Guarantors Any time after the Effective Date, Borrower may cause any of its Subsidiaries to guarantee the Obligations of Borrower hereunder by delivering to Administrative Agent an Assumption Agreement to the Guarantee Agreement, in form set forth on Annex 1 to the Guarantee Agreement and executed by such proposed Guarantor. If, at any time following the Effective Date, a Guarantor ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary (including as a result of a redesignation of such Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary) or ceases to be a Subsidiary, in each case as a result of a transaction not otherwise prohibited hereunder, then such Guarantor’s guarantee of the Obligations shall be automatically released and such Guarantor shall be automatically released from its obligations under the Guarantee Agreement. In addition, if Borrower elects by notice in writing to Administrative Agent to cause such Guarantor to be released from its guarantee of the Obligations, and a Responsible Officer of Borrower certifies in writing that immediately after giving effect to such release, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, then immediately upon the delivery of such notice and certification to Administrative Agent such Guarantor’s guarantee of the Obligations shall be automatically released and such Guarantor shall be automatically released from its obligations under the Guarantee Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Guarantor that is a Significant Subsidiary and that guarantees any Material Debt may be released from the Guarantee Agreement and its Guarantee Obligation thereunder, including as a result of being designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, unless such Guarantor is simultaneously released from its guarantee of such Material Debt. Administrative Agent shall execute such documents as Borrower shall reasonably request to evidence the release contemplated by this Section 6.10.
Subsidiary Guarantors In the event that (1) any Obligor shall form or acquire any new Domestic Subsidiary (other than an Excluded Asset or Immaterial Subsidiary) or (2) any Excluded Asset or Immaterial Subsidiary that is a Domestic Subsidiary shall no longer constitute an “Excluded Asset” or “Immaterial Subsidiary” or any Controlled Foreign Corporation shall no longer constitute a “Controlled Foreign Corporation”, as applicable, pursuant to the definition thereof (in which case such Person shall be deemed to be a “new” Domestic Subsidiary for purposes of this Section 5.08 as of such date), the Borrower will cause, within thirty (30) days (or such longer period as shall be reasonably agreed by the Administrative Agent) following such Person becoming a new Domestic Subsidiary, such new Domestic Subsidiary to become a “Subsidiary Guarantor” (and, thereby, an “Obligor”) under a Guarantee Assumption Agreement and to deliver such proof of corporate or other action, incumbency of officers, opinions of counsel (unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent) and other documents as is consistent with those delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section 4.01 upon the Effective Date or as the Administrative Agent shall have reasonably requested. For the avoidance of doubt, the Borrower may elect to cause any of its Excluded Assets, Immaterial Subsidiaries or Controlled Foreign Corporations to become an Obligor by causing such Person to become a Subsidiary Guarantor and executing and delivering a Guarantee Assumption Agreement (and, if requested by the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent with respect to any Controlled Foreign Corporation, executing and delivering a guarantee and security agreement governed by the laws of the country in which such Subsidiary is located, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, it being understood that a guarantee and security agreement that is substantially in the form of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, other than with respect to modifications to reflect requirements under the laws of the country in which such Subsidiary is located, will be deemed reasonably acceptable) and other deliverables as required for a Subsidiary Guarantor under this Section 5.08(a) (at which point such Person shall be a Subsidiary Guarantor and shall no longer be an Excluded Asset or an Immaterial Subsidiary).
Parent Guaranty (a) Parent hereby, subject to the limitations set forth in this Article IX, unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees (the “Parent Guaranty”) by way of an independent obligation to Buyer the due and punctual performance of the obligations of Seller under this Agreement to the extent to be performed from or after the closing of the Rite Aid Acquisition when and as the same shall arise and become due and payable in accordance with the terms of and subject to the conditions contained in this Agreement (the “Seller Obligations”).
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, following the Rite Aid Closing Buyer shall, prior to bringing any Action against Parent with respect to the Seller Obligations or otherwise seeking any recourse with respect thereto, use commercially reasonable efforts to seek resolution against Seller with respect to the subject matter giving rise to such Action, and provided that Buyer has made such efforts:
(i) Parent waives any and all notice of the creation, renewal, extension or accrual of the Seller Obligations, any defenses (other than those that may be available to Seller under this Agreement) and notice of or proof of reliance by Buyer upon this Parent Guaranty or acceptance of this Parent Guaranty. The Seller Obligations shall conclusively be deemed to have been created, contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended or waived, in reliance upon this Parent Guaranty. All dealings between Buyer and Seller shall be conclusively presumed to have been had or consummated in reliance upon this Parent Guaranty. Parent agrees that any notice provided under this Agreement (including any demand for payment or notice of default or non-payment) to Seller shall be deemed to constitute notice to Parent for purposes hereof; and
(ii) this is a guaranty of payment, not merely of collection. If for any reason whatsoever Seller shall fail or be unable to perform or comply with the Seller Obligations, Parent will promptly upon receipt of notice thereof from Buyer forthwith perform the Seller Obligations then obligated.
(c) Parent represents that: (i) Parent has full right, authority and capacity to join in this Agreement and provide the guaranty as set forth in this Section 9.09; (ii) the execution, delivery and performance by Parent of this Agreement has been duly authorized, and no other action on the part of Parent is required in connection therewith; and (iii) this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Parent, enforceable against Parent in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by equitable principles, including those limiting the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies and those providing for equitable defenses.
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY AND THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided. The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors are members of the same consolidated group of companies. The Subsidiary Guarantors will derive direct and indirect economic benefit from the issuance of the Securities. Accordingly, each Subsidiary Guarantor has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for its full, unconditional and joint and several guarantee of the Securities to the extent provided in or pursuant this Indenture. All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
Future Subsidiary Guarantors (a) If the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries acquires or creates another Subsidiary after the Issue Date, then the Company shall cause such newly acquired or created Subsidiary to become a Subsidiary Guarantor (in the event that such Subsidiary provides a guarantee of any other Indebtedness of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor of the type specified under clauses (1) or (2) of the definition of “Indebtedness”), at which time such Subsidiary shall:
(1) execute a supplemental indenture in the form attached as Exhibit D hereto pursuant to which such Subsidiary shall unconditionally guarantee, on a senior basis, all of the Company’s Obligations under this Indenture and the Notes on the terms set forth in this Indenture;
(2) take such further action and execute and deliver such other documents as otherwise may be reasonably requested by the Trustee to give effect to the foregoing; and
(3) deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel that (i) such supplemental indenture and any other documents required to be delivered have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Subsidiary and constitute legal, valid, binding and enforceable Obligations of such Subsidiary.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Guarantee of the Notes created pursuant to the provisions described in paragraph (a) above may provide by its terms that it will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon:
(1) (with respect to any Guarantee created after the date of this Indenture) the release by the holders of the Company’s or the Subsidiary Guarantor’s Indebtedness described in paragraph (a) above, of their guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary (including any deemed release upon payment in full of all obligations under such Indebtedness other than as a result of payment under such guarantee), at a time when:
(A) no other Indebtedness of either the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has been guaranteed by such Restricted Subsidiary; or
(B) the holders of all such other Indebtedness that is guaranteed by such Restricted Subsidiary also release their guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary (including any deemed release upon payment in full of all obligations under such Indebtedness other than as a result of payment under such guarantee); or
(2) the release of the Note Guarantees on the terms and conditions and in the circumstances described in Section 11.08 hereof.
(c) Each additional Note Guarantee will be limited as necessary to recognize certain defences generally available to guarantors (including those that relate to fraudulent conveyance or transfer, voidable preference, financial assistance, corporate purpose, capital maintenance or similar laws, regulations or defences affecting the rights of creditors generally) or other considerations under applicable law. Notwithstanding Section 4.17(a) hereof, the Company shall not be obligated to cause such Restricted Subsidiary to Guarantee the Notes to the extent that such Guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary would reasonably be expected to give rise to or result in (i) any liability for the officers, directors or shareholders of such Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) any significant cost, expense, liability or obligation (including with respect of any Taxes, but excluding any reasonable guarantee or similar fee payable to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company) other than reasonable out of pocket expenses.
Parent Guarantee (a) Holdings hereby agrees to become a party to the Indenture as a Guarantor and in accordance with the amendments to the terms of the Indenture made in Section 2 of this Supplemental Indenture, to be substituted for STX as “Parent” under the Indenture, the Notes and the Parent Guarantee. Holdings shall have all of the rights and be subject to all of the obligations and agreements of Parent under the Indenture, the Notes and the Parent Guarantee. Holdings hereby unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to each Holder and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns the Guaranteed Obligations in accordance with Article 10 of the Indenture.
(b) Holdings further agrees that the Guaranteed Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice or further assent from Holdings and that Holdings will remain bound by Article 10 of the Indenture notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Guaranteed Obligation.
(c) Holdings waives presentation to, demand of, payment from and protest to Holdings of any of the Guaranteed Obligations and also waives notice of protest for nonpayment. Holdings waives notice of any default under the Notes or the Guaranteed Obligations. The obligations of Holdings under the Parent Guarantee shall not be affected by:
i. the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against Holdings or any other Person under this Indenture, the Notes or any other agreement or otherwise;
ii. any extension or renewal of any thereof;
iii. any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture, the Notes or any other agreement;
iv. the release of any security held by any Holder or the Trustee for the obligations of any of them;
v. the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to exercise any right or remedy against any other guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations; or
vi. except as set forth in Section 10.05 of the Indenture, any change in the ownership of Holdings.
(d) Holdings further agrees that the Parent Guarantee constitutes a guarantee of payment, performance and compliance when due (and not a guarantee of collection) and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any Holder or the Trustee to any security held for payment of the Guaranteed Obligations.
(e) Except as expressly set forth in Sections 8.02 and 10.05 of the Indenture, the obligations of Holdings under the Parent Guarantee shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense of setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever or by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Guaranteed Obligations, this Indenture, the Notes or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of Holdings under the Parent Guarantee shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Indenture, the Notes or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the obligations, or by any other act or thing or omission or delay to do any other act or thing which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of Holdings or would otherwise operate as a discharge of Holdings as a matter of law or equity.
(f) Holdings further agrees that the Parent Guarantee shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or premium (if any) on or interest on any Guaranteed Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by any Holder or the Trustee upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise.
(g) In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Holder or the Trustee has at law or in equity against Holdings by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay the principal of or premium (if any) on or interest on any Guaranteed Obligation when or to perform or comply with any other Guaranteed Obligation, Holdings hereby promises to and shall, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Holders or the Trustee an amount equal to the sum of (1) the unpaid amount of such Guaranteed Obligations, (2) accrued and unpaid interest on such Guaranteed Obligations (but only to the extent not prohibited by law) and (3) all other monetary Guaranteed Obligations of the Company to the Holders and the Trustee.
(h) Holdings further agrees that, as between it, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the Guaranteed Obligations Guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 of the Indenture for the purposes of the Parent Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such Guaranteed Obligations as provided in Article 6 of the Indenture, such Guaranteed Obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by Holdings for the purposes of Section 10.01 of the Indenture.
(i) Holdings also agrees to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under Section 10.01 of the Indenture.
Additional Subsidiary Guarantors Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 301 with respect to a series of Securities, the Company will cause any domestic Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company that becomes a Subsidiary after the date the Securities of a series are first issued hereunder to become a Subsidiary Guarantor as soon as practicable after such Subsidiary becomes a Subsidiary. The Company shall cause any such Wholly Owned Subsidiary to become a Subsidiary Guarantor with respect to the Securities by executing and delivering to the Trustee (a) a supplemental indenture, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, which subjects such Person to the provisions (including the representations and warranties) of this Indenture as a Subsidiary Guarantor and (b) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such supplemental indenture has been duly authorized and executed by such Person and such supplemental indenture and such Person’s obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee and this Indenture constitute the legal, valid, binding and enforceable obligations of such Person (subject to such customary exceptions concerning creditors’ rights and equitable principles as may be acceptable to the Trustee in its discretion).
Releases of Subsidiary Guarantors (a) A Subsidiary Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement upon the consummation of any transaction permitted by this Agreement as a result of which such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary; provided that, if so required by this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall have consented to such transaction and the terms of such consent shall not have provided otherwise. In connection with any termination or release pursuant to this Section, the Administrative Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to) execute and deliver to any Loan Party, at such Loan Party’s expense, all documents that such Loan Party shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent.
(b) Further, the Administrative Agent may (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to), upon the request of the Company, release any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement if such Subsidiary Guarantor is no longer a Subsidiary.
(c) At such time as the principal and interest on the Loans, all LC Disbursements, the fees, expenses and other amounts payable under the Loan Documents and the other Secured Obligations (other than Swap Obligations, Banking Services Obligations, and other Obligations expressly stated to survive such payment and termination) shall have been paid in full, the Commitments shall have been terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding, the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement and all obligations (other than those expressly stated to survive such termination) of each Subsidiary Guarantor thereunder shall automatically terminate, all without delivery of any instrument or performance of any act by any Person.
The Guarantor The Guarantor is hereby made a party to the Indenture.
Release of Subsidiary Guarantors Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 301 with respect to a series of Securities, each Subsidiary Guarantee will remain in effect with respect to the respective Subsidiary Guarantor until the entire principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities to which such Subsidiary Guarantee relates shall have been paid in full or otherwise satisfied and discharged in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture and all amounts owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid; provided, however, that if (i) such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary in compliance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture, (ii) either Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance occurs with respect to such Securities pursuant to Article Fifteen or (iii) all or substantially all of the assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor or all of the Capital Stock of such Subsidiary Guarantor is sold (including by sale, merger, consolidation or otherwise) by the Company or any Subsidiary in a transaction complying with the requirements of this Indenture, then, in each case of (i), (ii) or (iii), upon delivery by the Company of an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the release of such Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee and this Article Thirteen have been complied with, such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be released and discharged of its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee and under this Article Thirteen without any action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, and the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably required in order to acknowledge the release of such Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee endorsed on the Securities of such series and under this Article Thirteen.
