Release of Guarantors Notwithstanding anything in Section 9.02(b) to the contrary, any Subsidiary Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder (and its Loan Guaranty shall be automatically released) (a) upon the consummation of any permitted transaction or series of related transactions if as a result thereof such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary (or becomes an Excluded Subsidiary as a result of a single transaction or series of related transactions permitted hereunder; provided, that the release of any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under the Loan Guaranty if such Subsidiary Guarantor becomes an Excluded Subsidiary of the type described in clause (a) of the definition thereof shall only be permitted if at the time such Guarantor becomes an Excluded Subsidiary of such type (i) no Event of Default exists, (ii) after giving pro forma effect to such release and the consummation of the transaction that causes such Person to be an Excluded Subsidiary of such type, the Borrower is deemed to have made a new Investment in such Person for purposes of Section 6.06 (as if such Person were then newly acquired) in an amount equal to the portion of the fair market value of the net assets of such Person attributable to the Borrower’s equity interest therein as reasonably estimated by the Borrower and such Investment is permitted pursuant to Section 6.06 (other than Section 6.06(f)) at such time and (iii) a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifies to the Administrative Agent compliance with preceding clauses (i) and (ii)) and/or (b) upon the occurrence of the Termination Date. In connection with any such release, the Administrative Agent shall promptly execute and deliver to the relevant Loan Party, at such Loan Party’s expense, all documents that such Loan Party shall reasonably request to evidence termination or release; provided, that upon the request of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall deliver a certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying that the relevant transaction has been consummated in compliance with the terms of this Agreement. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to the preceding sentence of this Section 9.22 shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent (other than as to the Administrative Agent’s authority to execute and deliver such documents).
Release of Guarantor (a) In addition to the release provisions set forth in the Indenture, subject to Section 702(d), the Guarantor shall be released and relieved from all of its obligations under this Article Seven, and the Guarantee shall be terminated and be of no further force or effect, upon the request of the Company (without the consent of the Trustee) if, immediately after giving effect to such release and termination (and, if applicable, any transaction in connection therewith, including any other concurrent release, termination, repayment or discharge of any other guarantee or other Debt of the Guarantor), the Company would be in compliance with Section 504 hereof, including in the event of a sale or other disposition as a result of which the Guarantor would cease to be a Subsidiary.
(b) In order to effect the release and termination provided for in Section 702(a), the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that, immediately after giving effect to such release and termination (as well as any concurrent release, termination, repayment or discharge of any other guarantee or other Debt of the Guarantor), the Company will be in compliance with Section 504 hereof. In the event that the release and termination is in connection with a sale or other disposition as a result of which the Guarantor would cease to be a Subsidiary, pro forma effect shall be given to such disposition (including the application of any proceeds therefrom) in determining the Company’s compliance with Section 504 and, accordingly, the amount of Debt subject to the Guarantee and any other Debt of the Guarantor shall be excluded from any calculation thereunder. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture, no opinion, report or certificate, other than the Officers’ Certificate provided for in this Section 702(b), need be furnished to the Trustee for such release and termination. After its receipt of the aforementioned Officers’ Certificate, the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably requested by either the Company or the Guarantor in order to evidence the release of the Guarantor from its obligations under the Guarantee under this Article Seven.
(c) No supplemental indenture, amendment or waiver shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Note, release the Guarantor from any of its obligations under Section 701, other than in accordance with the provisions of this Section 702 or the other release provisions set forth in the Indenture, or amend or modify the release provisions of this Section 702.
(d) Notwithstanding the release provisions of Section 702(a), the Guarantor shall not be released from its obligations under this Article Seven and the Guarantee will not be terminated if, immediately after such release and termination (and, if applicable, after giving effect to any transaction to occur concurrently therewith), the Guarantor remains a co-obligor with or a guarantor for, as applicable, the obligations of the Company under any Existing Note. SECTION 703. AMALGAMATION, CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE.
(a) Unless the Guarantor has been released, or in connection with such transaction will be released, from its obligations under the Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of Section 702 hereof or any other release provision set forth in the Indenture, the Guarantor shall not amalgamate or consolidate with or merge with or into any other Person or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person by liquidation, winding-up or otherwise (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) unless:
(i) immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and treating any Debt which becomes an obligation of the Guarantor or a Subsidiary of the Guarantor in connection with or as a result of such transaction as having been incurred at the time of such transaction), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(ii) either (x) the Guarantor shall be the continuing Person or (y) the Person (if other than the Guarantor) formed by such amalgamation or consolidation or into which the Guarantor is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition the properties and assets of the Guarantor substantially as an entirety (the “Successor Guarantor”) shall, unless the Successor Guarantor is the Company, (A) be a corporation, company, partnership or trust organized and validly existing under the federal laws of Canada or any Province thereof or the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof or the District of Columbia and (B) expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Guarantor under the Guarantee (provided, however, that the Successor Guarantor shall not be required to execute and deliver such a supplemental indenture in the event of an amalgamation of the Guarantor with one or more other Persons, in which the amalgamation is governed by the laws of Canada or any province thereof, the Successor Guarantor and the Guarantor are, immediately prior to such amalgamation, organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any province thereof and upon the effectiveness of such amalgamation, the Successor Guarantor shall have become or shall continue to be (as the case may be), by operation of law, liable for the observance of all obligations of the Guarantor under the Guarantee); and
(iii) the Guarantor, the Company or the Successor Guarantor, as applicable, shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such amalgamation, consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction (or series of transactions), such supplemental indenture, comply with this Section 703(a) and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been satisfied.
(b) Upon any amalgamation, consolidation or merger, or any conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of the properties and assets of the Guarantor substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 703(a), the Successor Guarantor shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Guarantor under this Supplemental Indenture and the Indenture with the same effect as if such Successor Guarantor had been named as the Guarantor herein; and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the Guarantor shall be released and relieved from all of its obligations under this Article Seven, and the Guarantee shall be terminated and be of no further force or effect.
Liability of Guarantors Absolute Each Guarantor agrees that its obligations hereunder are irrevocable, absolute, independent and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance which constitutes a legal or equitable discharge of a guarantor or surety other than payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, each Guarantor agrees as follows:
(a) this Guaranty is a guaranty of payment when due and not of collectability. This Guaranty is a primary obligation of each Guarantor and not merely a contract of surety;
(b) Administrative Agent may enforce this Guaranty upon the occurrence of an Event of Default notwithstanding the existence of any dispute between Borrower and any Beneficiary with respect to the existence of such Event of Default;
(c) the obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are independent of the obligations of Borrower and the obligations of any other guarantor (including any other Guarantor) of the obligations of Borrower may be brought and prosecuted against such Guarantor whether or not any action is brought against Borrower or any of such other guarantors and whether or not Borrower is joined in any such action or actions;
(d) payment by any Guarantor of a portion, but not all, of the Guaranteed Obligations shall in no way limit, affect, modify or abridge any Guarantor’s liability for any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations which has not been paid. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if Administrative Agent is awarded a judgment in any suit brought to enforce any Guarantor’s covenant to pay a portion of the Guaranteed Obligations, such judgment shall not be deemed to release such Guarantor from its covenant to pay the portion of the Guaranteed Obligations that is not the subject of such suit, and such judgment shall not, except to the extent satisfied by such Guarantor, limit, affect, modify or abridge any other Guarantor’s liability hereunder in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations;
(e) any Beneficiary, upon such terms as it deems appropriate, without notice or demand and without affecting the validity or enforceability hereof or giving rise to any reduction, limitation, impairment, discharge or termination of any Guarantor’s liability hereunder, from time to time may (i) renew, extend, accelerate, increase the rate of interest on, or otherwise change the time, place, manner or terms of payment of the Guaranteed Obligations; (ii) settle, compromise, release or discharge, or accept or refuse any offer of performance with respect to, or substitutions for, the Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement relating thereto and/or subordinate the payment of the same to the payment of any other obligations; (iii) request and accept other guaranties of the Guaranteed Obligations and take and hold security for the payment hereof or the Guaranteed Obligations; (iv) release, surrender, exchange, substitute, compromise, settle, rescind, waive, alter, subordinate or modify, with or without consideration, any security for payment of the Guaranteed Obligations, any other guaranties of the Guaranteed Obligations, or any other obligation of any Person (including any other Guarantor) with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations; (v) enforce and apply any security now or hereafter held by or for the benefit of such Beneficiary in respect hereof or the Guaranteed Obligations and direct the order or manner of sale thereof, or exercise any other right or remedy that such Beneficiary may have against any such security, in each case as such Beneficiary in its discretion may determine consistent herewith or the applicable Hedge Agreement and any applicable security agreement, including foreclosure on any such security pursuant to one or more judicial or nonjudicial sales, whether or not every aspect of any such sale is commercially reasonable, and even though such action operates to impair or extinguish any right of reimbursement or subrogation or other right or remedy of any Guarantor against Borrower or any security for the Guaranteed Obligations; and (vi) exercise any other rights available to it under the Credit Documents or any Hedge Agreements; and
(f) this Guaranty and the obligations of Guarantors hereunder shall be valid and enforceable and shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment, discharge or termination for any reason (other than payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations), including the occurrence of any of the following, whether or not any Guarantor shall have had notice or knowledge of any of them: (i) any failure or omission to assert or enforce or agreement or election not to assert or enforce, or the stay or enjoining, by order of court, by operation of law or otherwise, of the exercise or enforcement of, any claim or demand or any right, power or remedy (whether arising under the Credit Documents or any Hedge Agreements, at law, in equity or otherwise) with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement relating thereto, or with respect to any other guaranty of or security for the payment of the Guaranteed Obligations; (ii) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of, or any consent to departure from, any of the terms or provisions (including provisions relating to events of default) hereof, any of the other Credit Documents, any of the Hedge Agreements or any agreement or instrument executed pursuant thereto, or of any other guaranty or security for the Guaranteed Obligations, in each case whether or not in accordance with the terms hereof or such Credit Document, such Hedge Agreement or any agreement relating to such other guaranty or security; (iii) the Guaranteed Obligations, or any agreement relating thereto, at any time being found to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect; (iv) the application of payments received from any source (other than payments received pursuant to the other Credit Documents or any of the Hedge Agreements or from the proceeds of any security for the Guaranteed Obligations, except to the extent such security also serves as collateral for indebtedness other than the Guaranteed Obligations) to the payment of indebtedness other than the Guaranteed Obligations, even though any Beneficiary might have elected to apply such payment to any part or all of the Guaranteed Obligations; (v) any Beneficiary’s consent to the change, reorganization or termination of the corporate structure or existence of U.S. Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries and to any corresponding restructuring of the Guaranteed Obligations; (vi) any failure to perfect or continue perfection of a security interest in any collateral which secures any of the Guaranteed Obligations; (vii) any defenses, set-offs or counterclaims which Borrower may allege or assert against any Beneficiary in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations, including failure of consideration, breach of warranty, payment, statute of frauds, statute of limitations, accord and satisfaction and usury; and (viii) 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 any Guarantor as an obligor in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations.
Release of Guaranties Prior to the Closing Date, Seller and Buyer shall cooperate and shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to, effective as of the Closing Date, terminate or cause to be terminated, in each case without obligation or liability on the part of Seller or any of its Affiliates (other than the Sold Companies) (collectively, the "Seller Guarantors"), or cause Buyer or one of its Affiliates to be substituted for such Seller Guarantor, in respect of all liabilities and obligations of the Seller Guarantors under guarantees of or relating primarily to obligations or liabilities (including under any Contract or letter of credit or relating to any Leased Real Property) of the Business and the Sold Companies, including those listed on Schedule 5.13 (the "Guaranties"). In the event the foregoing actions are not completed by the Closing Date, then Buyer shall indemnify and hold harmless the Seller Guarantors from and against all Losses incurred by any such Person as a result of such failure and from and against any continuing obligations and liabilities under any such Guaranties, except for Losses arising from any acts or omissions of a Seller Guarantor. Moreover, Seller and Buyer shall continue to cooperate and use their respective reasonable best efforts to terminate as provided above, or cause Buyer or one of its Affiliates to be substituted in all respects for the Seller Guarantors in respect of, all obligations of the Seller Guarantors under any such Guaranties, and Buyer shall (a) indemnify and hold harmless the Seller Guarantors for any amounts which become payable under such Guaranties after Closing and (b) not and shall not permit the Business, the Sold Companies or their Affiliates to (i) renew or extend the term of or (ii) increase its obligations under, or transfer to another third party, any loan, lease, Contract or other obligation for which any Seller Guarantor is liable under such Guaranty unless the Buyer, the Sold Companies or their respective Affiliates are substituted in all respects for the Seller Guarantors, and the Seller Guarantors are released in respect of all obligations of the Seller Guarantors, under such Guaranties. To the extent that any Seller Guarantor has performance obligations under any such Guaranty, Buyer shall use reasonable best efforts to (x) perform, or cause its Affiliates to perform, such obligations on behalf of such Seller Guarantor or (y) otherwise take such action as reasonably requested by Seller so as to put such Seller Guarantor in the same position as if Buyer or one of its Affiliates, and not such Seller Guarantor, had performed or were performing such obligations, in each case after Closing. To fulfill the obligations of Buyer under this Section 5.13, Buyer shall not be obligated to pay any consent fee or similar payment.
Release of Guarantees (a) Concurrently with the payment in full of all of the Securities, the Guarantors shall be released from and relieved of their obligations under this Article Twelve. Upon the delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate and, if requested by the Trustee, an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the transaction giving rise to the release of such obligations was made by the Company in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably required in order to evidence the release of the Guarantors from their obligations. If any of the Guaranteed Obligations are revived and reinstated after the termination of this Guarantee, then all of the obligations of the Guarantors under this Guarantee shall be revived and reinstated as if this Guarantee had not been terminated until such time as the Guaranteed Obligations are again terminated, and the Guarantors shall enter into an amendment to this Guarantee, reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, evidencing such revival and reinstatement.
(b) Upon the sale or disposition of all the Capital Stock owned by the Company of a Guarantor (by merger or otherwise) to a Person other than the Company or any other Guarantor and which sale or disposition is otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Indenture, such Guarantor shall be deemed released from all obligations under this Article Twelve; provided, however, that any such termination upon such sale or disposition shall occur if and only to the extent that all obligations of such Guarantor under all of its guarantees of, and under all of its pledges of assets or other security interests which secure, indebtedness of the Company or any other Guarantor shall also terminate upon such sale or disposition. Upon the delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate and, if requested by the Trustee, an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the transaction giving rise to the release of such obligations was made in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably required in order to evidence the release of such Guarantor from its obligations. Any Guarantor not so released remains liable for the full amount of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities as provided in this Article Twelve.
Release of Guarantee This Guarantee shall be released in accordance with Section 10.2 of the Indenture.
Releases of Guarantees and Liens (a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Credit Document, the Collateral Agent is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Secured Party (without requirement of notice to or consent of any Secured Party except as expressly required by Section 13.01) to take, and shall take, any action requested by the Borrower having the effect of releasing any Collateral or Guarantee Obligations (i) to the extent necessary to permit consummation of any transaction not prohibited by any Credit Document or that has been consented to in accordance with Section 13.01 or (ii) under the circumstances described in paragraph (b) below.
(b) At such time as (A) (i) the Loans and the other Obligations (other than Unasserted Contingent Obligations) shall have been paid in full and (ii) the Commitments have been terminated or (B) any item of Collateral (including, without limitation, as a result of a Disposition of a Subsidiary that owns Collateral) is subject to a Disposition permitted under this Agreement, such Collateral shall automatically be released from the Liens and security interests created by the Security Documents, and the Security Documents and, with respect to the happening of the event described in clauses (A)(i) and (ii), all obligations (other than those expressly stated to survive such termination) of the Collateral Agent and each Credit Party under the Security Documents shall terminate, all without delivery of any instrument or performance of any act by any Person.
(c) Upon request by the Collateral Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Collateral Agent’s authority to release its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantee Obligations pursuant to this Section 13.19. In each case as specified in this Section 13.19, the Collateral Agent will (and each Lender irrevocably authorizes the Collateral Agent to), at the Borrower’s expense, execute and deliver to the applicable Credit Party such documents as such Credit Party may reasonably request to evidence the release of such item of Collateral or Guarantee Obligation from the assignment and security interest granted under the Security Documents, in each case in accordance with the terms of the Credit Documents and this Section 13.19.
Limitation of Guarantor's Liability Each Guarantor and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Note Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law relating to fraudulent transfer or conveyance. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Guarantor under its Note Guarantee shall be limited to the maximum amount that will not, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under its Note Guarantee, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Note Guarantee constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.
Release of Subsidiary Guarantors from Guarantee (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor may be released upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Section 11.02(b) and in this Section 14.04. Provided that no Default shall have occurred and shall be continuing under this Indenture, the Guarantee incurred by a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to this Article XIV shall be unconditionally released and discharged (i) automatically upon (A) any sale, exchange or transfer, whether by way of merger or otherwise, to any Person that is not an Affiliate of the Partnership, of all of the Partnership’s direct or indirect limited partnership or other equity interests in such Subsidiary Guarantor (provided such sale, exchange or transfer is not prohibited by this Indenture) or (B) the merger of such Subsidiary Guarantor into either of the Issuers or any other Subsidiary Guarantor or the liquidation and dissolution of such Subsidiary Guarantor (in each case to the extent not prohibited by this Indenture) or (ii) upon the Issuers’ delivery of a written notice to the Trustee of the release or discharge of all guarantees by such Subsidiary Guarantor of any Debt of the Issuers other than obligations arising under this Indenture and any Debt Securities issued hereunder, except a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantees.
(b) The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing any release of a Subsidiary Guarantor from the Guarantee upon receipt of a written request of the Issuers accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Subsidiary Guarantor is entitled to such release in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture. Any Subsidiary Guarantor not so released shall remain liable for the full amount of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Debt Securities entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee as provided in this Indenture, subject to the limitations of Section 14.03.
Release of Guarantors’ right of contribution If any Guarantor (a “Retiring Guarantor”) ceases to be a Guarantor in accordance with the terms of the Finance Documents for the purpose of any sale or other disposal of that Retiring Guarantor then on the date such Retiring Guarantor ceases to be a Guarantor:
(a) that Retiring Guarantor is released by each other Guarantor from any liability (whether past, present or future and whether actual or contingent) to make a contribution to any other Guarantor arising by reason of the performance by any other Guarantor of its obligations under the Finance Documents; and
(b) each other Guarantor waives any rights it may have by reason of the performance of its obligations under the Finance Documents to take the benefit (in whole or in part and whether by way of subrogation or otherwise) of any rights of the Finance Parties under any Finance Document or of any other security taken pursuant to, or in connection with, any Finance Document where such rights or security are granted by or in relation to the assets of the Retiring Guarantor.
