Limitation on Disposition of Assets The Company is, subject to certain conditions, obligated to make an offer to purchase Securities at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase with certain net cash proceeds of certain sales or other dispositions of assets in accordance with the Indenture.
Limitation on Creation of Subsidiaries Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, establish, create or acquire after the Effective Date any Subsidiary, provided that Borrower and its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries may (x) establish, create and, to the extent permitted by this Agreement, acquire Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries and (y) establish, create and acquire non-Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries to the extent permitted by the definition of Permitted Acquisition, in each case so long as (i) all of the capital stock and other equity interests of such new Subsidiary (except in the case of a Foreign Subsidiary, in which case, 65% of the capital stock and other equity interests) are (to the extent owned by a Credit Party) pledged to the Lender pursuant to, and to the extent required by, the Security Agreement, (ii) each such new Wholly-Owned Domestic Subsidiary (and, to the extent required by Section 8.13, each new Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary) executes and delivers to the Lender a counterpart of the Subsidiaries Guaranty and the Security Agreement, (iii) each such new Wholly-Owned Domestic Subsidiary (and, to the extent required by Section 8.13, each new Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary) enters into such mortgages and other Additional Security Documents as Lender may require pursuant to Section 8.12 and (iv) each such new Wholly-Owned Domestic Subsidiary (and to the extent required by Section 8.13, each new Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary) executes and delivers all other relevant documentation (including opinions of counsel, resolutions, officers’ certificates and UCC financing statements) of the type described in Section 5 as such new Subsidiary would have had to deliver if it were a Credit Party on the Effective Date.
Limitation on Subsidiary Distributions Holdings will not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or consensual restriction on the ability of any such Restricted Subsidiary to:
(a) (i) pay dividends or make any other distributions to Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary on its Capital Stock or with respect to any other interest or participation in, or measured by, its profits or (ii) pay any Indebtedness owed to Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(b) make loans or advances to Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary; or
(c) sell, lease or transfer any of its properties or assets to Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary; except (in each case) for such encumbrances or restrictions (x) which the Borrowers have reasonably determined in good faith will not materially impair the Borrowers’ ability to make payments under this Agreement when due or (y) existing under or by reason of:
(i) contractual encumbrances or restrictions in effect on the Closing Date, including pursuant to this Agreement and the related documentation and related Hedging Obligations;
(ii) the Unsecured Asset Sale Bridge;
(iii) purchase money obligations for property acquired in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice and Capitalized Lease Obligations that impose restrictions of the nature discussed in clause (c) above on the property so acquired;
(iv) Requirement of Law or any applicable rule, regulation or order;
(v) any agreement or other instrument of a Person acquired by or merged or consolidated with or into Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary, or of an Unrestricted Subsidiary that is designated a Restricted Subsidiary, or that is assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets from such Person, in each case that is in existence at the time of such transaction (but not created in contemplation thereof), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person and its Subsidiaries, or the property or assets of the Person and its Subsidiaries, so acquired or designated;
(vi) contracts for the sale of assets, including customary restrictions with respect to a Subsidiary of Holdings pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Capital Stock or assets of such Subsidiary and restrictions on transfer of assets subject to Permitted Liens;
(vii) (x) secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be incurred pursuant to Sections 10.1 and 10.2 that limit the right of the debtor to dispose of the assets securing such Indebtedness and (y) restrictions on transfers of assets subject to Permitted Liens (but, with respect to any such Permitted Lien, only to the extent that such transfer restrictions apply solely to the assets that are the subject of such Permitted Lien);
(viii) restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(ix) other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or preferred stock of Restricted Subsidiaries permitted to be incurred subsequent to the Closing Date pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.1;
(x) customary provisions in joint venture agreements or arrangements and other similar agreements or arrangements relating solely to such joint venture and the Equity Interests issued thereby;
(xi) customary provisions contained in leases, sub-leases, licenses, sub-licenses or similar agreements, in each case, entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(xii) restrictions created in connection with any Receivables Facility that, in the good faith determination of the board of directors of Holdings, are necessary or advisable to effect such Receivables Facility; and
(xiii) any encumbrances or restrictions of the type referred to in clauses (a), (b), and (c) above imposed by any amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of the contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (i) through (xii) above; provided that such amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements, or refinancings (x) are, in the good faith judgment of Holdings’ board of directors, no more restrictive in any material respect with respect to such encumbrance and other restrictions taken as a whole than those prior to such amendment, modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, refunding, replacement or refinancing or (y) do not materially impair the Borrowers’ ability to pay their respective obligations under the Credit Documents as and when due (as determined in good faith by the Borrowers).
Limitations on Dispositions of Collateral The Debtor will not sell, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of any of the Collateral, or attempt, offer or contract to do so other than dispositions of Inventory in the ordinary course of the Debtor’s business; provided, however that the Debtor will be allowed to grant licenses to its products and related documentation in the ordinary course of business and to establish or provide for escrows of related intellectual property in connection therewith.
Limitation on Restrictions on Subsidiary Distributions Enter into or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Subsidiary to (a) make Restricted Payments in respect of any Capital Stock of such Subsidiary held by, or pay or subordinate any Indebtedness owed to, the Borrower or any other Subsidiary, (b) make Investments in the Borrower or any other Subsidiary or (c) transfer any of its assets to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary, except for such encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of (i) any restrictions existing under the Loan Documents, (ii) any restrictions existing under the New Senior Note Indenture, the New Senior Note Indenture and any agreements governing Indebtedness permitted by Sections 6.2(f), to the extent such restrictions are no more restrictive than those in the Senior Note Indenture or the New Senior Note Indenture, (iii) any restrictions with respect to a Subsidiary imposed pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into in connection with the Disposition of all or substantially all of the Capital Stock or assets of such Subsidiary, (iv) customary net worth provisions contained in real property leases entered into in by any Loan Party so long as such net worth provisions would not reasonably be expected to impair materially the ability of the Loan Parties to meet their ongoing obligations under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and (v) with respect to clause (c) only, (i) customary non-assignment provisions in licenses or sublicenses by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business (in which case such prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the Intellectual Property subject thereto), (ii) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and similar agreements that restrict transfers of assets of, or equity interests in, such joint venture, (iii) agreements governing Indebtedness permitted by Sections 6.2(g), (h) and (m) (provided that, in the case of such agreements governing Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.2(h), such prohibition or limitation shall be effective only against the property acquired thereby), (iv) agreements entered into by a Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor governing Liens permitted by Section 6.3(m) or the Indebtedness secured thereby (in which case such prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the assets of such Subsidiary subject to such Lien) and (v) any agreements governing any purchase money Liens or Capital Lease Obligations otherwise permitted hereby (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the assets financed thereby).
Limitation on Disposition of Property Dispose of any of its Property (including, without limitation, receivables and leasehold interests), whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or, in the case of any Restricted Subsidiary, issue or sell any shares of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Capital Stock to any Person, except:
(a) the Disposition of (i) cash, Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities or (ii) other Property that the Company (or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company) reasonably determines is no longer used or useful in its business, has become obsolete, damaged or surplus or is replaced in the ordinary course of business, including the lease or sublease of excess or unneeded real property not constituting a sale and leaseback;
(b) the sale of inventory in the ordinary course of business;
(c) Dispositions permitted by Section 7.04(b); provided that promptly after any such Disposition of any Property to the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor, all actions reasonably required by the Collateral Agent shall be taken to insure the perfection and priority of the Liens created by the Security Documents on such Property;
(d) the sale or issuance of any Restricted Subsidiary’s Capital Stock to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or in the case of any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, to any other Restricted Subsidiary;
(e) Dispositions from (i) the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor to the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that promptly after any such Disposition, all actions reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent shall be taken to insure the continued perfection and priority of the Liens created by the Security Documents on such Property and assets, (ii) from a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or (iii) from a Loan Party to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party;
(f) discounts, adjustments or forgiveness of accounts receivable and other contract claims in the ordinary course of business or in connection with collection or compromise thereof;
(g) subject to the proviso below, unlimited Dispositions for Fair Market Value;
(h) any Recovery Event;
(i) Dispositions resulting from any taking or condemnation of any property of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(j) Sale and Lease-Back Transactions permitted under Section 7.10;
(k) to the extent constituting Dispositions, Investments permitted under Section 7.07 and Restricted Payments permitted under Section 7.06;
(l) the sale (without recourse) of receivables (and related assets) pursuant to factoring or other receivables sale arrangements and similar financing programs;
(m) assignments and licenses of intellectual property of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; and
(n) the purchase and sale or other transfer (including by capital contribution) of Securitization Assets or interests therein pursuant to any Permitted Securitization Financing; provided, that in the case of a Specified Disposition, the Company would, immediately after giving effect to such Specified Disposition be in compliance with the Financial Covenants, determined on a Pro Forma Basis giving effect to such Specified Disposition as of the last day of the most recently ended Test Period (and assuming for such purposes the repayment of any Indebtedness repaid, tendered, repurchased, redeemed, defeased or discharged in connection with such Specified Disposition), provided, further, that, with respect to paragraph (g) above, no Default or Event of Default exists or will result therefrom and at least 75% of the consideration received therefor by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary in excess of $10,000,000 for any individual Disposition (or series of related Dispositions) shall be in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents, provided further that for purposes of this proviso, each of the following shall be deemed to be cash: (i) the amount of any liabilities (as shown on the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s most recent balance sheet or in the notes thereto) that are assumed by the transferee of any such assets or are otherwise cancelled in connection with such transaction (other than any such liabilities that are subordinated to the Obligations), (ii) any notes or other obligations or other securities or assets received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash or Cash Equivalents within 180 days of the receipt thereof (to the extent of the cash or Cash Equivalents received) and (iii) any Designated Non-Cash Consideration received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in such Disposition having an aggregate Fair Market Value, taken together with all other Designated Non-Cash Consideration received pursuant to clause (g) that is at that time outstanding, not to exceed $25,000,000, with the Fair Market Value of each item of Designated Non-Cash Consideration being measured at the time received and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value. For the avoidance of doubt, any issuance or sale of Capital Stock of the Company shall not be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Section 7.05.
Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company, (b) make any loans or advances to the Company or (c) transfer any of its property or assets to the Company, except:
(1) with respect to clauses (a), (b) and (c),
(A) any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement governing Indebtedness or Capital Stock and other agreements or instruments in effect at or entered into on the Issue Date;
(B) any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement relating to any Indebtedness Incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary or Capital Stock or other agreement or instrument of such Restricted Subsidiary in existence on or prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary was acquired by the Company or otherwise became a Restricted Subsidiary (other than Indebtedness Incurred, Capital Stock issued or agreements or instruments entered into as consideration in, or to provide all or any portion of the funds or credit support utilized to consummate, the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was acquired by the Company) and outstanding on such date;
(C) any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement effecting a Refinancing in whole or in part of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to an agreement referred to in subclause (A) or (B) of clause (1) of this Section 4.10 or this subclause (C) or subclause (B) of clause (2) of this Section 4.10 or contained in any amendment to, or modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, replacement or extension of, an agreement referred to in subclause (A) or (B) of clause (1) of this Section 4.10 or this clause (C) or subclause (B) of clause (2) of this Section 4.10; provided, however, that the encumbrances and restrictions with respect to such Restricted Subsidiary contained in any such refinancing agreement or amendment, modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, replacement or extension agreement are not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, than encumbrances and restrictions with respect to such Restricted Subsidiary contained in such predecessor agreements;
(D) any customary encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary imposed pursuant to a merger agreement or an agreement entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all the Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary pending the closing of such sale or disposition;
(E) customary encumbrances and restrictions contained in agreements of the types described in the definition of the term “Permitted Business Investments;” and
(F) customary supermajority voting provisions and other customary provisions with respect to the disposition or distribution of assets, each contained in corporate charters, bylaws, stockholders’ agreements, limited liability company agreements, partnership agreements, joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; and
(2) with respect to clause (c) only,
(A) any such encumbrance or restriction consisting of customary nonassignment provisions (including provisions forbidding subletting or sublicensing) in leases governing leasehold interests and licenses to the extent such provisions restrict the transfer of the lease or license or the property leased, or licensed thereunder;
(B) any encumbrance or restriction contained in credit agreements, security agreements or mortgages securing Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or in Production Payments and Reserve Sales, to the extent such encumbrance or restriction restricts the transfer of the property subject to such credit agreements, security agreements or mortgages or Production Payments and Reserve Sales;
(C) encumbrances and restrictions contained in any agreement, instrument or Capital Stock assumed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or for which any of them becomes liable as in effect at the time of such transaction (except to the extent such agreement, instrument or Capital Stock was entered into in connection with or in contemplation of such transaction), which encumbrances and restrictions are not applicable to any assets other than assets acquired in connection with such transaction and all improvements, additions and accessions thereto and products and proceeds thereof;
(D) restrictions on cash or other deposits imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(E) encumbrances and restrictions contained in contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business, not relating to any Indebtedness, and that do not, individually or in the aggregate, detract from the value of, or from the ability of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries to realize the value of, property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in any manner material to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(F) restrictions on the transfer of property or assets required by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; and
(G) customary restrictions contained in asset sale agreements limiting the transfer of such assets pending the closing of such sale.
Limitation on Designations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries Level 3 shall not designate (1) the Borrower or Level 3 LLC as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or (2) any other Subsidiary (other than a newly created Subsidiary in which no Investment has previously been made) as an “Unrestricted Subsidiary” under this Agreement (a “Designation”) unless in the case of this clause (2):
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of or after giving effect to such Designation;
(b) immediately after giving effect to such Designation, Level 3 would be able to Incur $1.00 of Indebtedness under paragraph (a) of Section 6.01; and
(c) Level 3 would not be prohibited under any provision of this Agreement from making an Investment at the time of Designation (assuming the effectiveness of such Designation) in an amount (the “Designation Amount”) equal to the portion (proportionate to Level 3’s equity interest in such Restricted Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Restricted Subsidiary on such date. In the event of any such Designation, Level 3 shall be deemed to have made an Investment constituting a Restricted Payment pursuant to Section 6.03 for all purposes of this Agreement in the Designation Amount; provided, however, that, upon a Revocation of any such Designation of a Subsidiary, Level 3 shall be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary of an amount (if positive) equal to (i) Level 3’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such Revocation less (ii) the portion (proportionate to Level 3’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time of such Revocation. At the time of any Designation of any Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such Subsidiary shall not own any Capital Stock of Level 3 or any Restricted Subsidiary. In addition, neither Level 3 nor any Restricted Subsidiary shall at any time (x) provide credit support for, or a Guarantee of, any Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument evidencing such Indebtedness); provided, however, that Level 3 or a Restricted Subsidiary may pledge Capital Stock or Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary on a nonrecourse basis such that the pledgee has no claim whatsoever against Level 3 other than to obtain such pledged Capital Stock or Indebtedness, (y) be directly or indirectly liable for any Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary or (z) be directly or indirectly liable for any Indebtedness which provides that the holder thereof may (upon notice, lapse of time or both) declare a default thereon or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its final scheduled maturity upon the occurrence of a default with respect to any Indebtedness, Lien or other obligation of any Unrestricted Subsidiary (including any right to take enforcement action against such Unrestricted Subsidiary), except in the case of clause (x) or (y) to the extent permitted under Sections 6.03 and 6.09. Unless Designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, any Person that becomes a Subsidiary of Level 3 will be classified as a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Subsidiary shall not be designated as a Restricted Subsidiary and shall be automatically classified as an Unrestricted Subsidiary if either of the requirements set forth in clauses (a) and (b) of the immediately following paragraph will not be satisfied immediately following such classification. Except as provided in the first sentence of this Section 6.10, no Restricted Subsidiary may be redesignated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary. A Designation may be revoked (a “Revocation”) by a Board Resolution of Level 3 delivered to the Administrative Agent, provided that Level 3 will not make any Revocation unless:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of and after giving effect to such Revocation; and
(b) all Liens and Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary outstanding immediately following such Revocation would, if Incurred at such time, have been permitted to be Incurred at such time for all purposes of this Agreement. All Designations and Revocations must be evidenced by Board Resolutions of Level 3 delivered to the Administrative Agent (i) certifying compliance with the foregoing provisions and (ii) giving the effective date of such Designation or Revocation. Upon Designation of a Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in compliance with this Section 6.10, such Restricted Subsidiary shall, by delivery of documentation providing for such release in form satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, be released from any Guarantee (in the case of a Guarantor) and its obligations under the Collateral Agreement (in the case of a Grantor) previously made by such Subsidiary.
Limitations on Disposition Grantor will not sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of the Collateral, or attempt or contract to do so except as permitted by the Credit Agreement.
Limitation on Issuance of Equity Interests Except for the issuance or sale of Qualified Equity Interests by Parent, each Loan Party will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, issue or sell any of its Equity Interests.
