Successors and Assigns; Assignments and Participations (a) Each Lender may at any time assign all or a portion of its rights and delegate all or a portion of its obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including all its rights and obligations with respect to the Loans) to one or more Persons (a "TRANSFEREE"); PROVIDED, that such Transferee and such assigning Lender shall execute and deliver to Agent for acceptance and recording in the Register, a Lender Addition Agreement, substantially in the form of EXHIBIT C; PROVIDED FURTHER, that any such assignment shall be in a Commitment amount of at least $1,000,000 (or such lesser amount if such amount is a complete assignment of all of such Lender's Commitment). Upon such execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from and after the effective date determined pursuant to such Lender Addition
(i) the Transferee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent provided in such Lender Addition Agreement, have the same rights, benefits and obligations as it would if it were a Lender hereunder, (ii) the assigning Lender shall be relieved of its obligations hereunder with respect to its Commitment or assigned portion thereof, as the case may be, to the extent that such obligations shall have been expressly assumed by the Transferee pursuant to such Lender Addition Agreement (and, in the case of a Lender Addition Agreement covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement, such assigning Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall nevertheless continue to be entitled to the benefits of SECTION 12.
Successors and Assigns Participations Assignments (a) This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Borrowers and the Lenders and their respective successors and assigns.
(b) The foregoing shall not authorize any assignment by any Borrower of its rights or duties hereunder, and, except as otherwise provided herein, no such assignment shall be made (or be effective) without the prior written approval of the Lenders.
(c) No Lenders may at any time assign or grant participations in such Lender’s rights and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents except (i) by way of assignment to any Eligible Assignee in accordance with clause (d) of this Section, (ii) by way of a participation in accordance with the provisions of clause (e) of this Section or (iii) by way of a pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of clause (f) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any Lender shall be deemed to be null and void).
(d) Each assignment by a Lender of all or any portion of its rights and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(i) each such assignment shall be made on a pro rata basis, and shall be in a minimum amount of the lesser of (x) Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) or such lesser amount as the Agent shall agree and (y) the entire remaining amount of assigning Lender’s aggregate interest in the Revolving Credit (and participations in any outstanding Letters of Credit); provided however that, after giving effect to such assignment, in no event shall the entire remaining amount (if any) of assigning Lender’s aggregate interest in the Revolving Credit (and participations in any outstanding Letters of Credit) be less than $5,000,000; and
(ii) the parties to any assignment shall execute and deliver to Agent an Assignment Agreement substantially (as determined by Agent) in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H (with appropriate insertions acceptable to Agent), together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount, if any, required as set forth in the Assignment Agreement (provided however that such Lender need not deliver an Assignment Agreement in connection with assignments to such Lender’s Affiliates or to a Federal Reserve Bank). Until the Assignment Agreement becomes effective in accordance with its terms, and Agent has confirmed that the assignment satisfies the requirements of this Section 13.8, the Borrowers and the Agent shall be entitled to continue to deal solely and directly with the assigning Lender in connection with the interest so assigned. From and after the effective date of each Assignment Agreement that satisfies the requirements of this Section 13.8, the assignee thereunder shall be deemed to be a party to this Agreement, such assignee shall have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including without limitation the right to receive fees payable hereunder in respect of the period following such assignment) and the assigning Lender shall relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Upon request, Borrowers shall execute and deliver to the Agent, new Note(s) payable to the order of the assignee in an amount equal to the amount assigned to the assigning Lender pursuant to such Assignment Agreement, and with respect to the portion of the Indebtedness retained by the assigning Lender, to the extent applicable, new Note(s) payable to the order of the assigning Lender in an amount equal to the amount retained by such Lender hereunder. The Agent, the Lenders and each Borrower acknowledges and agrees that any such new Note(s) shall be given in renewal and replacement of the Notes issued to the assigning lender prior to such assignment and shall not effect or constitute a novation or discharge of the Indebtedness evidenced by such prior Note, and each such new Note may contain a provision confirming such agreement.
(e) The Borrowers and the Agent acknowledge that each of the Lenders may at any time and from time to time, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, grant participations in such Lender’s rights and obligations hereunder (on a pro rata basis only) and under the other Loan Documents to any Person (other than a natural person or to any Borrower or any of Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries); provided that any participation permitted hereunder shall comply with all applicable laws and shall be subject to a participation agreement that incorporates the following restrictions:
(i) such Lender shall remain the holder of its Notes hereunder (if such Notes are issued), notwithstanding any such participation;
(ii) a participant shall not reassign or transfer, or grant any sub-participations in its participation interest hereunder or any part thereof; and
(iii) such Lender shall retain the sole right and responsibility to enforce the obligations of the Credit Parties relating to the Notes and the other Loan Documents, including, without limitation, the right to proceed against any Guarantors, or cause the Agent to do so (subject to the terms and conditions hereof), and the right to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement without the consent of the participant (unless such participant is an Affiliate of such Lender), except for those matters covered by Section 13.10(a) through (e) hereof (provided that a participant may exercise any of the approval rights granted above in this clause (iii) only on an indirect basis, acting through such Lender and the Credit Parties, Agent and the other Lenders may continue to deal directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and duties hereunder). Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, in the case of any participation granted by any Lender hereunder, the participant shall not have any rights under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents against the Agent, any other Lender or any Credit Party; provided, however that the participant may have rights against such Lender in respect of such participation as may be set forth in the applicable participation agreement and all amounts payable by the Credit Parties hereunder shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participation. Each such participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Article 11 of this Agreement to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to clause (d) of this Section, provided that no participant shall be entitled to receive any greater amount pursuant to such the provisions of Article 11 than the issuing Lender would have been entitled to receive in respect of the amount of the participation transferred by such issuing Lender to such participant had no such transfer occurred and each such participant shall also be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.6 hereof as though it were a Lender, provided that such participant agrees to be subject to Section 10.3 hereof as though it were a Lender.
(f) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including its Notes, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledge or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
(g) The Agent shall maintain at its principal office a copy of each Assignment Agreement delivered to it and a register (the “Register”) for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, the Percentages of such Lenders and the principal amount of each type of Advance owing to each such Lender from time to time. The entries in the Register shall be conclusive evidence, absent manifest error, and the Borrowers, the Agent, and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register as the owner of the Advances recorded therein for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers or any Lender upon reasonable notice to the Agent and a copy of such information shall be provided to any such party on their prior written request. The Agent shall give prompt written notice to the Borrower Representative of the making of any entry in the Register or any change in such entry.
(h) Each Borrower authorizes each Lender to disclose to any prospective assignee or participant which has satisfied the requirements hereunder, any and all financial information in such Lender’s possession concerning the Credit Parties which has been delivered to such Lender pursuant to this Agreement, provided that each such prospective assignee or participant shall execute a confidentiality agreement consistent with the terms of Section 13.11 hereof or shall otherwise agree to be bound by the terms thereof.
(i) Nothing in this Agreement, the Notes or the other Loan Documents, expressed or implied, is intended to or shall confer on any Person other than the respective parties hereto and thereto and their successors and assignees and participants permitted hereunder and thereunder any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or other claim under this Agreement, the Notes or the other Loan Documents.
Successors and Assigns; Participations and Assignments (a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that (i) the Company may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Bank (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Company without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Bank may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Administrative Agent’s and each Bank’s Affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Bank may assign to one or more assignees (each, an “Assignee”) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitments and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent of:
(A) the Company (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), provided that no consent of the Company shall be required (x) for an assignment to a Bank, an affiliate of a Bank, or an Approved Fund (as defined below) or (y) if an Event of Default under Sections 9(a) or (i) has occurred; and
(B) the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion of a Loan to a Bank, an affiliate of a Bank or an Approved Fund.
(ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Bank, an affiliate of a Bank or an Approved Fund or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Bank Commitments or Loans hereunder, the amount of the Commitments or Loans of the assigning Bank subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Company and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that such amounts shall be aggregated in respect of each Bank and its affiliates or Approved Funds, if any;
(B) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and
(C) the Assignee, if it shall not be a Bank, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an administrative questionnaire.
Assignments and Participations Successors 83 14.1 Assignments and Participations..................................83 14.2 Successors......................................................85 15.
Successors and Assigns Participations (a) Whenever in this Agreement any of the parties hereto is referred to, such reference shall be deemed to include the successors and assigns of such party; and all covenants, promises and agreements by or on behalf of the Borrowers or the Lenders that are contained in this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns. Neither Borrower may assign or transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all the Lenders.
(b) Each Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, all or a portion of its Rollover Term Loan or all or a portion of any of its Revolving Credit Commitment and the same portion of the related Revolving Credit Loans at the time owing to it and the related participations in Letters of Credit and the Note or Notes held by it); provided, however, that (i) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an affiliate of a Lender or for an assignment by a Lender to a Federal Reserve Bank, the Administrative Agent and NWS must give their prior written consent by countersigning the Assignment and Acceptance (which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld), (ii) each such assignment of a Revolving Credit Commitment or any Revolving Credit Exposure shall be of a constant, and not a varying, percentage of all the assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement in respect of its Revolving Credit Commitment, Revolving Credit Loans and participations in Letters of Credit to be assigned, (iii) in the case of a partial assignment, each such assignment shall be in an amount which is not less than $5,000,000 (unless NWS shall consent to a partial assignment of a lesser amount) and is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 (provided, however, that any assignment may in any event be equal to the entire amount of the Rollover Term Loan or the entire amount of the Revolving Credit Loans, participations in Letters of Credit and Revolving Credit Commitment of the assigning Lender), (iv) the parties to each such assignment 113 108 shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent, for its acceptance and recording in the Register, an Assignment and Acceptance, together with any Note subject to such assignment and a processing and recordation fee of $3,500 and (v) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire. Upon such execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Acceptance, which effective date shall be at least five Business Days after the execution thereof, (x) the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder and (y) the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent provided in such assignment, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto. Assignments in accordance with this paragraph are not required to be made pro rata as between the assigning Lender's Rollover Term Loan, on the one hand, and Revolving Credit Commitment and Revolving Credit Exposure, on the other.
(c) By executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the Lender assignor thereunder and the assignee thereunder confirm to and agree with each other and the other parties hereto as follows: (i) other than the representation and warranty that it is the legal and beneficial owner of the interest being assigned thereby free and clear of any adverse claim, such Lender assignor makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with this Agreement or the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto; (ii) such Lender assignor makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of the Loan Parties or the performance or observance by the Loan Parties of any of their obligations under this Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto; (iii) such assignee represents and warrants that it is legally authorized to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance; (iv) such assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together with copies of the most recent 114 109 financial statements referred to in Section 3.05 or delivered under Section 5.05 and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance; (v) such assignee will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, such Lender assignor or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement; (vi) such assignee appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, respectively, to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement as are delegated to the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent by the terms hereof or any other Loan Document, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto; and (vii) such assignee agrees that it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
(d) The Administrative Agent shall maintain at one of its offices in The City of New York a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders and the Revolving Credit Commitments of, and principal amount of the Loans owing to, each Lender from time to time (the "Register"). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, in the absence of manifest error, and the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders may treat each person whose name is recorded in the Register as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers, the Collateral Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(e) Upon its receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee together with any Note subject to such assignment, and the fee referred to in Section 9.03(b), the Administrative Agent shall, if such Assignment and Acceptance has been completed and is in the form of Exhibit B hereto and, if required, the Administrative Agent and NWS have consented to such assignment as contemplated by paragraph (b) above, (i) accept such Assignment and Acceptance, (ii) record the information contained therein in the Register, and 115 110