SENIOR SECURED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of November [_], 2012 among STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION as Borrower The LENDERS Party Hereto and SUNTRUST BANK as Administrative Agent
Exhibit (k)(5)
Published CUSIP Numbers:
U.S. Dollar Commitment: 00000XXX0
Multicurrency Commitment: 00000XXX0
SENIOR SECURED
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
November [_], 2012
among
STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION
as Borrower
The LENDERS Party Hereto
and
SUNTRUST BANK
as Administrative Agent
$115,000,000
SUNTRUST XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX, INC.
as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Book Runner
Table of Contents
Page | ||
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS | 1 | |
SECTION 1.01. | Defined Terms | 1 |
SECTION 1.02. | Classification of Loans and Borrowings | 26 |
SECTION 1.03. | Terms Generally | 27 |
SECTION 1.04. | Accounting Terms; GAAP | 27 |
SECTION 1.05. | Currencies; Currency Equivalents | 27 |
ARTICLE II THE CREDITS | 29 | |
SECTION 2.01. | The Commitments | 29 |
SECTION 2.02. | Loans and Borrowings | 29 |
SECTION 2.03. | Requests for Syndicated Borrowings | 30 |
SECTION 2.04. | Swingline Loans | 31 |
SECTION 2.05. | Letters of Credit | 33 |
SECTION 2.06. | Funding of Borrowings | 37 |
SECTION 2.07. | Interest Elections | 38 |
SECTION 2.08. | Termination, Reduction or Increase of the Commitments | 39 |
SECTION 2.09. | Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt | 42 |
SECTION 2.10. | Prepayment of Loans | 43 |
SECTION 2.11. | Fees | 45 |
SECTION 2.12. | Interest | 47 |
SECTION 2.13. | Alternate Rate of Interest | 47 |
SECTION 2.14. | Increased Costs | 48 |
SECTION 2.15. | Break Funding Payments | 49 |
SECTION 2.16. | Taxes | 50 |
SECTION 2.17. | Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment: Sharing of Set-offs | 53 |
SECTION 2.18. | Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders | 56 |
SECTION 2.19. | Defaulting Lenders | 57 |
ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES | 61 | |
SECTION 3.01. | Organization; Powers | 61 |
SECTION 3.02. | Authorization; Enforceability | 61 |
-i- |
Table of Contents
(continued)
Page | ||
SECTION 3.03. | Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts | 61 |
SECTION 3.04. | No Material Adverse Effect | 61 |
SECTION 3.05. | Litigation | 61 |
SECTION 3.06. | Compliance with Laws and Agreements | 61 |
SECTION 3.07. | Taxes | 62 |
SECTION 3.08. | ERISA | 62 |
SECTION 3.09. | Disclosure | 62 |
SECTION 3.10. | Investment Company Act; Margin Regulations | 62 |
SECTION 3.11. | Material Agreements and Liens | 63 |
SECTION 3.12. | Subsidiaries and Investments | 63 |
SECTION 3.13. | Properties | 63 |
SECTION 3.14. | Affiliate Agreements | 64 |
SECTION 3.15. | OFAC | 64 |
SECTION 3.16. | Patriot Act | 64 |
SECTION 3.17. | Collateral Documents | 64 |
ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS | 65 | |
SECTION 4.01. | Effective Date | 65 |
SECTION 4.02. | Each Credit Event | 67 |
ARTICLE V AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS | 67 | |
SECTION 5.01. | Financial Statements and Other Information | 68 |
SECTION 5.02. | Notices of Material Events | 69 |
SECTION 5.03. | Existence: Conduct of Business | 70 |
SECTION 5.04. | Payment of Obligations | 70 |
SECTION 5.05. | Maintenance of Properties; Insurance | 70 |
SECTION 5.06. | Books and Records; Inspection and Audit Rights | 70 |
SECTION 5.07. | Compliance with Laws | 71 |
SECTION 5.08. | Certain Obligations Respecting Subsidiaries; Further Assurances | 71 |
SECTION 5.09. | Use of Proceeds | 72 |
SECTION 5.10. | Status of RIC and BDC | 72 |
-ii- |
Table of Contents
(continued)
Page | ||
SECTION 5.11. | Investment Policies | 72 |
SECTION 5.12. | Portfolio Valuation and Diversification Etc | 72 |
SECTION 5.13. | Calculation of Borrowing Base | 75 |
ARTICLE VI NEGATIVE COVENANTS | 80 | |
SECTION 6.01. | Indebtedness | 80 |
SECTION 6.02. | Liens | 81 |
SECTION 6.03. | Fundamental Changes | 82 |
SECTION 6.04. | Investments | 83 |
SECTION 6.05. | Restricted Payments | 84 |
SECTION 6.06. | Certain Restrictions on Subsidiaries | 85 |
SECTION 6.07. | Certain Financial Covenants | 85 |
SECTION 6.08. | Transactions with Affiliates | 86 |
SECTION 6.09. | Lines of Business | 86 |
SECTION 6.10. | No Further Negative Pledge | 86 |
SECTION 6.11. | Modifications of Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness Documents | 86 |
SECTION 6.12. | Payments of Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness | 87 |
SECTION 6.13. | Accounting Changes | 87 |
SECTION 6.14. | SBIC Guarantee | 87 |
ARTICLE VII EVENTS OF DEFAULT | 87 | |
ARTICLE VIII THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT | 91 | |
SECTION 8.01. | Appointment of the Administrative Agent | 91 |
SECTION 8.02. | Capacity as Lender | 92 |
SECTION 8.03. | Limitation of Duties; Exculpation | 92 |
SECTION 8.04. | Reliance | 92 |
SECTION 8.05. | Sub-Agents | 93 |
SECTION 8.06. | Resignation; Successor Administrative Agent | 93 |
SECTION 8.07. | Reliance by Lenders | 94 |
SECTION 8.08. | Modifications to Loan Documents | 94 |
-iii- |
Table of Contents
(continued)
Page | ||
ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS | 94 | |
SECTION 9.01. | Notices; Electronic Communications | 94 |
SECTION 9.02. | Waivers; Amendments | 97 |
SECTION 9.03. | Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver | 99 |
SECTION 9.04. | Successors and Assigns | 101 |
SECTION 9.05. | Survival | 106 |
SECTION 9.06. | Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution | 106 |
SECTION 9.07. | Severability | 107 |
SECTION 9.08. | Right of Setoff | 107 |
SECTION 9.09. | Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc | 107 |
SECTION 9.10. | WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL | 108 |
SECTION 9.11. | Judgment Currency | 108 |
SECTION 9.12. | Headings | 109 |
SECTION 9.13. | Treatment of Certain Information; No Fiduciary Duty; Confidentiality | 109 |
SECTION 9.14. | USA PATRIOT Act | 111 |
-iv- |
SCHEDULE 1.01(a) | - | Approved Dealers and Approved Pricing Services |
SCHEDULE 1.01(b) | - | Commitments |
SCHEDULE 1.01(c) | - | Industry Classification Group List |
SCHEDULE 3.11 | - | Material Agreements and Liens |
SCHEDULE 3.12(a) | - | Subsidiaries |
SCHEDULE 3.12(b) | - | Investments |
SCHEDULE 6.08 | - | Transactions with Affiliates |
EXHIBIT A | - | Form of Assignment and Assumption |
EXHIBIT B | - | Form of Borrowing Base Certificate |
EXHIBIT C | - | Form of Borrowing Request |
EXHIBIT D | - | Prohibited Assignees and Participants |
SENIOR SECURED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of November [ ], 2012 (this “Agreement”), among STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION, a Maryland corporation (the “Borrower”), the LENDERS party hereto, and SUNTRUST BANK, as Administrative Agent.
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are denominated in Dollars and bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Adjusted Borrowing Base” means the Borrowing Base minus the aggregate amount of Cash and Cash Equivalents included in the Portfolio Investments held by the Obligors (provided that Cash Collateral for outstanding Letters of Credit shall not be treated as a portion of the Portfolio Investments).
“Adjusted Covered Debt Balance” means, on any date, the aggregate Covered Debt Amount on such date minus the aggregate amount of Cash and Cash Equivalents included in the Portfolio Investments held by the Obligors (provided that Cash Collateral for outstanding Letters of Credit shall not be treated as a portion of the Portfolio Investments).
“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, for the Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Borrowing, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate for such Interest Period.
“Administrative Agent” means SunTrust, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Administrative Agent Appraisal Testing Month” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E)(y).
“Administrative Agent’s Account” means, for each Currency, an account in respect of such Currency designated by the Administrative Agent in a notice to the Borrower and the Lenders.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an administrative questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Advance Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13.
“Affected Currency” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.13.
Revolving Credit Agreement
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term “Affiliate” shall not include any Person that constitutes an Investment held by any Obligor in the ordinary course of business.
“Affiliate Agreements” means (a) the Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of October 26, 2012, between the Borrower and Stellus Capital Management, L.L.C., (b) the License Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2012, between the Borrower and Stellus Capital Management, L.L.C., (c) the Administration Agreement, dated as of October 26, 2012, between the Borrower and Stellus Capital Management, L.L.C. and (d) the Letter Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2012, between Borrower and Stellus Capital Management, L.L.C.
“Agreed Foreign Currency” means, at any time, any of Canadian Dollars, English Pounds Sterling, Euros and, with the agreement of each Multicurrency Lender, any other Foreign Currency, so long as, in respect of any such specified Foreign Currency or other Foreign Currency, at such time (a) such Foreign Currency is dealt with in the London interbank deposit market, (b) such Foreign Currency is freely transferable and convertible into Dollars in the London foreign exchange market and (c) no central bank or other governmental authorization in the country of issue of such Foreign Currency (including, in the case of the Euro, any authorization by the European Central Bank) is required to permit use of such Foreign Currency by any Multicurrency Lender for making any Loan hereunder and/or to permit the Borrower to borrow and repay the principal thereof and to pay the interest thereon, unless such authorization has been obtained and is in full force and effect.
“Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in the preamble to this Agreement
“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day plus 1/2 of 1% and (c) the rate per annum equal to 1% plus the rate as displayed in the Bloomberg Financial Markets System (or on any successor or substitute page of such service, or any successor to such service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such service, as determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion 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, on such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day), for Dollar deposits with a term of one month. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the rate as displayed in the Bloomberg Financial Markets System (or successor therefor) as set forth above shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or such rate as displayed in the Bloomberg Financial Markets System (or successor therefor), respectively.
“Applicable Dollar Percentage” means, with respect to any Dollar Lender, the percentage of the total Dollar Commitments represented by such Dollar Lender’s Dollar Commitment. If the Dollar Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Dollar Percentages shall be determined based upon the Dollar Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
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“Applicable Financial Statements” means, as at any date, the most-recent audited financial statements of the Borrower delivered to the Lenders; provided that if immediately prior to the delivery to the Lenders of new audited financial statements of the Borrower a Material Adverse Effect (the “Pre-existing MAE”) shall exist (regardless of when it occurred), then the “Applicable Financial Statements” as at said date means the Applicable Financial Statements in effect immediately prior to such delivery until such time as the Pre-existing MAE shall no longer exist.
“Applicable Margin” means: (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, 2.00% per annum; and (b) with respect to any Eurocurrency Loan, 3.00% per annum.
“Applicable Multicurrency Percentage” means, with respect to any Multicurrency Lender, the percentage of the total Multicurrency Commitments represented by such Multicurrency Lender’s Multicurrency Commitment. If the Multicurrency Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Multicurrency Percentages shall be determined based upon the Multicurrency Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment. If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
“Approved Dealer” means (a) in the case of any Investment that is not a U.S. Government Security, a bank or a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of nationally recognized standing or an Affiliate thereof, (b) in the case of a U.S. Government Security, any primary dealer in U.S. Government Securities, and (c) in the case of any foreign Investment, any foreign broker-dealer of internationally recognized standing or an Affiliate thereof, in the case of each of clauses (a), (b) and (c) above, as set forth on Schedule 1.01(a) or any other bank or broker-dealer acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its reasonable determination.
“Approved Pricing Service” means a pricing or quotation service as set forth in Schedule 1.01(a) or any other pricing or quotation service approved by the Board of Directors of the Borrower and designated in writing to the Administrative Agent (which designation shall be accompanied by a copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Borrower that such pricing or quotation service has been approved by the Borrower).
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“Approved Third-Party Appraiser” means any Independent nationally recognized third-party appraisal firm (a) designated by the Borrower in writing to the Administrative Agent (which designation shall be accompanied by a copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Borrower that such firm has been approved by the Borrower for purposes of assisting the Board of Directors of the Borrower in making valuations of portfolio assets to determine the Borrower’s compliance with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act) and (b) acceptable to the Administrative Agent. It is understood and agreed that Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Capital, Inc., Duff & Xxxxxx LLC, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx and Company, Lincoln International LLC (formerly known as Lincoln Partners LLC) and Valuation Research Corporation are acceptable to the Administrative Agent. As used in Section 5.12 hereof, an “Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent” shall mean any of the firms identified in the preceding sentence and any other Independent nationally recognized third-party appraisal firm identified by the Administrative Agent and consented to by the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld).
“Asset Coverage Ratio” means the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis for Borrower and its Subsidiaries, without duplication, (a) the value of total assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities to (b) the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness of Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including this Agreement), in each case as determined pursuant to the Investment Company Act and any orders of the Securities and Exchange Commission issued to or with respect to Borrower thereunder, including any exemptive relief granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the indebtedness of any SBIC Subsidiary.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an Assignment and Assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Assuming Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Commitment Termination Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.
“Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
“Borrower” has the meaning assigned to such term in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Borrowing” means (a) all Syndicated ABR Loans of the same Class made, converted or continued on the same date, (b) all Eurocurrency Loans of the same Class denominated in the same Currency that have the same Interest Period or (c) a Swingline Loan.
“Borrowing Base” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13.
“Borrowing Base Certificate” means a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B and appropriately completed.
“Borrowing Base Deficiency” means, at any date on which the same is determined, the amount, if any, that (a) the aggregate Covered Debt Amount as of such date exceeds (b) the Borrowing Base as of such date.
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“Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Syndicated Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03, which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C.
“Business Day” means any day (a) that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in Atlanta, Georgia are authorized or required by law to remain closed, (b) if such day relates to a borrowing of, a payment or prepayment of principal of or interest on, a continuation or conversion of or into, or the Interest Period for, a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in Dollars, or to a notice by the Borrower with respect to any such borrowing, payment, prepayment, continuation, conversion, or Interest Period, that is also a day on which dealings in deposits denominated in Dollars are carried out in the London interbank market and (c) if such day relates to a borrowing or continuation of, a payment or prepayment of principal of or interest on, or the Interest Period for, any Borrowing denominated in any Foreign Currency, or to a notice by the Borrower with respect to any such borrowing, continuation, payment, prepayment or Interest Period, that is also a day on which commercial banks and the London foreign exchange market settle payments in the Principal Financial Center for such Foreign Currency.
“Calculation Amount” shall mean, as of the end of any Testing Quarter, an amount equal to the greater of: (a) (i) 125% of the Adjusted Covered Debt Balance (as of the end of such Testing Quarter) minus (ii) the aggregate Value of all Quoted Investments included in the Borrowing Base (as of the end of such Testing Quarter) and (b) 10% of the aggregate Value of all Unquoted Investments included in the Borrowing Base (as of the end of such Testing Quarter); provided that in no event shall more than 25% (or, if clause (b) applies, 10%, or as near thereto as reasonably practicable) of the aggregate Value of the Unquoted Investments in the Borrowing Base be tested in respect of any applicable Testing Quarter.
“CAM Exchange” means the exchange of the Lenders’ interests provided for in Article VII.
“CAM Exchange Date” means the date on which any Event of Default referred to in clause (j) of Article VII shall occur or the date on which the Borrower receives written notice from the Administrative Agent that any Event of Default referred to in clause (i) of Article VII has occurred.
“CAM Percentage” means, as to each Lender, a fraction, expressed as a decimal, of which (a) the numerator shall be the aggregate Dollar Equivalent of the Designated Obligations owed to such Lender (whether or not at the time due and payable) immediately prior to the CAM Exchange Date and (b) the denominator shall be the aggregate Dollar Equivalent amount of the Designated Obligations owed to all the Lenders (whether or not at the time due and payable) immediately prior to the CAM Exchange Date.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
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“Cash” means any immediately available funds in Dollars or in any currency other than Dollars (measured in terms of the Dollar Equivalent thereof) which is a freely convertible currency.
“Cash Collateralize” means, in respect of a Letter of Credit or any obligation hereunder, to provide and pledge cash collateral pursuant to Section 2.05(k), at a location and pursuant to documentation in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank. “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral and other credit support.
“Cash Equivalents” means investments (other than Cash) that are one or more of the following obligations:
(a) U.S. Government Securities, in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;
(b) investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Xxxxx’x;
(c) investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof (i) issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof or under the laws of the jurisdiction or any constituent jurisdiction thereof of any Agreed Foreign Currency; provided that such certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits are held in a securities account (as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code) through which the Collateral Agent can perfect a security interest therein and (ii) having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Xxxxx’x;
(d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days from the date of acquisition thereof for U.S. Government Securities and entered into with (i) a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) of this definition or (ii) an Approved Dealer having (or being a member of a consolidated group having), at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Xxxxx’x; and
(e) investments in money market funds that invest solely, and which are restricted by their respective charters to invest solely, in investments of the type described in the immediately preceding clauses (a) through (d) above (including as to credit quality and maturity).
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provided that (i) in no event shall Cash Equivalents include any obligation that provides for the payment of interest alone (for example, interest-only securities or “IOs”); (ii) if any of Xxxxx’x or S&P changes its rating system, then any ratings included in this definition shall be deemed to be an equivalent rating in a successor rating category of Xxxxx’x or S&P, as the case may be; (iii) Cash Equivalents (other than U.S. Government Securities or repurchase agreements) shall not include any such investment of more than 10% of total assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in any single issuer; and (iv) in no event shall Cash Equivalents include any obligation that is not denominated in Dollars or an Agreed Foreign Currency.
“Change in Control” means the External Manager ceases to be Controlled by any or all of Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxx X’Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx, W. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx and/or Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, or any of their successors who have been approved by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion within ninety days.
“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of (a) the adoption of any law, treaty or governmental rule or regulation or any change in any law, treaty or governmental rule or regulation or in the interpretation, administration or application thereof (regardless of whether the underlying law, treaty or governmental rule or regulation was issued or enacted prior to the date hereof), but excluding proposals thereof, or any determination of a court or Governmental Authority, (b) any guideline, request or directive by any Governmental Authority (whether or not having the force of law) or any implementation rules or interpretations of previously issued guidelines, requests or directives, in each case that is issued or made after the date hereof or (c) compliance by any Lender (or its applicable lending office) or any company controlling such Lender with any guideline, request or directive regarding capital adequacy or liquidity (whether or not having the force of law) of any such Governmental Authority, in each case adopted after the date hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, all requests, rules, guidelines or directives concerning liquidity and capital adequacy issued (i) by any United States regulatory authority under or in connection with the implementation of the Xxxx-Xxxxx Xxxx Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and (ii) in connection with the implementation of the recommendations of the Bank for International Settlements or the Basel Committee on Banking Regulations and Supervisory Practices (or any successor or similar authority), in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date adopted, issued, promulgated or implemented.
“Class”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are Syndicated Dollar Loans, Syndicated Multicurrency Loans or Swingline Loans; when used in reference to any Lender, refers to whether such Lender is a Dollar Lender or a Multicurrency Lender; and, when used in reference to any Commitment, refers to whether such Commitment is a Dollar Commitment or a Multicurrency Commitment. The “Class” of a Letter of Credit refers to whether such Letter of Credit is a Dollar Letter of Credit or a Multicurrency Letter of Credit.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Collateral” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement.
“Collateral Agent” means SunTrust in its capacity as Collateral Agent under the Guarantee and Security Agreement, and includes any successor Collateral Agent thereunder.
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“Commitments” means, collectively, the Dollar Commitments and the Multicurrency Commitments.
“Commitment Increase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).
“Commitment Increase Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).
“Commitment Termination Date” means November [ ], 2015, as such date may be extended upon the consent of each affected Lender.
“Consolidated Group” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13(a).
“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.
“Covered Debt Amount” means, on any date, the sum of (x) all of the Revolving Credit Exposures of all Lenders on such date minus (y) the LC Exposures fully Cash Collateralized on such date pursuant to Section 2.05(k) and the last paragraph of Section 2.09(a).
“Currency” means Dollars or any Foreign Currency.
“Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
“Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.19(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans or participations in Letters of Credit within two Business Days of the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s reasonable determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with the applicable default, if any, shall be specifically identified in detail in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank, Swingline Lender or any Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans) within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s reasonable determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with the applicable default, if any, shall be specifically identified in detail in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by Administrative Agent and Borrower), or (d) Administrative Agent has received notification that such Lender has become, or has a direct or indirect parent company that is, (i) insolvent, or is generally unable to pay its debts as they become due, or admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they become due, or makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors or (ii) other than via an Undisclosed Administration, the subject of a bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, liquidation or similar proceeding, or a receiver, trustee, conservator, intervenor or sequestrator or the like has been appointed for such Lender or its direct or indirect parent company, or such Lender or its direct or indirect parent company has taken any action in furtherance of or indicating its consent to or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.19(b)) upon such determination (and the Administrative Agent shall deliver written notice of such determination to the Borrower, the Issuing Bank and each Lender and the Swingline Lender).
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“Designated Obligations” means all obligations of the Borrower with respect to (a) principal of and interest on the Loans and (b) accrued and unpaid fees under the Loan Documents.
“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person (or the granting of any option or other right to do any of the foregoing), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith; provided that the term “Disposition” or “Dispose” shall not include the disposition of Investments originated by the Borrower and immediately transferred to a Financing Subsidiary pursuant to a transaction not prohibited hereunder.
“Dollar Commitment” means, with respect to each Dollar Lender, the commitment of such Dollar Lender to make Syndicated Loans, and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans, denominated in Dollars hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08 and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The initial amount of each Lender’s Dollar Commitment is set forth on Schedule 1.01(b) or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Dollar Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Dollar Commitments is $60,000,000.
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“Dollar Equivalent” means, on any date of determination, with respect to an amount denominated in any Foreign Currency, the amount of Dollars that would be required to purchase such amount of such Foreign Currency on the date two Business Days prior to such date, based upon the spot selling rate at which the Administrative Agent offers to sell such Foreign Currency for Dollars in the London foreign exchange market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, for delivery two Business Days later.
“Dollar LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Dollar Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements in respect of such Letters of Credit that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The Dollar LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Dollar Percentage of the total Dollar LC Exposure at such time.
“Dollar Lender” means the Persons listed on Schedule 1.01(b) as having Dollar Commitments and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption that provides for it to assume a Dollar Commitment or to acquire Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption.
“Dollar Letters of Credit” means Letters of Credit that utilize the Dollar Commitments.
“Dollar Loan” means a Loan denominated in Dollars.
“Dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
“Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests or equivalents (however designated, including any instrument treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code, or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
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“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) any failure by any Plan to satisfy the minimum funding standard (within the meaning of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA) applicable to such Plan; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.
“Euro” means a single currency of the Participating Member States.
“Eurocurrency”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.
“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) income, corporate, franchise or other similar taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income or profits by the United States of America (or any state or political subdivision thereof), or by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, (c) in the case of a Lender, any U.S. withholding tax imposed on amounts payable to such Lender (i) at the time such Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section 2.18(b)) becomes a party to this Agreement or designates a new lending office, except to the extent that such Lender’s assignor or such Lender was entitled to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section 2.16, at the time of such assignment or designation (other than to the extent such withholding is as a result of a CAM Exchange), or (ii) that is attributable to such Lender’s failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law occurring after the date such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement) to comply with Section 2.16(f), (d) any U.S. federal, state or local backup withholding Taxes imposed on payments made under any Loan Document, and (e) any U.S. federal withholding tax that is imposed pursuant to FATCA.
“External Manager” means Stellus Capital Management, LLC.
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code.
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“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.
“Final Maturity Date” means November [ ], 2016.
“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer or treasurer of the Borrower.
“Financing Subsidiary” means an SPE Subsidiary or an SBIC Subsidiary.
“Foreign Currency” means at any time any Currency other than Dollars.
“Foreign Currency Equivalent” means, with respect to any amount in Dollars, the amount of any Foreign Currency that could be purchased with such amount of Dollars using the reciprocal of the foreign exchange rate(s) specified in the definition of the term “Dollar Equivalent”, as determined by the Administrative Agent.
“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is not a “United States person” as defined under Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any (a) direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower that is organized under the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States or its territories or possessions and that is treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, (b) direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower which is a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of the Code or (c) direct or indirect Subsidiary that is disregarded as an entity that is separate from its owner for United States federal income tax purposes and substantially all of its assets consist of the Capital Stock of one or more direct or indirect Foreign Subsidiaries.
“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, with respect to any Issuing Bank, such Defaulting Lender’s (a) Applicable Dollar Percentage of the outstanding Dollar LC Exposure and (b) Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of the outstanding Multicurrency LC Exposure, in each case with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank other than Dollar LC Exposure or Multicurrency LC Exposure, as the case may be, as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
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“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, or of any other nation, or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.
“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided that the term Guarantee shall not include (i) endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business or (ii) customary indemnification agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, provided that such indemnification obligations are unsecured, such Person has determined that any liability thereunder is remote and such indemnification obligations are not the functional equivalent of the guaranty of a payment obligation of the primary obligor.
“Guarantee and Security Agreement” means that certain Guarantee and Security Agreement dated as of November [ ], 2012 among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, each Subsidiary of the Borrower from time to time party thereto and the Collateral Agent, as the same shall be modified and supplemented and in effect from time to time.
“Guarantee Assumption Agreement” means a Guarantee Assumption Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B to the Guarantee and Security Agreement between the Collateral Agent and an entity that pursuant to Section 5.08 is required to become a “Subsidiary Guarantor” under the Guarantee and Security Agreement (with such changes as the Administrative Agent shall request consistent with the requirements of Section 5.08).
“Hedging Agreement” means any interest rate protection agreement, foreign currency exchange protection agreement, commodity price protection agreement or other interest or currency exchange rate or commodity price hedging arrangement.
“Immaterial Subsidiaries” means those Subsidiaries of the Borrower that are “designated” as Immaterial Subsidiaries by the Borrower from time to time (it being understood that the Borrower may at any time change any such designation); provided that such designated Immaterial Subsidiaries shall collectively meet all of the following criteria as of the date of the most recent balance sheet required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01: (a) the aggregate assets of such Subsidiaries and their Subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis) as of such date do not exceed an amount equal to 2% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of such date; and (b) the aggregate revenues of such Subsidiaries and their Subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis) for the fiscal quarter ending on such date do not exceed an amount equal to 2% of the consolidated revenues of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period.
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“Increasing Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).
“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding accounts payable and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed (with the value of such debt being the lower of the outstanding amount of such debt and the fair market value of the property subject to such Lien), (f) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (g) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Indebtedness” shall not include (x) purchase price holdbacks arising in the ordinary course of business in respect of a portion of the purchase price of an asset or Investment to satisfy unperformed obligations of the seller of such asset or Investment or (y) a commitment arising in the ordinary course of business to make a future Investment.
“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Independent” when used with respect to any specified Person means that such Person (a) does not have any direct financial interest or any material indirect financial interest in the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (including its investment advisor or any Affiliate thereof) and (b) is not connected with the Borrower or of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (including its investment advisor or any Affiliate thereof) as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner, director or Person performing similar functions.
“Industry Classification Group” means (a) any of the classification groups set forth in Schedule 1.01(c) hereto, together with any such classification groups that may be subsequently established by Moody’s and provided by the Borrower to the Lenders, and (b) up to three additional industry group classifications established by the Borrower pursuant to Section 5.12.
“Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Syndicated Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.07.
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“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any Syndicated ABR Loan, each Quarterly Date, (b) with respect to any Eurocurrency Loan, the last day of each Interest Period therefor and, in the case of any Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at three-month intervals after the first day of such Interest Period and (c) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid.
“Interest Period” means, for any Eurocurrency Loan or Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Loan or Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months thereafter or, with respect to such portion of any Eurocurrency Loan or Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency that is scheduled to be repaid on the Final Maturity Date, a period of less than one month’s duration commencing on the date of such Loan or Borrowing and ending on the Final Maturity Date, as specified in the applicable Borrowing Request or Interest Election Request; provided that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day, and (ii) any Interest Period (other than an Interest Period pertaining to a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency that ends on the Final Maturity Date that is permitted to be of less than one month’s duration as provided in this definition) that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a Loan initially shall be the date on which such Loan is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Loan, and the date of a Syndicated Borrowing comprising Loans that have been converted or continued shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Loans.
“Investment” means, for any Person: (a) Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person or any agreement to acquire any Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person (and any rights or proceeds in respect of (x) any “short sale” of securities or (y) any sale of any securities at a time when such securities are not owned by such Person); (b) deposits, advances, loans or other extensions of credit made to any other Person (including purchases of property from another Person subject to an understanding or agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such property to such Person); or (c) Hedging Agreements.
“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time.
“Investment Policies” means the investment objectives, policies, restrictions and limitations set forth in the “COMPANY” section of its Registration Statement, and as the same may be changed, altered, expanded, amended, modified, terminated or restated from time to time.
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
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“Issuing Bank” means SunTrust, in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.05(j). In the case of any Letter of Credit to be issued in an Agreed Foreign Currency, SunTrust may designate any of its affiliates as the “Issuing Bank” for purposes of such Letter of Credit.
“LC Disbursement” means a payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
“LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of the Dollar LC Exposure and the Multicurrency LC Exposure.
“Lenders” means, collectively, the Dollar Lenders and the Multicurrency Lenders. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lender.
“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.
“Letter of Credit Collateral Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.05(k).
“Letter of Credit Documents” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, collectively, any application therefor and any other agreements, instruments, guarantees or other documents (whether general in application or applicable only to such Letter of Credit) governing or providing for (a) the rights and obligations of the parties concerned or at risk with respect to such Letter of Credit or (b) any collateral security for any of such obligations, each as the same may be modified and supplemented and in effect from time to time.
“LIBO Rate” means, for any Interest Period, the British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rate per annum for deposits in the relevant Currency for a period equal to the Interest Period as displayed in the Bloomberg Financial Markets System (or such other page on that service or such other service designated by the British Bankers’ Association for the display of such Association’s Interest Settlement Rates for deposits in the relevant Currency) as of 11:00 a.m., London time on the day that is two Business Days prior to the first day of the Interest Period; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines that the relevant foregoing sources are unavailable for the relevant Interest Period, LIBO Rate shall mean the rate of interest determined by the Administrative Agent to be the average (rounded upward, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100th of 1%) of the rates per annum at which deposits in the relevant Currency are offered to the Administrative Agent two (2) business days preceding the first day of such Interest Period by leading banks in the London or other offshore interbank market for the relevant Currency as of 11:00 a.m. 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 the Administrative Agent’s portion of the relevant Eurocurrency Borrowing.
“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities, except in favor of the issuer thereof (and in the case of Investments that are securities, excluding customary drag-along, tag-along, right of first refusal and other similar rights in favor of the equity holders of the same issuer).
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“Loan Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Letter of Credit Documents and the Security Documents.
“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
“Margin Stock” means “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulations T, U and X.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, Investments and other assets, liabilities or financial condition of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) taken as a whole (excluding in any case a decline in the net asset value of the Borrower or a change in general market conditions or values of the Investments), or (b) the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereunder.
“Material Indebtedness” means (a) Indebtedness (other than the Loans, Letters of Credit and Hedging Agreements), of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $5,000,000 and (b) obligations in respect of one or more Hedging Agreements under which the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower and its Subsidiaries would be required to pay if such Hedging Agreement(s) were terminated at such time would exceed $5,000,000.
“Minimum Collateral Amount” means, at any time, with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of Cash or deposit account balances, an amount equal to 100% of the Fronting Exposure of Issuing Bank with respect to Letters of Credit issued and outstanding at such time.
“Moody’s” means Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. or any successor thereto.
“Multicurrency Commitment” means, with respect to each Multicurrency Lender, the commitment of such Multicurrency Lender to make Syndicated Loans, and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans, denominated in Dollars and in Agreed Foreign Currencies hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08 and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The initial amount of each Lender’s Multicurrency Commitment is set forth on Schedule 1.01(b) or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Multicurrency commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Multicurrency Commitments is $55,000,000.
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“Multicurrency LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Multicurrency Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements in respect of such Letters of Credit that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The Multicurrency LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of the total Multicurrency LC Exposure at such time.
“Multicurrency Lender” means the Persons listed on Schedule 1.01(b) as having Multicurrency Commitments and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption that provides for it to assume a Multicurrency Commitment or to acquire Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption.
“Multicurrency Letters of Credit” means Letters of Credit that utilize the Multicurrency Commitments.
“Multicurrency Loan” means a Loan denominated in Dollars or an Agreed Foreign Currency.
“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
“National Currency” means the currency, other than the Euro, of a Participating Member State.
“Non-Defaulting Lender” means, at any time, a Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.
“Non-Public Information” means material non-public information (within the meaning of United States federal, state or other applicable securities laws) with respect to Borrower or its Affiliates or their Securities.
“Obligor” means, collectively, the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors.
“Original Currency” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.17.
“Other Permitted Indebtedness” means (a) accrued expenses and current trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of the Borrower’s business which are not overdue for a period of more than 90 days or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money) arising in connection with transactions in the ordinary course of the Borrower’s business in connection with its purchasing of securities, derivatives transactions, reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls to the extent such transactions are permitted under the Investment Company Act and the Borrower’s Investment Policies (after giving effect to any Permitted Policy Amendments), provided that such Indebtedness does not arise in connection with the purchase of Investments other than Cash Equivalents and U.S. Government Securities and (c) Indebtedness in respect of judgments or awards that have been in force for less than the applicable period for taking an appeal so long as such judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (l) of Article VII; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, Indebtedness arising under Hedging Agreements shall not constitute “Other Permitted Indebtedness” hereunder.
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“Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary Taxes or any other excise or property Taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, excluding any such Taxes, charges or similar levies resulting from an assignment by any Lender in accordance with Section 9.04 hereof (unless such assignment is made pursuant to Section 2.18(b)).
“Parent Company” means, with respect to a Lender, the bank holding company (as defined in Federal Reserve Board Regulation Y), if any, of such Lender, and/or any Person owning, beneficially or of record, directly or indirectly, a majority of the shares of such Lender.
“Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.
“Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.
“Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Community that adopts or has adopted the Euro as its lawful currency in accordance with the legislation of the European Union relating to the European Monetary Union.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Permitted Liens” means (a) Liens imposed by any Governmental Authority for taxes, assessments or charges not yet due or that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Borrower in accordance with GAAP; (b) Liens of clearing agencies, broker-dealers and similar Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Liens (i) attach only to the securities (or proceeds) being purchased or sold and (ii) secure only obligations incurred in connection with such purchase or sale, and not any obligation in connection with margin financing; (c) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen’s, mechanics’, carriers’, workmens’, storage and repairmen’s Liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money) not yet due or that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Borrower in accordance with GAAP; (d) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made to secure obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business under workers’ compensation laws, unemployment insurance or other similar social security legislation (other than in respect of employee benefit plans subject to ERISA) or to secure public or statutory obligations; (e) Liens securing the performance of, or payment in respect of, bids, insurance premiums, deductibles or co-insured amounts, tenders, government or utility contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money), surety, stay, customs and appeal bonds and other obligations of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business; (f) Liens arising out of judgments or awards that have been in force for less than the applicable period for taking an appeal so long as such judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (l) of Article VII; (g) customary rights of setoff and liens upon (i) deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions in which such cash is maintained in the ordinary course of business, (ii) cash and financial assets held in securities accounts in favor of banks and other financial institutions with which such accounts are maintained in the ordinary course of business and (iii) assets held by a custodian in favor of such custodian in the ordinary course of business securing payment of fees, indemnities and other similar obligations; (h) Liens arising solely from precautionary filings of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code of the applicable jurisdictions in respect of operating leases entered into by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; and (i) deposits of money securing leases to which Borrower is a party as lessee made in the ordinary course of business.
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“Permitted Policy Amendment” means any change, alteration, expansion, amendment, modification, termination or restatement of the Investment Policies that is either (a) approved in writing by the Administrative Agent (with the consent of the Required Lenders), (b) required by applicable law, rule, regulation or Governmental Authority, or (c) not material in the reasonable discretion of the Administrative Agent (for the avoidance of doubt, no change, alteration, expansion, amendment, modification, termination or restatement of the Investment Policies shall be deemed “material” if investment size proportionately increases as the size of the Borrower’s capital base changes).
“Permitted SBIC Guarantee” means a guarantee by the Borrower of Indebtedness of an SBIC Subsidiary on the SBA’s then applicable form, provided that the recourse to the Borrower thereunder is expressly limited only to periods after the occurrence of an event or condition that is an impermissible change in the control of such SBIC Subsidiary (it being understood that, as provided in clause (t) of Article VII, it shall be an Event of Default hereunder if any such event or condition giving rise to such recourse occurs).
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.
“Platform” means has the meaning set forth in Section 5.01(i).
“Portfolio Investment” means any Investment held by the Obligors in their asset portfolio (and, solely for purposes of determining the Borrowing Base, Cash). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following Investments shall not be considered Portfolio Investments under this Agreement or any other Loan Document: (a) any Investment by an Obligor in any Subsidiary or Affiliate of such Obligor or any Financing Subsidiary (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Investment by an Obligor in an entity constituting a portfolio investment of such Obligor or an Affiliate of such Obligor); (b) any Investment that provides in favor of the obligor in respect of such Portfolio Investment an express right of rescission, set-off, counterclaim or any other defenses; (c) any Investment, which if debt, is an obligation (other than a revolving loan or delayed draw term loan) pursuant to which any future advances or payments to the Obligor may be required to be made by the Borrower; (d) any Investment which is made to a bankrupt entity (other than a debtor-in-possession financing and current pay obligations); and (f) any Investment, Cash or account in which a Financing Subsidiary has an interest.
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“Prime Rate” means the rate which SunTrust announces from time to time as its prime lending rate, as in effect from time to time.
“Principal Financial Center” means, in the case of any Currency, the principal financial center where such Currency is cleared and settled, as determined by the Administrative Agent.
“Prohibited Assignees and Participants Side Letter” means that certain Side Letter, dated as of the date hereof, between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
“Public Lender” means Lenders that do not wish to receive Non-Public Information with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or their Securities.
“Quarterly Dates” means the last Business Day of March, June, September and December in each year, commencing on December 31, 2012.
“Quoted Investments” means a Portfolio Investment with a value assigned by the Borrower pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(A).
“Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.
“Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement filed by the Borrower with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November [1], 2012.
“Regulations D, T, U and X” means, respectively, Regulations D, T, U and X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor), as the same may be modified and supplemented and in effect from time to time.
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time; provided that the Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in the determination of Required Lenders. The Required Lenders of a Class (which shall include the terms “Required Dollar Lenders” and “Required Multicurrency Lenders”) means Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments of such Class representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments of such Class at such time.
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“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any shares of any class of capital stock of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such shares of capital stock of the Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such shares of capital stock of the Borrower (it being understood that none of: (w) the conversion features under convertible notes; (x) the triggering and/or settlement thereof or in respect of the repurchase of such notes at the option of the holder; or (y) any cash payment made by the Borrower in respect thereof, shall constitute a Restricted Payment hereunder).
“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure and Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure at such time.
“Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Syndicated Loans, and its LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure, at such time made or incurred under the Dollar Commitments.
“Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Syndicated Loans, and its LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure, at such time made or incurred under the Multicurrency Commitments.
“Revolving Percentage” means, as of any date of determination, the result, expressed as a percentage, of the Revolving Credit Exposure on such date divided by the aggregate outstanding Covered Debt Amount on such date.
“RIC” means a “regulated investment company” as defined in section 851 of the Code.
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., a New York corporation, or any successor thereto.
“SBA” means the United States Small Business Administration.
“SBIC Equity Commitment” means a commitment by the Borrower to make one or more capital contributions to an SBIC Subsidiary.
“SBIC Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Subsidiary (including such Subsidiary’s general partner or managing entity to the extent that the only material asset of such general partner or managing entity is its equity interest in the SBIC Subsidiary) of the Borrower licensed as a small business investment company under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended, and which is designated by the Borrower (as provided below) as an SBIC Subsidiary, so long as (a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of such Subsidiary: (i) is Guaranteed by any Obligor (other than a Permitted SBIC Guarantee), (ii) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way (other than in respect of any SBIC Equity Commitment or Permitted SBIC Guarantee), or (iii) subjects any property of any Obligor, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, and (b) no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such Subsidiary’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results. Any such designation by the Borrower shall be effected pursuant to a certificate of a Financial Officer delivered to the Administrative Agent, which certificate shall include a statement to the effect that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.
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“Scheduled Payment Date” means the 15th day of each calendar month after the Commitment Termination Date through and including the Final Maturity Date.
“Security Documents” means, collectively, the Guarantee and Security Agreement, all Uniform Commercial Code financing statements filed with respect to the security interests in personal property created pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement and all other assignments, pledge agreements, security agreements, control agreements and other instruments executed and delivered on or after the date hereof by any of the Obligors pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement or otherwise providing or relating to any collateral security for any of the Secured Obligations under and as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement.
“Shareholders’ Equity” means, at any date, the amount determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of shareholders equity for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such date.
“SPE Subsidiary” means a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower to which any Obligor sells, conveys or otherwise transfers (whether directly or indirectly) Investments, which engages in no material activities other than in connection with the purchase or financing of such assets and which is designated by the Borrower (as provided below) as an SPE Subsidiary:
(a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which (i) is Guaranteed by any Obligor (other than Guarantees in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings), (ii) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or (iii) subjects any property of any Obligor, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or any Guarantee thereof,
(b) with which no Obligor has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding other than on terms no less favorable to such Obligor than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of any Obligor, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables, and
(c) to which no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results.
Any such designation by the Borrower shall be effected pursuant to a certificate of a Financial Officer delivered to the Administrative Agent, which certificate shall include a statement to the effect that such designation complies with the foregoing conditions. Each Subsidiary of an SPE Subsidiary shall be deemed to be an SPE Subsidiary and shall comply with the foregoing requirements of this definition.
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“Special Equity Interest” means any Equity Interest that is subject to a Lien in favor of creditors of the issuer of such Equity Interest provided that (a) such Lien was created to secure Indebtedness owing by such issuer to such creditors, (b) such Indebtedness was (i) in existence at the time the Obligors acquired such Equity Interest, (ii) incurred or assumed by such issuer substantially contemporaneously with such acquisition or (iii) already subject to a Lien granted to such creditors and (c) unless such Equity Interest is not intended to be included in the Collateral, the documentation creating or governing such Lien does not prohibit the inclusion of such Equity Interest in the Collateral.
“Standard Securitization Undertakings” means, collectively, (a) customary arms-length servicing obligations (together with any related performance guarantees), (b) (i) obligations (together with any related performance guarantees) to refund the purchase price or grant purchase price credits for dilutive events or misrepresentations (in each case unrelated to the collectibility of the assets sold or the creditworthiness of the associated account debtors) or (ii) options to substitute conforming assets for non-conforming assets and (c) representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities (together with any related performance guarantees) of a type that are reasonably customary in accounts receivable securitizations or loan securitizations.
“Statutory Reserve Rate” means, for the Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Borrowing, a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the arithmetic mean, taken over each day in such Interest Period, of the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities” in Regulation D). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to Regulation D. Eurocurrency Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term “Subsidiary” shall not include any Person that constitutes an Investment held by the Borrower in the ordinary course of business and that is not, under GAAP, consolidated on the financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. Unless otherwise specified, “Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Borrower.
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“Subsidiary Guarantor” means any Subsidiary that is a Guarantor under the Guarantee and Security Agreement. It is understood and agreed that no Financing Subsidiary, Immaterial Subsidiary or Foreign Subsidiary shall be a Subsidiary Guarantor.
“SunTrust” means SunTrust Bank.
“Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be the sum of (i) its Applicable Dollar Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure incurred under the Dollar Commitments and (ii) its Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time incurred under the Multicurrency Commitments.
“Swingline Lender” means SunTrust, in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.04(d).
“Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.04.
“Syndicated”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are made pursuant to Section 2.01.
“Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees, or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Termination Date” means the earliest to occur of (i) the Final Maturity Date, (ii) the date of the termination of the Commitments in full pursuant to Section 2.08(c), or (iii) the date on which the Commitments are terminated pursuant to Article VII.
“Testing Quarter” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E)(x).
“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“Treasury Credit Facility” means any limited recourse debt facility of the Borrower used by the Borrower to purchase U.S. Government Securities maturing within ninety (90) days from the date of acquisition and secured solely by Cash and U.S. Government Securities (and not secured by any Investments, Cash or other property, in each case that constitute Collateral hereunder or are included in the Borrowing Base hereunder).
“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans constituting such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.
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“Undisclosed Administration” means, in relation to a Lender, the appointment of an administrator, provisional liquidator, conservator, receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official by a supervisory authority or regulator under or based on the law in the country where such Lender is subject to home jurisdiction supervision if applicable law requires that such appointment is not to be publicly disclosed.
“Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York.
“Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of an Obligor (which may be Guaranteed by Subsidiary Guarantors) that (a) has no amortization prior to, and a final maturity date not earlier than, six months after the Final Maturity Date (it being understood that none of: (w) the conversion features under convertible notes; (x) the triggering and/or settlement thereof or in respect of the repurchase of such notes at the option of the holder, or (y) any cash payment made in respect thereof, shall constitute “amortization” for purposes of this clause (a)), (b) is incurred pursuant to documentation that is substantially comparable to market terms for substantially similar debt of other similarly situated borrowers as determined by the Borrower in its reasonable judgment and (c) is not secured by any assets of any Obligor.
“Unquoted Investments” means a Portfolio Investment with a value assigned by the Borrower pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(B).
“U.S. Government Securities” means securities that are direct obligations of, and obligations the timely payment of principal and interest on which is fully guaranteed by, the United States or any agency or instrumentality of the United States the obligations of which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States and in the form of conventional bills, bonds, and notes.
“U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States Person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“Value” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13.
“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Syndicated Dollar Loan” or “Syndicated Multicurrency Loan”), by Type (e.g., an “ABR Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Syndicated Multicurrency LIBOR Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Dollar Borrowing”, “Multicurrency Borrowing” or “Syndicated Borrowing”), by Type (e.g., an “ABR Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Syndicated ABR Borrowing” or “Syndicated Multicurrency LIBOR Borrowing”). Loans and Borrowings may also be identified by Currency.
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SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof’ and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith. The Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that whether or not the Borrower may at any time adopt Financial Accounting Standard No. 159 (or successor standard solely as it relates to fair valuing liabilities) or accounts for liabilities acquired in an acquisition on a fair value basis pursuant to Financial Accounting Standard No. 141(R) (or successor standard solely as it relates to fair valuing liabilities), all determinations of compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be made on the basis that the Borrower has not adopted Financial Accounting Standard No. 159 (or such successor standard solely as it relates to fair valuing liabilities) or, in the case of liabilities acquired in an acquisition, Financial Accounting Standard No. 141(R) (or such successor standard solely as it relates to fair valuing liabilities).
SECTION 1.05. Currencies; Currency Equivalents.
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Without prejudice to the respective liabilities of the Borrower to the Lenders and the Lenders to the Borrower under or pursuant to this Agreement, each provision of this Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time, in consultation with the Borrower, reasonably specify to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the introduction or changeover to the Euro in any country that becomes a Participating Member State after the date hereof; provided that the Administrative Agent shall provide the Borrower and the Lenders with prior notice of the proposed change with an explanation of such change in sufficient time to permit the Borrower and the Lenders an opportunity to respond to such proposed change.
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ARTICLE
II
THE CREDITS
SECTION 2.01. The Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein:
(a) each Dollar Lender severally agrees to make Syndicated Loans in Dollars to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Dollar Commitment, (ii) the aggregate Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure of all of the Dollar Lenders exceeding the aggregate Dollar Commitments or (iii) the total Covered Debt Amount exceeding the Borrowing Base then in effect; and
(b) each Multicurrency Lender severally agrees to make Syndicated Loans in Dollars and in Agreed Foreign Currencies to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Multicurrency Commitment, (ii) the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure of all of the Multicurrency Lenders exceeding the aggregate Multicurrency Commitments or (iii) the total Covered Debt Amount exceeding the Borrowing Base then in effect.
Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Syndicated Loans.
SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings.
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SECTION 2.03. Requests for Syndicated Borrowings.
(i) whether such Borrowing is to be made under the Dollar Commitments or the Multicurrency Commitments;
(ii) the aggregate amount and Currency of the requested Borrowing;
(iii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iv) in the case of a Syndicated Borrowing denominated in Dollars, whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing;
(v) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the Interest Period therefor, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period” and permitted under Section 2.02(d); and
(vi) the location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed.
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SECTION 2.04. Swingline Loans.
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Subject to the foregoing, each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph (c) is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments of the respective Class, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.
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SECTION 2.05. Letters of Credit.
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In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender of a Class hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for account of the Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Dollar Percentage or Applicable Multicurrency Percentage, as the case may be, of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing Bank in respect of Letters of Credit of such Class promptly upon the request of the Issuing Bank at any time from the time of such LC Disbursement until such LC Disbursement is reimbursed by the Borrower or at any time after any reimbursement payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. Such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each such payment shall be made in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to the next following paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that the Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.
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If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each applicable Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Dollar Percentage or Applicable Multicurrency Percentage, as the case may be, thereof.
Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor the Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit by the Issuing Bank or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by the Issuing Bank’s gross negligence or willful misconduct when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that:
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(i) the Issuing Bank may accept documents that appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and may make payment upon presentation of documents that appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit;
(ii) the Issuing Bank shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to decline to accept such documents and to make such payment if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit; and
(iii) this sentence shall establish the standard of care to be exercised by the Issuing Bank when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof (and the parties hereto hereby waive, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any standard of care inconsistent with the foregoing).
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SECTION 2.06. Funding of Borrowings.
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SECTION 2.07. Interest Elections.
(a) Elections by the Borrower for Syndicated Borrowings. Subject to Section 2.03(d), the Loans constituting each Syndicated Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, shall have the Interest Period specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a Borrowing of a different Type or to continue such Borrowing as a Borrowing of the same Type and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, may elect the Interest Period therefor, all as provided in this Section; provided, however, that (i) a Syndicated Borrowing of a Class may only be continued or converted into a Syndicated Borrowing of the same Class, (ii) a Syndicated Borrowing denominated in one Currency may not be continued as, or converted to, a Syndicated Borrowing in a different Currency, (iii) no Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency may be continued if, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposures would exceed the aggregate Multicurrency Commitments, and (iv) a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency may not be converted to a Borrowing of a different Type. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders of the respective Class holding the Loans constituting such Borrowing, and the Loans constituting each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.
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(i) the Borrowing (including the Class) to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether, in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing; and
(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the Interest Period therefor after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period” and permitted under Section 2.02(d).
SECTION 2.08. Termination, Reduction or Increase of the Commitments.
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(e) Increase of the Commitments.
(A) the minimum amount of the Commitment of any Assuming Lender, and the minimum amount of the increase of the Commitment of any Increasing Lender, as part of such Commitment Increase shall be $10,000,000 or a larger multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof;
(B) immediately after giving effect to such Commitment Increase, the total Commitments of all of the Lenders hereunder shall not exceed $150,000,000;
(C) each Assuming Lender shall be consented to by the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld);
(D) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing on such Commitment Increase Date or shall result from the proposed Commitment Increase; and
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(E) the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, in the case of any portion of the representations and warranties already subject to a materiality qualifier, true and correct in all respects) on and as of the Commitment Increase Date as if made on and as of such date (or, if any such representation or warranty is expressly stated to have been made as of a specific date, as of such specific date).
(x) the Administrative Agent shall have received on or prior to 11:00 a.m., Atlanta, Georgia time, on such Commitment Increase Date (or on or prior to a time on an earlier date specified by the Administrative Agent) a certificate of a duly authorized officer of the Borrower stating that each of the applicable conditions to such Commitment Increase set forth in the foregoing paragraph (i) has been satisfied; and
(y) each Assuming Lender or Increasing Lender shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent, on or prior to 11:00 a.m., Atlanta, Georgia time on such Commitment Increase Date (or on or prior to a time on an earlier date specified by the Administrative Agent), an agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, pursuant to which such Lender shall, effective as of such Commitment Increase Date, undertake a Commitment or an increase of Commitment in each case of the respective Class, duly executed by such Assuming Lender or Increasing Lender, as applicable, and the Borrower and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent.
Promptly following satisfaction of such conditions, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of such Class (including any Assuming Lenders) thereof and of the occurrence of the Commitment Increase Date by facsimile transmission or electronic messaging system.
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SECTION 2.09. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.
(i) to the Administrative Agent for account of the Lenders of such Class the outstanding principal amount of the Syndicated Loans of such Class on the Final Maturity Date; and
(ii) to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan of such Class denominated in Dollars, on the earlier of the Commitment Termination Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least ten Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Syndicated Borrowing of such Class is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans of such Class then outstanding.
In addition, on the Commitment Termination Date, the Borrower shall deposit into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account Cash (denominated in the Currency of the Letter of Credit under which such LC Exposure arises) in an amount equal to 100% of the undrawn face amount of all Letters of Credit outstanding on the close of business on the Commitment Termination Date, such deposit to be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral security for the LC Exposure under this Agreement in respect of the undrawn portion of such Letters of Credit.
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SECTION 2.10. Prepayment of Loans.
(b) Mandatory Prepayments due to Changes in Exchange Rates.
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For purposes hereof “Currency Valuation Notice” means a notice given by the Required Multicurrency Lenders to the Administrative Agent stating that such notice is a “Currency Valuation Notice” and requesting that the Administrative Agent determine the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure. The Administrative Agent shall not be required to make more than one valuation determination pursuant to Currency Valuation Notices within any rolling three month period.
Any prepayment pursuant to this paragraph shall be applied, first to Swingline Multicurrency Loans outstanding, second, to Syndicated Multicurrency Loans outstanding and third, as cover for Multicurrency LC Exposure.
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SECTION 2.11. Fees.
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SECTION 2.12. Interest.
SECTION 2.13. Alternate Rate of Interest. If prior to the commencement of the Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Borrowing of a Class (the Currency of such Borrowing herein called the “Affected Currency”):
(a) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Affected Currency for such Interest Period; or
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(b) the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders of such Class that the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Affected Currency for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their respective Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the affected Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and such Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Syndicated Borrowing to, or the continuation of any Syndicated Borrowing as, a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in the Affected Currency shall be ineffective and, if the Affected Currency is Dollars, such Syndicated Borrowing (unless prepaid) shall be continued as, or converted to, a Syndicated ABR Borrowing, (ii) if the Affected Currency is Dollars and any Borrowing Request requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be made as a Syndicated ABR Borrowing and (iii) if the Affected Currency is a Foreign Currency, any Borrowing Request that requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in the Affected Currency shall be ineffective.
SECTION 2.14. Increased Costs.
(a) Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate) or the Issuing Bank; or
(ii) impose on any Lender or the Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Eurocurrency Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lenders of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Eurocurrency Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender or the Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, in Dollars, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
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SECTION 2.15. Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period therefor (including as a result of the occurrence of any Commitment Increase Date or an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period therefor, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Syndicated Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (including, in connection with any Commitment Increase Date, and regardless of whether such notice is permitted to be revocable under Section 2.10(e) and is revoked in accordance herewith), or (d) the assignment as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.18(b) of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period therefor, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurocurrency Loan, the loss to any Lender attributable to any such event shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be equal to the excess, if any, of
(i) the amount of interest that such Lender would pay for a deposit equal to the principal amount of such Loan denominated in the Currency of such Loan for the period from the date of such payment, conversion, failure or assignment to the last day of the then current Interest Period for such Loan (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, the duration of the Interest Period that would have resulted from such borrowing, conversion or continuation) if the interest rate payable on such deposit were equal to the Adjusted LIBO Rate for such Currency for such Interest Period, over
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(ii) the amount of interest that such Lender would earn on such principal amount for such period if such Lender were to invest such principal amount for such period at the interest rate that would be bid by such Lender (or an affiliate of such Lender) for deposits denominated in such Currency from other banks in the Eurocurrency market at the commencement of such period.
Payment under this Section shall be made upon request of a Lender delivered not later than five Business Days following the payment, conversion, or failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay that gives rise to a claim under this Section accompanied by a certificate of such Lender setting forth the amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section, which certificate shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
SECTION 2.16. Taxes.
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(ii) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(A) any Lender that is a “United States person” (as defined under Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (and such additional copies as shall be reasonably requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Lender become a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), duly completed and executed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or any successor form certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax; and
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(B) each Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:
(w) duly completed and executed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or any successor form claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party,
(x) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI or any successor form certifying that the income receivable pursuant to this Agreement is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States,
(y) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (1) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (1) a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (2) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (3) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (2) duly completed and executed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN (or any successor form) certifying that the Foreign Lender is not a United States Person, or
(z) any other form including Internal Revenue Service Form W-8IMY as applicable prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax duly completed together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.
(iii) In addition, each Lender shall deliver such forms promptly upon the obsolescence, expiration or invalidity of any form previously delivered by such Lender; provided it is legally able to do so at the time. Each Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at any time the chief tax officer of such Lender becomes aware that it no longer satisfies the legal requirements to provide any previously delivered form or certificate to the Borrower (or any other form of certification adopted by the U.S. or other taxing authorities for such purpose).
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SECTION 2.17. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment: Sharing of Set-offs.
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All amounts owing under this Agreement (including commitment fees, payments required under Section 2.14, and payments required under Section 2.15 relating to any Loan denominated in Dollars, but not including principal of and interest on any Loan denominated in any Foreign Currency or payments relating to any such Loan required under Section 2.15, which are payable in such Foreign Currency) or under any other Loan Document (except to the extent otherwise provided therein) are payable in Dollars. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan when due (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration, by mandatory prepayment or otherwise), the unpaid portion of such Loan shall, if such Loan is not denominated in Dollars, automatically be redenominated in Dollars on the due date thereof (or, if such due date is a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor, on the last day of such Interest Period) in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent thereof on the date of such redenomination and such principal shall be payable on demand; and if the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan that is not denominated in Dollars, such interest shall automatically be redenominated in Dollars on the due date therefor (or, if such due date is a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor, on the last day of such Interest Period) in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent thereof on the date of such redenomination and such interest shall be payable on demand.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, if, after the making of any Borrowing in any Foreign Currency, currency control or exchange regulations are imposed in the country which issues such currency with the result that the type of currency in which the Borrowing was made (the “Original Currency”) no longer exists or the Borrower is not able to make payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders in such Original Currency, then all payments to be made by the Borrower hereunder in such currency shall instead be made when due in Dollars in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent (as of the date of repayment) of such payment due, it being the intention of the parties hereto that the Borrower takes all risks of the imposition of any such currency control or exchange regulations.
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SECTION 2.18. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
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SECTION 2.19. Defaulting Lenders.
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(A) No Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive any fee pursuant to Sections 2.11(a) and (b) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender (and Borrower shall not be required to pay any such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender); provided that such Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive fees pursuant to Section 2.11(b) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to extent allocable to its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit for which it has provided Cash Collateral pursuant to Section 2.19(d).
(B) With respect to any Section 2.11(b) fees not required to be paid to any Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (A) above, Borrower shall (x) pay to each Non-Defaulting Lender that portion of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participation in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans that has been reallocated to such Non-Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (iii) below, (y) pay to Issuing Bank the amount of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender to the extent allocable to Issuing Bank’s Fronting Exposure to such Defaulting Lender, and (z) not be required to pay the remaining amount of any such fee.
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ARTICLE
III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable.
SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within the Borrower’s corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, by all necessary shareholder action. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes, and each of the other Loan Documents when executed and delivered by each Obligor party thereto will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Obligor, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights and (b) the application of general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except for (i) such as have been or will be obtained or made and are in full force and effect and (ii) filings and recordings in respect of the Liens created pursuant to this Agreement or the Security Documents, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, (c) will not violate or result in a default in any material respect under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by any such Person, and (d) except for the Liens created pursuant to this Agreement or the Security Documents, will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
SECTION 3.04. No Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of the most recent Applicable Financial Statements, there has not been any event, development or circumstance that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.05. Litigation. There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority now pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions.
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any contract or other arrangement, the performance of which by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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SECTION 3.07. Taxes. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all material Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all material Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which such Person has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.08. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.09. Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the reports, financial statements, certificates or other written information (other than projected financial information, other forward looking information relating to third parties and information of a general economic or general industry nature) furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or delivered hereunder or thereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) when taken as a whole (and after giving effect to all updates, modifications and supplements) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
SECTION 3.10. Investment Company Act; Margin Regulations.
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SECTION 3.11. Material Agreements and Liens.
SECTION 3.12. Subsidiaries and Investments.
SECTION 3.13. Properties.
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SECTION 3.14. Affiliate Agreements. As of the date hereof, the Borrower has heretofore delivered to the Administrative Agent true and complete copies of each of the Affiliate Agreements (including and schedules and exhibits thereto, and any amendments, supplements or waivers executed and delivered thereunder). As of the date of hereof, each of the Affiliate Agreements is in full force and effect.
SECTION 3.15. OFAC. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries (a) is a person whose property or interest in property is blocked or subject to blocking pursuant to Section 1 of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism (66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (2001)), (b) engages in any dealings or transactions prohibited by Section 2 of such executive order, or is otherwise associated with any such person in any manner violative of Section 2 of such executive order, or (c) is a person on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons or subject to the limitations or prohibitions under any other U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control regulation or executive order.
SECTION 3.16. Patriot Act. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with (a) the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, and each of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) and any other enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto, and (b) the Uniting And Strengthening America By Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept And Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot Act of 2001). No part of the proceeds of the Loans will be used, directly or indirectly, for any payments to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
SECTION 3.17. Collateral Documents. The provisions of the Security Documents are effective to create in favor of the Collateral Agent a legal, valid and enforceable first priority Lien (subject to Liens permitted by Section 6.02) on all right, title and interest of the Borrower and each Subsidiary Guarantor in the Collateral described therein. Except for filings completed prior to the Effective Date and as contemplated hereby and by the Security Documents, no filing or other action will be necessary to perfect such Liens.
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ARTICLE
IV
CONDITIONS
SECTION 4.01. Effective Date. The effectiveness of this Agreement and of the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until completion of each of the following conditions precedent (unless a condition shall have been waived in accordance with Section 9.02):
(ii) Opinion of Counsel to the Borrower. A favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, New York and Maryland counsel for the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent (and the Borrower hereby instructs such counsel to deliver such opinion to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent).
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SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make any Loan, and of the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is additionally subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement and in the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, in the case of any portion of any representations and warranties already subject to a materiality qualifier, true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Loan or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, or, as to any such representation or warranty that refers to a specific date, as of such specific date;
(b) at the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Loan or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(c) either (i) the aggregate Covered Debt Amount (after giving effect to such extension of credit) shall not exceed the Borrowing Base reflected on the Borrowing Base Certificate most recently delivered to the Administrative Agent or (ii) the Borrower shall have delivered an updated Borrowing Base Certificate demonstrating that the Covered Debt Amount (after giving effect to such extension of credit) shall not exceed the Borrowing Base after giving effect to such extension of credit as well as any concurrent acquisitions of Investments or payment of outstanding Loans; and
(d) until the Borrower shall have cumulatively raised at least $250,000,000 in gross proceeds from the sale of equity securities in one or more offerings (including rollover equity, preferred stock or convertible notes), the Borrower shall not be permitted to increase the Revolving Credit Exposure unless, after giving effect to such increase, the Asset Coverage Ratio would equal or exceed 2.25 to 1.
Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in the preceding sentence.
ARTICLE
V
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired, been terminated, Cash Collateralized or backstopped and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
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SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements and Other Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, the audited consolidated balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; provided that the requirements set forth in this clause (a) may be fulfilled by providing to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders the report of the Borrower to the SEC on Form 10-K for the applicable fiscal year;
(b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, the consolidated balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for (or, in the case of the statements of assets and liabilities, operations, changes in net assets and cash flows, as of the end of) the corresponding period or periods of the previous fiscal year, all certified by a Financial Officer of the Borrower as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes; provided that the requirements set forth in this clause (b) may be fulfilled by providing to the Lenders the report of the Borrower to the SEC on Form 10-Q for the applicable quarterly period;
(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) of this Section, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying that such statements are consistent with the financial statements filed by the Borrower with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (ii) certifying as to whether the Borrower has knowledge that a Default has occurred during the applicable period and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (iii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.04 and 6.07 and (iv) stating whether any change in GAAP as applied by (or in the application of GAAP by) the Borrower has occurred since the Effective Date and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;
(d) as soon as available and in any event not later than 20 days after the end of each monthly accounting period (ending on the last day of each calendar month) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, a Borrowing Base Certificate as at the last day of such accounting period;
(e) promptly but no later than five Business Days after the Borrower shall at any time have knowledge that there is a Borrowing Base Deficiency, a Borrowing Base Certificate as at the date the Borrower has knowledge of such Borrowing Base Deficiency indicating the amount of the Borrowing Base Deficiency as at the date the Borrower obtained knowledge of such deficiency and the amount of the Borrowing Base Deficiency as of the date not earlier than one Business Day prior to the date the Borrowing Base Certificate is delivered pursuant to this paragraph;
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(f) promptly upon receipt thereof copies of all significant reports submitted by the Borrower’s independent public accountants in connection with each annual, interim or special audit or review of any type of the financial statements or related internal control systems of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries delivered by such accountants to the management or board of directors of the Borrower;
(g) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with any national securities exchange, as the case may be; and
(h) promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.
Borrower and each Lender acknowledge that certain of the Lenders may be Public Lenders and, if documents or notices required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 5.01 or otherwise are being distributed through IntraLinks/IntraAgency, SyndTrak or another relevant website or other information platform (the “Platform”), any document or notice that Borrower has indicated contains Non-Public Information shall not be posted by Administrative Agent on that portion of the Platform designated for such Public Lenders. Borrower agrees to clearly designate all information provided to Administrative Agent by or on behalf of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which is suitable to make available to Public Lenders. If Borrower has not indicated whether a document or notice delivered pursuant to this Section 5.01 contains Non-Public Information, the Administrative Agent reserves the right to post such document or notice solely on that portion of the Platform designated for Lenders who wish to receive material Non-Public Information with respect to Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their Securities (as such term is defined in Section 5.13 of this Agreement).
SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:
(a) the occurrence of any Default;
(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $1,000,000; and
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(d) any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.
Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
SECTION 5.03. Existence: Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03 or (b) the dissolution of any Financing Subsidiary.
SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including income tax and other material tax liabilities and material contractual obligations, that, if not paid, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and (b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies in the Borrower’s reasonable judgment, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.
SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection and Audit Rights. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep books of record and account in accordance with GAAP. The Borrower will, and will cause each other Obligor to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties during business hours, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested, in each case, to the extent such inspection or requests for such information are reasonable and such information can be provided or discussed without violation of law, rule, regulation, order of any Governmental Authority or contract; provided that the Borrower or such Obligor shall be entitled to have its representatives and advisors present during any inspection of its books and records.
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SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations, including the Investment Company Act, and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Borrower will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, conduct its business and other activities in compliance in all material respects with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and any applicable rules, regulations or orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
SECTION 5.08. Certain Obligations Respecting Subsidiaries; Further Assurances.
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SECTION 5.09. Use of Proceeds. The Borrower will use the proceeds of the Loans only for general corporate purposes of the Borrower in the ordinary course of business, including the acquisition and funding (either directly or through one or more wholly-owned Subsidiaries) of leveraged loans, mezzanine loans, high-yield securities, convertible securities, preferred stock, common stock and other Investments; provided that neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall have any responsibility as to the use of any of such proceeds. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used in violation of applicable law or, directly or indirectly, for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or carrying any Margin Stock. Margin Stock shall be purchased by the Obligors only with the proceeds of Indebtedness not directly or indirectly secured by Margin Stock, or with the proceeds of equity capital of the Borrower.
SECTION 5.10. Status of RIC and BDC. The Borrower shall (i) take all actions necessary to qualify as a RIC (including making the election to be treated as a RIC for its taxable year ended December 31, 2012) and to thereafter maintain its qualification as a RIC, and (ii) at all times maintain its status as a “business development company” under the Investment Company Act.
SECTION 5.11. Investment Policies. The Borrower shall at all times be in compliance in all material respects with its Investment Policies (after giving effect to any Permitted Policy Amendments).
SECTION 5.12. Portfolio Valuation and Diversification Etc.
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(w) in the case of public and 144A securities, the average of the bid prices as determined by two Approved Dealers selected by the Borrower,
(x) in the case of bank loans, the bid price as determined by one Approved Dealer selected by the Borrower,
(y) in the case of any Portfolio Investment traded on an exchange, the closing price for such Portfolio Investment most recently posted on such exchange, and
(z) in the case of any other Portfolio Investment, the fair market value thereof as determined by an Approved Pricing Service; and
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(x) For the second calendar month immediately following the end of each fiscal quarter (the last such fiscal quarter is referred to herein as, the “Testing Quarter”), the Administrative Agent shall cause an Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent to value (on a positive assurance basis) such number of Unquoted Investments (selected by the Administrative Agent) that collectively have an aggregate Value approximately equal to the Calculation Amount. If there is a difference between the Borrower’s valuation and the Approved Third-Party Appraiser’s valuation of any Unquoted Investment, the Value of such Unquoted Investment for Borrowing Base purposes shall be established as set forth in sub-clause (F) below.
(y) For the avoidance of doubt, the valuation of any Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent would not be as of, or delivered at, the end of any fiscal quarter. Any such valuation would be as of the end of the second month immediately following any fiscal quarter (the “Administrative Agent Appraisal Testing Month”) and would be reflected in the Borrowing Base Certificate for such month (provided that such Approved Third-Party Appraiser delivers such valuation at least seven (7) Business Days before the 20th day after the end of the applicable monthly accounting period and, if such valuation is delivered after such time, it shall be included in the Borrowing Base Certificate for the following monthly period and applied to the then applicable balance of the related Portfolio Investment). For illustrative purposes, if the given fiscal quarter is the fourth quarter ending on December 31, 2012, then (A) the Administrative Agent would initiate the testing of Values (using the December 31, 2012 Calculation Values for purposes of determining the scope of the testing under clauses (E)(x) during the month of February with the anticipation of receiving the valuations from the applicable Approved Third-Party Appraiser(s) on or after February 28, 2013 and (B)(xx) if such valuations were received before the 7th Business Day before March 20, 2013, such valuations would be included in the March 20, 2013 Borrowing Base Certificate covering the month of February, or (yy) if such valuations were received after such time, they would be included in the April 20, 2013 Borrowing Base Certificate for the month of March.
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For the avoidance of doubt, all calculations of value pursuant to this Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E) shall be determined without application of the Advance Rates.
SECTION 5.13. Calculation of Borrowing Base. For purposes of this Agreement, the “Borrowing Base” shall be determined, as at any date of determination, as the sum of the Advance Rates of the Value of each Portfolio Investment (excluding any Cash Collateral held by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.05(k) or the last paragraph of Section 2.09(a)); provided that:
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(a) the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments in a consolidated group of corporations or other entities (collectively, a “Consolidated Group”), in accordance with GAAP, that exceeds 10% of Shareholders’ Equity of the Borrower (which, for purposes of this calculation shall exclude the aggregate amount of investments in, and advances to, Financing Subsidiaries) shall be 50% of the Advance Rate otherwise applicable; provided that, with respect to the Portfolio Investments in a single Consolidated Group designated by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent such 10% figure shall be increased to 12.5%;
(b) the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments of all issuers in a Consolidated Group exceeding 20% of Shareholders’ Equity of the Borrower (which, for purposes of this calculation shall exclude the aggregate amount of investments in, and advances to, Financing Subsidiaries) shall be 0%;
(c) the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments in any single Industry Classification Group that exceeds 20% of Shareholders’ Equity of the Borrower (which for purposes of this calculation shall exclude the aggregate amount of investments in, and advances to, Financing Subsidiaries) shall be 0%; provided that, with respect to the Portfolio Investments in a single Industry Classification Group from time to time designated by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent such 20% figure shall be increased to 30% and, accordingly, only to the extent that the Value for such single Industry Classification Group exceeds 30% of the Shareholders’ Equity shall the Advance Rate applicable to such excess Value be 0%;
(d) no Portfolio Investment may be included in the Borrowing Base unless the Collateral Agent maintains a first priority, perfected Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) on such Portfolio Investment and such Portfolio Investment has been Delivered (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) to the Collateral Agent, and then only for so long as such Portfolio Investment continues to be Delivered as contemplated therein;
(e) the portion of the Borrowing Base attributable to Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities, Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments, Equity Interests and Non-Performing Portfolio Investments shall not exceed 15%;
(f) the portion of the Borrowing Base attributable to Equity Interests shall not exceed 10% (it being understood that in no event shall Equity Interests of Financing Subsidiaries be included in the Borrowing Base);
(g) the portion of the Borrowing Base attributable to Non-Performing Portfolio Investments shall not exceed 10% and the portion of the Borrowing Base attributable to Portfolio Investments that were Non-Performing Portfolio Investments at the time such Portfolio Investments were acquired shall not exceed 5%; and
(h) the portion of the Borrowing Base attributable to Portfolio Investments invested outside the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden shall not exceed 5% without the consent of the Administrative Agent.
As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings:
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“Advance Rate” means, as to any Portfolio Investment and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5.13(a), (b) and (c), the following percentages with respect to such Portfolio Investment:
Portfolio Investment | Quoted | Unquoted | ||||||
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term U.S. Government Securities | 100 | % | 0 | % | ||||
Long-Term U.S. Government Securities | 95 | % | 0 | % | ||||
Performing First Lien Bank Loans | 70 | % | 60 | % | ||||
Performing Unitranche Loans | 65 | % | 55 | % | ||||
Performing Second Lien Bank Loans | 60 | % | 50 | % | ||||
Performing Cash Pay Secured High Yield Securities | 60 | % | 50 | % | ||||
Performing Cash Pay Unsecured High Yield Securities | 50 | % | 40 | % | ||||
Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments | 45 | % | 35 | % | ||||
Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans | 40 | % | 40 | % | ||||
Non-Performing Unitranche Loans | 35 | % | 30 | % | ||||
Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans | 35 | % | 30 | % | ||||
Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments | 35 | % | 25 | % | ||||
Performing Non-Cash Pay Secured High Yield Securities | 35 | % | 25 | % | ||||
Performing Non-Cash Pay Unsecured High Yield Securities | 30 | % | 20 | % | ||||
Performing Common Equity (and zero cost or xxxxx warrants with performing debt) | 25 | % | 15 | % | ||||
Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments | 20 | % | 15 | % | ||||
Non-Performing High Yield Securities | 15 | % | 15 | % | ||||
Non-Performing Common Equity | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||
Structured Finance Obligations and Finance Leases | 0 | % | 0 | % |
“Bank Loans” means debt obligations (including term loans, revolving loans, debtor-in-possession financings, the funded and unfunded portion of revolving credit lines and letter of credit facilities and other similar loans and investments including interim loans and senior subordinated loans) which are generally under a loan or credit facility (whether or not syndicated).
“Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares of corporate stock (however designated) of and any and all other Equity Interests and participations representing ownership interests (including membership interests and limited liability company interests) in, such Person.
“Cash” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement.
“Cash Equivalents” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement.
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“Finance Lease” means any transaction representing the obligation of a lessee to pay rent or other amounts under a lease which is required to be classified and accounted for as a capital lease on the balance sheet of such lessee under GAAP.
“First Lien Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan that is entitled to the benefit of a first lien and first priority perfected security interest (subject to Liens for “ABL” revolvers and customary encumbrances) on a substantial portion of the assets of the respective borrower and guarantors obligated in respect thereof.
“High Yield Securities” means debt Securities and Preferred Stock, in each case (a) issued by public or private issuers, (b) issued pursuant to an effective registration statement or pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereunder) or other exemption to the Securities Act and (c) that are not Cash Equivalents, Mezzanine Investments or Bank Loans.
“Long-Term U.S. Government Securities” means U.S. Government Securities maturing more than one month from the applicable date of determination.
“Mezzanine Investments” means debt Securities (including convertible debt Securities (other than the “in-the-money” equity component thereof)) and Preferred Stock in each case (a) issued by public or private issuers, (b) issued without registration under the Securities Act, (c) not issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereunder), (d) that are not Cash Equivalents and (e) contractually subordinated in right of payment to other debt of the same issuer.
“Non-Performing Common Equity” means Capital Stock (other than Preferred Stock) and warrants of an issuer having any debt outstanding that is non-Performing.
“Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans other than Performing First Lien Bank Loans.
“Non-Performing High Yield Securities” means High Yield Securities other than Performing High Yield Securities.
“Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments” means Mezzanine Investments other than Performing Mezzanine Investments.
“Non-Performing Portfolio Investment” means Portfolio Investments for which the issuer is in default of any payment obligations of principal or interest in respect thereof after the expiration of any applicable grace period.
“Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans” means Second Lien Bank Loans other than Performing Second Lien Bank Loans.
“Non-Performing Unitranche Loan” means Unitranche Loans other than Performing Unitranche Loans.
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“Performing” means (a) with respect to any Portfolio Investment that is debt, the issuer of such Portfolio Investment is not in default of any payment obligations of principal or interest in respect thereof after the expiration of any applicable grace period and (b) with respect to any Portfolio Investment that is Preferred Stock, the issuer of such Portfolio Investment has not failed to meet any scheduled redemption obligations or to pay its latest declared cash dividend, after the expiration of any applicable grace period.
“Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities” means High Yield Securities (a) as to which, at the time of determination, not less than 2/3rds of the interest (including accretions and “pay-in-kind” interest) for the current monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual period (as applicable) is payable in cash and (b) which are Performing.
“Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” means Mezzanine Investments (a) as to which, at the time of determination, not less than 2/3rds of the interest (including accretions and “pay-in-kind” interest) for the current monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual period (as applicable) is payable in cash and (b) which are Performing.
“Performing Common Equity” means Capital Stock (other than Preferred Stock) and warrants of an issuer all of whose outstanding debt is Performing.
“Performing First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans which are Performing.
“Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities” means Performing High Yield Securities other than Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities.
“Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” means Performing Mezzanine Investments other than Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments.
“Performing Second Lien Bank Loans” means Second Lien Bank Loans which are Performing.
“Preferred Stock,” as applied to the Capital Stock of any Person, means Capital Stock of such Person of any class or classes (however designated) that ranks prior, as to the payment of dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such Person, to any shares (or other interests) of other Capital Stock of such Person, and shall include, without limitation, cumulative preferred, non-cumulative preferred, participating preferred and convertible preferred Capital Stock.
“Second Lien Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan that is entitled to the benefit of a second lien and second priority perfected security interest (subject to customary encumbrances) on specified assets of the respective borrower and guarantors obligated in respect thereof.
“Securities” means common and preferred stock, units and participations, member interests in limited liability companies, partnership interests in partnerships, notes, bonds, debentures, trust receipts and other obligations, instruments or evidences of indebtedness, including debt instruments of public and private issuers and tax-exempt securities (including warrants, rights, put and call options and other options relating thereto, representing rights, or any combination thereof) and other property or interests commonly regarded as securities or any form of interest or participation therein, but not including Bank Loans.
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“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Short-Term U.S. Government Securities” means U.S. Government Securities maturing within one month of the applicable date of determination.
“Structured Finance Obligation” means any obligation issued by a special purpose vehicle and secured directly by, referenced to, or representing ownership of, a pool of receivables or other financial assets of any obligor, including collateralized debt obligations and mortgaged-backed securities. For the avoidance of doubt, if an obligation satisfies the definition of “Structured Finance Obligation”, such obligation shall not (a) qualify as any other category of Portfolio Investment and (b) be included in the Borrowing Base.
“U.S. Government Securities” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01.
“Unitranche Loan” means a Bank Loan that is a First Lien Bank Loan, a portion of which is, in effect, subject to superpriority rights of other lenders following an event of default (such portion, a “second out” portion). The Borrower’s investment in the second out portion shall be treated as a Unitranche Loan for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment under the Facility.
“Value” means, with respect to any Portfolio Investment, the lower of:
(i) the most recent internal market value as determined pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(C) and
(ii) the most recent external market value as determined pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(A) and (B).
ARTICLE
VI
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired, been terminated, Cash Collateralized or backstopped and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness created hereunder;
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(c) Other Permitted Indebtedness;
(d) repurchase obligations arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to U.S. Government Securities;
(e) obligations payable to clearing agencies, brokers or dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities in the ordinary course of business;
(f) obligations (including Guarantees) in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings;
(g) Permitted SBIC Guarantees;
(h) Indebtedness under any Treasury Credit Facility not to exceed $100,000,000 in the aggregate; and
(i) other Indebtedness not to exceed $3,000,000 at any time.
SECTION 6.02. Liens. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof except:
(a) any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors existing on the date hereof and set forth in Part B of Schedule 3.11; provided that (i) no such Lien shall extend to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors, and (ii) any such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;
(b) Liens created pursuant to this Agreement (including Section 2.19) or any of the Security Documents;
(d) Permitted Liens;
(e) Liens on Equity Interests in any SBIC Subsidiary created in favor of the SBA;
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(f) Liens securing repurchase obligations arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to U.S. Government Securities;
(g) Liens created pursuant to any Treasury Credit Facility; provided that such Liens (i) only constitute Liens on (A) Cash not exceeding $2,000,000 at any one time outstanding and (B) U.S. Government Securities and (ii) do not constitute Liens on any Investments, Cash or other property, in each case that constitute Collateral hereunder or are included in the Borrowing Base hereunder; and
(h) Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $2,000,000 at any one time outstanding.
SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation or amalgamation, or liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution). The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, acquire any business or property from, or capital stock of, or be a party to any acquisition of, any Person, except for purchases or acquisitions of Investments and other assets in the normal course of the day-to-day business activities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and not in violation of the terms and conditions of this Agreement or any other Loan Document. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, convey, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of, in one transaction or a series of transactions, any part of its assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, but excluding (x) assets (other than Investments) sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business (including to make expenditures of cash in the normal course of the day-to-day business activities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) and (y) subject to the provisions of clauses (d) and (e) below, Investments.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section:
(a) any Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower may be merged or consolidated with or into the Borrower or any other Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that if any such transaction shall be between a Subsidiary Guarantor and a wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor, the wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving corporation;
(b) any Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or any wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower;
(c) the capital stock of any Subsidiary of the Borrower may be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to the Borrower or any wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower;
(d) the Obligors may sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of Investments (other than to a Financing Subsidiary) so long as after giving effect to such sale, transfer or other disposition (and any concurrent acquisitions of Investments or payment of outstanding Loans) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base;
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(e) the Obligors may sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of Investments to a Financing Subsidiary so long as (i) after giving effect to such sale, transfer or other disposition (and any concurrent acquisitions of Investments or payment of outstanding Loans) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and the Borrower delivers to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a Financial Officer to such effect and (ii) either (x) the amount by which the Borrowing Base exceeds the Covered Debt Amount immediately prior to such release is not diminished as a result of such release or (y) the Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to such release is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount;
(f) the Borrower may merge or consolidate with any other Person so long as (i) the Borrower is the continuing or surviving entity in such transaction and (ii) at the time thereof and after giving effect thereto, no Default shall have occurred or be continuing; and
(g) the Borrower and each of the Subsidiary Guarantors may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of equipment or other property or assets that do not consist of Investments so long as the aggregate amount of all such sales, leases, transfer and dispositions does not exceed $5,000,000 in any fiscal year.
SECTION 6.04. Investments. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, acquire, make or enter into, or hold, any Investments except:
(a) operating deposit accounts with banks;
(c) Hedging Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of the Borrower’s financial planning and not for speculative purposes;
(e) Investments in Financing Subsidiaries so long as, (i) after giving effect to such Investment, the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (ii) the sum of (x) all Investments under this clause (e) that occur after the Commitment Termination Date and (y) all Investments under clause (f) below that occur after the Commitment Termination Date, shall not exceed $5,000,000 in the aggregate;
(f) additional Investments up to but not exceeding $15,000,000 in the aggregate; provided that the sum of (x) all Investments under this clause (f) that occur after the Commitment Termination Date and (y) all Investments under clause (e) above that occur after the Commitment Termination Date, shall not exceed $5,000,000 in the aggregate;
(g) Investments in Cash and Cash Equivalents; and
(h) Investments described on Schedule 3.12(b).
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For purposes of clause (f) of this Section, the aggregate amount of an Investment at any time shall be deemed to be equal to (A) the aggregate amount of cash, together with the aggregate fair market value of property, loaned, advanced, contributed, transferred or otherwise invested that gives rise to such Investment minus (B) the aggregate amount of dividends, distributions or other payments received in cash in respect of such Investment; provided that in no event shall the aggregate amount of such Investment be deemed to be less than zero; the amount of an Investment shall not in any event be reduced by reason of any write-off of such Investment nor increased by any increase in the amount of earnings retained in the Person in which such Investment is made that have not been dividended, distributed or otherwise paid out.
SECTION 6.05. Restricted Payments. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except that the Borrower may declare and pay:
(a) dividends with respect to the capital stock of the Borrower payable solely in additional shares of the Borrower’s common stock;
(b) dividends and distributions in either case in cash or other property (excluding for this purpose the Borrower’s common stock) in any taxable year of the Borrower in amounts not to exceed the amount that is determined in good faith by the Borrower to be required to (i) qualify and maintain the status of the Borrower as a RIC, and (ii) avoid federal excise taxes for such taxable year imposed by Section 4982 of the Code;
(c) dividends and distributions in each case in cash or other property (excluding for this purpose the Borrower’s common stock) in addition to the dividends and distributions permitted under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), so long as on the date of such Restricted Payment and after giving effect thereto:
(i) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom; and
(ii) the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made during any taxable year of the Borrower after the date hereof under this clause (c) shall not exceed the difference of (x) an amount equal to 10% of the taxable income of the Borrower for such taxable year determined under section 852(b)(2) of the Code, but without regard to subparagraphs (A), (B) or (D) thereof, minus (y) the amount, if any, by which dividends and distributions made during such taxable year pursuant to the foregoing clause (b) (whether in respect of such taxable year or the previous taxable year) based upon the Borrower’s estimate of taxable income exceeded the actual amounts specified in subclauses (i) and (ii) of such foregoing clause (b) for such taxable year.
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(d) other Restricted Payments so long as (i) on the date of such other Restricted Payment and after giving effect thereto (x) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed 90% of the Borrowing Base and (y) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom and (ii) on the date of such other Restricted Payment the Borrower delivers to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a Borrowing Base Certificate as at such date demonstrating compliance with subclause (x) after giving effect to such Restricted Payment. For purposes of preparing such Borrowing Base Certificate, (A) the fair market value of Portfolio Investments for which market quotations are readily available shall be the most recent quotation available for such Portfolio Investment and (B) the fair market value of Portfolio Investments for which market quotations are not readily available shall be the Value set forth in the Borrowing Base Certificate most recently delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01(d); provided that the Borrower shall reduce the Value of any Portfolio Investment referred to in this sub-clause (B) to the extent necessary to take into account any events of which the Borrower has knowledge that adversely affect the value of such Portfolio Investment.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit the payment of Restricted Payments by any Subsidiary of the Borrower to the Borrower or to any other Subsidiary Guarantor.
SECTION 6.06. Certain Restrictions on Subsidiaries. The Borrower will not permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to enter into or suffer to exist any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement (other than the Loan Documents) that prohibits or restrains, in each case in any material respect, or imposes materially adverse conditions upon, the incurrence or payment of Indebtedness, the declaration or payment of dividends, the making of loans, advances, guarantees or Investments or the sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of property to the Borrower by any Subsidiary; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to (i) indentures, agreements, instruments or other arrangements pertaining to other Indebtedness permitted hereby (provided that such restrictions would not adversely affect the exercise of rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders hereunder or under the Security Documents or restrict any Subsidiary in any manner from performing its obligations under the Loan Documents) and (ii) indentures, agreements, instruments or other arrangements pertaining to any lease, sale or other disposition of any asset permitted by this Agreement or any Lien permitted by this Agreement on such asset so long as the applicable restrictions only apply to the assets subject to such lease, sale, other disposition or Lien.
SECTION 6.07. Certain Financial Covenants.
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SECTION 6.08. Transactions with Affiliates. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any transactions with any of its Affiliates, even if otherwise permitted under this Agreement, except (a) transactions in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary (other than a SBIC Subsidiary) than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate, (c) Restricted Payments permitted by Section 6.05, (d) the transactions provided in the Affiliate Agreements, (e) transactions described on Schedule 6.08, (f) any Investment that results in the creation of an Affiliate or (g) transactions between or among the Obligors and any SBIC Subsidiary or any “downstream affiliate” (as such term is used under the rules promulgated under the Investment Company Act) company of an Obligor at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Obligors than could be obtained at the time on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties.
SECTION 6.09. Lines of Business. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, engage to any material extent in any business other than in accordance with its Investment Policies. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to amend or modify the Investment Policies (other than a Permitted Policy Amendment).
SECTION 6.10. No Further Negative Pledge. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, enter into any agreement, instrument, deed or lease which prohibits or limits the ability of any Obligor to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its properties, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or which requires the grant of any security for an obligation if security is granted for another obligation, except the following: (a) this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and documents with respect to Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01(b); (b) covenants in documents creating Liens permitted by Section 6.02 prohibiting further Liens on the assets encumbered thereby; (c) customary restrictions contained in leases not subject to a waiver; (d) any such agreement that imposes restrictions on investments or other interests in Financing Subsidiaries (but no other assets of any Obligor); and (e) any other agreement that does not restrict in any manner (directly or indirectly) Liens created pursuant to the Loan Documents on any Collateral securing the “Secured Obligations” under and as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement and does not require the direct or indirect granting of any Lien securing any Indebtedness or other obligation by virtue of the granting of Liens on or pledge of property of any Obligor to secure the Loans or any Hedging Agreement.
SECTION 6.11. Modifications of Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness Documents. The Borrower will not consent to any modification, supplement or waiver of:
(a) any of the provisions of any agreement, instrument or other document evidencing or relating to any Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness that would result in such Indebtedness not meeting the requirements of the definition of “Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness” set forth in Section 1.01 of this Agreement; or
(b) any of the Affiliate Agreements, unless such modification, supplement or waiver is not materially less favorable to the Borrower than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, in each case, without the prior consent of the Administrative Agent (with the approval of the Required Lenders).
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SECTION 6.12. Payments of Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire for value, or set apart any money for a sinking, defeasance or other analogous fund for the purchase, redemption, retirement or other acquisition of or make any voluntary payment or prepayment of the principal of or interest on, or any other amount owing in respect of, any Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness (other than the refinancing of Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness with Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01), except for (a) regularly scheduled payments, prepayments or redemptions of principal and interest in respect thereof required pursuant to the instruments evidencing such Indebtedness (it being understood that any cash payment made in respect of the repurchase of convertible notes at the option of the holder or the settlement in Cash or stock or a combination thereof upon conversion of such notes shall constitute a “regularly scheduled payment, prepayment or redemption of principal and interest” within the meaning of this clause (a)); and (b) so long as no Default shall exist or be continuing, any payment that, if treated as a Restricted Payment for purposes of Section 6.05(d), would be permitted to be made pursuant to the provisions set forth in Section 6.05(d).
SECTION 6.13. Accounting Changes. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, make any change in (a) accounting policies or reporting practices, except as permitted under GAAP or required by law or rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority, or (b) its fiscal year.
SECTION 6.14. SBIC Guarantee. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, cause or permit the occurrence of any event or condition that would result in any recourse to any Obligor under any Permitted SBIC Guarantee.
ARTICLE
VII
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur and be continuing:
(a) the Borrower shall (i) fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any failure to pay any monthly installment of principal payable on any Scheduled Payment Date and any failure to pay all principal on the Loans in full on the Final Maturity Date) or (ii) fail to deposit any amount into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account as required by Section 2.09(a) on the Commitment Termination Date;
(b) the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five or more Business Days;
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(c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof, shall prove to have been incorrect when made or deemed made in any material respect;
(d) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in (i) Section 5.03 (with respect to the Borrower’s existence) or Sections 5.08(a) and (b) or in Article VI or any Obligor shall default in the performance of any of its obligations contained in Sections 3 and 7 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement or (ii) Sections 5.01(e) and (f) or 5.02 and such failure in the case of this clause (ii) shall continue unremedied for a period of five or more days after notice thereof by the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender) to the Borrower;
(e) a Borrowing Base Deficiency shall occur and continue unremedied for a period of five or more Business Days after delivery of a Borrowing Base Certificate demonstrating such Borrowing Base Deficiency pursuant to Section 5.01(e); provided that it shall not be an Event of Default hereunder if the Borrower shall present the Administrative Agent with a reasonably feasible plan acceptable to the Required Lenders in their sole discretion to enable such Borrowing Base Deficiency to be cured within 30 Business Days (which 30-Business Day period shall include the five Business Days permitted for delivery of such plan), so long as such Borrowing Base Deficiency is cured within such 30-Business Day period;
(f) the Borrower or any Obligor, as applicable, shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b), (d), (e) or (s) of this Article) or any other Loan Document and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 or more days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender) to the Borrower;
(g) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable, taking into account any applicable grace period;
(h) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or shall continue unremedied for any applicable period of time sufficient to enable or permit the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (h) shall not apply to (1) secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness; or (2) convertible debt that becomes due as a result of a conversion or redemption event, other than as a result of an “event of default” (as defined in the documents governing such convertible Material Indebtedness);
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(i) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed and unstayed for a period of 60 or more days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;
(j) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (i) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
(k) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;
(l) one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $5,000,000 shall be rendered against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to enforce any such judgment;
(m) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(n) a Change in Control shall occur;
(o) the Borrower shall cease to be managed by the External Manager or an Affiliate thereof;
(p) if, prior to the Final Maturity Date, any two principals of the External Manager (who initially will be Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxx X’Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxx), or any of their successors who have been approved by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion within ninety days, cease to be employed by the External Manager;
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(q) the Liens created by the Security Documents shall, at any time with respect to Portfolio Investments having an aggregate Value in excess of 5% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments, not be valid and perfected (to the extent perfection by filing, registration, recordation, possession or control is required herein or therein) in favor of the Administrative Agent, free and clear of all other Liens (other than Liens permitted under Section 6.02 or under the respective Security Documents) except to the extent that any such loss of perfection results from the failure of the Collateral Agent to maintain possession of the certificates representing the securities pledged under the Loan Documents;
(r) except for expiration in accordance with its terms, any of the Loan Documents shall for whatever reason be terminated or cease to be in full force and effect in any material respect, or the enforceability thereof shall be contested by the Borrower or any other Obligor;
(s) the Obligors shall at any time, without the consent of the Required Lenders fail to comply with the covenant contained in Section 5.11, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 or more days after the earlier of notice thereof by the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender) to the Borrower or knowledge thereof by a Financial Officer; or
(t) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall cause or permit the occurrence of any condition or event that would result in any recourse to any Obligor under any Permitted SBIC Guarantee;
then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.
In the event that the Loans shall be declared, or shall become, due and payable pursuant to the immediately preceding paragraph then, upon notice from the Administrative Agent or Lenders with LC Exposure representing more than 50% of the total LC Exposure demanding the deposit of Cash Collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall immediately deposit into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account cash in an amount equal to the LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article.
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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, on the CAM Exchange Date, to the extent not otherwise prohibited by law, (a) the Lenders shall automatically and without further act be deemed to have exchanged interests in the Designated Obligations such that, in lieu of the interests of each Lender in the Designated Obligations under each Loan in which it shall participate as of such date, such Lender shall own an interest equal to such Lender’s CAM Percentage in the Designated Obligations under each of the Loans and (b) simultaneously with the deemed exchange of interests pursuant to clause (a) above, the interests in the Designated Obligations to be received in such deemed exchange shall, automatically and with no further action required, be converted into the Dollar Equivalent of such amount (as of the Business Day immediately prior to the CAM Exchange Date) and on and after such date all amounts accruing and owed to the Lenders in respect of such Designated Obligations shall accrue and be payable in Dollars at the rate otherwise applicable hereunder. Each Lender, each Person acquiring a participation from any Lender as contemplated by Section 9.04 and the Borrower hereby consents and agrees to the CAM Exchange. The Borrower and the Lenders agree from time to time to execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent all such promissory notes and other instruments and documents as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request to evidence and confirm the respective interests and obligations of the Lenders after giving effect to the CAM Exchange, and each Lender agrees to surrender any promissory notes originally received by it in connection with its Loans hereunder to the Administrative Agent against delivery of any promissory notes so executed and delivered; provided that the failure of the Borrower to execute or deliver or of any Lender to accept any such promissory note, instrument or document shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of the CAM Exchange. As a result of the CAM Exchange, on and after the CAM Exchange Date, each payment received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to any Loan Document in respect of the Designated Obligations shall be distributed to the Lenders pro rata in accordance with their respective CAM Percentages (to be redetermined as of each such date of payment).
ARTICLE
VIII
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
SECTION 8.01. Appointment of the Administrative Agent. Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the Collateral Agent as its agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Collateral Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Collateral Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
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SECTION 8.02. Capacity as Lender. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.
SECTION 8.03. Limitation of Duties; Exculpation. The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing by the Required Lenders, and (c) except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders or in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein or therein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
SECTION 8.04. Reliance. The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.
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SECTION 8.05. Sub-Agents. The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a count of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.
SECTION 8.06. Resignation; Successor Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and the Borrower. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, with the consent of the Borrower not to be unreasonably withheld (or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing in consultation with the Borrower), to appoint a successor. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation shall nonetheless become effective and (1) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and (2) the Required Lenders shall perform the duties of the Administrative Agent (and all payments and communications provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly) until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor agent as provided for above in this paragraph. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this paragraph). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for its benefit in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was acting as Administrative Agent.
Any resignation by SunTrust as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender, (b) the retiring Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor Issuing Bank shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring Issuing Bank to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring Issuing Bank with respect to such Letters of Credit.
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SECTION 8.07. Reliance by Lenders. Each Lender acknowledges 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 credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges 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 from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder. The Administrative Agent shall have no duty or responsibility, either initially or on a continuing basis, to make any such investigation or any such appraisal on behalf of Lenders or to provide any Lender with any credit or other information with respect thereto, whether coming into its possession before the making of the Loans or at any time or times thereafter, and the Administrative Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the accuracy of or the completeness of any information provided to Lenders.
Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement or any Assignment and Assumption and funding any Loan shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be approved by the Administrative Agent, Required Lenders or Lenders.
SECTION 8.08. Modifications to Loan Documents. Except as otherwise provided in Section 9.02(b) or (c) of this Agreement or the Security Documents with respect to this Agreement, the Administrative Agent may, with the prior consent of the Required Lenders (but not otherwise), consent to any modification, supplement or waiver under any of the Loan Documents; provided that, without the prior consent of each Lender, the Administrative Agent shall not (except as provided herein or in the Security Documents) release all or substantially all of the Collateral or otherwise terminate all or substantially all of the Liens under any Security Document providing for collateral security, agree to additional obligations being secured by all or substantially all of such collateral security, or alter the relative priorities of the obligations entitled to the benefits of the Liens created under the Security Documents with respect to all or substantially all of the Collateral, except that no such consent shall be required, and the Administrative Agent is hereby authorized, to release any Lien covering property that is the subject of either a disposition of property permitted hereunder or a disposition to which the Required Lenders have consented.
ARTICLE
IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.01. Notices; Electronic Communications.
(i) if to the Borrower, to it at:
Stellus Capital Investment Corporation
00000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attention: W. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Telecopy Number: (000) 000-0000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
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(ii) if to the Administrative Agent or Swingline Lender, to it at:
SunTrust Bank
0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Telecopy Number: (000) 000-0000
with a copy to:
SunTrust Bank
Agency Services
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, X. E./ 25th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Telecopy Number: (000) 000-0000
(iii) if to the Issuing Bank, to it at:
SunTrust Bank
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, X. E./ 25th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Telecopy Number: (000) 000-0000
(iv) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.
Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt. Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).
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(i) Notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement); provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.
Each party hereto understands that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure and that there are confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution and agrees and assumes the risks associated with such electronic distribution, except to the extent caused by the willful misconduct or gross negligence of Administrative Agent, any Lender or their respective Related Parties, as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The Platform and any electronic communications media approved by the Administrative Agent as provided herein are provided “as is” and “as available”. None of the Administrative Agent or its Related Parties warrant the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of the such media or the Platform and each expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions in the Platform and such media. No warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of third party rights or freedom from viruses or other code defects is made by the Administrative Agent and any of its Related Parties in connection with the Platform or the electronic communications media approved by the Administrative Agent as provided for herein.
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SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments.
(i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender,
(ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby,
(iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby,
(iv) change Section 2.17(b), (c) or (d) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, or
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(v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of the term “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby;
provided further that (x) no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be and (y) the consent of Lenders holding not less than two-thirds of the Revolving Credit Exposure and unused Commitments will be required (A) for any adverse change affecting the provisions of this Agreement relating to the determination of the Borrowing Base (excluding changes to the provisions of Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E) and (F), but including changes to the provisions of Section 5.12(c)(ii) and the definitions set forth in Section 5.13), and (B) for any release of any material portion of the Collateral other than for fair value or as otherwise permitted hereunder or under the other Loan Documents.
Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, no waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Lenders of any Class in a manner that does not affect all Classes equally shall be effective against the Lenders of such Class unless the Required Lenders of such Class shall have concurred with such waiver or modification.
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SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
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The Borrower shall not be liable to any Indemnitee for any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of the Transactions asserted by an Indemnitee against the Borrower or any other Obligor; provided that the foregoing limitation shall not be deemed to impair or affect the Obligations of the Borrower under the preceding provisions of this subsection.
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SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns.
(A) the Borrower; provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; provided, further, that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall have objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within five Business Days after having received notice thereof; and
(B) the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank.
(A) except in the case of an Assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans and LC Exposure of a Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans and LC Exposure of such Class of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such Assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than U.S. $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent; provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
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(B) each partial assignment of any Class of Commitments or Loans and LC Exposure shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement in respect of such Class of Commitments, Loans and LC Exposure;
(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, together with a processing and recordation fee of U.S. $3,500 (which fee shall not be payable in connection with an assignment to a Lender or to an Affiliate of a Lender), for which the Borrower and the Guarantors shall not be obligated; and
(D) the assignee, if it shall not already be a Lender of the applicable Class, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.
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(c) Maintenance of Registers by Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices in New York City a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amount (and stated interest) of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Registers” and each individually, a “Register”). The entries in the Registers shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Registers pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Registers shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, the Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
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Each party hereto hereby agrees (which agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement) that, prior to the date that is one year and one day after the payment in full of all outstanding senior indebtedness of any SPC, it will not institute against, or join any other person in instituting against, such SPC, any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency or liquidation proceedings or similar proceedings under the laws of the United States or any State thereof, in respect of claims arising out of this Agreement; provided that the Granting Lender for each SPC hereby agrees to indemnify, save and hold harmless each other party hereto for any loss, cost, damage and expense arising out of their inability to institute any such proceeding against its SPC. In addition, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section, any SPC may (i) without the prior written consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and without paying any processing fee therefor, assign all or a portion of its interests in any Loans to its Granting Lender or to any financial institutions providing liquidity and/or credit facilities to or for the account of such SPC to fund the Loans made by such SPC or to support the securities (if any) issued by such SPC to fund such Loans (but nothing contained herein shall be construed in derogation of the obligation of the Granting Lender to make Loans hereunder); provided that neither the consent of the SPC or of any such assignee shall be required for amendments or waivers hereunder except for those amendments or waivers for which the consent of participants is required under paragraph (1) below, and (ii) disclose on a confidential basis (in the same manner described in Section 9.13(b)) any non-public information relating to its Loans to any rating agency, commercial paper dealer or provider of a surety, guarantee or credit or liquidity enhancement to such SPC.
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SECTION 9.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination, Cash Collateralization or backstop of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution.
(b) Electronic Execution of Assignments. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
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SECTION 9.07. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates 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 obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any of and all the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2.17(d) and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the amounts owing to such Defaulting Lender hereunder as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have. Each Lender agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.
SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.
(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(b) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and any Loan Document, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
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SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION 9.11. Judgment Currency. This is an international loan transaction in which the specification of Dollars or any Foreign Currency, as the case may be (the “Specified Currency”), and payment in New York City or the country of the Specified Currency, as the case may be (the “Specified Place”), is of the essence, and the Specified Currency shall be the currency of account in all events relating to Loans denominated in the Specified Currency. The payment obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement shall not be discharged or satisfied by an amount paid in another currency or in another place, whether pursuant to a judgment or otherwise, to the extent that the amount so paid on conversion to the Specified Currency and transfer to the Specified Place under normal banking procedures does not yield the amount of the Specified Currency at the Specified Place due hereunder. If for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder in the Specified Currency into another currency (the “Second Currency”), the rate of exchange that shall be applied shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the Specified Currency with the Second Currency on the Business Day next preceding the day on which such judgment is rendered. The obligation of the Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in this Section called an “Entitled Person”) shall, notwithstanding the rate of exchange actually applied in rendering such judgment be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by such Entitled Person of any sum adjudged to be due hereunder in the Second Currency such Entitled Person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase and transfer to the Specified Place the Specified Currency with the amount of the Second Currency so adjudged to be due; and the Borrower hereby, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, agrees to indemnify such Entitled Person against, and to pay such Entitled Person on demand, in the Specified Currency. the amount (if any) by which the sum originally due to such Entitled Person in the Specified Currency hereunder exceeds the amount of the Specified Currency so purchased and transferred.
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SECTION 9.12. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.13. Treatment of Certain Information; No Fiduciary Duty; Confidentiality.
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For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent any Lender or the Issuing Bank on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that, in the case of Information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries after the date hereof, such Information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section 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.
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SECTION 9.14. USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender 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 and each other Obligor, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and each other Obligor and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower and each other Obligor in accordance with said Act.
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STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Revolving Credit Agreement
SUNTRUST BANK, as Administrative Agent, Swingline Lender, Issuing Bank and a Lender | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Revolving Credit Agreement