Issuance of and Drawings and Reimbursement Under Letters of Credit (a) Request for Issuance. Each Letter of Credit shall be issued upon notice, given not later than 2:00 P.M. (New York, New York time) on the fifth Business Day prior to the date of the proposed issuance of such Letter of Credit (or such later day as the Issuing Bank in its sole discretion shall agree), by the Borrower to the Issuing Bank, which shall give to the Administrative Agent and each Revolving Credit Lender prompt notice thereof. Each notice of issuance of a Letter of Credit (a "Notice of Issuance") shall be by telephone, confirmed immediately in writing, or by telecopier, shall be duly executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, and shall specify therein: (i) the requested date of such issuance (which shall be a Business Day); (ii) the requested Available Amount of such Letter of Credit; (iii) the requested expiration date of such Letter of Credit (which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.01(e)); (iv) the name and address of the proposed beneficiary of such Letter of Credit; and (v) the proposed form of such Letter of Credit, and shall be accompanied by such application and agreement for letters of credit as the Issuing Bank may specify to the Borrower for use in connection with such requested Letter of Credit (such applications and agreements, and all similar agreements entered into in connection with an Existing Letter of Credit, a "Letter of Credit Agreement"). If the requested form of such Letter of Credit is acceptable to the Issuing Bank in its sole discretion, the Issuing Bank will, upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set forth in Article III, make such Letter of Credit available to the Borrower at its office referred to in Section 8.02 or as otherwise agreed with the Borrower in connection with the issuance of such Letter of Credit. If and to the extent that the provisions of any Letter of Credit Agreement shall conflict with this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall govern.
Payments Pursuant to Letters of Credit The Borrower agrees to reimburse immediately the Letter of Credit Issuer for any draw under any Letter of Credit and the Agent for the account of the Lenders upon any payment pursuant to any Credit Support, and to pay the Letter of Credit Issuer the amount of all other charges and fees payable to the Letter of Credit Issuer in connection with any Letter of Credit immediately when due, irrespective of any claim, setoff, defense or other right which the Borrower may have at any time against the Letter of Credit Issuer or any other Person. Each drawing under any Letter of Credit shall constitute a request by the Borrower to the Agent for a Borrowing of a Base Rate Revolving Loan in the amount of such drawing. The Funding Date with respect to such borrowing shall be the date of such drawing.
Conditions to Letters of Credit The issuance of any Letter of Credit hereunder (whether or not the applicable Issuing Lender is obligated to issue such Letter of Credit) is subject to the following conditions precedent:
A. On or before the date of issuance of the initial Letter of Credit pursuant to this Agreement, the initial Loans shall have been made.
B. On or before the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit, Administrative Agent shall have received, in accordance with the provisions of subsection 3.1B(i), an originally executed Notice of Issuance of Letter of Credit, in each case signed by the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer or the treasurer of Company or by any executive officer of Company designated by any of the above-described officers on behalf of Company in a writing delivered to Administrative Agent, together with all other information specified in subsection 3.1B(i) and such other documents or information as the applicable Issuing Lender may reasonably require in connection with the issuance of such Letter of Credit.
C. On the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit, all conditions precedent described in subsection 4.2B shall be satisfied to the same extent as if the issuance of such Letter of Credit were the making of a Loan and the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit were a Funding Date.
Actions in Respect of the Letters of Credit upon Default If any Event of Default described in Section 6.01(f) with respect to the Borrower shall have occurred and be continuing or the Borrowings shall have otherwise been accelerated or the Commitments terminated pursuant to Section 6.01, then the Administrative Agent may, or shall at the request of the Required Lenders, make demand upon the Borrower to, and forthwith upon such demand (or, in the case of an Event of Default under Section 6.01(f) with respect to the Borrower, automatically without demand) the Borrower will, deposit in an account designated in such demand (the “LC Collateral Account”) with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders and LC Issuing Banks, in same day funds, an amount equal to 103% of the aggregate undrawn stated amounts of all Letters of Credit that are outstanding on such date. If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that any funds held in the LC Collateral Account are subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the LC Issuing Banks or that the total amount of such funds is less than 103% of the aggregate undrawn stated amounts of all Letters of Credit that are outstanding on such date, the Borrower will, forthwith upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay to the Administrative Agent, as additional funds to be deposited and held in the LC Collateral Account, an amount equal to the excess of (i) 103% of such aggregate undrawn stated amounts of all Letters of Credit that are outstanding on such date over (ii) the total amount of funds, if any, then held in the LC Collateral Account that the Administrative Agent determines to be free and clear of any such right and claim. Upon the drawing of any Letter of Credit for which funds are on deposit in the LC Collateral Account, such funds shall be applied to reimburse the relevant LC Issuing Bank or Lender holding a participation in the reimbursement obligation of the Borrower to such LC Issuing Bank to the extent permitted by Applicable Law.
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.
Compensation for Facility Letters of Credit (a) The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable account of the Lenders (including the Issuing Bank), based upon the Lenders’ respective Percentages, a per annum fee (the “Facility Letter of Credit Fee”) as a percentage of the face amount of each Facility Letter of Credit outstanding equal to the LIBOR Applicable Margin in effect from time to time hereunder while such Facility Letter of Credit is outstanding. The Facility Letter of Credit Fee relating to any Facility Letter of Credit shall accrue on a daily basis and shall be due and payable in arrears on the first Business Day of each calendar quarter following the issuance of such Facility Letter of Credit and, to the extent any such fees are then due and unpaid, on the Facility Termination Date or any other earlier date that the Obligations are due and payable in full. The Administrative Agent shall promptly (on the same day as received by the Administrative Agent if received prior to noon (Cleveland time) on such day and otherwise on the next Business Day) remit such Facility Letter of Credit Fees, when paid, to the other Lenders in accordance with their Percentages thereof. The Borrower shall not have any liability to any Lender for the failure of the Administrative Agent to promptly deliver funds to any such Lender and shall be deemed to have made all such payments on the date the respective payment is made by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, provided such payment is received by the time specified in Section 2.13 hereof.
(b) The Issuing Bank also shall have the right to receive solely for its own account an issuance fee equal to the greater of (A) $1,500 or (B) one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) per annum to be calculated on the face amount of each Facility Letter of Credit for the stated duration thereof, based on the actual number of days and using a 360-day year basis. The issuance fee shall be payable by the Borrower on the Issuance Date for each such Facility Letter of Credit and on the date of any increase therein or extension thereof. The Issuing Bank shall also be entitled to receive its reasonable out-of-pocket costs and the Issuing Bank’s standard charges of issuing, amending and servicing Facility Letters of Credit and processing draws thereunder.
CONDITIONS OF LENDING AND ISSUANCE OF LETTERS OF CREDIT The obligation of each Lender to make Loans and of the Issuing Lender to issue Letters of Credit hereunder is subject to the performance by each of the Loan Parties of its Obligations to be performed hereunder at or prior to the making of any such Loans or issuance of such Letters of Credit and to the satisfaction of the following further conditions:
Terms of Letters of Credit At the time of issuance, the amount, form, terms and conditions of each Letter of Credit, and of any drafts or acceptances thereunder, shall be subject to approval by the applicable Issuing Bank and the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may (i) the expiration date of any Letter of Credit extend beyond the Revolving Termination Date, or (ii) any Letter of Credit have an initial duration in excess of one year; provided, however, a Letter of Credit may contain a provision providing for the automatic extension of the expiration date in the absence of a notice of non-renewal from the applicable Issuing Bank but in no event shall any such provision permit the extension of the expiration date of such Letter of Credit beyond the Revolving Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Letter of Credit may, as a result of its express terms or as the result of the effect of an automatic extension provision, have an expiration date of not more than one year beyond the Revolving Termination Date (any such Letter of Credit being referred to as an “Extended Letter of Credit”) so long as the Borrower delivers to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the applicable Issuing Bank and the Revolving Lenders no later than 30 days prior to the Revolving Termination Date, Cash Collateral for such Letter of Credit for deposit into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account in an amount equal to the Stated Amount of such Letter of Credit; provided, that the obligations of the Borrower under this Section in respect of Extended Letters of Credit shall survive the termination of this Agreement and shall remain in effect until no Extended Letters of Credit remain outstanding. If the Borrower fails to provide Cash Collateral with respect to any Extended Letter of Credit by the date 30 days prior to the Revolving Termination Date, such failure shall be treated as a drawing under such Extended Letter of Credit (in an amount equal to the maximum Stated Amount of such Letter of Credit), which shall be reimbursed (or participations therein funded) by the Revolving Lenders in accordance with the immediately following subsections (i) and (j), with the proceeds being utilized to provide Cash Collateral for such Letter of Credit. The initial Stated Amount of each Letter of Credit shall be at least $500,000 (or such lesser amount as may be acceptable to the applicable Issuing Bank, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower).
Reimbursement Obligation of the Borrowers In the event of any drawing under any Letter of Credit, the applicable Borrower agrees to reimburse (either with the proceeds of a Revolving Credit Loan as provided for in this Section or with funds from other sources), in same day funds, the applicable Issuing Lender on each date on which such Issuing Lender notifies the applicable Borrower of the date and amount of a draft paid by it under any Letter of Credit for the amount of (a) such draft so paid and (b) any amounts referred to in Section 3.3(c) incurred by such Issuing Lender in connection with such payment. Unless the applicable Borrower shall immediately notify such Issuing Lender that such Borrower intends to reimburse such Issuing Lender for such drawing from other sources or funds, such Borrower shall be deemed to have timely given a Notice of Borrowing to the Administrative Agent requesting that the Revolving Credit Lenders make a Revolving Credit Loan bearing interest at the Base Rate on the applicable repayment date in the amount of (i) such draft so paid and (ii) any amounts referred to in Section 3.3(c) incurred by such Issuing Lender in connection with such payment, and the Revolving Credit Lenders shall make a Revolving Credit Loan bearing interest at the Base Rate in such amount, the proceeds of which shall be applied to reimburse such Issuing Lender for the amount of the related drawing and such fees and expenses. Each Revolving Credit Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to fund a Revolving Credit Loan in accordance with this Section to reimburse such Issuing Lender for any draft paid under a Letter of Credit issued by it is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including, without limitation, non-satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.3(a) or Article VI. If a Borrower has elected to pay the amount of such drawing with funds from other sources and shall fail to reimburse such Issuing Lender as provided above, the unreimbursed amount of such drawing shall bear interest at the rate which would be payable on any outstanding Base Rate Loans which were then overdue from the date such amounts become payable (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) until payment in full.
Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters of Credit (i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, by a single L/C Issuer selected by the Borrower, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to an L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application may be sent by facsimile, by United States mail, by overnight courier, by electronic transmission using the system provided by the applicable L/C Issuer, by personal delivery or by any other means acceptable to such L/C Issuer. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the applicable L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the applicable L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as the applicable L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the applicable L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as such L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the applicable L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as such L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.
(ii) Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, such L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless an L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Revolving Credit Lender, the Administrative Agent or any Loan Party, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Article IV shall not then be satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, such L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower or applicable Subsidiary thereof or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with such L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Revolving Credit Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from such L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage times the amount of such Letter of Credit.
(iii) If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit such L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by an L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to such L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the applicable L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the first anniversary of the Revolving Credit Maturity Date; provided, however, that no L/C Issuer shall permit any such extension if (A) such L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Revolving Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing such L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.
(iv) If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that permits the automatic reinstatement of all or a portion of the stated amount thereof after any drawing thereunder (each, an “Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit”). Unless otherwise directed by an L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to such L/C Issuer to permit such reinstatement. Once an Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit has been issued, except as provided in the following sentence, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the applicable L/C Issuer to reinstate all or a portion of the stated amount thereof in accordance with the provisions of such Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit permits an L/C Issuer to decline to reinstate all or any portion of the stated amount thereof after a drawing thereunder by giving notice of such non-reinstatement within a specified number of days after such drawing (the “Non-Reinstatement Deadline”), such L/C Issuer shall not permit such reinstatement if it has received a notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Reinstatement Deadline (A) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Revolving Lenders have elected not to permit such reinstatement or (B) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied (treating such reinstatement as an L/C Credit Extension for purposes of this clause) and, in each case, directing such L/C Issuer not to permit such reinstatement.
(v) Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the applicable L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.
(vi) If the expiry date of any Letter of Credit would occur after the Revolving Credit Maturity Date, the Borrower hereby agrees that it will at least thirty (30) days prior to the Revolving Credit Maturity Date (or, in the case of a Letter of Credit issued or extended on or after thirty (30) days prior to the Revolving Credit Maturity Date, on the date of such issuance or extension, as applicable) Cash Collateralize such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to 105% of the L/C Obligations arising or expected to arise in connection with such Letter of Credit.
