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.
Limitations on Restricted Payments (a) The Parent shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, make any Restricted Payment unless:
(1) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of or immediately after giving effect to such Restricted Payment;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such Restricted Payment, the Parent could incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Ratio Exception; and
(3) the amount of such Restricted Payment, when added to the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments made after November 8, 2012 (other than Restricted Payments made pursuant to Section 4.04(b) (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7)), does not exceed the sum (the “Restricted Payments Basket”) of (without duplication):
(A) 50% of Consolidated Net Income for the period (taken as one accounting period) from October 1, 2012 to and including the last day of the fiscal quarter ended immediately prior to the date of such calculation for which consolidated financial statements are available (or, if such Consolidated Net Income shall be a deficit, minus 100% of such aggregate deficit), plus
(B) 100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds or the Fair Market Value (as determined by the Board of Directors of Parent) of any assets to be used in a Permitted Business received by the Parent either (x) as contributions to the common equity of the Parent after November 8, 2012 or (y) from the issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests after November 8, 2012, plus
(C) the aggregate amount by which Indebtedness of the Parent or any Restricted Subsidiary is reduced on the Parent’s balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Parent) of Indebtedness issued subsequent to November 8, 2012 into Qualified Equity Interests (less the amount of any cash, or the fair value of assets, distributed by the Parent or any Restricted Subsidiary upon such conversion or exchange), plus
(D) in the case of the disposition or repayment of or return on any Investment that was treated as a Restricted Payment made after November 8, 2012, an amount (to the extent not included in the computation of Consolidated Net Income) equal to the lesser of (i) the return of capital with respect to such Investment and (ii) the amount of such Investment that was treated as a Restricted Payment, in either case, less the cost of the disposition of such Investment and net of taxes, plus
(E) upon a Redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the lesser of (i) the Fair Market Value of the Parent’s proportionate interest in such Subsidiary immediately following such Redesignation, and (ii) the aggregate amount of the Parent’s Investments in such Subsidiary to the extent such Investments reduced the amount available for subsequent Restricted Payments under this Section 4.04(a)(E) and were not previously repaid or otherwise reduced, plus
(F) 100% of the principal amount of, or, if issued at a discount, the accreted value of, any guarantee by the Parent or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred after November 8, 2012 that is subsequently released (other than due to a payment on such guarantee), but only to the extent that such guarantee was treated as a Restricted Payment pursuant to this paragraph (a) when made.
(b) The provisions of Section 4.04(a) shall not prohibit:
(1) the payment by the Parent or any Restricted Subsidiary of any dividend or similar distribution within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof, if on the date of declaration the payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) the making of any Restricted Payment in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent issuance and sale of, Qualified Equity Interests (other than to the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries);
(3) the repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of Subordinated Indebtedness of the Parent or any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent incurrence of, Refinancing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under Section 4.03 and the other terms of this Indenture;
(4) the repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of Equity Interests of the Parent held by officers, directors or employees or former officers, directors or employees (or their transferees, estates or beneficiaries under their estates), upon their bankruptcy or petition for bankruptcy, death, disability, retirement, severance or termination of employment or service or any other repurchase event set forth in a written agreement between Parent and such individual evidencing such Equity Interest as of the Issue Date; provided that the aggregate cash consideration paid for all such redemptions shall not exceed $4,000,000 during any calendar year;
(5) repurchases of Equity Interests deemed to occur upon the exercise of stock options or stock appreciation rights if the Equity Interests represents a portion of the exercise price thereof;
(6) the repurchase of Equity Interests upon vesting of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance share units or similar equity incentives to satisfy tax withholding or similar tax obligations with respect thereto; or
(7) Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount, when taken together with all Restricted Payments made pursuant to this Section 4.04(b)(7) and then outstanding, does not exceed $20,000,000. provided that no issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests pursuant to Section 4.04(b)(2) or (3) shall increase the Restricted Payments Basket, except to the extent the proceeds thereof exceed the amounts used to effect the transactions described therein. The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) will be the Fair Market Value on the date of the Restricted Payment of the asset(s) or securities proposed to be transferred or issued by the Parent or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Parent, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment.
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 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).
Restricted Investments Make any Restricted Investment.
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.
Limitation on Investments The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to make any Investment except:
(a) extensions of trade credit and asset purchases in the ordinary course of business;
(b) Investments that were Permitted Investments when such Investments were made;
(c) loans and advances to officers, directors and employees of the Borrower (or any direct or indirect parent thereof) or any of its Subsidiaries (i) for reasonable and customary business-related travel, entertainment, relocation and analogous ordinary business purposes (including employee payroll advances), (ii) in connection with such Person’s purchase of Stock or Stock Equivalents of the Borrower (or any direct or indirect parent thereof); provided that, to the extent such loans and advances are made in cash, the amount of such loans and advances used to acquire such Stock or Stock Equivalents shall be contributed to the Borrower in cash and (iii) for purposes not described in the foregoing subclauses (i) and (ii); provided that the aggregate principal amount outstanding pursuant to this subclause (iii) shall not exceed $10,000,000;
(d) Investments existing on, or made pursuant to legally binding written commitments in existence on, the 2014 July Repricing Effective Date and any extensions, renewals or reinvestments thereof, so long as the amount of any Investment made pursuant to this clause (d) is not increased at any time above the amount of such Investment existing on, or made pursuant to legally binding written commitments in existence on, the 2014 July Repricing Effective Date;
(e) Investments received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of suppliers or customers and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with, customers arising in the ordinary course of business or upon foreclosure with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment;
(f) Investments to the extent that payment for such Investments is made with Stock or Stock Equivalents of Holdings;
(g) Investments (i) (a) by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in any Credit Party, (b) between or among Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Credit Parties, and (c) consisting of intercompany Investments incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the cash management operations (including with respect to intercompany self-insurance arrangements) among the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries (provided that any such intercompany Investment in connection with cash management arrangements by a Credit Party in a Subsidiary that is not a Credit Party is in the form of an intercompany loan or advance and the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary complies with Section 9.12 to the extent applicable), (ii) by Credit Parties in any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Credit Party, to the extent that the aggregate amount of all Investments made on or after the 2014 July Repricing Effective Date pursuant to this subclause (ii), when valued at the fair market value (determined by the Borrower acting in good faith) of each such Investment at the time each such Investment was made, would not exceed the sum of (x) $1,000,000,000, when taken together with Investments outstanding at such time in reliance on Section 10.5(i)(x) plus (y) if the Borrower shall be in compliance with the Senior Secured Leverage Test, both before and after giving effect, on a Pro Forma Basis to the making of such Investment, the Applicable Amount at such time plus (z) the Applicable Equity Amount at such time and (iii) by Credit Parties in any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Credit Party so long as such Investment is part of a series of simultaneous Investments by Restricted Subsidiaries in other Restricted Subsidiaries that result in the proceeds of the initial Investment being invested in one or more Credit Parties;
(h) Investments constituting Permitted Acquisitions;
(i) Investments (including but not limited to (i) minority Investments and Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries, (ii) Investments in joint ventures (regardless of the form of legal entity) or similar Persons that do not constitute Restricted Subsidiaries, (iii) Investments in Merchant Acquisition and Processing Alliances (regardless of the form of legal entity) and (iv) Investments in Subsidiaries that are not Credit Parties), in each case valued at the fair market value (determined by the Borrower acting in good faith) of such Investment at the time each such Investment is made, in an aggregate amount pursuant to this clause (i) that, at the time each such Investment is made, would not exceed the sum of (x) $1,000,000,000 when taken together with Investments outstanding at such time in reliance on Section 10.5(g)(ii)(x) plus (y) if the Borrower shall be in compliance with the Senior Secured Leverage Test, both before and after giving effect, on a Pro Forma Basis to the making of such Investment, the Applicable Amount at such time plus (z) without duplication of any amount that increased the JV Distribution Amount, an amount equal to any repayments, interest, returns, profits, distributions, income and similar amounts actually received in cash in respect of any such Investment (which amount referred to in this subclause (z) shall not exceed the amount of such Investment valued at the fair market value of such Investment at the time such Investment was made) plus (aa) the Applicable Equity Amount at such time;
(j) Investments constituting non-cash proceeds of Dispositions of assets to the extent permitted by Section 10.4;
(k) Investments made to repurchase or retire Stock or Stock Equivalents of the Borrower or any direct or indirect parent thereof owned by any employee or any stock ownership plan or key employee stock ownership plan of the Borrower (or any direct or indirect parent thereof);
(l) Investments consisting of dividends permitted under Section 10.6;
(m) loans and advances to any direct or indirect parent of the Borrower in lieu of, and not in excess of the amount of, dividends to the extent permitted to be made to such parent in accordance with Section 10.6;
(n) Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled account debtors and other credits to suppliers in the ordinary course of business;
(o) Investments in the ordinary course of business consisting of endorsements for collection or deposit and customary trade arrangements with customers consistent with past practices;
(p) advances of payroll payments to employees in the ordinary course of business;
(q) Guarantee Obligations of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary of leases (other than Capital Leases) or of other obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness, in each case entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(r) Investments held by a Person acquired (including by way of merger or consolidation) after the Original Closing Date otherwise in accordance with this Section 10.5 to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition, merger or consolidation and were in existence on the date of such acquisition, merger or consolidation;
(s) Investments in Hedge Agreements permitted by Section 10.1;
(t) Investments arising out of or in connection with any Permitted Receivables Financing;
(u) Investments in the ordinary course of business in connection with Settlements;
(v) other Investments, that, at the time each such Investment is made, would not exceed the sum of (x) $750,000,000 plus (y) if the Borrower shall be in compliance with the Senior Secured Leverage Test, both before and after giving effect, on a Pro Forma Basis, to the making of such Investment, the Applicable Amount plus (z) the Applicable Equity Amount at such time;
(w) Investments in connection with any transaction permitted by Section 10.3; and
(x) Investments consisting of licensing of intellectual property with other Persons in the ordinary course of business;
(y) Investments constituting contributions or other dispositions of any Foreign Subsidiary to another Foreign Subsidiary; and
(z) Investments by any Credit Party in any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Credit Party in an aggregate amount not to exceed the fair market value of all dividends and other distributions received by Credit Parties from Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Credit Parties since the Initial Effectiveness Date.
Limitation on Restricted Actions The Credit Parties will not, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any such Person to (a) pay dividends or make any other distributions to any Credit Party on its Equity Interest or with respect to any other interest or participation in, or measured by, its profits, (b) pay any Indebtedness or other obligation owed to any Credit Party, (c) make loans or advances to any Credit Party, (d) sell, lease or transfer any of its properties or assets to any Credit Party, or (e) act as a Guarantor and pledge its assets pursuant to the Credit Documents or any renewals, refinancings, exchanges, refundings or extension thereof, except (in respect of any of the matters referred to in clauses (a)-(d) above) for such encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of (i) this Agreement and the other Credit Documents, (ii) applicable law, (iii) any document or instrument governing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 6.1(c); provided that any such restriction contained therein relates only to the asset or assets constructed or acquired in connection therewith, or (iv) any Permitted Lien or any document or instrument governing any Permitted Lien; provided that any such restriction contained therein relates only to the asset or assets subject to such Permitted Lien.
Restricted Investment Make or have, or permit any Subsidiary of Borrower to make or have, any Restricted Investment.
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).
