Restrictions on Subsidiaries Except for restrictions contained in this Agreement or any other agreement with respect to Indebtedness of any Borrower or Guarantor permitted hereunder as in effect on the date hereof, there are no contractual or consensual restrictions on any Borrower or Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries which prohibit or otherwise restrict (a) the transfer of cash or other assets (i) between any Borrower or Guarantor and any of its or their Subsidiaries or (ii) between any Subsidiaries of any Borrower or Guarantor or (b) the ability of any Borrower or Guarantor or any of its or their Subsidiaries to incur Indebtedness or grant security interests to Agent or any Lender in the Collateral.
Limitation on Certain Restrictions on Subsidiaries Holdings will not, and will not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any such Restricted Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends or make any other distributions on its capital stock or any other interest or participation in its profits owned by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, (b) make loans or advances to the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (c) transfer any of its properties or assets to the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, except for such encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:
(i) applicable law;
(ii) this Agreement and the other Credit Documents and the other definitive documentation entered into in connection with any of the foregoing;
(iii) any Refinancing Note Documents;
(iv) customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of any lease governing any leasehold interest of Holdings or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries;
(v) customary provisions restricting assignment of any licensing agreement (in which Holdings or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries is the licensee) or other contract entered into by Holdings or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;
(vi) restrictions on the transfer of any asset pending the close of the sale of such asset;
(vii) any agreement or instrument governing Indebtedness assumed in connection with a Permitted Acquisition, to the extent the relevant encumbrance or restriction was not agreed to or adopted in connection with, or in anticipation of, the respective Permitted Acquisition and does not apply to Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary of Holdings, or the properties of any such Person, other than the Persons or the properties acquired in such Permitted Acquisition;
(viii) encumbrances or restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(ix) any agreement or instrument relating to Indebtedness of a Foreign Subsidiary incurred pursuant to Section 10.04 to the extent such encumbrance or restriction only applies to such Foreign Subsidiary;
(x) an agreement effecting a refinancing, replacement or substitution of Indebtedness issued, assumed or incurred pursuant to an agreement or instrument referred to in clause (vii) above; provided that the provisions relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in any such refinancing, replacement or substitution agreement are no less favorable to Holdings or the Lenders in any material respect than the provisions relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in the agreements or instruments referred to in such clause (vii);
(xi) restrictions on the transfer of any asset subject to a Lien permitted by Section 10.01;
(xii) restrictions and conditions imposed by the terms of the documentation governing any Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, which Indebtedness is permitted by Section 10.04;
(xiii) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements applicable to joint ventures permitted under Section 10.05 and applicable solely to such joint venture;
(xiv) on or after the execution and delivery thereof, (x) the Permitted Junior Debt Documents and (y) the Permitted Pari Passu Notes Documents;
(xv) negative pledges and restrictions on Liens in favor of any holder of Indebtedness for borrowed money permitted under Section 10.04 but only if such negative pledge or restriction expressly permits Liens for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and/or the Collateral Agent and the Secured Creditors with respect to the credit facilities established hereunder and the Obligations under the Credit Documents on a senior basis and without a requirement that such holders of such Indebtedness be secured by such Liens securing the Obligations under the Credit Documents equally and ratably or on a junior basis; and
(xvi) restrictions and conditions under the terms of the documentation governing any Qualified Securitization Transaction or a Receivables Facility that, in each case, permitted by Section 10.04, are necessary or advisable, in the good faith determination of the Borrower or the applicable Restricted Subsidiary, to effect such Qualified Securitization Transaction or such Receivables Facility.
Certain Restrictions on Subsidiaries The Borrower will not permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to enter into or suffer to exist any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement (other than the Loan Documents) that prohibits or restrains, in each case in any material respect, or imposes materially adverse conditions upon, the incurrence or payment of Indebtedness, the declaration or payment of dividends, the making of loans, advances, guarantees or Investments or the sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of property to the Borrower by any Subsidiary; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to (i) indentures, agreements, instruments or other arrangements pertaining to other Indebtedness permitted hereby (provided that such restrictions would not adversely affect the exercise of rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders hereunder or under the Security Documents or restrict any Subsidiary in any manner from performing its obligations under the Loan Documents) and (ii) indentures, agreements, instruments or other arrangements pertaining to any lease, sale or other disposition of any asset permitted by this Agreement or any Lien permitted by this Agreement on such asset so long as the applicable restrictions only apply to the assets subject to such lease, sale, other disposition or Lien.
Limitation on Guarantees of Indebtedness by Restricted Subsidiaries The Company shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than a Guarantor or the Issuer, to guarantee the payment of any First Lien Obligations, including any Indebtedness (or any interest on such Indebtedness) under the Senior Credit Facilities, the NXP Notes and the Existing Secured Notes unless:
(1) such Restricted Subsidiary within 30 days executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture, the form of which is attached as Exhibit D hereto, providing for a Guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary, except that with respect to a guarantee of Indebtedness of the Issuer 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;
(2) such Restricted Subsidiary waives and shall 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 any Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Person under its Guarantee or otherwise; and
(3) such Restricted Subsidiary shall deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:
(A) such Guarantee has been duly executed and authorized; and
(B) such Guarantee constitutes a valid, binding and enforceable obligation of such Restricted Subsidiary, except insofar as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers) and except insofar as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity.
No Restrictions on Subsidiaries No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
Limitation on Designations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries Level 3 shall not designate (1) the Borrower or Level 3 LLC as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or (2) any other Subsidiary (other than a newly created Subsidiary in which no Investment has previously been made) as an “Unrestricted Subsidiary” under this Agreement (a “Designation”) unless in the case of this clause (2):
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of or after giving effect to such Designation;
(b) immediately after giving effect to such Designation, Level 3 would be able to Incur $1.00 of Indebtedness under paragraph (a) of Section 6.01; and
(c) Level 3 would not be prohibited under any provision of this Agreement from making an Investment at the time of Designation (assuming the effectiveness of such Designation) in an amount (the “Designation Amount”) equal to the portion (proportionate to Level 3’s equity interest in such Restricted Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Restricted Subsidiary on such date. In the event of any such Designation, Level 3 shall be deemed to have made an Investment constituting a Restricted Payment pursuant to Section 6.03 for all purposes of this Agreement in the Designation Amount; provided, however, that, upon a Revocation of any such Designation of a Subsidiary, Level 3 shall be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary of an amount (if positive) equal to (i) Level 3’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such Revocation less (ii) the portion (proportionate to Level 3’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time of such Revocation. At the time of any Designation of any Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such Subsidiary shall not own any Capital Stock of Level 3 or any Restricted Subsidiary. In addition, neither Level 3 nor any Restricted Subsidiary shall at any time (x) provide credit support for, or a Guarantee of, any Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument evidencing such Indebtedness); provided, however, that Level 3 or a Restricted Subsidiary may pledge Capital Stock or Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary on a nonrecourse basis such that the pledgee has no claim whatsoever against Level 3 other than to obtain such pledged Capital Stock or Indebtedness, (y) be directly or indirectly liable for any Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary or (z) be directly or indirectly liable for any Indebtedness which provides that the holder thereof may (upon notice, lapse of time or both) declare a default thereon or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its final scheduled maturity upon the occurrence of a default with respect to any Indebtedness, Lien or other obligation of any Unrestricted Subsidiary (including any right to take enforcement action against such Unrestricted Subsidiary), except in the case of clause (x) or (y) to the extent permitted under Sections 6.03 and 6.09. Unless Designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, any Person that becomes a Subsidiary of Level 3 will be classified as a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Subsidiary shall not be designated as a Restricted Subsidiary and shall be automatically classified as an Unrestricted Subsidiary if either of the requirements set forth in clauses (a) and (b) of the immediately following paragraph will not be satisfied immediately following such classification. Except as provided in the first sentence of this Section 6.10, no Restricted Subsidiary may be redesignated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary. A Designation may be revoked (a “Revocation”) by a Board Resolution of Level 3 delivered to the Administrative Agent, provided that Level 3 will not make any Revocation unless:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of and after giving effect to such Revocation; and
(b) all Liens and Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary outstanding immediately following such Revocation would, if Incurred at such time, have been permitted to be Incurred at such time for all purposes of this Agreement. All Designations and Revocations must be evidenced by Board Resolutions of Level 3 delivered to the Administrative Agent (i) certifying compliance with the foregoing provisions and (ii) giving the effective date of such Designation or Revocation. Upon Designation of a Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in compliance with this Section 6.10, such Restricted Subsidiary shall, by delivery of documentation providing for such release in form satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, be released from any Guarantee (in the case of a Guarantor) and its obligations under the Collateral Agreement (in the case of a Grantor) previously made by such Subsidiary.
Limitations on Indebtedness (a) Until the Notes are rated Investment Grade by both Rating Agencies (after which time the following covenant will no longer be in effect), the Company will not, and will not cause or permit any Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to, create, incur, assume, become liable for or guarantee the payment of (collectively, an “incurrence”) any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) unless, after giving effect thereto and the application of the proceeds therefrom, the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio on the date thereof would be at least 2.0 to 1.0.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture will not prevent the incurrence of: (i) Permitted Indebtedness, (ii) Refinancing Indebtedness, (iii) Non-Recourse Indebtedness, (iv) any Guarantee of Indebtedness of the Company represented by the Notes and (v) any guarantee of Indebtedness incurred under Credit Facilities in compliance with this Indenture.
(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this covenant, in the event that an item of Indebtedness may be incurred through the first paragraph of this covenant or by meeting the criteria of one or more of the types of Indebtedness described in the second paragraph of this covenant (or the definitions of the terms used therein), the Company, in its sole discretion, (i) may classify such item of Indebtedness under and comply with either of such paragraphs (or any of such definitions), as applicable, (ii) may classify and divide such item of Indebtedness into more than one of such paragraphs (or definitions), as applicable, and (iii) may elect to comply with such paragraphs (or definitions), as applicable, in any order.
(d) The Company will not, and will not cause or permit any Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, in any event incur any Indebtedness that purports to be by its terms (or by the terms of any agreement governing such Indebtedness) subordinated to any other Indebtedness of the Company or of such Guarantor, as the case may be, unless such Indebtedness is also by its terms (or by the terms of any agreement governing such Indebtedness) made expressly subordinated to the Notes or the Guarantee of such Guarantor, as the case may be, to the same extent and in the same manner as such Indebtedness is subordinated to such other Indebtedness of the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be.
Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability Each Subsidiary Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Subsidiary Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor that are relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under this Article Ten, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance. Each Subsidiary Guarantor that makes a payment for distribution under its Subsidiary Guarantee is entitled to a contribution from each other Subsidiary Guarantor in a pro rata amount based on the adjusted net assets of each Subsidiary Guarantor.
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.
Limitations on Debt Payments and Amendments (a) The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, prepay, repurchase or redeem or otherwise defease any Restricted Indebtedness; provided, however, that (x) the Borrower and any Restricted Subsidiary may prepay, repurchase or redeem or otherwise defease Restricted Indebtedness with the Net Cash Proceeds of Permitted Other Indebtedness that is unsecured or secured by a Lien ranking junior to the Lien securing the Obligations incurred in accordance with Section 10.1(bb)(i)(b) and (y) the Borrower or Restricted Subsidiary may prepay, repurchase or redeem Restricted Indebtedness (i) in an aggregate amount from the 2014 July Repricing Effective Date, when aggregated with (A) the aggregate amount of dividends paid pursuant to Section 10.6(c) from the Original Closing Date (other than dividends paid pursuant to Section 10.6(c)(x) prior to March 31, 2015) and (B) all loans and advances to any direct or indirect parent of the Borrower made pursuant to Section 10.5(m) (in lieu of dividends permitted by Section 10.6(c)), not in excess of the sum of (1) $400,000,000 plus (2) 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 prepayment, repurchase or redemption, the Applicable Amount at the time of such prepayment, repurchase or redemption; provided the use of such amounts in clauses (1) and (2) shall be subject to no Default or Event of Default having occurred and continuing at the date of such prepayment, repurchase, redemption or other defeasance or resulting therefrom, plus (3) the Applicable Equity Amount at the time of such prepayment, repurchase or redemption; for the avoidance of doubt, dividends paid in reliance on and in compliance with Section 10.6(c) shall not retroactively cause any breach of this Section 10.7(a)(y)(i) in respect of amounts previously prepaid in compliance with this Section 10.7(a)(y)(i); and (ii) with the proceeds of Permitted Additional Debt. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 10.7 shall restrict (i) any prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance made after the Original Closing Date in connection with the Debt Repayment, (ii) the making of any prepayment of accrued but unpaid interest and/or original issue discount in respect of the Senior Interim PIK Loans and/or the PIK Notes in accordance with the “Optional Interest Repayment” provisions thereof as of the end of any accrual period ending after the fifth anniversary of the Original Closing Date or (iii) the prepayment, repurchase or redemption of the PIK Notes with the net proceeds of Additional 2018 New Dollar Term Loans.
(b) The Borrower will not waive, amend, modify, terminate or release any Restricted Indebtedness to the extent that any such waiver, amendment, modification, termination or release would be adverse to the Lenders in any material respect.
(c) Prior to the Initial Term Loan Maturity Date, to the extent any Permitted Debt Exchange Notes are issued pursuant to Section 10.1(cc) for the purpose of consummating a Permitted Debt Exchange, (i) the Borrower will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, prepay, repurchase, redeem or otherwise defease or acquire any Permitted Debt Exchange Notes unless the Borrower shall concurrently voluntarily prepay Term Loans pursuant to Section 5.1(a) on a pro rata basis among the Class or Classes of Term Loans from which such Permitted Debt Exchange Notes were exchanged, in an amount not less than the product of (a) a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate principal amount (calculated on the face amount thereof) of such Permitted Debt Exchange Notes that are proposed to be prepaid, repurchased, redeemed, defeased or acquired and the denominator of which is the aggregate principal amount (calculated on the face amount thereof) of all Permitted Debt Exchange Notes in respect of the relevant Permitted Debt Exchange then outstanding (prior to giving effect to such proposed prepayment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or acquisition) and (b) the aggregate principal amount (calculated on the face amount thereof) of Term Loans of the Class or Classes from which such Permitted Debt Exchange Notes were exchanged then outstanding and (ii) the Borrower will not waive, amend or modify the terms of any Permitted Debt Exchange Notes or any indenture pursuant to which such Permitted Debt Exchange Notes have been issued in any manner inconsistent with the terms of Section 2.15(a), 10.1(cc) or the definition of “Permitted Other Indebtedness” or that would result in a Default hereunder if such Permitted Debt Exchange Notes (as so amended or modified) were then being issued or incurred.