The Letter of Credit Facility (i) Subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth (A) Issuing Bank agrees, in reliance on the Agreements of the Lenders set forth in this Section (1) to issue Letters of Credit for the account of any Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Effective Date hereof until 10 days before the Termination Date in an aggregate Available Amount for all Letters of Credit not to exceed at any time the lesser of (x) the Letter of Credit Facility at such time and (y) the Unused Revolving Credit Commitments of the Lenders at such time (provided that in no event shall the Issuing Bank be required to issue a Letter of Credit if, after giving effect to such issuance, the aggregate amount of the Revolving Credit Exposures of all Lenders shall exceed the Revolving Credit Availability at such time) and to amend or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.16, 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 any Borrower and any drawings thereunder. Each request by a Borrower for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by the Borrowers that the issuance, extension or amendment of the Letter of Credit so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the preceding sentence. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly such 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) No Letter of Credit shall have an expiration date (including all rights of the applicable Borrower or the beneficiary to require renewal) later than the earlier of (A) 10 days before the Termination Date and (B) one year after the date of issuance thereof (but such Letter of Credit may by its terms be automatically renewable (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit the Issuing Bank to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve (12) month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve (12) month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the Issuing Bank, the applicable Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the Issuing Bank for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the Issuing Bank to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the date 10 days before the Termination Date; provided that the Issuing Bank shall not permit any such extension if (A) the Issuing Bank has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of this Section 2.16 or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven (7) Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Agent, any Lender or a Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 3.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing the Issuing Bank not to permit such extension.
(iii) The Issuing Bank 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 Issuing Bank from issuing the Letter of Credit, or any law applicable to the Issuing Bank or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the Issuing Bank shall prohibit, or request that the Issuing Bank refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or the Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the Issuing Bank with respect to the Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the Issuing Bank is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Effective Date, or shall impose upon the Issuing Bank any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Effective Date and which the Issuing Bank in good xxxxx xxxxx material to it;
(B) the issuance of the Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the Issuing Bank applicable to letters of credit generally;
(C) except as otherwise agreed by the Agent and the Issuing Bank, the Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount of less than $100,000;
(D) the Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars;
(E) any Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless the Issuing Bank has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to the Issuing Bank (in its sole discretion) with the Borrowers or such Lender to eliminate the Issuing Bank’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.23(a)(iv)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either the Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Exposure as to which the Issuing Bank has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion; or
(F) the Letter of Credit contains any provisions for automatic reinstatement of the stated amount after any drawing thereunder.
(iv) The Issuing Bank shall not amend any Letter of Credit if the Issuing Bank would not be permitted at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof.
(v) The Issuing Bank shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the Issuing Bank 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 the Letter of Credit.
(vi) The Issuing Bank shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the Issuing Bank shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Agent in Article VII with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the Issuing Bank in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and L/C Related Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Agent” as used in Article VII included the Issuing Bank with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the Issuing Bank.
