Assignments and transfer by Obligors No Obligor may assign any of its rights or transfer any of its rights or obligations under the Finance Documents.
Additional Pledgors Pursuant to Section 5.11 of the Credit Agreement, each Subsidiary of the Borrower that was not in existence or not a Subsidiary on the date of the Credit Agreement is required to enter in this Agreement as a Subsidiary Pledgor upon becoming a Subsidiary if such Subsidiary owns or possesses property of a type that would be considered Collateral hereunder. Upon execution and delivery by the Collateral Agent and a Subsidiary of an instrument in the form of Annex 1, such Subsidiary shall become a Subsidiary Pledgor hereunder with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Subsidiary Pledgor herein. The execution and delivery of such instrument shall not require the consent of any Pledgor hereunder. The rights and obligations of each Pledgor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Subsidiary Pledgor as a party to this Agreement.
Equity Pledge 2.1. As collateral security for the timely and complete payment and performance of all Contract Obligations, the Pledgor hereby pledges to the Pledgee a first security interest in all of the Pledgor’s rights, title and interests, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired by the Pledgor, in the Pledged Equity (the “Equity Pledge”).
2.2. The Pledgor shall have been or will be registered at the local branch of State Administration for Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”) as one of the shareholders of the Domestic Company holding his proportion of the equity interests in the Domestic Company as set forth in Recital (A) above and hold such equity interests free and clear of encumbrances except for the Equity Pledge as provided in this Agreement and/or as otherwise agreed by the Parties.
2.3. The Pledgor hereby undertakes that he will be responsible for recording the Equity Pledge on the register of equityholders (if any) of the Domestic Company on the date hereof or as soon as practicable from the date hereof, and will use his best endeavors to register the Equity Pledge with SAIC (the “Registration of Equity Pledge”). In the event the SAIC requires that the Registration of Equity Pledge be completed by using an equity pledge agreement between the Parties substantially in form stipulated by the SAIC, subject to Section 13.5, the Parties shall enter into an equity pledge agreement in such stipulated form (the “Registration Version”) and the Pledgor shall and hereby undertakes that he will use his best endeavors to register the Equity Pledge with SAIC by using the Registration Version.
2.4. During the term of this Agreement, the Pledgee shall not be liable in any way for impairment in value of the Pledged Equity, nor shall the Pledgor have any right to make any claims against the Pledgee for such impairment in value.
2.5. Upon the occurrence of any Breaching Event, the Pledgee shall have the right to dispose of the Pledged Equity in the manner set forth in Article 4 hereof.
2.6. Without the prior written consent of the Pledgee, the Pledgor shall not increase the registered capital of the Domestic Company by contributing additional capital, or allowing any third party to contribute additional capital to the Domestic Company.
2.7. Without the prior written consent of the Pledgee, the Pledgor shall not consent to the adoption of any shareholders’ resolution or by any other means permit the Domestic Company to declare or distribute any dividends or profits.
2.8. Without the prior written consent of the Pledgee, the Pledgor shall not enter into any transactions with the Domestic Company.
2.9. During the term of the Equity Pledge, the Pledgor shall deliver to the Pledgee’s custody the original capital contribution certificate for the Pledged Equity and the original equityholders’ register (if any) containing the Equity Pledge within five business days from the execution of this Agreement or from the completion of any re-registration of shareholding if the percentage of equity interests changes (in such case, the Pledgor shall deliver to the Pledgee’s custody the updated original capital contribution certificates for the Pledged Equity and the updated original equityholders’ register (if any) containing the Equity Pledge). The Pledgee shall take custody of such original documents during the entire term of this Agreement.
2.10. The Pledgee shall have the right to collect dividends or any other distribution paid with respect to the Pledged Equity during the term of this Agreement.
Waivers by Guarantors Each Guarantor hereby waives, for the benefit of Beneficiaries: (a) any right to require any Beneficiary, as a condition of payment or performance by such Guarantor, to (i) proceed against Company, any other guarantor (including any other Guarantor) of the Guaranteed Obligations or any other Person, (ii) proceed against or exhaust any security held from Company, any such other guarantor or any other Person, (iii) proceed against or have resort to any balance of any Deposit Account or credit on the books of any Beneficiary in favor of Company or any other Person, or (iv) pursue any other remedy in the power of any Beneficiary whatsoever; (b) any defense arising by reason of the incapacity, lack of authority or any disability or other defense of Company or any other Guarantor including any defense based on or arising out of the lack of validity or the unenforceability of the Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement or instrument relating thereto or by reason of the cessation of the liability of Company or any other Guarantor from any cause other than payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations; (c) any defense based upon any statute or rule of law which provides that the obligation of a surety must be neither larger in amount nor in other respects more burdensome than that of the principal; (d) any defense based upon any Beneficiary’s errors or omissions in the administration of the Guaranteed Obligations, except behavior which amounts to bad faith; (e)
(i) any principles or provisions of law, statutory or otherwise, which are or might be in conflict with the terms hereof and any legal or equitable discharge of such Guarantor’s obligations hereunder, (ii) the benefit of any statute of limitations affecting such Guarantor’s liability hereunder or the enforcement hereof, (iii) any rights to set-offs, recoupments and counterclaims, and (iv) promptness, diligence and any requirement that any Beneficiary protect, secure, perfect or insure any security interest or lien or any property subject thereto; (f) notices, demands, presentments, protests, notices of protest, notices of dishonor and notices of any action or inaction, including acceptance hereof, notices of default hereunder, the Hedge Agreements or any agreement or instrument related thereto, notices of any renewal, extension or modification of the Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement related thereto, notices of any extension of credit to Company and notices of any of the matters referred to in Section 7.4 and any right to consent to any thereof; and (g) any defenses or benefits that may be derived from or afforded by law which limit the liability of or exonerate guarantors or sureties, or which may conflict with the terms hereof.
Waiver by the Guarantors Each Guarantor irrevocably waives acceptance hereof, presentment, demand, protest and any notice not provided for herein, as well as any requirement that at any time any action be taken by any Person against the Company or any other Person.
Assignments and Transfers by Investors The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Investors and their respective successors and assigns. An Investor may transfer or assign, in whole or from time to time in part, to one or more persons its rights hereunder in connection with the transfer of Registrable Securities by such Investor to such person, provided that such Investor complies with all laws applicable thereto and provides written notice of assignment to the Company promptly after such assignment is effected.
Waivers by Guarantor To the extent permitted by law, Guarantor hereby waives and agrees not to assert or take advantage of:
(a) Any right to require Lender to proceed against Borrower or any Borrower Party or any other person or to proceed against or exhaust any security held by Lender at any time or to pursue any other remedy in Lender’s power or under any other agreement before proceeding against Guarantor hereunder;
(b) Any defense that may arise by reason of the incapacity, lack of authority, death or disability of any other person or persons or the failure of Lender to file or enforce a claim against the estate (in administration, bankruptcy or any other proceeding) of any other person or persons;
(c) Demand, presentment for payment, notice of nonpayment, protest, notice of protest and all other notices of any kind, or the lack of any thereof, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, notice of the existence, creation or incurring of any new or additional indebtedness or obligation or of any action or non-action on the part of Borrower or any Borrower Party, Lender, any endorser or creditor of Borrower or any Borrower Party or of Guarantor or on the part of any other person whomsoever under this or any other instrument in connection with any obligation or evidence of indebtedness held by Lender;
(d) Any defense based upon an election of remedies by Lender;
(e) Any right or claim of right to cause a marshalling of the assets of Guarantor;
(f) Any principle or provision of law, statutory or otherwise, which is or might be in conflict with the terms and provisions of this Agreement;
(g) Any duty on the part of Lender to disclose to Guarantor any facts Lender may now or hereafter know about Borrower or the Borrower Parties or the Collateral or the Property, regardless of whether Lender has reason to believe that any such facts materially increase the risk beyond that which Guarantor intends to assume or has reason to believe that such facts are unknown to Guarantor or has a reasonable opportunity to communicate such facts to Guarantor, it being understood and agreed that Guarantor is fully responsible for being and keeping informed of the financial condition of the Borrower, the Borrower Parties, of the condition of the Property and of any and all circumstances bearing on the risk that liability may be incurred by Guarantor hereunder;
(h) Any lack of notice of disposition or of manner of disposition of any collateral for the Loan;
(i) Any invalidity, irregularity or unenforceability, in whole or in part, of any one or more of the Loan Documents;
(j) Any lack of commercial reasonableness in dealing with the collateral for the Loan;
(k) Any deficiencies in the collateral for the Loan or any deficiency in the ability of Lender to collect or to obtain performance from any persons or entities now or hereafter liable for the payment and performance of any obligation hereby guaranteed or indemnified against;
(1) An assertion or claim that the automatic stay provided by 11 U.S.C. §362 (arising upon the voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy proceeding of Borrower or a Borrower Party) or any other stay provided under any other debtor relief law (whether statutory, common law, case law or otherwise) of any jurisdiction whatsoever, now or hereafter in effect, which may be or become applicable, shall operate or be interpreted to stay, interdict, condition, reduce or inhibit the ability of Lender to enforce any of its rights, whether now or hereafter required, which Lender may have against Guarantor or the collateral for the Loan;
TRANSFER BY THE PLEDGORS No Pledgor will sell or otherwise dispose of, grant any option with respect to, or mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber any of the Collateral or any interest therein (except as may be permitted in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement).
Assignments and transfers by the Lenders Subject to this Clause 23, a Lender (the “Existing Lender”) may:
(a) assign any of its rights; or
(b) transfer by novation any of its rights and obligations, to another bank or financial institution or to a trust, fund or other entity which is regularly engaged in or established for the purpose of making, purchasing or investing in loans, securities or other financial assets (the “New Lender”).
Payment by Guarantors Subject to Section 7.2, Guarantors hereby jointly and severally agree, in furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Beneficiary may have at law or in equity against any Guarantor by virtue hereof, that upon the failure of Borrower to pay any of the Guaranteed Obligations when and as the same shall become due, whether at stated maturity, by required prepayment, declaration, acceleration, demand or otherwise (including amounts that would become due but for the operation of the automatic stay under Section 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)), Guarantors will upon demand pay, or cause to be paid, in Cash, to Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of Beneficiaries, an amount equal to the sum of the unpaid principal amount of all Guaranteed Obligations then due as aforesaid, accrued and unpaid interest on such Guaranteed Obligations (including interest which, but for Borrower’s becoming the subject of a case under the Bankruptcy Code, would have accrued on such Guaranteed Obligations, whether or not a claim is allowed against Borrower for such interest in the related bankruptcy case) and all other Guaranteed Obligations then owed to Beneficiaries as aforesaid.
