Attached files

file filename
8-K - FORM 8-K - EL PASO ELECTRIC CO /TX/s000683x1_8k.htm
EX-4.1 - EXHIBIT 4.1 - EL PASO ELECTRIC CO /TX/s000683x1_ex4-1.htm
EX-5.1 - EXHIBIT 5.1 - EL PASO ELECTRIC CO /TX/s000683x1_ex5-1.htm
EX-1.1 - EXHIBIT 1.1 - EL PASO ELECTRIC CO /TX/s000683x1_ex1-1.htm

Exhibit 5.2

Exhibit 23.2

 

  New York
Menlo Park
Washington DC
São Paulo
London
Paris
Madrid
Tokyo
Beijing
Hong Kong
 

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 

450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017 

212 450 4000 tel 

212 701 5800 fax

 

 
 

 

December 1, 2014

 

El Paso Electric Company
Stanton Tower
100 North Stanton
El Paso, Texas 79901

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

El Paso Electric Company, a Texas corporation (the “Company”), has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-198989) (the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), certain securities, including $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.000% Senior Notes due 2044 (the “Securities”). The Securities are to be issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of May 1, 2005 between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.), as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and as amended by the First Supplemental Indenture dated as of May 19, 2008 between the Company and the Trustee, and as further supplemented by Securities Resolution No. 4 effective December 1, 2014 (together, the “Indenture”). The Securities are to be sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement dated November 24, 2014 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Company and the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”).

 

We, as your counsel, have examined originals or copies of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.

 

In rendering the opinion expressed herein, we have, without independent inquiry or investigation, assumed that (i) all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and complete, (ii) all documents submitted to us as copies conform to authentic, complete originals, (iii) all documents filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been executed will conform to the forms thereof, (iv) all signatures on all documents that we reviewed are genuine, (v) all natural persons executing documents had and have the legal capacity to do so, (vi) all statements in certificates of public officials and officers of the Company that we reviewed were and are accurate and (vii) all representations made by the Company as to matters of fact in the documents that we reviewed were and are accurate.

 

 
 

El Paso Electric Company 2 December 1, 2014

 

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional assumptions and qualifications set forth below, we advise you that, in our opinion, when the Securities have been duly authorized, executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, provided that we express no opinion as to the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or stay law or to the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision that permits holders to collect any portion of stated principal amount upon acceleration of the Securities to the extent determined to constitute unearned interest.

 

In connection with the opinions expressed above, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of the delivery of the Securities, the Company is a validly existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Texas, and the Indenture and the Securities are each valid, binding and enforceable agreements of each party thereto (other than as expressly covered above in respect of the Company). We have also assumed that the execution, delivery and performance by each party to each Document to which it is a party (a) are within its corporate powers, (b) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other constitutive documents of such party, (c) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (d) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon such party, provided that we make no such assumption to the extent that we have specifically opined as to such matters with respect to the Company.

 

We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and the foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York, except that we express no opinion as to any law, rule or regulation that is applicable to the Company, the Documents or such transactions solely because such law, rule or regulation is part of a regulatory regime applicable to any party to any of the Documents or any of its affiliates due to the specific assets or business of such party or such affiliate.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a report on Form 8-K to be filed by the Company on the date hereof and its incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement and further consent to the reference to our name under the caption “Validity of the Senior Notes” in the prospectus supplement which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

/s/ Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP