Forbearances During the period from the date of this Agreement to the Effective Time or earlier termination of this Agreement, except as set forth in the CBC Disclosure Schedule or the SCB Disclosure Schedule, as expressly contemplated or permitted by this Agreement or as required by Law, neither CBC nor SCB shall, and neither CBC nor SCB shall permit any of their respective Subsidiaries to, without the prior written consent of the other party to this Agreement (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed):
(a) other than (i) federal funds borrowings and Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings, in each case with a maturity not in excess of six (6) months, (ii) deposits, (iii) issuances of letters of credit, (iv) purchases of federal funds, (v) sales of certificates of deposit and (vi) entry into repurchase agreements, in each case in the ordinary course of business, incur any indebtedness for borrowed money (other than indebtedness of CBC or any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries to CBC or any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, on the one hand, or of SCB or any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries to SCB or any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, on the other hand), or assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise as an accommodation become responsible for the obligations of any other individual, corporation or other entity;
(i) adjust, split, combine or reclassify any shares of capital stock;
(ii) make, declare, pay or set a record date for any dividend, or any other distribution on, or directly or indirectly redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire, any shares of its capital stock or other equity or voting securities or any securities or obligations convertible (whether currently convertible or convertible only after the passage of time or the occurrence of certain events) or exchangeable into or exercisable for any shares of its capital stock or other equity or voting securities, except, in each case, (A) dividends paid by any of the Subsidiaries of each of CBC and SCB to CBC or SCB or any of their wholly-owned Subsidiaries, respectively, and (B) the acceptance of shares of CBC Common Stock or SCB Common Stock, as the case may be, as payment for the exercise price of stock options or for withholding Taxes incurred in connection with the exercise of stock options or the vesting or settlement of equity compensation awards, in each case, in accordance with past practice and the terms of the applicable award agreements;
(iii) grant any stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, restricted stock units, performance stock units, phantom stock units, restricted shares or other equity-based awards or interests, or grant any Person any right to acquire any shares of capital stock or other equity or voting securities of CBC or SCB or any of their respective Subsidiaries;
(iv) issue, sell, transfer, encumber or otherwise permit to become outstanding any shares of capital stock or voting securities or equity interests or securities convertible (whether currently convertible or convertible only after the passage of time of the occurrence of certain events) or exchangeable into, or exercisable for, any shares of its capital stock or other equity or voting securities, including any securities of CBC or SCB or their respective Subsidiaries, or any options, warrants, or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of capital stock or other equity or voting securities, including any securities of CBC or SCB or their respective Subsidiaries, except pursuant to the exercise of stock options or the vesting or settlement of equity compensation awards outstanding as of the date hereof or granted after the date hereof to the extent authorized under this Agreement, in each case accordance with their terms;
(c) sell, transfer, mortgage, encumber or otherwise dispose of any of its material properties or assets to any individual, corporation or other entity other than a wholly-owned Subsidiary, or cancel, release or assign any indebtedness to any such Person or any claims held by any such Person, in each case other than in the ordinary course of business, or pursuant to contracts or agreements in force at the date of this Agreement;
(d) except for foreclosure or acquisitions of control in a fiduciary or similar capacity or in satisfaction of debts previously contracted in good faith in the ordinary course of business, make any material investment in or acquisition of (whether by purchase of stock or securities, contributions to capital, property transfers, merger or consolidation, or formation of a joint venture or otherwise) any other Person or the property or assets of any other Person, in each case, other than a wholly-owned Subsidiary of CBC or SCB, as applicable;
(e) in each case except for transactions in the ordinary course of business, terminate, materially amend, or waive any material provision of, any CBC Contract or SCB Contract, as the case may be, or make any change in any instrument or agreement governing the terms of any of its securities, other than normal renewals of contracts without material adverse changes of terms with respect to CBC or SCB, or enter into any contract that would constitute a CBC Contract or SCB Contract, if it were in effect on the date of this Agreement;
(f) except as required under applicable Law or the terms of any CBC Benefit Plan or SCB Benefit Plan existing as of the date hereof, as applicable, (i) enter into, establish, adopt, amend or terminate any CBC Benefit Plan or SCB Benefit Plan, or any arrangement that would be a CBC Benefit Plan or a SCB Benefit Plan if in effect on the date hereof, other than with respect to broad-based welfare benefit plans (other than severance) in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and as would not reasonably be expected to materially increase the cost of benefits under any such CBC Benefit Plan or SCB Benefit Plan, as the case may be, (ii) increase the compensation or benefits payable to any current or former employee, director or individual consultant, other than increases for current employees with an annual base salary below $150,000 in connection with a promotion (permitted hereunder) or change in responsibilities, in each case, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and to a level consistent with similarly situated peer employees, (iii) accelerate the vesting of any equity-based awards or other compensation or benefits, (iv) enter into any new, or amend any existing, employment, severance, change in control, retention, collective bargaining agreement or similar agreement or arrangement; provided, however, that the parties may enter into offer letters with new hires in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice that do not provide for enhanced or change in control severance, (v) fund any rabbi trust or similar arrangement, or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any CBC Benefit Plan or SCB Benefit Plan, as the case may be, or (vi) hire or promote any employee with an annual base salary equal to or in excess of $150,000, or significantly change the responsibilities assigned to any such employee;
(g) settle any material claim, suit, action or proceeding, except involving solely monetary remedies in an amount and for consideration not in excess of $25,000 individually or $50,000 in the aggregate and that would not impose any material restriction on, or create any adverse precedent that would be material to, the business of it or its Subsidiaries or the Surviving Corporation or its Subsidiaries;
(h) take any action or knowingly fail to take any action where such action or failure to act could reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code;
(i) amend its articles of incorporation, its bylaws or comparable governing documents of its Significant Subsidiaries;
(j) materially restructure or materially change its investment securities, derivatives, wholesale funding of bank owned life insurance portfolio or its interest rate exposure, through purchases, sales or otherwise, or the manner in which the portfolio is classified or reported;
(k) implement or adopt any change in its accounting principles, practices or methods, other than as may be required by GAAP;
(l) enter into any new line of business or, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, change in any material respect its lending, investment, underwriting, risk and asset liability management and other banking and operating, hedging, securitization and servicing policies (including any change in the maximum ratio or similar limits as a percentage of its capital exposure applicable with respect to its loan portfolio or any segment thereof), except as required by applicable Law, regulation or policies imposed by, or recommendation of, any Governmental Entity;
(m) merge or consolidate itself or any of its Significant Subsidiaries with any other Person, or restructure, reorganize or completely or partially liquidate or dissolve it or any of its Significant Subsidiaries;
(n) make, change or revoke any material Tax election, change an annual Tax accounting period, adopt or change any material Tax accounting method, file any material amended Tax Return, enter into any closing agreement with respect to a material amount of Taxes, or settle any material Tax claim, audit, assessment or dispute or surrender any material right to claim a refund of Taxes;
(o) other than in prior consultation with the other party to this Agreement, except for loans or extensions of credit approved and/or committed as of the date of this Agreement, (i) make any loan greater than $7,500,000, make any sponsored finance loan greater than $3,000,000, purchase a participation in any loan or pool of loans, or renew any loan greater than $7,500,000, or (ii) renew for more than 12 months any loans greater than $1,000,000 rated “special mention” or worse; or
(p) agree to take, make any commitment to take, or adopt any resolutions of its board of directors or similar governing body in support of, any of the actions prohibited by this Section 4.02.
Tax Covenants (a) Without the prior written consent of Buyer, Seller (and, prior to the Closing, the Teco Subsidiaries, and their respective Affiliates and Representatives) shall not, to the extent it may affect, or relate to, the Teco Subsidiaries, make, change or rescind any Tax election, amend any Tax Return or take any position on any Tax Return, take any action, omit to take any action or enter into any other transaction that would have the effect of increasing the Tax liability or reducing any Tax asset of Buyer or the Teco Subsidiaries in respect of any Post-Closing Tax Period. Seller agrees that Buyer is to have no liability for any Tax resulting from any action of the Seller, the Teco Subsidiaries and their respective Affiliates and Representatives, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless Buyer (and, after the Closing Date, the Teco Subsidiaries) against any such Tax or reduction of any Tax asset for periods prior to the Closing Date.
(b) All transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration, value added and other such Taxes and fees (including any penalties and interest) incurred in connection with this Agreement shall be borne and paid by Seller when due. Seller shall, on behalf of the Seller and at the Seller’s own expense, timely file any Tax Return or other document with respect to such Taxes or fees (and Buyer shall cooperate with respect thereto as necessary).
(c) Buyer shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, all Tax Returns required to be filed by the Teco Subsidiaries after the Closing Date with respect to a Pre-Closing Tax Period. Any such Tax Return shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practice (unless otherwise required by Law) and without a change of any election or any accounting method and shall be submitted by Buyer to Seller (together with schedules, statements and, to the extent requested by Seller, supporting documentation) at least 45 days prior to the due date (including extensions) of such Tax Return. If Seller objects to any item on any such Tax Return, it shall, within ten days after delivery of such Tax Return, notify Buyer in writing that it so objects, specifying with particularity any such item and stating the specific factual or legal basis for any such objection. If a notice of objection shall be duly delivered, Buyer and Seller shall negotiate in good faith and use their reasonable best efforts to resolve such items. If Buyer and Seller are unable to reach such agreement within ten days after receipt by Buyer of such notice, the disputed items shall be resolved by an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm selected by Buyer and reasonably acceptable to Seller (the “Accounting Referee”) and any determination by the Accounting Referee shall be final. The Accounting Referee shall resolve any disputed items within twenty days of having the item referred to it pursuant to such procedures as it may require. If the Accounting Referee is unable to resolve any disputed items before the due date for such Tax Return, the Tax Return shall be filed as prepared by Buyer and then amended to reflect the Accounting Referee’s resolution. The costs, fees and expenses of the Accounting Referee shall be borne equally by Buyer and Seller. The preparation and filing of any Tax Return of the Teco Subsidiaries that does not relate to a Pre-Closing Tax Period shall be exclusively within the control of Buyer.
Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit (a) If, at any time and from time to time, any Letter of Credit shall have been issued hereunder and the same shall expire on a date after the Revolving Credit Termination Date, then, on the Revolving Credit Termination Date, the Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Lenders, in same day funds at the Administrative Agent’s office designated in such demand, for deposit in a special cash collateral account (the “Letter of Credit Collateral Account”) to be maintained in the name of the Administrative Agent (on behalf of the Lenders) and under its sole dominion and control at such place as shall be designated by the Administrative Agent, an amount equal to the amount of the Letter of Credit Obligations, in the applicable currency, under the Letters of Credit. Interest shall accrue on the Letter of Credit Collateral Account at a rate equal to the rate on overnight funds. The Borrower shall also make deposits into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account in accordance with Section 11.2 and Section 14.25(c).
(b) The Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower hereby pledges, assigns and grants to the Administrative Agent, as Administrative Agent for its benefit and the ratable benefit of the Lenders a lien on and a security interest in, the following collateral (the “Letter of Credit Collateral”):
(i) the Letter of Credit Collateral Account, all cash deposited therein and all certificates and instruments, if any, from time to time representing or evidencing the Letter of Credit Collateral Account;
(ii) all notes, certificates of deposit and other instruments from time to time hereafter delivered to or otherwise possessed by the Administrative Agent for or on behalf of the Borrower in substitution for or in respect of any or all of the then existing Letter of Credit Collateral;
(iii) all interest, dividends, cash, instruments and other property from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of the then existing Letter of Credit Collateral; and
(iv) to the extent not covered by the above clauses, all proceeds of any or all of the foregoing Letter of Credit Collateral.
(c) The lien and security interest granted hereby secures the payment of all obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing hereunder and under any other Loan Document.
(d) The Borrower and the applicable Qualified Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lenders to apply, from time to time after funds are deposited in the Letter of Credit Collateral Account and for so long as an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, funds then held in the Letter of Credit Collateral Account to the payment of any amounts, in such order as the Administrative Agent may elect, as shall have become due and payable by the Borrower to the Lenders in respect of the Letters of Credit.
(e) Neither the Borrower nor the applicable Qualified Borrower nor any Person claiming or acting on behalf of or through the Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower shall have any right to withdraw any of the funds held in the Letter of Credit Collateral Account.
(f) The Borrower and the applicable Qualified Borrower each agrees that it will not (i) sell or otherwise dispose of any interest in the Letter of Credit Collateral or (ii) create or permit to exist any lien, security interest or other charge or encumbrance upon or with respect to any of the Letter of Credit Collateral, except for the security interest created by this Section 3.4.
(g) If any Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing:
(i) The Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, without notice to the Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower except as required by law and at any time from time to time, charge, set off or otherwise apply all or any part of first, (x) amounts previously drawn on any Letter of Credit that have not been reimbursed by the Borrower and (y) any Letter of Credit Obligations described in clause (ii) of the definition thereof that are then due and payable and second, any other unpaid Obligations then due and payable against the Letter of Credit Collateral Account or any part thereof, in such order as the Administrative Agent shall elect. The rights of the Administrative Agent under this Section 3.4 are in addition to any rights and remedies which any Lender may have.
(ii) The Administrative Agent may also exercise, in its sole discretion, in respect of the Letter of Credit Collateral Account, in addition to the other rights and remedies provided herein or otherwise available to it, all the rights and remedies of a secured party upon default under the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in the State of New York at that time.
(iii) The Administrative Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of the Letter of Credit Collateral if the Letter of Credit Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which the Administrative Agent accords its own property, it being understood that, assuming such treatment, the Administrative Agent shall not have any responsibility or liability with respect thereto.
(iv) At such time as all Events of Default have been cured or waived in writing, all fees and expenses, if any, owing to the Lenders paid in full, and all Letters of Credit returned to the Issuing Banks, all amounts remaining in the Letter of Credit Collateral Account shall be promptly returned to the Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower. Absent such cure or written waiver, any surplus of the funds held in the Letter of Credit Collateral Account and remaining after payment in full of all of the Obligations of the Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower hereunder and under any other Loan Document after the Revolving Credit Termination Date shall be paid promptly to the Borrower or the applicable Qualified Borrower or to whomsoever may be lawfully entitled to receive such surplus.
