FIVE YEAR REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of August 22, 2006, among SOUTH JERSEY INDUSTRIES, INC., as Borrower and THE SEVERAL LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY HERETO and WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Administrative Agent and BANK OF...
FIVE
YEAR REVOLVING
Dated
as of August 22, 2006,
among
SOUTH
JERSEY INDUSTRIES, INC.,
as
Borrower
and
THE
SEVERAL LENDERS FROM
TIME
TO TIME PARTY HERETO
and
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Administrative Agent
and
BANK
OF AMERICA, N.A.,
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
and
PNC
BANK, N.A.,
As
Co-Syndication Agents
Arranged
by:
WACHOVIA
CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC,
Sole
Lead Arranger and Sole Book Manager
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Page
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ARTICLE
I
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DEFINITIONS
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1
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SECTION
1.01
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Certain
Defined Terms
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1
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SECTION
1.02
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Computation
of Time Periods.
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19
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SECTION
1.03
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Accounting
Terms.
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19
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SECTION
1.04
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Internal
References.
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19
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ARTICLE
II
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LOANS
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20
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SECTION
2.01
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Revolving
Loans.
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20
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SECTION
2.02
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Swingline
Loans.
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20
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SECTION
2.03
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Procedure
for Advances of Loans.
|
22
|
SECTION
2.04
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Competitive
Bid Loans.
|
24
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SECTION
2.05
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Fees.
|
27
|
SECTION
2.06
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Reduction
of Commitments.
|
27
|
SECTION
2.07
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Prepayment
of Loans.
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28
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SECTION
2.08
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Increase
in Commitment.
|
29
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SECTION
2.09
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Evidence
of Debt; Notes.
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31
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SECTION
2.10
|
Interest
Rates.
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31
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SECTION
2.11
|
Additional
Interest on LIBOR Rate Loans.
|
33
|
SECTION
2.12
|
Interest
Rate Determination.
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33
|
SECTION
2.13
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Voluntary
Conversion of Loans.
|
34
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SECTION
2.14
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Increased
Costs.
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34
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SECTION
2.15
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Illegality.
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35
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SECTION
2.16
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Nature
of Obligations of Lenders Regarding Extensions of Credit;
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Assumption
by the Administrative Agent.
|
36
|
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SECTION
2.17
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Net
of Taxes, Etc.
|
36
|
SECTION
2.18
|
Extension
of Stated Termination Date.
|
38
|
SECTION
2.19
|
Extension
of Stated Expiration Date of Bond L/Cs.
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40
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SECTION
2.20
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Application
of Amounts Received Under Related Documents.
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40
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ARTICLE
III
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LETTER
OF CREDIT FACILITY
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42
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SECTION
3.01
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L/C
Commitment.
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42
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SECTION
3.02
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Procedure
for Issuance of Letters of Credit.
|
42
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SECTION
3.03
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Commissions
and Other Charges.
|
43
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SECTION
3.04
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L/C
Participations.
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43
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SECTION
3.05
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Reimbursement
Obligation of the Borrower.
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44
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SECTION
3.06
|
Obligations
Absolute.
|
45
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ARTICLE
IV
|
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
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47
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SECTION
4.01
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Conditions
Precedent to the Execution and Delivery of this
Agreement.
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47
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SECTION
4.02
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Additional
Conditions Precedent.
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49
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SECTION
4.03
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Conditions
Precedent to Each Tender Advance Revolving
Loan.
|
50
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SECTION
4.04
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Reliance
on Certificates.
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50
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i
ARTICLE
V
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REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
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52
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SECTION
5.01
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Representations
and Warranties of the Borrower.
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52
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ARTICLE
VI
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COVENANTS
OF THE COMPANY
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56
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SECTION
6.01
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Affirmative
Covenants.
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56
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SECTION
6.02
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Negative
Covenants.
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58
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SECTION
6.03
|
Reporting
Requirements.
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59
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SECTION
6.04
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Financial
Covenants.
|
62
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ARTICLE
VII
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EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
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63
|
SECTION
7.01
|
Events
of Default.
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63
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SECTION
7.02
|
Upon
an Event of Default.
|
65
|
SECTION
7.03
|
Rights
and Remedies Cumulative; Non-Waiver; Etc.
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65
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ARTICLE
VIII
|
PLEDGED
BONDS
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67
|
SECTION
8.01
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Pledge.
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67
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SECTION
8.02
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Interest
on the Bonds.
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67
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SECTION
8.03
|
Rights
with respect to Pledged Bonds.
|
67
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SECTION
8.04
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No
Disposition of Pledged Bonds by Borrower.
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68
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SECTION
8.05
|
Disposition
of Pledged Bonds by Administrative Agent.
|
68
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SECTION
8.06
|
Valid
Perfected First Lien.
|
68
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SECTION
8.07
|
Release
of Pledged Bonds.
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69
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ARTICLE
IX
|
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
|
70
|
SECTION
9.01
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Appointment.
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70
|
SECTION
9.02
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Delegation
of Duties.
|
70
|
SECTION
9.03
|
Exculpatory
Provisions.
|
70
|
SECTION
9.04
|
Reliance
by Administrative Agent.
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71
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SECTION
9.05
|
Notice
of Default.
|
71
|
SECTION
9.06
|
Non-Reliance
on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.
|
71
|
SECTION
9.07
|
Indemnification.
|
72
|
SECTION
9.08
|
Administrative
Agent in Its Individual Capacity.
|
72
|
SECTION
9.09
|
Successor
Administrative Agent.
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73
|
SECTION
9.10
|
Issuing
Lender.
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73
|
SECTION
9.11
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Notices;
Actions Under Loan Documents.
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73
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ARTICLE
X
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MISCELLANEOUS
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74
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SECTION
10.01
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Amendments,
Etc.
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74
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SECTION
10.02
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Notices,
Etc.
|
74
|
SECTION
10.03
|
No
Waiver; Remedies.
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75
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SECTION
10.04
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Set-off.
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75
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SECTION
10.05
|
Indemnification.
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76
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SECTION
10.06
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Liability
of the Lenders.
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77
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SECTION
10.07
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Costs,
Expenses and Taxes.
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78
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ii
SECTION
10.08
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Binding
Effect.
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78
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SECTION
10.09
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Assignments
and Participation.
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79
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SECTION
10.10
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Severability.
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81
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SECTION
10.11
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Governing
Law.
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82
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SECTION
10.12
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Headings.
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82
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SECTION
10.13
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Submission
To Jurisdiction; Waivers.
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82
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SECTION
10.14
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Acknowledgments.
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82
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SECTION
10.15
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Waivers
of Jury Trial.
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83
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SECTION
10.16
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Confidentiality.
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83
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SECTION
10.17
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Patriot
Act
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84
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SECTION
10.18
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Execution
in Counterparts.
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84
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EXHIBITS
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Exhibit
A-1
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Form
of Revolving Loan Note
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Exhibit
A-2
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Form
of Swingline Note
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Exhibit
A-3
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Form
of Competitive Bid Note
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Exhibit
B-1
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Form
of Competitive Bid Request
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Exhibit
B-2
|
Form
of Competitive Bid
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Exhibit
C
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Form
of Notice of Borrowing
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Exhibit
D
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Form
of Notice of Swingline Borrowing
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Exhibit
E
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Form
of Notice of Account Designation
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Exhibit
F
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Form
of Notice of Conversion
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Exhibit
G
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Form
of Opinion of Counsel to the Borrower
|
Exhibit
H
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Form
of Assignment and Acceptance
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Exhibit
I
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Form
of Compliance Certificate
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Exhibit
J
|
Form
of Extension Letter
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SCHEDULES
|
|
Schedule
I
|
Lenders,
Applicable Lending Offices, Commitments
and Initial Commitment Percentages
|
Schedule
II
|
Ownership
|
Schedule
III
|
Existing
Letters of Credit
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iii
FIVE
YEAR
REVOLVING
CREDIT AGREEMENT
This
FIVE
YEAR REVOLVING
CREDIT AGREEMENT (as
it
may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms
hereof at any time and from time to time, this “Agreement”)
dated
as of August 22, 2006, among SOUTH
JERSEY INDUSTRIES, INC.,
a New
Jersey corporation (the “Borrower”),
the
several banks and other financial institutions from time to time parties to
this
Agreement (each a “Lender”
and
collectively, the “Lenders”),
and
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
a
national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United
States of America (“Wachovia”),
as
administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder (in such capacity, together
with
its successors and permitted assigns in such capacity, the “Administrative
Agent”).
PRELIMINARY
STATEMENTS
WHEREAS,
the Borrower has requested that the Lenders make
revolving credit loans to the Borrower and issue or participate in letters
of
credit for the account of the
Borrower, in an aggregate principal amount of up to $200,000,000 at any one
time
outstanding for the repayment of Indebtedness under the Existing Credit
Facilities, general corporate purposes including, without limitation, the
issuance of letters of credit to support certain taxable and tax-exempt bonds,
and for working capital of the Borrower, its Subsidiaries or its Affiliates;
and
WHEREAS,
the Lenders are willing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
in
this Agreement, to extend credit under this Agreement as more particularly
hereinafter set forth.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants
contained herein, the parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION
1.01 Certain
Defined Terms.
As used
in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings (such
meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of
the
terms defined):
“Additional
Commitment Lender”
has
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(d)(ii).
“Administrative
Agent”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.
“AML
and Anti-Terrorist Acts”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
6.01(m).
1
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling
(including but not limited to all directors and officers of such Person),
controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with such Person.
A
Person shall be deemed to control another entity if such Person possesses,
directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the
management and policies of such entity, whether through the ownership of voting
securities, by contract, or otherwise.
“Agreement”
means
this Five Year Revolving Credit Agreement, as it may be amended, supplemented
or
otherwise modified in accordance with the terms hereof at any time and from
time
to time.
“Anniversary
Date”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(a).
“Applicable
Law” means
all
applicable laws, statutes, treaties, rules, codes, ordinances, regulations,
permits, certificates, orders, interpretations, licenses, and permits of any
Governmental Authority and judgments, decrees, injunctions, writs, orders or
like action of any court, arbitrator or other judicial or quasi-judicial
tribunal (including, without limitation, those pertaining to health, safety,
the
environment or otherwise).
“Applicable
Lending Office” means,
with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as such opposite
its name on Schedule
I
hereto
or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender, or
such other office of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify
to
the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
“Applicable
Margin”
means,
for Loans made to the Borrower, Utilization Fees and Facility Fees payable
by
the Borrower pursuant to Section
2.05,
and
Letter of Credit fees and commissions payable by the Borrower pursuant to
Section
3.03,
on any
date, the rate per annum as set forth below, determined by reference to the
Senior Debt Ratings:
Level
|
Senior
Debt Ratings
|
Facility
Fee
|
Applicable
Base Rate Margin
|
Applicable
LIBOR Margin or Letter of Credit Fee
|
Utilization
Fee
|
I
|
Greater
than or equal to
A-/A3
|
0.080%
|
0.00%
|
0.270%
|
0.050%
|
II
|
BBB+/Baa1
|
0.100%
|
0.00%
|
0.350%
|
0.050%
|
III
|
BBB/Baa2
|
0.125%
|
0.00%
|
0.425%
|
0.050%
|
IV
|
BBB-/Baa3
|
0.150%
|
0.00%
|
0.500%
|
0.050%
|
V
|
Less
than BBB-/Baa3
or
no rating
|
0.200%
|
0.00%
|
0.700%
|
0.050%
|
Any
change in the Applicable Margin will be effective as of the date on which
the
applicable Selected Rating Agency, as the case may be, announces the applicable
change in the Senior Debt Ratings. The Borrower shall notify the Administrative
Agent in writing promptly after becoming aware of any change in the Senior
Debt
Ratings.
2
For
purposes of the foregoing, (i) if the Senior Debt Ratings established or deemed
to have been established by the Selected Rating Agencies shall fall within
different “Levels” and the ratings differential is one level, the higher rating
will apply; (ii) if the Senior Debt Ratings established or deemed to have been
established by the Selected Rating Agencies shall fall within different “Levels”
and the ratings differential is two levels or more, the level one below the
higher of the two ratings will apply; (iii) if only one of the Selected Rating
Agencies maintains Senior Debt Ratings, then, notwithstanding anything herein
to
the contrary, the rating of such single rating agency will apply until such
time
as the second Selected Rating Agency maintains Senior Debt Ratings; and (iv)
if
the rating system of Xxxxx’x, S&P or Fitch shall change, or if Xxxxx’x,
S&P or Fitch shall cease to be in the business of rating corporate debt
obligations, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall
negotiate in good faith to amend this definition to reflect such changed rating
system or the unavailability of ratings from Xxxxx’x, S&P or Fitch, and,
pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the Senior Debt Ratings shall
be determined by reference to the Senior Debt Ratings most recently in effect
prior to such change or cessation.
“Applicable
Rate”
means:
(a) in
the
case of each Base Rate Loan, a rate per annum equal at all times to the sum
of
the Base Rate plus
the
Applicable Base Rate Margin in effect from time to time;
(b) in
the
case of each LIBOR Rate Loan comprising part of the same Loan, a rate per annum
during each Interest Period equal at all times to the sum of the LIBOR Base
Rate
for such Interest Period plus
the
Applicable LIBOR Margin in effect from time to time during such Interest
Period;
(c) in
the
case of each Swingline Loan, a rate per annum equal for each day that any such
Swingline Loan is outstanding to either (i) the daily LIBOR rate (as determined
by the Administrative Agent) for each such day plus the Applicable LIBOR Margin
or (ii) the Prime Rate, as selected by the Borrower in accordance with
Section
2.03(a)(ii)
hereof;
and
(d) in
the
case of each Competitive Bid Loan, a rate per annum as determined in accordance
with Section
2.04.
“Application”
means
an application, in the form specified by the Issuing Lender from time to time,
requesting the Issuing Lender to issue a Letter of Credit.
“Assignment
and Acceptance”
means
an Assignment and Acceptance executed in accordance with Section
10.09
in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit
H.
“Bankruptcy
Code”
means
Title 11 of the United States Code, as now constituted or hereafter
amended.
“Base
Rate”
means,
for any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum as shall be in effect
from
time to time, which rate per annum shall at all times be equal to the higher
of
(i) the rate of interest announced publicly by Administrative Agent in
Charlotte, North Carolina, from time to time, as Administrative Agent’s Prime
Rate; and (ii) 1/2 of one percent per annum above the Federal Funds Rate
in
effect from time to time.
3
“Base
Rate Loan”
means
all Loans, or portions thereof, bearing interest based on the Base
Rate.
“Benefited Lender”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
10.04(b).
“Bonds”
means
any tax-exempt bonds issued in connection with various projects of the Borrower
or Marina, certain obligations of which are supported by letters of credit
issued hereunder or under the Existing Credit Facilities, and includes, without
limitation, the 2001A Bonds, the 2001B Bonds and the 2006A Bonds.
“Bond
L/C”
means
any Letter of Credit issued in support of certain obligations with respect
to
any Bonds.
“Borrower”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.
“Business
Day”
means
a
day of the year on which (i) banks are not required or authorized to close
in
Charlotte, North Carolina, (ii) the New York Stock Exchange is not closed,
and
(iii) with respect to any borrowing, payment or rate selection of a LIBOR Rate
Loan, banks are not required or authorized to close in Charlotte, North Carolina
and on which dealings in Dollars are carried out in the London interbank
market.
“Cancellation
Date”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in each Bond L/C.
“Capital
Lease”
means
any lease which is required to be capitalized on a balance sheet of the lessee
in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied.
“Capital
Stock”
means,
with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase,
warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in
(however designated) equity of such Person, including any preferred interest,
any limited or general partnership interest and any limited liability company
membership interest.
“Change
in Control” means
the
occurrence of either of the following: (i) any entity, person (within the
meaning of Section 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the
“Exchange
Act”)
or
group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange
Act)
which theretofore was beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the
Exchange Act) of less than 20% of the Borrower’s then outstanding common stock
either (x) acquires shares of common stock of the Borrower in a transaction
or
series of transactions that results in such entity, person or group directly
or
indirectly owning beneficially 20% or more of the outstanding common stock
of
the Borrower, or (y) acquires, by proxy or otherwise, the right to vote for
the
election of directors, for any merger, combination or consolidation of the
Borrower or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries, or, for any other
matter
or question, more than 20% of the then outstanding voting securities of the
Borrower; or (ii) 20% or more of the directors of the board of directors
of the
Borrower fail to consist of Continuing Directors.
4
“Closing
Date”
means
August 22, 2006.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the
regulations promulgated and rulings issued thereunder.
“Commitment” means
(i)
with respect to the Lenders, the aggregate amount of the Commitments of the
Lenders as set forth on Schedule
I,
and
(ii) with respect to a Lender, the amount of the Commitment of such Lender
as
set forth on Schedule
I,
as such
amounts may be otherwise reduced in accordance with Section
2.06
or
increased pursuant to Section
2.08
or
otherwise modified in accordance with Section
10.09.
“Commitments”
means
the total of the Lenders’ Commitments.
“Commitment
Percentage” means
for
each Lender, a fraction (expressed as a decimal) the numerator of which is
the
Commitment of such Lender at such time and the denominator of which are the
Commitments of all of the Lenders at such time. The initial Commitment
Percentage of each Lender is set out on Schedule
I.
“Competitive
Bid”
means
an offer by a Lender to make a Competitive Bid Loan to the Borrower pursuant
to
the terms of Section
2.04
hereof.
“Competitive
Bid Loan”
means
a
loan made by a Lender to the Borrower in its discretion pursuant to the
provisions of Section
2.04
hereof.
“Competitive
Bid Loan Notes”
means
the promissory notes of the Borrower in favor of each Lender evidencing the
Competitive Bid Loans made to the Borrower and substantially in the form of
Exhibit
A-3,
as such
promissory notes may be amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time
to
time.
“Competitive
Bid Rate”
means,
as to any Competitive Bid made by a Lender to the Borrower in accordance with
the provisions of Section
2.04
hereof,
the rate of interest offered by the Lender making the Competitive
Bid.
“Competitive
Bid Request”
means
a
request by the Borrower for Competitive Bids in the form of Exhibit
B-1.
“Competitive
Bid Request Fee”
means
$3,500 for each Competitive Bid Request made by the Borrower, payable to
the
Administrative Agent for its account.
“Compliance
Certificate”
means a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit I.
“Consenting
Lender”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(d).
“Consolidated”
means,
when used with reference to any accounting term, the amount described by
such
accounting term, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP,
after elimination of intercompany items.
5
“Consolidated
Total Capitalization”
means
the sum of (i) Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries,
plus (ii)
the
sum of the Capital Stock (excluding treasury stock and capital stock subscribed
for and unissued) and surplus (including earned surplus, capital surplus,
translation adjustment and the balance of the current profit and loss account
not transferred to surplus) accounts of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries appearing on a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and
its
Consolidated Subsidiaries, in each case prepared as of the date of determination
in accordance with GAAP consistent with those applied in the preparation of
the
financial statements referred to in Section
4.01(f),
after
eliminating all intercompany transactions and all amounts properly attributable
to minority interests, if any, in the stock and surplus of
Subsidiaries.
“Continuing
Director”
means,
with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, any member of the
board of directors of such Person who (a) was a member of such board of
directors on the Closing Date, or (b) was nominated for election or elected
to
such board of directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing
Directors who were members of such board at the time of such nomination or
election.
“Convert”,
“Conversion”
and
“Converted”
each
refers to a conversion of a Loan of one Type into a Loan of another Type
pursuant to Section
2.13
or the
selection of a new, or the renewal of the same, Interest Period for a LIBOR
Rate
Loan pursuant to Section
2.13.
“Current
Stated Termination Date”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(c).
“Default” means
any
event or condition that would constitute an Event of Default but for the
requirement that notice be given or time elapse or both.
“Default
Rate”
means
a
per annum rate equal to 2% greater than the Base Rate.
“Disclosure
Documents” means
the
Borrower’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, its
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006, and any
Current Report on Form 8-K delivered to the Lenders at least three (3) Business
Days prior to the date of this Agreement.
“Dollar”
or
“$”
means
dollars in lawful currency of the United States of America.
“Election
Date”
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section
2.18(b).
“Eligible
Assignee”
means,
with respect to any assignment of the rights, interest and obligations of
a
Lender hereunder, a Person that is at the time of such assignment (a) a
commercial bank organized or licensed under the laws of the United States
or any
state thereof, having combined capital and surplus in excess of $500,000,000,
(b) a commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country that
is a
member of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, or a
political subdivision of any such country, having combined capital and surplus
in excess of $500,000,000, (c) a finance company, insurance company or other
financial institution which in the ordinary course of business extends credit
of
the type extended hereunder and that has total assets in excess of
$1,000,000,000, (d) a Lender hereunder (whether as an original party to this
Agreement or as the assignee of another
6
Lender),
(e) an Affiliate or Subsidiary of a Lender (whether as an original party to
this
Agreement or as the assignee of another Lender) hereunder that does not
otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee provided such Lender continues to
be
obligated under this Agreement, (f) the successor (whether by transfer of
assets, merger or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the commercial
lending business of the assigning Lender, or (g) any other Person that has
been
approved in writing as an Eligible Assignee by the Administrative Agent and,
if
no Default or Event of Default exists and is continuing, by the
Borrower.
“Environmental
Laws” means
any
federal, state or local laws, ordinances or codes, rules, orders, or regulations
relating to pollution or protection of the environment, including, without
limitation, laws relating to hazardous substances, laws relating to reclamation
of land and waterways and laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases
or
threatened releases of pollutants, contaminants, chemicals, or industrial,
toxic
or hazardous substances or wastes into the environment (including, without
limitation, ambient air, surface water, ground water, land surface or subsurface
strata) or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution,
use,
treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of pollution, contaminants,
chemicals, or industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes.
“ERISA” means
the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to
time.
“ERISA
Affiliate”
means
any Person which for purposes of Title IV of ERISA is a member of the Borrower’s
controlled group, or under common control with the Borrower, within the meaning
of Section 414 of the Code, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued
thereunder.
“ERISA
Event”
means
(i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the meaning of Section 4043
of
ERISA, unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect thereto has been
waived
by the PBGC; (ii) the provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice
of
intent to terminate such Plan, pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA
(including any such notice with respect to a plan amendment referred to in
Section 404l(e) of ERISA); (iii) the cessation of operations at a facility
in
the circumstances described in Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (iv) the withdrawal
by
the Borrower or an ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan during a plan
year
for which it was a “substantial employer” as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of
ERISA; (v) the failure by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to make a payment
to a Plan required under Section 302 of ERISA, which results in a lien pursuant
to Section 302(f) of ERISA; (vi) the adoption of an amendment to a Plan
requiring the provision of security to such Plan, pursuant to Section 307
of
ERISA; or (vii) the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a
Plan,
pursuant to Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or condition
which might reasonably constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for
the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, a Plan by
the
PBGC.
“Eurocurrency
Liabilities”
has
the
meaning specified in Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System, as in effect from time to time.
7
“Event
of Default” has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
7.01.
“Existing
Letters of Credit” shall
mean those letters of credit issued under the Existing Credit Facilities, which
shall remain in existence and be deemed to have been issued under this Agreement
pursuant to the terms of Section
3.01(a),
as
described on Schedule
III
attached
hereto.
“Existing
Credit Facilities”
means
collectively (i) that certain Three-Year Revolving Credit Agreement, dated
as of
August 5, 2004, among the Borrower, the lenders referred to therein and
Wachovia, as administrative agent (as such agreement has been amended or
supplemented from time to time) and (ii) that certain Amended
and Restated Letter of Credit and Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of September
19, 2002, among Marina, the Borrower, the participating banks referred to
therein and Wachovia, as fronting bank and administrative agent
(as such
agreement has been amended or supplemented from time to time).
“Extension”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(a).
“Extension
Condition”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(a).
“Extension
Letter”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(a).
“Extensions
of Credit”
means,
as to any Lender at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) such Lender’s
Commitment Percentage multiplied by the aggregate principal amount of all Loans
then outstanding and (b) such Lender’s Commitment Percentage multiplied by the
aggregate amount of all L/C Obligations then outstanding.
“Facility
Fee”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section 2.05(a).
“Federal
Funds Rate”
means,
for any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum equal for each day
during
such period to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal
funds brokers, as published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business
Day,
for the next preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Lender of New
York,
or, if such rate is not so published for any day which is a Business Day,
the
average of the quotations for such day on such transactions received by the
Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing
selected by it.
“Final
Fee Payment Date”
means
the date all Commitments have been terminated and all Loans have been paid
in
full.
“Fitch”
means
Fitch Ratings, Inc.
“Fronting
Fee” has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
3.03(b).
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles, as recognized by the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Accounting Standards
Board, consistently applied and maintained on a consistent basis for the
Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries throughout the period indicated
and
consistent with the prior financial practice of the Borrower and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries.
8
“Governmental
Action”
means
all authorizations, consents, approvals, waivers, exceptions, variances, orders,
licenses, exemptions, publications, filings, notices to and declarations of
or
with any Governmental Authority, other than routine reporting requirements
the
failure to comply with which will not affect the validity or enforceability
of
this Agreement or any other Loan Document or have a material adverse effect
on
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan
Document.
“Governmental
Authority” means
any
nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof and
any
entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative
functions of or pertaining to government.
“Hazardous
Materials”
means
any petrochemical or petroleum products, any flammable materials, explosives,
radioactive materials, hazardous materials, hazardous wastes, hazardous or
toxic
substances, or related or similar materials, asbestos or any material containing
asbestos, or any other substance or material as so defined and regulated by
any
Federal, state or local environmental law, ordinance, rule, or regulation
including, without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sections 9601,
et
seq.), the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, as amended (49 U.S.C.
Sections 1801, et seq.), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as
amended (42 U.S.C. Sections 6901, et seq.), and the regulations adopted and
publications promulgated pursuant thereto.
“Hedging
Obligations”
means,
with respect to any Person, the obligations of such Person under any interest
rate or currency swap agreement, interest rate or currency future agreement,
interest rate collar agreement, swap agreement (as defined in 11 U.S.C. § 101),
interest rate or currency hedge agreement, and any put, call or other agreement
or arrangement designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in interest
rates or currency exchange rates.
“Indebtedness”
means,
for any Person, all obligations of such Person which in accordance with GAAP
should be classified on a balance sheet of such Person as liabilities of
such
Person, and in any event shall include, without duplication, all (i)
indebtedness for borrowed money, (ii) obligations evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (iii) obligations to pay
the
deferred purchase price of property or services, (iv) obligations as lessee
under leases which shall have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP,
recorded as capital leases, (v) obligations as lessee under operating leases
which have been recorded as off-balance sheet liabilities, (vi) obligations
under Hedging Obligations, (vii) reimbursement obligations (contingent or
otherwise) in respect of outstanding letters of credit, (viii) indebtedness
of
the type referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) above secured by (or for
which
the holder of such indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise,
to be secured by) any lien or encumbrance on, or security interest in, property
(including, without limitation, accounts and contract rights) owned by such
Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the
payment
of such indebtedness, and (ix) obligations under direct or indirect guaranties
in respect of, and obligations (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or
otherwise acquire, or otherwise to assure a creditor against loss
in
9
respect
of, indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses
(i) through (vii) above. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth
above, Capital Stock, including Capital Stock having a preferred interest,
shall
not constitute Indebtedness for purposes of this Agreement.
“Indenture”
means
any trust indenture executed in connection with the issuance of any Bonds by
the
issuer of any Bonds and the trustee with respect to such Bonds, as the same
may
be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
“Information”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
10.16(b).
“Interest
Period”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.10(b).
“ISP
98”
means
the International Standby Practices (1998 Revision, effective
January 1, 1999), International Chamber of Commerce Publication No.
590.
“Issuing
Lender”
means
Wachovia, in its capacity as issuer of any Letter of Credit, or any successor
thereto.
“L/C
Commitment” means
the
aggregate amount of all Commitments under this Agreement.
“L/C
Facility” means
the
letter of credit facility established pursuant to Article
III.
“L/C
Obligations”
means
at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn and
unexpired amount of the then outstanding Letters of Credit and (b) the aggregate
amount of drawings under Letters of Credit which have not then been reimbursed
pursuant to Section
3.05.
“L/C
Participants” means
the
collective reference to all the Lenders other than the Issuing
Lender.
“Lenders”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto, and, in each case,
includes their respective successors and permitted assigns, and, with respect
to
Swingline Loans, the Swingline Lender.
“Letters
of Credit” has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
3.01(a),
and
shall include, unless the context specifies otherwise, all Bond
L/Cs.
“LIBOR
Lending Office”
means,
with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as such opposite
its name on Schedule
I
hereto
or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender (or,
if
no such office is specified, its Applicable Lending Office), or such other
office of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
10
“LIBOR
Base Rate”
means
with respect to each day during each Interest Period pertaining to a LIBOR
Rate
Loan or Competitive Bid Loan, the rate (rounded
upwards, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100th of 1%) appearing
on Page 3750 of the Dow Xxxxx Markets Service (or on any successor or substitute
page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such Service,
providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page
of
such Service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for
purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to Dollar deposits
in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two
Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate
for
Dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period. In the
event
that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the
“LIBOR
Base Rate”
with
respect to such LIBOR Rate Loan or Competitive Bid Loan for such Interest Period
shall be the rate per annum equal to the rate at which the principal London
office of the Administrative Agent offers to place Dollar deposits at or about
11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the beginning of such
Interest Period with first-class banks in the London interbank market for
delivery on the first day of such Interest Period for the number of days
comprised therein and in an amount comparable to the amount of its LIBOR Rate
Loan or Competitive Bid Loan to be outstanding during such Interest
Period.
“LIBOR
Rate”
means,
with respect to a LIBOR Rate Loan for the relevant Interest Period, the sum
of
(i) the LIBOR Base Rate (rounded
upwards, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100th of 1%) applicable
to such Interest Period, plus
(ii) the
Applicable LIBOR Margin, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
“LIBOR
Rate Loan”
means
all Loans, or portions thereof, bearing interest based on the LIBOR Rate and,
solely for purposes of Section
2.10,
shall
include Competitive Bid Loans.
“LIBOR
Rate Reserve Percentage”
of
any
Lender for each Interest Period for each LIBOR Rate Loan and Competitive Bid
Loan means the reserve percentage contemplated in Section
2.11
applicable to such Lender during such Interest Period (or if more than one
such
percentage shall be so applicable, the daily average of such percentages for
those days in such Interest Period during which any such percentage shall be
so
applicable) under Regulation D or other regulations issued from time to time
by
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) for
determining the maximum reserve requirement (including, without limitation,
any
emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) then applicable
to such Lender with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including
Eurocurrency Liabilities having a term equal to such Interest
Period.
“Lien” means,
with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest
or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset. For the purposes of this
Agreement, a Person or any of its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to own, subject
to a Lien, any asset that it has acquired or holds subject to the interest
of a
vendor or lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or other
title retention agreement relating to such asset.
“Loan
Agreement”
means
any
applicable loan agreement executed in connection with the issuance of any Bonds
by the Borrower or any Subsidiary and the applicable issuer for such Bonds,
as
the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to
time.
11
“Loan
Documents” means
this Agreement, the Notes and any other document evidencing, relating to or
securing any L/C Obligation, Loan or other Extension of Credit, and any other
document or instrument delivered from time to time in connection with this
Agreement, the Notes or the Extensions of Credit, as such documents and
instruments may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
“Loans” means
the
loans made by the Lenders pursuant to this Agreement including Swingline Loans,
Revolving Loans, and Competitive Bid Loans.
“Marina”
means
Marina Energy LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company.
“Material
Adverse Change”
means
(a) a materially adverse change in the business, assets, liabilities (actual
or
contingent), operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of
(i)
the Borrower or (ii) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (b)
any material impairment of the ability of the Borrower to perform any of its
Obligations under this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related
Document or (c) any material impairment of the rights of, or benefits available
to, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender, the Swingline Lender or the
Lenders under this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related
Document.
“Moody’s” means
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc., or any successor thereto.
“Multiemployer
Plan”
means
a
multiemployer plan, as defined in Section
4001(a)(3)
of
ERISA, which is subject to Title IV of ERISA and to which the Borrower or any
ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions,
or
has within any of the preceding five plan years made or accrued an obligation
to
make contributions, such plan being maintained pursuant to one or more
collective bargaining agreements.
“Multiple
Employer Plan”
means
a
single employer plan, as defined in Section
4001(a)(15)
of
ERISA, which is subject to Title IV of ERISA and which (i) is maintained for
employees of the Borrower or an ERISA Affiliate and at least one Person other
than the Borrower and its ERISA Affiliates or (ii) was so maintained and in
respect of which the Borrower or an ERISA Affiliate could have liability under
Section
4064
or
4069
of ERISA
in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.
“Non-Consenting
Lender”
shall
have the meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.18(d).
“Note” means
the
collective reference to the Revolving Loan Notes, the Swingline Note and the
Competitive Bid Loan Notes.
“Notice
of Borrowing”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.03(a)(i)(A)
“Notice
of Conversion”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.13.
“Notice
of Extension”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.19.
12
“Notice
of Swingline Borrowing”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.03(a)(ii).
“Obligations”
means,
in
each case, whether now in existence or hereafter arising: (a) the principal
of
and interest on (including interest accruing after the filing of any bankruptcy
or similar petition) the Loans, (b) the L/C Obligations, (c) all payment and
other obligations owing by the Borrower to any Lender or the Administrative
Agent under any other agreement to which a Lender is a party (or any Affiliate
of a Lender) which is related to and permitted under this Agreement, any of
the
other Loan Documents or any Related Document, and (d) all other fees and
commissions (including attorney’s fees), charges, indebtedness, loans,
liabilities, financial accommodations, obligations, covenants and duties owing
by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to the Lenders, the Issuing Lender, or the
Administrative Agent, in each case under or in respect of this Agreement, any
Note, any Letter of Credit, any of the other Loan Documents or any of the
Related Document of every kind, nature and description, direct or indirect,
absolute or contingent, due or to become due, contractual or tortious,
liquidated or unliquidated, and whether or not evidenced by any note, and
whether or not for the payment of money under or in respect of this Agreement,
any Note, any Letter of Credit, any of the other Loan Documents or any Related
Document.
“OFAC”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
5.01(v).
“Official
Statement”
means
the “Official Statement” or other applicable offering document relating to any
Bonds, together with the documents incorporated therein by reference and any
supplements or amendments thereto.
“Participant”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
10.09(e).
“PBGC”
means
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any successor thereto.
“Permitted
Indebtedness”
means
any of the following:
(1) Indebtedness
under this Agreement;
(2) Indebtedness
(other than the type described in clause (3) below) of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries (other than South Jersey Gas) in an aggregate principal amount
not
to exceed $275,000,000 (inclusive of the type described in clause (1) above
but
excluding any non-recourse debt of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) at any
time outstanding so long as before and immediately after the incurrence of
such
Indebtedness, the Borrower is in compliance with Section
6.04;
(3) Indebtedness
of the Borrower under Hedging Obligations covering a notional amount not to
exceed the face amount of outstanding Indebtedness;
(4) Indebtedness
of South Jersey Gas, under that certain Five-Year Revolving Credit Agreement,
dated as of August 3, 2006, among South Jersey Gas, the lenders party thereto,
and Wachovia Bank, National Association, as administrative agent on behalf
of
said lenders (as amended to date, the “SJG
Credit Agreement”);
13
(5) Indebtedness
of South Jersey Gas under the First Mortgage Notes (as defined in the SJG Credit
Agreement) existing as of August 3, 2006 and as identified on Schedule
IV
to the
SJG Credit Agreement, and subsequent First Mortgage Notes, so long as before
and
immediately after the incurrence of such Indebtedness, South Jersey Gas is
in
compliance with Section
6.04
of the
SJG Credit Agreement;
(6) Indebtedness
(other than the type described in clause (7) below) of South Jersey Gas, so
long
as before and immediately after the incurrence of such Indebtedness, South
Jersey Gas is in compliance with Section
6.04
of the
SJG Credit Agreement; and
(7) Indebtedness
of South Jersey Gas under Hedging Obligations covering a notional amount not
to
exceed the face amount of such outstanding Indebtedness.
“Permitted
Investments”
means
(1) noncallable,
direct general obligations of, or obligations the payment of the principal
of
and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States
of
America;
(2)
bonds, participation certificates or other obligations of Federal National
Mortgage Association, Government National Mortgage Association and Federal
Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation; (3) certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances or
other obligations issued by commercial banks which are fully insured by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or certificates of deposit, bankers’
acceptances or other deposit obligations issued by commercial banks whose
unsecured obligations are rated in one of the two highest rating categories
by
Moody’s or Standard S&P; (4) obligations issued or guaranteed by a state or
political subdivision of a state rated in one of the two highest rating
categories by Moody’s or S&P; or (5) any other investments permitted under
this Agreement and which the Administrative Agent has approved in
writing.
“Permitted
Liens” means,
with respect to any Person, any of the following:
(1) Liens
for
taxes, assessments or governmental charges not delinquent or being contested
in
good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves in
accordance with GAAP are maintained on such Person’s books;
(2) Liens
arising out of deposits in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment
insurance, old age pensions or other social security or retirement benefits
legislation;
(3) Deposits
or pledges to
secure bids, tenders, contracts (other than contracts for the payment of money),
leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, and other obligations
of
like nature arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business;
(4) Liens
imposed by law, such as mechanics’, workers’, materialmen’s, carriers’ or other
like liens arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business which secure
the payment of obligations which are not past due or which are being diligently
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate
reserves in accordance with GAAP are maintained on such Person’s books;
14
(5) Rights
of
way, zoning restrictions, easements and similar encumbrances affecting such
Person’s real property which do not materially interfere with the use of such
property;
(6) Liens
securing Permitted
Indebtedness of the type described in clauses (2) and (3) of the definition
of
“Permitted Indebtedness,” not in excess of $15,000,000 in the aggregate;
(7) Liens
securing Permitted
Indebtedness of the type described in clause (5) of the definition of “Permitted
Indebtedness”;
(8) Liens
securing Permitted Indebtedness of the type described in clause (6) of the
definition of “Permitted Indebtedness,” not in excess of $12,500,000 in the
aggregate; and
(9) Purchase
money security interests for the purchase of equipment to be used in such
Person’s business, encumbering only the equipment so purchased, and which
secures only the purchase-money Indebtedness incurred to acquire the equipment
so purchased, which Indebtedness qualifies as Permitted
Indebtedness.
“Person”
means
an individual, partnership, corporation (including, without limitation, a
business trust), joint stock company, limited liability company, trust,
unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity, or a government
or
any political subdivision or agency thereof.
“Plan”
means
a
Single Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.
“Pledge
Agreement”
means
any pledge or security agreement executed in connection with the issuance of
any
Bonds
by the
Borrower, or its Subsidiaries, and the Administrative Agent,
as the
same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
“Pledged
Bonds” has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
8.01.
“Prime
Rate”
means
a
rate per annum equal to the Administrative Agent’s index or base rate of
interest announced from time to time by the Administrative Agent (which is
not
necessarily the lowest rate charged to any customer), changing when and as
such
base rate changes.
“Purchase
Agreement”
means
any applicable bond purchase agreement executed in connection with the issuance
of any Bonds by the issuer of such Bonds and the underwriter of such Bonds,
as
the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to
time.
“Rated
Entity”
means
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which maintain senior unsecured,
non-credit enhanced debt ratings by any of Moody’s, S&P or Fitch. If more
than one such Person exists, the Rated Entity shall be the Borrower or any
of
its Subsidiaries which maintains the lowest senior unsecured, non-credit
enhanced debt rating by any of Moody’s, S&P or Fitch.
“Register”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
10.09(c).
15
“Related
Documents”
means,
with respect to any series of Bonds, the Bonds and any applicable Indenture,
Loan Agreement, Purchase Agreement, Remarketing Agreement, Pledge Agreement,
Tender Agency Agreement or Official Statement related thereto.
“Remarketing
Agreement”
means
any applicable remarketing agreement executed in connection with any Bonds
by
the Borrower or any Subsidiary and the applicable remarketing agent for such
Bonds, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time,
and any other agreement pursuant to which such remarketing agent has agreed
to
act as such pursuant to the applicable Indenture for such Bonds.
“Required
Lenders”
means
Lenders whose aggregate Commitment Percentages total more than 50%.
“Revolving
Loans” means
those Base Rate Loans and LIBOR Rate Loans made pursuant to Section
2.01,
including, without limitation, all Tender Advance Revolving Loans.
“Revolving
Loan Notes”
means
the promissory notes of the Borrower in favor of each Lender evidencing the
Revolving Loans made to the Borrower and substantially in the form of
Exhibit
A-1,
as such
promissory notes may be amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time
to
time.
“S&P”
means
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of the XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies,
Inc., or any successor thereto.
“Selected
Rating Agencies”
means
any two of Xxxxx’x, S&P, Fitch or any other nationally recognized rating
agency selected by the Borrower from time to time; provided that for any such
selection to be valid, the Borrower shall have notified the Administrative
Agent
of such selection prior to such selection taking effect and if the Borrower
has
not notified the Administrative Agent of any such selection, then the Borrower
shall be deemed to have selected Moody’s and S&P.
“Senior
Debt Ratings”
means
the ratings assigned to the senior unsecured, non-credit enhanced debt of the
Rated Entity by the Selected Rating Agencies.
“Significant
Subsidiary” means,
with respect to any Person, a Subsidiary which meets any of the following
conditions:
(a) such
Person’s and its other Subsidiaries’ investments in and advances to the
Subsidiary exceed 10% of the total assets of such Person and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter;
(b) such
Person’s and its other Subsidiaries’ proportionate share (as determined by
ownership interests) of the total assets (after intercompany eliminations)
of
the Subsidiary exceeds 10% of the total assets of such Person and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal
quarter;
16
(c) such
Person’s and its other Subsidiaries’ proportionate share (as determined by
ownership interests) in the income from continuing operations before income
taxes, extraordinary items and cumulative effect of changes in accounting
principles of the Subsidiary exceeds 10% of such income of such Person and
its
Consolidated Subsidiaries for the most recently completed fiscal quarter;
or
(d) with
respect to the Borrower, such Subsidiaries shall include, without limitation,
Marina and South Jersey Gas.
“Single
Employer Plan”
means
a
single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, which is
subject to Title IV of ERISA and which (i) is maintained for employees of the
Borrower or an ERISA Affiliate and no Person other than the Borrower and its
ERISA Affiliates or (ii) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower
or an ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in the
event such plan has been or were to be terminated.
“Solvent”
means,
with respect to any Person, that such Person (a) has capital sufficient to
carry
on its business and transactions and all business and transactions in which
it
is about to engage and is able to pay its debts as they mature, (b) owns
property having a value, both at fair valuation and at present fair saleable
value, greater than the amount required to pay its probable liabilities
(including contingencies), and (c) does not believe that it will incur debts
or
liabilities beyond its ability to pay such debts or liabilities as they
mature.
“South
Jersey Gas”
means
South Jersey Gas Company, a New Jersey corporation.
“Stated
Expiration Date”
means,
with
respect to each Bond L/C, the earlier of (i) the second anniversary of the
date
of the issuance of such Bond L/C (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the
next succeeding Business Day), and (ii) the Termination Date or such later
date
to which the Termination Date may be extended from time to time pursuant to
the
terms of this Agreement.
“Stated
Termination Date”
means
August 22, 2011, or such later date to which the Stated Termination Date may
be
extended pursuant to Section
2.18.
“Subsidiary”
means,
with respect to any Person, any corporation or unincorporated entity of which
more than 50% of the outstanding capital stock (or comparable interest) having
ordinary voting power (irrespective of whether at the time capital stock (or
comparable interest) of any other class or classes of such corporation or entity
shall or might have voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency) is
at
the time directly or indirectly owned by said Person (whether directly or
through one of more other Subsidiaries). In the case of an unincorporated
entity, a Person shall be deemed to have more than 50% of interests having
ordinary voting power only if such Person’s vote in respect of such interests
comprises more than 50% of the total voting power of all such interests in
the
unincorporated entity.
“Swingline
Borrowing”
means
a
borrowing hereunder consisting of Swingline Loans made to the
Borrower.
17
“Swingline
Commitment” means
Twenty Million and No/100 Dollars ($20,000,000).
“Swingline
Facility” means
the
swingline loan facility established pursuant to Section
2.02.
“Swingline
Lender” means
Wachovia, in its capacity as swingline lender hereunder, together with its
successors and permitted assigns in such capacity.
“Swingline
Loan” means
the
swingline loans made by the Swingline Lender to the Borrower pursuant to
Section
2.02,
and all
such loans collectively as the context requires.
“Swingline
Note” means
the
promissory note of the Borrower in favor of the Swingline Lender evidencing the
Swingline Loans made to the Borrower and substantially in the form of
Exhibit
A-2,
as such
promissory note may be amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time
to
time.
“Taxes”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.17.
“Tender
Advance Revolving Loan”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
3.05(b).
“Tender
Agent” has
the
meaning assigned to that term in the applicable Indenture with respect to any
Bonds.
“Tender
Agency Agreement” means
any
applicable tender agency agreement executed in connection with any Bonds by
the
Borrower and the applicable tender agent with respect to such Bonds, as the
same
may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.
“Tendered
Bonds” means
Bonds tendered or deemed tendered for purchase, the purchase price of which
was
paid by a draw under a Letter of Credit.
“Term
Drawing”
means
any drawing under a Bond L/C to pay the purchase price of Bonds tendered
pursuant to the terms of the applicable Indenture.
“Termination
Date”
means
the earliest of (a) the Stated Termination Date, (b)
the
date of termination by the Borrower of the Commitments in full pursuant to
Section
2.06,
and (c)
the date of termination of the Commitments pursuant to Section
7.02(a).
“Trustee”
means
the
person or entity serving as trustee for any Bonds under the applicable Indenture
with respect to such Bonds.
“2001A
Bonds”
means
the Thermal Energy Facilities Revenue Bonds (Marina Energy, LLC - 2001 Project),
Series A in the aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000, issued pursuant
to an
Indenture dated as of September 1, 2001, as such Indenture has been amended
or
supplemented from time to time.
18
“2001B
Bonds”
means
the Thermal Energy Facilities Federally Taxable Revenue Bonds (Marina Energy,
LLC - 2001 Project), Series B in the aggregate principal amount of $8,600,000,
issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of September 1, 2001, as such Indenture
has been amended or supplemented from time to time.
“2006A
Bonds”
means
the Thermal Energy Facilities Revenue Bonds (Marina Energy LLC Project), Series
2006A in the aggregate principal amount of $16,400,000, issued pursuant to
an
Indenture dated as of March 1, 2006, as such Indenture has been amended or
supplemented from time to time.
“Type”
means
a
type of Loan, being either a LIBOR Rate Loan or a Base Rate Loan, as
applicable.
“Utilization
Amount”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.05(b).
“Utilization
Fee”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.05(b).
“Wachovia”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in the preamble hereto.
SECTION
1.02 Computation
of Time Periods.
In
this
Agreement, in the computation of a period of time from a specified date to
a
later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including” and the words
“to” and “until” each means “to but excluding”.
SECTION
1.03 Accounting
Terms.
All
accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall be construed in
accordance with GAAP, except as otherwise stated herein.
SECTION
1.04 Internal
References.
The
words
“herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and words of similar import, when used in
this Agreement, shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any
provision of this Agreement, and “Article”, “Section”, “subsection”,
“paragraph”, “Exhibit”, “Schedule” and respective references are to this
Agreement unless otherwise specified. References herein or in any Loan Document
to any agreement or other document shall, unless otherwise specified herein
or
therein, be deemed to be references to such agreement or document as it may
be
amended, modified or supplemented after the date hereof from time to time in
accordance with the terms hereof or of such agreement or document, as the case
may be.
[End
of
Article I]
19
ARTICLE
II
LOANS
SECTION
2.01 Revolving
Loans.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and in reliance upon the
representations and warranties set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees
to
make its Commitment Percentage of Revolving Loans to the Borrower from time
to
time from the Closing Date to, but not including, the Termination Date, as
requested by the Borrower in accordance with the terms of Sections
2.03(a)(i)
or as
set forth in Section
3.05;
provided,
that
(i) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Extensions of Credit
(after giving effect to any amount requested and the application of the proceeds
thereof) shall not exceed the Commitments of the Lenders; and (ii) the principal
amount of outstanding Revolving Loans from any Lender to the Borrower shall
not
at any time exceed such Lender’s Commitment less such Lender’s Commitment
Percentage multiplied by the sum of the: (A) L/C Obligations then outstanding,
(B) aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans then outstanding, and
(C)
aggregate principal amount of all Competitive Bid Loans then outstanding. Each
Revolving Loan by a Lender shall be in a principal amount equal to such Lender’s
Commitment Percentage multiplied by the aggregate principal amount of Revolving
Loans being made on such occasion.
(b) Subject
to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow
Revolving Loans prior to the Termination Date. In addition, the Borrower will
repay, by means of a reborrowing hereunder or otherwise, each Base Rate Loan
within 365 days of when it was made.
(c) Except
as
otherwise provided in Section
3.05,
Revolving Loans shall be disbursed in accordance with Section
2.03(d)(i).
SECTION
2.02 Swingline
Loans.
(a) Availability.
(i) Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and in reliance upon the
representations and warranties set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees
to
make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time from the Closing Date
through, but not including, the Termination Date, as requested by the Borrower
in accordance with the terms of Section
2.03(a)(ii);
provided,
that
(i) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Extensions of Credit
(after giving effect to any amount requested and the application of the proceeds
thereof) shall not exceed the Commitments of the Lenders; and (ii) the aggregate
principal amount of all Swingline Loans then outstanding shall not exceed the
Swingline Commitment. Each Lender acknowledges that the aggregate principal
amount of all outstanding Swingline Loans made by the Swingline Lender, when
taken together with the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Revolving
Loans made by the Swingline Lender, may exceed the Swingline Lender’s
Commitment. Upon and during the continuance of a Default or an Event of Default,
the Borrower shall no longer have the option of requesting Swingline Loans
and
the Swingline
Lender shall not be obligated to make Swingline Loans. No more than one (1)
Swingline Loan may be made on the same Business Day.
20
(ii) Each
Swingline Loan shall be in the aggregate principal amount of $500,000 or any
multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, or such lesser amount as shall be equal
to the aggregate amount of the unborrowed Swingline Commitment on such date.
(iii) Subject
to the terms and
conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow Swingline Loans
prior to the Termination Date.
(iv) Swingline
Loans shall be disbursed in accordance with Section
2.03(d)(ii).
(b) Maturity.
If the
Borrower, in accordance with Section
2.03(a)(ii),
chooses
that any Swingline Loan bear interest at a rate per annum for each day that
such
Swingline Loan is outstanding equal to the daily LIBOR rate (as determined
by
the Administrative Agent) for each such day plus the Applicable LIBOR Margin,
then any such Swingline Loan shall be repaid by the Borrower no later than
fourteen (14) days from the date such Swingline Loan was made.
(c) Refunding.
(i) Swingline
Loans (including accrued and unpaid interest thereon) shall be reimbursed fully
by the Lenders on demand by the Swingline Lender. Such reimbursements shall
be
made by the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages
and shall thereafter be reflected as Revolving Loans of the Lenders on the
books
and records of the Administrative Agent; provided,
that no
Lender shall be required to reimburse any Swingline Loan if, after giving effect
to such reimbursement, the aggregate principal amount of such Lender’s
Extensions of Credit (other than such Lender’s outstanding Competitive Bid Loans
to the Borrower) outstanding would exceed such Lender’s Commitment. Each Lender
shall fund its respective Commitment Percentage of Revolving Loans as required
to repay Swingline Loans outstanding to the Swingline Lender upon demand by
the
Swingline Lender but in no event later than 2:00 p.m. (Charlotte,
North Carolina time)
on the
next succeeding Business Day after such demand is made. No Lender’s obligation
to fund its respective Commitment Percentage of a Swingline Loan shall be
affected by any other Lender’s failure to fund its Commitment Percentage of a
Swingline Loan, nor shall any Lender’s Commitment Percentage be increased as a
result of any such failure of any other Lender to fund its Commitment Percentage
of a Swingline Loan.
(ii) The
Borrower shall pay to the Swingline Lender on demand the amount of such
Swingline Loans (including accrued and unpaid interest thereon) to the extent
amounts received from the Lenders are not sufficient to repay in full the
outstanding Swingline Loans requested or required to be refunded. In addition,
the Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent and the Swingline Lender
to charge any account maintained by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the
Borrower with the Swingline Lender (up to the amount available therein) in
order
to immediately pay the Swingline Lender the amount of such Swingline Loans
to
the extent amounts received from the Lenders are not sufficient to repay in
full
21
the
outstanding Swingline Loans requested or required to be refunded. If any portion
of any such amount paid to the Swingline Lender shall be recovered by or on
behalf of the Borrower from the Swingline Lender in bankruptcy or otherwise,
the
loss of the amount so recovered shall be ratably shared among all the Lenders
in
accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages.
(iii) Each
Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to refund Swingline Loans
(including accrued and unpaid interest thereon) in accordance with the terms
of
this Section
2.02(c)
is
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance
whatsoever, including, without limitation, the existence of a Default or an
Event of Default other than a Default or Event of Default that the Swingline
Lender had actual knowledge of at the time such Swingline Loan was made.
Further, each Lender agrees and acknowledges that if prior to the refunding
of
any outstanding Swingline Loans pursuant to this Section
2.02(c),
one of
the events described in Section
7.01(e)
shall
have occurred, each Lender will, subject to Section
2.02(c)(i),
on the
next Business Day, purchase an undivided participating interest in the Swingline
Loan in an amount equal to its Commitment Percentage multiplied by the aggregate
amount of such Swingline Loan. Each Lender will immediately transfer to the
Swingline Lender, in immediately available funds, the amount of its
participation and upon receipt thereof the Swingline Lender will deliver to
such
Lender a certificate evidencing such participation dated the date of receipt
of
such funds and for such amount. Whenever, at any time after the Swingline Lender
has received from any Lender such Lender’s participating interest in a Swingline
Loan, the Swingline Lender receives any payment on account thereof, the
Swingline Lender will distribute to such Lender its participating interest
in
such amount (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to
reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s participating interest was
outstanding and funded).
(d) The
Swingline Lender may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to
the
Lenders and the Borrower, with any such resignation to become effective only
upon the appointment of a successor Swingline Lender pursuant to this
Section
2.03(d).
Upon
any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint
a
successor Swingline Lender, which shall be a Lender or an Eligible Assignee
acceptable to the Borrower. If no successor Swingline Lender shall have been
so
appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment,
within 30 days after the retiring Swingline Lender’s giving of notice of
resignation, then the retiring Swingline Lender may, on behalf of the Lenders,
appoint a successor Swingline Lender, which shall be a Lender or an Eligible
Assignee. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Swingline Lender hereunder
by a successor Swingline Lender, such successor Swingline Lender shall thereupon
succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties
of the retiring Swingline Lender.
SECTION
2.03 Procedure
for Advances of Loans.
(a) Requests
for Borrowing.
(i) Revolving
Loans.
(A) Base
Rate Loans.
Subject
to Section 3.05(b) with respect to Tender Advance Revolving Loans made on
the
date of a Term Drawing, by no later than 11:00
22
a.m.
(Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the Business Day prior to the date of the
Borrower’s request for a borrowing of a Base Rate Loan, the Borrower shall
submit to the Administrative Agent a written notice in the form attached hereto
as Exhibit
C
(a
“Notice
of Borrowing”)
and
otherwise complying in all respects with Section
4.02
hereof,
which such Notice of Borrowing shall set forth (A) the amount requested and
(B)
the desire to have such Loans accrue interest at the Base Rate. A Notice of
Borrowing received after 11:00 a.m. (Charlotte,
North Carolina time)
shall be
deemed received on the next Business Day. The Administrative Agent shall
promptly notify the Lenders of each Notice of Borrowing.
(B) LIBOR
Rate Loans.
By no
later than 11:00 a.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the third Business
Day
prior to the date of the Borrower’s request for a borrowing, the Borrower shall
submit a Notice of Borrowing of a LIBOR Rate Loan to the Administrative Agent,
which such Notice of Borrowing shall otherwise comply in all respects with
Section
4.02
hereof
and shall set forth (A) the amount requested, (B) the desire to have such Loans
accrue interest at the LIBOR Rate and (C) the Interest Period applicable
thereto. A Notice of Borrowing received after 11:00 a.m. (Charlotte,
North Carolina time)
shall be
deemed received on the next Business Day. The Administrative Agent shall
promptly notify the Lenders of each Notice of Borrowing.
(ii) Swingline
Loans.
By no
later than 1:00 p.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the Business Day of
the
proposed Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall submit to the Administrative Agent
a
written notice in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
D
(a
“Notice
of Swingline Borrowing”)
and
otherwise complying in all respects with Section
4.02
hereof,
which such Notice of Swingline Borrowing shall specify (A) the date of such
borrowing, which shall be a Business Day, (B) the aggregate amount of such
borrowing, and (C) whether such proposed Swingline Loan will bear interest
at a
rate per annum for each day that such Swingline Loan is outstanding at either
(I) the daily LIBOR rate (as determined by the Administrative Agent) for each
such day plus the Applicable LIBOR Margin or (II) the Prime Rate for each such
day. A Notice of Swingline Borrowing received after 1:00 p.m. (Charlotte,
North Carolina time)
shall be
deemed received on the next Business Day. The Administrative Agent shall
promptly notify the Lenders of each Notice of Swingline Borrowing received
by
the Administrative Agent.
(iii) Competitive
Bid Loans.
Competitive Bid Loans shall be requested in the manner provided for in
Section
2.04(b).
(b) Each
Notice of Borrowing and Notice of Swingline Borrowing shall be irrevocable
and
binding on the Borrower. In the case of any Borrowing that the related Notice
of
Borrowing specifies is to comprise LIBOR Rate Loans, the Borrower shall
indemnify the applicable Lender against any loss, cost or expense incurred
by
such Lender as a result of any failure of the Borrower to fulfill on or before
the date specified in such Notice of Borrowing for such Loans, the applicable
conditions set forth in Article
IV,
including, without limitation, any loss (including loss of anticipated profits),
cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or redeployment of
deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender as part of such
Borrowing.
23
(c) Each
Revolving Loan shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or any
multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (except that any such Revolving Loan
may be in the aggregate amount of the unborrowed Commitments on such
date).
(d) Disbursement
of Loans.
(i) Revolving
Loans.
Not
later than 2:00 p.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the proposed borrowing
date or, with respect to Tender Advance Revolving Loans made on the date of
any
Term Drawing, not later than 12:00 p.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on
the
Business Day immediately following the date of such Term Drawing, each Lender
will make available to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
Borrower, at the office of the Administrative Agent in funds immediately
available to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, such Lender’s Commitment
Percentage multiplied by the Revolving Loans to be made on such borrowing date
or, with respect to Tender Advance Revolving Loans, made on the Business Day
immediately prior to such date. Subject to Section
3.05,
the
Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent to disburse
the
proceeds of each borrowing requested pursuant to this Section
2.03(d)(i)
in
immediately available funds by crediting or wiring such proceeds to the deposit
account of the Borrower identified in the most recent notice substantially
in
the form of Exhibit
E
hereto
(a “Notice
of Account Designation”)
delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent or such other account
as
may be designated in writing by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent from
time to time. Subject to Section
2.16,
the
Administrative Agent shall not be obligated to disburse that portion of the
proceeds of any Revolving Loan equal to the amount by which any Lender has
not
made available to the Administrative Agent its applicable Commitment Percentage
of such Revolving Loan. Revolving Loans to be made for the purpose of refunding
Swingline Loans shall be made by the Lenders as provided in Section
2.02(c).
(ii) Swingline
Loans.
The
Swingline Lender shall, before 2:00 p.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on
the
date of such Swingline Borrowing, make available to the Administrative Agent
for
the account of the Borrower in same day funds, the proceeds of such Swingline
Borrowing. The Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent
to disburse the proceeds of each Swingline Borrowing requested pursuant to
this
Section
2.03(d)(ii)
in
immediately available funds by crediting or wiring such proceeds to the deposit
account of the Borrower identified in the most recent Notice of Account
Designation or such other account as may be designated in writing by the
Borrower to the Administrative Agent from time to time. The Swingline Loans
shall be included in the Commitments of the Lenders, and each Swingline
Borrowing will reduce correspondingly the amount of the available Commitment
of
each Lender on a pro rata basis based on each Lender’s Commitment
Percentage.
(iii) Competitive
Bid Loans.
Competitive Bid Loans shall be disbursed in the manner provided for in
Section
2.04(e).
SECTION
2.04 Competitive
Bid Loans.
(a) Competitive
Bid Loans.
Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may, from time to
time, during the period from the Closing Date until the date
24
occurring
seven days prior to the Termination Date, request and each Lender may, in its
sole discretion, agree to make Competitive Bid Loans to the Borrower;
provided,
that (i)
the sum of the aggregate principal amount of the Lenders’ Extensions of Credit
(including the amount set forth in the Competitive Bid Request) outstanding
shall not exceed the Commitments of the Lenders, (ii) the sum of the aggregate
principal amount of Competitive Bid Loans outstanding (including the amount
set
forth in the Competitive Bid Request) to the Borrower shall not exceed 50%
of
the Commitments of the Lenders, and (iii) if a Lender makes a Competitive Bid
Loan, such Lender’s obligation to make its Commitment Percentage of any
Swingline Loan, L/C Obligation or Revolving Loan shall not be reduced thereby.
No Competitive Bid Loan shall be outstanding for a period in excess of 6
months.
(b) Competitive
Bid Requests.
The
Borrower may solicit Competitive Bids by delivery of a Competitive Bid Request
to the Administrative Agent by 10:00 a.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time),
on a
Business Day one Business Day prior to the date of a requested Competitive
Bid
Loan. A Competitive Bid Request must be substantially in the form of
Exhibit
B-1,
shall
be accompanied by the Competitive Bid Request Fee and shall specify (I) the
date
of the requested Competitive Bid Loan (which shall be a Business Day), (II)
the
amount of the requested Competitive Bid Loan and (III) the applicable Interest
Period or Interest Periods requested. The Administrative Agent shall notify
the
Lenders of its receipt of a Competitive Bid Request and the contents thereof
and
invite the Lenders to submit Competitive Bids in response thereto. The Borrower
may not request a Competitive Bid Loan more frequently than three times every
calendar month.
(c) Competitive
Bid Procedure.
Each
Lender may, in its sole discretion, make one or more Competitive Bids to the
Borrower in response to a Competitive Bid Request in the form of Exhibit
B-2.
Each
Competitive Bid must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than
10:00 a.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) three Business Days prior to the
date of the requested Competitive Bid Loan; provided,
that
should the Administrative Agent, in its capacity as a Lender, desire to submit
a
Competitive Bid it shall notify the Borrower of its Competitive Bid and the
terms thereof not later than 15 minutes prior to the time the other Lenders
are
required to submit their Competitive Bids. A Lender may offer to make all or
part of the requested Competitive Bid Loan and may submit multiple Competitive
Bids in response to a Competitive Bid Request. Any Competitive Bid must specify
(I) the particular Competitive Bid Request as to which the Competitive Bid
is
submitted, (II) the minimum (which shall be not less than $5,000,000 and
integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof) and maximum principal
amounts of the requested Competitive Bid Loan or Loans which the Lender is
willing to make, (III) the maturity date of the requested Competitive Bid Loan
or Loans which the Lender is willing to make and which shall not exceed the
Termination Date and (IV) the applicable interest rate or rates and Interest
Period or Interest Periods therefor. A Competitive Bid submitted by a Lender
in
accordance with the provisions hereof shall be irrevocable. The Administrative
Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower of all Competitive Bids made and the
terms thereof. The Administrative Agent shall send a copy of each of the
Competitive Bids to the Borrower and each of the Lenders for their respective
records as soon as practicable.
(d) Acceptance
of Competitive Bids.
The
Borrower may, in its sole discretion, subject only to the provisions of this
subsection (d), accept or refuse any Competitive Bid
25
offered
to it. To accept a Competitive Bid, the Borrower shall give oral notification
of
its acceptance of any or all such Competitive Bids (which shall be promptly
confirmed in writing) to the Administrative Agent by 12:00 p.m. (Charlotte,
North Carolina time) three Business Days prior to the date of the requested
Competitive Bid Loan; provided,
that
(I)
the failure by the Borrower to give timely notice of its acceptance of a
Competitive Bid shall be deemed to be a refusal thereof, (II) to the extent
Competitive Bids are for comparable Interest Periods, the Borrower may accept
Competitive Bids only in ascending order of rates, (III) the aggregate amount
of
Competitive Bids accepted by the Borrower shall not exceed the principal amount
specified in the Competitive Bid Request, (IV) if the Borrower shall accept
a
bid or bids made at a particular Competitive Bid Rate, but the amount of such
bid or bids shall cause the total amount of bids to be accepted by the Borrower
to be in excess of the amount specified in the Competitive Bid Request, then
the
Borrower shall accept a portion of such bid or bids in an amount equal to the
amount specified in the Competitive Bid Request less the amount of all other
Competitive Bids accepted with respect to such Competitive Bid Request, which
acceptance in the case of multiple bids at such Competitive Bid Rate, shall
be
made pro rata in accordance with the amount of each such bid at such Competitive
Bid Rate and (V) no bid shall be accepted for a Competitive Bid Loan unless
such
Competitive Bid Loan is in a minimum principal amount of $5,000,000 and integral
multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, except that where a portion of a
Competitive Bid is accepted in accordance with the provisions of clause (IV)
of
this subsection (d), then in a minimum principal amount of $500,000 and integral
multiples of $100,000 (but not in any event less
than
the minimum amount specified in the Competitive Bid), and in calculating the
pro
rata allocation of acceptances of portions of multiple bids at a particular
Competitive Bid Rate pursuant to clause (IV) of this subsection (d), the amounts
shall be rounded to integral multiples of $100,000 in a manner which shall
be in
the discretion of the Borrower. A notice of acceptance of a Competitive Bid
given by the Borrower in accordance with the provisions hereof shall be
irrevocable. The Administrative Agent shall, not later than 1:00 p.m.
(Charlotte, North Carolina time) three Business Days prior to the date of such
Competitive Bid Loan, notify each bidding Lender whether or not its Competitive
Bid has been accepted (and if so, in what amount and at what Competitive Bid
Rate), and each successful bidder will thereupon become bound, subject to the
other applicable conditions hereof, to make the Competitive Bid Loan in respect
of which its bid has been accepted.
(e) Funding
of Competitive Bid Loans.
Each
Lender which is to make a Competitive Bid Loan shall, before 2:00 P.M.
(Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the date specified in the Competitive Bid
Request, make available to the Administrative Agent, by deposit of immediately
available funds at the office of the Administrative Agent, for the account
of
the Borrower in same day funds, the proceeds of such Competitive Bid Loan.
The
Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent to disburse
the
proceeds of each Competitive Bid Loan requested pursuant to Section
2.04(b)
in
immediately available funds by crediting or wiring such proceeds to the deposit
account of the Borrower identified in the most recent Notice of Account
Designation or such other account as may be designated in writing by the
Borrower to the Administrative Agent from time to time.
(f) Maturity
of
Competitive Bid Loans.
Each
Competitive Bid Loan shall mature and be due and payable in full on the last
day
of the Interest Period, selected in accordance
26
with
Section 2.10(b),
which
date shall not be less than 7 days nor more than the lesser of (i) 6 months
duration, and (ii) the number of days remaining until the Termination Date,
applicable thereto. Unless the Borrower shall give notice to the Administrative
Agent otherwise (or repays such Competitive Bid Loan), or a Default or Event
of
Default exists and is continuing, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested
Revolving Loans from all of the Lenders (in the amount of the maturing
Competitive Bid Loan and accruing interest at the Base Rate), the proceeds
of
which will be used to repay such Competitive Bid Loan.
SECTION
2.05 Fees.
(a) The
Borrower hereby agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable
account of each Lender, a facility fee (the “Facility
Fee”)
equal
to such Lender’s Commitment multiplied
by
a rate
per annum equal to the “Facility Fee” under the definition of Applicable Margin
from the date hereof to the Final Fee Payment Date, payable quarterly in arrears
on the last day of each March, June, September and December, commencing
September 30, 2006, and on the Final Fee Payment Date.
(b) The
Borrower hereby agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable
account of each Lender, a utilization fee (the “Utilization
Fee”),
if
the aggregate amount of the outstanding Lenders’ Extensions of Credit is equal
to or greater than fifty percent (50%) of the Commitments of the Lenders,
calculated daily (the calculation of which is known as the “Utilization
Amount”),
which
Utilization Fee shall be equal to the aggregate amount of the Utilization Amount
multiplied
by
a rate
per annum equal to the “Utilization Fee” under the definition of Applicable
Margin from the date hereof to the Final Fee Payment Date, payable quarterly
in
arrears on the last day of each March, June, September and December, and on
the
Final Fee Payment Date.
(c) The
Borrower hereby agrees to pay such other fees as are specified in that certain
Fee Letter Agreement dated August 9, 2006, among the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent and Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company.
SECTION
2.06 Reduction
of
Commitments.
(a) Voluntary.
(i) Subject
to Section
2.07(b)(i)
and
(ii),
upon at
least three Business Days’ notice, the Borrower shall have the right to
permanently terminate or reduce the aggregate unused amount of the Commitments
at any time or from time to time; provided,
that
(a) each partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount at least equal to
$10,000,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, and
(b)
no reduction shall be made which would reduce the Commitment to an amount less
than the sum of the then outstanding Extensions of Credit. Any reduction in
(or
termination of) the Commitments shall be permanent and may not be
reinstated.
(ii) Subject
to Section
2.07(b)(iii),
upon at
least three Business Days’ notice, the Borrower shall have the right to
permanently terminate or reduce the aggregate unused amount of the Swingline
Commitment at any time or from time to time; provided,
that
(a) each partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount at least equal to
$1,000,000 and in
27
integral
multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, and (b) no reduction shall be made
which would reduce the Swingline Commitment to an amount less than the sum
of
the then outstanding Swingline Loans. Any reduction in (or termination of)
the
Swingline Commitment shall be permanent and may not be reinstated.
(b) Mandatory.
(i) On
the Termination Date,
the Commitments shall automatically and permanently be reduced to zero.
(ii) On
the
Current Stated Termination Date, the Commitments of Non-Consenting Lenders
shall
automatically and permanently be reduced to zero.
SECTION
2.07 Prepayment
of Loans.
(a) Voluntary
Prepayments.
The
Borrower shall have the right to prepay Loans (other than Competitive Bid Loans)
made to it in whole or in part from time to time without premium or penalty
upon
one Business Days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent;
provided,
that
(i)
LIBOR Rate Loans may only be prepaid on three Business Days’ prior written
notice to the Administrative Agent and any prepayment of LIBOR Rate Loans will
be subject to Section
10.07(b),
(ii)
each such partial prepayment of Loans (other than Swingline Loans) shall be
in
the minimum principal amount of $10,000,000, and (iii) each such partial
prepayment of Swingline Loans shall be in a minimum principal amount of $500,000
(or such lesser amount that may be outstanding at any such time). Amounts
prepaid hereunder shall be applied first to Swingline Loans until paid in full,
second to Base Rate Loans until paid in full, and third to LIBOR Rate Loans
until paid in full, in direct order of Interest Period maturities, pro rata
among all Lenders holding same. The Borrower may not prepay Competitive Bid
Loans.
(b) Mandatory
Prepayments.
(i) If
at any
time the amount of the Extensions of Credit exceed the Commitments, the Borrower
shall immediately make a principal payment to the Administrative Agent for
the
ratable accounts of the Lenders in an amount necessary together with (i) accrued
interest to the date of such prepayment on the principal amount repaid or
prepaid and (ii) in the case of prepayments of LIBOR Rate Loans, any amount
payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section
10.07(b),
so that
the Extensions of Credit do not exceed the Commitments. Any payments made under
this Section
2.07(b)(i)
shall be
applied first to Swingline Loans until paid in full, second to Base Rate Loans
until paid in full, third to LIBOR Rate Loans in direct order of Interest Period
maturities until paid in full and fourth to Competitive Bid Loans, pro rata
among all Lenders holding same.
(ii) On
each
date on which the Commitment is decreased pursuant to Section
2.06,
the
Borrower shall pay or prepay to the Administrative Agent for the ratable
accounts of the Lenders such principal amount of the outstanding Loans as shall
be necessary, together with (i) accrued interest to the date of such prepayment
on the principal amount repaid or prepaid and (ii) in the case of prepayments
of
LIBOR Rate Loans, any amount payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section
10.07(b),
so that
the aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Extensions of Credit does not exceed the
Commitments. Any payments made under this Section
2.07(b)(ii)
shall be
applied first to Swingline Loans until paid in full, second to Base Rate Loans
until paid in full, third to LIBOR Rate Loans in direct order of Interest Period
maturities until paid in full and fourth to Competitive Bid Loans, pro rata
among all Lenders holding same.
28
(iii) On
each
date on which the Swingline Commitment is reduced pursuant to Section
2.06(b),
the
Borrower shall pay or prepay to the Administrative Agent for the ratable
accounts of the Lenders or prepay such principal amount outstanding of Swingline
Loans, together with accrued interest to the date of such prepayment on the
principal amount repaid or prepaid, if any, as may be necessary so that after
such payment the aggregate unpaid principal amount of Swingline Loans does
not
exceed the amount of the Swingline Commitment as then reduced.
(iv) On
the
Termination Date, the Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the
ratable accounts of the Lenders, the principal amount of all Loans then
outstanding, together with (i) accrued interest to the date of such payment
on
the principal amount repaid and (ii) in the case of prepayments of LIBOR Rate
Loans, any amount payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section
10.07(b).
(v) Notwithstanding
anything set forth herein to the contrary, prior to or simultaneously with
the
receipt of proceeds related to the remarketing of Bonds purchased pursuant
to
one or more Term Drawings, the Borrower shall directly, or through the
applicable Remarketing Agent or Tender Agent on behalf of the Borrower, repay
or
prepay (as the case may be) then-outstanding Tender Advance Revolving Loans
(in
the order in which they were made), and then other outstanding Obligations
hereunder, by paying to
the
Administrative Agent for the pro
rata
share of
the Banks an amount equal to the sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount
of the Bonds remarketed plus
(ii) all accrued interest on the principal amount of Tender Advance
Revolving Loans and/or other Obligations so repaid or prepaid plus
(iii) in
the case of prepayments of LIBOR Rate Loans, any amount payable to the Banks
in
respect thereof pursuant to Section
10.07(b).
SECTION
2.08 Increase
in Commitment.
(a) The
Borrower may increase the aggregate amount of the Commitments by an amount
not
greater than $100,000,000 (any such increase, a “Commitment
Increase”)
by
designating either one or more of the existing Lenders (each of which, in its
sole discretion, may determine whether and to what degree to participate in
such
Commitment Increase) or one or more Eligible Assignees reasonably acceptable
to
the Administrative Agent that at the time agree, in the case of any existing
Lender to increase its Commitment (an “Increasing
Lender”)
and,
in the case of any other Eligible Assignee (an “Additional
Lender”),
to
become a party to this Agreement. The sum of the increases in the Commitments
of
the Increasing Lenders pursuant to this Section
2.08
plus the
Commitments of the Additional Lenders upon giving effect to the Commitment
Increase shall not in the aggregate exceed the amount of the Commitment Increase
or be less than $10,000,000 in the aggregate and integral multiples of
$5,000,000 in excess thereof. The Borrower shall provide prompt notice of any
proposed Commitment Increase pursuant to this Section
2.08
the
Administrative Agent, which shall promptly provide a copy of such notice to
the
Lenders.
29
(b) Any
Commitment Increase shall become effective upon (A) the receipt by the
Administrative Agent of (i) an agreement in form and substance satisfactory
to
the Administrative Agent signed by the Borrower, each Increasing Lender and
each
Additional Lender, setting forth the new commitments and Commitment Percentage
of each such Lender and setting forth the agreement of each Additional Lender
to
become a party to this Agreement and to be bound by all the terms and provisions
hereof binding upon each Lender, and (ii) such evidence of appropriate corporate
authorization on the part of the Borrower with respect to the Commitment
Increase and such opinions of counsel for the Borrower with respect to the
Commitment Increase as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, (B)
the
funding by each Increasing Lender and Additional Lender of the Loan(s) to be
made by each such Lender described in paragraph (c) below, (C) receipt by the
Administrative Agent of the reasonable fees and expenses of the Administrative
Agent and Lenders associated with such Commitment Increase, and (D) receipt
by
the Administrative Agent of a certificate (the statements contained in which
shall be true) of a duly authorized officer of the Borrower stating that both
before and after giving effect to such Commitment Increase (i) no Default or
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and (ii) all representations
and warranties made by the Borrower in this Agreement are true and correct
in
all material respects as of the date of the Commitment Increase.
(c) If
any Loans are
outstanding upon the effective date of any Commitment Increase, each Increasing
Lender and each Additional Lender shall provide funds to the Administrative
Agent in the manner described in Section
2.03(d)
in an
amount equal to the product of (x) the aggregate outstanding principal amount
of
such Loans (other than Competitive Bid Loans and Swingline Loans), expressed
as
a percentage of the aggregate Commitments (calculated, in each case, immediately
after such Commitment Increase) and (y) in the case of an Increasing Lender,
such Increasing Lender’s Commitment Increase and, in the case of an Additional
Lender, such Additional Lender’s Commitment. The funds so provided by any such
Lender shall be deemed to be a Loan or Loans made by such Lender on the date
of
such Commitment Increase, with such Loan(s) being in (A) in an amount equal
to
the product of (x) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of each Loan
(other than Competitive Bid Loans and Swingline Loans) expressed as a percentage
of the aggregate Commitments (calculated, in each case, immediately prior to
such Commitment Increase) and (y) in the case of an Increasing Lender, such
Increasing Lender’s Commitment Increase and, in the case of an Additional
Lender, such Additional Lender’s Commitment and (B) of the same Type(s) and
having the same Interest Periods(s) as each Loan described in the preceding
clause (A), such that after giving effect to such Commitment Increase and the
Loan made on the date of such Commitment Increase, each Loan outstanding
hereunder shall consist of Loans made ratably by all of the Lenders (after
giving effect to such Commitment Increase). The Borrower shall pay to the
Administrative Agent any amounts payable pursuant to Section
10.07(b)
in
connection with such Commitment Increase.
(d) Notwithstanding
any provision contained herein to the contrary, from and after the date of
any
Commitment Increase and the making of any Loans on such date pursuant to
paragraph (c) above, all calculations and payments of Facility Fees, Utilization
Fees and of interest on the Loans comprising any Loan shall take into account
the actual Commitment of each Lender (including the Additional Lender) and
the
principal amount outstanding of each Loan made by each such Lender during
the
relevant period of time.
30
SECTION
2.09 Evidence
of
Debt; Notes.
(a) Evidence
of Debt.
The
date, amount, type, interest rate and duration of Interest Period (if
applicable) of each Loan made by each Lender to the Borrower, and each payment
made on account of the principal thereof, shall be recorded by such Lender
on
its books; provided,
that the
failure of such Lender to make any such recordation or endorsement shall not
affect the obligations of the Borrower to make a payment when due of any amount
owing hereunder or under any Note with respect of the Loans to be evidenced
by
such Note, and each such recordation or endorsement shall be conclusive and
binding absent manifest error. In any legal action or proceeding in respect
of
this Agreement, the entries made in such account or accounts shall, in the
absence of manifest error, be conclusive evidence of the existence and amounts
of the Obligations of the Borrower therein recorded.
(b) Revolving
Loan Notes.
The
Revolving Loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower shall be evidenced, upon
request by any Lender, by the Revolving Loan Notes in a principal amount equal
to the amount of such Lender’s Commitment Percentage multiplied by the
Commitment as originally in effect.
(c) Swingline
Note.
The
Swingline Loans made by the Swingline Lender to the Borrower shall be evidenced,
upon request by the Swingline Lender, by a Swingline Note in a principal amount
equal to the Swingline Commitment.
(d) Competitive
Bid Loan Notes.
The
Competitive Bid Loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower shall be evidenced,
upon request by the Lender or Lenders making such Competitive Bid Loan, by
a
Competitive Bid Loan Notes in a principal amount equal to the Competitive Bid
Loan advanced under such Competitive Bid Request.
SECTION
2.10 Interest
Rates.
(a) Interest
Rate
Options.
Subject
to the provisions of this Section
2.10,
the
aggregate unpaid principal balance of each Loan shall bear interest at the
Applicable Rate. Any Loan or any portion thereof as to which this Agreement
specifies no Applicable Rate or as to which the Borrower has not duly specified
an interest rate as provided in this Agreement shall be deemed a Base Rate
Loan.
(b) Interest
Periods.
In
connection with each LIBOR Rate Loan, the Borrower, by giving notice at the
times described in Section
2.03(a)(i)(B),
shall
elect an interest period (each, an “Interest
Period”)
to be
applicable to such LIBOR Rate Loan, which Interest Period shall be a period
of
fourteen (14) days, one (1) month, two (2) months, three (3) months, or six
(6)
months; provided, that:
31
(i) the
Interest Period shall commence on the date of advance of or conversion to any
LIBOR Rate Loan and, in the case of immediately successive Interest Periods,
each successive Interest Period shall commence on the date on which the next
preceding Interest Period expires;
(ii) the
Borrower may not select any Interest Period that ends after the Termination
Date;
(iii) Interest
Periods commencing on the same date for LIBOR Rate Loans comprising part of
the
same Loan shall be of the same duration;
(iv) whenever
the last day of any Interest Period would otherwise occur on a day other than
a
Business Day, the last day of such Interest Period shall be extended to occur
on
the next succeeding Business Day; provided,
that if
such extension would cause the last day of such Interest Period to occur in
the
next following calendar month, the last day of such Interest Period shall occur
on the next preceding Business Day;
(v) with
respect to LIBOR
Rate Loans, if any Interest Period begins on a day for which there is no
numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest
Period, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such calendar
month; and
(vi) no
more than eight (8)
Interest Periods may be in effect at any time.
(c) Default
Rate.
Subject
to Section
7.02,
upon
the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, (i) the
Borrower shall no longer have the option to request LIBOR Rate Loans, (ii)
all
outstanding LIBOR Rate Loans shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal
to
the Default Rate, (iii) all outstanding Base Rate Loans and Swingline Loans
shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Default Rate, and (iv)
all
outstanding Competitive Bid Loans shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal
to the Default Rate. Interest shall continue to accrue on the Notes after the
filing by or against the Borrower of any petition seeking any relief in
bankruptcy or under any act or law pertaining to insolvency or debtor relief,
whether state, federal or foreign.
(d) Interest
Payment and Computation.
(A)
Interest on each Base Rate Loan and Swingline Loan shall be payable in arrears
on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter commencing September 30,
2006,
provided, however, that interest on each Swingline Loan bearing interest
at the
rate described in Section
2.03(a)(ii)(C)(I)
shall be
payable in arrears on the date such Swingline Loan is repaid; and (B) interest
on each LIBOR Rate Loan shall be payable on the last day of each Interest
Period
applicable thereto, and if such Interest Period extends over three (3) months,
at the end of each three (3) month interval during such Interest Period.
All
interest rates, fees and commissions provided hereunder shall be computed
on the
basis of a 360-day year and assessed for the actual number of days elapsed;
provided,
that
interest on each Base Rate Loan and Swingline Loan that is based on the Prime
Rate shall be computed on the basis of a 365-day or 366-day year, as applicable,
and assessed for the actual number of days elapsed.
32
(e) Payments.
The
Borrower shall make each payment hereunder not later than 12:00 noon (Charlotte,
North Carolina time) on the day when due in lawful money of the United States
of
America to the Administrative Agent at its address referred to in Section
10.02
in same
day funds. The
Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for
the
account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following
receipt thereof.
(f) Maximum
Rate.
In no
contingency or event whatsoever shall the aggregate amount of all amounts deemed
interest hereunder or under any of the Notes charged or collected pursuant
to
the terms of this Agreement or pursuant to any of the Notes exceed the highest
rate permissible under any Applicable Law which a court of competent
jurisdiction shall, in a final determination, deem applicable hereto. In the
event that such a court determines that the Lenders have charged or received
interest hereunder in excess of the highest applicable rate, the rate in effect
hereunder shall automatically be reduced to the maximum rate permitted by
Applicable Law and the Lenders shall at the Administrative Agent’s option
promptly refund to the Borrower any interest received by Lenders in excess
of
the maximum lawful rate or shall apply such excess to the principal balance
of
the Obligations. It is the intent hereof that the Borrower not pay or contract
to pay, and that neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender receive or
contract to receive, directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever, interest
in excess of that which may be paid by the Borrower under Applicable
Law.
SECTION
2.11 Additional
Interest on LIBOR Rate Loans.
The
Borrower shall pay to each Lender, so long as such Lender shall be required
under regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to
maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or
including Eurocurrency Liabilities and which are not
required on the date of this Agreement, additional interest on the unpaid
principal amount of each LIBOR Rate Loan and Competitive Bid Loan of such
Lender, from the date of such LIBOR Rate Loan and Competitive
Bid Loan
until such principal amount is paid in full, at an interest rate per annum
equal
at all times to the remainder obtained by subtracting (i) the LIBOR Rate for
the
Interest Period for such LIBOR Rate Loan or Competitive Bid Loan, from (ii)
the
rate obtained by dividing such LIBOR Rate by a percentage equal to 100% minus
the LIBOR Rate Reserve Percentage of such Lender for such Interest Period,
payable on each date on which interest is payable on such LIBOR Rate Loan or
Competitive Bid Loan. Such additional interest shall be determined by such
Lender and notified to the Borrower through the Administrative
Agent.
SECTION
2.12 Interest
Rate Determination.
(a) The
Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice to the Borrower and the Lenders
of
the applicable interest rate determined by the Administrative Agent for purposes
of Section
2.10.
(b) If,
with
respect to any LIBOR Rate Loans and Competitive Bid Loan, (i) the Required
Lenders notify the Administrative Agent that the LIBOR Rate for any Interest
Period for such LIBOR Rate Loans or Competitive Bid Loan will not adequately
reflect the cost to such Required Lenders of making, funding or maintaining
their respective LIBOR Rate
33
Loans
or
Competitive Bid Loan for such Interest Period or (ii) the Required Lenders
notify the Administrative Agent or the Administrative Agent determines that
adequate and fair means do not exist for ascertaining the applicable interest
rate on the basis provided for in the definition of LIBOR Rate, the
Administrative Agent shall forthwith so notify the Borrower and the Lenders,
whereupon:
(i) each
LIBOR Rate Loan or Competitive Bid Loan will automatically, on the last day
of
the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into a Base Rate Loan,
and
(ii) the
obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Base Rate Loans into, LIBOR
Rate Loans shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent (based on notice
from the Required Lenders) shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that the
circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.
(c) If
the
Borrower shall fail to (i) select the duration of any Interest Period for any
LIBOR Rate Loans in accordance with the provisions of Section
2.10(b),
(ii)
provide a Notice of Conversion with respect to any LIBOR Rate Loans on or prior
to 11:00 a.m., Charlotte, North Carolina time, on the third Business Day prior
to the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, in the case of a
Conversion to or in respect of LIBOR Rate Loans or (iii) satisfy the conditions
set forth in Section
2.13
with
respect to a Conversion, the Administrative Agent will forthwith so notify
the
Borrower and the Lenders and such LIBOR Rate Loans will automatically, on the
last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into Base Rate
Loans.
SECTION
2.13 Voluntary
Conversion of Loans.
The
Borrower may on any Business Day, by delivering an irrevocable Notice of
Conversion (a “Notice
of Conversion”)
in the
form of Exhibit
F
hereto
to the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Charlotte, North Carolina
time, on the third Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Conversion,
and subject to the provisions of Sections
2.10, 2.15 and 4.03,
Convert
all Loans of one Type made simultaneously into Loans of the other Type;
provided,
that
any
Conversion of any LIBOR Rate Loans into Base Rate Loans shall be made on, and
only on, the last day of an Interest Period for such LIBOR Rate
Loans.
SECTION
2.14 Increased
Costs.
(a) If,
due
to either (i) the introduction of or any change (other than any change by way
of
imposition or increase of reserve requirements, in the case of LIBOR Rate Loans
or Competitive Bid Loans, included in the LIBOR Rate Reserve Percentage) in
or
in the interpretation of any law or regulation or (ii) the compliance with
any guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental authority
(whether or not having the force of law), in any case, promulgated, implemented
or occurring on or after the date hereof, there shall be any increase in the
cost to any Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining LIBOR
Rate Loans or Competitive Bid Loans, then the Borrower shall from time to time,
upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative
Agent), pay to such Lender additional amounts sufficient to compensate such
Lender for such
34
increased
cost. Each Lender agrees to notify the Borrower of any such increased costs
as
soon as reasonably practicable after determining that such increased cost is
applicable to LIBOR Rate Loans or Competitive Bid Loans hereunder. A certificate
as to the amount of such increased cost, submitted to the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent by such Lender, shall be conclusive and binding for all
purposes, absent manifest error.
(b) If
any
Lender determines that compliance with any law or regulation or any guideline
or
request from any central bank or other governmental authority (whether or not
having the force of law), in any case promulgated, implemented or occurring
on
or after the date hereof, affects or would affect the amount of capital required
or expected to be maintained by any such Lender or any corporation controlling
any such Lender and that the amount of such capital is increased by or based
upon the existence of such Lender’s Commitment hereunder and other Commitments
of this Type, then, upon demand by any such Lender, as the case may be (with
a
copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), the Borrower shall immediately
pay to such Lender, as the case may be, from time to time as specified by such
Lender, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender, or such
corporation in the light of such circumstances, for any difference in the rate
of return of any such Lender to the extent that such Lender, as the case may
be,
reasonably determines such increase in capital to be allocable to the existence
of such Lender’s Commitment hereunder, as the case may be. Each Lender agrees to
notify the Borrower of any such additional amount as
soon
as reasonably practicable after the any Lender makes such determination. A
certificate as to such amounts submitted to the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent by such Lender shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent
manifest error.
SECTION
2.15 I llegality.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, if any Lender shall notify the
Administrative Agent that the introduction of or any change in or in the
interpretation of any law or regulation makes it unlawful, or any central bank
or other governmental authority asserts that it is unlawful, for any Lender
or
its LIBOR Lending Office to perform its obligations hereunder to make LIBOR
Rate
Loans or Competitive Bid Loans, or to fund or maintain LIBOR Rate Loans or
Competitive Bid Loans hereunder, (i) the obligation of the Lenders to make
Competitive Bid Loans, (ii) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert
Base Rate Loans into, LIBOR Rate Loans shall be suspended until the
Administrative Agent (based on notice from the affected Lender) shall notify
the
Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances causing such suspension no
longer exist, and (iii) the Borrower shall pay (x) on the last day of the
applicable Interest Period, or (y) if the failure to prepay immediately would
cause any Lender to be in violation of such law or regulation, immediately,
in
full all LIBOR Rate Loans and Competitive Bid Loans of all Lenders then
outstanding, together with interest accrued thereon and amounts payable pursuant
to Section
10.07(b),
unless,
in either case, the Borrower, within five Business Days of notice from the
Administrative Agent (or such shorter, maximum period of time, specified by
the
Administrative Agent, as may be legally allowable), Converts all LIBOR Rate
Loans or Competitive Bid Loans of all Lenders then outstanding into Base Rate
Loans in accordance with Section
2.13.
35
SECTION
2.16 Nature of
Obligations of Lenders Regarding Extensions of Credit; Assumption by the
Administrative Agent.
The
obligations of the Lenders under this Agreement to make the Loans and issue
or
participate in Letters of Credit are several and are not joint or joint and
several. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a
Lender prior to a proposed borrowing date that such Lender will not make
available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s ratable portion of the
amount to be borrowed on such date (which notice shall not release such Lender
of its obligations hereunder), the Administrative Agent may assume that such
Lender has made such portion available to the Administrative Agent on the
proposed borrowing date in accordance with this Agreement and the Administrative
Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower
on
such date a corresponding amount. If such amount is made available to the
Administrative Agent on a date after such borrowing date, such Lender shall
pay
to the Administrative Agent on demand an amount, until paid, equal to the
product of (a) the amount not made available by such Lender in accordance with
the terms hereof, times
(b) the
daily average Federal Funds Rate (or, if such amount is not made available
for a
period of three (3) Business Days after the borrowing date, the Base Rate)
during such period as determined by the Administrative Agent, times
(c) a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of days that elapse from and
including such borrowing date to the date on which such amount not made
available by such Lender in accordance with the terms hereof shall have become
immediately available to the Administrative Agent and the denominator of which
is 360. A
certificate of the Administrative Agent with respect to any amounts owing under
this Section
2.16
shall be
conclusive, absent manifest error. If such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of
such borrowing is not made available to the Administrative Agent by such Lender
within three (3) Business Days of such borrowing date, the Administrative Agent
shall be entitled to recover such amount made available by the Administrative
Agent with interest thereon at the rate per annum applicable to the Loan
hereunder, on demand, from the Borrower. The failure of any Lender to make
available its Commitment Percentage of any Loan requested by the Borrower shall
not relieve it or any other Lender of its obligation, if any, hereunder to
make
its Commitment Percentage of such Loan available on such borrowing date, but
no
Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make its
Commitment Percentage of such Loan available on the borrowing date.
SECTION
2.17 Net
of Taxes, Etc.
(a) All
payments made by the Borrower under this Agreement shall be made free and clear
of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of, any present
or
future income, stamp or other taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees,
deductions or withholdings, now or hereafter imposed, levied, collected,
withheld or assessed by any Governmental Authority, excluding,
in the
case of the Administrative Agent and each Lender, taxes imposed on its overall
net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it by the jurisdiction under the
laws
of which the Administrative Agent or such Lender (as the case may be) is
organized or any political subdivision thereof and, in the case of each Lender,
taxes imposed on its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it
by
the jurisdiction of such Lender’s Applicable Lending Office or any political
subdivision thereof (all such non-excluded taxes, levies, imposts, deductions,
charges, withholdings and liabilities being hereinafter referred to as
“Taxes”).
If
any Taxes are required to be withheld from any amounts
36
payable
to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder, the amounts so payable
to
the Administrative Agent or such Lender shall be increased to the extent
necessary to yield to the Administrative Agent or such Lender (after payment
of
all Taxes) interest or any such other amounts payable hereunder at the rates
or
in the amounts specified in this Agreement. Whenever any Taxes are payable
by
the Borrower, as promptly as possible thereafter the Borrower shall send to
the
Administrative Agent for its own account or for the account of such Lender,
a
certified copy of an original official receipt received by the Borrower showing
payment thereof. If the Borrower fails to pay any Taxes when due to the
appropriate taxing authority or fails to remit to the Administrative Agent
the
required receipts or other required documentary evidence, the Borrower shall
indemnify the Administrative Agent and the Lenders for any incremental taxes,
interest or penalties that may become payable by the Administrative Agent or
any
Lender as a result of any such failure. The agreements in this Section shall
survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the obligations
hereunder and all other amounts payable hereunder.
(b) Each
Lender that is not incorporated under the laws of the United States of America
or a state thereof agrees that it will deliver to the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent on or before the latter of the date hereof and the date
such Lender becomes a Lender (i) two duly completed copies of United States
Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI or successor applicable form,
as
the case may be. Each such Lender also agrees to deliver to the Borrower and
the
Administrative Agent two further copies of said Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI, or
successor applicable forms or other manner of certification, as the case may
be,
on or before the date that any such form previously delivered expires or becomes
obsolete or after the occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most
recent form previously delivered by it to the Borrower, and such extensions
or
renewals thereof as may reasonably be requested by the Borrower or the
Administrative Agent, unless in any such case an event (including, without
limitation, any change in treaty, law or regulation) has occurred prior to
the
date on which any such delivery would otherwise be required which renders all
such forms inapplicable or which would prevent such Lender from duly completing
and delivering any such form with respect to it and such Lender so advises
the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent. Such Lender shall certify that it is
entitled to receive payments under this Agreement without deduction or
withholding of any United States federal income taxes and that it is entitled
to
an exemption from United States backup withholding tax.
(c) If
any
Lender shall request compensation for costs pursuant to this Section
2.17,
(i)
such Lender shall make reasonable efforts (which shall not require such Lender
to incur a loss or unreimbursed cost or otherwise suffer any disadvantage deemed
by it to be significant) to make within thirty (30) days an assignment of its
rights and delegation and transfer of its obligations hereunder to another
of
its offices, branches or affiliates, if such assignment would reduce such costs
in the future, (ii) the Borrower may with the consent of the Required Lenders,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, secure a substitute bank
to
replace such Lender which substitute bank shall, upon execution of a counterpart
of this Agreement and payment to such Lender of any and all amounts due under
this Agreement, be deemed to be a Lender hereunder (any such substitution
referred to in clause (ii) shall be accompanied by an amount equal to any loss
or reasonable expense incurred by such Lender as a result of such substitution);
provided,
that
this Section
2.17(c)
shall
not be construed as limiting the liability of the Borrower to indemnify or
reimburse such Lender for any costs or expenses the Borrower is required
hereunder to indemnify or reimburse.
37
SECTION
2.18 Extension
of Stated Termination Date.
(a) The
Borrower may, by sending written request in substantially the form of Exhibit
J
(an “Extension
Letter”)
to the
Administrative Agent (in which case the Administrative Agent shall promptly
deliver a copy to each of the Lenders), no earlier than seventy-five (75) days
and no later than twenty (20) days prior to any annual anniversary of
the Closing Date (each an “Anniversary
Date”),
request that the Lenders extend the Stated Termination Date to the day that
is
one year after the then existing Stated Termination Date (each such request
being referred to herein as an “Extension”);
provided, that such Extension shall only take effect if Lenders holding at
least
51% of the aggregate Commitments as of the applicable Election Date advise
the
Administrative Agent as required herein of their agreement to participate in
such Extension (the “Extension
Condition”).
The Stated Termination Date may be extended pursuant to this Section
2.18
on up to
two occasions; provided that, in no event shall the Stated Termination Date
extend beyond August 22, 2013.
(b) Each
Lender, acting in
its sole discretion, shall, by notice to the Administrative Agent given no
later
than fifteen (15) days after the receipt of any applicable Extension Letter
by the Administrative Agent (each an “Election
Date”),
advise the Administrative Agent in writing whether or not such Lender agrees
to such Extension. The election of any Lender to agree to any
Extension shall not obligate any other Lender to so agree. The failure of
any Lender to respond to a request for an Extension prior to the applicable
Election Date shall be deemed to be a decision by such Lender not to extend
the
Stated Termination Date.
(c) If
the
Extension Condition shall not have been satisfied as of the applicable Election
Date, then the Commitments shall terminate on the then existing Stated
Termination Date (the Stated Termination Date in effect immediately after the
receipt by the Administrative Agent of an Extension Letter but prior
to the Extension so requested in such Extension Letter taking effect
shall be referred to herein as the "Current
Stated Termination Date")
and
all Loans then outstanding (together with accrued interest thereon and any
other
amounts owing under the Loan Documents) shall be due and payable on
the Current Stated Termination Date, subject to any additional requested
Extension permitted pursuant to this Section
2.18.
(d) If
the Extension
Condition shall have been satisfied as of any applicable Election
Date, then the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent within two (2)
Business Days of such Election Date as to whether (i) the Extension will
take effect as of such Election Date or (ii) despite satisfaction of the
Extension Condition, such Extension will not take effect, in which case the
Commitments shall terminate on the Current Stated Termination Date and all
Loans then outstanding (together with accrued interest thereon and any other
amounts owing under the Loan Documents) shall be due and payable on
the Current Stated Termination Date. If the Borrower fails to notify
the Administrative Agent within two (2) Business Days as required by the
immediately preceding sentence, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have
elected for such Extension to take effect as of the applicable
Election Date. If an Extension takes effect pursuant to either of the
first two sentences of this Section
2.18(d),
such
Extension shall be deemed to have taken effect solely as to those Lenders
38
(each,
a
“Consenting
Lender”)
that
shall have agreed to the requested Extension on or prior to the
applicable Election Date and, as to such Consenting Lenders, the Stated
Termination Date shall be the date that is one year after the Current Stated
Termination Date, subject to any additional Extension agreed upon pursuant
to
this Section
2.18.
If an Extension becomes effective as to some and not all of the Lenders
(each Lender who shall not have agreed to the Extension as of the Election
Date,
a “Non-Consenting
Lender”),
then:
(i) subject
to clause (ii) of this Section
2.18(d),
the
Commitment of each Non-Consenting Lender shall terminate on the Stated
Termination Date in effect prior to such Extension taking effect, and all Loans
and other amounts payable hereunder to such Non-Consenting Lender shall become
due and payable on the Stated Termination Date in effect prior to such Extension
taking effect and, on the Stated Termination Date in effect prior to such
Extension taking effect, the aggregate Commitments of the Lenders hereunder
shall be reduced by the aggregate Commitments of the Non-Consenting Lenders
so
terminated on such Stated Termination Date;
(ii) the
Borrower may, at its own expense, on or prior to the Stated Termination Date
in
effect prior to such Extension taking effect, require any Non-Consenting Lender
to transfer and assign without recourse or representation (except as to title
and the absence of Liens created by it) (in accordance with and subject to
the
restrictions contained in Section
10.09)
all of
such Non-Consenting Lender’s interests, rights and obligations under the Loan
Documents (including with respect to any L/C Obligations) to one or more banks
or other financial institutions (which may include any Lender) (each, an
“Additional
Commitment Lender”),
provided, that (A) such Additional Commitment Lender, if not already a Lender
hereunder, shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent (not
to
be unreasonably withheld or delayed), (B) such assignment shall become effective
no later than the Stated Termination Date in effect prior to such Extension
taking effect and (C) the Additional Commitment Lender shall pay to such
Non-Consenting Lender in immediately available funds on the effective date
of
such assignment the principal of and interest accrued to the date of payment
on
the Loans made by such Non-Consenting Lender hereunder and all other amounts
accrued for such Non-Consenting Lender's account or owed to it hereunder;
and
(iii) in
all cases, each
Non-Consenting Lender shall be required to maintain its original Commitment
up
to the Stated Termination Date in effect prior to such Extension taking
effect.
(e) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, no extension of the Stated Termination Date shall become
effective unless, on the Anniversary Date, the conditions set forth in
Section
4.02
shall be
satisfied and the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate to
that
effect dated the Anniversary Date and executed by the chief executive officer
or
chief financial officer of the Borrower.
39
SECTION
2.19 Extension
of
Stated Expiration Date of Bond L/Cs.
Unless
each Bond L/C outstanding pursuant hereto shall have expired in accordance
with
its terms on the Cancellation Date, at least ninety (90) days before the Stated
Expiration Date of any Bond L/C, the Borrower may request the Issuing Lender,
with the consent of all the Lenders, by notice to the Administrative Agent
in
writing (each such request being irrevocable) to extend for a 364-day period
the
Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C. If the Borrower shall make such a
request, then the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Lenders
thereof, and if the Issuing Lender and all of the Lenders, in their sole
discretion, elect to extend the Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C then
in
effect, the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the Borrowers a notice (herein
referred to as a “Notice
of Extension”) designating
the date to which the Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C will be extended
and the conditions of such consent (including, without limitation, conditions
relating to legal documentation and the consent of the applicable Trustee).
If
all such conditions are satisfied and such extension of the Stated Expiration
Date for such Bond L/C shall be effective, thereafter all references in this
Agreement to the Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C shall be deemed to
be
references to the date designated as such in such legal documentation. Any
date
to which the Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C has been extended in
accordance with this Section
2.19
may be
extended in like manner. Failure of the Administrative Agent to deliver a Notice
of Extension as herein provided within thirty (30) days of a request by the
Borrower to extend such Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C shall
constitute an election by the Issuing Lender and the Lenders not to extend
the
Stated Expiration Date for such Bond L/C.
SECTION
2.20 Application
of Amounts Received Under Related Documents.
Upon
receipt by the Issuing Lender from time to time of any amount pursuant to the
terms of any Related Document (other than pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement), the Issuing Lender shall promptly deliver to the Administrative
Agent any such amount. Upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of any such
amount, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such amounts as
follows:
First: To
the
Issuing Lender in an amount equal to any draw under the Bond L/Cs not reimbursed
in full by the Borrower pursuant to the terms hereof on the date of such
distribution;
Second:
To
the
Issuing Lender (for its own account), the Administrative Agent (for its own
account) and the Lenders, pro
rata,
in an
amount equal to the commissions and fees due and payable hereunder to the
Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders on the date of such
distribution and in respect of Bond L/Cs;
Third: To
the
Lenders, pro
rata, in
an
amount equal to the interest due and payable on any Tender Advance Revolving
Loan outstanding hereunder on the date of such distribution;
Fourth: To
the
Lenders, pro
rata, in
an
amount equal to the principal due and payable on any Tender Advance Revolving
Loan outstanding hereunder on the date of such distribution;
Fifth: To
the
Issuing Lender (for its own account) and the Administrative Agent (for its
own
account), in an amount equal to any amount due and payable to the Issuing
Lender
and the Administrative Agent in their capacities as such pursuant to
Section
10.07
hereof
on the date of such distribution;
40
Sixth: To
the
Lenders, pro
rata, in
an
amount equal to any amount due and payable to the Lenders pursuant to
Section
10.07
hereof
on the date of such distribution; and
Seventh: To
the
Issuing Lender (for its own account), the Administrative Agent (for its own
account) and the Lenders, pro rata,
for
any
other Obligations not described above due and payable hereunder to such Persons
on the date of such distribution.
[End
of
Article II]
41
ARTICLE
III
LETTER
OF CREDIT FACILITY
SECTION
3.01 L/C
Commitment.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Issuing Lender, in reliance
on the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in Section
3.04(a),
agrees
to issue letters of credit (“Letters
of Credit”) for
the
account of the Borrower or the Borrower’s Subsidiaries on any Business Day from
the Closing Date to, but not including, the date that is ninety (90) days prior
to the Termination Date in such form as may be approved from time to time by
the
Issuing Lender; provided,
that
the Issuing Lender shall have no obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if,
after giving effect to such issuance, the aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Extensions of Credit would exceed the Commitments. The Existing
Letters of Credit shall be deemed to have been issued pursuant hereto, and
from
and after the Closing Date shall be subject to, and governed by, the terms
and
conditions hereof.
(b) Each
Letter of Credit shall (i) be denominated in Dollars in a minimum amount of
$100,000, (ii) be a letter of credit issued to support obligations of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, contingent or otherwise, incurred in the
ordinary course of business, (iii) (A) expire on a date not later than five
(5)
Business Days prior to the Termination Date, (B) have a term not exceeding
two
years, (C) and otherwise reasonably satisfactory to the Issuing Lender, and
(iv)
be subject to the Uniform Customs and/or ISP 98, as set forth in the Application
or as determined by the Issuing Lender and, to the extent not inconsistent
therewith, the laws of the State of New York. The Issuing Lender shall not
at
any time be obligated to issue any Letter of Credit hereunder if such issuance
would conflict with, or cause the Issuing Lender or any L/C Participant to
exceed any limits imposed by, any Applicable Law. References herein to “issue”
and derivations thereof with respect to Letters of Credit shall also include
extensions or modifications of any existing Letters of Credit, unless the
context otherwise requires.
SECTION
3.02 Procedure
for
Issuance of Letters of Credit.
The
Borrower may from time to time request that the Issuing Lender issue a Letter
of
Credit by delivering to the Issuing Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office
an Application therefor, completed to the reasonable satisfaction of the Issuing
Lender, and such other certificates, documents and other papers and information
as the Issuing Lender may reasonably request. Upon receipt of any Application,
the Issuing Lender shall process such Application and the certificates,
documents and other papers and information delivered to it in connection
therewith in accordance with its customary procedures and shall, subject to
Section
3.01
and
Article
IV,
promptly issue the Letter of Credit requested thereby (but in no event shall
the
Issuing Lender be required to issue any Letter of Credit earlier than two (2)
Business Days after its receipt of the Application therefor and all such other
certificates, documents and other papers and information relating thereto)
by
issuing the original of such Letter of Credit to the beneficiary thereof or
as
otherwise may be agreed by the Issuing Lender and the Borrower. The Issuing
Lender shall promptly furnish to the Borrower a copy of such Letter of Credit
and promptly notify each Lender of the issuance and upon request by any Lender,
furnish to such Lender a copy of such Letter of Credit and the amount of such
Lender’s L/C Participation therein.
42
SECTION
3.03 Commissions
and Other Charges.
(a) The
Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing
Lender and the L/C Participants, a letter of credit commission with respect
to
each Letter of Credit (other than Bond L/Cs) in an amount equal to the product
of (i) the average daily maximum amount available to be drawn during the
relevant quarter under such Letter of Credit and (ii) the Applicable LIBOR
Margin (determined on a per annum basis). Such commission shall be payable
quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter and
on
the Termination Date commencing on the last Business Day of the calendar quarter
in which such Letter of Credit is issued. The Administrative Agent shall,
promptly following its receipt thereof, distribute to the Issuing Lender and
the
L/C Participants all commissions received pursuant to this Section
3.03(a)
in
accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages.
(b) In
addition to the
foregoing commission, the Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for
the account of the Issuing Lender, a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of
Credit issued on or after the Closing Date in an amount equal to the product
of
(i) the face amount of such Letter of Credit and (ii) 10 basis points (0.100%)
(the “Fronting
Fee”).
Such
Fronting Fee shall be payable in arrears on the last Business Day of each
calendar quarter and on the Termination Date for each day such Letter of Credit
is issued and outstanding.
(c) In
addition to the
foregoing fees and commissions, the Borrower shall pay or reimburse the Issuing
Lender for such normal and customary costs and expenses as are incurred or
charged by the Issuing Lender in issuing, effecting payment under, transferring,
amending or otherwise administering any Letter of Credit, including, without
limitation, an amount equal to $100 per draw with respect to any Bond L/C.
SECTION
3.04 L/C
Participations.
(a) The
Issuing Lender irrevocably agrees to grant and hereby grants to each L/C
Participant, and, to induce the Issuing Lender to issue Letters of Credit
hereunder, each L/C Participant irrevocably agrees to accept and purchase and
hereby accepts and purchases from the Issuing Lender, on the terms and
conditions hereinafter stated, for such L/C Participant’s own account and risk
an undivided interest equal to such L/C Participant’s Commitment Percentage in
the Issuing Lender’s obligations and rights under and in respect of each Letter
of Credit issued (or deemed issued) hereunder and the amount of each draft
paid
by the Issuing Lender thereunder. Each L/C Participant unconditionally and
irrevocably agrees with the Issuing Lender that, if a draft is paid under any
Letter of Credit for which the Issuing Lender is not reimbursed in full by
the
Borrower through a Revolving Loan or otherwise in accordance with the terms
of
this Agreement, such L/C Participant shall pay to the Issuing Lender upon demand
at the Issuing Lender’s address for notices specified herein an amount equal to
such L/C Participant’s Commitment Percentage multiplied by the amount of such
draft, or any part thereof, which is not so reimbursed.
43
(b) Upon
becoming aware of any amount required to be paid by any L/C Participant to
the
Issuing Lender pursuant to Section 3.04(a)
in
respect of any unreimbursed portion of any payment made by the Issuing Lender
under any Letter of Credit, the Issuing Lender shall notify each L/C Participant
of the amount and due date of such required payment and such L/C Participant
shall pay to the Issuing Lender the amount specified on the applicable due
date.
If any such amount is paid to the Issuing Lender after the date such payment
is
due, such L/C Participant shall pay to the Issuing Lender on demand, in addition
to such amount, the product of (i) such amount, times
(ii) the
daily average Federal Funds Rate (or Base Rate, if such amount is not paid
within three Business Days of demand) as determined by the Administrative Agent
during the period from and including the date such payment is due to the date
on
which such payment is immediately available to the Issuing Lender, times
(iii) a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of days that elapse during such
period and the denominator of which is 360. A certificate of the Issuing Lender
with respect to any amounts owing under this Section
3.04(b)
shall be
conclusive in the absence of manifest error. With respect to payment to the
Issuing Lender of the unreimbursed amounts described in this Section
3.04(b),
if the
L/C Participants receive notice that any such payment is due (A) prior to 1:00
p.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on any Business Day, such payment shall
be
due that Business Day, and (B) after 1:00 p.m. (Charlotte, North Carolina time)
on any Business Day, such payment shall be due on the following Business
Day.
(c) Whenever,
at any time after the Issuing Lender has made payment under any Letter of Credit
and has received from any L/C Participant its Commitment Percentage of such
payment in accordance with this Section
3.04,
the
Issuing Lender receives any payment related to such Letter of Credit (whether
directly from the Borrower or otherwise) including, without limitation, payments
made pursuant to Section
3.03,
or any
payment of interest on account thereof, the Issuing Lender will distribute
to
such L/C Participant its pro
rata share
thereof; provided,
that in
the event that any such payment received by the Issuing Lender shall be required
to be returned by the Issuing Lender, such L/C Participant shall return to
the
Issuing Lender the portion thereof previously distributed by the Issuing Lender
to it.
SECTION
3.05 Reimbursement
Obligation of the Borrower.
(a) Letters
of Credit.
(i) Except
as
otherwise provided in Section
3.05(b),
in the
event of any drawing under any Letter of Credit, the Borrower agrees to
reimburse (either with the proceeds of a Revolving Loan as provided for in
this
Section
3.05(a)
or with
funds from other sources), in same day funds, the Issuing Lender on each date
on
which the Issuing Lender notifies the Borrower of the date and amount of a
draft
paid under any such Letter of Credit for the amount of (x) such draft so paid
and (y) any amounts referred to in Section
3.03(c)
incurred
by the Issuing Lender in connection with such payment.
(ii) Except
as
otherwise provided in Section
3.05(b),
unless
the Borrower shall immediately notify the Issuing Lender that the Borrower
intends to reimburse the Issuing Lender for any such drawing under any Letter
of
Credit from other sources or funds, the Borrower shall be deemed to have timely
given a Notice of Borrowing to the
44
Administrative
Agent requesting that the Lenders make a Revolving Loan bearing interest at
the
Base Rate on such date in the amount of (x) such draft so paid and (y) any
amounts referred to in Section
3.03(c)
incurred by the Issuing Lender in connection with such payment, and the Lenders
shall make a Revolving Loan bearing interest at the Base Rate in such amount,
and, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the proceeds
of
which shall be applied to reimburse the Issuing Lender for the amount of the
related drawing and costs and expenses. If the Borrower has elected to pay
the
amount of any such drawing from other sources or funds and shall fail to
reimburse the Issuing Lender as provided in this Section 3.05(a), the
unreimbursed amount of such drawing shall bear interest at the rate which would
be payable on any outstanding Base Rate Loans which were then overdue from
the
date such amounts become payable (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration
or
otherwise) until payment in full.
(b) Bond
L/Cs.
(i) If
the
Issuing Lender shall make any payment under a Bond L/C in response to a Term
Drawing and, on the date of such payment, the conditions precedent set forth
in
Section
4.03
shall
have been fulfilled, then, unless the Borrower shall immediately notify the
Issuing Lender that the Borrower intends to reimburse the Issuing Lender for
any
such drawing under such Bond L/C from other sources or funds, the Borrower
shall
be deemed to have timely given a Notice of Borrowing to the Administrative
Agent
requesting that the Lenders make a Revolving Loan to the Borrower equal to
the
principal amount of the Bonds purchased with the proceeds of such Term Drawing
(each such Revolving Loan being a “Tender
Advance Revolving Loan”).
Each
Tender Advance Revolving Loan shall bear interest, initially at the Base Rate
and shall be deemed to be a Base Rate Loan, and thereafter at the Base Rate
or
the LIBOR Rate, as selected by the Borrower in accordance with Section
2.13.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, principal
of each Tender Advance Revolving Loan, together with all accrued interest
thereon, shall be due and payable on the earliest to occur of (i) the
Termination Date, (ii) the date on which the applicable Pledged Bonds are
redeemed or cancelled, (iii) the date on which the applicable Pledged Bonds
are
remarketed and (iv) the date on which the applicable Letter of Credit is
replaced by a substitute letter of credit. To the extent that the Administrative
Agent receives interest payable on account of any Pledged Bonds such interest
received shall be applied and credited first against accrued and unpaid interest
on the Tender Advance Revolving Loan that financed the Term Drawing in respect
of which such Pledged Bonds were purchased.
(c) Each
Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to fund a Revolving Loan,
including any Tender Advance Revolving Loan, in accordance with this
Section
3.05
and to
reimburse the Issuing Lender for any draft paid under a Letter of Credit is
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance
whatsoever, including, without limitation, the existence of a Default or an
Event of Default other than a Default or Event of Default that the Issuing
Lender had actual knowledge of at the time of the issuance of such Letter of
Credit.
SECTION
3.06 Obligations
Absolute.
The
Borrower’s obligations under this Article
III
(including, without limitation, the Obligations) shall be absolute and
unconditional under any and all circumstances and
45
irrespective
of any set-off, counterclaim or defense to payment which the Borrower may have
or have had against the Issuing Lender or any beneficiary of a Letter of Credit
or any other Person. The Borrower also agrees that the Issuing Lender and the
L/C Participants shall not be responsible for, and the Borrower’s reimbursement
obligation under Section
3.05
shall
not be affected by, among other things, the validity or genuineness of documents
or of any endorsements thereon, even though such documents shall in fact prove
to be invalid, fraudulent or forged, or any dispute between or among the
Borrower and any beneficiary of any Letter of Credit or any other party to
which
such Letter of Credit may be transferred or any claims whatsoever of the
Borrower against any beneficiary of such Letter of Credit or any such
transferee, except for such matters caused by the Issuing Lender’s gross
negligence or willful misconduct. The Issuing Lender shall not be liable for
any
error, omission, interruption or delay in transmission, dispatch or delivery
of
any message or advice, however transmitted, in connection with any Letter of
Credit, except for errors or omissions caused by the Issuing Lender’s gross
negligence or willful misconduct. The Borrower agrees that any action taken
or
omitted by the Issuing Lender under or in connection with any Letter of Credit
or the related drafts or documents, if done in the absence of gross negligence
or willful misconduct and in accordance with the standards of care specified
in
ISP 98 or the Uniform Customs, as the case may be, and, to the extent not
inconsistent therewith, the UCC, shall be binding on the Borrower and shall
not
result in any liability of the Issuing Lender or Lenders.
[End
of
Article III]
46
ARTICLE
IV
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
SECTION
4.01 Conditions
Precedent to the Execution and Delivery of this
Agreement.
The
obligation of the Lenders to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue
Letters of Credit and to make Loans is subject to the conditions precedent
that
the Administrative Agent (and the Lenders, if applicable) shall have received
on
or before the Closing Date, the following, each dated such date, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders,
with copies for each Lender:
(a) Agreement.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of counterparts of this Agreement, duly executed
by
the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and the
Lenders;
(b) Secretary’s
Certificate.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of (A) a certificate of the secretary or assistant
secretary of the Borrower, as applicable, dated the Closing Date and certifying
(1) that attached thereto is a true and complete copy of the certificate of
incorporation and all amendments thereto of the Borrower, certified as of a
recent date by the appropriate Governmental Authority in its jurisdiction of
organization, (2) that attached thereto is a true and complete copy of the
by-laws of the Borrower in effect on the Closing Date and at all times since
a
date prior to the date of the resolutions described in clause (3) below, (3)
that attached thereto is a true and complete copy of resolutions or consents,
as
applicable, duly adopted by the board of directors of the Borrower authorizing,
as applicable, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and
that such resolutions have not been modified, rescinded or amended and are
in
full force and effect, (4) that the organizational documents of the Borrower
have not been amended since the date of the last amendment thereto shown on
the
certificate of good standing attached thereto, and (5) as to the incumbency
and
specimen signature of each officer of the Borrower executing this Agreement
and
any other document delivered in connection herewith on its behalf; and (B)
a
certificate of another officer as to the incumbency and specimen signature
of
such secretary or assistant secretary executing the certificate pursuant to
(A)
above;
(c) Officer’s
Certificate.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of a certificate from the chief executive officer
or
chief financial officer of the Borrower, as applicable, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, to the effect that, as
of
the Closing Date, all representations and warranties of the Borrower contained
in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are true, correct and complete;
that the Borrower is not in violation or aware of any event that would cause
a
Material Adverse Change in the business or operation as reflected in the
Disclosure Documents; that the Borrower is not in violation of any of the
covenants contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents; that, after
giving effect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, no Default
or
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; and that the Borrower has
satisfied each of the conditions precedent set forth in this Section
4.01;
47
(d) Consents.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of a written representation from the Borrower that
(i) all governmental, shareholder, member, partner and third party consents
and
approvals necessary or, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent,
desirable, in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby have been
received and are in full force and effect and (ii) no condition or requirement
of law exists which could reasonably be likely to restrain, prevent or impose
any material adverse condition on the transactions contemplated
hereby;
(e) Proceedings.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of a certificate from the Borrower certifying that
no action, proceeding, investigation, regulation or legislation has been
instituted, or, to the Borrower’s knowledge, threatened or proposed before any
court, government agency or legislative body to enjoin, restrain or prohibit,
or
to obtain damages in respect of, or which is related to or arises out of this
Agreement or any other Loan Documents or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby or which, in the Administrative Agent’s
reasonable determination, would prohibit
the extension of Letters of Credit or could reasonably be expected to result
in
any such prohibition or a Material Adverse Change on the Borrower, Marina,
South
Jersey Gas Company and the Borrower’s other Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole;
(f) Financial
Statements.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of the Disclosure Documents and financial statements
required pursuant to Section
6.03,
which
demonstrate, in the Administrative Agent’s reasonable judgment, together with
all other information then available to the Administrative Agent, that the
Borrower can repay its debts and satisfy its other obligations as and when
they
become due, and can comply with the financial covenants contained in this
Agreement;
(g) Good
Standing Certificate.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of a certificate of good standing for the Borrower,
dated on or immediately prior to the Closing Date, from the Secretary of State
of the state of organization of the Borrower and from all states in which the
Borrower is required to obtain a certificate of good standing or like
certificate due to the nature of its operations in such state;
(h) Fees.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of the fees set forth or referenced
in this Agreement and any other accrued and unpaid fees, expenses or commissions
due hereunder (including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses of counsel
to the Administrative Agent), and to any other Person such amount as may be
due
thereto in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including
all
taxes, fees and other charges related to the Loan Documents;
(i) Notice
required by Section 4.02.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of the notice required under Section
4.02;
(j) Note.
If
requested by any Lender, a Note, payable to the order of such Lender, duly
completed and executed by the Borrower;
48
(k) Opinions.
Opinions of Cozen X’Xxxxxx, counsel to the Borrower, in substantially the form
of Exhibit
G
hereto,
and as to such other matters as the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may
reasonably request, addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders,
and,
in connection with the issuance of any Bond L/C, other opinions or comfort
letters from bond counsel for the applicable Bonds in such form as is reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent;
(l) Existing
Credit Facilities.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of confirmation acceptable to the Administrative
Agent that all Indebtedness under the Existing Credit Facilities (except for
the
Existing Letters of Credit), has been, or will be simultaneously, terminated
and
indefeasibly paid in full;
(m)
Appointment
of Remarketing Agent.
With
respect to the issuance of each Bond L/C, evidence that the Remarketing Agent
for the applicable Bonds relating to such Bond L/C has acknowledged and accepted
in writing its appointment as Remarketing Agent with respect to such Bonds;
and
(n) Other.
Receipt
by the Administrative Agent of all other opinions, certificates and instruments
in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement satisfactory
in form and substance to the Required Lenders.
SECTION
4.02 Additional
Conditions Precedent.
The
obligation of the Lenders and the Issuing Lender to (i) make Loans and issue
Letters of Credit, including, without limitation, the making of any Loans,
the
incurring of any L/C Obligations or the issuance of any Letters of Credit on
the
Closing Date, (ii) Convert a Base Rate Loan into a LIBOR Rate Loan or from
a
LIBOR Rate Loan into another LIBOR Rate Loan, (iii) issue the Letters of Credit
upon Application therefor, or (iv) extend the Stated Termination Date, shall
be
subject to the further conditions precedent that on the date of such Conversion,
issuance or Extension of the Stated Termination Date, as the case may
be:
(a) The
Administrative Agent
shall have received a Notice of Borrowing, Application or Extension Letter,
as
the case may be, signed by duly authorized officer of the Borrower, dated such
date, stating that:
(i) The
representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in Section
5.01
of this
Agreement are true and correct on and as of the date of the issuance of such
Letter of Credit or the making of such Loan or other Extension of Credit,
Conversion, or Extension of the Stated Termination Date, as applicable, as
though made, Converted, issued or extended, as applicable, on and as of such
date, both before and after giving effect to the issuance of such Letter of
Credit, Loan, Extension of Credit, Conversion, or Extension of the Stated
Termination Date, as applicable, and to the application of the proceeds thereof;
and
(ii) Since
December 31, 2005, there has been no Material Adverse Change, provided, however,
that this clause (ii) shall not be applicable to any issuance of a Letter
of
Credit or making of a Loan or other Extension of Credit, Conversion, or
Extension of the Stated Termination Date occurring on a date after the Closing
Date; and
49
(iii) No
event
has occurred and is continuing, or would result from the issuance of such Letter
of Credit, the making of such Loan or other Extension of Credit, Conversion,
or
Extension of the Stated Termination Date, as applicable, or the application
of
the proceeds thereof, as the case may be, which constitutes a Default or an
Event of Default.
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall have received such other approvals, opinions or
documents as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request.
Unless
the Borrower shall have previously advised the Administrative Agent in writing
that one or more of the statements contained in clauses
(a)(i)
through
(a)(iii)
above
are not true and correct, the Borrower shall be deemed to have represented
and
warranted that, on the date of any Loan or other Extension of Credit,
Conversion, issuance of the Letter of Credit or Extension of the Stated
Termination Date, as applicable, the above statements are true.
SECTION
4.03 Conditions
Precedent to Each Tender Advance Revolving Loan.
The
obligation of the Lenders to make each Tender Advance Revolving Loan shall
be
subject to the condition precedent that, on the date of the related Term
Drawing, the following statements shall be true:
(a) The
representations and warranties contained in Section
5.01
of this
Agreement are true and correct on and as of the date of such Tender Advance
Revolving Loan as though made on and as of such date, both before and after
giving effect to such Tender Advance Revolving Loan and to the application
of
the proceeds thereof;
(b) The
Bonds
to be purchased with the proceeds of the applicable Term Drawing relating to
such Tender Advance Revolving Loan shall simultaneously be pledged in accordance
with the applicable Indenture and Pledge Agreement and Article
VIII
hereof;
and
(c) No
event
has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such Tender Advance
Revolving Loan or the application of the proceeds thereof, which constitutes
a
Default or an Event of Default.
Unless
the
Borrower shall have previously advised the Lenders in writing that one or more
of the statements contained in clauses (a) and (c) above is no longer true
the
Obligors shall be deemed to have represented and warranted, on the date of
any
Tender Advance Revolving Loan made by the Banks hereunder, that on such date
the
above statements are true.
SECTION
4.04 Reliance
on
Certificates.
Each
of the
Lenders, the Issuing Lender and the Administrative Agent shall be entitled
to
rely conclusively upon the certificates delivered from time to time by officers
of the Borrower as to the names, incumbency, authority and signatures of the
respective Persons named therein until such time as the Administrative Agent
may
receive a replacement
50
certificate, in form acceptable to the Administrative Agent,
from an officer of the Borrower identified to the Administrative Agent as having
authority to deliver such certificate, setting forth the names and true
signatures of the officers and other representatives of the Borrower thereafter
authorized to act on its behalf.
[End
of
Article IV]
51
ARTICLE
V
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
SECTION
5.01 Representations
and
Warranties of the Borrower.
The
Borrower hereby represents and warrants as follows:
(a) Each
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is an entity duly organized, validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation
or
organization, as applicable and is duly qualified to do business in, and is
in
good standing in, all other jurisdictions where the nature of its business
or
the nature of property owned or used by it makes such qualification necessary,
except where such failure would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Each
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has all requisite corporate (or other
applicable) powers and authority to own or lease and operate its properties
and
to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be
conducted.
(b) The
execution, delivery
and performance by the Borrower and, where applicable, each Subsidiary of this
Agreement, each Loan Document and each Related Document to which it is a party
are within the Borrower’s or Subsidiary’s corporate (or other applicable)
powers, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate (or other
applicable) action, do not contravene (i) the Borrower’s or Subsidiary’s
certificate of incorporation (or other applicable formation document or
operating agreement), (ii) any law, rule or regulation applicable to the
Borrower or such Subsidiary or (iii) any contractual or legal restriction
binding on or affecting the Borrower or such Subsidiary, and will not result
in
or require the imposition of any lien or encumbrance on, or security interest
in, any property (including, without limitation, accounts or contract rights)
of
the Borrower or its Subsidiaries, except as provided in this Agreement and
any
other the Loan Document or Related Document.
(c) No
Governmental Action is required for the execution or delivery by the Borrower
or
its Subsidiaires of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related
Document to which it is a party or for the performance by the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries of its obligations under this Agreement, any other Loan Document
or
any Related Document to which it is a party other than those which have
previously been duly obtained, are in full force and effect, are not subject
to
any pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened appeal or other
proceeding seeking reconsideration and as to which all applicable periods of
time for review, rehearing or appeal with respect thereto have
expired.
(d) This
Agreement and each Loan Document and Related Document to which the Borrower
or
any Subsidiary is a party is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the
Borrower or Subsidiary party thereto, enforceable against the Borrower or
applicable Subsidiary in accordance with its terms subject to the effect of
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and
other similar laws of general application affecting rights and remedies of
creditors generally.
52
(e) Except
as
disclosed in the Disclosure Documents, there is no pending or, to the Borrower’s
knowledge, threatened action or proceeding (including, without limitation,
any
proceeding relating to or arising out of Environmental Laws) affecting the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries before any court, governmental agency or
arbitrator that has a reasonable possibility of resulting in a Material Adverse
Change.
(f) The
audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries, as at December 31, 2005, and the related consolidated statements
of income, retained earnings and cash flows of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries for the fiscal year then ended, and the unaudited consolidated
balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as at June
30,
2006, and the related consolidated statements of income, retained earnings
and
cash flows of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for the six (6)
months then ended, copies of which have been furnished to the Administrative
Agent and each Lender, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as at such dates
and
the results of the operations of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries
for the periods ended on such dates, all in accordance with GAAP consistently
applied, subject, solely in the case of unaudited consolidated balance sheets,
to normal year end adjustments. Since December 31, 2005, there has been no
Material Adverse Change, or material adverse change in the facts and information
regarding such entities as represented to the Closing Date.
(g) The
issuance of, and the existence of, the Letters of Credit, the making of Loans
and the other Extensions of Credit and the use of the proceeds thereof will
comply with all provisions of applicable law and regulation in all material
respects.
(h) Neither
the Borrower nor
any Subsidiary of the Borrower is an “investment company” or a company
“controlled” by an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(i) Intentionally
Deleted.
(j) Neither
the Borrower nor its Subsidiaries is engaged in the business of extending credit
for the purpose of buying or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of
Regulation U issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System),
and no proceeds of any drawing on the Letters of Credit, any Loan or any other
Extension of Credit will be used to buy or carry any margin stock or to extend
credit to others for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin
stock.
(k) No
ERISA
Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any
Plan
which reasonably could be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
Since
the actuarial valuation date specified in the most recent Schedule B (Actuarial
Information) to the annual report of Plans maintained by the Borrower (Form 5500
Series), if any, (i) there has been no Material Adverse Change in the funding
status of the Plans referred to therein and (ii) no “prohibited transaction” has
occurred with respect thereto. Neither the Borrower nor any of its respective
ERISA Affiliates has incurred nor reasonably expects to incur any material
withdrawal liability under ERISA to any Multiemployer
Plan.
53
(l) Except
as
set forth in the Disclosure Documents, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are
in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable Federal, state and
local
statutes, rules, regulations, orders and other provisions of law relating to
Hazardous Materials, air emissions, water discharge, noise emission and liquid
disposal, and other environmental, health and safety matters, other than those
the non-compliance with which would not result in a Material Adverse Change
(taking into consideration all fines, penalties and sanctions that may be
imposed because of such non-compliance) or on the ability of the Borrower to
perform its obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to
which
the Borrower is a party. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Documents,
neither the Borrower nor any of its respective Subsidiaries has received from
any Governmental Authority any notice of any material violation of any such
statute, rule, regulation, order or provision.
(m) The
Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns (Federal, state and
local) required to be filed and paid all taxes shown thereon to be due,
including interest and penalties, except to the extent that the Borrower or
any
such Subsidiary is diligently contesting any such taxes in good faith and by
appropriate proceedings, and for which adequate reserves for payment thereof
have been established.
(n) No
event
has occurred or is continuing which constitutes a Default or an Event of
Default, or which constitutes, or which with the passage of time or giving
of
notice or both would constitute, a default or event of default by the Borrower
or Subsidiary thereof under any material agreement or contract, judgment, decree
or order by which the Borrower or any of its respective properties may be bound
or which would require the Borrower or Subsidiary thereof to make any payment
thereunder prior to the scheduled maturity date therefore, where such default
could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Change.
(o) As
of the
Closing Date, the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries will be
Solvent.
(p) The
capitalization of the Borrower and each Significant Subsidiary of the Borrower
consists of the Capital Stock, authorized, issued and outstanding, of such
classes and series, with or without par value, described on Schedule
II
hereto.
All such outstanding Capital Stock has been duly authorized and validly issued
and are fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth in the Disclosure
Documents, there are no outstanding warrants, subscriptions, options,
securities, instruments or other rights of any type or nature whatsoever, which
are convertible into, exchangeable for or otherwise provide for or permit the
issuance of, Capital Stock of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower
or
are otherwise exercisable by any Person.
(q) The
Borrower and each
Subsidiary of the Borrower has good and marketable title to all assets and
other
property purported to be owned by it.
(r) None
of
the properties or assets of the Borrower is subject to any Lien, except
Permitted Liens.
54
(s) All
written information,
reports and other papers and data produced by or on behalf of the Borrower
and
furnished to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders were, at the time the
same
were so furnished, complete and correct in all material respects. No document
furnished or written statement made to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders
by the Borrower in connection with the negotiation, preparation or execution
of
this Agreement or any other Loan Documents contains or will contain any untrue
statement of a fact material to the creditworthiness of the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries or omits or will omit to state a fact necessary in order to make
the statements contained therein not misleading.
(t) The
performance of this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein will not affect the status
of
any Bonds as being exempt from Federal income tax under the Code.
(u) All
Bonds have been duly
authorized, authenticated, issued and delivered and are the legal, valid and
binding obligations of the issuer of such Bonds, and are not in
default.
(v) The
Borrower is not listed on the specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons
List maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control, Department of the
Treasury (“OFAC”)
pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224, 66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (Sept. 25, 2001),
and/or any other list maintained pursuant to any of the rules and regulations
of
OFAC or pursuant to any other applicable Executive Orders or otherwise subject
to sanction under an OFAC implemented regulation.
[End
of
Article V]
55
ARTICLE
VI
COVENANTS
OF THE COMPANY
SECTION
6.01 Affirmative
Covenants.
Until
the
Obligations have been finally and indefeasibly paid and satisfied in full and
the Commitments terminated, the Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise consent in writing,
to:
(a) Preservation
of Existence, Etc.
Preserve and maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to preserve and
maintain, its corporate or company, as applicable, existence, material rights
(statutory and otherwise) and franchises, and take such other action as may
be
necessary or advisable to preserve and maintain its right to conduct its
business in the states where it shall be conducting its business, except where
failure to do so does not result in, or could not reasonably be expected to
have, a Material Adverse Change.
(b) Maintenance
of Properties, Etc.
Maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain, good and marketable
title to all of its properties which are used or useful in the conduct of its
business, and preserve, maintain, develop and operate, and cause each of its
Subsidiaries to preserve, maintain, develop and operate, in substantial
conformity with all laws and material contractual obligations, all such
properties in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted,
except where such failure would not result in a Material Adverse
Change.
(c) Ownership.
Cause
the Borrower to own, at all times, 100% of the Capital Stock having voting
rights of Marina and South Jersey Gas.
(d) Compliance
with
Material Contractual Obligations, Laws, Etc.
Comply,
and cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply, with the requirements of all
material contractual obligations and all applicable laws, rules, regulations
and
orders, the failure to comply with which could reasonably be expected to result
in a Material Adverse Change, such compliance to include, without limitation,
paying before the same become delinquent all taxes, assessments and governmental
charges imposed upon it or upon its property except to the extent diligently
contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate
reserves for the payment thereof have been established, and complying with
the
requirements of all applicable Federal, state and local statutes, rules,
regulations, orders and other provisions of law relating to Hazardous Materials,
air emissions, water discharge, noise emission and liquid disposal, and other
environmental, health and safety matters.
(e) Insurance.
Maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain, insurance with
financially sound and reputable insurance companies or associations in such
amounts and covering such risks as are usually carried by companies engaged
in
the same or similar businesses and similarly situated.
(f) Visitation
Rights; Keeping of Books.
At any
reasonable time and from time to time, upon reasonable advance notice, permit
the Administrative Agent or any of the
56
Lenders
or any agents or representatives thereof, to examine and make copies of and
abstracts from the records and books of account of, and visit the properties
of,
the Borrower and any of its Subsidiaries, and to discuss the affairs, finances
and accounts of the Borrower and any of its Subsidiaries with any of their
respective officers or directors and with their respective independent certified
public accountants and keep proper books of record and account, in which full
and correct entries shall be made of all financial transactions and the assets
and liabilities of the Borrower in accordance with GAAP, consistent with the
procedures applied in the preparation of the financial statements referred
to in
Section
5.01(f)
hereof.
(g) Transactions
with Affiliates.
Conduct,
and cause each of its Subsidiaries to conduct, all transactions otherwise
permitted under this Agreement with any of its Affiliates on terms that are
fair
and reasonable and no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than
it
would obtain in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an
Affiliate.
(h) Use
of
Proceeds.
Use the
proceeds of the facility created by this Agreement solely for the following
purposes: (i) on the Closing Date, the repayment in full of all loans or
reimbursement obligations under the Existing Credit Facilities; and (ii) on
and
after the Closing Date, general corporate purposes, including, with out
limitation, issuance of Letters of Credit to support certain taxable and
tax-exempt bonds, and working capital needs of the Borrower, its Subsidiaries
or, in the case of Bond L/Cs, Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
(i) Loan
Documents.
Perform
and comply in all material respects with each of the provisions of each Loan
Document to which it is a party.
(j) Risk
Management.
Perform
and comply in all material respects, and require its Subsidiaries to perform
and
comply in all material respects, with any risk management policies developed
by
the Borrower, including such policies, if applicable, related to (i) the retail
and wholesale inventory distribution and trading procedures and (ii) dollar
and
volume limits.
(k) Redemption
or Defeasance of Bonds.
Use its
best efforts to cause the applicable Bond L/C to be surrendered for cancellation
to the Issuing Lender upon redemption or defeasance of all of the applicable
Bonds for which such Bond L/C was issued.
(l) Registration
of
Bonds.
Cause
all Bonds which it acquires, or which it has had acquired for its account,
to be
registered forthwith in accordance with the applicable Indenture and Pledge
Agreement and Article
VIII
hereof.
(m) OFAC
Compliance.
Comply
with any obligations that it may have under the USA Patriot Act (Title III
of
Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001), all laws and executive
orders administered by OFAC and all regulations promulgated and executive
orders
having the force of law issued pursuant thereto, as amended or supplemented
from
time to time (collectively, “AML
and Anti-Terrorist Acts”).
In
the event that the Borrower becomes aware that it is not in compliance with
any
applicable AML and Anti-Terrorist Acts, the Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent and diligently take all actions required thereunder
to
become compliant.
57
(n) Further
Assurances.
At the
expense of the Borrower, promptly execute and deliver, or cause to be promptly
executed and delivered, all further instruments and documents, and take and
cause to be taken all further actions, that may be reasonably necessary or
that
the Required Lenders through the Administrative Agent may reasonably request,
to
enable the Lenders and the Administrative Agent to enforce the terms and
provisions of this Agreement and the Loan Documents and to exercise their rights
and remedies hereunder. In addition, the Borrower will use all reasonable
efforts to duly obtain Governmental Actions required from time to time on or
prior to such date as the same may become legally required, and thereafter
to
maintain all such Governmental Actions in full force and effect, except where
such failure would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
SECTION
6.02 Negative
Covenants.
Until
all
of the Obligations have been finally and indefeasibly paid and satisfied in
full
and the Commitments terminated, the Borrower will not, and will not cause or
permit any of its Subsidiaries, without the written consent of the Required
Lenders, to:
(a) Liens,
Etc.
Except
as permitted in Section
6.02(c),
create,
incur, assume, or suffer to exist, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to create,
incur, assume, or suffer to exist, any Lien other than Permitted
Liens.
(b) Indebtedness.
Create
or suffer, or permit any Subsidiary to create or suffer, to exist any
Indebtedness except for Permitted Indebtedness.
(c) Obligation
to Ratably Secure.
Except
as permitted by Section
6.02(a),
create
or suffer to exist, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to create or suffer to
exist, any Lien other than a Permitted Lien, in each case to secure or provide
for the payment of Indebtedness, unless, on or prior to the date thereof, the
Borrower shall have (i) pursuant to documentation reasonably satisfactory to
the
Administrative Agent and Required Lenders, equally and ratably secured the
Obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement by a Lien acceptable to the
Administrative Agent and Required Lenders, and (ii) caused the creditor or
creditors, as the case may be, in respect of such Indebtedness to have entered
into an intercreditor agreement in form, scope and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders.
(d) Mergers,
Etc.
Merge
or consolidate with or into any Person, or permit any of its Subsidiaries
to do
so, except that (i) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge or consolidate
with
or into, any other Subsidiary of the Borrower and (ii) any Subsidiary of
the
Borrower may merge or consolidate with and into the Borrower; provided,
that
the Borrower is the surviving corporation; provided,
further,
that in
each case, immediately after giving effect to such proposed transaction,
no
Event of Default or Default would exist.
(e) Sale
of Assets, Etc.
Sell,
transfer, lease, assign or otherwise convey or dispose, or permit any Subsidiary
to sell, transfer, lease, assign or otherwise convey or dispose, of assets
(whether now owned or hereafter acquired), in any single transaction or series
of transactions, whether or not related having an aggregate book value in
excess
of 10% of the Consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries, except for dispositions of capital assets in the ordinary course
of business as presently conducted.
58
(f) Restricted
Investments. Other
than in the ordinary course of business
(i) make
or permit to exist any loans or advances to, or any other investment in, any
Person except for investments in Permitted Investments, or (ii)
acquire any assets or property of any other Person.
(g) New
Business.
Permit
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to enter into any business which is
not
substantially similar to that existing
on the
Closing Date.
(h) Distributions.
Pay any
dividends on or make any other distributions in respect of any Capital Stock
or
redeem or otherwise acquire any such Capital Stock without in each instance
obtaining the prior written consent of the Required Lenders; provided,
that
(i) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may pay regularly scheduled dividends or
make
other distributions to the Borrower; and (ii) if no Default or Event of Default
exists or would result therefrom, the Borrower may pay distributions or
dividends in either cash or Capital Stock or may redeem or otherwise acquire
Capital Stock.
(i) Compliance
with ERISA.
(i)
Permit to exist any “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section
412(a)
of the
Code), unless such deficiency exists with respect to a Multiple Employer Plan
or
Multiemployer Plan and the Borrower has no control over the reduction or
elimination of such deficiency, (ii) terminate, or permit any ERISA Affiliate
to
terminate, any Plan of the Borrower or such ERISA Affiliate so as to result
in
any material liability of the Borrower or ERISA Affiliate to the PBGC, or (iii)
permit to exist any occurrence of any reportable event (within the meaning
of
Section 4043 of ERISA), or any other event or condition, which presents a
material risk of a termination by the PBGC of any Plan of the Borrower or such
ERISA Affiliate and such a material liability of the Borrower or ERISA Affiliate
to the PBGC.
(j) Constituent
Documents, Etc.
Change
in any material respect the nature of its certificate of incorporation, by-laws,
or other similar documents, or accounting policies or accounting practices
(except as required or permitted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board
or
GAAP).
(k) Fiscal
Year.
Change
its Fiscal Year.
(l) Certain
Tax Matters. Invest,
or cause the investment of, the proceeds of any Bonds supported by a Bond L/C
in
any way that would violate the Code or cause such Bonds to be “arbitrage
bonds”
or
knowingly take any action or omit to take any action if such action or omission
would adversely affect the exclusion of interest on such Bonds from the gross
income of the holders thereof for federal income tax purposes.
SECTION
6.03 Reporting
Requirements.
So
long as
any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder or the Borrower shall have any
obligation to pay any amount to the Administrative Agent or any Lender
hereunder, the Borrower will, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise
consent in writing, provide to the Administrative Agent:
59
(a) as
soon
as available and in any event within sixty (60) days after the end of each
of
the first three quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a consolidated
and
consolidating balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries
as
at the end of such quarter and consolidated and consolidating statements of
income, retained earnings and cash flows of the Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries for the period commencing at the end of the previous fiscal year
and ending with the end of such quarter, all in reasonable detail and duly
certified by the chief financial officer or the treasurer of the Borrower as
fairly presenting in all material respects the financial condition of the
Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as at such date and the results
of
operations of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for the periods
ended on such date, except for normal year end adjustments, all in accordance
with GAAP consistently applied (for purposes hereof delivery of the Borrower’s
appropriately completed Form 10-Q will be sufficient in lieu of delivery of
such
consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statements of income, retained
earnings and cash flows), together with a Compliance Certificate, in the form
of
Exhibit
I,
of the
chief financial officer or the treasurer of the Borrower (A) demonstrating
and
certifying compliance by the Borrower with the covenants set forth in
Section
6.04
and (B)
stating that no Event of Default or Default has occurred and is continuing
or,
if an Event of Default or Default has occurred and is continuing, a statement
as
to the nature thereof and the action which the Borrower has taken and proposes
to take with respect thereto;
(b) as
soon
as available and in any event within one hundred five (105) days after the
end
of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a copy of the annual report for such year
for the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, containing consolidated
and
consolidating financial statements for such year certified by, and accompanied
by an unqualified opinion of, independent public accountants reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent (for purposes hereof, delivery of the
Borrower’s appropriately completed Form 10-K will be sufficient in lieu of
delivery of such financial statements), together with a Compliance Certificate,
in the form of Exhibit
I,
of the
chief financial officer or the treasurer of the Borrower (A) demonstrating
and
certifying compliance by the Borrower with the covenants set forth in
Section
6.04
and (B)
stating that no Event of Default or Default has occurred and is continuing
or,
if an Event of Default or Default has occurred and is continuing, a statement
as
to the nature thereof and the action which the Borrower has taken and proposes
to take with respect thereto;
(c) as
soon
as possible and in any event within five (5) days after the occurrence of each
Event of Default and each Default known to the Borrower, a statement of the
chief financial officer of the Borrower setting forth details of such Event
of
Default or Default and the action which the Borrower has taken and proposes
to
take with respect thereto;
(d) as
soon as possible and
in any event within five (5) days after receipt thereof by the Borrower or
any
of its ERISA Affiliates from the PBGC copies of each notice received by the
Borrower or such ERISA Affiliate of the PBGC’s intention to terminate any Plan
of the Borrower or such ERISA Affiliate or to have a trustee appointed to
administer any such Plan;
(e) as
soon
as possible and in any event within five (5) days after receipt thereof by
the
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan sponsor, a copy of
each notice received by the Borrower or such ERISA Affiliate concerning the
imposition of withdrawal liability in the amount of at least $1,000,000 pursuant
to Section
4202
of ERISA
in respect of which the Borrower or such ERISA Affiliate is reasonably expected
to be liable;
60
(f) as
soon
as possible and in any event within five (5) days after the Borrower becomes
aware of the occurrence thereof, notice of all actions, suits, proceedings
or
other events (A) of the type described in Section
5.01(e)
or (B)
for which the Administrative Agent or the Lenders will be entitled to indemnity
under Section
10.05;
(g) as
soon as possible and
in any event within five (5) days after the sending or filing thereof, copies
of
all material reports that the Borrower sends to any of its security holders,
and
copies of all reports and registration statements which the Borrower or any
of
its Subsidiaries files with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
national securities exchange;
(h) as
soon
as possible and in any event within five (5) days after requested, such other
information respecting the business, properties, assets, liabilities (actual
or
contingent), results of operations, prospects, condition or operations,
financial or otherwise, of the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof as any Lender
through the Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request;
(i) from
time
to time and promptly upon each request, information with respect to the Borrower
as a Lender may request in order to comply with the USA Patriot Act (Title
III
of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001); and
(j) as
soon
as possible and in any event within fifteen (15) days after the occurrence
of
each ERISA Event, a statement of the chief financial officer of the Borrower
setting forth details of such ERISA Event and the action which the Borrower
has
taken and proposes to take with respect thereto.
Information
required to be delivered pursuant to this Section
6.03
shall be
deemed to have been delivered if such information shall have been posted
by the
Borrower on an Intralinks or similar site to which the Administrative Agent
has
been granted access or shall be available on the website of the Securities
and
Exchange Commission at xxxx://xxx.xxx.xxx and the Borrower shall have notified
the Administrative Agent of the availability of all Form 10-Q and Form 10-K
reports; provided that, if requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender,
the Borrower shall deliver a paper copy of such information to the
Administrative Agent or such Lender. Information required to be delivered
pursuant to this Section
6.03
may also
be delivered by electronic communications pursuant to procedures reasonably
approved by the Administrative Agent.
61
SECTION
6.04 Financial
Covenants.
So
long as
any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder or the Borrower shall have any
obligation to pay any amount to the Administrative Agent or any Lender
hereunder, the Borrower will, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise
consent in writing, maintain at the end of each fiscal quarter a ratio of
Indebtedness to Consolidated Total Capitalization of the Borrower and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries of not more than 0.65 to 1.0.
[End
of
Article VI]
62
ARTICLE
VII
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
SECTION
7.01 Events
of Default.
Each
of the
following events should they occur and be continuing shall constitute an
“Event
of Default”:
(a) The
Borrower shall fail to pay (i) any amount of principal when the same becomes
due
and payable or (ii) any interest, fees or any other amount payable hereunder
within five (5) Business Days of when the same becomes due and payable;
or
(b) Any
representation or
warranty made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in this
Agreement, any Loan Document or any Related Document or by or on behalf of
the
Borrower or any Subsidiary (or any of their officers) in connection with this
Agreement, any Loan Document or any Related Document shall prove to have been
incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made; or
(c) The
Borrower shall fail
to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section
6.01(a),
(c),
(e),
(g),
(h),
(i)
or
(j),
Section
6.02(a),
(b),
(c),
(d),
(e),
(f),
(g),
(h),
or
(l),
Section
6.03
or
Section
6.04,
or (ii)
the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any other term, covenant or
agreement contained in this Agreement (other than obligations specifically
set
forth elsewhere in this Section
7.01)
on its
part to be performed or observed if the failure to perform or observe such
other
term, covenant or agreement, shall remain unremedied for thirty (30) days after
written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the
Administrative Agent or any Lender; or
(d) The
Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary thereof shall fail to pay any principal
of or premium or interest on any Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness incurred
under this Agreement) thereof in the aggregate (for all such Persons) in excess
of $15,000,000, when the same becomes due and payable (whether by scheduled
maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), and such
failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified
in
the agreement or instrument relating to such Indebtedness; or any other event
shall occur or condition shall exist under any agreement or instrument relating
to any such Indebtedness and shall continue after the applicable grace period,
if any, specified in such agreement or instrument, if the effect of such event
or condition is to accelerate, or to permit the acceleration of, the maturity
of
such Indebtedness; or any such Indebtedness shall be declared to be due and
payable, or required to be prepaid (other than by a regularly scheduled required
prepayment), prior to the stated maturity thereof; or
(e) The
Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary thereof shall generally not pay its
debts
as such debts become due, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its
debts generally, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of
creditors, or any proceeding shall be instituted by or against the Borrower
or a
Significant Subsidiary thereof seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent,
or seeking liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment,
protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any law
63
relating
to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking
the
entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver, trustee,
custodian or other similar official for it or for any substantial part of its
property and, in the case of any such proceeding instituted against it (but
not
instituted by it), such proceeding shall remain undismissed or unstayed for
a
period of forty-five (45) days, any of the actions sought in such proceeding
(including, without limitation, the entry of an order for relief against, or
the
appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for,
it
or for any substantial part of its property) shall occur or the Borrower or
a
Significant Subsidiary thereof shall consent to or acquiesce in any such
proceeding; or the Borrower or a Significant Subsidiary thereof shall take
any
corporate action to authorize any of the actions set forth above in this
subsection (e); or
(f) Any
judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $15,000,000 (in the
aggregate) shall be rendered against the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary
thereof and either (i) enforcement proceedings shall have been commenced by
any
creditor upon any such judgment or order or (ii) there shall be any period
of
ten (10) consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of any such
judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be
in
effect; or
(g) The
obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary under this Agreement, any other
Loan Document or any Related Document shall become unenforceable, or the
Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any court or governmental or regulatory body
having jurisdiction over the Borrower or any Subsidiary, shall so assert in
writing or the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall contest in any manner the
validity or enforceability thereof; or
(h) Any
ERISA Event shall
have occurred with respect to a Plan and, thirty (30) days after notice thereof
shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender,
(i) such ERISA Event shall still exist and (ii) such ERISA Event is reasonably
likely to result in a liability or lien in excess of $15,000,000 against the
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; or
(i) The
Borrower or any
Affiliate thereof as employer under a Multiemployer Plan shall have made a
complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan and the plan sponsor
of such Multiemployer Plan shall have notified such withdrawing employer that
such employer has incurred a withdrawal liability in an annual amount exceeding
$5,000,000; or
(j) Any
Governmental Approval
shall be rescinded, revoked, otherwise terminated, or amended or modified in
any
manner which is materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders and the
Administrative Agent; or
(k) An
“Event
of Default” or “Default” under the SJG Credit Agreement; or
(l) Any
“Event
of Default”
under and as defined in any applicable Indenture or Related
Document.
(m) A
Change in Control shall
occur.
64
SECTION
7.02 Upon
an Event of Default.
Upon
the
occurrence of an Event of Default, with the consent of the Required Lenders,
the
Administrative Agent may, or upon the request of the Required Lenders, the
Administrative Agent shall, by notice to the Borrower:
(a) Acceleration;
Termination of Credit Facility.
(i)
Declare the principal of and interest on the L/C Obligations, the Loans, the
Notes and the other Obligations (except for Hedging Obligations, which shall
be
governed by the terms and conditions of the documents controlling such
obligations) at the time outstanding, and all other amounts owed to the Lenders
and to the Administrative Agent under this Agreement (including, without
limitation, all L/C Obligations, whether or not the beneficiaries of the then
outstanding Letters of Credit shall have presented the documents required
thereunder), to be forthwith due and payable, whereupon the same shall
immediately become due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or
other
notice of any kind, all of which are expressly waived, anything in this
Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, (ii) terminate the Commitment and
any
right of the Borrower to request Letters of Credit, Loans or other Extensions
of
Credit thereunder; provided,
that
upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section
7.01(e),
the
Commitments shall be automatically terminated and all Obligations (except for
Hedging Obligations, which shall be governed by the terms and conditions of
the
documents controlling such obligations) shall automatically become due and
payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all
of
which are expressly waived, anything in this Agreement or in any other Loan
Document to the contrary notwithstanding, (iii) by notice to the Borrower,
declare the obligation of the Issuing Bank to amend or extend any Bond L/Cs
to
be terminated, whereupon the same shall forthwith terminate, (iv) give notice
(or, in the case of the Administrative Agent, cause the Issuing Lender to give
notice) to the applicable Trustee for each series of Bonds then outstanding
(A)
directing a mandatory purchase of the Bonds as provided in the applicable
sections of the applicable Indenture, (B) that the interest component of the
Bond L/Cs will not be reinstated, and/or (C) as provided in the applicable
Indenture to declare the principal of all related Bonds then outstanding to
be
immediately due and payable.
(b) Letters
of Credit.
With
respect to all Letters of Credit with respect to which presentment for honor
shall not have occurred at the time of an acceleration pursuant to Section
7.02(a),
require
the Borrower at such time to deposit in a cash collateral account with the
Administrative Agent an amount equal to the aggregate then undrawn and unexpired
amount of such Letters of Credit. Amounts held in such cash collateral account
shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to the payment of drafts drawn
under such Letters of Credit, and the unused portion thereof after all such
Letters of Credit shall have expired or been fully drawn upon, if any, shall
be
applied to repay the other Obligations. After all such Letters of Credit
shall
have expired or been fully drawn upon, and all Obligations shall have been
paid
in full, the balance, if any, in such cash collateral account shall be returned
to the Borrower.
SECTION
7.03 Rights
and
Remedies Cumulative; Non-Waiver; Etc.
The
enumeration of the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders set forth in this Agreement is not intended to be exhaustive, and
the
exercise by the
65
Administrative
Agent and the Lenders of any right or remedy shall not preclude the exercise
of
any other rights or remedies, all of which shall be cumulative, and shall be
in
addition to any other right or remedy given hereunder or that may now or
hereafter exist in law or in equity or by suit or otherwise. No delay or failure
to take action on the part of the Administrative Agent or any Lender in
exercising any right, power or privilege shall operate as a waiver thereof,
nor
shall any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege
preclude other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right,
power or privilege or shall be construed to be a waiver of any Event of Default.
No course of dealing between the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders or their respective agents or employees shall be effective to change,
modify or discharge any provision of this Agreement or any of the other Loan
Documents or to constitute a waiver of any Event of Default.
[End
of
Article VII]
66
ARTICLE
VIII
PLEDGED
BONDS
SECTION
8.01 Pledge.
The
Borrower
hereby pledges, assigns, hypothecates and transfers to the Administrative Agent
for the benefit of the Lenders all of the Borrower's right, title and interest
in and to all Tendered Bonds as delivered from time to time by the holders
thereof which were not remarketed on the applicable date the Tendered Bonds
were
tendered by the holders thereof and for which a Term Drawing was made by the
Issuing Lender (the “Pledged
Bonds”),
and
hereby grants to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Lenders a
first
lien on, and security interest in, its right, title and interest in and to
each
of the Pledged Bonds, the interest thereon and all proceeds thereof, as
collateral security for the prompt and complete payment when due from time
to
time by the Borrower (by acceleration, at stated maturity or otherwise) of
all
obligations to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and the Lenders
hereunder. The Borrower hereby authorizes the Tender Agent for such Pledged
Bonds to deliver or cause to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or its
designated agent, and registered in the name of the Tender Agent, or such other
Person as the Administrative Agent shall elect, as pledgee, all Pledged Bonds.
The Pledged Bonds shall upon payment of the related Tender Advance Revolving
Loan in accordance with this Agreement be released and delivered to the Tender
Agent as provided in the applicable Indenture, Pledge Agreement and Tender
Agency Agreement and the Administrative Agent shall take all actions necessary
to effectuate such release and delivery. The Pledged Bonds and the proceeds
thereof shall serve as security for the payment and performance when due of
all
Tender Advance Revolving Loans made with respect to such Pledged Bonds. The
Borrower shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Pledged Bonds to the
Tender Agent or to another pledge agent designated by the Administrative Agent
immediately upon receipt thereof or, in the case of Pledged Bonds held under
a
book-entry system administered by The Depository Trust Company, New York, New
York (or any other clearing corporation), the Borrower shall cause the Pledged
Bonds to be reflected on the records of the Depository Trust Company (or such
other clearing corporation) as a position held by the Administrative Agent
(or a
pledge agent acceptable to the Administrative Agent) as a Depository Trust
Company participant (or a participant in such other clearing corporation) and
the Administrative Agent (or its pledge agent) shall reflect on its records
that
the Pledged Bonds are owned beneficially by the Borrower subject to the pledge
in favor of the Administrative Agent.
SECTION
8.02 Interest
on
the Bonds.
If,
while the
Administrative Agent or its designated agent holds Pledged Bonds, the Borrower
shall receive any interest payment in respect of such Pledged Bonds, the
Borrower agrees to accept the same as agent for the Administrative Agent and
to
hold the same in trust on behalf of the Administrative Agent and to deliver
the
same forthwith to the Administrative Agent. All sums of money so paid in respect
of such Pledged Bonds that received by the Borrower and paid to the
Administrative Agent, or that shall be received directly by the Administrative
Agent (or its designated agent), shall be credited as provided in Section
3.05(b)(i).
SECTION
8.03 Rights
with respect to Pledged Bonds.
The
Administrative Agent shall not be liable for failure to realize upon the
Pledged
Bonds or any collateral security or guarantee therefor, or any part thereof,
or
for any delay in
67
so
doing,
nor shall it be under any obligation to take any action whatsoever with regard
thereto. If an “Event of Default” has occurred and is continuing under the
Indenture under which the Pledged Bonds were issued, the Administrative Agent
may (or shall at the request of the Required Lenders) thereafter without notice
exercise all rights, privileges or options pertaining to any Pledged Bonds
as if
it were the absolute owner thereof, upon such terms and conditions as it may
determine, all without liability except to account to the Borrower for property
actually received by it. In addition to the rights and remedies granted to
it in
this Agreement and in any other instrument or agreement securing, evidencing
or
relating to any of the reimbursement obligations hereunder, the Administrative
Agent or its designated agent shall be entitled to exercise all the rights
and
remedies of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code of the State
of
New York. The Borrower shall be liable for the deficiency if the proceeds of
any
sale or other disposition of the Pledged Bonds and collateral security granted
to the Administrative Agent in connection herewith are insufficient to pay
all
Tender Advance Revolving Loans and amounts related thereto with respect to
such
Pledged Bonds and to which the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and
the
Lenders are entitled, and for the reasonable fees of any attorneys employed
by
the Administrative Agent to collect such deficiency. The Administrative Agent
shall have no duty to exercise any of the aforesaid rights, privileges or
options and shall not be responsible for any failure to do so or delay in so
doing.
SECTION
8.04 No
Disposition of Pledged Bonds by Borrower.
Except
as
contemplated herein, without the prior written consent of the Administrative
Agent, the Borrower agrees that it will not sell, assign, transfer, exchange,
or
otherwise dispose of, or grant any option with respect to, the Pledged Bonds,
nor will it create, incur or permit to exist any pledge, lien, mortgage,
hypothecation, security interest, charge, option or any other encumbrance with
respect to any of the Pledged Bonds, or any interest therein, or any proceeds
thereof, except for the lien and security interest provided for by this
Agreement and the Indenture under which the Pledged Bonds were
issued.
SECTION
8.05 Disposition
of Pledged Bonds by Administrative Agent.
The
Borrower
further agrees to do or cause to be done all such other reasonable acts and
things as may be necessary to make any disposition or sale of any portion or
all
of the Pledged Bonds by the Administrative Agent permitted by this Agreement
valid and binding and in compliance with applicable law, all at the Borrower’s
expense.
SECTION
8.06 Valid
Perfected First Lien.
The
Borrower
covenants that the pledge, assignment and delivery of the Pledged Bonds under
this Agreement will create a valid, perfected, first priority security interest
in all right, title or interest of the Borrower in or to such Pledged Bonds
and
the proceeds thereof, subject to no prior pledge, lien, mortgage, hypothecation,
security interest, charge, option or encumbrance or to any agreement purporting
to grant to any third party a security interest in the property or assets
of the
Borrower which would include the Pledged Bonds and the proceeds thereof.
The
Borrower covenants and agrees that it will defend the Administrative Agent’s
right, title and security interest in and to the Pledged Bonds and the proceeds
thereof against the claims and demands of all persons
whomsoever.
68
SECTION
8.07 Release
of Pledged Bonds.
Pledged
Bonds, or such portion thereof, shall be released from the security interest
created under this Agreement to the extent of and upon satisfaction in
accordance with this Agreement of the Tender Advance Revolving Loans and amounts
related thereto with respect to such Pledged Bonds.
[End
of
Article VIII]
69
ARTICLE
IX
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
SECTION
9.01 Appointment.
Each
Lender
hereby irrevocably designates and appoints Wachovia as the Administrative Agent
of such Lender and the Issuing Lender under this Agreement, the other Loan
Documents and all Related Documents, and each such Lender and the Issuing Lender
irrevocably authorizes Wachovia, as the Administrative Agent for such Lender
and
the Issuing Lender, to take such action on its behalf under the provisions
of
this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and the Related Documents and to
exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly delegated to
the
Administrative Agent by the terms of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents
and the Related Documents, together with such other powers as are reasonably
incidental thereto. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere
in
this Agreement, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or
responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein, in the Loan Documents
and in the Related Documents, or any fiduciary relationship with any Lender,
and
no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or
liabilities shall be read into this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any
Related Documents or otherwise exist against the Administrative
Agent.
SECTION
9.02 Delegation
of Duties.
The
Administrative Agent may execute any of its duties under this Agreement, any
Letter of Credit, the other Loan Documents or any Related Document by or through
agents or attorneys-in-fact and shall be entitled to advice of counsel
concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. The Administrative Agent
shall
not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agents or
attorneys-in-fact selected by it with reasonable care.
SECTION
9.03 Exculpatory
Provisions.
Neither
the
Administrative Agent nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents,
attorneys-in-fact or affiliates shall be (i) liable for any action lawfully
taken or omitted to be taken by it or such Person under or in connection with
this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related Document (except in
the
case of gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders
for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by the Borrower
or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement, any other Loan Document
or
any Related Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document
referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under
or
in connection with, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related
Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability
or sufficiency of this Agreement or the Letters of Credit, any other Loan
Document or any Related Document or for any failure of the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder. The
Administrative Agent shall not be under any obligation to any Lender to
ascertain or to inquire as to the
70
observance
or performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this
Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related Document, or to inspect the
properties, books or records of the Borrower.
SECTION
9.04 Reliance
by Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected
in
relying, upon any writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit,
letter, cablegram, telegram, telecopy, telex or teletype message, statement,
order or other document or conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct
and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person or Persons and upon
advice and statements of legal counsel (including, without limitation, counsel
to the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may deem and treat the payee
of
any evidence of indebtedness in respect of any Extension of Credit, or other
indebtedness hereunder as the owner thereof for all purposes unless a written
notice of assignment, negotiation or transfer thereof shall have been filed
with
the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall be fully justified
in
failing or refusing to take any action under this Agreement, any Letter of
Credit, any Loan Document or any Related Document unless it shall first receive
such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders (unless all of the Lenders’
action is required hereunder) as it deems appropriate or it shall first be
indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability
and
expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take
any such action. The Administrative Agent shall in all cases be fully protected
in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement, the Loan
Documents or any Related Document in accordance with a request of the Required
Lenders (unless all of the Lenders’ action is required hereunder), and such
request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding
upon all the Lenders.
SECTION
9.05 Notice
of Default.
The
Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the
occurrence of any Event of Default hereunder unless the Administrative Agent
has
received notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring to this Agreement,
describing such Event of Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of
default”. In the event that the Administrative Agent receives such a notice, the
Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Lenders. The
Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to such Event of
Default as shall be reasonably directed by the Required Lenders; provided,
that
unless and until the Administrative Agent shall have received such directions,
the Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action,
or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Event of Default as
it
shall deem advisable in the best interests of the Issuing Lender and the
Lenders.
SECTION
9.06 Non-Reliance
on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.
Each
Lender
expressly acknowledges that neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its
officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact or affiliates has
made
any representations or warranties to it and that no act by the Administrative
Agent hereinafter taken, including any review of the affairs of the Borrower,
shall be deemed to constitute any
71
representation
or warranty by the Administrative Agent to any Lender. Each Lender represents
to
the Administrative Agent that it has, independently and without reliance upon
the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and based on such documents and
information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own appraisal of and
investigation into the business, operations, property, financial and other
condition and creditworthiness of the Borrower and made its own decision to
enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also represents that it will,
independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other
Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate
at the time, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions
in taking or not taking action under this Agreement, the Loan Documents and
the
Related Documents and to make such investigation as it deems necessary to inform
itself as to the business, operations, property, financial and other condition
and creditworthiness of the Borrower. Except for notices, reports and other
documents expressly required to be furnished to the Lenders by the
Administrative Agent hereunder, the Administrative Agent shall not have any
duty
or responsibility to provide any Lender with any credit or other information
concerning the business, operations, property, condition (financial or
otherwise), prospects or creditworthiness of the Borrower which may come into
the possession of the Administrative Agent or any of its officers, directors,
employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact or affiliates.
SECTION
9.07 Indemnification.
The
Lenders
agree to indemnify the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such (to the
extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of
the
Borrower to do so), ratably according to the respective amounts of their
Commitments, from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses,
damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements
of any kind whatsoever which may at any time (including, without limitation,
at
any time following the termination of the Letters of Credit or Commitment)
be
imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent in any
way
relating to or arising out of this Agreement, the Letters of Credit, any of
the
other Loan Documents or any of the Related Documents, or any documents
contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by the
Administrative Agent under or in connection with any of the foregoing;
provided,
that no
Lender
shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such liabilities, obligations,
losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or
disbursements resulting from the Administrative Agent’s gross negligence or
willful misconduct. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination
of this Agreement, the Letters of Credit, the Loans, the other Extensions of
Credit and the payment of all amounts payable hereunder.
SECTION
9.08 Administrative
Agent in Its Individual Capacity.
The
Administrative
Agent and its affiliates may make loans to, accept deposits from and generally
engage in any kind of business with, the Borrower as though the Administrative
Agent was not the Administrative Agent hereunder. With respect to its interest
in the L/C Obligations, the Loans, the other Extensions of Credit and any other
amounts
72
owed
to
it hereunder, the Administrative Agent shall have the same rights and powers
under this Agreement as any Lender and may exercise the same as though it were
not the Administrative Agent, and the terms “Lender” and “Lenders” shall include
the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity.
SECTION
9.09 Successor
Administrative
Agent.
The
Administrative Agent may resign as Administrative Agent upon ten (10) days’
notice to the Lenders and the Borrower. If the Administrative Agent shall resign
as Administrative Agent under this Agreement, then the Required Lenders, with
the consent of the Borrower, shall appoint from among the Lenders a successor
agent for the Lenders, whereupon such successor agent shall succeed to the
rights, powers and duties of the Administrative Agent, and the term
“Administrative Agent” shall mean such successor agent effective upon its
appointment, and the former Administrative Agent’s rights, powers and duties as
Administrative Agent shall be terminated, without any other or further act
or
deed on the part of such former Administrative Agent or any of the parties
to
this Agreement. After any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation as
Administrative Agent, the provisions of this Section shall inure to its benefit
as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was Administrative
Agent under this Agreement. In the event the Administrative Agent resigns
pursuant to this Section
9.09,
the
Administrative Agent shall also resign in its capacity as Issuing Lender and
Swingline Lender.
SECTION
9.10 Issuing
Lender.
Each
Lender
hereby acknowledges that the provisions of this Article
IX
shall
apply to the Issuing Lender in its capacity as such; in the same manner, as
such
provisions are expressly stated to apply to the Administrative
Agent.
SECTION
9.11 Notices;
Actions Under Loan Documents.
All
notices
received by the Issuing Lender pursuant to this Agreement, any other Loan
Document or any Related Document shall be promptly delivered by the receiving
party to the Administrative Agent, for distribution to the Lenders, and any
notices, reports or other documents received by the Administrative Agent
pursuant to this Agreement shall be promptly delivered to the Issuing Lender
and
the Lenders. The Issuing Lender hereby agrees not to amend or waive any
provision or consent to the amendment or waiver of any Loan Document without
the
consent of the Required Lenders (or, to the extent required pursuant to
Section
10.01,
all of
the Lenders).
[End
of
Article IX]
73
ARTICLE
X
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION
10.01 Amendments,
Etc.
No
amendment
or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor consent to any departure
by
the Borrower therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall
be
in writing and signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower, and then such
waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for
the
specific purpose for which given; provided,
except
as otherwise provided in Section
2.18,
no such
waiver and no such amendment, supplement or modification shall, without the
written consent of all the Lenders (a) extend the Stated Expiration Date, the
Termination Date or the maturity of any Loan or unreimbursed drawing, or reduce
the rate or extend the time of payment of interest in respect thereof, or reduce
any fee payable to any Lender hereunder or extend the time for the payment
thereof or change the amount of any Lender’s Commitment, in each case without
the written consent of all the Lenders, (b) amend, modify or waive any provision
of this Section
10.01
or
Section
10.09(e)
or
reduce the percentage specified in the definition of Required Lenders, or
consent to the assignment or transfer by the Borrower of any of its rights
and
obligations under this Agreement, in each case without the written consent
of
all the Lenders, (c) amend, modify or waive any provision of Article
IX
without
the written consent of the Administrative Agent, (d) waive, modify or eliminate
any of the conditions precedent specified in Article
IV,
in each
case without the written consent of all the Lenders, (e) forgive principal,
interest, fees or other amounts payable hereunder, (f) release the Pledged
Bonds
or any portion thereof except in accordance with the terms of Article
VIII,
or (g)
waive any requirement for the release of collateral.
SECTION
10.02 Notices,
Etc.
All
notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing
(including telegraphic communication) and mailed, telecopied, telegraphed or
delivered as follows:
The
Borrower:
South
Jersey Industries, Inc.
0
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
With
a
copy to:
Cozen
X’Xxxxxx
The
Atrium
0000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq.
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
74
The
Administrative Agent or the Issuing Lender:
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
One
Wachovia Center, NC-5562, XX-00
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
With
a
copy to:
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Agency Services
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
With
a
copy to:
Xxxxxx
& Bird LLP
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
0000
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Esq.
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
and
if to
any Lender, at its address or telecopy number set forth on Schedule
I
hereto;
or, as to each party, at such other address as shall be designated by such
party
in a written notice to the other parties. All such notices and communications
shall, when mailed, be effective three (3) days after being deposited in the
mails or when sent by telecopy or telex or delivered to the telegraph company,
respectively, addressed as previously aforesaid.
SECTION
10.03 No
Waiver; Remedies.
No
failure on
the part of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender or any Lender to
exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as
a
waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right hereunder
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right. The remedies herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any
remedies provided by law.
SECTION
10.04 Set-off.
(a) Upon
the
occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, the
Administrative Agent and each Lender is hereby authorized at any time and
from
time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set-off and apply
any
and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final)
at
any time held and other indebtedness at
75
any
time
owing by the Administrative Agent or such Lender to or for the credit or the
account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower
now or hereafter existing under this Agreement, irrespective of whether or
not
the Administrative Agent or such Lender shall have made any demand hereunder
and
although such obligations may be contingent or unmatured.
(b) If
any
Lender (a “Benefited Lender”) shall
at
any time receive any payment of all or part of the L/C Obligations, Loans,
other
Extensions of Credit or other obligations of the Borrower to it hereunder (such
Lender’s “Borrower
Obligations”),
or
interest thereon, or receive any collateral in respect thereof (whether
voluntarily or involuntarily, by set-off, pursuant to events or proceedings
of
the nature referred to in Section
7.01(e),
or
otherwise), in a greater proportion than any such payment to or collateral
received by any other Lender, if any, in respect of such other Lender’s Borrower
Obligations, or interest thereon, such Benefited Lender shall purchase for
cash
from the other Lenders such portion of each such other Lender’s Borrower
Obligations, or shall provide such other Lenders with the benefits of any such
collateral, or the proceeds thereof, as shall be necessary to cause such
Benefited Lender to share the excess payment or benefits of such collateral
or
proceeds ratably with each of the Lenders; provided,
that if
all or any portion of such excess payment or benefits is thereafter recovered
from such Benefited Lender, such purchase shall be rescinded, and the purchase
price and benefits returned, to the extent of such recovery, but without
interest. The Borrower agrees that each Lender so purchasing a portion of
another Lender’s Borrower Obligations may exercise all rights of payment
(including, without limitation, rights of set-off) with respect to such portion
as fully as if such Lender were the direct holder of such portion.
(c) The
Administrative Agent
and each Lender agree promptly to notify the Borrower after any such set-off
and
application referred to in subsection (a) above; provided
that the
failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and
application. The rights of the Administrative Agent and each Lender under this
Section
10.04
are in
addition to other rights and remedies (including, without limitation, other
rights of set-off) which the Administrative Agent and each Lender may
have.
SECTION
10.05 Indemnification.
The
Borrower
hereby indemnifies and holds the Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent,
the
Swingline Lender and each Lender harmless from and against any and all claims,
damages, losses, liabilities, costs and expenses which such party may incur
or
which may be claimed against such party by any Person:
(a) by
reason
of any inaccuracy or alleged inaccuracy in any material respect, or any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact, or by reason
of the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to
make
such statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made,
not misleading, in each case relating to any of the Loan Documents and Related
Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby, the Disclosure Documents
or
in any manner, whether direct or indirect, related to this Agreement;
or
76
(b) by
reason of or in
connection with the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, the
other Loan Documents or any Related Document, or any transaction contemplated
by
this Agreement, the other Loan Documents or any Related Document, other than
as
specified in subsection (c) below; or
(c) by
reason
of or in connection with the execution and delivery or transfer of, or payment
or failure to make payment under this Agreement, the Letters of Credit, any
other Loan Document or any Related Document; provided,
that
the Borrower shall not be required to indemnify any such party pursuant to
this
Section
10.05(c)
for any
claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses to the extent caused
by
(i) the Issuing Lender’s willful misconduct or gross negligence in determining
whether documents presented under the Letters of Credit comply with terms of
the
Letters of Credit or (ii) the Issuing Lender’s willful or grossly negligent
failure to make lawful payment under the Letters of Credit after the
presentation to it of a certificate strictly complying with the terms and
conditions of the Letters of Credit.
Nothing
in
this Section
10.05
is
intended to limit the Borrower’s obligations contained in Article
II.
Without
prejudice to the survival of any other obligation of the Borrower hereunder,
the
indemnities and obligations of the Borrower contained in this Section
10.05
shall
survive the payment in full of amounts payable pursuant to Article
II
and
Article
III
and the
termination of the Commitment.
SECTION
10.06 Liability
of the Lenders.
The
Borrower
assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of each beneficiary or transferee
of
the Letters of Credit with respect to their use of the Letters of Credit. None
of the Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor any of their
respective officers or directors shall be liable or responsible for: (a) the
use
which may be made of the Letters of Credit or any acts or omissions of each
beneficiary or transferee in connection therewith; (b) the validity, sufficiency
or genuineness of documents, or of any endorsement thereon, even if such
documents should prove to be in any or all respects invalid, insufficient,
fraudulent or forged; (c) payment by the Issuing Lender against presentation
of
documents which do not comply with the terms of the Letters of Credit, including
failure of any documents to bear any reference or adequate reference to the
Letters of Credit; or (d) any other circumstances whatsoever in making or
failing to make payment under the Letters of Credit, except that the Borrower
shall have a claim against the Issuing Lender and the Issuing Lender shall
be
liable to the Borrower, to the extent of any direct, as opposed to
consequential, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves
were caused by (i) the Issuing Lender’s willful misconduct or gross negligence
in determining whether documents presented under the Letters of Credit are
genuine or comply with the terms of the Letters of Credit or (ii) the Issuing
Lender’s willful or grossly negligent failure, as determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction, to make lawful payment under the Letters of Credit
after
the presentation to it of a certificate strictly complying with the terms and
conditions of the Letters of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation of
the
foregoing, the Issuing Lender may accept original or facsimile (including
telecopy) certificates presented under the Letters of Credit that appear on
their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation,
regardless of any notice or information to the contrary.
77
SECTION
10.07 Costs,
Expenses and Taxes.
(a) The
Borrower agrees to pay on demand all costs and expenses in connection with
the
preparation, issuance, delivery, filing, recording, and administration of this
Agreement, the Letters of Credit, the Loans, the other Extensions of Credit
and
any other documents which may be delivered in connection with this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses
of
counsel for the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Lender incurred in
connection with the preparation and negotiation of this Agreement, the Letters
of Credit, the Loans, the other Extensions of Credit and any document delivered
in connection therewith and all costs and expenses incurred by the
Administrative Agent (and, in the case of clause (iii) or (iv) below, any
Lender) (including reasonable fees and out of pocket expenses of counsel) in
connection with (i) the transfer, drawing upon, change in terms, maintenance,
renewal or cancellation of this Agreement, the Letters of Credit, the Loans
and
the other Extensions of Credit, (ii) any and all amounts which the
Administrative Agent or any Lender has paid relative to the Administrative
Agent’s or such Lender’s curing of any Event of Default resulting from the acts
or omissions of the Borrower under this Agreement, any other Loan Document
or
any Related Document, (iii) the enforcement of, or protection of rights under,
this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related Document (whether through
negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise), (iv) any action or proceeding
relating to a court order, injunction, or other process or decree restraining
or
seeking to restrain the Issuing Lender from paying any amount under the Letters
of Credit or (v) any waivers or consents or amendments to or in respect of
this
Agreement, the Letters of Credit, the Loans or the other Extensions of Credit
requested by the Borrower. In addition, the Borrower shall pay any and all
stamp
and other taxes and fees payable or determined to be payable in connection
with
the execution, delivery, filing and recording of this Agreement, the Letters
of
Credit, the Loans, the other Extensions of Credit or any of such other
documents, and agree to save the Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders harmless from and against any and all liabilities with respect
to or
resulting from any delay in paying or omission to pay such taxes and
fees.
(b) If
any
payment of principal of, or Conversion of, any LIBOR Rate Loan is made other
than on the last day of the Interest Period for such LIBOR Rate Loan, as a
result of a payment or Conversion pursuant to Section
7.02 or
for
any other reason, the Borrower shall, upon demand by any Lender (with a copy
of
such demand to the Administrative Agent), pay to the Administrative Agent for
the account of such Lender any amounts required to compensate such Lender for
any additional losses, costs or expenses which it may reasonably incur as a
result of such payment or Conversion, including, without limitation, any loss
(including loss of anticipated
profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or reemployment
of deposits or other funds acquired by any Lender to fund or maintain such
LIBOR
Rate Loan.
SECTION
10.08 Binding
Effect.
This
Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed and delivered
by the Borrower and the Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders
and thereafter shall (a) be binding upon the Borrower, its successors and
assigns, and (b) inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Lenders
and
each of their respective successors, assigns and permitted transferees;
provided,
that the
Borrower may not assign all or any part of its rights or obligations under
this
Agreement without the prior written consent of the Lenders.
78
SECTION
10.09 Assignments
and Participation.
(a) Each
Lender may assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its
rights and obligations under this Agreement and the Loan Documents (including,
without limitation, all or a portion of its Commitment and the Extensions of
Credit owing to it); provided,
that
(i) the Borrower (unless a Default or an Event of Default shall have occurred
and be continuing) shall have consented to such assignment (such consent not
to
be unreasonably withheld or delayed) by signing the Assignment and Acceptance
referred to in clause (iii) below, (ii) each such assignment shall be in a
minimum amount of $5,000,000 (or, if less, the entire amount of such Lender’s
Commitment) and be of a constant, and not a varying, percentage of all of the
assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the Loan
Documents and (iii) the parties to each such assignment shall execute and
deliver to the Administrative Agent, for its acceptance and recording in the
Register (as defined in Section
10.09(c)),
an
Assignment and Acceptance, together with a processing and recordation fee of
$3,500, payable by the assigning Lender or the Eligible Assignee, as agreed
upon
by such parties. Upon such execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from
and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Acceptance, (x)
the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent
that
rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned to it pursuant to such
Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder
and (y) the Lender assignor thereunder shall, to the extent that rights and
obligations hereunder have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment
and
Acceptance, relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under
this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all
or
the remaining portion of an assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this
Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto). Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, any Lender may at any
time
assign all or any portion of the Extensions of Credit owing to it to any
Affiliate of such Lender. No such assignment referred to in the preceding
sentence, other than to an Affiliate of such Lender consented to by the Borrower
(such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), shall release the
assigning Lender from its obligations hereunder. Nothing contained in this
Section
10.09
shall be
construed to relieve the Issuing Lender of any of its obligations under the
Letters of Credit.
(b) By
executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the Lender assignor
thereunder and the Eligible Assignee thereunder confirm to and agree with each
other and the other parties hereto as follows: (i) other than as provided
in such Assignment and Acceptance, such assigning Lender makes no representation
or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to any statements,
warranties or representations made in or in connection with this Agreement,
any
other Loan Document or any Related Document or the execution, legality,
validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement
or
any other Loan Document or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant
hereto; (ii) such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and
assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of the
Borrower or the performance or observance by the Borrower of any of its
obligations under this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Related
Document or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or
thereto; (iii) such Eligible Assignee confirms that it has received a copy
of
this Agreement, together with copies of the financial statements referred to
in
Section
5.01(f)
and such
other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own
credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance;
(iv)
such
79
Eligible
Assignee will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent,
such assigning Lender or any other Lender and based on such documents and
information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its
own
credit decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement; (v) such
Eligible Assignee appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take
such
action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement
as are delegated to it by the terms hereof, together with such powers as are
reasonably incidental thereto; and (vi) such Eligible Assignee agrees that
it
will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by
the
terms of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a
Lender.
(c) The
Administrative Agent shall maintain at its address referred to in Section
10.02 a
copy of
each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it and a register
for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders and the Commitment
of, and principal amount of the Extensions of Credit owing to, each Lender
from
time to time (the “Register”).
The
entries in the Register shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent
manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender
and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register
as
a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be
available for inspection by the Borrower or any Lender at any reasonable time
and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(d) Upon
its
receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning Lender and
an
Eligible Assignee, the Administrative Agent shall, if such Assignment and
Acceptance has been completed and is in substantially the form of Exhibit
H
hereto,
and has been signed by the Borrower (if the Borrower’s consent is required), (i)
accept such Assignment and Acceptance, (ii) record the information contained
therein in the Register and (iii) give prompt notice of such recordation to
the
Borrower.
(e) Each
Lender may sell participations to one or more banks, financial institutions
or
other entities (a “Participant”)
in all
or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the Loan
Documents (including, without limitation, all or a portion of its Commitment
and
the Extensions of Credit owing to it); provided,
that
(i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement (including, without
limitation, its Commitment to the Borrower hereunder) shall remain unchanged,
(ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto
for
the performance of such obligations, and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative
Agent and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with
such
Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this
Agreement. Any agreement pursuant to which any Lender may grant such a
participating interest shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole
right and responsibility to enforce the obligations of the Borrower hereunder
including, without limitation, the right to approve any amendment, modification
or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided,
that
such participation agreement may provide that such Lender will not agree
to any
modification, amendment or waiver of this Agreement which would (a) waive,
modify or eliminate any of the conditions precedent specified in Article
IV,
(b)
increase or extend the Commitments of the Lenders or subject the Lenders
to any
additional obligations, (c) forgive principal, interest, fees or other amounts
payable hereunder or reduce the rate at which interest or any fee is calculated,
(d) postpone any date fixed for any payment of principal, interest, fees
or
other amounts payable hereunder, (e) change the Commitment Percentage or
the
number of Lenders which shall be required for the Lenders or any of them
to take
any action hereunder, or (f) amend this Section
10.09(e).
80
(f) Any
Lender may, in connection with any assignment or participation or proposed
assignment or participation pursuant to this Section
10.09
and in
accordance with Section
10.16,
disclose to the Eligible Assignee or Participant or proposed Eligible Assignee
or Participant, any Information relating to the Borrower furnished to such
Lender by or on behalf of the Borrower; provided, that
prior to any such disclosure, the Eligible Assignee or Participant or proposed
Eligible Assignee or Participant shall agree to preserve the confidentiality
of
any confidential information relating to the Borrower received by it from such
Lender and use it only for purposes of this Agreement, the Loan Documents,
the
Related Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, or
for
any other reason, directly or indirectly, relating to this Agreement;
provided,
further, that
the
Eligible Assignee or Participant or proposed Eligible Assignee or Participant
may
disclose any such information to the extent such disclosure is required by
law
or requested by any regulatory authority.
(g) Anything
in this Section
10.09
to the
contrary notwithstanding, any Lender may assign and pledge all or any portion
of
its Commitment and the Extensions of Credit and other obligations owing to
it to
any Federal Reserve Lender (and its transferees) as collateral security pursuant
to Regulation A of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and
any
Operating Circular issued by such Federal Reserve Lender. No such assignment
shall release the assigning Lender from its obligations hereunder.
(h) If
any
Lender shall make any demand for payment under Section
2.15,
then
within thirty (30) days after any such demand, the Borrower may, with the
approval of the Administrative Agent (which approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld) and provided, that
no
Event of Default or Default shall then have occurred and be continuing, demand
that such Lender assign in accordance with this Section
10.09
to one
or more Eligible Assignees designated by the Borrower all (but not less than
all) of such Lender’s Commitment and the Extensions of Credit and other
obligations owing to it within the period ending on such 30th day. If any
such
Eligible Assignee designated by the Borrower shall fail to consummate such
assignment on terms reasonably acceptable to such Lender, or if the Borrower
shall fail to designate any such Eligible Assignees for all or part of such
Lender’s Commitment or Extensions of Credit, then such demand by the Borrower
shall become ineffective; it being understood for purposes of this subsection
(h) that such assignment shall be conclusively deemed to be on terms reasonably
acceptable to such Lender, and such Lender shall be compelled to consummate
such
assignment to an Eligible Assignee designated by the Borrower, if such Eligible
Assignee (i) shall agree to such assignment by entering into an Assignment
and
Acceptance in substantially the form of Exhibit
H
hereto
with such Lender and (ii) shall offer compensation to such Lender in an amount
equal to all amounts then owing by the Borrower to such Lender hereunder,
whether for principal, interest, fees, costs or expenses (other than the
demanded payment referred to above and payable by the Borrower as a condition
to
the Borrower’s right to demand such assignment), or otherwise.
SECTION
10.10 Severability.
Any
provision
of this Agreement which is prohibited, unenforceable or not authorized
in any
jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent
of
such prohibition, unenforceability or non-authorization without invalidating
the
remaining provisions hereof or affecting the validity, enforceability or
legality of such provision in any other jurisdiction.
81
SECTION
10.11 Governing
Law.
This agreement
shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state
of
New York.
SECTION
10.12 Headings.
Section
headings in this Agreement are included herein for convenience of reference
only
and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement for any other
purpose.
SECTION
10.13 Submission
To Jurisdiction; Waivers.
The
Borrower
hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:
(a) submits
for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, or for
recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the
non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the Courts of the State of New York,
the
courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York,
and appellate courts from any thereof;
(b) consents
that any such
action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection
that
it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding
in
any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient
court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;
(c) agrees
that service of
process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy
thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form
of
mail), postage prepaid, to the Borrower at its address set forth in Section
10.02
or at
such other address of which the Administrative Agent shall have been notified
pursuant thereto; and
(d) agrees
that nothing herein shall affect the right to effect service of process in
any
other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right to xxx in any other
jurisdiction.
This
Section
10.13
shall
not be construed to confer a benefit upon, or grant a right or privilege to,
any
Person other than the parties hereto.
SECTION
10.14 Acknowledgments.
The
Borrower
hereby acknowledges:
(a) it
has
been advised by counsel in the negotiation, execution and delivery of this
Agreement and other Loan Documents;
82
(b) neither
the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender nor any Lender has a fiduciary
relationship to the Borrower, and the relationship between the Administrative
Agent, the Issuing Lender and any Lender, on the one hand, and the Borrower
on
the other hand, is solely that of debtor and creditor; and
(c) no
joint
venture exists between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the Issuing
Lender or any Lender.
SECTION
10.15 Waivers
of Jury Trial.
To
the
fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, each of the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and the Lenders hereby irrevocably
and
unconditionally waives trial by jury in any legal action or proceeding relating
to this Agreement or any other Loan Document and for any counterclaim therein.
This Section
10.15
shall
not be construed to confer a benefit upon, or grant a right or privilege to,
any
person other than the parties hereto.
SECTION
10.16 Confidentiality.
(a) Each
of
the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and the Lenders agrees to maintain
the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), and use it only
for
purposes of this Agreement, the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby, or for any other reason, directly or indirectly, relating
to
this Agreement, except that Information may be disclosed (i) to its and its
Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants,
legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom
such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such
Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential); (ii) to
the
extent requested by any regulatory authority; (iii) to the extent required
by
Applicable Law; (iv) to any other party to this Agreement; (v) in connection
with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding
relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder; (vi) subject
to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this
Section, to (x) any Eligible Assignee of or Participant in,
or
any prospective Eligible Assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or
obligations under this Agreement or (y) any direct or indirect contractual
counterparty or prospective counterparty (or such contractual counterparty’s or
prospective counterparty’s professional advisor) to any credit derivative
transaction relating to obligations of the Borrower; (vii) with the written
consent of the Borrower; (viii) to the extent such Information becomes publicly
available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ix) becomes
available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis
from a source other than the Borrower and such source is not known by the
Administrative Agent or such Lender to be in violation of a duty of
confidentiality; or (x) to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
or any other similar organization.
(b) The
Administrative Agent and the Lenders may disclose the existence of this
Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors,
similar service providers to the lending industry, and service providers to
the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders in connection with the administration
and
management of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, the Commitments, and
the
Extensions of Credit; provided,
however,
that
information disclosed by the Administrative Agent or any Lender to any such
market
83
data
collectors or similar service providers shall be of a type generally provided
to
such Persons in other transactions. For the purposes of this Section
10.16,
“Information”
means
all non-public information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower
or its business. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Information,
for purposes of this Section
10.16,
shall
not include, and the Administrative Agent and each Lender may disclose to any
and all Persons, without limitation of any kind, any information with respect
to
the U.S. federal income tax treatment and U.S. federal income tax
structure of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials of any
kind
(including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to the
Administrative Agent or such Lender relating to such tax treatment and tax
structure.
(c) Any
Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided
in
this Section
10.16
shall be
considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has
exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such
Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender, the Lenders and the
Participants shall promptly notify the Borrower of its receipt of any subpoena
or similar process or authority, unless prohibited therefrom by the issuing
Person.
SECTION
10.17 Patriot
Act
Each
of
the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and the Lenders hereby notifies
the
Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III
of
Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), it is required to obtain,
verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information
includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will
allow such Lender or the Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in
accordance with such Act.
SECTION
10.18 Execution
in Counterparts.
This Agreement
may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto
in
separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be
an
original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
agreement.
[SIGNATURE
PAGES FOLLOW]
84
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed and delivered by their respective duly authorized officers as of the
date first above written.
SOUTH
JERSEY INDUSTRIES, INC.
By: /s/
Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxxx
Title:
Vice
President & Chief Financial
Officer
|
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Administrative Agent, as Issuing Lender, as Swingline Lender and as a
Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title:
Director
THE
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as
a
Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
PNC
BANK, N.A.,
as
a
Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
a
Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, III
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, III
Title:
Vice President
CITIZENS
BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA,
as
a
Lender
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
CITIBANK,
F.S.B.,
as
a
Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
THE
BANK OF NEW YORK,
as
a
Lender
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
COMMERCE
BANK, N.A.,
as
a
Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
Title:
Vice President
SCHEDULE
I
LENDERS
AND APPLICABLE LENDING OFFICES,
COMMITMENTS
AND INITIAL COMMITMENT PERCENTAGES
Lender
and Applicable
Lending
Office
|
Commitment
|
Initial
Commitment Percentage
|
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
One
Wachovia Center
000
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attn:
Agency Services
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$35,000,000.00
|
17.50%
|
Bank
of America, N.A.
GCIB
Credit Services
00
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx,
XX 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$32,000,000.00
|
16.00%
|
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
000
Xxxxx 00 Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxxxx 00000
Attn:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$32,000,000.00
|
$16.00%
|
PNC
Bank, N.A.
000
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attn:
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$32,000,000.00
|
16.00%
|
I-1
The
Bank of New York
Xxx
Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attn:
Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$18,000,000.00
|
9.00%
|
Citibank,
F.S.B.
000
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attn:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$18,000,000.00
|
9.00%
|
Citizens
Bank of Pennsylvania
CML
Operations
RDC
160
One
Citizens Drive
Riverside,
Rhode Island 19103
Attn:
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$18,000,000.00
|
9.00%
|
Commerce
Bank, N.A.
0000
Xxxxx 00 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, VP
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
$15,000,000.00
|
7.50%
|
I-2
SCHEDULE
II
OWNERSHIP
Entity
Name
|
Owner
|
Ownership
|
Classification
of
Interest
|
South
Jersey Industries, Inc.
(the
“Borrower”)
|
Public
|
100%
|
Common
Equity
|
Marina
Energy LLC
|
Borrower
|
100%
|
Membership
Interest
|
South
Jersey Gas Company
|
Borrower
|
100%
|
Common
Equity
|
South
Jersey Energy Company
|
Borrower
|
100%
|
Common
Equity
|
South
Jersey Resources Group, LLC
|
Borrower
|
100%
|
Membership
Interest
|
II-1
SCHEDULE
III
EXISTING
LETTERS OF CREDIT
LETTER
OF CREDIT NO.
|
ISSUE
DATE
|
EXPIRATION
DATE
|
FACE
AMOUNT
|
BENEFICIARY
|
SM218851
|
3/16/2006
|
3/15/2007
|
$16,588,713.00
|
Commerce
Bank (Trustee)
|
SM418226
|
9/20/2001
|
9/19/2007
|
$20,295,890.41
|
Commerce
Bank (Trustee)
|
SM418227
|
9/20/2001
|
9/19/2007
|
$25,462,328.77
|
Commerce
Bank (Trustee)
|
SM216897
|
11/21/2005
|
11/30/2006
|
$2,500,000
|
PJM
Interconnection, LLC
|
SM205837
|
11/21/2003
|
8/10/2007
|
$100,000
|
PSE&G
|
SM204235
|
7/30/2003
|
8/31/2007
|
$200,000
|
Atlantic
City Electric Company
|
III-1