maturity or upon redemption, all Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with respect to such series by the Company; and

SECTION 10.02 DEFEASANCE.

(a) Subject to Sections 10.02(b) and 10.03, the Company at any time may terminate (1) all of its obligations under a particular series of Securities and under this Indenture with respect to that series of Securities (“legal defeasance option”) or (2) with respect to a particular series of Securities, its obligations under Sections 2.01(16), 9.01(4) and 9.01(7) (“covenant defeasance option”); provided, however, no deposit under this Article X shall be effective to terminate the obligations of the Company under a series of Securities or this Indenture with respect to that series of Securities prior to 91 days following any such deposit. The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option notwithstanding its prior exercise of its covenant defeasance option.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth herein and upon request of the Company, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of those obligations that the Company terminates.

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SECTION 10.03 CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE.

The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option with respect to a series of Securities only if:

(3) 91 days pass after the deposit is made and during the 91-day period no Default specified in Sections 6.01(7) or (8) occurs which is continuing at the end of the periods;

(4) the deposit does not constitute a default under any other agreement binding on the Company;

(8) the Securityholders shall have a perfected security interest under applicable law in the cash or Governmental Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 10.03(1) above;

(10) such defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest with respect to any securities of the Company; and

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Before or after a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date in accordance with Article III.

SECTION 10.04 APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY.

SECTION 10.05 REPAYMENT TO COMPANY.

SECTION 10.06 INDEMNITY FOR GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATIONS.

SECTION 10.07 REINSTATEMENT.

ARTICLE XI

IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS,

STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

SECTION 11.01 NO RECOURSE.

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contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, stockholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Securities.

ARTICLE XII

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SECTION 12.01 EFFECT ON SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.

All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture contained by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

SECTION 12.02 ACTIONS BY SUCCESSOR.

SECTION 12.03 SURRENDER OF COMPANY POWERS.

SECTION 12.04 NOTICES.

SECTION 12.05 GOVERNING LAW.

SECTION 12.06 TREATMENT OF SECURITIES AS DEBT.

It is intended that the Securities will be treated as indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.

SECTION 12.07 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS.

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(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture shall include

(1) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

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

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

SECTION 12.08 PAYMENTS ON BUSINESS DAYS.

SECTION 12.09 CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

SECTION 12.10 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.

SECTION 12.11 SEPARABILITY.

SECTION 12.12 ASSIGNMENT.

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ARTICLE XIII

SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 13.01 SUBORDINATION TERMS.

The payment by the Company of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any series of Securities issued hereunder shall be subordinated to the extent set forth in an indenture supplemental hereto relating to such securities.

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


LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS

By:
Name:
Title:

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A. , as Trustee

By:
Name:
Title:

Opinion of Hogan and Hartson L.L.P.

Exhibit 5.1

December 5, 2005

Board of Directors

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

358 South Main Street

Burlington, North Carolina 27215

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are acting as counsel to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the proposed public offering of one or more series of senior or subordinated debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), shares of common stock, par value $.10 per share (the “Common Stock”), shares of preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”) or warrants to purchase Debt Securities, Common Stock or Preferred Stock (the “Warrants”).

The Debt Securities, the Common Stock, the Preferred Stock and the Warrants are herein referred to as “Securities.” The Securities may be offered and sold by the Company from time to time as set forth in the prospectus that forms a part of the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”) and as set forth in one or more supplements to the Prospectus (each, a ”Prospectus Supplement”). This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. Section 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of the following documents (the “Documents”):

An executed copy of the Registration Statement.

The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended, as certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 5, 2005 and by the Secretary of the Company on the date hereof as then being complete, accurate and in effect (the “Certificate of Incorporation”).

The Bylaws of the Company, as certified by the Secretary of the Company on the date hereof as then being complete, accurate and in effect (the “Bylaws”).

Board of Directors

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

December 5, 2005

Page 2

Resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company adopted by unanimous written consent on December 5, 2005, as certified by the Secretary of the Company on the date hereof as then being complete, accurate and in effect, relating to the filing by the Company of the Registration Statement and other related matters (the “Securities Resolutions”).

The Forms of the Senior Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture filed as Exhibits 4.03 and 4.04, respectively, to the Registration Statement (each, an “Indenture”) to be entered into by the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (the “Trustee”).

In our examination of the aforesaid Documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all of the documents submitted to us, the authenticity of all originals documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all of the documents submitted to us as copies (including telecopies). This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that (i) the issuance, sale, amount, and terms of the Securities of the Company, to be offered from time to time, will be duly authorized and established by proper action of the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of such Board of Directors consistent with the procedures and terms described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the Securities Resolutions, Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and applicable Delaware General Corporation law and, as applicable, applicable New York law (each, a “Board Action”) in a manner that does not violate any law, government or court-imposed order or restriction or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or otherwise impair the legal or binding nature of the obligations represented by the applicable Securities; (ii) at the time of offer, issuance and sale of any Securities, no stop order suspending the Registration Statement’s effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; (iii) any Debt Securities will be issued pursuant to one of the Indentures and a supplemental indenture or board resolution properly establishing such Debt Securities; (iv) any Warrants will be issued under one or more warrant agreements, each to be between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as a warrant agent which will state that New York law governs and will otherwise be legally valid agreements of the Company under applicable law; (v) prior to any issuance of Preferred Stock appropriate certificates of designation will have been duly authorized, adopted and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware; (vi) prior to the issuance of any Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as applicable, sufficient shares of Preferred Stock and Common Stock shall be duly authorized pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation; (vii) the Securities will be delivered against payment

Board of Directors

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

December 5, 2005

Page 3

of valid consideration therefor and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Board Action authorizing such sale and any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement and as contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the applicable prospectus supplement; and (viii) the Company will remain a Delaware corporation.

To the extent that the obligations of the Company with respect to the Securities may be dependent upon such matters, we assume for purposes of this opinion that the other party under the indenture for any Debt Securities and under the warrant agreement for any Warrants, namely, the Trustee or the warrant agent, respectively, is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; that such other party is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by such indenture or warrant agreement, as applicable; that such indenture or warrant agreement, as applicable, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the other party and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the other party enforceable against the other party in accordance with its terms; that such other party is in compliance with respect to performance of its obligations under such indenture or warrant agreement, as applicable, with all applicable laws and regulations; and that such other party has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such indenture or warrant agreement, as applicable.

This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the applicable provisions of the following, as currently in effect: (i) as to the opinions given in paragraphs (b) and (c), the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, and (ii) as to the opinions given in paragraphs (a) and (d), the laws of the State of New York. We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations. As used herein, the terms “Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended” and “the laws of the State of New York” include the statutory provisions contained therein, all applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution or New York Constitution, as applicable, and reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws.

Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

(a) With respect to any Debt Securities (including any Debt Securities issued upon the exercise of Warrants), upon (i) due execution and delivery of an applicable Indenture, as applicable, on behalf of the Company and the Trustee named therein, (ii) final Board Action authorizing the issuance of a series of Debt Securities, the terms of which have been duly established in accordance with the provisions of the applicable indenture, (iii) due authentication by the Trustee, (iv) due execution, issuance, and delivery of such Debt Securities against payment of the consideration therefor specified in any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Board of Directors and otherwise in accordance with the applicable indenture and any applicable supplemental indenture and such agreement, and (v) in the case of any Debt Securities to be issued under any Warrants, upon due exercise of and

Board of Directors

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

December 5, 2005

Page 4

payment of the exercise price specified in such Warrants, the Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

(b) With respect to any Preferred Stock (including any Preferred Stock that is issued upon the exercise of any Warrants), upon (i) final Board Action authorizing and establishing a series of the Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and applicable law, (ii) filing of an appropriate certificate of designation with respect to such Preferred Stock, (iii) final Board Action authorizing issuance of such shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor specified in any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Board of Directors, and (v) in the case of any Preferred Stock to be issued under any Warrants, upon due exercise of and payment of the exercise price specified in such Warrants, the Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

(c) With respect to any Common Stock (including any Common Stock issued upon the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities or Preferred Stock that are exchangeable for or convertible into Common Stock or upon the exercise of Warrants) upon (i) final Board Action authorizing issuance of such shares of Common Stock, (ii) receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor specified in any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Board of Directors, (iii) in the case of any Common Stock to be issued under any Warrants, upon due exercise of and payment of the exercise price specified in such Warrants, and (iv) in the case of any Common Stock to be issued upon the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities or Preferred Stock that are exchangeable for or convertible into Common Stock, due exercise of such exchange or conversion rights in accordance with the terms of the applicable instruments, the Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

(d) With respect to any Warrants, upon (i) final Board Action authorizing execution and delivery of a warrant agreement, (ii) due execution and delivery of a warrant agreement on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein, (iii) due execution, countersignature, issuance, and delivery of the Warrants against payment of the consideration therefor specified in any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Board of Directors and otherwise in accordance with the warrant agreement and such agreement, the Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

In addition to the qualifications, exceptions and limitations elsewhere set forth in this opinion letter, our opinions expressed above are also subject to the effect of: (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights

Board of Directors

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

December 5, 2005

Page 5

(including, without limitation, the effect of statutory and other laws regarding fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers and preferential transfers); and (ii) the exercise of judicial discretion and the application of principles of equity including, without limitation, requirements of good faith, fair dealing, reasonableness, conscionability and materiality (regardless of whether the applicable agreements are considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

This opinion letter has been prepared for your use in connection with the Registration Statement and speaks as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the effective date of the Registration Statement.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.01 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.

Statement of Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges

Exhibit 12.1

STATEMENT OF COMPUTATION OF RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

(dollars in millions, except ratio information)


	Fiscal Years Ended December 31,					Nine Months Ended September 30, 2005
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2005
Income (loss) from continuing
operations before income taxes	207.6	332.3	432.3	540.4	615.3	496.1

Fixed Charges:
Interest on long-term and short-term debt including amortization of debt expense	38.5	27.0	19.2	40.9	36.1	25.5

Portion of rental expense as can be demonstrated to be representative of the interest factor	23.8	24.9	28.7	34.7	35.5	29.8

Total fixed charges	62.3	51.9	47.9	75.6	71.6	55.3

Earnings before income taxes plus fixed charges	269.9	384.2	480.2	616.0	686.9	551.4

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges	4.33	7.40	10.03	8.15	9.59	9.97

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated March 1, 2005 relating to the financial statements, management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in the 2004 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated by reference in Laboratory Corporation of America Holding’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. We also consent to the incorporation by reference of our report dated March 1, 2005 relating to the financial statement schedule, which appears in such Annual Report on Form 10-K. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Expert” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Greensboro, North Carolina

December 5, 2005

Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 for Senior Indenture

Exhibit 25.01

Registration No. 333-

FORM T-1

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A

CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE

ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO

SECTION 305(b)(2) ¨

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)


		95-3571558
(State of incorporation if not a U.S. national bank)		(I.R.S. employer identification no.)

700 South Flower Street Suite 500 Los Angeles, California		90017
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)


Delaware		13-3757370
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. employer identification no.)

358 South Main Street Burlington, North Carolina		27215
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Senior Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

1.	General information. Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

(a)

Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.


Name		Address
Comptroller of the Currency United States Department of the Treasury		Washington, D.C. 20219

Federal Reserve Bank		San Francisco, California 94105

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation		Washington, D.C. 20429

(b)

Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes.

2.	Affiliations with Obligor.

If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

16.

List of Exhibits.

Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”) and 17 C.F.R. 229.10(d).

A copy of the articles of association of The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business. (Exhibit 2 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 3 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of the existing by-laws of the trustee. (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

- 2 -

The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act. (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

- 3 -

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the trustee, The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., a banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of Jacksonville, and State of Florida, on the 30th day of November, 2005.


THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

By:		/S/ DEREK KETTEL
Name:		DEREK KETTEL
Title:		VICE PRESIDENT

- 4 -

EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

of 700 South Flower Street, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90017

At the close of business September 30, 2005, published in accordance with Federal regulatory authority instructions.


	Dollar Amounts in Thousands
ASSETS

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:
Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin		4,503
Interest-bearing balances		604
Securities:
Held-to-maturity securities		0
Available-for-sale securities		8,726
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:
Federal funds sold		0
Securities purchased under agreements to resell		0
Loans and lease financing receivables:
Loans and leases held for sale		0
Loans and leases, net of unearned income		0
LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses		0
Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance		0
Trading assets		0
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)		1,390
Other real estate owned		0
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies		0
Customers’ liability to this bank on acceptances outstanding		0
Intangible assets:
Goodwill		60,292
Other Intangible Assets		17,727
Other assets		9,282

Total assets	$	102,524


LIABILITIES

Deposits:
In domestic offices		0
Noninterest-bearing		0
Interest-bearing		0
Not applicable
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:
Federal funds purchased		0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		0
Trading liabilities		0
Other borrowed money:
(includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)		0
Not applicable
Bank’s liability on acceptances executed and outstanding		0
Subordinated notes and debentures		0
Other liabilities		5,906
Total liabilities	$	5,906

Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries		0

EQUITY CAPITAL

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus		0
Common stock		750
Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)		69,299
Retained earnings		26,566
Accumulated other comprehensive income		3
Other equity capital components		0
Total equity capital	$	96,618

Total liabilities, minority interest, and equity capital	$	102,524

I, Thomas J. Mastro, Comptroller of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Thomas J. Mastro ) Comptroller

We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report of Condition and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.

Richard G. Jackson )

Nicholas C. English ) Directors

Karen B. Shupenko )

Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 for Subordinated Indenture

Exhibit 25.02

Registration No. 333-

FORM T-1

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A

CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE

ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO

SECTION 305(b)(2) ¨

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)


		95-3571558
(State of incorporation if not a U.S. national bank)		(I.R.S. employer identification no.)

700 South Flower Street Suite 500 Los Angeles, California		90017
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)


Delaware		13-3757370
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. employer identification no.)

358 South Main Street Burlington, North Carolina		27215
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Subordinated Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

1.	General information. Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

(a)

Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.


Name		Address
Comptroller of the Currency United States Department of the Treasury		Washington, D.C. 20219

Federal Reserve Bank		San Francisco, California 94105

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation		Washington, D.C. 20429

(b)

Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes.

2.	Affiliations with Obligor.

If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

16.

List of Exhibits.

A copy of the articles of association of The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business. (Exhibit 2 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 3 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of the existing by-laws of the trustee. (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

- 2 -

The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act. (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

- 3 -

SIGNATURE


THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

By:		/S/ DEREK KETTEL
Name:		DEREK KETTEL
Title:		VICE PRESIDENT

- 4 -

EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

of 700 South Flower Street, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90017

At the close of business September 30, 2005, published in accordance with Federal regulatory authority instructions.


	Dollar Amounts in Thousands
ASSETS

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:
Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin		4,503
Interest-bearing balances		604
Securities:
Held-to-maturity securities		0
Available-for-sale securities		8,726
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:
Federal funds sold		0
Securities purchased under agreements to resell		0
Loans and lease financing receivables:
Loans and leases held for sale		0
Loans and leases, net of unearned income		0
LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses		0
Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance		0
Trading assets		0
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)		1,390
Other real estate owned		0
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies		0
Customers’ liability to this bank on acceptances outstanding		0
Intangible assets:
Goodwill		60,292
Other Intangible Assets		17,727
Other assets		9,282

Total assets	$	102,524


LIABILITIES

Deposits:
In domestic offices		0
Noninterest-bearing		0
Interest-bearing		0
Not applicable
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:
Federal funds purchased		0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		0
Trading liabilities		0
Other borrowed money:
(includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)		0
Not applicable
Bank’s liability on acceptances executed and outstanding		0
Subordinated notes and debentures		0
Other liabilities		5,906
Total liabilities	$	5,906

Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries		0

EQUITY CAPITAL

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus		0
Common stock		750
Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)		69,299
Retained earnings		26,566
Accumulated other comprehensive income		3
Other equity capital components		0
Total equity capital	$	96,618

Total liabilities, minority interest, and equity capital	$	102,524

Thomas J. Mastro ) Comptroller

Richard G. Jackson )

Nicholas C. English ) Directors

Karen B. Shupenko )