Conditions to the Closing Date The obligation of each Lender to make its initial Loans hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent to the Administrative Agent satisfaction:
(a) The Administrative Agent receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or facsimile or other electronic image transmission (e.g., “PDF” or “TIF” via electronic mail) (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a member of the Senior Management of the signing Credit Party, each dated the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:
(i) (A) executed counterparts of this Agreement, sufficient in number for distribution to the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Credit Parties, and (B) executed counterparts of each Security Document sufficient in number for distribution to the Administrative Agent and the Credit Parties, and an executed Note for each Lender who requests a Note;
(ii) an officer’s certificate of each Credit Party executing a Loan Document, (A) certifying and attaching true, correct and complete copies of: (1) the certificate of formation, certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation (or such equivalent thereof) of such Credit Party, and, where applicable, certified as of a recent date from the Secretary of State (or applicable Governmental Authority) of the jurisdiction in which such Credit Party is incorporated or formed, (2) the by-laws, limited liability company agreement, articles of association, partnership agreement or other applicable Governing Document of such Credit Party, and (3) the resolutions or votes of the board of directors or board of managers or partners (or equivalent thereof) of such Credit Party, authorizing such Credit Party’s entry into the Loan Documents to which it is a party; and (B) certifying the incumbency of members of the Senior Management of such Credit Party authorized to act in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Credit Party is a party and providing a specimen signature of such members of the Senior Management of such Credit Party who will be signing Loan Documents on the Closing Date and thereafter;
(iii) such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may require to evidence that each Credit Party executing a Loan Document is validly existing and in good standing (where applicable) in its jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, as applicable;
(iv) a favorable legal opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, special New York counsel to the Credit Parties, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to matters concerning the Credit Parties and the Loan Documents as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request; and
(v) a certificate of a member of the Senior Management of the Borrower certifying that (1) the condition specified in Sections 4.02(b) has been satisfied, (2) there has been no event or circumstance since December 31, 2023 that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (3) all consents, licenses, and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by each Credit Party and the validity against each Credit Party of the Loan Documents to which such Credit Party is a party have been obtained.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed Agency Account Agreements, signed by each of the applicable parties thereto, for each deposit account or securities account required to be subject to an Agency Account Agreement pursuant to the terms of Section 6.16 hereof.
Consolidation, Merger, Sale or Purchase of Assets, etc The Borrower will not, nor will permit any of its respective Subsidiaries to, wind up, liquidate or dissolve its affairs or enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation, or convey, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its property or assets, or enter into any sale-leaseback transactions, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one or a series of related transactions) any part of the property or assets (other than purchases or other acquisitions of inventory, materials and equipment in the ordinary course of business) of any Person or agree to do any of the foregoing at any future time, except that the following shall be permitted:
(i) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may lease (as lessee) or license (as licensee) real or personal property (including intellectual property) in the ordinary course of business (so long as any such lease or license does not create a Capitalized Lease Obligation);
(ii) Capital Expenditures by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries;
(iii) any Investments permitted pursuant to Section 10.05;
(iv) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may, in the ordinary course of business, sell or otherwise dispose of assets (excluding capital stock of, or other Equity Interests in, Subsidiaries and joint ventures) which, in the reasonable opinion of such Person, are obsolete, uneconomic or worn-out;
(v) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may sell assets (other than (I) the capital stock or other Equity Interests of any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary unless all of the capital stock or other Equity Interests of such Wholly-Owned Subsidiary are sold in accordance with this clause (v) and (II) assets subject to a Contemplated Asset Sale (which shall be governed by Section 10.02(xviii)), so long as (v) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom, (w) each such sale is in an arm’s-length transaction and the Borrower or the respective Subsidiary receives at least Fair Market Value, (x) except for customary post-closing adjustments (to be paid in cash within 180 days following the closing of the respective sale or disposition), at least 75% of the total consideration received by the Borrower or such Subsidiary is paid in cash at the time of the closing of such sale or disposition (provided that sales of assets for aggregate consideration of $20,000,000 (taking the Fair Market Value of any non-cash consideration) in any Fiscal Year of the Borrower shall not be subject to the minimum cash requirement set forth above in this subclause (x)), (y) the Net Sale Proceeds therefrom are applied and/or reinvested as (and to the extent) required by Section 5.02(b) and (z) the aggregate amount of the proceeds received from all assets sold pursuant to this clause (v) shall not exceed $150,000,000 in any Fiscal Year of the Borrower;
(vi) each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may sell or discount, in each case without recourse and in the ordinary course of business, overdue accounts receivable arising in the ordinary course of business, but only in connection with the compromise or collection thereof and not as part of any financing transaction;
(vii) each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may grant licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases to other Persons not materially interfering with the conduct of the business of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case so long as no such grant otherwise affects the Collateral Agent’s security interest in the asset or property subject thereto;
(viii) subject to Sections 10.01(b) and (c), transfers of assets (w) pursuant to the Foreign Asset Transfer, (x) among the Qualified Obligors, (y) by any Subsidiary of the Borrower to any Qualified Obligor, and (z) by any Foreign Subsidiary of the Borrower to any Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary of the Borrower, in the case of any such transfer, so long as (I) no Specified Default and no Event of Default then exists or would exist immediately after giving effect to the respective transfer, (II) any security interests granted to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Creditors pursuant to the relevant Security Documents in the assets so transferred shall remain in full force and effect and perfected and enforceable (to at least the same extent as in effect immediately prior to such transfer) and (III) if the respective transferor is party to a Subsidiaries Guaranty, the nature and scope of the obligations of such transferor under its Subsidiaries Guaranty are substantially identical to the nature and scope of the obligations of the respective transferee under its Subsidiaries Guaranty;
(ix) subject to Sections 10.01(b) and (c), (x) any Domestic Subsidiary of the Borrower may be merged, consolidated or liquidated with or into the Borrower (so long as the Borrower is the surviving corporation of such merger, consolidation or liquidation) or any Subsidiary Guarantor (so long as a Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving corporation of such merger, consolidation or liquidation), and (y) any Foreign Subsidiary of the Borrower may be merged, consolidated or liquidated with or into any Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary of the Borrower, so long as such Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary is the surviving corporation of such merger, consolidation or liquidation; provided that any such merger, consolidation or liquidation shall only be permitted pursuant to this Section 10.02 (ix), so long as (I) no Specified Default and no Event of Default then exists or would exist immediately after giving effect thereto, (II) any security interests granted to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Creditors in the assets (and Equity Interests) of any such Person subject to any such transaction shall remain in full force and effect and perfected and enforceable (to at least the same extent as in effect immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or liquidation) and (III) if the Person to be merged, consolidated or liquidated into another Person as contemplated above is party to a Subsidiaries Guaranty, the nature and scope of the obligations of such Person under its Subsidiaries Guaranty are substantially identical to the nature and scope of the obligations of such other Person under its Subsidiaries Guaranty;
(x) subject to Sections 10.01(b) and (c), the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may transfer inventory in a non-cash or cash transfer to Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of the Borrower that are not Qualified Obligors, in each case so long as (I) any such transfer is made in the ordinary course of its business and consistent with past practice of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as in effect on the Effective Date, (II) if the respective transfer is being made to any Credit Party, all actions needed to maintain the perfection, priority and enforceability of the security interests, if any, of the Collateral Agent in the assets so transferred are taken at the time of the respective transfer, (III) the Borrower reasonably determines that the transfer is not reasonably likely to be adverse to the interests of the Lenders in any material respect and (IV) no Specified Default and no Event of Default then exists or would exist immediately after giving effect to the respective transfer;
(xi) subject to Sections 10.01(b) and (c), so long as no Specified Default and no Event of Default exists at the time of the respective transfer or immediately after giving effect thereto, Qualified Obligors shall be permitted to transfer additional assets (other than inventory, cash, Cash Equivalents and Equity Interests in any Credit Party) to other Subsidiaries of the Borrower, so long as cash in an amount at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the assets so transferred is received by the respective transferor;
(xii) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may sell or exchange specific items of equipment, so long as the purpose of each such sale or exchange is to acquire (and results within 90 days of such sale or exchange in the acquisition of) replacement items of equipment which are useful in a Permitted Business;
(xiii) the U.S. ▇▇▇▇ Group shall be permitted to make Permitted Acquisitions, so long as such Permitted Acquisitions are effected in accordance with the requirements of Section 9.14;
(xiv) one or more Subsidiaries identified to the Agents may sell all of the Equity Interests of a certain Subsidiary of the Borrower owned by such Subsidiaries and identified to the Agents, so long as (v) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom, (w) each such sale is in an arm’s-length transaction and the respective Subsidiary receives at least Fair Market Value, (x) except for customary post-closing adjustments, at least 20% of the total consideration received by such Subsidiaries (in the aggregate) is paid in cash at the time of the closing of such sale or disposition, (y) the Net Sale Proceeds therefrom are applied and/or reinvested as (and to the extent) required by Section 5.02(b) and (z) the aggregate amount of the consideration (taking the Fair Market Value of any non-cash consideration) received from all assets sold pursuant to Section (xiv), together with the sale or sales made pursuant to Section 10.02(xx), shall not exceed $50,000,000;
(xv) the Sale-Lease Back Transaction;
(xvi) each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may sell or liquidate Cash Equivalents, in each case for cash at fair market value (as reasonably determined by the Borrower or the respective Subsidiary);
(xvii) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may sell inventory to their respective customers in the ordinary course of business;
(xviii) each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may effect Contemplated Asset Sales, so long as (i) no Event of Default then exists or would exist immediately after giving effect thereto, (ii) each such sale is an arms’-length transaction and the Borrower or the respective Subsidiary receives at least Fair Market Value, (iii) the consideration therefor consists solely of cash and/or Permitted Installment Notes (to the extent same may be issued in accordance with the definition thereof), (iv) at least 50% of the total consideration received by the Borrower or such Subsidiary is paid in cash at the time of the closing of such sale, and (v) the Net Sale Proceeds therefrom are applied as, and to the extent, required by Section 5.02(b);
(xix) the Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries may sell and leaseback (i) Real Property located in ▇▇▇▇▇▇ County, North Carolina (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇ Property”), to the extent same is not a Principal Property and (ii) Principal Properties, so long as (v) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom, (w) each such sale is made pursuant to an arm’s-length transaction, (x) 100% of the total consideration received by the Borrower or such Subsidiary is paid in cash at the time of the closing of such sale, (y) the Net Sale Proceeds therefrom equal at least 90% of the Fair Market Value of the Property subject to such sale-leaseback transaction and (z) the Net Sale Proceeds therefrom are applied as a mandatory repayment and/or commitment reduction and/or reinvested, in any case, in accordance with the requirements of Section 5.02(b); and
(xx) certain Domestic Subsidiaries of the Borrower identified to the Agents may sell the Equity Interests of certain other Domestic Subsidiaries identified to the Agents which own Real Property located in California, and certain Domestic Subsidiaries identified to the Agents which own Real Property located in California may sell Real Property and other assets, in each case, so long as (v) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom, (w) each such sale is in an arm’s-length transaction and the respective Subsidiary receives at least Fair Market Value, (x) except for customary post-closing adjustments, at least 75% of the total consideration received by such Subsidiaries (in the aggregate) is paid in cash at the time of the closing of such sale, (y) unless on-loaned to an Affiliate of a Borrower in accordance with the requirements of Sections 10.05 and 10.07 promptly following the consummation of such sale, any Net Sale Proceeds therefrom received by a Subsidiary of a Borrower (exclusive of any portion thereof which is distributed to a minority shareholder of such Subsidiary in accordance with the requirements of Section 10.06) are applied and/or reinvested as (and to the extent) required by Section 5.02(b) and (z) the aggregate amount of the consideration (taking the Fair Market Value of any non-cash consideration) received from such sale or sales pursuant to Section (xx), together with the sale or sales made pursuant to Section 10.02(xiv) shall not exceed $50,000,000 (the “California Disposition”).
Subsequent Equity Issuances The Company shall not deliver any Sales Notice hereunder (and any Sales Notice previously delivered shall not apply during such three Business Days) for at least three (3) Business Days prior to any date on which the Company or any Subsidiary offers, sells, issues, contracts to sell, contracts to issue or otherwise disposes of, directly or indirectly, any other shares of Common Stock or any Common Stock Equivalents (other than the Shares), subject to Manager’s right to waive this obligation, provided that, without compliance with the foregoing obligation, the Company may issue and sell Common Stock pursuant to any employee equity plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in effect at the Execution Time and the Company may issue Common Stock issuable upon the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding at the Execution Time.
Conditions Precedent to the Closing Date The obligations of each L/C Issuer and each Lender to make the initial Credit Extensions on the Closing Date (if any) shall, in each case, be subject to the following conditions:
(a) The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals, facsimiles or “pdf” or similar electronic format (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by an Officer of the signing Loan Party each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:
(i) a Note executed by the Borrower in favor of each Lender that has requested a Note at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) executed copies of (x) this Agreement, and (y) each Security Document set forth on Schedule 4.01(a)(ii), executed by each Loan Party thereto, together with:
(A) evidence that all filings under the UCC shall have been taken, completed or otherwise provided for in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and
(B) any other documents and instruments as may be necessary or advisable in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent to vest in the Administrative Agent valid and subsisting first priority perfected Liens on the properties purported to be subject to the Security Documents set forth on Schedule 4.01(a)(ii), enforceable against all third parties in accordance with their terms;
(iii) such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Officers of each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Officer thereof authorized to act as an Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party;
(iv) an opinion from (A) Milbank LLP, counsel to the Loan Parties, and (B) local or other counsel in each of the jurisdictions listed on Schedule 4.01(a)(iv), in each case as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, in the case of each of clauses (A) and (B), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;
(v) a certificate attesting to the Solvency of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) on the Closing Date after giving effect to the Transactions, from the Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit J;
(vi) a certificate attesting to the compliance with clauses (d), (e), (f) and (h) of this Section 4.01 on the Closing Date from an Officer of the Borrower; and
(vii) if any Loans are to be made on the Closing Date, a Committed Loan Notice pursuant to Section 2.02.
(b) All reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses due and payable to the Lenders, the Arrangers and the Administrative Agent and required to be paid on or prior to the Closing Date pursuant to Agency Fee Letter shall have been paid or shall have been authorized to be deducted from the proceeds of the initial funding under the Facilities, so long as any such fees or expenses not expressly set forth in the Agency Fee Letter have been have been invoiced not less than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
(c) The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received at least three Business Days prior to the Closing Date, to the extent requested in writing at least seven Business Days prior to the Closing Date, all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent and the Lenders reasonably determine is necessary in order to allow the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to comply with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.
(d) The representations and warranties of the Borrower and each other Loan Party contained in Article 5 hereof shall be true and correct in all material respects; provided that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to “materiality,” “Material Adverse Effect” or similar language shall be true and correct (after giving effect to any qualification therein) in all respects.
(e) There has been no change, occurrence or development since September 30, 2020 that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(f) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to the Transactions, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(g) [Reserved].
(h) Prior to or substantially concurrently with the Closing Date, (i) the 2026 Senior Secured Notes shall have been issued and (ii) the Existing Credit Agreement shall have been paid off in full and terminated and all liens thereunder shall have been released pursuant to a customary payoff letter reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
Operations Prior to the Closing Date (a) Except as set forth in Schedule 7.4 or as contemplated by this Agreement or except with the written approval of Buyer, which Buyer agrees shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, Seller shall use its reasonable efforts to operate and shall use its reasonable efforts to cause the Company to carry on the Business only in the ordinary course and substantially as presently operated. Consistent with the foregoing, Seller shall cause the Company to keep and maintain the material assets of the Company in good operating condition and repair and shall use its reasonable best efforts consistent with good business practice to maintain the business organization of the Company intact and preserve the goodwill of the employees, brokers, lenders and others having business relations with the Company. In connection therewith, Seller shall not, and shall not permit the Company to, with respect to any employee of the Company, (i) transfer such employee to Seller or an Affiliate of Seller, (ii) offer such employee employment by Seller or an Affiliate of Seller after the Closing Date or (iii) otherwise attempt to persuade any such employee to terminate his or her relationship with the Company or not to continue employment with the Company after the Closing.
(b) In addition, and without limiting Section 7.4(a), except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or except with the express written approval of Buyer (which Buyer agrees shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), Seller shall not, with respect to the Equity Interests, the Company or the Business, and Seller cause the Company not to:
(i) amend its articles of incorporation or by-laws (or similar organizational documents);
(ii) issue, grant, sell or encumber any shares of its capital stock or other securities, or issue, grant, sell or encumber any security, option, warrant, put, call, subscription or other right of any kind, fixed or contingent, that directly or indirectly calls for the acquisition, issuance, sale, pledge or other disposition of any shares of its capital stock or other securities or make any other changes in the equity capital structure of the Company;
(iii) make any change in the Business or the operations of the Company outside the ordinary course of business;
(iv) make any capital expenditure or enter into any contract or commitment therefor in excess of $50,000; provided that, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, the Company may originate loans secured by 1-to-4 family residential real estate in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $2,000,000 per month; provided further that Seller shall not originate any loans secured by real estate on behalf of the Company or transfer any loans secured by real estate to the Company;
(v) (A) enter into any Contract which would have been a Company Agreement if in effect on the date hereof, (B) enter into any Contract which would require the consent of a third party in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (C) modify, amend, terminate or grant any consent or waiver under any Company Agreement or any Contract that would have been a Company Agreement if it were in effect on the date hereof;
(vi) sell, lease (as lessor), transfer or otherwise dispose of (including any transfers from the Company to Seller or any of its Affiliates), or mortgage or pledge, or impose or suffer to be imposed any Encumbrance on, any of (A) the Equity Interests or (B) the assets or properties of the Company, other than, in the case of this clause (B), Permitted Encumbrances;
(vii) cancel any debts owed to or claims held by the Company (including the settlement of any claims or litigation) other than in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice;
(viii) create, incur or assume, or agree to create, incur or assume, any Indebtedness or enter into, as lessee, any capitalized lease obligations (as defined in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 13), other than in the ordinary course of business;
(ix) accelerate or delay collection of any notes or accounts receivable in advance of or beyond their regular due dates or the dates involving more than $25,000 when the same would have been collected in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice;
(x) delay or accelerate payment of any account payable or other liability of the Company beyond or in advance of its due date or the date involving more than $25,000 when such liability would have been paid in the ordinary course of the Business consistent with past practice;
(xi) except as expressly contemplated by Section 7.9, make, or agree to make, any distribution or other disposition of assets (other than cash and cash equivalents) to Seller or any of its Affiliates;
(xii) institute any material increase in any profit-sharing, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation, insurance, pension, retirement, medical, hospital, disability, welfare or other employee benefit plan with respect to employees of the Company, except for payments related to stay bonus, transaction completion bonus, severance payments or other similar payments made on or prior to the Closing Date as a result of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby;
(xiii) make any material increase in the compensation of the employees of the Company, other than changes made in accordance with normal compensation practices and consistent with past compensation practices;
(A) except as required by applicable Requirements of Law, prepare or file any Tax Return inconsistent with past practice or, on any such Tax Return, take any position, make any election, or adopt any method that is inconsistent with positions taken, elections made or methods used in preparing or filing similar Tax Returns in prior periods (including positions, elections or methods that would have the effect of deferring income to periods ending after the Closing Date or accelerating deductions to periods ending on or before the Closing Date), or (B) settle or otherwise compromise any claim related to Taxes, enter into any closing agreement or similar agreement related to Taxes, otherwise settle any dispute relating to Taxes, or request any ruling or similar guidance with respect to Taxes;
(xv) make any change in the accounting policies applied in the preparation of the financial statements contained in Schedule 5.4, unless such change is required by GAAP;
(xvi) originate, acquire, hold, sell, transfer, securitize or hedge loans secured by real estate; provided that, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, the Company may originate loans secured by 1-to-4 family residential real estate in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $2,000,000 per month; provided further that Seller shall not originate any loans secured by real estate on behalf of the Company or transfer any loans secured by real estate to the Company; or
(xvii) make any material change in internal control over financial reporting, other than any change required by GAAP or any change made by Seller with respect to all of its Controlled Affiliates.
(c) The Company shall keep all insurance policies set forth on Schedule 5.22, or suitable replacements therefor, in full force and effect through the Closing Date.