Negative Pledge Agreements The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to, enter into or permit to exist any Contractual Requirement (other than this Agreement or any other Credit Document or any documentation in respect of secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder) that limits the ability of the Borrower or any Guarantor to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person for the benefit of the Secured Parties with respect to the Obligations or under the Credit Documents; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to Contractual Requirements that (i)(x) exist on the Closing Date and (to the extent not otherwise permitted by this Section 10.8) are listed on Schedule 10.8 and (y) to the extent Contractual Requirements permitted by clause (x) are set forth in an agreement evidencing Indebtedness or other obligations, are set forth in any agreement evidencing any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to Refinance such Indebtedness or obligation so long as such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not expand the scope of such Contractual Requirement, (ii) are binding on a Restricted Subsidiary at the time such Restricted Subsidiary first becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower, so long as such Contractual Requirements were not entered into solely in contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower, (iii) represent Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Guarantor to the extent such Indebtedness is permitted by Section 10.1 so long as such Contractual Requirement applies only to such Subsidiary, (iv) arise pursuant to agreements entered into with respect to any sale, transfer, lease or other Disposition permitted by Section 10.4 and applicable solely to assets under such sale, transfer, lease or other Disposition, (v) are customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements applicable to joint ventures permitted by Section 10.5 and applicable solely to such joint venture or otherwise arise in agreements which restrict the Disposition or distribution of assets or property in oil and gas leases, joint operating agreements, joint exploration and/or development agreements, participation agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course of the oil and gas exploration and development business, (vi) are negative pledges and restrictions on Liens in favor of any holder of Indebtedness permitted under Section 10.1, but solely to the extent any negative pledge relates to the property financed by or the subject of such Indebtedness, (vii) are customary restrictions on leases, subleases, licenses or asset sale agreements otherwise permitted hereby so long as such restrictions relate to the assets subject thereto, (viii) comprise restrictions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted pursuant to Section 10.1 to the extent that such restrictions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness, (ix) are customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of any lease governing a leasehold interest of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (x) are customary provisions restricting assignment of any agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business, (xi) restrict the use of cash or other deposits imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business, (xii) are imposed by Applicable Law, (xiii) exist under any documentation governing any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to Refinance any Indebtedness but only to the extent such Contractual Requirement was contained in the document evidencing the Indebtedness being refinanced, (xiv) customary net worth provisions contained in real property leases entered into by Subsidiaries of the Borrower, so long as the Borrower has determined in good faith that such net worth provisions would not reasonably be expected to impair the ability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to meet their ongoing obligation and (xv) any restrictions regarding licenses or sublicenses by the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries of Intellectual Property in the ordinary course of business (in which case such restriction shall relate only to such Intellectual Property).
Negative Pledge Parent and the Borrower will not, and the Borrower will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, assume or suffer to exist any Lien on any asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, except:
(a) Liens existing on the date of this Agreement granted by Parent, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and securing Indebtedness or other obligations outstanding on the date of this Agreement;
(b) any Lien on any asset of any Person existing at the time such Person is merged or consolidated with or into Parent, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and not created in contemplation of such event;
(c) any Lien existing on any asset prior to the acquisition thereof by Parent, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and not created in contemplation of such acquisition;
(d) any Lien on any asset securing Indebtedness incurred or assumed for the purpose of financing all or any part of the cost of acquiring such asset; provided that such Lien attaches to such asset concurrently with or within 365 days after the acquisition thereof;
(e) any Lien arising out of the refinancing, extension, renewal or refunding of any Indebtedness or other obligations secured by any Lien otherwise permitted by any of the foregoing clauses of this Section 5.08; provided that the principal amount of such Indebtedness or the amount of such other obligation, as applicable, is not increased and is not secured by any additional assets;
(f) Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies not yet due or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves or other appropriate provisions are being maintained in accordance with GAAP;
(g) statutory Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen and other Liens imposed by law, created in the ordinary course of business and for amounts not past due for more than 60 days or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings that are sufficient to prevent imminent foreclosure of such Liens, are promptly instituted and diligently conducted and with respect to which adequate reserves or other appropriate provisions are being maintained in accordance with GAAP;
(h) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business (including, without limitation, surety bonds and appeal bonds) in connection with workers compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security benefits or to secure the performance of tenders, bids, leases, contracts (other than for the repayment of Indebtedness), statutory obligations and other similar obligations or arising as a result of progress payments under government contracts;
(i) easements (including, without limitation, reciprocal easement agreements and utility agreements), rights-of-way, covenants, consents, reservations, encroachments, variations and other restrictions, charges or encumbrances (whether or not recorded) affecting the use of real property;
(j) Liens with respect to judgments and attachments that do not result in an Event of Default;
(k) Liens, deposits or pledges to secure the performance of bids, tenders, contracts (other than contracts for the payment of money), leases (permitted under the terms of this Agreement), public or statutory obligations, surety, stay, appeal, indemnity, performance or other obligations arising in the ordinary course of business;
(l) other Liens, including Liens imposed by Environmental Laws, arising in the ordinary course of business of Parent, the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary that (i) do not secure Indebtedness, (ii) do not secure obligations in an aggregate amount exceeding $100,000,000 at any time at which Investment Grade Status does not exist as to the Borrower, and (iii) do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of the assets of Parent, the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business;
(m) Liens required pursuant to the terms of this Agreement;
(n) Liens on Permitted Cash Collateral securing only Cash Collateralized Term Loans;
(o) Liens on and pledges of the Equity Securities of any joint venture owned by Parent, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than any such joint venture that is a Consolidated Subsidiary) to the extent securing Indebtedness of such joint venture that is non-recourse to Parent, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(p) bankers’ Liens, rights of setoff and other similar Liens existing solely with respect to cash and cash equivalents on deposit in one or more accounts maintained by Parent, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary, in each case granted in the ordinary course of business in favor of the bank or banks with which such accounts are maintained, securing amounts owing to such bank with respect to cash management and operating account arrangements, including those involving pooled accounts and netting arrangements;
(q) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business to secure liability for premiums to insurance carriers or to maintain self-insurance;
(r) Liens in favor of Parent, the Borrower or any of its wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiaries;
(s) rights of first refusal entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(t) any letter of credit issued for the account of the Borrower, Parent or any of their Affiliates to secure Indebtedness under tax free financings; and
(u) Liens not otherwise permitted by the foregoing clauses of this Section 5.08 securing obligations in an aggregate principal or face amount at any date not to exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets; provided, for the purposes of this Section 5.08(u), with respect to any such secured Indebtedness of a non-wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent with no recourse to Parent or any wholly-owned Subsidiary thereof, only that portion of such Indebtedness reflecting Parent’s pro rata ownership interest therein shall be included in calculating compliance herewith.
Negative Pledges Holdings and the Borrowers shall not, and shall not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to, agree or covenant with any Person to restrict in any way its ability to grant any Lien on its assets in favor of the Lenders, other than pursuant to the ABL Intercreditor Agreement, any First Lien/Second Lien Intercreditor Agreement, any Additional Intercreditor Agreement, any Pari Passu Intercreditor Agreement or any other intercreditor agreement contemplated by this agreement, and except that this Section 10.10 shall not apply to:
(i) any covenants contained in this Agreement or any other Credit Documents or that exist on the Closing Date;
(ii) covenants existing under the ABL Credit Documents and the Unsecured Notes Indenture, each as in effect on the First Restatement Effective Date or as amended in a manner consistent with any amendment to this Agreement or the other Credit Documents;
(iii) the covenants contained in any Refinancing Term Loans, any Refinancing Note Documents, any Permitted Pari Passu Notes Documents or any Permitted Junior Debt (in each case so long as same do not restrict the granting of Liens to secure Indebtedness pursuant to this Agreement);
(iv) covenants and agreements made in connection with any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement but only if such covenant or agreement applies solely to the specific asset or assets to which such Lien relates;
(v) customary provisions in leases, subleases, licenses or sublicenses and other contracts restricting the right of assignment thereof;
(vi) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements applicable to joint ventures that are applicable solely to such joint venture;
(vii) restrictions imposed by law;
(viii) customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to any sale of assets or Equity Interests pending such sale; provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Person or property that is to be sold;
(ix) contractual obligations binding on a Restricted Subsidiary at the time such Restricted Subsidiary first becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, so long as such contractual obligations were not entered into solely in contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary;
(x) negative pledges and restrictions on Liens in favor of any holder of Indebtedness for borrowed money entered into after the Closing Date and otherwise 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;
(xi) restrictions on any Foreign Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any Indebtedness of such Foreign Subsidiary permitted to be incurred hereunder;
(xii) restrictions on cash or other deposits imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business; and
(xiii) any restrictions on Liens imposed by any amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of the contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (ix), (x) and (xi) above; provided that such amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings are, in the good faith judgment of Lead Borrower, not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, with respect to such encumbrance and other restrictions than those prior to such amendment, modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, refunding, replacement or refinancing.
Negative Pledge Clauses The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into or suffer to exist or become effective any agreement that prohibits or limits the ability of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than (a) restrictions and conditions in this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, any Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.18(i) or (iv), any documentation governing the Senior Notes, any credit agreements, indentures or similar agreements governing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred or outstanding pursuant to Section 6.18 to the extent such agreements contain applicable Lien restrictions, in the good faith determination of the Company, not materially less favorable to the Lenders than those contained in customary documentation governing similar Indebtedness in the market at the time of such incurrence, and any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof, (b) customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to Dispositions permitted by Section 6.14 pending the consummation of such Dispositions, (c) restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness or the Persons obligated thereon, (d) customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment, subletting or other transfer thereof (including the granting of any Lien), (e) restrictions or conditions imposed by restrictions on cash and other deposits or net worth provisions in leases and other agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, (f) restrictions and conditions binding on a Restricted Subsidiary or its assets at the time such Restricted Subsidiary first becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or such assets were first acquired by such Restricted Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary that was a Restricted Subsidiary on the Execution Date or assets owned by any Restricted Subsidiary on the Execution Date), so long as such contractual obligations were not entered into solely in contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary or assets being acquired, (g) customary provisions in partnership agreements, limited liability company governance documents, joint venture agreements and other similar agreements that restrict the transfer of assets of, or ownership interests in, the relevant partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or similar Person, (h) any instrument governing Indebtedness assumed in connection with the Acquisition (to the extent permitted to survive the Acquisition pursuant to the Acquisition Documentation), (i) with respect to bank deposit accounts, cash sweep arrangements, cash management services or cash pooling arrangements, conditions that require consent of the bank before any lien or pledge arrangement securing obligations and liabilities of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary are enacted (with each of the foregoing being within the general parameters customary in the banking industry or arising pursuant to the applicable banking institution’s general terms and conditions) or (j) restrictions in respect of assets that, taken as a whole, are immaterial, provided that in good faith judgment of the Company, such conditions would not have a material adverse effect on the ability of any Borrower to satisfy its Obligations hereunder.
No Negative Pledges (a) No Credit Party shall, and no Credit Party shall permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, to create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual prohibition or limitation on the ability of any such Subsidiary to pay dividends or make any other distribution on any of such Subsidiary’s Stock or Stock Equivalents or to pay fees, including management fees, or make other payments and distributions to a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries. No Credit Party shall, and no Credit Party shall permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, assume or become subject to any Contractual Obligation prohibiting the existence of any Lien upon any of its assets in favor of the Agent, whether now owned or hereafter acquired. Notwithstanding the foregoing two sentences, the following encumbrances or restrictions shall be permitted: (i) encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of (A) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents; (B) Indebtedness permitted by Section 5.5(d); (C) customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of any lease governing a leasehold interest; (D) customary provisions restricting assignment of any agreement entered into by a Subsidiary of a Borrower in the Ordinary Course of Business; (E) any holder of a Permitted Lien restricting the transfer of the property subject thereto; (F) customary restrictions and conditions contained in any agreement relating to the sale of any property permitted under Section 5.2 pending the consummation of such sale; (G) in the case of a Joint Venture, restrictions in such person’s Organization Documents or pursuant to any joint venture agreement or stockholders agreements solely to the extent of the Stock or Stock Equivalents of or property held in the subject Joint Venture and (H) any agreement in effect on the Closing Date as set forth on Schedule 5.16; or (ii) any encumbrances or restrictions imposed by any amendments or refinancings that are otherwise permitted by the Loan Documents of the agreements referred to in clause (i) above; provided that such amendments or refinancings are no more restrictive with respect to such encumbrances and restrictions than those prior to such amendment or refinancing.
(b) No Borrower (other than ITG) shall issue any Stock or Stock Equivalents (i) if such issuance would result in an Event of Default under subsection 7.1(m) and (ii) unless such Stock and Stock Equivalents are pledged to the Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as security for the Obligations, on substantially the same terms and conditions as the Stock and Stock Equivalents of the Borrowers pledged to the Agent as of the Closing Date.
