Authority of Collateral Agent Each Grantor acknowledges that the rights and responsibilities of the Collateral Agent under this Agreement with respect to any action taken by the Collateral Agent or the exercise or non-exercise by the Collateral Agent of any option, voting right, request, judgment or other right or remedy provided for herein or resulting or arising out of this Agreement shall, as between the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties, be governed by the Credit Agreement and by such other agreements with respect thereto as may exist from time to time among them, but, as between the Collateral Agent and the Grantors, the Collateral Agent shall be conclusively presumed to be acting as agent for the Secured Parties with full and valid authority so to act or refrain from acting, and no Grantor shall be under any obligation, or entitlement, to make any inquiry respecting such authority.
General Authority of the Collateral Agent By acceptance of the benefits of this Agreement and any other Collateral Documents, each Secured Party (whether or not a signatory hereto) shall be deemed irrevocably (a) to consent to the appointment of the Collateral Agent as its agent hereunder and under such other Collateral Documents, (b) to confirm that the Collateral Agent shall have the authority to act as the exclusive agent of such Secured Party for the enforcement of any provisions of this Agreement and such other Collateral Documents against any Grantor, the exercise of remedies hereunder or thereunder and the giving or withholding of any consent or approval hereunder or thereunder relating to any Collateral or any Grantor’s obligations with respect thereto, (c) to agree that it shall not take any action to enforce any provisions of this Agreement or any other Collateral Document against any Grantor, to exercise any remedy hereunder or thereunder or to give any consents or approvals hereunder or thereunder except as expressly provided in this Agreement or any other Collateral Document and (d) to agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and any other Collateral Documents.
The Collateral Agent (a) Secured Party hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes the Collateral Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement as are delegated to the Collateral Agent by the terms hereof, together with all such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
(b) The obligations of the Collateral Agent hereunder are only those expressly set forth in this Agreement.
(c) The Collateral Agent may consult with legal counsel, independent public accountants and other experts selected by it and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts.
(d) Neither the Collateral Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents or employees shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in connection with this Agreement (1) with the consent or at the request of Secured Party or (2) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Collateral Agent shall not incur any liability by acting in reliance upon any notice, consent, certificate, statement, or other writing (which may be a bank wire, telex or similar writing) believed by it to be genuine or to be signed by the proper party or parties.
(e) Pledgor shall indemnify the Collateral Agent against any cost, expense (including counsel fees and disbursements), claim, demand, action, loss or liability (except such as result from the Collateral Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct) that the Collateral Agent may suffer or incur in connection with this Agreement or any action taken or omitted by the Collateral Agent hereunder.
(f) Beyond the exercise of reasonable care in the custody thereof, the Collateral Agent shall have no duty as to any Collateral in its possession or control or in the possession or control of any agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary or any income thereon or as to the preservation of rights against prior parties or any other rights pertaining thereto. The Collateral Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of the Collateral if the Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which it accords its own property, and shall not be liable or responsible for any loss or damage to any of the Collateral, or for any diminution in the value thereof, by reason of the act or omission of any agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary selected by the Collateral Agent in good faith (or selected by an agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary so selected by the Collateral Agent or by any agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary selected in accordance with this parenthetical phrase).
(g) Any corporation or association into which the Collateral Agent may be converted or merged, or with which it may be consolidated, or to which it may sell or transfer its agency business or assets as a whole or substantially as a whole, or any corporation or association resulting from any such conversion, sale, merger, consolidation or transfer to which it is a party, shall, subject to the prior written consent of Secured Party, be and become a successor Collateral Agent hereunder and vested with all of the title to the Collateral and all of the powers, discretions, immunities, privileges and other matters as was its predecessor without, except as provided above, the execution or filing of any instrument or any further act, deed or conveyance on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding.
Authority of Administrative Agent to Release Collateral and Liens Each Lender and the Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to release any collateral that is permitted to be sold or released pursuant to the terms of the Loan Documents. Each Lender and the Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower, at the Borrower’s sole cost and expense, any and all releases of Liens, termination statements, assignments or other documents reasonably requested by the Borrower in connection with any sale or other disposition of Property to the extent such sale or other disposition is permitted by the terms of Section 9.12 or is otherwise authorized by the terms of the Loan Documents.
Authority of Administrative Agent Each Grantor acknowledges that the rights and responsibilities of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement with respect to any action taken by the Administrative Agent or the exercise or non-exercise by the Administrative Agent of any option, voting right, request, judgment or other right or remedy provided for herein or resulting or arising out of this Agreement shall, as between the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, be governed by the Credit Agreement and by such other agreements with respect thereto as may exist from time to time among them, but, as between the Administrative Agent and the Grantors, the Administrative Agent shall be conclusively presumed to be acting as agent for the Lenders with full and valid authority so to act or refrain from acting, and no Grantor shall be under any obligation, or entitlement, to make any inquiry respecting such authority.
Collateral Agent (a) The Collateral Agent agrees that it will hold the security interests in the Collateral created under the Collateral Documents to which it is a party as contemplated by this Indenture, and any and all proceeds thereof, for the benefit of, the Secured Parties, without limiting the Collateral Agent’s rights, including under this Section 8.02, to act in preservation of the security interest in the Collateral. The Collateral Agent is authorized and empowered to appoint one or more co-Collateral Agents as it deems necessary or appropriate; provided, however, that no Collateral Agent hereunder shall be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of any other Collateral Agent hereunder.
(b) Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys or agents will be responsible or liable for the existence, genuineness, value or protection of any Collateral, for the legality, enforceability, effectiveness, or sufficiency of the Collateral Documents, for the creation, perfection, priority, sufficiency or protection of any Lien, including without limitation not being responsible for payment of any Taxes, charges or assessments upon the Collateral or otherwise as to the maintenance of the Collateral, or for any defect or deficiency as to any such matters, or for any failure to demand, collect, foreclose or realize upon or otherwise enforce any of the Liens or Collateral Documents or any delay in doing so. Neither the Trustee nor the Collateral Agent nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys or agents will be responsible or liable for making any filings or recordings to perfect or maintain the perfection of the Collateral Agent’s Lien in the Collateral, including without limitation, the filing of any UCC financing statements, continuation statements, Mortgages or any filings with respect to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or U.S. Copyright Office.
(c) The Collateral Agent will be subject to such directions as may be given to it by the Trustee from time to time (as required or permitted by this Indenture). Except as directed by the Trustee or any representatives of the Trustee as required or permitted by this Indenture, and only if indemnified to its satisfaction, the Collateral Agent will not be obligated:
(i) to act upon direction purported to be delivered to it by any Person;
(ii) to foreclose upon or otherwise enforce any Lien created under the Collateral Documents; or
(iii) to take any other action whatsoever with regard to any or all of the Liens, Collateral Documents or Collateral.
(d) The Collateral Agent will be accountable only for amounts that it actually receives as a result of the enforcement of the Liens or Collateral Documents.
(e) In acting as Collateral Agent hereunder and under the Collateral Documents, the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon and enforce each and all of the rights, privileges, immunities, indemnities and benefits of the Trustee under Article 6 of the Base Indenture; provided that in that context any references in such Article 6 of the Base Indenture to “Trustee” shall be references to “Collateral Agent” and references to “negligence” shall be references to “gross negligence”. Without limiting the immediately preceding sentence, the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to compensation, reimbursement and indemnity in the same manner as the Trustee as provided in Section 6.06 of the Base Indenture.
(f) At all times when the Trustee is not itself the Collateral Agent, the Issuer will deliver to the Trustee copies of all Collateral Documents delivered to the Collateral Agent and copies of all documents delivered to the Collateral Agent pursuant to the Collateral Documents.
(g) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere in the Indenture and the Collateral Documents, the duties of the Collateral Agent shall be ministerial and administrative in nature, and the Collateral Agent shall not have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein and in the Collateral Documents, to which the Collateral Agent is a party, nor shall the Collateral Agent have or be deemed to have any trust or other fiduciary relationship with the Trustee, any Holder, or any other party, and no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into the Indenture and the Collateral Documents, or otherwise exist against the Collateral Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the use of the term “agent” in the Indenture with reference to the Collateral Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law. Instead, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting parties.
(h) The Collateral Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, unless a Responsible Officer of the Collateral Agent shall have received written notice from the Trustee or the Issuer referring to the Indenture, describing such Default or Event of Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default.”
(i) No provision of this Indenture or any Collateral Document shall require the Collateral Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or thereunder or to take or omit to take any action hereunder or thereunder or take any action at the request or direction of Holders or the Trustee unless it shall have received indemnity satisfactory to the Collateral Agent against potential costs and liabilities incurred by the Collateral Agent relating thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Indenture or the Collateral Documents, in the event the Collateral Agent is entitled or required to commence an action to foreclose or otherwise exercise its remedies to acquire control or possession of the Collateral, the Collateral Agent shall not be required to commence any such action or exercise any remedy or to inspect or conduct any studies of any property under any Mortgage or take any such other action if the Collateral Agent has determined that the Collateral Agent may incur personal liability as a result of the presence at, or release on or from, the Collateral or such property, of any hazardous substances. The Collateral Agent shall at any time be entitled to cease taking any action described in this clause (i) if it no longer reasonably deems any indemnity, security or undertaking from the Issuer or the Holders to be sufficient.
(j) The parties hereto and the Holders hereby agree and acknowledge that neither the Collateral Agent nor the Trustee shall assume, be responsible for or otherwise be obligated for any liabilities, claims, causes of action, suits, losses, allegations, requests, demands, penalties, fines, settlements, damages (including foreseeable and unforeseeable), judgments, expenses and costs (including but not limited to, any remediation, corrective action, response, removal or remedial action, or investigation, operations and maintenance or monitoring costs, for personal injury or property damages, real or personal) of any kind whatsoever, pursuant to any environmental law as a result of the Indenture, the Collateral Documents or any actions taken pursuant hereto or thereto. Further, the parties hereto and the Holders hereby agree and acknowledge that in the exercise of its rights under the Indenture and the Collateral Documents, the Collateral Agent may hold or obtain indicia of ownership primarily to protect the security interest of the Collateral Agent in the Collateral and that any such actions taken by the Collateral Agent shall not be construed as or otherwise constitute any participation in the management of such Collateral. In the event that the Collateral Agent is required to acquire title to an asset for any reason, or take any managerial action of any kind in regard thereto, in order to carry out any obligation for the benefit of another, which in the Collateral Agent’s sole discretion may cause it to be considered an “owner or operator” under the provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), 42 U.S.C. §9601, et seq., or otherwise cause it to incur liability under CERCLA or any other federal, state or local law, the Collateral Agent and reserves the right, instead of taking such action, to either resign or arrange for the transfer of the title or control of the asset to a court-appointed receiver. Neither the Collateral Agent nor the Trustee shall be liable to any person for any environmental claims or contribution actions under any federal, state or local law, rule or regulation by reason of the Collateral Agent’s actions and conduct as authorized, empowered and directed hereunder or relating to the discharge, release or threatened release of hazardous materials into the environment.
Duties of Collateral Agent Subject to the Collateral Agent having been directed to take such action in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, each Creditor hereby irrevocably authorizes the Collateral Agent to take such action on its behalf under the provisions of the Collateral Documents and any other instruments, documents and agreements referred to in the Collateral Documents and to exercise such powers under the Collateral Documents as are specifically delegated to the Collateral Agent by the terms of the Collateral Documents and such other powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 of this Agreement, the Collateral Agent is hereby irrevocably authorized to take all actions on behalf of the Creditors to enforce the rights and remedies of the Collateral Agent and the Creditors provided for in the Collateral Documents or by applicable law with respect to the liens upon and security interests in the Collateral granted to secure the Obligations or the other rights and remedies granted to the Collateral Agent pursuant thereto, provided, however, that, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any Collateral Documents, (i) the Collateral Agent shall act solely at and in accordance with the written direction of the Required Creditors, (ii) the Collateral Agent shall not, without the written consent of all of the Qualified Creditors, release or terminate by affirmative action or consent any lien upon or security interest in any Collateral granted under any Collateral Documents (except (x) upon (1) dispositions of Collateral by a Grantor and (2) removal of the Material Subsidiary (as defined in the Bank Credit Agreement) designation of a Subsidiary (as defined in the Bank Credit Agreement), in each case as permitted in accordance with the terms of all of the Senior Indebtedness Documents and prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default, (y) upon disposition of such Collateral after an Event of Default pursuant to direction given under clause (i) of this Section 2(b) and (z) to the extent authorized under the provisions of the last sentence of Section 12.1 of the Bank Credit Agreement, paragraph 11V of the Prudential Note Purchase Agreement and paragraph 11V of the NY Life Note Purchase Agreement), and (iii) the Collateral Agent shall not accept any Obligations in whole or partial consideration for the disposition of any Collateral without the written consent of all of the Qualified Creditors. The Collateral Agent agrees to make such demands and give such notices under the Collateral Documents as may be requested by, and to take such action to enforce the Collateral Documents and to foreclose upon, collect and dispose of the Collateral or of the Collateral Documents as may be directed by, the Required Creditors; provided, however, that the Collateral Agent shall not be required to take any action that is contrary to law or the terms of the Collateral Documents or this Agreement. Once a direction to take any action has been given by the Required Creditors to the Collateral Agent, and subject to any other directions which may be given from time to time by the Required Creditors, decisions regarding the manner in which any such action is to be implemented and conducted (with the exception of any decision to settle, compromise or dismiss any legal proceeding, with or without prejudice) shall be made by the Collateral Agent, with the assistance and upon the advice of its counsel. Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding sentence, any decision to settle, compromise or dismiss any legal proceeding, with or without prejudice, which implements, approves or results in or has the effect of causing any release, change or occurrence, where such release, change or occurrence otherwise would require unanimous approval of all of the Qualified Creditors pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, also shall require the unanimous approval of all of the Qualified Creditors.
Rights of the Collateral Agent (i) The Collateral Agent may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting on any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Collateral Agent need not investigate any fact or matter stated in any such document. The Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to communicate with or deal in any way with any Secured Party other than the Trustee and any Additional Pari Passu Agent. In determining (x) the amount of Secured Obligations outstanding under the Indenture or any Permitted Additional Pari Passu Lien Agreement or (y) whether the consent of any Secured Party to any amendment, waiver or other action under this Agreement or any other Security Document has been obtained, the Collateral Agent may conclusively rely on any statement by the Trustee or the applicable Additional Pari Passu Agent as to such matter.
(ii) The Collateral Agent may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any attorney or agent appointed with due care.
(iii) The Collateral Agent shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Agreement or any other Security Document. Whenever in the administration of this Agreement or any Security Document the Collateral Agent shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Collateral Agent (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, conclusively rely upon an Officers’ Certificate.
(iv) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement or any other Security Document, any demand, request, direction or notice from any Grantor shall be sufficient if evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate.
(v) The Collateral Agent shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Agreement or any other Security Document at the request or direction of any of the Secured Parties unless such Secured Parties shall have offered to the Collateral Agent reasonable security and indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(vi) The Collateral Agent shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or documents, but the Collateral Agent, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Collateral Agent shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice the books, records and premises of any Grantor, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Grantors, and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.
(vii) The rights, privileges, protections and benefits given to the Collateral Agent, including, without limitation, its rights to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Collateral Agent in each of its capacities hereunder, and to each agent, custodian and other Persons employed to act hereunder or under any Security Document.
(viii) The Collateral Agent may request that the Issuers deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Agreement or any other Security Document, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded
(ix) The permissive right of the Collateral Agent to take or refrain from taking any actions enumerated in this Agreement or any other Security Document shall not be construed as a duty.
To induce Collateral Agent and Lenders to enter into this Amendment, Borrower hereby represents and warrants to Collateral Agent and Lenders as follows:
The Collateral Agent’s Duties (a) The powers conferred on the Collateral Agent hereunder are solely to protect the Secured Parties’ interest in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon it to exercise any such powers. Except for the safe custody of any Collateral in its possession and the accounting for moneys actually received by it hereunder, the Collateral Agent shall have no duty as to any Collateral, as to ascertaining or taking action with respect to calls, conversions, exchanges, maturities, tenders or other matters relative to any Collateral, whether or not any Secured Party has or is deemed to have knowledge of such matters, or as to the taking of any necessary steps to preserve rights against any parties or any other rights pertaining to any Collateral. The Collateral Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of any Collateral in its possession if such Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which it accords its own property.
(b) Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Collateral Agent may from time to time, when the Collateral Agent deems it to be necessary, appoint one or more subagents (each a “Subagent”) for the Collateral Agent hereunder with respect to all or any part of the Collateral. In the event that the Collateral Agent so appoints any Subagent with respect to any Collateral, (i) the assignment and pledge of such Collateral and the security interest granted in such Collateral by each Grantor hereunder shall be deemed for purposes of this Security Agreement to have been made to such Subagent, in addition to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, as security for the Secured Obligations of such Grantor, (ii) such Subagent shall automatically be vested, in addition to the Collateral Agent, with all rights, powers, privileges, interests and remedies of the Collateral Agent hereunder with respect to such Collateral, and (iii) the term “Collateral Agent,” when used herein in relation to any rights, powers, privileges, interests and remedies of the Collateral Agent with respect to such Collateral, shall include such Subagent; provided, however, that no such Subagent shall be authorized to take any action with respect to any such Collateral unless and except to the extent expressly authorized in writing by the Collateral Agent.