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.
Actions Prior to the Distribution Prior to the Effective Time and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Parties shall take, or cause to be taken, the following actions in connection with the Distribution:
Short Sales and Confidentiality Prior To The Date Hereof Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing from the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder until the date hereof (“Discussion Time”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser's assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser's assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction).
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.
Conditions Precedent to the Effectiveness of this Agreement The effectiveness of this Agreement is subject to the satisfaction (or substantially simultaneous satisfaction) of the following conditions precedent:
(a) The Agent shall have received all fees and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Agent) required to be paid on the Closing Date, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and each Fee Letter and the Annex thereto.
(b) The Agent shall have received on or before the Closing Date, the following, each (unless otherwise indicated) dated as of the Closing Date (unless otherwise specified), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent:
(i) This Agreement, duly executed and delivered by the Seller and the Servicer;
(ii) The Receivables Sale Agreement, duly executed by the Seller and each Originator, together with:
(A) Proper financing statements naming each Originator as debtor, the Seller as secured party and the Agent, as assignee, to be filed under the UCC of all jurisdictions that the Agent may deem necessary in order to perfect the Seller’s interests created or purported to be created by the Receivables Sale Agreement;
(B) Proper financing statement terminations or releases, if any, necessary to release all security interests and other rights of any Person in the Receivables, Related Security, Collections or Contracts previously granted by any Originator;
(C) The Consent and Agreement, duly executed by the Seller and each Originator; and
(D) A Subordinated Note, in substantially the form of Exhibit B to the Receivables Sale Agreement, payable to the order of each Originator, and duly executed by the Seller;
(iii) The Equistar Undertaking, duly executed and delivered by Equistar;
(iv) (x) A Lock-Box Agreement with each Lock-Box Bank, executed by such Lock-Box Bank, the Agent and the Seller, the Servicer or an Originator, as applicable, and (y) a control agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, with each depository bank maintaining any other Restricted Account, executed by such depository bank, the Agent, the Seller and the Servicer, as applicable;
(v) The Intercreditor Agreement duly executed by each party thereto;
(vi) Good standing certificates (or equivalent) issued by the Secretary of State of the jurisdiction of incorporation of each Transaction Party;
(vii) A copy of the articles or certificate of incorporation (or equivalent Constituent Document) of each Transaction Party, certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State (or equivalent body) of the state of organization of such Transaction Party;
(viii) A certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of each Transaction Party certifying (A) the names and true signatures of each officer of such Transaction Party that has been authorized to execute and deliver any Transaction Document or other document required hereunder to be executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Transaction Party, (B) the by-laws (or equivalent Constituent Document) of such Transaction Party as in effect on the date of such certification, (C) the resolutions of such Transaction Party’s Board of Directors (or equivalent governing body) approving and authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party and (D) that there have been no changes in the certificate of incorporation (or equivalent Constituent Document) of such Transaction Party from the certificate of incorporation (or equivalent Constituent Document) delivered pursuant to clause (vii) above;
(ix) A certificate of a Principal Financial Officer of each Transaction Party certifying that the conditions set forth in Sections 3.1(a), (b), (c), (e), (f) and (h) have been satisfied;
(x) A certificate of a Principal Financial Officer of each of the Seller and Originators stating that such Transaction Party is Solvent after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereunder and under the other Transaction Documents;
(xi) Proper financing statements naming the Seller, as debtor, and the Agent, as secured party, to be filed under the UCC of all jurisdictions that the Agent may deem necessary in order to perfect the ownership interests created or purported to be created by the Transactions Documents;
(xii) Proper financing statement terminations or releases, if any, necessary to release all security interests and other rights of any Person in the Pool Receivables, Contracts, Related Security or Collections previously granted by the Seller or any Originator; and
(xiii) Favorable opinions of (A) ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇’▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel of Equistar, in substantially the form of Exhibit I-2 hereto and as to such other matters as the Agent may reasonably request, (B) ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ L.L.P., counsel to the Transaction Parties, in substantially the forms of Exhibit I-1 and I-3 hereto as to such other matters as the Agent may reasonably request, including without limitation (1) a “true sale” opinion with respect to the sale of Receivable Assets under and as defined in the Receivables Sale Agreement from each Originator to the Seller, (2) an opinion with respect to the non-substantive consolidation of the Seller with each other Transaction Party or any of its Affiliates in a case under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and (3) an opinion relating to the enforceability of the Transaction Documents, compliance with all laws and regulations (including Regulation U of the Board), the perfection of all ownership and other interests purported to be granted under the Transaction Documents, and no conflicts with material agreements, and (C) special counsel to the Agent, as the Agent may reasonably request.
(c) Each of the Seller, the Originators and the Servicer shall have received all necessary governmental and third party consents and approvals necessary in connection with Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby (without the imposition of any conditions that are not reasonably acceptable to the Purchasers) and shall remain in effect, and all applicable governmental filings (except for the UCC financing statements referred to in this Section 3.1) shall have been made and all applicable waiting periods shall have expired without in either case any action being taken by any competent authority; and no law or regulation shall be applicable in the judgment of the Purchasers that restrains, prevents or imposes materially adverse conditions upon the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby.
(d) The Purchasers shall have received and be satisfied with (i) audited financial statements of Equistar and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2002 by independent nationally-recognized public accountants which statements shall be unqualified, (ii) interim unaudited quarterly financial statements of Equistar and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, through the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2003, and (iii) the financial projections of Equistar and its Consolidated Subsidiaries covering the Fiscal Years ending in 2003 through 2007, inclusive, that are included in the Confidential Information Memorandum.
(i) All obligations for outstanding capital, accrued and unpaid yield and fees and other amounts then due and payable under the Existing Program shall have been concurrently satisfied, (ii) all documentation relating to the Existing Program shall have been concurrently terminated on terms satisfactory to the Agent and (iii) the Agent shall have received evidence of such termination in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent.
(f) The ABF Agreement shall be in full force and effect and no default shall exist thereunder.
(g) The Agent shall be satisfied with the results of a field examination of the Originators conducted by CUSA’s internal auditors no more than 3 months prior to the Closing Date.
(h) Total Excess Availability (after giving effect to the effectiveness of this Agreement and the ABF Agreement) shall be at least $300,000,000 on the Closing Date. The Agent shall promptly notify the Seller, the Servicer and the Purchasers of the Closing Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding on all parties hereto.
