EXECUTION DRAFT
Published CUSIP Number: ________________
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CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of May 27, 2005
among
NUCO2 INC.
as the Borrower,
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender
and
L/C Issuer,
and
The Other Lenders Party Hereto
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC,
as
Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Book Manager
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LIB: Charlotte
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS....................................1
1.01 Defined Terms..........................................................1
1.02 Other Interpretive Provisions.........................................20
1.03 Accounting Terms......................................................21
1.04 Rounding..............................................................21
1.05 Times of Day..........................................................22
1.06 Letter of Credit Amounts..............................................22
ARTICLE II. THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS.............................22
2.01 Committed Loans.......................................................22
2.02 Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans..........22
2.03 Letters of Credit.....................................................24
2.04 Swing Line Loans......................................................31
2.05 Prepayments...........................................................34
2.06 Termination or Reduction of Commitments...............................35
2.07 Repayment of Loans....................................................35
2.08 Interest..............................................................35
2.09 Fees..................................................................36
2.10 Computation of Interest and Fees......................................36
2.11 Evidence of Debt......................................................37
2.12 Payments Generally; Administrative Agent's Clawback...................37
2.13 Sharing of Payments by Lenders........................................39
2.14 Increase in Commitments...............................................40
ARTICLE III. TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY...........................41
3.01 Taxes.................................................................41
3.02 Illegality............................................................43
3.03 Inability to Determine Rates..........................................43
3.04 Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans....................44
3.05 Compensation for Losses...............................................45
3.06 Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders........................46
3.07 Survival..............................................................46
ARTICLE IV. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS.........................47
4.01 Conditions of Initial Credit Extension................................47
4.02 Conditions to all Credit Extensions...................................48
ARTICLE V. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.....................................49
5.01 Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws..............49
5.02 Authorization; No Contravention.......................................49
5.03 Governmental Authorization; Other Consents............................50
5.04 Binding Effect........................................................50
5.05 Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect;
No Internal Control Event.............................................50
5.06 Litigation............................................................51
5.07 No Default............................................................51
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5.08 Ownership of Property; Liens..........................................51
5.09 Environmental Compliance..............................................51
5.10 Insurance.............................................................51
5.11 Taxes.................................................................51
5.12 ERISA Compliance......................................................52
5.13 Subsidiaries; Equity Interests........................................52
5.14 Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act;
Public Utility Holding Company Act....................................53
5.15 Disclosure............................................................53
5.16 Compliance with Laws..................................................53
5.17 Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc..................................53
ARTICLE VI. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS.............................................54
6.01 Financial Statements..................................................54
6.02 Certificates; Other Information.......................................55
6.03 Notices...............................................................57
6.04 Payment of Obligations................................................57
6.05 Preservation of Existence, Etc........................................57
6.06 Maintenance of Properties.............................................58
6.07 Maintenance of Insurance..............................................58
6.08 Compliance with Laws..................................................58
6.09 Books and Records.....................................................58
6.10 Inspection Rights.....................................................58
6.11 Use of Proceeds.......................................................58
6.12 Additional Subsidiaries...............................................59
ARTICLE VII. NEGATIVE COVENANTS...............................................59
7.01 Liens.................................................................59
7.02 Investments...........................................................60
7.03 Indebtedness..........................................................61
7.04 Fundamental Changes...................................................62
7.05 Dispositions..........................................................63
7.06 Restricted Payments...................................................64
7.07 Change in Nature of Business..........................................64
7.08 Transactions with Affiliates..........................................64
7.09 Burdensome Agreements.................................................64
7.10 Use of Proceeds.......................................................65
7.11 Financial Covenants...................................................65
ARTICLE VIII. EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES..................................65
8.01 Events of Default.....................................................65
8.02 Remedies Upon Event of Default........................................67
8.03 Application of Funds..................................................68
ARTICLE IX. ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT..............................................69
9.01 Appointment and Authority.............................................69
9.02 Rights as a Lender....................................................69
9.03 Exculpatory Provisions................................................69
9.04 Reliance by Administrative Agent......................................70
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9.05 Delegation of Duties..................................................70
9.06 Resignation of Administrative Agent...................................71
9.07 Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders................71
9.08 No Other Duties, Etc..................................................72
9.09 Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim.........................72
9.10 Guaranty Matters......................................................72
ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS......................................................73
10.01 Amendments, Etc.......................................................73
10.02 Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication......................74
10.03 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies........................................76
10.04 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver....................................76
10.05 Payments Set Aside....................................................78
10.06 Successors and Assigns................................................78
10.07 Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.....................82
10.08 Right of Setoff.......................................................82
10.09 Interest Rate Limitation..............................................83
10.10 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness..............................83
10.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties............................83
10.12 Severability..........................................................84
10.13 Replacement of Lenders................................................84
10.14 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc......................................84
10.15 Waiver of Jury Trial..................................................85
10.16 USA PATRIOT Act Notice................................................86
10.17 Time of the Essence...................................................86
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SCHEDULES
2.01 Commitments and Applicable Percentages
5.05 Supplement to Interim Financial Statements
5.13 Subsidiaries; Other Equity Investments
7.01 Existing Liens
7.03 Existing Indebtedness
10.02 Administrative Agent's Office; Certain Addresses for Notices
10.06 Processing and Recordation Fees
EXHIBITS
FORM OF
A Committed Loan Notice
B Swing Line Loan Notice
C Note
D Compliance Certificate
E Assignment and Assumption
F Guaranty
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CREDIT AGREEMENT
This CREDIT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is entered into as of May 27, 2005,
among NUCO2 Inc., a Florida corporation (the "BORROWER"), each lender from time
to time party hereto (collectively, the "LENDERS" and individually, a "LENDER"),
and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C
Issuer.
The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide a revolving credit
facility, a swingline facility and a letter of credit facility, and the Lenders
are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained,
the parties hereto hereby covenant and agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
1.01 DEFINED TERMS. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall
have the meanings set forth below:
"ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT" means Bank of America, N.A. in its capacity as
administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor
administrative agent.
"ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT'S OFFICE" means the Administrative Agent's address
and, as appropriate, account as set forth on SCHEDULE 10.02, or such other
address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify the
Borrower and the Lenders.
"ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE" means an Administrative Questionnaire in a
form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
"AFFILIATE" means, with respect to any Person, another Person that
directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is
Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.
"AGGREGATE COMMITMENTS" means the Commitments of all the Lenders. On the
Closing Date, the Aggregate Commitments shall be $60,000,000.
"AGREEMENT" means this Credit Agreement, as amended, restated, supplemented
or otherwise modified from time to time.
"APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE" means with respect to any Lender at any time, the
percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Commitments
represented by such Lender's Commitment at such time. If the commitment of each
Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit
Extensions have been terminated pursuant to SECTION 8.02 or if the Aggregate
Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be
determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in
effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable
Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on
SCHEDULE 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender
becomes a party hereto, as applicable.
"APPLICABLE RATE" means, from time to time, the following percentages per
annum, based upon the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as set forth in the most
recent Compliance Certificate received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to
SECTION 6.02(B):
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APPLICABLE RATE
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PRICING CONSOLIDATED LEVERAGE COMMITMENT EURODOLLAR RATE LOANS BASE RATE
LEVEL RATIO FEE LETTERS OF CREDIT FEES LOANS
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I Greater than or equal to 2.50x 0.400% 2.250% 0.750%
II Less than 2.50x but greater 0.350% 2.000% 0.500%
than or equal to 2.00x
III Less than 2.00x but greater 0.300% 1.750% 0.250%
than or equal to 1.50x
IV Less than 1.50x but greater 0.250% 1.500% 0.000%
than or equal to 0.50x
V Less than 0.50x 0.200% 1.250% 0.000%
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Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in
the Consolidated Leverage Ratio shall become effective as of the first Business
Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered
pursuant to SECTION 6.02(B); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Compliance Certificate
is not delivered when due in accordance with such Section, then Pricing Level I
shall apply as of the first Business Day after the date on which such Compliance
Certificate was required to have been delivered and shall continue at such
Pricing Level I until such time as an appropriate Compliance Certificate is
provided, at which time the Pricing Level shall be reset based upon the
Consolidated Leverage Ratio for the most recently ended fiscal period reflected
in such Compliance Certificate. The Applicable Rate in effect from the Closing
Date until receipt by the Administrative Agent of the Compliance Certificate of
the Borrower for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2005 shall be determined
based upon Level IV.
"APPROVED FUND" means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a
Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an
entity that administers or manages a Lender.
"ARRANGER" means Banc of America Securities LLC, in its capacity as sole
lead arranger and sole book manager.
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"ASSIGNEE GROUP" means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates
of one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same investment
advisor.
"ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION" means an assignment and assumption entered into
by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose
consent is required by SECTION 10.06(B), and accepted by the Administrative
Agent, in substantially the form of EXHIBIT E or any other form approved by the
Administrative Agent.
"ATTRIBUTABLE INDEBTEDNESS" means, on any date, in respect of any capital
lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a
balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP.
"AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS" means the audited consolidated balance sheet
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2004,
and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders'
equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries,
including the notes thereto.
"AVAILABILITY PERIOD" means the period from and including the Closing Date
to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the
Aggregate Commitments pursuant to SECTION 2.06, and (c) the date of termination
of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of the L/C
Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to SECTION 8.02.
"BANK OF AMERICA" means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.
"BASE RATE" means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the
higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and (b) the rate of interest
in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of
America as its "prime rate." The "prime rate" is a rate set by Bank of America
based upon various factors including Bank of America's costs and desired return,
general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point
for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced
rate. Any change in such rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at
the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such
change.
"BASE RATE COMMITTED LOAN" means a Committed Loan that is a Base Rate Loan.
"BASE RATE LOAN" means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.
"BORROWER" has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.
"BORROWER MATERIALS" has the meaning specified in SECTION 6.02.
"BORROWING" means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the
context may require.
"BUSINESS DAY" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on
which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact
closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent's Office is located and, if
such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day on which
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dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London
interbank eurodollar market.
"CASH COLLATERALIZE" has the meaning specified in SECTION 2.03(G).
"CASH EQUIVALENTS" means (a) securities with maturities of 90 days or less
from the date of acquisition issued or fully guaranteed or insured by the United
States government or any agency thereof, (b) certificates of deposit and
eurodollar time deposits with maturities of 90 days or less from the date of
acquisition and overnight bank deposits of any Lender or of any commercial bank
having capital and surplus in excess of $500,000,000, (c) repurchase obligations
of any Lender or of any commercial bank satisfying the requirements of clause
(b) of this definition, having a term of not more than seven days with respect
to securities issued or fully guaranteed or insured by the United States
government, (d) commercial paper of a domestic issuer rated at least A-1 or the
equivalent thereof by Standard and Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P") or P-1 or the
equivalent thereof by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc. ("MOODY'S") and in either
case maturing within 90 days after the day of acquisition, (e) securities with
maturities of 90 days or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully
guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States, by any
political subdivision or taxing authority of any such state, commonwealth or
territory or by any foreign government, the securities of which state,
commonwealth, territory, political subdivision, taxing authority or foreign
government (as the case may be) are rated at least "A" by S&P or "A" by Moody's,
(f) securities with maturities of 90 days or less from the date of acquisition
backed by standby letters of credit issued by any Lender or any commercial bank
satisfying the requirements of clause (b) of this definition, or (g) bonds,
debentures, notes or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the auction rate
market with a rate reset of less than 91 days, PROVIDED that such bonds,
debentures, notes or other evidence of indebtedness, as applicable, are rated at
least "AAA" (or equivalent) by at least two nationally recognized rating
services.
"CHANGE IN LAW" means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of
any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule,
regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or
in the administration, interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental
Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or directive
(whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority.
"CHANGE OF CONTROL" means an event or series of events by which:
(a) any "person" or "group" (as such terms are used in SECTIONS 13(D)
and 14(D) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding any
employee benefit plan of such person or its subsidiaries, and any person or
entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or
administrator of any such plan) becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined
in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except
that a person or group shall be deemed to have "beneficial ownership" of
all securities that such person or group has the right to acquire (such
right, an "OPTION RIGHT"), whether such right is exercisable immediately or
only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of 30% or more of
the equity securities of the Borrower entitled to vote for members of the
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board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a
fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such
person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right);
(b) a majority of the members of the board of directors or other
equivalent governing body of the Borrower cease to be composed of
individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body
as of the Closing Date, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or
equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clause
(i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least
a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose
election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was
approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above
constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority
of that board or equivalent governing body (excluding, in the case of both
clause (ii) and clause (iii), any individual whose initial nomination for,
or assumption of office as, a member of that board or equivalent governing
body occurs as a result of an actual or threatened solicitation of proxies
or consents for the election or removal of one or more directors by any
person or group other than a solicitation for the election of one or more
directors by or on behalf of the board of directors); or
(c) any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have
acquired by contract or otherwise, or shall have entered into a contract or
arrangement that, upon consummation thereof, will result in its or their
acquisition of the power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling
influence over the management or policies of the Borrower, or control over
the equity securities of the Borrower entitled to vote for members of the
board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a
fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such
Person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right)
representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of such securities.
"CLOSING DATE" means the first date all the conditions precedent in SECTION
4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with SECTION 10.01.
"CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
"COMMITMENT" means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Committed
Loans to the Borrower pursuant to SECTION 2.01, (b) purchase participations in
L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an
aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount
set forth opposite such Lender's name on SCHEDULE 2.01 or in the Assignment and
Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable,
as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this
Agreement.
"COMMITTED BORROWING" means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous
Committed Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans,
having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to SECTION
2.01.
"COMMITTED LOAN" has the meaning specified in SECTION 2.01.
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"COMMITTED LOAN NOTICE" means a notice of (a) a Committed Borrowing, (b) a
conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation
of Eurodollar Rate Loans, pursuant to SECTION 2.02(A), which, if in writing,
shall be substantially in the form of EXHIBIT A.
"COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE" means a certificate substantially in the form of
EXHIBIT D.
"CONSOLIDATED EBIT" means, for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such
period before deducting therefrom Consolidated Interest Charges of the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries for such period (to the extent that such Consolidated
Interest Charges were deducted in arriving at Consolidated Net Income for such
period) and provision for taxes based on income that were included in arriving
at Consolidated Net Income for such period and without giving effect to any
gains or losses from sales of assets other than from sales of inventory in the
ordinary course of business.
"CONSOLIDATED EBITDA" shall mean, for any period, Consolidated EBIT for
such period, adjusted by (x) adding thereto (i) the amount of all amortization
of intangibles and depreciation that were deducted in arriving at Consolidated
Net Income for such period, (ii) the amount of all expenses incurred in
connection with the financing transactions contemplated hereby for such period
to the extent that same were deducted in arriving at Consolidated Net Income for
such period, (iii) the amount of all non-cash deferred compensation expense for
such period to the extent that same was deducted in arriving at the Consolidated
Net Income for such period and (iv) expenses incurred during the fiscal quarter
ending June 30, 2005 in connection with the early extinguishment of Indebtedness
and the payment of prepayment penalties in an aggregate amount not to exceed
$5,800,832 and (y) deducting therefrom (i) the amount of all cash payments
during such period that are associated with any non-cash deferred compensation
expense that was added back to Consolidated Net Income in a previous period and
(ii) the amount of all consolidated interest income of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for such period; PROVIDED that SOLELY for purposes of calculating
the Consolidated Leverage Ratio, Consolidated EBITDA for any period shall be
calculated on a PRO FORMA basis to give effect to any (a) entity or business
acquired during such period pursuant to a Permitted Acquisition (and not
subsequently sold or otherwise disposed of by the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries during such period) or (b) any Disposition of assets, in each case,
subject to financial statements and/or agreed upon procedures, in each case,
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Consolidated EBITDA for the fiscal quarters set forth below shall
equal the amount set forth below corresponding to such fiscal quarter:
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FISCAL QUARTER CONSOLIDATED EBITDA
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JUNE 30, 2004 $8,768,169
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2004 $8,787,806
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DECEMBER 31, 2004 $8,913,789
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MARCH 31, 2005 $9,156,975
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"CONSOLIDATED EBITDAR" means, as of any date of determination, for the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, Consolidated EBITDA PLUS
Consolidated Rental Expense.
"CONSOLIDATED FIXED CHARGE COVERAGE RATIO" means, as of any date of
determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated EBITDAR MINUS taxes paid or payable
in cash, MINUS dividends and other distributions paid in cash, MINUS amounts
paid to repurchase shares of the Borrower's Capital Stock for the period of the
four fiscal quarters most recently ended to (b) Consolidated Fixed Charges for
such period.
"CONSOLIDATED FIXED CHARGES" means, for any period, the sum of the
following determined on a consolidated basis, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP: (a) Consolidated Interest Charges for such
period, (b) the amount of scheduled principal payments with respect to
Indebtedness for such period (PROVIDED, that for the fiscal quarters ended June
30, 2004, September 30, 2004, December 31, 2004 and March 31, 2005, the amount
of scheduled principal payments with respect to Indebtedness for each such
quarterly period under this clause (b) shall be deemed to be zero (0)) and (c)
Consolidated Rental Expense for such period.
"CONSOLIDATED FUNDED INDEBTEDNESS" means, as of any date of determination,
for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a)
the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or
long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all
obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other
similar instruments, (b) all purchase money Indebtedness, (c) all direct
obligations arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial),
bankers' acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments, (d)
all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or
services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business),
(e) Attributable Indebtedness in respect of capital leases, (f) without
duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the
types specified in clauses (a) through (e) above of Persons other than the
Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (g) all Indebtedness of the types referred to in
clauses (a) through (f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a
joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in
which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer,
unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such
Subsidiary.
"CONSOLIDATED INTEREST CHARGES" means, for any period, for the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) all interest, premium
payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (excluding capitalized
interest, amortization of original issue discount and interest paid-in-kind) or
in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the
extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, and (b) the portion of
rental expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period
under capital leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP.
"CONSOLIDATED LEVERAGE RATIO" means, as of any date of determination, the
ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness as of such date to (b)
Consolidated EBITDA for the period of the four fiscal quarters most recently
ended.
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"CONSOLIDATED NET INCOME" means, for any period, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the net income of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries (excluding extraordinary gains but including extraordinary losses)
for that period.
"CONSOLIDATED RENTAL EXPENSE" shall mean, for any period, for the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the operating lease expense of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries determined in accordance with GAAP for leases with
an initial term greater than one year, as disclosed in the notes to the
consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
"CONSOLIDATED NET WORTH" means, as of any date of determination, for the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, Shareholders' Equity of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on that date.
"CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION" means, as to any Person, any provision of any
security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other
undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its
property is bound.
"CONTROL" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether
through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise.
"CONTROLLING" and "CONTROLLED" have meanings correlative thereto.
"CREDIT EXTENSION" means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an
L/C Credit Extension.
"DEBTOR RELIEF LAWS" means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and
all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit
of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency,
reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other
applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of
creditors generally.
"DEFAULT" means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default
or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be
an Event of Default.
"DEFAULT RATE" means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than
Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate PLUS (ii) the
Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans PLUS (iii) 2% per annum;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate
shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable
Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used
with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate PLUS
2% per annum.
"DEFAULTING LENDER" means any Lender that (a) has failed to fund any
portion of the Committed Loans, participations in L/C Obligations or
participations in Swing Line Loans required to be funded by it hereunder within
one Business Day of the date required to be funded by it hereunder, (b) has
otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any
other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within one Business Day of the
8
date when due, unless the subject of a good faith dispute, or (c) has been
deemed insolvent or become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.
"DISPOSITION" or "DISPOSE" means the sale, transfer, license, lease or
other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction) of any property
by any Person, including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with
or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and
claims associated therewith.
"DOLLAR" and "$" mean lawful money of the United States.
"DOMESTIC SUBSIDIARY" means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws
of any political subdivision of the United States.
"ELIGIBLE ASSIGNEE" means (a) a Lender; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender; (c)
an Approved Fund; and (d) any other Person (other than a natural person)
approved by (i) the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line
Lender, and (ii) unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the
Borrower (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);
PROVIDED that notwithstanding the foregoing, "Eligible Assignee" shall not
include the Borrower or any of the Borrower's Affiliates or Subsidiaries.
"ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS" means any and all Federal, state, local, and foreign
statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees,
permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental
restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the
release of any materials into the environment, including those related to
hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public
systems.
"ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY" means any liability, contingent or otherwise
(including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines,
penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their
respective Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a)
violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling,
transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c)
exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of
any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or
other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed
with respect to any of the foregoing.
"EQUITY INTERESTS" means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of
capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of
the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such
Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in)
such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares
of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or
warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of
such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit
interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests
therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants,
options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.
"ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
9
"ERISA AFFILIATE" means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated)
under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or
(c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of
provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).
"ERISA EVENT" means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan;
(b) a withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan
subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a
substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation
of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of
ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is
in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the
treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Sections 4041 or 4041A of
ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension
Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which constitutes grounds
under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a
trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (f) the
imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC
premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Borrower
or any ERISA Affiliate.
"EURODOLLAR RATE" means, for any Interest Period with respect to a
Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the British Bankers
Association LIBOR Rate ("BBA LIBOR"), as published by Reuters (or other
commercially available source providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by
the Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London
time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for
Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a
term equivalent to such Interest Period. If such rate is not available at such
time for any reason, then the "Eurodollar Rate" for such Interest Period shall
be the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at
which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period
in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loan being
made, continued or converted by Bank of America and with a term equivalent to
such Interest Period would be offered by Bank of America's London Branch to
major banks in the London interbank eurodollar market at their request at
approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the
commencement of such Interest Period.
"EURODOLLAR RATE LOAN" means a Committed Loan that bears interest at a rate
based on the Eurodollar Rate.
"EVENT OF DEFAULT" has the meaning specified in SECTION 8.01.
"EXCLUDED TAXES" means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any
Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on
account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or
measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise taxes
imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any
political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is
organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any
Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any branch
profits taxes imposed by the United States or any similar tax imposed by any
other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located and (c) in the case of a
10
Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower
under SECTION 10.13), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to
such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party hereto (or
designates a new Lending Office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender's
failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply with
SECTION 3.01(E), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor,
if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new Lending Office (or
assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to
such withholding tax pursuant to SECTION 3.01(A).
"EXISTING CREDIT AGREEMENT" means that certain credit agreement dated as of
August 25, 2003 among the Borrower, BNP Paribas, as agent, and a syndicate of
lenders.
"FEDERAL FUNDS RATE" means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the
weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with
members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such
day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day
next succeeding such day; PROVIDED that (a) if such day is not a Business Day,
the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on
the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business
Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business
Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded
upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of
America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative
Agent.
"FEE LETTER" means the letter agreement, dated May 10, 2005, among the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Arranger.
"FOREIGN LENDER" means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a
jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes.
For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the
District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
"FRB" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the
United States.
"FUND" means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be)
engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial
loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board
and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and
pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other
principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting
profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of
the date of determination, consistently applied.
"GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY" means the government of the United States or any
other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local,
and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank
or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory
11
or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including
any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central
Bank).
"GUARANTEE" means, as to any Person, any (a) any obligation, contingent or
otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of
guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by
another Person (the "primary obligor") in any manner, whether directly or
indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i)
to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of)
such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property,
securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of
such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such
Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity
capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of
income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor
to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the
purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such
Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to
protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or
(b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other
obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other
obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of
any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any
Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable
amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of
which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum
reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the
guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term "Guarantee" as a verb has a
corresponding meaning.
"GUARANTORS" means, collectively, all existing and future direct and
indirect Domestic Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
"GUARANTY" means the Guaranty made by the Guarantors in favor of the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders, substantially in the form of EXHIBIT F.
"HAZARDOUS MATERIALS" means all explosive or radioactive substances or
wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants,
including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos-containing
materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes
and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any
Environmental Law.
"INDEBTEDNESS" means, as to any Person at a particular time, without
duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or
liabilities in accordance with GAAP:
(a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all
obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan
agreements or other similar instruments;
12
(b) all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under
letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers' acceptances,
bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;
(c) net obligations of such Person under any Swap Contract;
(d) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price
of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary
course of business and, in each case, not past due for more than 60 days
after the date on which such trade account payable was created);
(e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a
Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including
indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention
agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by
such Person or is limited in recourse;
(f) capital leases;
(g) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire,
defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Equity Interest in
such Person or any other Person, valued, in the case of a redeemable
preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary
liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends; and
(h) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.
For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the
Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture
that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person
is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly
made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any
Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value
thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease as of any date shall be
deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of
such date.
"INDEMNIFIED TAXES" means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
"INDEMNITEES" has the meaning specified in SECTION 10.04(B).
"INFORMATION" has the meaning specified in SECTION 10.07.
"INTEREST PAYMENT DATE" means, (a) as to any Loan other than a Base Rate
Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the
Maturity Date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar
Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three
months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest
Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing Line Loan),
the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the
Maturity Date.
"INTEREST PERIOD" means, as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the period
commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or
continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or
13
six months thereafter, as selected by the Borrower in its Committed Loan Notice;
PROVIDED that:
(a) any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not
a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless
such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such
Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;
(b) any Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a
calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding
day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on
the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest
Period; and
(c) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.
"INTERNAL CONTROL EVENT" means a material weakness in, or fraud that
involves management or other employees who have a significant role in, the
Borrower's internal controls over financial reporting, in each case as described
in the Securities Laws.
"INVESTMENT" means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or
investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other
acquisition of capital stock or other securities of another Person, (b) a loan,
advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or
purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or
interest in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture interest
in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which the investor
Guarantees Indebtedness of such other Person, or (c) the purchase or other
acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of
another Person that constitute a business unit. For purposes of covenant
compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested,
without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such
Investment.
"IP RIGHTS" has the meaning specified in SECTION 5.17.
"IRS" means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
"ISP" means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the "International
Standby Practices 1998" published by the Institute of International Banking Law
& Practice (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of
issuance).
"ISSUER DOCUMENTS" means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter
of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered
into by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor the L/C
Issuer and relating to any such Letter of Credit.
"LAWS" means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and
local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and
administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the
interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged
with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all
applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses,
14
authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority,
in each case whether or not having the force of law.
"L/C ADVANCE" means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender's funding of
its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable
Percentage.
"L/C BORROWING" means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under
any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or
refinanced as a Committed Borrowing.
"L/C CREDIT EXTENSION" means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the
issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the
amount thereof.
"L/C ISSUER" means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters of
Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.
"L/C OBLIGATIONS" means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate
amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit PLUS the
aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For
purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of
Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance
with SECTION 1.06. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of
determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may
still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP,
such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be "outstanding" in the amount so
remaining available to be drawn.
"LENDER" has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto
and, as the context requires, includes the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender.
"LENDING OFFICE" means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such
Lender described as such in such Lender's Administrative Questionnaire, or such
other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent.
"LETTER OF CREDIT" means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder.
"LETTER OF CREDIT APPLICATION" means an application and agreement for the
issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use
by the L/C Issuer.
"LETTER OF CREDIT EXPIRATION DATE" means the day that is seven days prior
to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the
next preceding Business Day).
"LETTER OF CREDIT FEE" has the meaning specified in SECTION 2.03(I).
"LETTER OF CREDIT SUBLIMIT" means an amount equal to the lesser of (a)
$10,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is
part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.
"LIEN" means any deed of trust, mortgage, pledge, hypothecation,
assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge,
or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement
15
in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including
any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of
way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease
having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
"LOAN" means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under
Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan.
"LOAN DOCUMENTS" means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, the
Fee Letter, and the Guaranty.
"LOAN PARTIES" means, collectively, the Borrower and the Guarantors.
"MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT" means (a) a material adverse change in, or a
material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties, liabilities
(actual or contingent), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the
Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material
impairment of the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under any
Loan Document to which it is a party; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the
legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of
any Loan Document to which it is a party.
"MATURITY DATE" means May 27, 2010.
"MULTIEMPLOYER PLAN" means any employee benefit plan of the type described
in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate
makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan
years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.
"NOTE" means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Lender
evidencing Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of EXHIBIT C.
"OBLIGATIONS" means (a) all advances to, and debts, liabilities,
obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan
Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, whether
direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or
contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and
including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any
Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief
Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether
such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding and (b) all
existing or future payments and other obligations owing by the Borrower under
(i) any Swap Contract (which such Swap Contract is permitted hereunder) or any
(ii) cash management or similar treasury or custodial arrangements, in each case
with respect to the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) such transaction entered into
with any Person that is a Lender or an Affiliate thereof at the time such
transaction is entered into.
"ORGANIZATION DOCUMENTS" means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the
certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or
comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction);
(b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles
of formation or organization and operating agreement; and (c) with respect to
any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the
16
partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or
organization and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect
thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the
applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or
organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or
organization of such entity.
"OTHER TAXES" means all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any
other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any
payment made hereunder or under any other Loan Document or from the execution,
delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any
other Loan Document.
"OUTSTANDING AMOUNT" means (i) with respect to Committed Loans and Swing
Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after
giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Committed Loans
and Swing Line Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (ii) with
respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations
on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such
date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of
such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of
Unreimbursed Amounts.
"PARTICIPANT" has the meaning specified in SECTION 10.06(D).
"PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
"PENSION PLAN" means any "employee pension benefit plan" (as such term is
defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is
subject to Title IV of ERISA and is sponsored or maintained by the Borrower or
any ERISA Affiliate or to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes
or has an obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or
other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made contributions at any
time during the immediately preceding five plan years.
"PERMITTED ACQUISITION" has the meaning set forth in SECTION 7.02(G).
"PERSON" means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company,
trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority
or other entity.
"PLAN" means any "employee benefit plan" (as such term is defined in
Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by the Borrower or, with respect to any such
plan that is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, any ERISA
Affiliate.
"PLATFORM" has the meaning specified in SECTION 6.02.
"REGISTER" has the meaning specified in SECTION 10.06(C).
"REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM" has the meaning specified in the
Securities Laws and shall be independent of the Borrower as prescribed by the
Securities Laws.
17
"RELATED PARTIES" means, with respect to any Person, such Person's
Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors
of such Person and of such Person's Affiliates.
"REPORTABLE EVENT" means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of
ERISA, other than events for which the thirty (30) day notice period has been
waived.
"REQUEST FOR CREDIT EXTENSION" means (a) with respect to a Borrowing,
conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan Notice, (b) with
respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with
respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.
"REQUIRED LENDERS" means, as of any date of determination, Lenders having
more than fifty percent (50%) of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the commitment
of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C
Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to SECTION 8.02, Lenders holding
in the aggregate more than fifty percent (50%) of the Total Outstandings (with
the aggregate amount of each Lender's risk participation and funded
participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed "held" by
such Lender for purposes of this definition); PROVIDED that the Commitment of,
and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting
Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required
Lenders; PROVIDED FURTHER, that at all times during which there is more than one
(1) Lender under this Agreement, "Required Lenders" shall require at least two
(2) Lenders.
"RESPONSIBLE OFFICER" means the chief executive officer, president, chief
financial officer, general counsel, treasurer or secretary of a Loan Party. Any
document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan
Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary
corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and
such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf
of such Loan Party.
"RESTRICTED PAYMENT" means any dividend or other distribution (whether in
cash, securities or other property) with respect to any capital stock or other
Equity Interest of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in
cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar
deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition,
cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other Equity Interest,
or on account of any return of capital to the Borrower's stockholders, partners
or members (or the equivalent Person thereof).
"▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇" means the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002.
"SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental
Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
"SECURITIES LAWS" means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ and the applicable accounting and auditing
principles, rules, standards and practices promulgated, approved or incorporated
18
by the SEC or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, as each of the
foregoing may be amended and in effect on any applicable date hereunder.
"SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY" means, as of any date of determination, consolidated
shareholders' equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of that date
determined in accordance with GAAP.
"SUBSIDIARY" of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture,
limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the
shares of securities or other interests having ordinary voting power for the
election of directors or other governing body (other than securities or
interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency)
are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise
controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both,
by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a
"Subsidiary" or to "Subsidiaries" shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of
the Borrower.
"SWAP CONTRACT" means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps,
credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps,
commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or
options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or
forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options,
forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions,
collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap
transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar
transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options
to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is
governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions
of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and
conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the
International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign
Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master
agreement, together with any related schedules, a "MASTER AGREEMENT"), including
any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.
"SWAP TERMINATION VALUE" means, in respect of any one or more Swap
Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable
netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after
the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s)
determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any
date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the
▇▇▇▇-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or
more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized
dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a
Lender).
"SWING LINE" means the revolving credit facility made available by the
Swing Line Lender pursuant to SECTION 2.04.
"SWING LINE BORROWING" means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to
SECTION 2.04.
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"SWING LINE LENDER" means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of
Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.
"SWING LINE LOAN" has the meaning specified in SECTION 2.04(A).
"SWING LINE LOAN NOTICE" means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant
to SECTION 2.04(B), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of
EXHIBIT B.
"SWING LINE SUBLIMIT" means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $5,000,000
and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not
in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.
"TAXES" means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties,
deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any
Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties
applicable thereto.
"THRESHOLD AMOUNT" means $1,000,000.
"TOTAL OUTSTANDINGS" means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans
and all L/C Obligations.
"TYPE" means, with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base
Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.
"UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY" means the excess of a Pension Plan's benefit
liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over the current value of that
Pension Plan's assets, determined in accordance with the assumptions used for
funding the Pension Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable
plan year.
"UNITED STATES" and "U.S." mean the United States of America.
"UNREIMBURSED AMOUNT" has the meaning specified in SECTION 2.03(C)(I).
1.02 OTHER INTERPRETIVE PROVISIONS. With reference to this Agreement and
each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other
Loan Document:
(a) The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and
plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun
shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words
"include," "includes" and "including" shall be deemed to be followed by the
phrase "without limitation." The word "will" shall be construed to have the same
meaning and effect as the word "shall." Unless the context requires otherwise,
(i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other
document (including any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring
to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended,
supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such
amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan
Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include
such Person's successors and assigns, (iii) the words "herein," "hereof" and
"hereunder," and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall
be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any
20
particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to
Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to
Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in
which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all
statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or
interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless
otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or
supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words "asset" and "property" shall
be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all
tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities,
accounts and contract rights.
(b) In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later
specified date, the word "from" means "from and including;" the words "to" and
"until" each mean "to but excluding;" and the word "through" means "to and
including."
(c) Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included
for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of
this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
1.03 ACCOUNTING TERMS.
(a) GENERALLY. All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined
herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including
financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted
pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on
a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner
consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except
as otherwise specifically prescribed herein.
(b) CHANGES IN GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the
computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan
Document, and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith
to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in
light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders);
PROVIDED that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to
be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) the
Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial
statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably
requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such
ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.
1.04 ROUNDING. Any financial ratios required to be maintained by the
Borrower pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the
appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place
more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and
rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if
there is no nearest number).
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1.05 TIMES OF DAY. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to
times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as
applicable).
1.06 LETTER OF CREDIT AMOUNTS. Unless otherwise specified herein, the
amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the stated amount
of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that with
respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer
Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the
stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be
the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all
such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such
time.
ARTICLE II.
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS
2.01 COMMITTED LOANS. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein,
each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a "COMMITTED LOAN")
to the Borrower from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability
Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount
of such Lender's Commitment; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that after giving effect to any
Committed Borrowing, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate
Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of
any Lender, PLUS such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount
of all L/C Obligations, PLUS such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender's
Commitment. Within the limits of each Lender's Commitment, and subject to the
other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this SECTION
2.01, prepay under SECTION 2.05, and reborrow under this SECTION 2.01. Committed
Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided
herein.
2.02 BORROWINGS, CONVERSIONS AND CONTINUATIONS OF COMMITTED LOANS.
(a) Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one
Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made
upon the Borrower's irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be
given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Administrative
Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested
date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans
or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Committed Loans, and
(ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans. Each
telephonic notice by the Borrower pursuant to this SECTION 2.02(A) must be
confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written
Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of
Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole
multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in SECTIONS 2.03(C)
and 2.04(C), each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall
be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess
thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall
specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Committed Borrowing, a
conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of
Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or
22
continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the
principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv)
the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans
are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period
with respect thereto. If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Committed Loan
in a Committed Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice
requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans
shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic
conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the
Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate
Loans. If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation
of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify
an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of
one month.
(b) Following receipt of a Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent
shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Applicable Percentage of
the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or
continuation is provided by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify
each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans
described in the preceding subsection. In the case of a Committed Borrowing,
each Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to the
Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative
Agent's Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the
applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions
set forth in SECTION 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit
Extension, SECTION 4.01), the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so
received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the
Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the
books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of
such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and
reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Borrower; PROVIDED,
however, that if, on the date the Committed Loan Notice with respect to such
Borrowing is given by the Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then
the proceeds of such Borrowing, first, shall be applied to the payment in full
of any such L/C Borrowings, and second, shall be made available to the Borrower
as provided above.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurodollar Rate Loan may be
continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such
Eurodollar Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be
requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans without the
consent of the Required Lenders.
(d) The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the
Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurodollar
Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base Rate
Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and
the Lenders of any change in Bank of America's prime rate used in determining
the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.
(e) After giving effect to all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of
Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed
Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten (10) Interest Periods
in effect with respect to Committed Loans.
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2.03 LETTERS OF CREDIT.
(a) THE LETTER OF CREDIT COMMITMENT.
(i) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (A) the L/C
Issuer agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the Lenders set forth in
this SECTION 2.03, (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the
period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to
issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Borrower, and to amend or
extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with
subsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of
Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of
Credit issued for the account of the Borrower and any drawings thereunder;
PROVIDED that after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect
to any Letter of Credit, (x) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the
Aggregate Commitments, (y) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the
Committed Loans of any Lender, PLUS such Lender's Applicable Percentage of
the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, PLUS such Lender's
Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans
shall not exceed such Lender's Commitment, and (z) the Outstanding Amount
of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit. Each
request by the Borrower for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit
shall be deemed to be a representation by the Borrower that the L/C Credit
Extension so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the
proviso to the preceding sentence. Within the foregoing limits, and subject
to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower's ability to obtain
Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly the Borrower
may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace
Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and
reimbursed.
(ii) The L/C Issuer shall not issue any Letter of Credit, if:
(A) the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would
occur more than twelve (12) months after the date of issuance, unless the
Required Lenders have approved such expiry date; or
(B) the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would
occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all the Lenders
have approved such expiry date.
(iii)The L/C Issuer shall not be under any obligation to issue any
Letter of Credit if:
(A) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority
or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C
Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C
Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law)
from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall
prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of
letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall
impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to such Letter of Credit any
24
restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is
not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or
shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense
which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in
good ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ material to it;
(B) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or
more policies of the L/C Issuer;
(C) except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and
the L/C Issuer, such Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount less
than $250,000;
(D) such Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency
other than Dollars;
(E) such Letter of Credit contains any provisions for automatic
reinstatement of the stated amount after any drawing thereunder; or
(F) a default of any Lender's obligations to fund under SECTION
2.03(C) exists or any Lender is at such time a Defaulting Lender hereunder,
unless the L/C Issuer has entered into satisfactory arrangements with the
Borrower or such Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer's risk with respect to
such Lender.
(iv) The L/C Issuer shall not amend any Letter of Credit if the L/C
Issuer would not be permitted at such time to issue such Letter of Credit
in its amended form under the terms hereof.
(v) The L/C Issuer shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of
Credit if (A) the L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue
such Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B)
the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed
amendment to such Letter of Credit.
(vi) The L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to
any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith,
and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A)
provided to the Administrative Agent in ARTICLE IX with respect to any acts
taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of
Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents
pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term
"Administrative Agent" as used in ARTICLE IX included the L/C Issuer with
respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein
with respect to the L/C Issuer.
(b) PROCEDURES FOR ISSUANCE AND AMENDMENT OF LETTERS OF CREDIT.
(i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may
be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a
copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit
Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of
the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the L/C
Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two
25
Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and
the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion)
prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may
be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit,
such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail
satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the
requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount
thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the
beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary
in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to
be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; and (G)
such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request
for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit
Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer
(A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment
thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed
amendment; and (D) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require.
Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the
Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to
such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer
Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.
(ii) Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the
L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in
writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter
of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, the L/C Issuer will
provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the L/C Issuer
has received written notice from any Lender, the Administrative Agent or
any Loan Party, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of
issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more
applicable conditions contained in ARTICLE IV shall not then be satisfied,
then, subject to the terms and ----------- conditions hereof, the L/C
Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the
account of the Borrower or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case
may be, in each case in accordance with the L/C Issuer's usual and
customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter
of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the L/C Issuer a risk
participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of
such Lender's Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Letter of
Credit.
(iii) Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any
amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or
to the beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such
Letter of Credit or amendment.
(c) DRAWINGS AND REIMBURSEMENTS; FUNDING OF PARTICIPATIONS.
(i) Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any
notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall
notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. Not later than
11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of
26
Credit (each such date, an "HONOR DATE"), the Borrower shall reimburse the
L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the
amount of such drawing. If the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C
Issuer by such time, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each
Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the
"UNREIMBURSED AMOUNT"), and the amount of such Lender's Applicable
Percentage thereof. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have
requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the
Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to
the minimum and multiples specified in SECTION 2.02 for the principal
amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized
portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in
SECTION 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice). Any
notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this
SECTION 2.03(C)(I) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in
writing; PROVIDED that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not
affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.
(ii) Each Lender shall upon any notice pursuant to SECTION 2.03(C)(I)
make funds available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C
Issuer at the Administrative Agent's Office in an amount equal to its
Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m.
on the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative Agent,
whereupon, subject to the provisions of SECTION 2.03(C)(III), each Lender
that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate
Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent
shall remit the funds so received to the L/C Issuer.
(iii) With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully
refinanced by a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the
conditions set forth in SECTION 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other
reason, the Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from the L/C Issuer
an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so
refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand
(together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In
such event, each Lender's payment to the Administrative Agent for the
account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to SECTION 2.03(C)(II) shall be deemed
payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall
constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its
participation obligation under this SECTION 2.03.
(iv) Until each Lender funds its Committed Loan or L/C Advance
pursuant to this SECTION 2.03(C) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any amount
drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender's
Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be solely for the account of the
L/C Issuer.
(v) Each Lender's obligation to make Committed Loans or L/C Advances
to reimburse the L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as
contemplated by this SECTION 2.03(C), shall be absolute and unconditional
and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff,
counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have
against the L/C Issuer, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason
whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any
other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the
foregoing; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that each Lender's obligation to make
27
Committed Loans pursuant to this SECTION 2.03(C) is subject to the
conditions set forth in SECTION 4.02 (other than delivery by the Borrower
of a Committed Loan Notice). No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve
or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C
Issuer for the amount of any payment made by the L/C Issuer under any
Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.
(vi) If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent
for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such
Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this SECTION 2.03(C) by the
time specified in SECTION 2.03(C)(II), the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to
recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on
demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such
payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately
available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the
Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the L/C Issuer in accordance
with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. A certificate of the
L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with
respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive
absent manifest error.
(d) REPAYMENT OF PARTICIPATIONS.
(i) At any time after the L/C Issuer has made a payment under any
Letter of Credit and has received from any Lender such Lender's L/C Advance
in respect of such payment in accordance with SECTION 2.03(C), if the
Administrative Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer any payment
in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether
directly from the Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash
Collateral applied thereto by the Administrative Agent), the Administrative
Agent will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof
(appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the
period of time during which such Lender's L/C Advance was outstanding) in
the same funds as those received by the Administrative Agent.
(ii) If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the
account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to SECTION 2.03(C)(I) is required to be
returned under any of the circumstances described in SECTION 10.05
(including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its
discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the
account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of
the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such
demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per
annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The
obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in
full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
(e) OBLIGATIONS ABSOLUTE. The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the
L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay each L/C
Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid
strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances,
including the following:
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(i) any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit,
this Agreement, or any other Loan Document;
(ii) the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or
other right that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may have at any time
against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any
Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting),
the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this
Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit
or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated
transaction;
(iii) any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under
such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or
insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or
inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or
otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such
Letter of Credit;
(iv) any payment by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit against
presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with
the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer
under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in
bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors,
liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any
beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any
arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law; or
(v) any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not
similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that
might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, the
Borrower or any Subsidiary.
The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and
each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of
noncompliance with the Borrower's instructions or other irregularity, the
Borrower will immediately notify the L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall be
conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the L/C Issuer and its
correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.
(f) ROLE OF L/C ISSUER. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying
any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any
responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates
and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or
inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of
the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer,
the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any
correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any
Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request
or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii)
any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or
enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or
Issuer Document. The Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions
of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of
Credit; PROVIDED, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall
29
not, preclude the Borrower's pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have
against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None
of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related
Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall
be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through
(v) of SECTION 2.03(E); PROVIDED, however, that anything in such clauses to the
contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer,
and the L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the
extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages
suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves were caused by the L/C
Issuer's willful misconduct or gross negligence or the L/C Issuer's willful
failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the
beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the
terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation
of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face
to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of
any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be
responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or
assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights
or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove
to be invalid or ineffective for any reason.
(g) CASH COLLATERAL. Upon the request of the Administrative Agent, (i) if
the L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter
of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, or (ii) if, as of
the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains
outstanding, the Borrower shall, in each case, immediately Cash Collateralize
the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations. SECTIONS 2.05 and 8.02(C)
set forth certain additional requirements to deliver Cash Collateral hereunder.
For purposes of this SECTION 2.03, SECTION 2.05 and SECTION 8.02(C), "Cash
Collateralize" means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative
Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, as collateral for the
L/C Obligations, cash or deposit account balances pursuant to documentation in
form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer
(which documents are hereby consented to by the Lenders). Derivatives of such
term have corresponding meanings. The Borrower hereby grants to the
Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, a
security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein
and all proceeds of the foregoing. Cash Collateral shall be maintained in
blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America.
(h) APPLICABILITY OF ISP. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C
Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued, the rules of the ISP
shall apply to each standby Letter of Credit.
(i) LETTER OF CREDIT FEES. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative
Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable
Percentage a Letter of Credit fee (the "Letter of Credit Fee") for each Letter
of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily amount available to be
drawn under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily amount
available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of
Credit shall be determined in accordance with SECTION 1.06. Letter of Credit
Fees shall be (i) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears and (ii) due and
payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September
and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of
such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on
30
demand. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the
daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed
and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such
quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any
Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default
Rate.
(j) FRONTING FEE AND DOCUMENTARY AND PROCESSING CHARGES PAYABLE TO L/C
ISSUER. The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a
fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum
specified in the Fee Letter, computed on the daily amount available to be drawn
under such Letter of Credit on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee
shall be due and payable on the tenth Business Day after the end of each March,
June, September and December in respect of the most recently-ended quarterly
period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with
the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the
Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of
computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the
amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with SECTION
1.06. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer, for its
own account, the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other
processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer
relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary
fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are
nonrefundable.
(k) CONFLICT WITH ISSUER DOCUMENTS. In the event of any conflict between
the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall
control.
2.04 SWING LINE LOANS.
(a) THE SWING LINE. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein,
the Swing Line Lender agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the other
Lenders set forth in this SECTION 2.04, to make loans (each such loan, a "Swing
Line Loan") to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the
Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding
the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing
Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding
Amount of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line
Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender's Commitment; PROVIDED, however,
that after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings
shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding
Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender's Applicable
Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender's
Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall
not exceed such Lender's Commitment, and PROVIDED, further, that the Borrower
shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding
Swing Line Loan. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and
conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this SECTION 2.04, prepay under
SECTION 2.05, and reborrow under this SECTION 2.04. Each Swing Line Loan shall
be a Base Rate Loan. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each
Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to,
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purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan
in an amount equal to the product of such Lender's Applicable Percentage times
the amount of such Swing Line Loan.
(b) BORROWING PROCEDURES. Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the
Borrower's irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative
Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the
Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the
requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, which
shall be a minimum of $100,000 , and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which
shall be a Business Day. Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly
by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written
Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any
telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the
Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent
has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender
will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the
contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone
or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any
Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A)
directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of
the limitations set forth in the proviso to the first sentence of SECTION
2.04(A), or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in
Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than 3:00 p.m. on the borrowing
date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line
Loan available to the Borrower at its office by crediting the account of the
Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in immediately available funds.
(c) REFINANCING OF SWING LINE LOANS.
(i) The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole and absolute
discretion may request, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably
authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each
Lender make a Base Rate Committed Loan in an amount equal to such Lender's
Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding.
Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be
deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance
with the requirements of SECTION 2.02, without regard to the minimum and
multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans,
but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the
conditions set forth in SECTION 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish
the Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly
after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender shall
make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified
in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in
immediately available funds for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the
Administrative Agent's Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified
in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon, subject to SECTION 2.04(C)(II),
each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a
Base Rate Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative
Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.
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(ii) If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by
such a Committed Borrowing in accordance with SECTION 2.04(C)(I), the
request for Base Rate Committed Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as
set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender
that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing
Line Loan and each Lender's payment to the Administrative Agent for the
account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to SECTION 2.04(C)(I) shall be
deemed payment in respect of such participation.
(iii) If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative
Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be
paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this SECTION
2.04(C) by the time specified in SECTION 2.04(C)(I), the Swing Line Lender
shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the
Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the
period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such
payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per
annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined
by the Swing Line Lender in accordance with banking industry rules on
interbank compensation. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to
any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts
owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(iv) Each Lender's obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase
and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this SECTION
2.04(C) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by
any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment,
defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line
Lender, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the
occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event
or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that each Lender's obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to
this SECTION 2.04(C) is subject to the conditions set forth in SECTION
4.02. No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise
impair the obligation of the Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together
with interest as provided herein.
(d) REPAYMENT OF PARTICIPATIONS.
(i) At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk
participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any
payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will
distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage of such payment
(appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the
period of time during which such Lender's risk participation was funded) in
the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.
(ii) If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of
principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by
the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in SECTION
10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line
Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender
its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent,
33
plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount
is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. The
Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing
Line Lender. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive
the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this
Agreement.
(e) INTEREST FOR ACCOUNT OF SWING LINE LENDER. The Swing Line Lender shall
be responsible for invoicing the Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans.
Until each Lender funds its Base Rate Committed Loan or risk participation
pursuant to this SECTION 2.04 to refinance such Lender's Applicable Percentage
of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall
be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.
(f) PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TO SWING LINE LENDER. The Borrower shall make all
payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly
to the Swing Line Lender.
2.05 PREPAYMENTS.
(a) The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, at any time
or from time to time voluntarily prepay Committed Loans in whole or in part
without premium or penalty; PROVIDED that (i) such notice must be received by
the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (A) three (3) Business Days
prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (B) on the date of
prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate
Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of
$1,000,000 in excess thereof; and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Committed
Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000
in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof
then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such
prepayment and the Type(s) of Committed Loans to be prepaid. The Administrative
Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and
of the amount of such Lender's Applicable Percentage of such prepayment. If such
notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the
payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date
specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied
by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional
amounts required pursuant to SECTION 3.05. Each such prepayment shall be applied
to the Committed Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective
Applicable Percentages.
(b) The Borrower may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender (with a copy to
the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay
Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; PROVIDED that
(i) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative
Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any such
prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000. Each such notice
shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by
the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount
specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.
(b) If for any reason the Total Outstandings at any time exceed the
Aggregate Commitments then in effect, the Borrower shall immediately prepay
Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal
34
to such excess; PROVIDED, however, that the Borrower shall not be required to
Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this SECTION 2.05(C) unless
after the prepayment in full of the Loans the Total Outstandings exceed the
Aggregate Commitments then in effect.
2.06 TERMINATION OR REDUCTION OF COMMITMENTS. The Borrower may, upon notice
to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time
to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; PROVIDED that (i) any such
notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m.
five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such
partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $1,000,000 or any whole
multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate
or reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any
concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the
Aggregate Commitments, and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the
Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit
exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such Sublimit shall be
automatically reduced by the amount of such excess. The Administrative Agent
will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction
of the Aggregate Commitments. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall
be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable
Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the
Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.
2.07 REPAYMENT OF LOANS.
(a) The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the
aggregate principal amount of Committed Loans outstanding on such date.
(b) The Borrower shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur
of (i) the date fifteen (15) Business Days after such Loan is made and (ii) the
Maturity Date.
2.08 INTEREST.
(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar
Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for
each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurodollar Rate for such
Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate; (ii) each Base Rate Committed Loan
shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the
applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the
Applicable Rate; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on the
outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a
rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.
(b) (i) If any amount of principal of any Loan is not paid when due
(without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by
acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a
fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to
the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(ii) If any amount (other than principal of any Loan) payable by the
Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to
any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration
35
or otherwise, then upon the request of the Required Lenders, such amount
shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at
all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable Laws.
(iii) Upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of
Default exists, the Borrower shall pay interest on the principal amount of
all outstanding Obligations hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate per
annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable Laws.
(iv) Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including
interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.
(c) Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each
Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be
specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with
the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the
commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.
2.09 FEES. In addition to certain fees described in subsections (i) and (j)
of SECTION 2.03:
(a) COMMITMENT FEE. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for
the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a
commitment fee equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by
which the Aggregate Commitments exceed the sum of (i) the Outstanding Amount of
Committed Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations. The
commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period,
including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV
is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last
Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the
first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the Maturity Date. The
commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any
change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall
be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period
during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.
(b) OTHER FEES.
(i) The Borrower shall pay to the Arranger and the Administrative
Agent for their own respective accounts fees in the amounts and at the
times specified in the Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when
paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.
(ii) The Borrower shall pay to the Lenders such fees as shall have
been separately agreed upon in writing in the amounts and at the times so
specified. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be
refundable for any reason whatsoever.
2.10 COMPUTATION OF INTEREST AND FEES. All computations of interest for
Base Rate Loans when the Base Rate is determined by Bank of America's "prime
rate" shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may
36
be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall
be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in
more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis
of a 365-day year). Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the
Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the
day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, PROVIDED that any Loan that is
repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to SECTION 2.12(A),
bear interest for one day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an
interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes,
absent manifest error.
2.11 EVIDENCE OF DEBT.
(a) The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or
more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative
Agent in the ordinary course of business. The accounts or records maintained by
the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest
error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrower
and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in
doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the
Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In
the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any
Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of
such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control
in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through
the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender
(through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender's
Loans in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules
to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and
maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b) In addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a),
each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its
usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such
Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the event
of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the
Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of
such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control
in the absence of manifest error.
2.12 PAYMENTS GENERALLY; ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT'S CLAWBACK.
(a) GENERAL. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made without
condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower
hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent's
Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on
the date specified herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to
each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided
herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such
Lender's Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent after
2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any
37
applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made
by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall
be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be
reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.
(b) FUNDING BY LENDERS; PRESUMPTION BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT.
(i) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a
Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing of Eurodollar
Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans,
prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Committed Borrowing) that such
Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender's
share of such Committed Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that
such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with
SECTION 2.02 (or, in the case of a Committed Borrowing of ------------ Base
Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance
with and at the time required by SECTION 2.02) and may, in -------------
reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a
corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its
share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative
Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay
to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount
in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and
including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but
excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the
case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal
Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance
with banking industry rules on interbank compensation and (B) in the case
of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to
Base Rate Loans. If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to
the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the
Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of
such interest paid by the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its
share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent,
then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender's Committed Loan
included in such Committed Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrower shall be
without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that
shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.
(ii) PAYMENTS BY BORROWER; PRESUMPTIONS BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT.
Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the
Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the
Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer
hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative
Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in
accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute
to the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due. In
such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of
the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to
repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so
distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available
funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such
amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the
38
Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate
determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry
rules on interbank compensation.
A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with
respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive,
absent manifest error.
(c) FAILURE TO SATISFY CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. If any Lender makes available
to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as
provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not
made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the
conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not
satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative
Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to
such Lender, without interest.
(d) OBLIGATIONS OF LENDERS SEVERAL. The obligations of the Lenders
hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit
and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to SECTION 10.04(C) are
several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to
fund any such participation or to make any payment under SECTION 10.04(C) on any
date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding
obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the
failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its
participation or to make its payment under SECTION 10.04(C).
(e) FUNDING SOURCE. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender
to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to
constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain
the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.
2.13 SHARING OF PAYMENTS BY LENDERS. If any Lender shall, by exercising any
right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any
principal of or interest on any of the Committed Loans made by it, or the
participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in
such Lender's receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such
Committed Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its
PRO RATA share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such
greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and
(b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Committed Loans and
subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders,
or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all
such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the
aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective
Committed Loans and other amounts owing them, PROVIDED that:
(i) if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and
all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such
participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase
price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and
39
(ii) the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to
(x) any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the
express terms of this Agreement or (y) any payment obtained by a Lender as
consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of
its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line
Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any
Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section shall
apply).
The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may
effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a
participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the
Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as
fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of
such participation.
2.14 INCREASE IN COMMITMENTS.
(a) REQUEST FOR INCREASE. Provided that no Default or Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, or would be occasioned thereby, upon notice to the
Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders), the Borrower may
from time to time, request an increase in the Aggregate Commitments by an
aggregate amount (for all such requests) not exceeding $30,000,000; PROVIDED
that (i) any such request for an increase shall be in a minimum amount of
$10,000,000, and (ii) the Borrower may make a maximum of three such requests. At
the time of sending such notice, the Borrower (in consultation with the
Administrative Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is
requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten Business Days
from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders).
(b) LENDER ELECTIONS TO INCREASE. Each Lender shall notify the
Administrative Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to
increase its Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than,
or less than its Applicable Percentage of such requested increase. Any Lender
not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to
increase its Commitment.
(c) NOTIFICATION BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT; ADDITIONAL LENDERS. The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender of the Lenders'
responses to each request made hereunder. To achieve the full amount of a
requested increase and subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent and
the L/C Issuer (which approvals shall not be unreasonably withheld), the
Borrower may also invite additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders
pursuant to a joinder agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent and its counsel.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE AND ALLOCATIONS. If the Aggregate Commitments are
increased in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent and the
Borrower shall determine the effective date (the "Increase Effective Date") and
the final allocation of such increase. The Administrative Agent shall promptly
notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and
the Increase Effective Date.
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(e) CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS OF INCREASE. As a condition precedent to
such increase, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a
certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the Increase Effective Date (in
sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of such Loan
Party (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Loan Party
approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of the Borrower,
certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the
representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan
Documents are true and correct on and as of the Increase Effective Date, except
to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an
earlier date, in which case they are true and correct as of such earlier date,
and except that for purposes of this SECTION 2.14, the representations and
warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of SECTION 5.05 shall be deemed
to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and
(b), respectively, of SECTION 6.01, and (B) no Default or Event of Default
exists. The Borrower shall prepay any Committed Loans outstanding on the
Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to
SECTION 3.05) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Committed Loans
ratable with any revised Applicable Percentages arising from any nonratable
increase in the Commitments under this Section.
(f) CONFLICTING PROVISIONS. This Section shall supersede any provisions in
SECTIONS 2.13 or 10.01 to the contrary.
ARTICLE III.
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
3.01 TAXES.
(a) PAYMENTS FREE OF TAXES. Any and all payments by or on account of any
obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall be
made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Indemnified
Taxes or Other Taxes, PROVIDED that if the Borrower shall be required by
applicable law to deduct any Indemnified Taxes (including any Other Taxes) from
such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that
after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to
additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, Lender or
L/C Issuer, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would
have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the Borrower shall make
such deductions and (iii) the Borrower shall timely pay the full amount deducted
to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(b) PAYMENT OF OTHER TAXES BY THE BORROWER. Without limiting the provisions
of subsection (a) above, the Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the
relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(c) INDEMNIFICATION BY THE BORROWER. The Borrower shall indemnify the
Administrative Agent, each Lender and the L/C Issuer, within ten (10) days after
demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes
(including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or
attributable to amounts payable under this Section) paid by the Administrative
Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and any penalties,
41
interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto,
whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally
imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to
the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or
the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the
Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the L/C
Issuer, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d) EVIDENCE OF PAYMENTS. As soon as practicable after any payment of
Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority,
the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a
certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing
such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of
such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(e) STATUS OF LENDERS. Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption
from or reduction of withholding tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which
the Borrower is resident for tax purposes, or any treaty to which such
jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments hereunder or under any other
Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative
Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or reasonably
requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed
and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as will permit such
payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In
addition, any Lender, if requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent,
shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or
reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable
the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender
is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the
Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States, any Foreign Lender
shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of
copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which
such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time
thereafter upon the request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but
only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the
following is applicable:
(i) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN
claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the
United States is a party,
(ii) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI,
(iii) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the
exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a
certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a "bank"
within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a "10 percent
shareholder" of the Borrower within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of
the Code, or (C) a "controlled foreign corporation" described in section
881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue
Service Form W-8BEN, or
42
(iv) any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for
claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States Federal withholding
tax duly completed together with such supplementary documentation as may be
prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower to determine the
withholding or deduction required to be made.
(f) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN REFUNDS. If the Administrative Agent, any Lender
or the L/C Issuer determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a
refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the
Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts
pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such
refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts
paid, by the Borrower under this Section with respect to the Taxes or Other
Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the
Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and
without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental
Authority with respect to such refund), PROVIDED that the Borrower, upon the
request of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, agrees to
repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or
other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the
Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer in the event the
Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer is required to repay such
refund to such Governmental Authority. This subsection shall not be construed to
require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer to make available
its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems
confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.
3.02 ILLEGALITY. If any Lender determines that any Law has made it
unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful,
for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund
Eurodollar Rate Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the
Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions
on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of,
Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender
to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, any obligation of such Lender
to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Committed
Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until such Lender notifies the
Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such
determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall,
upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay
or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate
Loans, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender
may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or
immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such
Eurodollar Rate Loans. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower
shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.
3.03 INABILITY TO DETERMINE RATES. If the Required Lenders determine that
for any reason in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a
conversion to or continuation thereof that (a) Dollar deposits are not being
offered to banks in the London interbank eurodollar market for the applicable
amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan, (b) adequate and
reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Rate for any
requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan , or
(c) the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a
proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to
43
such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so
notify the Borrower and each Lender. Thereafter, the obligation of the Lenders
to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until the
Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such
notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request
for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or,
failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a
Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.
3.04 INCREASED COSTS; RESERVES ON EURODOLLAR RATE LOANS.
(a) INCREASED COSTS GENERALLY. If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit,
compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of,
deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in
by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement contemplated by SECTION
3.04(E)) or the L/C Issuer;
(ii) subject any Lender or the L/C Issuer to any tax of any kind
whatsoever with respect to this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any
participation in a Letter of Credit or any Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it,
or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender or the L/C
Issuer in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes
covered by SECTION 3.01 and the imposition of, or any change in the rate
of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer); or
(iii) impose on any Lender or the L/C Issuer or the London interbank
market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or
Eurodollar Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or
participation therein;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such
Lender of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Rate Loan (or of maintaining its
obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or the
L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or
of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of
Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such
Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other
amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Borrower will
pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount
or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be,
for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS. If any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines that
any Change in Law affecting such Lender or the L/C Issuer or any Lending Office
of such Lender or such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's holding company, if any,
regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate
of return on such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's capital or on the capital of such
Lender's or the L/C Issuer's holding company, if any, as a consequence of this
Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or
participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of
Credit issued by the L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or the
L/C Issuer or such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's holding company could have
44
achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender's or
the L/C Issuer's policies and the policies of such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's
holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the
Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such
additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or
such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's holding company for any such reduction
suffered.
(c) CERTIFICATES FOR REIMBURSEMENT. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C
Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender
or the L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in
subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Borrower shall be
conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or the L/C
Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate
within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.
(d) DELAY IN REQUESTS. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the
L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's right
to demand such compensation, PROVIDED that the Borrower shall not be required to
compensate a Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of
this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than
nine months prior to the date that such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case
may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased
costs or reductions and of such Lender's or the L/C Issuer's intention to claim
compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such
increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine-month period
referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect
thereof).
(e) RESERVES ON EURODOLLAR RATE LOANS. The Borrower shall pay to each
Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with
respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds
or deposits (currently known as "Eurocurrency liabilities"), additional interest
on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurodollar Rate Loan equal to the actual
costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by
such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which shall
be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan,
PROVIDED the Borrower shall have received at least 10 days' prior notice (with a
copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest from such Lender.
If a Lender fails to give notice 10 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment
Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable 10 days from receipt of
such notice.
3.05 COMPENSATION FOR LOSSES.
(a) Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent)
from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and
hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a
result of:
(i) any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan
other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the
Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by
reason of acceleration, or otherwise);
45
(ii) any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure
of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any
Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by
the Borrower; or
(iii) any assignment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the
last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the
Borrower pursuant to SECTION 10.13;
including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from
the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or
from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained.
The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such
Lender in connection with the foregoing.
(b) Upon demand of the Administrative Agent from time to time, the Borrower
shall immediately compensate the Administrative Agent for, and hold the
Administrative Agent harmless from, any loss, cost, fee or expense incurred by
it with respect to Eurodollar Rate Loans on account of the syndication of the
Commitments during the one hundred eighty (180) day period following the Closing
Date.
For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders
under this SECTION 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each
Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a
matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market
for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such
Eurodollar Rate Loan was in fact so funded.
3.06 MITIGATION OBLIGATIONS; REPLACEMENT OF LENDERS.
(a) DESIGNATION OF A DIFFERENT LENDING OFFICE. If any Lender requests
compensation under SECTION 3.04, or the Borrower is required to pay any
additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of
any Lender pursuant to SECTION 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to
SECTION 3.02, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a
different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign
its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or
affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment
(i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to SECTION 3.01 or 3.04,
as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant
to SECTION 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such
Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be
disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable
costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such
designation or assignment.
(b) REPLACEMENT OF LENDERS. If any Lender requests compensation under
SECTION 3.04, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any
Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to
SECTION 3.01, the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with SECTION
10.13.
3.07 SURVIVAL. All of the Borrower's obligations under this Article III
shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments and repayment of all
other Obligations hereunder.
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ARTICLE IV.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
4.01 CONDITIONS OF INITIAL CREDIT EXTENSION. The obligation of the L/C
Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject
to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:
(a) The Administrative Agent's receipt of the following, each of which
shall be originals or facsimiles (followed promptly by originals) unless
otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the
signing Loan 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 satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each of the
Lenders:
(i) executed counterparts of this Agreement, sufficient in number for
distribution to the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Borrower;
(ii) a Note executed by the Borrower in favor of each Lender
requesting a Note;
(iii) such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency
certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan
Party as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing the identity,
authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to
act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the
other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party;
(iv) such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may
reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is duly organized or
formed, and that each of the Borrower and the Guarantors is validly
existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each
jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the
conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent
that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect;
(v) favorable opinions of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Frome ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Wolosky
LLP, (New York counsel to the Loan Parties), and Gunster, Yoakley &
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.A., (Florida counsel to the Loan Parties), addressed to the
Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to such matters concerning the
Loan Parties and the Loan Documents as the Required Lenders may reasonably
request;
(vi) a certificate of a Responsible Officer of each Loan Party either
(A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in
connection with the execution, delivery and performance by such Loan Party
and the validity against such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it
is a party, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full
force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or
approvals are so required;
(vii) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower
certifying (A) that the conditions specified in SECTIONS 4.02(A) and (B)
47
have been satisfied, and (B) that there has been no event or circumstance
that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually
or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect upon (I) the business,
assets, liabilities (actual or contingent), operations, condition
(financial or otherwise) of the Borrower since the date of the Audited
Financial Statements or (II) the prospects of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole in the facts or information regarding such
entities as represented to date;
(viii) a duly completed Compliance Certificate dated as of the Closing
Date, signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, giving PRO FORMA
effect to the transactions contemplated hereby with the financial
statements referenced in SECTION 5.05 attached thereto.
(ix) evidence that all insurance required to be maintained pursuant to
the Loan Documents has been obtained and is in effect;
(x) evidence that the Existing Credit Agreement has been or
concurrently with the Closing Date is being terminated and all Liens
securing obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement have been or
concurrently with the Closing Date are being released; and
(xi) such other assurances, certificates, documents, consents or
opinions as the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender
or the Required Lenders reasonably may require.
(b) Any fees required to be paid on or before the Closing Date shall have
been paid.
(c) Unless waived by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall have paid
all fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent to
the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional
amounts of such fees, charges and disbursements as shall constitute its
reasonable estimate of such fees, charges and disbursements incurred or to be
incurred by it through the closing proceedings (PROVIDED that such estimate
shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent).
(d) The Closing Date shall have occurred on or before May 27, 2005.
Without limiting the generality of the provisions of SECTION 9.04, for
purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this SECTION
4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have
consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or
other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable
or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received
notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its
objection thereto.
4.02 CONDITIONS TO ALL CREDIT EXTENSIONS. The obligation of each Lender to
honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice
requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type, or a
continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions
precedent:
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(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in Article
V or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished
at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and
correct on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent
that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date,
in which case they shall be true and correct as of such earlier date, and except
that for purposes of this SECTION 4.02, the representations and warranties
contained in subsections (a) and (b) of SECTION 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to
the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b),
respectively, of SECTION 6.01.
(b) No Default or Event of Default shall exist, or would result from such
proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.
(c) The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer or the
Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in
accordance with the requirements hereof.
Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice
requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type or a
continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed
to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in SECTIONS
4.02(A) and (B) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable
Credit Extension.
ARTICLE V.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders that:
5.01 EXISTENCE, QUALIFICATION AND POWER; COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS. Each Loan
Party (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and in good standing
under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has
all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses,
authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own or lease its assets and carry
on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the
Loan Documents to which it is a party, (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and
in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease
or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such
qualification or license, and (d) is in compliance with all Laws; except in each
case referred to in clause (b)(i), (c) or (d), to the extent that failure to do
so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.02 AUTHORIZATION; NO CONTRAVENTION. The execution, delivery and
performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is
party, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other
organizational action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of any
of such Person's Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any
breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, or require any
payment to be made under (i) any Contractual Obligation to which such Person is
a party or affecting such Person or the properties of such Person or any of its
Subsidiaries or (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental
Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject;
or (c) violate any Law. Each Loan Party is in compliance with all Contractual
49
Obligations referred to in clause (b)(i), except to the extent that failure to
do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.03 GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORIZATION; OTHER CONSENTS. No approval, consent,
exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any
Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in
connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement
against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
5.04 BINDING EFFECT. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document,
when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each
Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other
Loan Document when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding
obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against each Loan Party that is party
thereto in accordance with its terms.
5.05 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS; NO MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT; NO INTERNAL CONTROL
EVENT.
(a) The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with
GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as
otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of
operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently
applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly
noted therein; and (iii) show all material indebtedness and other liabilities,
direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date
thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.
(b) The unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2005, and the related
consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders' equity and cash
flows for the fiscal quarter ended on that date (i) were prepared in accordance
with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as
otherwise expressly noted therein, and (ii) fairly present the financial
condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their
results of operations for the period covered thereby, subject, in the case of
clauses (i) and (ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit
adjustments. SCHEDULE 5.05 sets forth all material indebtedness and other
liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its consolidated
Subsidiaries as of the date of such financial statements, including liabilities
for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.
(c) Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no
event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d) Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, no Internal Control
Event has occurred.
(e) The consolidated forecasted balance sheet and statements of income and
cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries delivered pursuant to SECTION
6.01(C) were prepared in good faith on the basis of the assumptions stated
therein, which assumptions were fair in light of the conditions existing at the
50
time of delivery of such forecasts, and represented, at the time of delivery,
the Borrower's best estimate of its future financial performance.
5.06 LITIGATION. There are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or
disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower after due and diligent
investigation, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or
before any Governmental Authority, by or against the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to
affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the
transactions contemplated hereby, or (b) either individually or in the
aggregate, if determined adversely, could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
5.07 NO DEFAULT. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default
under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation that could, either
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other
Loan Document.
5.08 OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY; LIENS. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary
has good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold
interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its
business, except for such defects in title as could not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The
property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than
Liens permitted by SECTION 7.01.
5.09 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries conduct in
the ordinary course of business a review of the effect of existing Environmental
Laws and claims alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of
any Environmental Law on their respective businesses, operations and properties,
and as a result thereof the Borrower has reasonably concluded that such
Environmental Laws and claims could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.10 INSURANCE. The properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are
insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates
of the Borrower, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks
as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning
similar properties in localities where the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary
operates.
5.11 TAXES. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, state
and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid
all Federal, state and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other
governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or
assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good
faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate
reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax
assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a
Material Adverse Effect. Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is
party to any tax sharing agreement.
51
5.12 ERISA COMPLIANCE.
(a) Each Plan is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable
provisions of ERISA, the Code and other Federal or state Laws. Each Plan that is
intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable
determination letter from the IRS or an application for such a letter is
currently being processed by the IRS with respect thereto and, to the best
knowledge of the Borrower, nothing has occurred which would prevent, or cause
the loss of, such qualification. The Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate have made
all required contributions to each Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, and
no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period
pursuant to Section 412 of the Code has been made with respect to any Plan.
(b) There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower,
threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority,
with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the
fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or
could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) (i) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur;
(ii) no Pension Plan has any Unfunded Pension Liability; (iii) neither the
Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur,
any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan (other
than premiums due and not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA); (iv) neither
the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to
incur, any liability (and no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice
under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in such liability) under Sections 4201
or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multiemployer Plan; and (v) neither the
Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be
subject to Sections 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.
5.13 SUBSIDIARIES; EQUITY INTERESTS. As of the Closing Date, the Borrower
has no Subsidiaries other than those specifically disclosed in Part (a) of
SCHEDULE 5.13, and all of the outstanding Equity Interests in such Subsidiaries
have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by a
Loan Party in the amounts specified on Part (a) of SCHEDULE 5.13 free and clear
of all Liens. As of the Closing Date, Part (a) of SCHEDULE 5.13 also lists the
jurisdiction of incorporation of the Borrower and each Subsidiary thereof and
the classes and number of authorized, issued and outstanding Equity Interests of
the Borrower and each Subsidiary thereof. The Borrower has no equity investments
in any other corporation or entity other than those specifically disclosed in
Part (b) of SCHEDULE 5.13. All of the outstanding Equity Interests in the
Borrower have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable. As of the
Closing Date, there are no outstanding warrants, subscriptions, options,
securities, instruments or other rights of any type or nature whatsoever, which
are convertible into, exchangeable for or otherwise provide for or permit the
issuance of Equity Interests of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, except as
described on SCHEDULE 5.13.
52
5.14 MARGIN REGULATIONS; INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT; PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING
COMPANY ACT.
(a) The Borrower is not engaged and will not engage, principally or as one
of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin
stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the FRB), or extending
credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. No part of any
Credit Extension (or the proceeds thereof) will be used to purchase or carry any
margin stock or to extend credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any
margin stock. Neither the making of any Loan nor the use of the proceeds thereof
nor the occurrence of any other Credit Extension will violate or be inconsistent
with the provisions of Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System
(b) None of the Borrower, any Person Controlling the Borrower, or any
Subsidiary (i) is a "holding company," or a "subsidiary company" of a "holding
company," or an "affiliate" of a "holding company" or of a "subsidiary company"
of a "holding company," within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935, or (ii) is or is required to be registered as an "investment
company" under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
5.15 DISCLOSURE. The Borrower has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to
which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to
it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect. No report, financial statement, certificate
or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of
any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or
delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case, as modified
or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material
misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; PROVIDED that, with respect to projected financial
information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in
good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
5.16 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in
compliance in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all
orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties,
except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ,
injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings
diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually
or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
5.17 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; LICENSES, ETC. The Borrower and its
Subsidiaries own, or possess the right to use, all of the trademarks, service
marks, trade names, copyrights, patents, patent rights, franchises, licenses and
other intellectual property rights (collectively, "IP RIGHTS") that are
reasonably necessary for the operation of their respective businesses, without
conflict with the rights of any other Person. To the best knowledge of the
Borrower, no slogan or other advertising device, product, process, method,
substance, part or other material now employed, or now contemplated to be
employed, by the Borrower or any Subsidiary infringes upon any rights held by
any other Person. No claim or litigation regarding any of the foregoing is
53
pending or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened, which, either
individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
ARTICLE VI.
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or
other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of
Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall, and shall (except in the
case of the covenants set forth in SECTIONS 6.01, 6.02, and 6.03) cause each
Subsidiary to:
6.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. Deliver to the Administrative Agent and each
Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the
Required Lenders:
(a) as soon as available, but in any event within 90 days after the
end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a consolidated and consolidating
balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such
fiscal year, and the related consolidated and consolidating statements of
income or operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows for such fiscal
year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the
previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance
with GAAP, such consolidated statements to be audited and accompanied by
(i) a report and opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, LLP or other
Registered Public Accounting Firm of nationally recognized standing
reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders, which report and opinion
shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards
and applicable Securities Laws and shall not be subject to any "going
concern" or like qualification or exception or any qualification or
exception as to the scope of such audit and (ii) an attestation report of
such Registered Public Accounting Firm as to the Borrower's internal
controls pursuant to Section 404 of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ expressing a conclusion
to which the Required Lenders do not object, and such consolidating
statements to be certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower to the
effect that such statements are fairly stated in all material respects when
considered in relation to the consolidated financial statements of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries; and
(b) as soon as available, but in any event within 45 days after the
end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the
Borrower, a consolidated and consolidating balance sheet of the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related
consolidated and consolidating statements of income or operations,
shareholders' equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the
portion of the Borrower's fiscal year then ended, setting forth in each
case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter
of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous
fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, certified by a Responsible Officer
of the Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of
operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit
adjustments and the absence of footnotes; and
54
(c) as soon as available, but in any event within forty-five (45) days
following the beginning of each fiscal year of the Borrower, forecasts
prepared by management of the Borrower, in form satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, of consolidated balance
sheets and statements of income or operations and cash flows of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a monthly basis for the immediately
following fiscal year (including the fiscal year in which the Maturity Date
occurs).
As to any information contained in materials furnished pursuant to SECTION
6.02(D), the Borrower shall not be separately required to furnish such
information under clause (a) or (b) above, but the foregoing shall not be in
derogation of the obligation of the Borrower to furnish the information and
materials described in clauses (a) and (b) above at the times specified therein.
6.02 CERTIFICATES; OTHER INFORMATION. Deliver to the Administrative Agent
and each Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and
the Required Lenders:
(a) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements
referred to in SECTION 6.01(A), a certificate of its independent certified
public accountants certifying such financial statements and stating that in
making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any
Default or Event of Default relating to financial or accounting matters or,
if any such Default or Event of Default shall exist, stating the nature and
status of such event;
(b) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements
referred to in SECTIONS 6.01(A) and (B) (commencing with the delivery of
the financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005), a duly
completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the
Borrower;
(c) promptly after any request by the Administrative Agent or any
Lender, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or
recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee
of the board of directors) of the Borrower by independent accountants in
connection with the accounts or books of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or
any audit of any of them;
(d) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual
report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent
to the stockholders of the Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular,
periodic and special reports and registration statements which the Borrower
may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be
delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto; and
(e) promptly after the furnishing thereof, copies of any statement or
report furnished to any holder of debt securities of any Loan Party or any
Subsidiary thereof pursuant to the terms of any indenture, loan or credit
or similar agreement and not otherwise required to be furnished to the
Lenders pursuant to SECTION 6.01 or any other clause of this SECTION 6.02;
and
(f) promptly, and in any event within five Business Days after receipt
thereof by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each notice
55
or other correspondence received from the SEC (or comparable agency in any
applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction) concerning any investigation or possible
investigation or other inquiry by such agency regarding financial or other
operational results of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof; and
(g) promptly, such additional information regarding the business,
financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or
compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as the Administrative
Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.
Documents required to be delivered pursuant to SECTION 6.01(A) or (B) or
SECTION 6.02(D) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials
otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so
delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the
Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Borrower's
website on the Internet at the website address listed on SCHEDULE 10.02; or (ii)
on which such documents are posted on the Borrower's behalf on an Internet or
intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have
access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the
Administrative Agent); PROVIDED that: (i) the Borrower shall deliver paper
copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender that requests
the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease
delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and
(ii) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender (by
telecopier or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide
to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft
copies) of such documents. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in every
instance the Borrower shall be required to provide paper copies of the
Compliance Certificates required by SECTION 6.02(B) to the Administrative Agent.
Except for such Compliance Certificates, the Administrative Agent shall have no
obligation to request the delivery or to maintain copies of the documents
referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor
compliance by the Borrower with any such request for delivery, and each Lender
shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its
copies of such documents.
The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or
the Arranger will make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer materials
and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder
(collectively, "BORROWER MATERIALS") by posting the Borrower Materials on
IntraLinks or another similar electronic system (the "PLATFORM") and (b) certain
of the Lenders may be "public-side" Lenders (i.e., Lenders that do not wish to
receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its
securities) (each, a "PUBLIC LENDER"). The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all
Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be
clearly and conspicuously marked "PUBLIC" which, at a minimum, shall mean that
the word "PUBLIC" shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by
marking Borrower Materials "PUBLIC," the Borrower shall be deemed to have
authorized the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, the L/C Issuer and the
Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not containing any material
non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for
purposes of United States Federal and state securities laws (PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be
treated as set forth in SECTION 10.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked
56
"PUBLIC" are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform
designated "Public Investor;" and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arranger
shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked "PUBLIC"
as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated
"Public Investor."
6.03 NOTICES. Promptly notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default;
(b) of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect, including (i) breach or
non-performance of, or any default under, a Contractual Obligation of the
Borrower or any Subsidiary; (ii) any dispute, litigation, investigation,
proceeding or suspension between the Borrower or any Subsidiary and any
Governmental Authority; or (iii) the commencement of, or any material
development in, any litigation or proceeding affecting the Borrower or any
Subsidiary, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws;
(c) of the occurrence of any ERISA Event;
(d) of any material change in accounting policies or financial
reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and
(e) of the occurrence of any Internal Control Event.
Each notice pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of
a Responsible Officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence
referred to therein and stating what action the Borrower has taken and proposes
to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to SECTION 6.03(A) shall
describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any
other Loan Document that have been breached.
6.04 PAYMENT OF OBLIGATIONS. Pay and discharge as the same shall become due
and payable, all its obligations and liabilities, including (a) all tax
liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its
properties or assets, unless the same are being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance
with GAAP are being maintained by the Borrower or such Subsidiary; (b) all
lawful claims which, if unpaid, would by law become a Lien upon its property;
and (c) all Indebtedness, as and when due and payable, but subject to any
subordination provisions contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing
such Indebtedness.
6.05 PRESERVATION OF EXISTENCE, ETC. (a) Preserve, renew and maintain in
full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of
the jurisdiction of its organization except in a transaction permitted by
SECTION 7.04 or 7.05; (b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights,
privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the
normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so could
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) preserve
or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service
marks, the non-preservation of which could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
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6.06 MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTIES. (a) Maintain, preserve and protect all of
its material properties and equipment necessary in the operation of its business
in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted; and (b)
make all necessary repairs thereto and renewals and replacements thereof except
where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect; and (c) use the standard of care typical in the industry in the
operation and maintenance of its facilities.
6.07 MAINTENANCE OF INSURANCE. Maintain with financially sound and
reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, insurance with
respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds
customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business,
of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar
circumstances by such other Persons and providing for not less than 30 days'
prior notice to the Administrative Agent of termination, lapse or cancellation
of such insurance.
6.08 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS. Comply in all material respects with the
requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees
applicable to it or to its business or property, except in such instances in
which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; or (b)
the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
6.09 BOOKS AND RECORDS. (a) Maintain proper books of record and account, in
which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently
applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the
assets and business of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be; and
(b) maintain such books of record and account in material conformity with all
applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory
jurisdiction over the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.
6.10 INSPECTION RIGHTS. Permit representatives and independent contractors
of the Administrative Agent and each Lender to visit and inspect any of its
properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make
copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and
accounts with its directors, officers, and independent public accountants, all
at the reasonable expense of the Borrower and at such reasonable times during
normal business hours on no more than one (1) occasion per year and upon
reasonable advance notice to the Borrower; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that when an Event
of Default exists the Administrative Agent or any Lender (or any of their
respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the
foregoing at the expense of the Borrower as often as may be reasonably desired,
at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice.
6.11 USE OF PROCEEDS. Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions for (a)
general corporate purposes of the Borrower and Guarantors, including, without
limitation, working capital, capital expenditures in the ordinary course of
business, Permitted Acquisitions, and other lawful corporate purposes, (b) to
refinance the indebtedness under the Existing Credit Agreement and (c) for the
other purposes described herein, and not in contravention of any Law or of any
Loan Document.
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6.12 ADDITIONAL SUBSIDIARIES. Notify the Administrative Agent at the time
that any Person becomes a Domestic Subsidiary, and promptly thereafter (and in
any event within 30 days), cause such Person to (a) become a Guarantor by
executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent the Guaranty (or a
counterpart thereto) or such other document as the Administrative Agent shall
deem appropriate for such purpose, and (b) deliver to the Administrative Agent
documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of SECTION 4.01(A)
and favorable opinions of counsel to such Person (which shall cover, among other
things, the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the
documentation referred to in clause (a)), all in form, content and scope
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
ARTICLE VII.
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or
other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of
Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any
Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
7.01 LIENS. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of
its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other
than the following:
(a) Liens pursuant to any Loan Document;
(b) Liens existing on the date hereof and listed on SCHEDULE 7.01 and
any renewals or extensions thereof, PROVIDED that (i) the property covered
thereby is not changed, (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not
increased, (iii) the direct or any contingent obligor with respect thereto
is not changed, and (iv) any renewal or extension of the obligations
secured or benefited thereby is permitted by SECTION 7.03(B);
(c) Liens for taxes not yet due or which are being contested in good
faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate
reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable
Person in accordance with GAAP;
(d) carriers', warehousemen's, mechanics', materialmen's, repairmen's
or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are
not overdue for a period of more than thirty (30) days or which are being
contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently
conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the
books of the applicable Person;
(e) pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business in
connection with workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and other
social security legislation, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA;
(f) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and
leases (other than Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety and appeal
bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in
the ordinary course of business;
(g) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar
encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not
substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from
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the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the
ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person;
(h) Liens securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting
an Event of Default under SECTION 8.01(H);
(i) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under SECTION 7.03(E);
PROVIDED that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other
than the property financed by such Indebtedness and (ii) the Indebtedness
secured thereby does not exceed the cost or fair market value, whichever is
lower, of the property being acquired on the date of acquisition;
(j) licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases granted to other
Persons not materially interfering with the conduct of the business of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
(k) Liens arising from precautionary UCC financing statement filings
regarding operating leases entered into in the ordinary course of business;
and
(l) Liens on property or assets acquired pursuant to a Permitted
Acquisition, or on property or assets of a Subsidiary of the Borrower in
existence at the time such Subsidiary is acquired pursuant to a Permitted
Acquisition, PROVIDED that (x) any Indebtedness that is secured by such
Liens is permitted to exist under SECTION 7.03(F), and (y) such Liens are
not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation or anticipation of,
such Permitted Acquisition and do not attach to any other asset of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
7.02 INVESTMENTS. Make any Investments, except:
(a) Investments held by the Borrower or such Subsidiary in the form of
Cash Equivalents;
(b) advances to officers, directors and employees of the Borrower and
Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $500,000 at any time
outstanding, for travel, entertainment, relocation and analogous ordinary
business purposes;
(c) Investments of the Borrower in any Guarantor and Investments of
any wholly-owned Subsidiary in the Borrower or in any Guarantor;
(d) Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of
accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade
credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in
satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled
account debtors to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or
limit loss;
(e) Guarantees permitted by SECTION 7.03;
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(f) other Investments not exceeding $500,000 in the aggregate in any
fiscal year of the Borrower;
(g) Investments in the form of acquisitions of all or substantially
all of the business or a line of business (whether by the acquisition of
capital stock, assets or any combination thereof) of any other Person, (any
such acquisition, a "PERMITTED ACQUISITION"); PROVIDED that:
(i) the entity to be acquired (or with respect to which such
acquisition is made) is a going concern;
(ii) the entity to be acquired shall engage in a business or the
assets to be acquired shall be used in a business in accordance with
SECTION 7.07;
(iii) the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative
Agent prior to the closing date of the acquisition a description of
the acquisition;
(iv) the Borrower shall have certified on or before the closing
date of the acquisition, in writing and in a form acceptable to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders, that the acquisition has been
approved (if applicable) by the board of directors or equivalent
governing body of the entity to be acquired;
(v) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing both before and after giving effect to the acquisition;
(vi) the Borrower shall have complied with the requirements of
SECTION 6.12;
(vii) the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative
Agent a Compliance Certificate dated as of the closing date of the
acquisition demonstrating, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory thereto, immediately before and after the closing date of
the acquisition and on a pro forma basis, (A) compliance with each
covenant contained in SECTION 7.11, (B) borrowing availability of at
least $10,000,000 under this Agreement, and (C) a Consolidated
Leverage Ratio of at least 0.5x below the Maximum Consolidated
Leverage Ratio permitted hereunder at such time; and
(viii) the Borrower shall have complied with the requirements of
SECTION 5.02.
(h) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may acquire and own investments
(including debt obligations) received in connection with the bankruptcy or
reorganization of suppliers and customers and in good faith settlement of
delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with, customers and suppliers
arising in the ordinary course of business.
7.03 INDEBTEDNESS. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any
Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness under the Loan Documents;
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(b) Indebtedness outstanding on the date hereof and listed on SCHEDULE
7.03 and any refinancings, refundings, renewals or extensions thereof;
PROVIDED that (i) the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the
time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an
amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and
fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing
and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder
and (ii) the terms relating to principal amount, amortization, maturity,
collateral (if any) and subordination (if any), and other material terms
taken as a whole, of any such refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending
Indebtedness, and of any agreement entered into and of any instrument
issued in connection therewith, are no less favorable in any material
respect to the Loan Parties or the Lenders than the terms of any agreement
or instrument governing the Indebtedness being refinanced, refunded,
renewed or extended and the interest rate applicable to any such
refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending Indebtedness does not exceed
the then applicable market interest rate;
(c) Guarantees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of
Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder of the Borrower or any
wholly-owned Subsidiary;
(d) obligations (contingent or otherwise) of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary existing or arising under any Swap Contract, PROVIDED that (i)
such obligations are (or were) entered into by such Person in the ordinary
course of business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated
with liabilities, commitments, investments, assets, or property held or
reasonably anticipated by such Person, or changes in the value of
securities issued by such Person, and not for purposes of speculation or
taking a "market view;" and (ii) such Swap Contract does not contain any
provision exonerating the non-defaulting party from its obligation to make
payments on outstanding transactions to the defaulting party;
(e) Indebtedness in respect of capital leases and purchase money
obligations for fixed or capital assets within the limitations set forth in
SECTION 7.01(I); PROVIDED, however, that the aggregate amount of all such
Indebtedness at any one time outstanding shall not exceed $2,500,000; and
(f) Indebtedness of a Subsidiary of the Borrower acquired pursuant to
a Permitted Acquisition (or Indebtedness assumed at the time of a Permitted
Acquisition of an asset securing such Indebtedness); PROVIDED that (i) such
Indebtedness was not incurred in connection with, or in anticipation or
contemplation of, such Permitted Acquisition, (ii) such Indebtedness does
not constitute debt for borrowed money, it being understood and agreed that
capitalized lease obligations and purchase money Indebtedness shall not
constitute debt for borrowed money for purposes of this clause (ii) and
(iii) the aggregate principal amount of all Indebtedness permitted by this
clause (f) shall not exceed $500,000 at any one time outstanding.
7.04 FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES. Merge, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate with or
into another Person, or Dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of
transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or
hereafter acquired) to or in favor of any Person, except that, so long as no
Default exists or would result therefrom:
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(a) any Subsidiary may merge with (i) the Borrower, PROVIDED that the
Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or (ii) any one or
more other Subsidiaries, PROVIDED that when any Guarantor is merging with
another Subsidiary, the Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving
Person; and
(b) any Subsidiary may Dispose of all or substantially all of its
assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or to
another Subsidiary; PROVIDED that if the transferor in such a transaction
is a Guarantor, then the transferee must either be the Borrower or a
Guarantor.
7.05 DISPOSITIONS. Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make
any Disposition, except:
(a) Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property, whether now owned
or hereafter acquired, in the ordinary course of business;
(b) Dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business;
(c) Dispositions of equipment or real property to the extent that (i)
such property is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar
replacement property or (ii) the proceeds of such Disposition are
reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement
property;
(d) Dispositions of property by any Subsidiary to the Borrower or to a
wholly-owned Subsidiary; PROVIDED that if the transferor of such property
is a Guarantor, the transferee thereof must either be the Borrower or a
Guarantor;
(e) Dispositions permitted by SECTION 7.04;
(f) each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may sell or discount, in
each case without recourse and in the ordinary course of business, 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;
(g) 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; and
(h) Dispositions by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not otherwise
permitted under this SECTION 7.05; PROVIDED that (i) at the time of such
Disposition, no Default or Event of Default shall exist or would result
from such Disposition and (ii) the aggregate book value of all property
Disposed of in reliance on this clause (h) in any fiscal year shall not
exceed $1,000,000;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any Disposition pursuant to clauses (a) through (h)
shall be for fair market value.
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8.06 RESTRICTED PAYMENTS. Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any
Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so,
or issue or sell any Equity Interests, except that, so long as no Default shall
have occurred and be continuing at the time of any action described below or
would result therefrom:
(a) each Subsidiary may make Restricted Payments to the Borrower, the
Guarantors and any other Person that owns an Equity Interest in such
Subsidiary, ratably according to their respective holdings of the type of
Equity Interest in respect of which such Restricted Payment is being made;
(b) the Borrower and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend
payments or other distributions payable solely in the common stock or other
common Equity Interests of such Person;
(c) the Borrower and each Subsidiary may purchase, redeem or otherwise
acquire Equity Interests issued by it with the proceeds received from the
substantially concurrent issue of new shares of its common stock or other
common Equity Interests; and
(d) the Borrower may declare or pay cash dividends to its stockholders
and option holders; PROVIDED, that (i) no Default or Event of Default shall
exist or would result therefrom, (ii) after giving pro forma effect to any
such dividends, the Borrower shall be in pro forma compliance with SECTION
7.11, and (iii) any such dividends shall be declared and paid (A) in
accordance with all applicable Laws and (B) in accordance with the
Borrower's Organization Documents.
(e) in addition to the transactions permitted under clause (b) above,
the Borrower may issue and sell shares of its common stock, so long as any
such common stock is not redeemable or is redeemable solely at the option
of the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary.
7.07 CHANGE IN NATURE OF BUSINESS. Engage in any material line of business
substantially different from those lines of business conducted by the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries on the date hereof or any business substantially related or
incidental thereto.
7.08 TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES. Enter into any transaction of any kind
with any Affiliate of the Borrower, whether or not in the ordinary course of
business, other than on fair and reasonable terms substantially as favorable to
the Borrower or such Subsidiary as would be obtainable by the Borrower or such
Subsidiary at the time in a comparable arm's length transaction with a Person
other than an Affiliate, PROVIDED that (i) the foregoing restriction shall not
apply to transactions between or among the Borrower and any Guarantor or between
and among any Guarantors and (ii) customary fees may be paid to non-officer
directors of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
7.09 BURDENSOME AGREEMENTS. Enter into any Contractual Obligation (other
than this Agreement or any other Loan Document) that (a) limits the ability (i)
of any Subsidiary to make Restricted Payments to the Borrower or any Guarantor
or to otherwise transfer property to the Borrower or any Guarantor, (ii) of any
Subsidiary to Guarantee the Indebtedness of the Borrower or (iii) of the
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Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on
property of such Person; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this clause (iii) shall not
prohibit any negative pledge incurred or provided in favor of any holder of
Indebtedness permitted under SECTION 7.03(E) solely to the extent any such
negative pledge relates to the property financed by or the subject of such
Indebtedness; or (b) requires the grant of a Lien to secure an obligation of
such Person if a Lien is granted to secure another obligation of such Person.
7.10 USE OF PROCEEDS. Use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether
directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to
purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of the FRB)
or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin
stock or to refund indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.
7.11 FINANCIAL COVENANTS.
(a) CONSOLIDATED NET WORTH. Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June
30, 2005, permit Consolidated Net Worth at any time to be less than the sum of
(i) 85% of the Borrower's Consolidated Net Worth as of June 30, 2005, (ii) an
amount equal to 75% of the Consolidated Net Income earned in each full fiscal
quarter ending after June 30, 2005 (with no deduction for a net loss in any such
fiscal quarter) and (iii) an amount equal to 100% of the aggregate increases in
Shareholders' Equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries after the date hereof
by reason of the issuance and sale of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary (other than issuances to the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary),
including upon any conversion of debt securities of the Borrower into such
Equity Interests.
(b) CONSOLIDATED LEVERAGE RATIO. Permit the Consolidated Leverage Ratio at
any time to be greater than 3.00 to 1.00.
(c) CONSOLIDATED FIXED CHARGE COVERAGE RATIO. At any time, permit the
Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio to be less than 2.00 to 1.00.
ARTICLE VIII.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
8.01 EVENTS OF DEFAULT. Any of the following shall constitute an Event of
Default:
(a) NON-PAYMENT. The Borrower or any other Loan Party fails to pay (i) when
and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan or any
L/C Obligation, or (ii) within three days after the same becomes due, any
interest on any Loan or on any L/C Obligation, or any fee due hereunder, or
(iii) within five days after the same becomes due, any other amount payable
hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or
(b) SPECIFIC COVENANTS. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any term,
covenant or agreement contained in any of SECTION 6.01, 6.02, 6.03, 6.05, 6.10,
6.11 or 6.12 or Article VII, or any Guarantor fails to perform or observe any
term, covenant or agreement contained in the Guaranty; or
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(c) OTHER DEFAULTS. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other
covenant or agreement (not specified in subsection (a) or (b) above) contained
in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure
continues for thirty (30) days after written notice thereof has been given to
the Borrower by the Administrative Agent; or
(d) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. Any representation, warranty,
certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of the
Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any
document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect or
misleading when made or deemed made; or
(e) CROSS-DEFAULT. (i) The Borrower or any Subsidiary (A) fails to make any
payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment,
acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee
(other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) having
an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts
and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated
credit arrangement) of more than the Threshold Amount, or (B) fails to observe
or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or
Guarantee or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or
relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or
other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness
or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or agent on
behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with
the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become
due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or
otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such
Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to
become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; or (ii)
there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in
such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap
Contract as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as
defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined)
under such Swap Contract as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is an
Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value
owed by the Borrower or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than the
Threshold Amount; or
(f) INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS, ETC. Any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries
institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor
Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for
or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator,
liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material
part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator,
liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the
application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged
or unstayed for sixty (60) calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor
Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its
property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues
undismissed or unstayed for sixty (60) calendar days, or an order for relief is
entered in any such proceeding; or
(g) INABILITY TO PAY DEBTS; ATTACHMENT. (i) The Borrower or any Subsidiary
becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its
debts as they become due, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution
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or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the
property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within
thirty (30) days after its issue or levy; or
(h) JUDGMENTS. There is entered against the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i)
a final judgment or order for the payment of money in an aggregate amount
exceeding the Threshold Amount (to the extent not covered by independent
third-party insurance as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage), or
(ii) any one or more non-monetary final judgments that have, or could reasonably
be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect
and, in either case, (A) enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor
upon such judgment or order, or (B) there is a period of thirty (30) consecutive
days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment, by reason of a pending
appeal or otherwise, is not in effect; or
(i) ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or
Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result
in liability of the Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan,
Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold
Amount, or (ii) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after
the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with
respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a
Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount; or
(j) INVALIDITY OF LOAN DOCUMENTS. Any provision of any Loan Document, at
any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as
expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all the
Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any
other Person contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any
provision of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party denies that it has any or
further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports to revoke,
terminate or rescind any provision of any Loan Document; or
(k) CHANGE OF CONTROL. There occurs any Change of Control.
8.02 REMEDIES UPON EVENT OF DEFAULT. If any Event of Default occurs and is
continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the
consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:
(a) declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any
obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions to be
terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;
(b) declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all
interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable
hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and
payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind,
all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower;
(c) require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations
(in an amount equal to the then Outstanding Amount thereof); and
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(d) exercise on behalf of itself and the Lenders all rights and remedies
available to it and the Lenders under the Loan Documents;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an
order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the
United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of
the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the
unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other
amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the
obligation of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as
aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act
of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
8.03 APPLICATION OF FUNDS. After the exercise of remedies provided for in
SECTION 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and
payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash
Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to SECTION 8.02), any amounts
received on account of the Obligations shall be applied by the Administrative
Agent in the following order:
FIRST, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees,
indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and
disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under
ARTICLE III) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;
SECOND, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees,
indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of
Credit Fees) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer (including reasonable
fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C
Issuer and amounts payable under ARTICLE III), ratably among them in proportion
to the respective amounts described in this clause SECOND payable to them;
THIRD, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued
and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans, L/C Borrowings and
other Obligations, ratably among the Lenders and the L/C Issuer in proportion to
the respective amounts described in this clause THIRD payable to them;
FOURTH, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting (a)
unpaid principal of the Loans and L/C Borrowings, (b) all payment and other
obligations owing by the Borrower under any Swap Contracts, and (c) cash
management or similar treasury or custodial arrangements, ratably among the
Lenders and the L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in
this clause FOURTH held by them;
FIFTH, to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer, to
Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate
undrawn amount of Letters of Credit; and
LAST, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been
indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.
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Subject to SECTION 2.03(C), amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate
undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Fifth above shall be
applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any
amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have
either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to
the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.
ARTICLE IX.
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
9.01 APPOINTMENT AND AUTHORITY. Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer
hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the
Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes
the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such
powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or
thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental
thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and the Borrower shall not
have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions.
9.02 RIGHTS AS A LENDER. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent
hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as
any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the
Administrative Agent and the term "Lender" or "Lenders" shall, unless otherwise
expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person
serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such
Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as the
financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in
any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate
thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and
without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.
9.03 EXCULPATORY PROVISIONS. The Administrative Agent shall not have any
duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other
Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Administrative Agent:
(a) shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties,
regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;
(b) shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or
exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers
expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the
Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the
Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as
shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents),
PROVIDED that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any
action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the
Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document
or applicable law; and
(c) shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other
Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the
failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its
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Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the
Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.
The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not
taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or
such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the
Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the
circumstances as provided in SECTIONS 10.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of
its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall
be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice
describing such Default is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a
Lender or the L/C Issuer.
The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to
ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in
or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the
contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or
thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or
observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set
forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity,
enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan
Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction
of any condition set forth in ARTICLE IV or elsewhere herein, other than to
confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the
Administrative Agent.
9.04 RELIANCE BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT. The Administrative Agent shall be
entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any
notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other
writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting
or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed,
sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent
also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed
by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability
for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to
the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms
must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the
Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such
Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received
notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of
such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent may
consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent
accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any
action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such
counsel, accountants or experts.
9.05 DELEGATION OF DUTIES. The Administrative Agent may perform any and all
of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other
Loan Document by or through any one or more sub agents appointed by the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub agent may
perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or
through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this
Article shall apply to any such sub agent and to the Related Parties of the
Administrative Agent and any such sub agent, and shall apply to their respective
activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided
for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.
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9.06 RESIGNATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT. The Administrative Agent may at
any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the
Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders
shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor,
which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of
any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall
have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such
appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent
gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may on
behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative
Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; PROVIDED that if the
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that no
qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall
nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice and (1) the retiring
Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (2) all payments,
communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the
Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C
Issuer directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor
Administrative Agent as provided for above in this Section. Upon the acceptance
of a successor's appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor
shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges
and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent, and the retiring
Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations
hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom
as provided above in this Section). The fees payable by the Borrower to a
successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its
predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor.
After the retiring Administrative Agent's resignation hereunder and under the
other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and SECTION 10.04 shall
continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its
sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken
or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent
was acting as Administrative Agent.
Any resignation by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this
Section shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line
Lender. Upon the acceptance of a successor's appointment as Administrative Agent
hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the
rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line
Lender, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged
from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other
Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit
in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of
such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring L/C
Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with
respect to such Letters of Credit.
9.07 NON-RELIANCE ON ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND OTHER LENDERS. Each Lender
and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance
upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related
Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed
appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this
Agreement. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will,
independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other
Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and
information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its
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own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement,
any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished
hereunder or thereunder.
9.08 NO OTHER DUTIES, ETC. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding,
none of the Bookrunners or Arrangers listed on the cover page hereof shall have
any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other
Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative
Agent, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.
9.09 ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM. In case of the pendency
of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization,
arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to
any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal
of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed
or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative
Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and
empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal
and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and
all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other
documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of
the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any
claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances
of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their
respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the
L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under SECTIONS 2.03(I) and (J),
2.09 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(b) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or
deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or
other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by
each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent
and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of
such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the
Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and
counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under SECTIONS 2.09
and 10.04.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative
Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or
the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or
composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to
authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender
in any such proceeding.
9.10 GUARANTY MATTERS(A) . The Lenders and the L/C Issuer irrevocably
authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to
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release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person
ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder.
Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders
will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent's authority to release any
Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty pursuant to this SECTION 9.10.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS
10.01 AMENDMENTS, ETC. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by the
Borrower or any other Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing
signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as
the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such
waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the
specific purpose for which given; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such amendment,
waiver or consent shall:
(a) waive any condition set forth in SECTION 4.01(A) without the
written consent of each Lender;
(b) extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any
Commitment terminated pursuant to SECTION 8.02) without the written consent
of such Lender;
(c) postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan
Document for any payment or mandatory prepayment of principal, interest,
fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or
under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender
directly affected thereby;
(d) reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein
on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (iv) of the second
proviso to this SECTION 10.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder
or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender
directly affected thereby; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that only the consent of the
Required Lenders shall be necessary (i) to amend the definition of "Default
Rate" or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest or Letter
of Credit Fees at the Default Rate or (ii) to amend any financial covenant
hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such
amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or L/C
Borrowing or to reduce any fee payable hereunder;
(e) change SECTION 2.13 or SECTION 8.03 in a manner that would alter
the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written
consent of each Lender; or
(f) change any provision of this Section or the definition of
"Required Lenders" or any other provision hereof specifying the number or
percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any
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rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder
without the written consent of each Lender; or
(g) release all or substantially all of the value of the Guaranty
without the written consent of each Lender;
and, PROVIDED FURTHER, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in
writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above,
affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer
Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no
amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing
Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or
duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (iii) no amendment, waiver
or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in
addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the
Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; and (iv)
the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a
writing executed only by the parties thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or
disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder, except that the
Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent
of such Lender.
10.02 NOTICES; EFFECTIVENESS; ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.
(a) NOTICES GENERALLY. Except in the case of notices and other
communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as
provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided
for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight
courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopier as
follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder
to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as
follows:
(i) if to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or
the Swing Line Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail
address or telephone number specified for such Person on SCHEDULE 10.02;
and
(ii) if to any other Lender, to the address, telecopier number,
electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative
Questionnaire.
Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or
registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent
by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not
given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have
been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the
recipient). Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent
provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such
subsection (b).
(b) ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. Notices and other communications to the
Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic
communication (including e mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to
procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, PROVIDED that the foregoing
shall not apply to notices to any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Article
II if such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the
Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such
Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower
may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it
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hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it,
PROVIDED that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices
or communications.
Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other
communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the
sender's receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by
the "return receipt requested" function, as available, return e-mail or other
written acknowledgement), PROVIDED that if such notice or other communication is
not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or
communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on
the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications
posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the
deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in
the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is
available and identifying the website address therefor.
(c) THE PLATFORM. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." THE
AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF
THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM
LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF
ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD
PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT
PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event
shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the
"Agent Parties") have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer
or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any
kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower's or
the Administrative Agent's transmission of Borrower Materials through the
Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and
nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful
misconduct of such Agent Party; PROVIDED, however, that in no event shall any
Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or
any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive
damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).
(d) CHANGE OF ADDRESS, ETC. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent,
the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender may change its address, telecopier or
telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the
other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, telecopier or
telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender. In
addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to
time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective
address, contact name, telephone number, telecopier number and electronic mail
address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate
wire instructions for such Lender.
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(e) RELIANCE BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, L/C ISSUER AND LENDERS. The
Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely
and act upon any notices (including telephonic Committed Loan Notices and Swing
Line Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower even if (i)
such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were
not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii)
the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation
thereof. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer,
each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs,
expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each
notice purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower. All telephonic notices
to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be
recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby
consents to such recording.
10.03 NO WAIVER; CUMULATIVE REMEDIES. No failure by any Lender, the L/C
Issuer or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person
in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as
a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy,
power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or
the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights,
remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive
of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.
10.04 EXPENSES; INDEMNITY; DAMAGE WAIVER.
(a) COSTS AND EXPENSES. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates
(including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the
Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution,
delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or
any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof
(whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be
consummated), (ii) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the L/C
Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any
Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out of
pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C
Issuer (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the
Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer), and shall pay all fees and
time charges for attorneys who may be employees of the Administrative Agent, any
Lender or the L/C Issuer, in connection with the enforcement or protection of
its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents,
including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans
made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out of pocket
expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect
of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b) INDEMNIFICATION BY THE BORROWER. The Borrower shall indemnify the
Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the L/C
Issuer, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person
being called an "Indemnitee") against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from,
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including
the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee), and
shall indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnitee from all fees and time charges
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and disbursements for attorneys who may be employees of any Indemnitee, incurred
by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by
the Borrower or any other Loan Party arising out of, in connection with, or as a
result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan
Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the
performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or
thereunder, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby,
or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its
Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the
proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand
for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection
with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of
Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials
on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation,
investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on
contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the
Borrower or any other Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a
party thereto; PROVIDED that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be
available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by
final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or
willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by the
Borrower or any other Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith
of such Indemnitee's obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if
the Borrower or such Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment
in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(c) REIMBURSEMENT BY LENDERS. To the extent that the Borrower for any
reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b)
of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent
thereof), the L/C Issuer or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each
Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such
sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or such Related Party, as the case may be, such
Lender's Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable
unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount,
PROVIDED that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage,
liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted
against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuer in
its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing
acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or L/C Issuer in
connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this
subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of SECTION 2.12(D).
(d) WAIVER OF CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ETC. To the fullest extent permitted
by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim
against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect,
consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages)
arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other
Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the
use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) above
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shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of
any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications,
electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby.
(e) PAYMENTS. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later
than ten Business Days after demand therefor.
(f) SURVIVAL. The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation
of the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, the replacement of any Lender,
the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or
discharge of all the other Obligations.
10.05 PAYMENTS SET ASIDE. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of
the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender,
or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of
setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is
subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside
or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the
Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be
repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any
proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of
such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be
satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such
payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender
and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon
demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered
from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date
of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the
Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders
and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the
payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
10.06 SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.
(a) SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS GENERALLY. 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 the Borrower may
not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder
without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender
and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations
hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions
of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance
with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section, or (iii) by way of pledge
or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection
(f) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party
hereto shall be null and void). 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 subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly
contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent,
the L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim
under or by reason of this Agreement.
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(b) ASSIGNMENTS BY LENDERS. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or
more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under
this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans
(including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C
Obligations and in Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); PROVIDED that:
(i) except in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount
of the assigning Lender's Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it
or in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or
an Approved Fund with respect to a Lender, the aggregate amount of the
Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder)
or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding
balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender 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 or, if
"Trade Date" is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade
Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Administrative
Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,
the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld or delayed); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that concurrent assignments to
members of an Assignee Group and concurrent assignments from members of an
Assignee Group to a single Eligible Assignee (or to an Eligible Assignee
and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated as a single assignment
for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has been met;
(ii) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a
proportionate part of all the assigning Lender's rights and obligations
under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned,
except that this clause (ii) shall not apply to rights in respect of Swing
Line Loans;
(iii) any assignment of a Commitment must be approved by the
Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender unless the
Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender (whether or not the
proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee); and
(iv) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the
Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a
processing and recordation fee in the amount, if any, required as set forth
in SCHEDULE 10.06, and the Eligible Assignee, if it shall not be a Lender,
shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.
Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant
to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified
in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a
party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such
Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under
this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the
interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its
obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and
Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender's rights and obligations under
this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue
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to be entitled to the benefits of SECTIONS 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, and 10.04 with
respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such
assignment. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and
deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of
rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this
subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such
Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with
subsection (d) of this Section.
(c) REGISTER. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as
an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at the Administrative Agent's Office a
copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the
recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of,
and principal amounts of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender
pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the "Register"). The entries in
the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register
pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this
Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be
available for inspection by each of the Borrower and the L/C Issuer at any
reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. In addition,
at any time that a request for a consent for a material or substantive change to
the Loan Documents is pending, any Lender may request and receive from the
Administrative Agent a copy of the Register.
(d) PARTICIPATIONS. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or
notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any
Person (other than a natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower's
Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a "PARTICIPANT") in all or a portion of such
Lender's rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a
portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender's
participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it);
PROVIDED that (i) such Lender's obligations under this Agreement shall remain
unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties
hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal
solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender's rights and
obligations under this Agreement.
Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a
participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to
enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of
any provision of this Agreement; PROVIDED that such agreement or instrument may
provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree
to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to
SECTION 10.01 that affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this
Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the
benefits of SECTIONS 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 to the same extent as if it were a
Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of
this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be
entitled to the benefits of SECTION 10.08 as though it were a Lender, PROVIDED
such Participant agrees to be subject to SECTION 2.13 as though it were a
Lender.
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(e) LIMITATIONS UPON PARTICIPANT RIGHTS. A Participant shall not be
entitled to receive any greater payment under SECTION 3.01 or 3.04 than the
applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the
participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to
such Participant is made with the Borrower's prior written consent. A
Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be
entitled to the benefits of SECTION 3.01 unless the Borrower is notified of the
participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the
benefit of the Borrower, to comply with SECTION 3.01(E) as though it were a
Lender.
(f) CERTAIN PLEDGES. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security
interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including
under its Note, 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 pledgee or assignee for such Lender
as a party hereto.
(g) ELECTRONIC EXECUTION OF ASSIGNMENTS. The words "execution," "signed,"
"signature," and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption shall be
deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic
form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or
enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based
recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in
any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and
National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act,
or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions
Act.
(h) RESIGNATION AS L/C ISSUER OR SWING LINE LENDER AFTER ASSIGNMENT.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank
of America assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b)
above, Bank of America may, (i) upon thirty (30) days' notice to the Borrower
and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer and/or (ii) upon thirty (30) days' notice
to the Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender. In the event of any such
resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall be entitled
to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender
hereunder; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any
such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer or
Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer,
it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer
hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective
date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect
thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed
Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to SECTION
2.03(C)). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all
the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing
Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such
resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate
Committed Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans
pursuant to SECTION 2.04(C). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer
and/or Swing Line Lender, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested
with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer
or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (b) the successor L/C Issuer shall
issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any,
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outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements
satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of
America with respect to such Letters of Credit.
10.07 TREATMENT OF CERTAIN INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY. Each of the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agrees to maintain the
confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information
may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates' respective
partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives
(it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be
informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep
such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory
authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it (including any self-regulatory
authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to
the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or
similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the
exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any
action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or
the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement
containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i)
any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant
in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or
prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction
relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the
Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available
other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to
the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any of their respective
Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.
For purposes of this Section, "INFORMATION" means all information received
from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the Borrower or any Subsidiary
or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is
available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer on a
nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary,
PROVIDED that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any
Subsidiary after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the
time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the
confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered
to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the
same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such
Person would accord to its own confidential information.
Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer
acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public
information concerning the Borrower or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it
has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public
information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in
accordance with applicable Law, including Federal and state securities Laws.
10.08 RIGHT OF SETOFF. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates
is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general
or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any
time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such
Lender, the L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account
of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or
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hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such
Lender or the L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or the L/C
Issuer shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan
Document and although such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent or
unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of such Lender or the L/C Issuer
different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such
indebtedness. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective
Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies
(including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their
respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees to notify
the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and
application, PROVIDED that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the
validity of such setoff and application.
10.09 INTEREST RATE LIMITATION. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the
Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest
permitted by applicable Law (the "MAXIMUM RATE"). If the Administrative Agent or
any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate,
the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it
exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower. In determining whether
the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or
a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by
applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an
expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments
and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in
equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated
term of the Obligations hereunder.
10.10 COUNTERPARTS; INTEGRATION; EFFECTIVENESS. This Agreement may be
executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different
counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when
taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and the other
Loan Documents constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the
subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and
understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except
as provided in SECTION 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall
have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent
shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the
signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed
counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective
as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
10.11 SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. All representations and
warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document
delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith
shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such
representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the
Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by
the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding
that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of
any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full
force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall
remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.
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10.12 SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan
Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality,
validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and
the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the
parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal,
invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of
which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or
unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular
jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any
other jurisdiction.
10.13 REPLACEMENT OF LENDERS. If any Lender requests compensation under
SECTION 3.04, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any
Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to
SECTION 3.01, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, then the Borrower may, at
its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative
Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in
accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents
required by, SECTION 10.06), all of its interests, rights and obligations under
this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume
such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such
assignment), PROVIDED that:
(a) the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the
assignment fee specified in SECTION 10.06(B);
(b) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the
outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest
thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and
under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under SECTION 3.05)
from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued
interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);
(c) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for
compensation under SECTION 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to
SECTION 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such
compensation or payments thereafter; and
(d) such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws.
A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation
if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the
circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation
cease to apply.
10.14 GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; ETC.
(a) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
(b) SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND
UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY, TO THE NONEXCLUSIVE
JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT, AND ANY
APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR
ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND
UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR
PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE
FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE
PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING
SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE
JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN
ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT,
ANY LENDER OR THE L/C ISSUER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR
PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE
BORROWER OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.
(c) WAIVER OF VENUE. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY
WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT
MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING
ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY
COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO
HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW,
THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR
PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.
(d) SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE
OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 10.02. NOTHING IN THIS
AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY
OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
10.15 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO
THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL
BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER
THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR
ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH
OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE
FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE
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BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG
OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
10.16 USA PATRIOT ACT NOTICE. Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as
hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf
of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of
the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26,
2001)) (the "ACT"), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that
identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the
Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative
Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.
10.17 TIME OF THE ESSENCE. Time is of the essence of the Loan Documents.
[Signature Pages Follow]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the date first above written.
NUCO2 INC. as Borrower
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
--------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: CFO
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as
Administrative Agent
By:/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
----------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender, L/C
Issuer and Swing Line Lender
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: SVP