Franchise Matters (a) As of the Effective Date, Schedule 3.27(a) attached hereto sets forth a true and complete list of all Franchise Agreements to which the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Loan Parties or any of their Affiliates or Subsidiaries or its or their properties is bound (other than any such agreements between a person and its Subsidiaries or among its Subsidiaries) and that grant to a person (a “Franchisee”) the right to operate or license others to operate or to develop within a specific geographic area or at a specific location an F45 training franchised business (each a “Franchised Business”). True, correct, and complete copies of all Franchise Agreements (or documents purporting to contain substantially the content of each such Franchise Agreement) set forth on Schedule 3.27(a) are, upon request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, available to the Lenders. As of the Effective Date, the countries listed on Schedule 3.27(a) are the only countries in which the Loan Parties have sold or granted a Franchise or master franchise for the right to operate any Franchised Business and the right to sub-franchise such rights, if any.
(b) All the Franchise Agreements of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries are in full force and effect and are valid and binding obligations of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries that are party thereto and enforceable against such Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, the other parties thereto in accordance with their respective terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. All Franchise Agreements comply in all material respects with the Requirement of Law applicable thereto. The execution and delivery by the Loan Parties of this Agreement do not, and the consummation of the Transactions and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and compliance with the provisions of this Agreement will not, conflict with, or result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or to the loss of a benefit under, or result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries under (other than any Lien permitted by the terms of this Agreement) or any right of rescission or set-off under, any provision of any Franchise Agreement. Except by operation of law, no Franchise Agreement expressly grants any Franchisee any right of rescission or set-off; and no Franchisee has asserted in writing any such right of rescission or set-off. There is no default under any Franchise Agreement by the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, by any other party thereto, and no event has occurred that with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default thereunder by the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, by any other party thereto, except, in each case, any default that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or to result in an adverse determination with a monetary liability in an aggregate amount in excess of $2,500,000 against one or more Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries.
(c) As of the Effective Date, Schedule 3.27(c) sets forth a true and correct list of: (i) the United States jurisdictions in which the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries are currently, registered or authorized to offer and sell franchises (under a Franchise Law) and the jurisdictions in which the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries sold a Franchised Business under a Franchise Law and under the FTC Franchise Rule and (ii) the non-United States jurisdictions in which the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries has sold or entered into, offered, Franchises.
(d) The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have prepared and maintained each uniform franchise offering circular, franchise disclosure document and similar document used in the offer and sale of franchises anywhere in the world by the Loan Parties (“FDD”) in compliance with: (A) franchise guidelines published by the FTC and the North American Securities Administrators Association (collectively, “Franchise Guidelines”); (B) the FTC Franchise Rule; and (C) the Franchise Laws, except, in each case, where any failure to comply, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in (i) a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) an adverse determination with a monetary liability in an aggregate amount in excess of $2,500,000 against one or more Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries. The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have offered and sold each Franchise Agreement for a Franchised Business to be located in any non-United States jurisdiction (the “Foreign Franchises”) in compliance with the Requirement of Law, including pre-sale registration and disclosure laws, except, in each case, where any failure to comply, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in (i) a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) an adverse determination with a monetary liability in an aggregate amount in excess of $2,500,000 against one or more Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries.
(e) The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have not, in any FDD, other franchise disclosure document, in applications or filings with states under the Franchise Laws, made any untrue statement of a material fact, omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or omitted to state any fact necessary to make the statements made therein, taken as a whole, not misleading.
(f) Except as set forth in Schedule 3.27(f), the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have not, and have not authorized any Person to furnish: (i) to prospective franchisees in any United States jurisdiction any materials or information that could be construed as an “earnings claim” or “financial performance representation” as specified in the FTC Franchise Rule, and Franchise Guidelines (collectively, “FPRs”), and no FPR has been made to any prospective Franchisee in any United States jurisdiction; or (ii) to prospective franchisees in any non-United States jurisdiction any materials or information from which a specific level or range of actual or potential sales, costs, income, or profit from franchised or non-franchised units may be easily ascertained, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) above, where the furnishing of such information, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in (i) a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) an adverse determination with a monetary liability in an aggregate amount in excess of $2,500,000 against one or more Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries.
(g) As of the Effective Date, Schedule 3.27(g) lists each contract pursuant to which the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries or Affiliates receives rebates in excess of $250,000 in any Fiscal Year as a result of transactions between the Franchisees and suppliers selling products or services to the Franchisees. No contract pursuant to which the Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries or Affiliates receives a rebate is (i) prohibited by any Franchise Agreement, (ii) not disclosed in accordance with the Franchise Guidelines in the relevant FDD, if applicable, or (iii) not disclosed in accordance with the Requirement of Law with respect to Foreign Franchises.
(h) The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have made on a timely and accurate basis all required additional filings under the Franchise Laws, including filings with respect to material changes, advertising, broker and salesperson registrations, amendments, and renewals, and the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have not offered or executed a Franchise Agreement or offered or sold the rights granted therein in any jurisdiction in which such offer and sale was not duly registered (if registration was required by a Franchise Law) or exempt from registration at the time the offer was made and the sale occurred, and the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have otherwise complied with all applicable FDD and Franchise Agreement delivery requirements under applicable Franchise Laws, and, in each case, obtained receipts evidencing delivery and receipt thereof, except where any failure to make such additional filings or to register such offer and sale could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have not otherwise engaged in the offer, sale, or execution of Franchise Agreements in violation of applicable Franchise Laws, or unfair or deceptive trade practices law or regulation or similar law or regulation.
(i) Neither the Loan Parties nor any of their Subsidiaries is subject to any currently effective order, injunction, or similar mandate with respect to the offer or sale of Franchise Agreements in any jurisdiction. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.27(i), there are no proceedings pending (or to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, threatened in writing) against the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries alleging failure to comply with any Franchise Laws or Relationship Laws, or any similar Requirement of Law of any other jurisdiction, foreign or domestic.
(j) Except to the extent granted to a Franchisee in its Franchise Agreement, and except as provided by operation of law: (A) no Franchisee has a protected territory, exclusive territory, right of first refusal, option, or other similar arrangement with respect to a Franchised Business and (B) no person currently holds any right or option to operate, develop, or locate a Franchised Business, or to exclude the Loan Parties, any of their Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or others from operating or licensing a third party to operate a Franchised Business, in any geographic area or at any location.
(k) Except as disclosed in writing in the Loan Parties’ most-recently issued FDD, none of Loan Parties’ Subsidiaries or Affiliates presently offer or sell franchises or business opportunities in any line of business, and no Subsidiary or Affiliate of Loan Parties that has offered or sold franchises or business opportunities in any line of business (other than the Franchised Business) is obligated or liable in any respect under or in connection with such franchises or business opportunities.
(l) As of the Effective Date, Schedule 3.27(l) lists the material contracts that are in effect as of the date hereof with any formal or informal franchisee association or group of Franchisees regarding any Franchise Agreement or franchise operational matter.
(m) As of the Effective Date, Schedule 3.27(m) lists the Franchisees, if any, that to the knowledge of the Loan Parties are currently the subject of a bankruptcy or similar proceeding.
(n) With respect to all expirations, terminations, and nonrenewals of Franchisees or Franchise Agreements, the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable franchise termination, nonrenewal, unfair practices, and Relationship Laws, including the Requirement of Law with respect to the proper notice of default, time to cure, and the actual termination of any Franchisee or business opportunity operator, except, in each case, where the failure to comply, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or result in an adverse determination with a monetary liability in an aggregate amount in excess of $2,500,000 against one or more Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries.
(o) Except as disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent, since December 31, 2020, no Loan Party has waived any material right or benefit of any such Person, or any material obligation of any Franchisee, under any Franchise Agreement, including, without limitation, any buy-out option, and no waiver of any such rights is currently in effect.
(p) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.27(p) and any waiver, alteration or modification that could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or could not be expected to reduce such payments by more than $2,500,000 in the aggregate, since December 31, 2020, no Loan Party has waived, altered or modified any material provision regarding the calculation and payment of royalty fees in any Franchise Agreement, and no waiver regarding the calculation and payment of royalty fees is currently in effect.
(q) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.27(q) or disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent, no Loan Party is (i) a guarantor or party to an agreement pursuant to which any of the Loan Parties is directly or contingently liable (as a co-xxxxxx or otherwise) for any material obligations of any Franchisee, subject to general vicarious liability and related principles, (ii) a lessor or sublessor of any real or personal property to any Franchisee, or (iii) a party to any financing arrangement with any Franchisee, including, but not limited to, any promissory note, guaranty or security agreement.
(r) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.27(r) or disclosed in writing to the Administrative Agent, there are no area representatives, development agents, regional directors or other Persons that provide support services to Franchisees on behalf of the Loan Parties pursuant to a written agreement with the Loan Parties, other than employees of the Loan Parties. Except for the Loan Parties or any employees of or consultants engaged by the Loan Parties, no Loan Party has ever used “franchise sellers” as such term is defined in the FTC Franchise Rules in connection with the offer or sale of Franchises.
(s) No Loan Party has exercised control over any Franchisee’s relationship with its employees, including hiring, firing, disciplining, compensation, benefits, supervision, and scheduling.
(t) None of the Franchise Agreements require any of the Loan Parties to notify any Franchisee of the financing transactions contemplated by this Agreement and no Franchise Agreement requires the Franchisee thereunder to consent to, or approve of, the financing transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(u) None of the Franchise Agreements (i) require the consent of the franchisee thereunder in connection with the transfer or assignment by the franchisor of any of its rights or obligations thereunder to any Person or (ii) prohibit the franchisor thereunder from selling its assets to a third party, offering its securities privately or publicly, merging with or acquiring other Persons, or being acquired by another Person, or undertaking any refinancing, recapitalization, leverage buyout or other economic or financial restructuring.
