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).
Restrictions on Subsidiary Distributions Except as provided herein, no Credit Party shall, nor shall it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the ability of any Subsidiary of Borrower to (a) pay dividends or make any other distributions on any of such Subsidiary’s Equity Interests owned by Borrower or any other Subsidiary of Borrower, (b) repay or prepay any Indebtedness owed by such Subsidiary to Borrower or any other Subsidiary of Borrower, (c) make loans or advances to Borrower or any other Subsidiary of Borrower, or (d) transfer, lease or license any of its property or assets to Borrower or any other Subsidiary of Borrower other than restrictions (i) imposed by law or by any Credit Document, (ii) in agreements evidencing Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.1(k) that impose restrictions on the property so acquired, and any amendments, modifications, extensions or renewals thereof (including any such extension or renewal arising as a result of an extension, renewal or refinancing of any Indebtedness containing such restriction or condition) that do not materially expand the scope of any such restriction or condition taken as a whole, (iii) by reason of customary provisions restricting assignments, subletting or other transfers contained in leases, licenses, Joint Venture agreements and similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, (iv) that are or were created by virtue of any transfer of, agreement to transfer or option or right with respect to any property, assets or Equity Interests not otherwise prohibited under this Agreement, (v) in the case of any Subsidiary that is not directly or indirectly wholly owned by Borrower, restrictions and conditions imposed by its Organizational Documents or any related joint venture, shareholders’ or similar agreement; provided that such restrictions and conditions apply only to such Subsidiary and to any Equity Interests in such Subsidiary, or (vi) identified on Schedule 6.5, and any amendments, modifications, extensions or renewals thereof (including any such extension or renewal arising as a result of an extension, renewal or refinancing of any Indebtedness containing such restriction or condition) that do not materially expand the scope of any such restriction or condition taken as a whole.
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.
No Restrictions on Dividends Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, the Company from paying any dividends or making other distributions on its capital stock, and no subsidiary of the Company is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, any subsidiary of the Company from paying any dividends or making any other distributions on its capital stock, limited or general partnership interests, limited liability company interests, or other equity interests, as the case may be, or from repaying any loans or advances from, or (except for instruments or agreements that by their express terms prohibit the transfer or assignment thereof or of any rights thereunder) transferring any of its properties or assets to, the Company or any other subsidiary, in each case except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
Restriction on Redemption and Cash Dividends So long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company shall not, directly or indirectly, redeem, or declare or pay any cash dividend or distribution on, any securities of the Company without the prior express written consent of the Buyers.
Limitation on Dividends and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries (a) Except as provided in clause (b) below, the Issuer shall not, and shall not cause or permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to:
(i) pay dividends or make any other distributions on or in respect of its Capital Stock to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary;
(ii) make loans or advances to, or make any Investment in, the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary; or
(iii) transfer any of its property or assets to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary.
(b) Section 3.15(a) shall not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:
(i) applicable law, rule, regulation or order;
(ii) this Indenture;
(iii) any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement in effect at or entered into on the Issue Date, and any amendments, restatements, renewals, replacements or refinancings thereof; provided, that any amendment, restatement, renewal, replacement or refinancing is not materially more restrictive with respect to such encumbrances or restrictions than those in existence on the Issue Date as determined in good faith by the Issuer’s senior management;
(iv) customary non-assignment provisions of any contract and customary provisions restricting assignment or subletting in any lease governing a leasehold interest of any Restricted Subsidiary, or any customary restriction on the ability of a Restricted Subsidiary to dividend, distribute or otherwise transfer any asset which secures Indebtedness secured by a Lien, in each case permitted to be Incurred under this Indenture;
(v) any instrument governing Acquired Indebtedness not Incurred in connection with, or in anticipation or contemplation of, the relevant acquisition, merger or consolidation, which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person or the properties or assets of the Person so acquired;
(vi) restrictions with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer imposed pursuant to a binding agreement which has been entered into for the sale or disposition of Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary; provided, that such restrictions apply solely to the Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary being sold (and in the case of Capital Stock, its Subsidiaries);
(vii) customary restrictions imposed on the transfer of copyrighted or patented materials;
(viii) an agreement governing Indebtedness Incurred to Refinance the Indebtedness issued, assumed or Incurred pursuant to an agreement referred to in clause (iii) or (v) of this Section 3.15(b); provided, that such Refinancing agreement is not materially more restrictive with respect to such encumbrances or restrictions than those contained in the agreement referred to in such clause (iii) or (v) as determined in good faith by the Issuer’s senior management;
(ix) Liens permitted to be Incurred pursuant to the provisions of the covenant described under Section 3.17 that limit the right of any person to transfer the assets subject to such Liens;
(x) Purchase Money Indebtedness for property acquired in the ordinary course of business and Capitalized Lease Obligations that impose restrictions of the nature discussed in clause (iii) of Section 3.15(a) above on the property so acquired;
(xi) restrictions on cash or other deposits imposed by customers under contracts or other arrangements entered into or agreed to in the ordinary course of business not materially more restrictive than those existing on the Issue Date as determined in good faith by the Issuer’s senior management;
(xii) customary provisions in joint venture agreements relating to dividends or other distributions in respect of such joint venture or the securities, assets or revenues of such joint venture;
(xiii) restrictions in Indebtedness Incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary in compliance with the covenant described under Section 3.9; provided, that (A) such restrictions are not materially more restrictive with respect to such encumbrances and restrictions than those such Restricted Subsidiary was subject to in agreements related to obligations referenced in clause (iii) above as determined in good faith by the Issuer’s senior management or (B) such Incurrence will not materially impair the Issuer’s ability to make payments under the Notes when due as determined in good faith by the Issuer’s senior management; and
(xiv) net worth provisions in leases entered into by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business not materially more restrictive than those existing on the Issue Date as determined in good faith by the Issuer’s senior management.
Restriction on Dividends and Repurchases (a) Prior to the earlier of (x) the third anniversary of the Closing Date and (y) the date on which all of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares have been redeemed in whole or the Investor has transferred all of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares to third parties which are not Affiliates of the Investor, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary shall, without the consent of the Investor, declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution on capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of the Company or any Company Subsidiary (other than (i) regular quarterly cash dividends of not more than the amount of the last quarterly cash dividend per share declared or, if lower, announced to its holders of Common Stock an intention to declare, on the Common Stock prior to November 17, 2008, as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar transaction, (ii) dividends payable solely in shares of Common Stock, (iii) regular dividends on shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms thereof and which are permitted under the terms of the Preferred Shares and the Warrant Shares, (iv) dividends or distributions by any wholly-owned Company Subsidiary or (v) dividends or distributions by any Company Subsidiary required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered into prior to November 17, 2008).
(b) During the period beginning on the third anniversary of the Closing Date and ending on the earlier of (i) the tenth anniversary of the Closing Date and (ii) the date on which all of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares have been redeemed in whole or the Investor has transferred all of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares to third parties which are not Affiliates of the Investor, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary shall, without the consent of the Investor, (A) pay any per share dividend or distribution on capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of the Company at a per annum rate that is in excess of 103% of the aggregate per share dividends and distributions for the immediately prior fiscal year (other than regular dividends on shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms thereof and which are permitted under the terms of the Preferred Shares and the Warrant Shares); provided that no increase in the aggregate amount of dividends or distributions on Common Stock shall be permitted as a result of any dividends or distributions paid in shares of Common Stock, any stock split or any similar transaction or (B) pay aggregate dividends or distributions on capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of any Company Subsidiary that is in excess of 103% of the aggregate dividends and distributions paid for the immediately prior fiscal year (other than in the case of this clause (B), (1) regular dividends on shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms thereof and which are permitted under the terms of the Preferred Shares and the Warrant Shares, (2) dividends or distributions by any wholly-owned Company Subsidiary, (3) dividends or distributions by any Company Subsidiary required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered into prior to November 17, 2008) or (4) dividends or distributions on newly issued shares of capital stock for cash or other property.
(c) Prior to the earlier of (x) the tenth anniversary of the Closing Date and (y) the date on which all of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares have been redeemed in whole or the Investor has transferred all of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares to third parties which are not Affiliates of the Investor, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary shall, without the consent of the Investor, redeem, purchase or acquire any shares of Common Stock or other capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or any trust preferred securities issued by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, other than (i) redemptions, purchases or other acquisitions of the Preferred Shares and Warrant Shares,
Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary (except a Foreign Subsidiary) to (a) pay dividends, in cash or otherwise, or make any other distributions on or in respect of its Capital Stock to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, (b) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, (c) make an Investment in the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or (d) transfer any of its Properties or assets to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, except for such encumbrances or restrictions (i) pursuant to this Indenture, the Existing Indentures, the Credit Agreement or any agreement in effect or entered into on the Issue Date, (ii) any agreement or other instrument of a Person acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in existence at the time of such acquisition (but not created in contemplation thereof), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any other Person, or the Properties or assets of any other Person, other than the Person, or the Property or assets of the Person, so acquired, (iii) that constitute customary restrictions in leases and licenses relating to the Property covered thereby and entered into in the ordinary course of business, (iv) contained in agreements governing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred in accordance with this Indenture provided that the restrictions are not materially more restrictive in the aggregate than the restrictions contained in this Indenture, or (v) existing under any agreement that extends, renews, refinances or replaces (in whole or in part, and whether or not such prior agreements remain outstanding) the agreements containing the restrictions in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) provided that the terms and conditions of any such restrictions are not materially less favorable to the Holders of the Securities than those under or pursuant to the agreement evidencing the Indebtedness so extended, renewed, refinanced or replaced.
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 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).
