Limitation on Debt Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Debt, except:
(a) Indebtedness of any Credit Party to Agent and the Lenders under this Agreement and/or the other Loan Documents;
(b) any Debt existing on the Effective Date and set forth in Schedule 8.1 attached hereto and any renewals or refinancing of such Debt (provided that (i) the aggregate principal amount of such renewed or refinanced Debt shall not exceed the aggregate principal amount of the original Debt outstanding on the Effective Date (less any principal payments and the amount of any commitment reductions made thereon on or prior to such renewal or refinancing), (ii) the renewal or refinancing of such Debt shall be on substantially the same or better terms as in effect with respect to such Debt on the Effective Date, and shall otherwise be in compliance with this Agreement, and (iii) at the time of such renewal or refinancing no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the renewal or refinancing of such Debt;
(c) any Debt of Borrowers or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition of fixed or capital assets, whether pursuant to a loan or a Capitalized Lease provided that both at the time of and immediately after giving effect to the incurrence thereof (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and (ii) the aggregate amount of all such Debt at any one time outstanding (including, without limitation, any Debt of the type described in this clause (c) which is set forth on Schedule 8.1 hereof) shall not exceed $5,000,000, and any renewals or refinancings of such Debt on terms substantially the same or better than those in effect at the time of the original incurrence of such Debt;
(d) Debt under any Hedging Transactions, provided that such transaction is entered into for risk management purposes and not for speculative purposes;
(e) Debt arising from judgments or decrees not deemed to be a Default or Event of Default under subsection (g) of Section 9.1;
(f) Debt owing to a Person that is a Credit Party, but only to the extent permitted under Section 8.7 hereof;
(g) the Comerica Debt and the Subordinated Debt;
(h) Debt arising under the Surety Agreements, provided that the Borrowers shall promptly terminate the Liberty Mutual Indemnity Agreement and any other Bond Documents related thereto following the completion of the construction projects set forth on Schedule 8.1(i);
(i) additional unsecured Debt not otherwise described above, provided that both at the time of and immediately after giving effect to the incurrence thereof (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or result therefrom and (ii) the aggregate amount of all such Debt shall not exceed $1,000,000 at any one time outstanding.
Limitation on Indebtedness (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, Incur any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness); provided, however, that the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may Incur Non-Funding Indebtedness, if on the date of such Incurrence and after giving pro forma effect thereto (including pro forma application of the proceeds thereof), (i) the Consolidated Non-Funding Debt to Equity Ratio of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not greater than 1.75 to 1.00 and (ii) the Company would have been in compliance with the covenant set forth in Section 3.3 as of the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements of the Company are available.
(b) Section 3.2(a) will not prohibit the Incurrence of the following Indebtedness (collectively, “Permitted Debt”):
(i) Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to any Credit Facility (including letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances issued or created under any Credit Facility), and any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof and Guarantees in respect of such Indebtedness in a maximum aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not exceeding (i) the greater of $225.0 million or 4.0% of Total Assets, plus (ii) in the case of any refinancing of any Indebtedness permitted under this clause or any portion thereof, the aggregate amount of fees, underwriting discounts, premiums and other costs and expenses Incurred in connection with such refinancing;
(ii) Guarantees by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary so long as the Incurrence of such Indebtedness is not prohibited by the terms of this Indenture;
(iii) Indebtedness of the Company owing to and held by any Restricted Subsidiary or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to and held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that:
(1) any subsequent issuance or transfer of Capital Stock or any other event which results in any such Indebtedness being beneficially held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; and
(2) any sale or other transfer of any such Indebtedness to a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, shall be deemed, in each case, to constitute an Incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be;
(iv) Indebtedness represented by (i) the Notes (other than any Additional Notes), including any Guarantee thereof, (ii) any Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 3.2(b)(i) and (iii)) outstanding on the Issue Date, (iii) Refinancing Indebtedness (including, in the case of the Notes (other than any Additional Notes)) and any Guarantee thereof Incurred in respect of any Indebtedness described in this clause or clauses (v), (vi), (vii), (ix) or (xiv) of this Section 3.2(b) or Incurred pursuant to Section 3.2(a), and (iv) Management Advances;
(v) Indebtedness of (x) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary Incurred or issued to finance an acquisition or (y) Persons that are acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; provided that after giving effect to such acquisition, merger or consolidation, either
(1) the Company would be permitted to Incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Consolidated Non-Funding Debt to Equity Ratio test set forth in Section 3.2(a);
(2) the Consolidated Non-Funding Debt to Equity Ratio of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries would not be greater than immediately prior to such acquisition, merger or consolidation; or
(3) such Indebtedness constitutes Acquired Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness Incurred in contemplation of the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary or was otherwise acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary); provided that the only obligors with respect to such Indebtedness shall be those Persons who were obligors of such Indebtedness prior to such acquisition, merger or consolidation;
(vi) Hedging Obligations (excluding Hedging Obligations entered into for speculative purposes);
(vii) Indebtedness represented by Capitalized Lease Obligations or Purchase Money Obligations in an aggregate outstanding principal amount which, when taken together with the principal amount of all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause and then outstanding and any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof, does not exceed the greater of (i) $55.0 million and (ii) 1.0% of Total Assets at the time of Incurrence;
(viii) Indebtedness in respect of (i) workers’ compensation claims, self-insurance obligations, performance, indemnity, surety, judgment, appeal, advance payment, customs, value added or other tax or other guarantees or other similar bonds, instruments or obligations and completion guarantees and warranties provided by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or relating to liabilities, obligations or guarantees Incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice, (ii) the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice; provided, however, that such Indebtedness is extinguished within five Business Days of Incurrence; (iii) customer deposits and advance payments received in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice from customers for goods or services purchased in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice; (iv) letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances, guarantees or other similar instruments or obligations issued or relating to liabilities or obligations Incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice, and (v) any customary treasury, depositary, cash management, automatic clearinghouse arrangements, overdraft protections, cash pooling or netting or setting off arrangements in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice;
(ix) Indebtedness arising from agreements providing for guarantees, indemnification, obligations in respect of earn-outs or other adjustments of purchase price, in each case, or similar obligations, in each case, Incurred or assumed in connection with the acquisition or disposition of any business or assets or Person or any Capital Stock of a Subsidiary;
(x) Indebtedness consisting of promissory notes issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any current or former employee, director or consultant of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its Parents (or permitted transferees, assigns, estates, or heirs of such employee, director or consultant), to finance the purchase or redemption of Capital Stock of the Company or any of its Parents;
(xi) Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries consisting of (i) the financing of insurance premiums or (ii) take-or-pay obligations contained in supply arrangements, in each case Incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice;
(xii) Permitted Funding Indebtedness;
(xiii) Permitted Securitization Indebtedness and Indebtedness under Credit Enhancement Agreements or arising out of or to fund purchases of all remaining outstanding asset-backed securities of any Securitization Entity for the purpose of relieving the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company of the administrative expense of servicing such Securitization Entity; and
(xiv) Indebtedness in an aggregate outstanding principal amount which, when taken together with any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof and the principal amount of all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause and then outstanding, will not exceed the greater of (a) $165.0 million and (b) 3.0% of Total Assets.
(c) For purposes of determining compliance with, and the outstanding principal amount of any particular Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to and in compliance with, this Section 3.2:
(i) in the event that all or any portion of any item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in Section 3.2(a) and (b), the Company, in its sole discretion, will classify, and may from time to time reclassify, such Indebtedness and only be required to include the amount and type of such Indebtedness in one of the clauses of Section 3.2(a) or (b);
(ii) additionally, all or any portion of any item of Indebtedness may later be reclassified as having been Incurred pursuant to any type of Indebtedness described in Section 3.2(a) and (b) so long as such Indebtedness is permitted to be Incurred pursuant to such provision;
(iii) Guarantees of, or obligations in respect of letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances or other similar instruments relating to, or Liens securing, Indebtedness that is otherwise included in the determination of a particular amount of Indebtedness shall not be included;
(iv) if obligations in respect of letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances or other similar instruments are Incurred pursuant to any Credit Facility and are being treated as Incurred pursuant to clauses (i) or (vii) of Section 3.2(b) or Section 3.2(a) and the letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances or other similar instruments relate to other Indebtedness, then such other Indebtedness shall not be included;
(v) the principal amount of any Disqualified Stock of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary, will be equal to the greater of the maximum mandatory redemption or repurchase price (not including, in either case, any redemption or repurchase premium) or the liquidation preference thereof;
(vi) Indebtedness permitted by this Section 3.2 need not be permitted solely by reference to one provision permitting such Indebtedness but may be permitted in part by one such provision and in part by one or more other provisions of this Section 3.2 permitting such Indebtedness; and
(vii) the amount of Indebtedness issued at a price that is less than the principal amount thereof will be equal to the amount of the liability in respect thereof determined on the basis of GAAP.
(d) Accrual of interest, accrual of dividends, the accretion of accreted value, the accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the payment of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness, the payment of dividends in the form of additional shares of Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock or the reclassification of commitments or obligations not treated as Indebtedness due to a change in GAAP, will not be deemed to be an Incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this Section 3.2. The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall be (a) the accreted value thereof in the case of any Indebtedness issued with original issue discount and (b) the principal amount of the Indebtedness, or liquidation preference thereof, in the case of any other Indebtedness.
(e) If at any time an Unrestricted Subsidiary becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary shall be deemed to be Incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as of such date (and, if such Indebtedness is not permitted to be Incurred as of such date under this Section 3.2, the Company shall be in default of this Section 3.2).
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 3.2, the maximum amount of Indebtedness that the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may Incur pursuant to this Section 3.2 shall not be deemed to be exceeded solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies. The principal amount of any Indebtedness Incurred to refinance other Indebtedness, if Incurred in a different currency from the Indebtedness being refinanced, shall be calculated based on the currency exchange rate applicable to the currencies in which such Refinancing Indebtedness is denominated that is in effect on the date of such refinancing.
(g) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, Incur any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) that is subordinated or junior in right of payment to any Indebtedness of the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be, unless such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee to the extent and in the same manner as such Indebtedness is subordinated to other Indebtedness of the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be.
(h) Unsecured Indebtedness shall not be treated as subordinated or junior to secured Indebtedness merely because such Indebtedness is unsecured. Senior Indebtedness shall not be treated as subordinated or junior to any other senior Indebtedness merely because it has a junior priority with respect to the same collateral or is secured by different collateral.
Limitation on Payment of Funding Despite section 4.1, the Funder:
(a) will not provide any funds to the HSP until this Agreement is fully executed;
(b) may pro-rate the funds identified in Schedule A to the date on which this Agreement is signed, if that date is after April 1;
(c) will not provide any funds to the HSP until the HSP meets the insurance requirements described in section 10.4;
(d) will not be required to continue to provide funds in the event the HSP breaches any of its obligations under this Agreement, until the breach is remedied to the Funder’s satisfaction; and
(e) upon Notice to the HSP, may adjust the amount of funds it provides to the HSP in any Funding Year based upon the Funder’s assessment of the information contained in the Reports.
Limitation on Secured Debt So long as any of the 2013 Notes are outstanding, the Company shall not create or suffer to be created or to exist or permit any of its Subsidiaries to create or suffer to be created or to exist any additional mortgage, pledge, security interest, or other lien (collectively "Liens") on any utility properties or tangible assets now owned or hereafter acquired by the Company or its Subsidiaries to secure any indebtedness for borrowed money ("Secured Debt"), without providing that such 2013 Notes will be similarly secured. Further, this restriction on Secured Debt does not apply to the Company's existing first mortgage bonds that have previously been issued under its mortgage indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto; provided that this restriction will apply to future issuances thereunder (other than issuances of refunding first mortgage bonds). In addition, this restriction does not prevent the creation or existence of: o Liens on property existing at the time of acquisition or construction of such property (or created within one year after completion of such acquisition or construction), whether by purchase, merger, construction or otherwise, or to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price or construction cost thereof, including the extension of any Liens to repairs, renewals, replacements, substitutions, betterments, additions, extensions and improvements then or thereafter made on the property subject thereto; o Financing of the Company's accounts receivable for electric service; o Any extensions, renewals or replacements (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in whole or in part, of Liens permitted by the foregoing clauses; and o The pledge of any bonds or other securities at any time issued under any of the Secured Debt permitted by the above clauses. In addition to the permitted issuances above, Secured Debt not otherwise so permitted may be issued in an amount that does not exceed 15% of Net Tangible Assets as defined below.
Limitation on Payment of Funds Despite section A4.1:
(a) the Province is not obligated to provide any Funds to the Recipient until the Recipient provides the certificates of insurance or other proof as the Province may request pursuant to section A10.2;
(b) the Province is not obligated to provide instalments of Funds until it is satisfied with the progress of the Project;
(c) the Province may adjust the amount of Funds it provides to the Recipient in any Funding Year based upon the Province’s assessment of the information the Recipient provides to the Province pursuant to section A7.1; or
(d) if, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act (Ontario), the Province does not receive the necessary appropriation from the Ontario Legislature for payment under the Agreement, the Province is not obligated to make any such payment, and, as a consequence, the Province may:
(i) reduce the amount of Funds and, in consultation with the Recipient, change the Project; or
(ii) terminate the Agreement pursuant to section A12.1.
Limitation on Liens For so long as any of the Securities or the Guarantees are outstanding, the Parent Guarantor shall not, and shall not permit any Subsidiary to, create, assume, incur, issue or otherwise have outstanding any Lien upon, or with respect to, any of the present or future business, property, undertaking, assets or revenues (including, without limitation, any Equity Interests and uncalled capital), whether now owned or hereafter acquired (together, “assets”) of the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary, to secure any Indebtedness, unless the Securities and Guarantees are secured by such Lien equally and ratably with (or prior to) such Indebtedness, except for the following, to which this covenant shall not apply:
(1) Liens on assets securing Indebtedness of the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary outstanding on the Issue Date;
(2) Liens on assets securing Indebtedness owing to the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary (other than a Project Subsidiary);
(3) Liens existing on any asset prior to the acquisition of such asset by the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary after the Issue Date, provided that (i) such Lien has not been created in anticipation of such asset being so acquired, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other asset of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary, other than to proceeds and products of, and, in the case of any assets other than Equity Interests, after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into, the assets covered by such Lien on the date of such acquisition of such assets, (iii) such Lien shall secure only the Indebtedness secured by such Lien on the date of such acquisition of such asset and (iv) such Lien shall be discharged within one year of the date of acquisition of such asset or such later date as may be the date of the maturity of the Indebtedness that such Lien secures if such Indebtedness is fixed interest rate indebtedness that provides a commercial financial advantage to the Parent Guarantor and the Subsidiaries;
(4) Liens on any assets of a Person that becomes a Subsidiary (or of any Person not previously a Subsidiary that is merged or consolidated with or into a Subsidiary) after the Issue Date that existed prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary (or is so merged or consolidated), provided that (i) such Lien has not been created in anticipation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary (or such merger or consolidation), (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other asset of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary, other than to proceeds and products of, and, in the case of any assets other than Equity Interests, after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into, the assets covered by such Lien on the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary (or is so merged or consolidated), (iii) such Lien shall secure only the Indebtedness secured by such Lien on the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary (or is so merged or consolidated) and (iv) such Lien shall be discharged within one year of the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary (or is so merged or consolidated) or such later date as may be the date of the maturity of the Indebtedness that such Lien secures if such Indebtedness is fixed interest rate indebtedness that provides a commercial financial advantage to the Parent Guarantor and the Subsidiaries;
(5) Liens created to secure Indebtedness, directly or indirectly, incurred for the purpose of purchasing Equity Interests or other assets (other than real or personal property of the type contemplated by clause (6) below), provided that (i) such Lien shall secure only such Indebtedness incurred for the purpose of purchasing such assets, (ii) such Lien shall apply only to the assets so purchased (and to proceeds and products of, and, in the case of any assets other than Equity Interests, any subsequently after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into, the assets so purchased) and (iii) such Lien shall be discharged within two years of such Lien being granted;
(6) Liens created to secure Indebtedness incurred for the purpose of acquiring or developing any real or personal property or for some other purpose in connection with the acquisition or development of such property, provided that (i) such Lien shall secure only such Indebtedness, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other assets of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary, other than to proceeds and products of, and after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into, the property so acquired or developed and (iii) the rights of the holder of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien shall be limited to the property that is subject to such Lien, it being the intention that the holder of such Lien shall not have any recourse to the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiaries personally or to any other property of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary;
(7) Liens for any borrowings from any financial institution for the purpose of financing any import or export contract in respect of which any part of the price receivable is guaranteed or insured by such financial institution carrying on an export credit guarantee or insurance business, provided that (i) such Lien applies only to the assets that are the subject of such import or export contract and (ii) the amount of Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the amount so guaranteed or insured;
(8) Liens for Indebtedness from an international or governmental development agency or authority to finance the development of a specific project, provided that (i) such Lien is required by applicable law or practice and (ii) the Lien is created only over assets used in or derived from the development of such project;
(9) any Lien created in favor of co-venturers of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary pursuant to any agreement relating to an unincorporated joint venture, provided that (i) such Lien applies only to the Equity Interests in, or the assets of, such unincorporated joint venture and (ii) such Lien secures solely the payment of obligations arising under such agreement;
(10) Liens over goods and products, or documents of title to goods and products, arising in the ordinary course of business in connection with letters of credit and similar transactions, provided that such Liens secure only the acquisition cost or selling price (and amounts incidental thereto) of such goods and products required to be paid within 180 days;
(11) Liens arising by operation of law in the ordinary course of business of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary;
(12) Liens created by the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary over a Project Asset of the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary, provided that such Lien secures only (i) in the case of a Lien over assets referred to in clause (a) of the definition of Project Assets, Limited Recourse Indebtedness incurred by the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary or (ii) in the case of a Lien over Equity Interests referred to in clause (b) of the definition of Project Assets, Limited Recourse Indebtedness incurred by the direct Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary;
(13) Liens arising under any netting or set-off arrangement entered into by the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of its banking arrangements for the purpose of netting debit and credit balances of the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary;
(14) Liens incurred in connection with any extension, renewal, replacement or refunding (together, a “refinancing”) of any Lien permitted in clauses (1) through (13) above and any successive refinancings thereof permitted by this clause (12) (each, an “Existing Security”), provided that (i) such Liens do not extend to any asset that was not expressed to be subject to the Existing Security, (ii) the principal amount of Indebtedness secured by such Liens does not exceed the principal amount of Indebtedness that was outstanding and secured by the Existing Security at the time of such refinancing and (iii) any refinancing of an Existing Security incurred in accordance with clauses (3) through (5) above (and any subsequent refinancings thereof permitted by this clause (12)) will not affect the obligation to discharge such Liens within the time frames that applied to such Existing Security at the time it was first incurred (as specified in the applicable clause);
(15) any Lien arising as a result of a Change in Lease Accounting Standard; and
(16) other Liens by the Parent Guarantor or any Subsidiary securing Indebtedness, provided that, immediately after giving effect to the incurrence or assumption of any such Lien or the incurrence of any Indebtedness secured thereby, the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Parent Guarantor and any Subsidiary secured by any Liens pursuant to this clause (13) shall not exceed 10% of Total Tangible Assets at such time.
Limitation on Guarantees (a) In addition to the restrictions set forth in Section 3.2(b), the Company shall not permit any of its Domestic Subsidiaries that are Restricted Subsidiaries, other than a Guarantor, a Foreign Subsidiary, a Captive Insurance Subsidiary or a Securitization Subsidiary, to Guarantee the payment of (i) any syndicated Credit Facility permitted under Section 3.2(b)(1) or (ii) capital markets debt securities of the Company or any other Guarantor unless:
(1) such Restricted Subsidiary within 60 days executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture providing for a Guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary, except that with respect to a guarantee of Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor, if such Indebtedness is by its express terms subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee, any such guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary with respect to such Indebtedness shall be subordinated in right of payment to such Guarantee substantially to the same extent as such Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee of the Notes; and
(2) such Restricted Subsidiary waives and will not in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any rights of reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other rights against the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Restricted Subsidiary under its Guarantee until payment in full of Obligations under this Indenture. provided that this Section 3.7 shall not be applicable to any guarantee of any Restricted Subsidiary that existed at the time such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary and was not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary.
(b) The Company may elect, in its sole discretion, to cause or allow, as the case may be, any Subsidiary that is not otherwise required to be a Guarantor to become a Guarantor, in which case, such Subsidiary shall not be required to comply with the 60-day period described in Section 3.7(a) and such Guarantee may be released at any time in the Company’s sole discretion so long as any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary then outstanding could have been incurred by such Subsidiary (either (x) when so incurred or (y) at the time of the release of such Guarantee) assuming such Subsidiary were not a Guarantor at such time.
(c) If any Guarantor becomes an Immaterial Subsidiary, the Company shall have the right, by execution and delivery of a supplemental indenture to the Trustee, to cause such Immaterial Subsidiary to cease to be a Guarantor, subject to the requirement described in Section 3.7(a) above that such Subsidiary shall be required to become a Guarantor if it ceases to be an Immaterial Subsidiary (except that if such Subsidiary has been properly designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary it shall not be so required to become a Guarantor or execute a supplemental indenture); provided, further, that such Immaterial Subsidiary shall not be permitted to Guarantee other Indebtedness of the Issuer or the other Guarantors, unless it again becomes a Guarantor.
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.
Limitation on Restricted Payments The U.S. Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly (x) declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution on account of the U.S. Borrower’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s Equity Interests, including any dividend or distribution payable in connection with any merger, amalgamation or consolidation, other than (A) dividends or distributions by the U.S. Borrower payable in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the U.S. Borrower or (B) dividends or distributions by a Restricted Subsidiary so long as, in the case of any dividend or distribution payable on or in respect of any class or series of securities issued by a Restricted Subsidiary other than a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, the U.S. Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary receives at least its pro rata share of such dividend or distribution in accordance with its Equity Interests in such class or series of securities, (y) purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value any Equity Interests of the U.S. Borrower or any direct or indirect parent of the U.S. Borrower, including in connection with any merger or consolidation, or (z) make any principal payment on, or redeem, repurchase, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value in each case, prior to any scheduled repayment, sinking fund payment or maturity, any Subordinated Indebtedness (other than the purchase, repurchase or other acquisition of Subordinated Indebtedness purchased in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of purchase, repurchase or acquisition) (all such payments and other actions set forth in clauses (x) through (z) above being collectively referred to as “Restricted Payments”), other than:
(i) Restricted Payments in an amount not to exceed the Applicable Amount; provided that at the time any such Restricted Payment is made and after giving pro forma effect to such Restricted Payment (x) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (y) the U.S. Borrower would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to Section 6.01(a);
(ii) the defeasance, redemption, repurchase or other acquisition or retirement of Subordinated Indebtedness of the U.S. Borrower or a Subsidiary Guarantor made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of, Refinancing Indebtedness of such Person that is incurred in compliance with Section 6.01(b)(xv);
(iii) a Restricted Payment to pay for the repurchase, retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of Equity Interests in any direct or indirect parent companies of the U.S. Borrower held by any future, present or former employee, director, manager or consultant (or their respective estates, Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members) of the U.S. Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its direct or indirect parent companies or any other entity in which the U.S. Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary has an Investment and that is designated in good faith as an “affiliate by the Board of Directors of the U.S. Borrower (or the compensation committee thereof), in each case pursuant to any stockholders’ agreement, any management equity plan or stock incentive plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement; provided that the aggregate Restricted Payments made under this clause (iii) do not exceed $60.0 million in the first fiscal year following the Closing Date (with unused amounts in any fiscal year being carried over to succeeding fiscal years subject to a maximum (without giving effect to the following proviso) of $100.0 million in any fiscal year; provided, further, that such amount in any fiscal year may be increased by an amount not to exceed the (A) cash proceeds of key man life insurance policies received by the U.S. Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries after the Closing Date, plus (B) the cash proceeds from the sale of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the U.S. Borrower and, to the extent contributed to the U.S. Borrower, Equity Interest of any of the U.S. Borrower’s direct or indirect parent companies, in each case to members of management, directors, managers or consultants (or their respective estates, Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members), of the U.S. Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its direct or indirect parent companies that occurs after the Closing Date, to the extent the cash proceeds from the sale of such Equity Interests have not otherwise been applied to the payment of Restricted Payments in reliance on clause (i) of this Section 6.04 or the making of Investments in reliance on clause (q) of the definition of Permitted Investments, less (C) the amount of any Restricted Payments previously made pursuant to clauses (A) and (B) of this clause (iii); and provided, further, that cancellation of Indebtedness owing to the U.S. Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary from members of management, directors, managers or consultants (or their respective estates, Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members), of the U.S. Borrower, any of its direct or indirect parent companies or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with a repurchase of Equity Interests of any of the U.S. Borrower’s direct or indirect parent companies shall not be deemed to constitute a Restricted Payment for purposes of this Section 6.04 or any other provision of this Agreement;
(iv) Restricted Payments that are made with Excluded Contributions;
(v) the declaration and payment of dividends by the U.S. Borrower to, or the making of loans to, its direct or indirect parent company in amounts required for the U.S. Borrower’s direct or indirect parent companies to pay, in each case without duplication, (A) franchise taxes, and other fees and expenses, required to maintain their corporate existence, (B) for any period in which the U.S. Borrower is a member of a group filing consolidated, combined or unitary income tax returns for which a direct or indirect parent of the U.S. Borrower is the common parent (a “Tax Group”), to pay the foreign, federal, state and/or local income taxes (as applicable) of such Tax Group for such taxable period, to the extent such income taxes are attributable to the income of the U.S. Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries and, to the extent of the amount actually received from its Unrestricted Subsidiaries for such purpose, income taxes to the extent attributable to the income of such Unrestricted Subsidiaries; provided that in each case the amount of such payments for any fiscal year does not exceed the amount that the U.S. Borrower, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (to the extent described above) would be required to pay in respect of such foreign, federal, state and/or local income taxes (as applicable) for such fiscal year were the U.S. Borrower, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (to the extent described above) to pay such taxes as a stand-alone group, less any such taxes payable directly by the U.S. Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries; (C) customary salary, bonus and other benefits payable to officers and employees of any direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower to the extent such salaries, bonuses and other benefits are attributable to the ownership or operation of the U.S. Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries, (D) general corporate overhead expenses of any direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower to the extent such expenses are attributable to the ownership or operation of the U.S. Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, and (E) reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with any unsuccessful debt or equity offering by such direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower;
(vi) [Reserved];
(vii) distributions or payments of Receivables Fees;
(viii) the redemption, repurchase, retirement or other acquisition of any Equity Interests of the U.S. Borrower or any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower, in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary) of, Equity Interests of the U.S. Borrower (other than any Disqualified Stock) or, to the extent the proceeds thereof have actually been contributed to the U.S. Borrower, Equity Interests of any direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower (“Refunding Capital Stock”);
(ix) the payment of any dividend or distribution within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof, if at the date of declaration such payment would have complied with the provisions of this Agreement;
(x) repurchases of Equity Interests deemed to occur upon exercise of stock options or warrants if such Equity Interests represent a portion of the exercise price of such options or warrants;
(xi) Restricted Payments made pursuant to agreements set forth on Schedule 6.04;
(xii) other Restricted Payments in an amount which, when taken together with all other Restricted Payments made pursuant to this clause (xii) and all Investments outstanding in reliance on clause (u) of the definition of “Permitted Investments,” does not exceed the greater of (x) $200.0 million and (y) 15% of EBITDA for the most recently ended Test Period as of the time any such Restricted Payment is made;
(xiii) the distribution, as a dividend or otherwise (and the declaration of such dividend), of shares of Equity Interest of, or Indebtedness issued to the U.S. Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary by, any Unrestricted Subsidiary (other than Unrestricted Subsidiaries, the primary assets of which are cash and/or Cash Equivalents);
(xiv) the declaration and payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the U.S. Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary issued in accordance with Section 6.01 to the extent such dividends are included in the definition of “Interest Charges”;
(xv) the declaration and payment of dividends (A) to holders of any class or series of Designated Preferred Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) issued by the U.S. Borrower after the Closing Date, (B) to a direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Designated Preferred Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of such parent company issued after the Closing Date, or (C) on Refunding Capital Stock that is Preferred Stock (provided that the amount of dividends paid pursuant to subclause (B) shall not exceed the aggregate amount of cash actually contributed to the U.S. Borrower from the sale of such Preferred Stock); provided that (x) all such dividends are included in “Interest Charges” and (y) in the case of each of (A), (B) and (C) of this clause (xv), that for the most recently ended Test Period, after giving effect to such issuance or declaration on a pro forma basis, the U.S. Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis would have had an Interest Coverage Ratio of at least 2.00 to 1.00;
(xvi) the declaration and payment of dividends on the U.S. Borrower’s common stock in an amount equal to 6% of the net proceeds received by or contributed to the U.S. Borrower in or from any public underwriting offering of any common stock of any direct or indirect parent company of the U.S. Borrower (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any such offering consummated after January 26, 2007 and prior to the Closing Date), other than public offerings with respect to the U.S. Borrower’s common stock registered on Form S−4 or Form S−8 and other than any public sale constituting an Excluded Contribution;
(xvii) payments made or expected to be made by the U.S. Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in respect of any repurchases (including in respect of withholding or similar Taxes payable in connection therewith) of Equity Interests held by any future, present or former employee, director, manager or consultant (or their respective estates, Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members) including deemed repurchases in connection with the exercise of stock options;
(xviii) Restricted Payments consisting of a dividend or other distribution or exchange (and the declaration thereof) of Equity Interests of any entity or entities constituting the Designated Business; provided that (i) as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b) prior to the date of such Restricted Payment, after giving pro forma effect to such Restricted Payment (including the application of the net proceeds therefrom), the Consolidated Secured Debt Ratio at such time does not exceed 4.90:1.00 and (ii) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; and
(xix) repurchases, redemptions or repayments of any Subordinated Indebtedness from net cash proceeds of any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(b)(xxvi); provided, however, that at the time of, and after giving effect to, any Restricted Payment permitted under clauses (i), (xii) and (xvi) of this Section 6.04, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof.
Limitation on Issuances of Guarantees by Restricted Subsidiaries The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to Guarantee any Indebtedness of the Company which is pari passu with or subordinate in right of payment to the Notes ("Guaranteed Indebtedness"), unless (i) such Restricted Subsidiary simultaneously executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture providing for a Guarantee (a "Subsidiary Guarantee") of payment of the Notes by such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) such Restricted Subsidiary waives and will not in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any rights of reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other rights against the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Restricted Subsidiary under its Subsidiary Guarantee; provided that this paragraph shall not be applicable to any Guarantee of any Restricted Subsidiary that existed at the time such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary and was not Incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary. If the Guaranteed Indebtedness is (A) pari passu with the Notes, then the Guarantee of such Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be pari passu with, or subordinated to, the Subsidiary Guarantee or (B) subordinated to the Notes, then the Guarantee of such Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be subordinated to the Subsidiary Guarantee at least to the extent that the Guaranteed Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Subsidiary Guarantee by a Restricted Subsidiary may provide by its terms that it shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon (i) any sale, exchange or transfer, to any Person not an Affiliate of the Company, of all of the Company's and each Restricted Subsidiary's Capital Stock in, or all or substantially all the assets of, such Restricted Subsidiary (which sale, exchange or transfer is not prohibited by this Indenture) or (ii) the release or discharge of the Guarantee which resulted in the creation of such Subsidiary Guarantee, except a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such Guarantee.
