Term of the Pledge 3.1 The Pledge shall become effective on such date when the pledge of the Equity Interest contemplated herein is registered with the relevant administration for industry and commerce (the “AIC”). The Pledge shall remain effective until all Contract Obligations have been fully performed and all Secured Indebtedness has been fully paid. The Pledgor and Party C shall (1) register the Pledge in the shareholders’ register of Party C within 3 business days following the execution of this Agreement, and (2) submit an application to the AIC for the registration of the Pledge of the Equity Interest contemplated herein within thirty (30) days following the execution of this Agreement. The parties covenant that for the purpose of registration of the Pledge, the parties hereto and all other shareholders of Party C shall submit to the AIC this Agreement or an equity interest pledge contract in the form required by the AIC at the location of Party C which shall truly reflect the information of the Pledge hereunder (the “AIC Pledge Contract”). For matters not specified in the AIC Pledge Contract, the Parties shall be bound by the provisions of this Agreement. The Pledgor and Party C shall submit all necessary documents and complete all necessary procedures, as required by the relevant PRC laws and regulations and the competent AIC, to ensure that the Pledge of the Equity Interest shall be registered with the AIC as soon as possible after submission for filing.
3.2 During the Term of the Pledge, in the event the Pledgor and/or Party C fails to perform the Contract Obligations or pay Secured Indebtedness, the Pledgee shall have the right, but not the obligation, to exercise the Pledge in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Exercise of the Pledge 8.1. The Pledgor shall not waive, transfer or otherwise dispose the Pledged Equity without prior written consent of the Pledgee, prior to the full performance of the Contractual Obligations.
8.2. The Pledgee shall give a written Notice of Default to the Pledgor when it intends to exercise the Pledge.
8.3. Subject to Article 7.3, the Pledgee may exercise the right to enforce the Pledge when issuing the Notice of Default in accordance with Article 7.3 or at any time thereafter.
8.4. Upon issuing a Notice of Default under Article 7.3, the Pledgee may exercise all remedies for breach of contract under the PRC laws and hereunder, including without limitation, acquiring the Pledged Equity at discounted price, or auction or sale of the Pledged Equity with the proceeds to be paid based on the order agreed in Article 8.6, until all Secured Debts are repaid.
8.5. When the Pledgee enforces the Pledge in accordance with this Agreement, the Pledgor shall not put up any obstacle and shall give necessary assistance so as to facilitate the Pledgee’s realization of the Pledge.
8.6. Proceeds obtained by the Pledgee from exercise of the Pledge shall be applied by the following order: firstly, paying all costs arising out of the disposal of the Pledged Equity and the exercise of its rights and powers by the Pledgee (including the remuneration paying to the attorneys and agents of the Pledgee); secondly, paying taxes payable due to disposal of the Pledged Equity; thirdly, repaying the Secured Debts to the Pledgee. In case of any balance upon netting of such payments, the Pledgee shall refund the balance to the Pledgor or other persons who are entitled to such balance according to relevant laws and regulations, or deposit the same to a notarization authority at the domicile of the Pledgee (and any costs so incurred shall be solely borne by the Pledgor). After the Pledged Equity is converted into money, auctioned or sold, if the proceeds so obtained are insufficient to repay all Secured Debts, the difference shall be paid by the Pledgor.
The Pledge The Holders from time to time of the Securities acting through the Purchase Contract Agent, as their attorney-in-fact, hereby pledge and grant to the Collateral Agent, as collateral security for the performance when due by such Holders of their respective obligations under the Purchase Contracts constituting part of such Securities, for the benefit of the Company, a security interest in all of the right, title and interest of such Holders in the Collateral Securities constituting a part of such Securities. Prior to or concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the initial Holders and the Collateral Agent shall (i) cause the Collateral Securities to be delivered to the Collateral Agent by Federal Reserve Bank-Wire or by book-entry transfer through the facilities of the Depositary Trust Company, as the case may be, to the account of the Collateral Agent designated by it for such purpose and (ii) take appropriate action so that the applicable Federal Reserve Bank through which such Collateral Securities have been purchased will reflect such transfer and the Pledge by appropriate entries in its records in accordance with Applicable Treasury Regulations. In addition, the execution and delivery hereof by the Purchase Contract Agent and the Collateral Agent shall constitute (i) the notification to the Collateral Agent (as bailee or otherwise) of the Pledge and (ii) an acknowledgment by the Collateral Agent (as third party in possession or otherwise) of the Pledge and of its holding of such Collateral Securities subject to the Pledge, in each case, for purposes of perfecting the Pledge under Applicable Treasury Regulations and other applicable law, as the case may be, including, to the extent applicable, the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and in effect in any applicable jurisdiction. The pledge provided in this Section 2 is herein referred to as the "Pledge" and the Collateral Securities subject to the Pledge, excluding any Collateral Securities released from the Pledge as provided in Section 4 hereof, are hereinafter referred to as the "Pledged Collateral Securities." Subject to the Pledge, the Holders from time to time of the Securities shall have full beneficial ownership of the Collateral Securities constituting a part of such Securities.
Delivery of the Pledged Collateral (a) Each Grantor agrees to deliver or cause to be delivered as promptly as practicable to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, any and all Pledged Securities (other than any uncertificated securities, but only for so long as such securities remain uncertificated) to the extent such Pledged Securities, in the case of promissory notes or other instruments evidencing Indebtedness, are required to be delivered pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 2.02.
(b) Each Grantor will cause (i) any Indebtedness for borrowed money owed to such Grantor by any Person (other than intercompany Indebtedness between Grantors and intercompany Indebtedness referred to in the following clause (ii)) having an aggregate principal amount in excess of the Dollar Amount of $5,000,000, to be evidenced by a duly executed promissory note, and (ii) any intercompany Indebtedness made by such Grantor to a Subsidiary of the Company that is not a Grantor to be evidenced by (x) a duly executed global promissory note to which such Subsidiary of the Company that is not a Grantor is a signatory, or (y) at the option of the Grantor, to the extent such Indebtedness is in an aggregate principal amount in excess of the Dollar Amount of $15,000,000, a duly executed promissory note; in each case (i) and (ii) that is delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, pursuant to the terms hereof.
(c) Upon delivery to the Collateral Agent, (i) any Pledged Securities shall be accompanied by stock or security powers duly executed in blank or other instruments of transfer reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and by such other instruments and documents as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request and (ii) all other property comprising part of the Pledged Collateral shall be accompanied by proper instruments of assignment or transfer duly executed by the applicable Grantor and such other instruments or documents as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request. Each delivery of Pledged Securities shall be accompanied by a schedule describing the securities, which schedule shall be attached hereto as Schedule I and made a part hereof; provided that failure to attach any such schedule hereto shall not affect the validity of such pledge of such Pledged Securities. Each schedule so delivered shall supplement any prior schedules so delivered.
Voting Rights in Respect of the Pledged Collateral (i) So long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, to the extent permitted by law, each Pledgor may exercise any and all voting and other consensual rights pertaining to the Pledged Collateral of such Pledgor or any part thereof for any purpose not inconsistent with the terms of this Pledge Agreement or the Credit Agreement; and
(ii) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, all rights of a Pledgor to exercise the voting and other consensual rights that it would otherwise be entitled to exercise pursuant to paragraph (i) of this subsection shall cease and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Administrative Agent, which shall then have the sole right to exercise such voting and other consensual rights.
UNDERTAKINGS OF THE PLEDGOR Unless otherwise permitted by the Principal Finance Documents, during the term of this Agreement, the Pledgor undertakes to the Pledgee:
8.1 subject to Clause 4.3 to use all reasonable efforts to procure that each Account Bank releases any existing lien, including without limitation any pledge existing by operation of its general business conditions (Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen), and waives any right of set-off and right of retention in respect of the Accounts by countersigning and returning an acknowledgement of notice of pledge substantially in the form set out in Schedule 3 (Form of Notice of Pledge) to the Pledgor and the Pledgee.
8.2 to instruct each Account Bank to provide the Pledgee following receipt by the relevant Account Bank of a notice pursuant to Clause 5 with all information requested by it in respect of the Accounts and to that extent to release each Account Bank from its obligation to maintain confidentiality (Bankgeheimnis) by delivering a notice of pledge to the respective Account Bank in accordance with the requirements set out in Clause 4.1 or, in the case of any future Account, Clause 8.
Possessory Collateral Agent as Gratuitous Bailee for Perfection (a) The Applicable Authorized Representative agrees to hold any Shared Collateral constituting Possessory Collateral that is part of the Shared Collateral in its possession or control (or in the possession or control of its agents or bailees) as gratuitous bailee and agent for the benefit of each other First Lien Secured Party and any assignee solely for the purpose of perfecting the security interest granted in such Possessory Collateral, if any, pursuant to the applicable First Lien Security Documents, in each case, subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 2.09; provided that at any time after the Discharge of the First Lien Obligations of the Series for which the Applicable Authorized Representative is acting, the Applicable Authorized Representative shall (at the sole cost and expense of the Grantors), promptly deliver all Possessory Collateral to the Applicable Authorized Representative (after giving effect to the Discharge of such First Lien Obligations) together with any necessary endorsements reasonably requested by the Applicable Authorized Representative (or make such other arrangements as shall be reasonably requested by the Applicable Authorized Representative to allow the Applicable Authorized Representative to obtain control of such Possessory Collateral). Pending delivery to the Applicable Authorized Representative, each other Collateral Agent agrees to hold any Shared Collateral constituting Possessory Collateral, from time to time in its possession, as gratuitous bailee and agent for the benefit of each other First Lien Secured Party and any assignee, solely for the purpose of perfecting the security interest granted in such Possessory Collateral, if any, pursuant to the applicable First Lien Security Documents, in each case, subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 2.09.
(b) The duties or responsibilities of the Applicable Authorized Representative and each other Collateral Agent under this Section 2.09 shall be limited solely to holding any Shared Collateral constituting Possessory Collateral as gratuitous bailee and agent for the benefit of each other First Lien Secured Party for purposes of perfecting the Lien held by such First Lien Secured Parties therein.
Secured Party Control Bank, Secured Party, Servicer and Company each agree that Bank will comply with instructions given to Bank by Secured Party directing disposition of funds in the Collateral Accounts (“Disposition Instructions”) without further consent by Company or Servicer. Except as otherwise required by law, Bank will not agree with any third party to comply with instructions for disposition of funds in the Collateral Accounts originated by such third party.
Method of Realizing Upon the Pledged Property Other Remedies. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, in addition to any rights and remedies available at law or in equity, the following provisions shall govern the Secured Party's right to realize upon the Pledged Property:
(a) Any item of the Pledged Property may be sold for cash or other value in any number of lots at brokers board, public auction or private sale and may be sold without demand, advertisement or notice (except that the Secured Party shall give the Company ten (10) days' prior written notice of the time and place or of the time after which a private sale may be made (the "Sale Notice")), which notice period is hereby agreed to be commercially reasonable. At any sale or sales of the Pledged Property, the Company may bid for and purchase the whole or any part of the Pledged Property and, upon compliance with the terms of such sale, may hold, exploit and dispose of the same without further accountability to the Secured Party. The Company will execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, such instruments, documents, assignments, waivers, certificates, and affidavits and supply or cause to be supplied such further information and take such further action as the Secured Party reasonably shall require in connection with any such sale.
(b) Any cash being held by the Secured Party as Pledged Property and all cash proceeds received by the Secured Party in respect of, sale of, collection from, or other realization upon all or any part of the Pledged Property shall be applied as follows:
(i) to the payment of all amounts due the Secured Party for the expenses reimbursable to it hereunder or owed to it pursuant to Section 8.3 hereof;
(ii) to the payment of the Obligations then due and unpaid.
(iii) the balance, if any, to the person or persons entitled thereto, including, without limitation, the Company.
(c) In addition to all of the rights and remedies which the Secured Party may have pursuant to this Agreement, the Secured Party shall have all of the rights and remedies provided by law, including, without limitation, those under the Uniform Commercial Code.
(i) If the Company fails to pay such amounts due upon the occurrence of an Event of Default which is continuing, then the Secured Party may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company and collect the monies adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of Company, wherever situated.
(ii) The Company agrees that it shall be liable for any reasonable fees, expenses and costs incurred by the Secured Party in connection with enforcement, collection and preservation of the Transaction Documents, including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and expenses, and such amounts shall be deemed included as Obligations secured hereby and payable as set forth in Section 8.3 hereof.
The Collateral Agent (a) Secured Party hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes the Collateral Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement as are delegated to the Collateral Agent by the terms hereof, together with all such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
(b) The obligations of the Collateral Agent hereunder are only those expressly set forth in this Agreement.
(c) The Collateral Agent may consult with legal counsel, independent public accountants and other experts selected by it and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts.
(d) Neither the Collateral Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents or employees shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in connection with this Agreement (1) with the consent or at the request of Secured Party or (2) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Collateral Agent shall not incur any liability by acting in reliance upon any notice, consent, certificate, statement, or other writing (which may be a bank wire, telex or similar writing) believed by it to be genuine or to be signed by the proper party or parties.
(e) Pledgor shall indemnify the Collateral Agent against any cost, expense (including counsel fees and disbursements), claim, demand, action, loss or liability (except such as result from the Collateral Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct) that the Collateral Agent may suffer or incur in connection with this Agreement or any action taken or omitted by the Collateral Agent hereunder.
(f) Beyond the exercise of reasonable care in the custody thereof, the Collateral Agent shall have no duty as to any Collateral in its possession or control or in the possession or control of any agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary or any income thereon or as to the preservation of rights against prior parties or any other rights pertaining thereto. The Collateral Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of the Collateral if the Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which it accords its own property, and shall not be liable or responsible for any loss or damage to any of the Collateral, or for any diminution in the value thereof, by reason of the act or omission of any agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary selected by the Collateral Agent in good faith (or selected by an agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary so selected by the Collateral Agent or by any agent, bailee, clearing corporation or securities intermediary selected in accordance with this parenthetical phrase).
(g) Any corporation or association into which the Collateral Agent may be converted or merged, or with which it may be consolidated, or to which it may sell or transfer its agency business or assets as a whole or substantially as a whole, or any corporation or association resulting from any such conversion, sale, merger, consolidation or transfer to which it is a party, shall, subject to the prior written consent of Secured Party, be and become a successor Collateral Agent hereunder and vested with all of the title to the Collateral and all of the powers, discretions, immunities, privileges and other matters as was its predecessor without, except as provided above, the execution or filing of any instrument or any further act, deed or conveyance on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding.
