Authorization and Action (a) Each Lender and each Fronting Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent under the Loan Documents and each Lender and each Fronting Bank authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender and each Fronting Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is a party, and to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b) As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Majority Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender and each Fronting Bank; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives an indemnification and is exculpated in a manner satisfactory to it from the Lenders and the Fronting Banks with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Majority Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. Except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to any Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(c) In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders and the Fronting Banks (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(i) the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender, Fronting Bank or holder of any other obligation other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether an Unmatured Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby; and
(ii) nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account.
(d) The Administrative Agent may perform any 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 of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers 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 pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agent except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agent.
(e) None of the “Joint Lead Arrangers” shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.
(f) In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to any Borrower under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Advance or any Reimbursement 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 (but not obligated) by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Advances, Reimbursement 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 Fronting Banks and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.05, 2.08, 2.13, 2.16 and 8.05) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(ii) 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 proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and each Fronting Bank 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 or the Fronting Banks, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 8.05). 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 Fronting Bank any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the obligations of any Borrower hereunder or the rights of any Lender or Fronting Bank or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or Fronting Bank in any such proceeding.
(g) The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Fronting Banks, and, except solely to the extent of any Borrower’s rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article, none of the Borrowers or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions.
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.
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.
Location of the Collateral Except in the ordinary course of Grantor’s business, Grantor agrees to keep the Collateral (or to the extent the Collateral consists of intangible property such as accounts or general intangibles, the records concerning the Collateral) at Grantor’s address shown above or at such other locations as are acceptable to Lender. Upon Lender’s request, Grantor will deliver to Lender in form satisfactory to Lender a schedule of real properties and Collateral locations relating to Grantor’s operations, including without limitation the following: (1) all real property Grantor owns or is purchasing; (2) all real property Grantor is renting or leasing; (3) all storage facilities Grantor owns, rents, leases, or uses; and (4) all other properties where Collateral is or may be located.
Rights and Remedies of the Collateral Agent (a) In addition to the rights and remedies set forth herein or otherwise available at law or in equity, after a collateral event of default (as specified in Section 13.01(b)) hereunder, the Collateral Agent shall have all of the rights and remedies with respect to the Collateral of a secured party under the UCC (whether or not the UCC is in effect in the jurisdiction where the rights and remedies are asserted) and the TRADES Regulations and such additional rights and remedies to which a secured party is entitled under the laws in effect in any jurisdiction where any rights and remedies hereunder may be asserted. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such remedies may include, to the extent permitted by applicable law, (1) retention of the Notes underlying Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in Notes, the Pledged Treasury Securities and/or the Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in the Treasury Portfolio in full satisfaction of the Holders’ obligations under the Purchase Contracts and the Purchase Contract Agreement and/or (2) sale of the Notes underlying Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in Notes, the Pledged Treasury Securities or the Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in the Treasury Portfolio in one or more public or private sales.
(b) Without limiting any rights or powers otherwise granted by this Agreement to the Collateral Agent or under applicable law, in the event the Collateral Agent is unable to make payments to the Company on account of Proceeds of (i) the Notes underlying Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in Notes (other than any interest payments thereon), (ii) Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in the Treasury Portfolio, or (iii) the Pledged Treasury Securities as provided in this Agreement in satisfaction of the Obligations of the Holder of the Units of which such Notes underlying Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in Notes, such Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in the Treasury Portfolio or such Pledged Treasury Securities are a part under the related Purchase Contracts, the inability to make such payments shall constitute a “collateral event of default” hereunder and the Collateral Agent shall, for the benefit of the Company, have and may exercise, with reference to such Notes underlying Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in Notes, Pledged Treasury Securities or Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in the Treasury Portfolio, as applicable, any and all of the rights and remedies available to a secured party under the UCC and the TRADES Regulations after default by a debtor, and as otherwise granted herein or under any applicable law.
(c) Without limiting any rights or powers otherwise granted by this Agreement to the Collateral Agent or under applicable law, the Collateral Agent is hereby irrevocably authorized to receive, collect and apply to the satisfaction of the Obligations all payments with respect to (i) the Notes underlying Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in Notes (other than any interest payments thereon), (ii) the Pledged Treasury Securities and (iii) the Pledged Applicable Ownership Interests in the Treasury Portfolio, subject, in each case, to the provisions of this Agreement, and as otherwise provided herein.
(d) The Purchase Contract Agent and each Holder agrees that, from time to time, upon the written request of the Collateral Agent, the Purchase Contract Agent, on behalf of such Holder, shall execute and deliver such further documents and do such other acts and things as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request in order to maintain the Pledge, and the perfection and priority thereof, and to confirm the rights of the Collateral Agent hereunder. The Purchase Contract Agent shall have no liability to any Holder for executing any documents or taking any such acts requested by the Collateral Agent hereunder, except for liability for its own negligent acts, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct.
Concerning the Collateral Agent (a) The Collateral Agent has been appointed as agent pursuant to the Credit Agreement. The actions of the Collateral Agent hereunder are subject to the provisions of the Credit Agreement. The Collateral Agent shall have the right hereunder to make demands, to give notices, to exercise or refrain from exercising any rights, and to take or refrain from taking action (including, without limitation, the release or substitution of the Collateral), in accordance with this Security Agreement and the Credit Agreement. The Collateral Agent may employ agents and attorneys-in-fact in connection herewith and shall not be liable for the negligence or misconduct of any such agents or attorneys-in-fact. The Collateral Agent may resign and a successor Collateral Agent may be appointed in the manner provided in the Credit Agreement. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as the Collateral Agent by a successor Collateral Agent, that successor Collateral Agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement, and the retiring Collateral Agent shall thereupon be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Security Agreement. After any retiring Collateral Agent’s resignation, the provisions hereof shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it under this Security Agreement while it was the Collateral Agent.
(b) The Collateral Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of the Collateral in its possession if such Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equivalent to that which the Collateral Agent, in its individual capacity, accords its own property consisting of similar instruments or interests, it being understood that neither the Collateral Agent nor any of the other Secured Parties shall have responsibility for, without limitation (i) ascertaining or taking action with respect to calls, conversions, exchanges, maturities, tenders or other matters relating to any Securities Collateral, whether or not the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party has or is deemed to have knowledge of such matters or (ii) taking any necessary steps to preserve rights against any Person with respect to any Collateral.
(c) The Collateral Agent shall be entitled to rely upon any written notice, statement, certificate, order or other document or any telephone message believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person, and, with respect to all matters pertaining to this Security Agreement and its duties hereunder, upon advice of counsel selected by it.
(d) If any item of Collateral also constitutes collateral granted to the Collateral Agent under any other deed of trust, mortgage, security agreement, pledge or instrument of any type, in the event of any conflict between the provisions hereof and the provisions of such other deed of trust, mortgage, security agreement, pledge or instrument of any type in respect of such collateral, the Collateral Agent, in its sole discretion, shall select which provision or provisions shall control.
Authorization of Receipt of Funds by the Trustee Under the Collateral Documents Subject to the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreements, the Trustee is authorized to receive any funds for the benefit of the Holders distributed under the Collateral Documents, and to make further distributions of such funds to the Holders according to the provisions of this Indenture.
Authorized Action by Secured Party Debtor hereby irrevocably appoints Secured Party as its attorney-in-fact (which appointment is coupled with an interest) and agrees that Secured Party may perform (but Secured Party shall not be obligated to and shall incur no liability to Debtor or any third party for failure so to do) any act which Debtor is obligated by this Agreement to perform, and to exercise such rights and powers as Debtor might exercise with respect to the Collateral, including the right to (a) collect by legal proceedings or otherwise and endorse, receive and receipt for all dividends, interest, payments, proceeds and other sums and property now or hereafter payable on or on account of the Collateral; (b) enter into any extension, reorganization, deposit, merger, consolidation or other agreement pertaining to, or deposit, surrender, accept, hold or apply other property in exchange for the Collateral; (c) make any compromise or settlement, and take any action Secured Party deems advisable, with respect to the Collateral, including without limitation bringing a suit in Secured Party’s own name to enforce any Intellectual Property; (d) endorse Debtor’s name on all applications, documents, papers and instruments necessary or desirable for Secured Party in the use of any Intellectual Property; (e) grant or issue any exclusive or non-exclusive license under any Intellectual Property to any person or entity; (f) assign, pledge, sell, convey or otherwise transfer title in or dispose of any Intellectual Property to any person or entity; (g) cause the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, United States Patent and Trademark Office (or as appropriate, such equivalent agency in foreign countries) to issue any and all patents and related rights and applications to Secured Party as the assignee of Debtor’s entire interest therein; (h) file a copy of this Agreement with any governmental agency, body or authority, including without limitation the United States Patent and Trademark Office and, if applicable, the United States Copyright Office or Library of Congress, at the sole cost and expense of Debtor; (i) insure, process and preserve the Collateral; (j) pay any indebtedness of Debtor relating to the Collateral; (k) execute and file UCC financing statements and other documents, certificates, instruments and agreements with respect to the Collateral or as otherwise required or permitted hereunder; and (l) take any and all appropriate action and execute any and all documents and instruments that may be necessary or useful to accomplish the purposes of this Agreement; provided, however, that Secured Party shall not exercise any such powers granted pursuant to clauses (a) through (g) above prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and shall only exercise such powers during the continuance of an Event of Default. The powers conferred on Secured Party under this Section 6 are solely to protect its interests in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon it to exercise any such powers. Secured Party shall be accountable only for the amounts that it actually receives as a result of the exercise of such powers, and neither Secured Party nor any of its stockholders, directors, officers, managers, employees or agents shall be responsible to Debtor for any act or failure to act, except with respect to Secured Party’s own gross negligence or willful misconduct. Nothing in this Section 6 shall be deemed an authorization for Debtor to take any action that it is otherwise expressly prohibited from undertaking by way of other provision of this Agreement.
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.
Appointment of Supplemental Collateral Agents It is the purpose of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents that there shall be no violation of any law of any jurisdiction denying or restricting the right of banking corporations or associations to transact business as agent or trustee in such jurisdiction. It is recognized that in case of litigation under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and in particular in case of the enforcement of any of the Loan Documents, or in case Administrative Agent deems that by reason of any present or future law of any jurisdiction it may not exercise any of the rights, powers or remedies granted herein or in any of the other Loan Documents or take any other action which may be desirable or necessary in connection therewith, it may be necessary that Administrative Agent appoint an additional individual or institution as a separate trustee, co-trustee, collateral agent or collateral co-agent (any such additional individual or institution being referred to herein individually as a “Supplemental Collateral Agent” and collectively as “Supplemental Collateral Agents”). In the event that Administrative Agent appoints a Supplemental Collateral Agent with respect to any Collateral, (i) each and every right, power, privilege or duty expressed or intended by this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents to be exercised by or vested in or conveyed to Administrative Agent with respect to such Collateral shall be exercisable by and vest in such Supplemental Collateral Agent to the extent, and only to the extent, necessary to enable such Supplemental Collateral Agent to exercise such rights, powers and privileges with respect to such Collateral and to perform such duties with respect to such Collateral, and every covenant and obligation contained in the Loan Documents and necessary to the exercise or performance thereof by such Supplemental Collateral Agent shall run to and be enforceable by either Administrative Agent or such Supplemental Collateral Agent, and (ii) the provisions of this Section 9 and of subsections 10.2 and 10.3 that refer to Administrative Agent shall inure to the benefit of such Supplemental Collateral Agent and all references therein to Administrative Agent shall be deemed to be references to Administrative Agent and/or such Supplemental Collateral Agent, as the context may require. Should any instrument in writing from Company or any other Loan Party be required by any Supplemental Collateral Agent so appointed by Administrative Agent for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to him or it such rights, powers, privileges and duties, Company shall, or shall cause such Loan Party to, execute, acknowledge and deliver any and all such instruments promptly upon request by Administrative Agent. In case any Supplemental Collateral Agent, or a successor thereto, shall die, become incapable of acting, resign or be removed, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of such Supplemental Collateral Agent, to the extent permitted by law, shall vest in and be exercised by Administrative Agent until the appointment of a new Supplemental Collateral Agent.
