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.
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.
Restrictions on Dividends So long as any shares of the Series C Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Board of Directors shall not declare, and the Corporation shall not pay or set apart for payment any dividend on any Junior Securities or make any payment on account of, or set apart for payment money for a sinking or other similar fund for, the repurchase, redemption or other retirement of, any Junior Securities or Parity Securities or any warrants, rights or options exercisable for or convertible into any Junior Securities or Parity Securities (other than the repurchase, redemption or other retirement of debentures or other debt securities that are convertible or exchangeable into any Junior Securities or Parity Securities), or make any distribution in respect of the Junior Securities, either directly or indirectly, and whether in cash, obligations or shares of the Corporation or other property (other than distributions or dividends in Junior Securities to the holders of Junior Securities), and shall not permit any corporation or other entity directly or indirectly controlled by the Corporation to purchase or redeem any Junior Securities or Parity Securities or any warrants, rights, calls or options exercisable for or convertible into any Junior Securities or Parity Securities (other than the repurchase, redemption or other retirement of debentures or other debt securities that are convertible or exchangeable into any Junior Securities or Parity Securities or the repurchase, redemption or other retirement of Junior Securities or Parity Securities in exchange for Junior Securities or Parity Securities) unless prior to or concurrently with such declaration, payment, setting apart for payment, repurchase, redemption or other retirement or distribution, as the case may be, all accumulated and unpaid dividends on shares of the Series C Preferred Stock not paid on the dates provided for in paragraph A of Article III hereof (including Arrearages and accumulated dividends thereon) shall have been paid, except that when dividends are not paid in full as aforesaid upon the shares of Series C Preferred Stock, all dividends declared on the Series C Preferred Stock and any series of Parity Dividend Securities shall be declared and paid pro rata so that the amount of dividends so declared and paid on Series C Preferred Stock and such series of Parity Dividend Securities shall in all cases bear to each other the same ratio that accumulated dividends (including interest accrued on or additional dividends accumulated in respect of such accumulated dividends) on the shares of Series C Preferred Stock and such Parity Dividend Securities bear to each other.
Limitations on Dividends and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries Create or otherwise cause, incur, assume, suffer or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the ability of any Subsidiary of any Loan Party (i) to pay dividends or to make any other distribution on any shares of Equity Interests of such Subsidiary owned by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) to pay or prepay or to subordinate any Indebtedness owed to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, (iii) to make loans or advances to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or (iv) to transfer any of its property or assets to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that nothing in any of clauses (i) through (iv) of this Section 7.02(k) shall prohibit or restrict compliance with:
(A) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents;
(B) any agreement in effect on the date of this Agreement and described on Schedule 7.02(k), or any extension, replacement or continuation of any such agreement; provided, that, any such encumbrance or restriction contained in such extended, replaced or continued agreement is no less favorable to the Agents and the Lenders than the encumbrance or restriction under or pursuant to the agreement so extended, replaced or continued;
(C) any applicable law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, applicable currency control laws and applicable state corporate statutes restricting the payment of dividends in certain circumstances);
(D) in the case of clause (iv), (1) customary restrictions on the subletting, assignment or transfer of any specified property or asset set forth in a lease, license, asset sale agreement or similar contract for the conveyance of such property or asset and (2) instrument or other document evidencing a Permitted Lien (or the Indebtedness secured thereby) from restricting on customary terms the transfer of any property or assets subject thereto;
(E) customary restrictions on dispositions of real property interests in reciprocal easement agreements;
(F) customary restrictions in agreements for the sale of assets on the transfer or encumbrance of such assets during an interim period prior to the closing of the sale of such assets; or
(G) customary restrictions in contracts that prohibit the assignment of such contract.
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 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 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 Dividends and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to (i) pay dividends or make any other distribution on its Equity Interests, (ii) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) make any Investment in the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or (iv) transfer any of its properties or assets to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, except (a) any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement in effect on the Issue Date or contained in any other indenture or instrument governing debt or preferred securities that are no more restrictive than those contained in this Indenture; (b) any encumbrance or restriction, with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary of the Company on the Issue Date, in existence at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company and not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary, provided, that such encumbrances and restrictions are not applicable to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or the properties or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than such Subsidiary which is becoming a Restricted Subsidiary; (c) any encumbrance or restriction existing under, by reason of or with respect to any agreement of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that (1) such encumbrances or restrictions are ordinary and customary in light of the type of agreement involved and (2) such encumbrances shall not affect in any material respect the Company’s or any Guarantor’s ability to make principal and interest payments on the Securities, as determined in good faith by the Company; (d) any encumbrance or restriction existing under any agreement that extends, renews, refinances or replaces the agreements containing the encumbrances or restrictions in the foregoing clauses (a), (b) and (c), or in this clause (d), provided that the terms and conditions of any such encumbrances or 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 or are not more restrictive than those set forth in this Indenture; and (e) any encumbrance or restriction created pursuant to an asset sale agreement, stock sale agreement or similar instrument pursuant to which an Asset Sale permitted under Section 1012 is to be consummated, so long as such restriction or encumbrance shall be effective only for a period from the execution and delivery of such agreement or instrument through a termination date not later than 270 days after such execution and delivery.
