EXHIBIT 4.3
TRUST AGREEMENT
OF
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY CAPITAL TRUST I
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT is made as of May 29, 1998 (this "Trust
Agreement"), by and among American Express Company, a New York corporation, as
depositor (the "Depositor"), and Bankers Trust (Delaware), as trustee (the
"Trustee"). The Depositor and the Trustee hereby agree as follows:
1. The trust created hereby shall be known as American Express
Company Capital Trust I (the "Trust"), in which name the Trustee or the
Depositor, to the extent provided herein, may conduct the business of the Trust,
make and execute contracts, and sue and be sued.
2. The Depositor hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and sets over
the Trust the sum of $10. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the
Trust created hereby constitute a business trust under Chapter 38 of Title 12 of
the Delaware Code, 12 Del.C. ss 3801, et seq. (the "Business Trust Act"), and
that this document constitute the governing instrument of the Trust. The Trustee
is hereby authorized and directed to execute and file a certificate of trust
with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the
Business Trust Act.
3. The Depositor and the Trustee will enter into an amended and
restated Trust Agreement satisfactory to each such party and substantially in
the form included as an exhibit to the 1933 Act Registration Statement (as
defined below), to provide for the contemplated operation of the Trust created
hereby and the issuance of the Capital Securities and Common Securities referred
to therein. Prior to the execution and delivery of such amended and restated
Trust Agreement, the Trustee shall not have any duty or obligation hereunder or
with respect of the trust estate, except as otherwise required by applicable law
or as may be necessary to obtain prior to such execution and delivery any
licenses, consents or approvals required by applicable law or otherwise.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trustee may take all actions deemed proper as
are necessary to effect the transactions contemplated herein.
4. The Depositor, as sponsor of the Trust, is hereby authorized, in
its discretion, (i) to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") and to execute, in the case of the 1933 Act Registration Statement
and 1934 Act Registration Statement (as herein defined), on behalf of the Trust,
(a) a Registration Statement (the "1933 Act Registration Statement"), including
all pre-effective and post-effective amendments thereto, relating to the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), of
the Capital Securities of the Trust, (b) any preliminary prospectus or
prospectus or supplement thereto relating to the Capital Securities of the Trust
required to be filed pursuant to the 1933 Act, and (c) a Registration Statement
on Form 8-A or other appropriate form (the "1934 Act Registration
Statement"), including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments thereto,
relating to the registration of the Capital Securities of the Trust under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; (ii) to file with the New York
Stock Exchange or other exchange, or the National Association of Securities
Dealers ("NASD"), and execute on behalf of the Trust a listing application and
all other applications, statements, certificates, agreements and other
instruments as shall be necessary or desirable to cause the Capital Securities
of the Trust to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or such other exchange,
or the NASD's Nasdaq National Market; (iii) to file and execute on behalf of the
Trust, such applications, reports, surety bonds, irrevocable consents,
appointments of attorney for service of process and other papers and documents
that shall be necessary or desirable to register the Capital Securities of the
Trust under the securities or "Blue Sky" laws of such jurisdictions as the
Depositor, on behalf of the Trust, may deem necessary or desirable; (iv) to
execute and deliver letters or documents to, or instruments for filing with, a
depository relating to the Capital Securities of the Trust; and (v) to execute,
deliver and perform on behalf of the Trust an underwriting agreement with one or
more underwriters relating to the offering of the Capital Securities of the
Trust.
In the event that any filing referred to in this Section 4 is
required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York Stock
Exchange or other exchange, NASD, or state securities or "Blue Sky" laws to be
executed on behalf of the Trust by the Trustee, the Trustee, in its capacity as
trustee of the Trust, is hereby authorized to join in any such filing and to
execute on behalf of the Trust any and all of the foregoing, it being understood
that the Trustee, in its capacity as trustee of the Trust, shall not be required
to join in any such filing or execute on behalf of the Trust any such document
unless required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York
Stock Exchange or other exchange, NASD, or state securities or "Blue Sky" laws.
5. This Trust Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts.
6. The number of trustees of the Trust initially shall be one and
thereafter the number of trustees of the Trust shall be such number as shall
be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed by the Depositor which
may increase or decrease the number of trustees of the Trust; provided, however,
that to the extent required by the Business Trust Act, one trustee of the Trust
shall either be a natural person who is a resident of the State of Delaware or,
if not a natural person, an entity which has its principal place of business in
the State of Delaware. Subject to the foregoing, the Depositor is entitled to
appoint or remove without cause any trustee of the Trust at any time. Any
trustee of the Trust may resign upon thirty days' prior notice to the Depositor.
7. This Trust Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (without regard to conflict
of laws principles).
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Trust Agreement
to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY,
as Depositor
By: /s/ Kim Rosenberg
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Name: Kim Rosenberg
Title: Senior Vice President
and Treasurer
BANKERS TRUST (DELAWARE), not in its
individual capacity but solely as
trustee of the Trust
By: /s/ M. Lisa Wilkins
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Name: M. Lisa Wilkins
Title: Assistant Secretary