CONFORMED COPY AGREEMENT
Exhibit
(10)-y
CONFORMED
COPY
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AGREEMENT
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Arranged
by
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS LIMITED
X.
X. XXXXXX PLC
and
KEYBANC
CAPITAL MARKETS
with
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
as
Facility Agent
CREDIT
FACILITY
US$375,000,000
for
BAUSCH
& LOMB B.V.
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Clause
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Page
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1.
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Interpretation
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1
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2.
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Facility
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13
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3.
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Purpose
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15
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4.
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Conditions
Precedent
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15
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5.
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Utilisation
- Loan
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16
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6.
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Repayment
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17
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7.
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Prepayment
and Cancellation or Assignment
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17
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8.
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Interest
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20
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9.
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Interest
Periods
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22
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10.
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Market
Disruption
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22
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11.
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Taxes
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23
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12.
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Increased
Costs
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26
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13.
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Mitigation
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26
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14.
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Payments
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27
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15.
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Guarantee
and Indemnity
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29
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16.
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Representations
and Warranties
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32
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17.
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Positive
Covenants
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35
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18.
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Negative
Covenants and Financial Covenants
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38
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19.
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Default
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41
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20.
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The
Administrative Parties
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45
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21.
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Evidence
and Calculations
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50
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22.
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Fees
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51
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23.
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Indemnities
and Break Costs
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51
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24.
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Expenses
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53
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25.
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Amendments
and Waivers
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53
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26.
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Changes
to the Parties
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54
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27.
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Disclosure
of Information
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59
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28.
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Set-off
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60
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29.
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Pro
Rata Sharing
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60
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30.
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Severability
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61
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31.
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Counterparts
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61
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32.
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Notices
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61
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33.
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Language
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64
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34.
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Governing
Law
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64
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35.
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Enforcement
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64
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Schedule
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Page
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1.
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Original
Parties
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66
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Part
1 Original
Lenders and Commitments
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66
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Part
2 Mandated
Lead Arrangers
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67
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2.
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Conditions
Precedent Documents
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68
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3.
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Form
of Request
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69
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4.
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Calculation
of the Mandatory Cost
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70
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5.
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Forms
of Transfer Certificate
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73
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Part
1 Form
for Transfers by Assignment
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73
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Part
2 Form
for Transfers by Novation
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75
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6.
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Material
Subsidiaries
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77
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7.
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Form
of Standing Payment Instructions
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78
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Signatories
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79
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THIS
AGREEMENT
is dated
29
November, 2005
BETWEEN:
(1) |
BAUSCH
& LOMB B.V. (the
Company);
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(2) |
BAUSCH
& LOMB INCORPORATED,
a
New York corporation (the Guarantor);
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(3) |
THE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
listed in Part
2
of
Schedule
1
(Mandated Lead Arrangers) as Mandated
Lead Arrangers;
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(4) |
THE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
listed in Part 1 of Schedule
1
(Original Lenders and Commitments) as Original
Lenders;
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(5) |
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
as
facility agent (in this capacity the Facility
Agent).
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IT
IS AGREED
as
follows:
1. |
INTERPRETATION
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1.1 |
Definitions
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In
this
Agreement:
Administrative
Party
means
a
Mandated
Lead Arranger or the Facility Agent.
Affiliate
means,
as to any person, any other person that, directly or indirectly, controls,
is
controlled by or is under common control with such person or is a director
or
officer of such person. For the purposes of this definition, the term
control
(including the terms controlling,
controlled
by
and
under
common control with)
of a
person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to vote 5 per
cent. or more of the Voting Stock of such person or to direct or cause the
direction of the management and policies of such person, whether through
the
ownership of Voting Stock, by contract or otherwise.
Availability
Period
means
the period from and including the date of this Agreement to and including
31
December, 2005.
Bankruptcy
Code means
the
United States Bankruptcy Code 1978 or any other United States Federal or
State
bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law.
Break
Costs
means
the amount (if any) which a Lender is entitled to receive under
Clause 23.3
(Break
Costs).
Business
Day
means a
day (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) on which banks are open for general
business in London and New York.
Commitment
means:
(a) |
for
an Original Lender, the amount set opposite its name in Part
1
of
Schedule
1
(Original Lenders
and Commitments)
under the heading Commitment
(US$)
and the amount of any other Commitment it acquires;
and
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(b) |
for
any other Lender, the amount of any Commitment it
acquires,
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to
the
extent not cancelled, transferred or reduced under this Agreement.
Consolidated
refers
to the consolidation of accounts in accordance with GAAP.
Debt
of
any
person means, without duplication:
(a) |
all
indebtedness of such person for borrowed
money;
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(b) |
all
obligations of such person for the deferred purchase price of property
or
services (other than trade payables not overdue by more than 60 days
incurred in the ordinary course of such person's
business);
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(c) |
all
obligations of such person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures
or other
similar instruments;
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(d) |
all
obligations of such person created or arising under any conditional
sale
or other title retention agreement with respect to property acquired
by
such person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or
lender
under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession
or sale of such property);
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(e) |
all
obligations of such person as lessee under leases that have been
or should
be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital
leases;
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(f) |
all
obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such person in respect of
acceptances, letters of credit or similar extensions of
credit;
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(g) |
all
net obligations of such person in respect of Hedge
Agreements;
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(h) |
all
Debt of others referred to in (a)
through (g)
above
or
(i)
below
guaranteed directly or indirectly in any manner by such person, or
in
effect guaranteed directly or indirectly by such person through an
agreement:
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(i) |
to
pay or purchase such Debt or to advance or supply funds for the payment
or
purchase of such Debt;
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(ii) |
to
purchase, sell or lease (as lessee or lessor) property, or to purchase
or
sell services, primarily for the purpose of enabling the debtor to
make
payment of such Debt or to assure the holder of such Debt against
loss;
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(iii) |
to
supply funds to or in any other manner invest in the debtor (including
any
agreement to pay for property or services irrespective of whether
such
property is received or such services are rendered), primarily for
the
purpose of enabling the debtor to make payment of such Debt or to
assure
the holder of such Debt against loss; or
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(iv) |
otherwise
to assure a creditor against loss; and
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(i) |
all
Debt referred to in (a)
through (h)
above
secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing
right,
contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Security Interest
on
property (including, without limitation, accounts and contract rights)
owned by such person, even though such person has not assumed or
become
liable for the payment of such Debt.
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Debt
for Borrowed Money of
any
person means all items that, in accordance with GAAP, would be classified
as
notes payable, long term debt or current portion of long term debt on a
Consolidated balance sheet of such person.
Default
means:
(a) |
an
Event of Default; or
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(b) |
an
event or circumstance which would be (with the expiry of a grace
period,
the giving of notice or the making of any determination under the
Finance
Documents or any combination of them) an Event of
Default.
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Dutch
Banking Act means
the
Dutch Act on the Supervision of the Credit System 1992 (Wet toezicht
Kredietwezen 1992).
Dutch
Exemption Regulation means
the
Exemption Regulation of the Minister of Finance (Vrijstellingsregeling
WtK 1992).
EBITDA
means,
for any period, net income (or net loss) plus, to the extent deducted in
calculating net income (or net loss) for such period, the sum of:
(a) |
interest
expense;
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(b) |
income
tax expense;
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(c) |
depreciation
expense;
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(d) |
amortisation
expense;
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(e) |
other
non-cash non-recurring charges;
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(f) |
extraordinary
losses deducted in calculating net income less extraordinary gains
added
in calculating net income; and
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(g) |
non-cash
charges associated with expensing of stock
options,
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in
each
case (unless otherwise specified) determined in accordance with GAAP for
such
period.
Environmental
Action
means
any action, suit, demand, demand letter, claim, notice of non-compliance
or
violation, notice of liability or potential liability, investigation,
proceeding, consent order or consent agreement relating in any way to any
Environmental Law, Environmental Permit or Hazardous Materials or arising
from
alleged injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the environment,
including, without limitation:
(a) |
by
any governmental or regulatory authority for enforcement, cleanup,
removal, response, remedial or other actions or damages; and
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(b) |
by
any governmental or regulatory authority or any third party for
damages,
contribution, indemnification, cost recovery, compensation or
injunctive
relief.
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Environmental
Law
means
any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation,
code, order, judgment, decree or judicial or agency interpretation, policy
or
guidance relating to pollution or protection of the environment, health,
safety
or natural resources, including, without limitation, those relating to the
use,
handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge
of
Hazardous Materials.
Environmental
Permit
means
any permit, approval, identification number, licence or other authorisation
required under any Environmental Law.
ERISA
means
the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from
time
to time, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued
thereunder.
ERISA
Affiliate
means
any person that for purposes of Title IV of ERISA is a member of the
Guarantor's controlled group, or under common control with the Guarantor,
within
the meaning of Section 414 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
ERISA
Event means:
(a) | (i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, with respect to any Plan unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect to such event has been waived by the PBGC; or |
(ii) the
requirements of subsection (1) of Section 4043(b) of ERISA (without
regard
to subsection (2) of such Section) are met with respect to a contributing
sponsor, as defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan,
and an
event described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of Section
4043(c) of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with respect to
such Plan
within the following 30
days;
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(b) |
the
application for a minimum funding waiver with respect to a
Plan;
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(c) |
the
provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice of intent
to
terminate such Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA
(including any such notice with respect to a plan amendment referred
to in
Section 4041(e) of ERISA);
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(d) |
the
cessation of operations at a facility of the Guarantor or any ERISA
Affiliate in the circumstances described in Section 4062(e) of
ERISA;
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(e) |
the
withdrawal by the Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple
Employer Plan during a plan year for which it was a substantial employer,
as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of
ERISA;
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(f) |
the
conditions for the imposition of a lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA
shall have been met with respect to any
Plan;
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(g) |
the
adoption of an amendment to a Plan requiring the provision of security
to
such Plan pursuant to Section 307 of ERISA;
or
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(h) |
the
institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Plan pursuant
to
Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or condition
described in Section 4042 of ERISA that constitutes grounds for the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, a
Plan.
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Event
of Default
means an
event specified as such in Clause 19
(Default).
Existing
Guarantor Credit Agreement means
the
US$400,000,000 credit agreement dated 26 July, 2005 between, among others,
the
Guarantor as borrower and Citibank, N.A. as administrative agent, including
any
extensions, renewals, amendments or modifications executed from time to
time.
Facility
means
the credit facility made available under this Agreement.
Facility
Office
means
the office(s) notified by a Lender to the Facility Agent:
(a) |
on
or before the date it becomes a Lender;
or
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(b) |
by
not less than five Business Days' notice,
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as
the
office(s) through which it will perform its obligations under this
Agreement.
Fee
Letter
means
any letter entered into by reference to this Agreement between one or more
Administrative Parties and the Company setting out the amount of certain
fees
referred to in this Agreement.
Final
Maturity Date
means
the
fifth
anniversary of the Utilisation Date subject to any extension in accordance
with
Clause 2.3
(Extension
Option).
Finance
Document
means:
(a) |
this
Agreement;
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(b) |
a
Fee Letter;
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(c) |
a
Transfer Certificate; or
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(d) |
any
other document designated as such by the Facility Agent, the Company
and
the Guarantor.
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Finance
Party
means a
Lender or an Administrative Party.
Fitch
means
Fitch Ratings or any successor to its rating business.
GAAP
means
generally accepted accounting principles consistent with those applied in
the
preparation of the Consolidated balance sheet of the Guarantor and its
Subsidiaries as at 25 December, 2004, and the related Consolidated statements
of
income and cash flows of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal
year
then ended and the Consolidated balance sheet of the Guarantor and its
Subsidiaries as at 25 June, 2005 and the related Consolidated statements
of
income and cash flows of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries for the six months
then ended.
Group
means
the
Guarantor and its Subsidiaries.
Hazardous
Materials means:
(a) |
petroleum
and petroleum products, byproducts or breakdown products, radioactive
materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls
and
radon gas; and
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(b) |
any
other chemicals, materials or substances designated, classified or
regulated as hazardous or toxic or as a pollutant or contaminant
under any
Environmental Law.
|
Hedge
Agreements
means
interest rate swap, cap or collar agreements, interest rate future or option
contracts, currency swap agreements, currency future or option contracts
and
other similar agreements.
Increased
Cost
means:
(a) |
an
additional or increased cost;
|
(b) |
a
reduction in the rate of return from a Facility or on a Finance Party's
overall capital; or
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(c) |
a
reduction of an amount due and payable under any Finance
Document,
|
which
is
incurred or suffered by a Finance Party or any of its Affiliates but only
to the
extent attributable to that Finance Party having entered into any Finance
Document or funding or performing its obligations under any Finance
Document.
Information
Memorandum means
the
information memorandum prepared on behalf of, and approved by, the Company
and
the Guarantor in connection with this Agreement.
Interest
Period
means
each six-month period determined under this Agreement by reference to which
interest on the Loan is calculated or such other period as the Facility Agent
may select in accordance with this Agreement in respect of calculating interest
on an overdue amount.
Legal
Reservations means:
(a) |
the
principle that equitable remedies may be granted or refused at the
discretion of a court and the limitation of enforcement by laws relating
to insolvency, reorganisation and other laws generally affecting
the
rights of creditors;
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(b) |
the
time barring of claims under the Limitation Acts or any equivalent
legislation in other countries and defences of set-off or counterclaim;
|
(c) |
similar
principles, rights and defences under the laws of any Relevant
Jurisdiction; and
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(d) |
any
other general principles which are set out as qualifications as to
matters
of law in the legal opinions delivered to the Facility Agent in respect
of
any of the Finance Documents.
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Lender
means:
(a) |
an
Original Lender; or
|
(b) |
any
person which becomes a Lender after the date of this
Agreement.
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LIBOR
means
for an Interest Period of the Loan or overdue amount:
(a) |
the
applicable Screen Rate; or
|
(b) |
if
no Screen Rate is available for the relevant currency or Interest
Period
of the Loan or overdue amount, the arithmetic mean (rounded upward
to four
decimal places) of the rates, as supplied to the Facility Agent at
its
request, quoted by the Reference Banks to leading banks in the London
interbank market,
|
as
of
11.00 a.m. on the Rate Fixing Day for the offering of deposits in the currency
of the Loan or overdue amount for a period comparable to that Interest
Period.
Loan
means,
unless otherwise stated in this Agreement, the principal amount of the borrowing
made or to be made under this Agreement or the principal amount outstanding
for
the time being of that borrowing.
Majority
Lenders
means,
at any time, Lenders:
(a) |
whose
share in the outstanding Loans and whose undrawn Commitments then
aggregate more than 50 per cent. of the aggregate of all the outstanding
Loans and the undrawn Commitments of all the
Lenders;
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(b) |
if
there is no Loan then outstanding, whose undrawn Commitments then
aggregate more than 50 per cent. of the Total Commitments;
or
|
(c) |
if
there is no Loan then outstanding and the Total Commitments have
been
reduced to zero, whose Commitments aggregated more than 50 per cent.
of
the Total Commitments immediately before the
reduction.
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Mandatory
Cost
means
the percentage rate per annum calculated by the Facility Agent in accordance
with Schedule
4
(Calculation
of the Mandatory Cost).
Margin
means
the
rate
per
annum
calculated in accordance with Clause 8.3
(Margin).
Material
Adverse Change
means
any material adverse change in the business, condition (financial or otherwise),
operations, performance, properties or prospects of the Guarantor or the
Group
as a whole.
Material
Adverse Effect
means a
material adverse effect on:
(a) |
the
business, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, performance,
properties or prospects of the Guarantor or the Group as a
whole;
|
(b) |
the
ability of any Obligor to perform its obligations under this Agreement
or
a Fee Letter;
|
(c) |
the
validity or enforceability of this Agreement or a Fee Letter;
or
|
(d) |
any
right or remedy of a Finance Party in respect of this Agreement or
a Fee
Letter.
|
Material
Subsidiary
means,
at any time, the Company and a Subsidiary of the Guarantor having:
(a) |
assets
(excluding inter-company receivables) with a value that exceeds 5
per
cent. of the value of total assets shown on the Consolidated statement
of
financial condition of the Group; or
|
(b) |
net
sales that exceed 5 per cent. of the Consolidated net sales of the
Group,
|
in
each
case as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter of the
Guarantor for which audited financial statements are available.
If
there
is a dispute as to whether or not a member of the Group is a Material
Subsidiary, a certificate of the auditors of the Guarantor will be, in the
absence of manifest error, conclusive.
Moody's
means
Xxxxx'x Investors Service, Inc. or any successor to its rating
business.
Multiemployer
Plan
means a
multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the
Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make
contributions, or has within any of the preceding five plan years made or
accrued an obligation to make contributions.
Multiple
Employer Plan
means a
single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA,
that:
(a) |
is
maintained for employees of the Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate
and at
least one person other than the Guarantor and the ERISA Affiliates;
or
|
(b) |
was
so maintained and in respect of which the Guarantor or any ERISA
Affiliate
could have liability under Section 4064 or 4069 of ERISA in the event
such plan has been or were to be
terminated.
|
Obligor
means
the
Company or the Guarantor.
Original
Financial Statements
means
the audited consolidated financial statements of the Guarantor for the year
ended 25
December, 2004.
Participating
Member State
means a
member state of the European Communities that adopts or has adopted the euro
as
its lawful currency under the legislation of the European Community for Economic
Monetary Union.
Party
means
a
party to this Agreement.
Patriot
Act
means
the U.S. Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools
Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56,
signed
into law 26 October, 2001.
PBGC
means
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (or any successor).
Permitted
Security Interests
means
such of the following as to which no enforcement, collection, execution,
levy or
foreclosure proceeding shall have been commenced or as to which are not being
contested by appropriate proceedings with appropriate reserves:
(a) |
Security
Interests for taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies
to the
extent not required to be paid under Clause 17.3
(Payment
of taxes)
hereof;
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(b) |
Security
Interests imposed by law, such as materialmen's, mechanics', carriers',
workmen's and repairmen's Security Interests and other similar Security
Interests arising in the ordinary course of business securing obligations
that are not overdue for a period of more than 30
days;
|
(c) |
pledges
or deposits to secure obligations under workers' compensation laws
or
similar legislation or to secure public or statutory obligations
or bids
or tenders or surety, appeal or performance bonds in the ordinary
course
of business;
|
(d) |
easements,
rights of way and other encumbrances on title to real property that
do not
render title to the property encumbered thereby unmarketable or materially
adversely affect the use of such property for its present purposes;
and
|
(e) |
any
interests arising under clause 18
of
the general terms and conditions (Algemene
Voorwaarden)
of any member of the Dutch Bankers’ Association (Nederlandse
Vereniging xxx Xxxxxx)
or any similar term applied by a financial institution in the Netherlands
pursuant to its general conditions.
|
Plan
means a
Single Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.
Professional
Market Party
means a
professional market party (professionele
marktpartij)
under
the Dutch Exemption Regulation.
Pro
Rata Share
means:
(a) |
for
the purpose of determining a Lender's share in the utilisation of
the
Facility, the proportion which its Commitment bears to the Total
Commitments; and
|
(b) |
for
any other purpose on a particular date:
|
(i) |
the
proportion which a Lender's share of the Loan bears to all of the
Loan;
|
(ii) |
if
there is no Loan outstanding on that date, the proportion which its
Commitment bears to the Total Commitments on that date;
or
|
(iii) |
if
the Total Commitments have been cancelled, the proportion which its
Commitment bore to the Total Commitments immediately before being
cancelled.
|
Rate
Fixing Day
means
the second Business Day before the first day of an Interest Period or such
other
day as is generally treated as the rate fixing day by market practice in
the
relevant interbank market.
Rating
Agency means
Fitch, Moody's, S&P or any other rating agency approved by the Majority
Lenders, the Company and the Guarantor.
Reference
Banks
means
the Facility Agent, X.X. Xxxxxx plc and KeyBanc Capital Markets and any other
bank or financial institution appointed as such by the Facility Agent under
this
Agreement.
Relevant
Jurisdiction
means,
in relation to an Obligor:
(a) |
its
jurisdiction of incorporation; or
|
(b) |
any
jurisdiction where it conducts its
business.
|
Repeating
Representations
means at
any time the representations and warranties which are then made or deemed
to be
repeated under Clause 16.17
(Times
for
making representations and warranties).
Request
means a
request for the Loan, substantially in the form of Schedule
3
(Form
of
Request).
S&P
means
Standard & Poor's Rating Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies,
Inc. or any successor to its rating business.
Screen
Rate
means
the British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rate for the relevant
currency and Interest Period displayed on the appropriate page of the Telerate
screen. If the relevant page is replaced or the service ceases to be available,
the Facility Agent (after consultation with the Company, the Guarantor and
the
Lenders) may specify another page or service displaying the appropriate
rate.
SEC
means
the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or any governmental authority
succeeding to any of its principal functions.
Security
Interest
means
any mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, assignment, hypothecation, encumbrance
or
security interest or any other agreement or arrangement having a similar
effect,
including without limitation, the lien or retained security title of a
conditional vendor but does not include, for the avoidance of doubt, any
netting
or set-off arrangement entered into by any member of the Group in the ordinary
course of its banking arrangements for the purpose of netting debit and credit
balances.
Single
Employer Plan
means a
single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that:
(a) |
is
maintained for employees of the Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate
and no
person other than the Guarantor and the ERISA Affiliates; or
|
(b) |
was
so maintained and in respect of which the Guarantor or any ERISA
Affiliate
could have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in the event such
plan has been or were to be terminated.
|
Subsidiary
of any
person means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability
company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than 50 per cent.
of:
(a) |
the
issued and outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power
to elect
a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective
of
whether at the time capital stock of any other class or classes of
such
corporation shall or might have voting power upon the occurrence
of any
contingency);
|
(b) |
the
interest in the capital or profits of such limited liability company,
partnership or joint venture; or
|
(c) |
the
beneficial interest in such trust or estate,
|
is
at the
time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such person, by such person
and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such person's
other Subsidiaries.
Tax
means
any tax, levy, impost, duty or other charge or withholding of a similar nature
(including any related penalty or interest).
Tax
Deduction
means a
deduction or withholding for or on account of Tax from a payment under a
Finance
Document.
Tax
Payment
means a
payment made by an Obligor to a Finance Party in any way relating to a Tax
Deduction or under any indemnity given by that Obligor in respect of Tax
under
any Finance Document.
Total
Commitments
means
the aggregate of the Commitments of all the Lenders.
Transfer
Certificate
means:
(a) |
for
a transfer by assignment, a certificate, substantially in the form
of
Part
1
of
Schedule
5
(Forms
of Transfer Certificate);
and
|
(b) |
for
a transfer by novation, a certificate, substantially in the form
of
Part
2
of
Schedule
5
(Forms
of Transfer Certificate),
|
in
each
case with such amendments as the Facility Agent may approve or reasonably
require or any other form agreed between the Facility Agent, the Company
and the
Guarantor.
U.K.
means
the United Kingdom.
U.S.
means
the
United States of America.
US$
means
the
lawful currency for the time being of the United States of America.
Utilisation
Date
means
the date on which the Facility is utilised and funds are advanced to the
Company
in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Voting
Stock
means
capital stock issued by a corporation, or equivalent interests in any other
person, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies,
entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons performing similar
functions) of such person, even if the right so to vote has been suspended
by
the happening of such a contingency.
1.2 |
Construction
|
(a) |
In
this Agreement, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference
to:
|
(i) |
an
amendment
includes a supplement, novation, restatement or re-enactment and
amended
will be construed accordingly;
|
(ii) |
assets
includes present and future properties, revenues and rights of every
description;
|
(iii) |
an
authorisation
includes an authorisation, consent, approval, resolution, licence,
exemption, filing, registration or
notarisation;
|
(iv) |
disposal
means a sale, transfer, grant, lease or other disposal, whether voluntary
or involuntary, and dispose
will be construed accordingly;
|
(v) |
indebtedness
includes any obligation (whether incurred as principal or as surety)
for
the payment or repayment of money;
|
(vi) |
know
your customer requirements
are the identification checks that a Finance Party requests in order
to
meet its obligations under any applicable law or regulation to identify
a
person who is (or is to become) its
customer;
|
(vii) |
an
assignment or transfer by a Lender of its rights and obligations
under
this Agreement at
par
means an assignment or transfer of the principal amounts of a Lender's
share in the Loan at par plus all other amounts accrued and/or owing
under
any Finance Document;
|
(viii) |
a
person
includes any individual, company, corporation, unincorporated association
or body (including a partnership, trust, joint venture or consortium),
government, state, agency, organisation or other entity whether or
not
having separate legal personality;
|
(ix) |
a
regulation
includes any regulation, rule, official directive, request or guideline
(whether or not having the force of law but, if not having the force
of
law, being of a type with which any person to which it applies is
accustomed to comply) of any governmental, inter-governmental or
supranational body, agency, department or regulatory, self-regulatory
or
other authority or organisation;
|
(x) |
a
currency is a reference to the lawful currency for the time being
of the
relevant country;
|
(xi) |
a
Default being outstanding
or
continuing
means
that it has not been remedied or waived;
|
(xii) |
a
provision of law is a reference to that provision as extended, applied,
amended or re-enacted and includes any subordinate
legislation;
|
(xiii) |
a
Clause, a Subclause or a Schedule is a reference to a clause or subclause
of, or a schedule to, this Agreement;
|
(xiv) |
a
Party or any other person includes its successors in title, permitted
assigns and permitted transferees;
|
(xv) |
a
Finance Document or other document includes (without prejudice to
any
prohibition on amendments) all amendments however fundamental to
that
Finance Document or other document, including any amendment providing
for
any increase in the amount of a facility or any additional facility;
and
|
(xvi) |
a
time of day is a reference to London
time.
|
(b) |
Unless
the contrary intention appears, a reference to a month
or
months
is
a reference to a period starting on one day in a calendar month and
ending
on the numerically corresponding day in the next calendar month or
the
calendar month in which it is to end, except
that:
|
(i) |
if
the numerically corresponding day is not a Business Day, the period
will
end on the next Business Day in that month (if there is one) or the
preceding Business Day (if there is not);
|
(ii) |
if
there is no numerically corresponding day in that month, that period
will
end on the last Business Day in that month;
and
|
(iii) |
notwithstanding
subparagraph (i)
above,
a
period which commences on the last Business Day of a month will end
on the
last Business Day in the next month or the calendar month in which
it is
to end, as appropriate.
|
(c) |
Unless
expressly provided to the contrary in a Finance Document, a person
who is
not a party to a Finance Document may not enforce any of its terms
under
the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Xxx 0000 and, notwithstanding
any
term of any Finance Document, no consent of any third party is required
for any amendment (including any release or compromise of any liability)
or termination of any Finance Document.
|
(d) |
Unless
the contrary intention appears:
|
(i) |
a
reference to a Party will not include that Party if it has ceased
to be a
Party under this Agreement;
|
(ii) |
a
word or expression used in any other Finance Document or in any notice
given in connection with any Finance Document has the same meaning
in that
Finance Document or notice as in this Agreement;
and
|
(iii) |
any
obligation of an Obligor under the Finance Documents which is not
a
payment obligation remains in force for so long as any payment obligation
of an Obligor is or may be outstanding under the Finance
Documents.
|
(e) |
The
headings in this Agreement do not affect its
interpretation.
|
1.3 |
Dutch
terms
|
In
this
Agreement, where it relates to a Dutch entity, a reference to:
(a) |
duly
authorised by all necessary corporate action
where applicable, includes without
limitation:
|
(i) |
any
action required to comply with the Works Councils Act of the Netherlands
(Wet
op de ondernemingsraden);
and
|
(ii) |
obtaining
an unconditional positive advice (advies)
from the competent works council(s);
|
(b) |
a
security interest
includes any mortgage (hypotheek),
pledge (pandrecht),
retention of title arrangement (eigendomsvoorbehoud),
privilege (voorrecht),
right of retention (recht
van retentie),
right to reclaim goods (recht
van reclame),
and, in general, any right in
rem
(beperkt
recht),
created for the purpose of granting security (goederenrechtelijk
zekerheidsrecht);
|
(c) |
(i)a
winding-up
or
dissolution
(and any of those terms) includes a Dutch entity being declared bankrupt
(failliet
verklaard)
or dissolved (ontbonden);
|
(ii) |
any
procedure
taken in connection with insolvency proceedings includes a Dutch
entity
having filed a notice under section 36 of the Tax Collection Act
of the
Netherlands (Invorderingswet
1990)
or Section 16d of the Social Insurance Co-ordination Act of the
Netherlands (Coördinatiewet
Sociale Verzekeringen);
and
|
(iii) |
a
trustee
in
connection with insolvency proceedings includes a curator.
|
2. |
FACILITY
|
2.1 |
Facility
|
Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, the Lenders make available to the Company
a term
loan facility in an aggregate amount equal to the Total
Commitments.
2.2 |
Nature
of a Finance Party's rights and
obligations
|
Unless
all the Finance Parties agree otherwise:
(a) |
the
obligations of a Finance Party under the Finance Documents are
several;
|
(b) |
failure
by a Finance Party to perform its obligations does not affect the
obligations of any other Party under the Finance
Documents;
|
(c) |
no
Finance Party is responsible for the obligations of any other Finance
Party under the Finance Documents;
|
(d) |
the
rights of a Finance Party under the Finance Documents are separate
and
independent rights;
|
(e) |
a
Finance Party may, except as otherwise stated in the Finance Documents,
separately enforce those rights; and
|
(f) |
a
debt arising under the Finance Documents to a Finance Party is a
separate
and independent debt.
|
2.3 |
Extension
Option
|
(a) |
The
Company may request that the Final Maturity Date be extended for
a further
period (the Relevant
Period)
from the then current Final Maturity Date by giving notice to the
Facility
Agent no more than 120 days nor less than 45 days before each of
the first
anniversary (the First
Extension Request)
and the second anniversary (the Second
Extension Request)
of the Utilisation Date.
|
(b) |
The
Relevant Period will be:
|
(i) |
in
the case of the First Extension Request, 364 days;
and
|
(ii) |
in
the case of the Second Extension Request:
|
(A) |
if
the First Extension Request was made, then in respect of the Lenders
who
agreed to the First Extension Request, 364 days; and in respect of
the
Lenders who did not agree to the First Extension Request, 728 days;
or
|
(B) |
if
the First Extension Request was not made, 364 days or 728 days, at
the
option of the Company and as indicated in the Second Extension
Request.
|
(c) |
Each
Lender participating in the Facility shall notify the Facility Agent
within 30 days after receiving the First Extension Request (or Second
Extension Request, as the case may be) from the Company but in no
event
later than 10 days prior to the relevant anniversary of the Utilisation
Date whether or not it agrees to the then current Final Maturity
Date
being extended for the Relevant Period. No Lender is under any obligation
to extend the then current Final Maturity Date. If, by the date falling
10
days prior to the relevant anniversary of the Utilisation Date, no
notice
is received by the Facility Agent from a Lender which has confirmed
receipt of the First Extension Request or Second Extension Request
(as
applicable) no less than 20 days prior to the relevant anniversary
of the
Utilisation Date, the then current Final Maturity Date shall automatically
be extended for the Relevant Period with regard to such
Lender.
|
(d) |
As
soon as practicable after it establishes which of the relevant Lenders,
if
any, agree to extend the then current Final Maturity Date for the
Relevant
Period, the Facility Agent shall, by notice to the Company, the Guarantor
and each Lender, confirm those Lenders which have agreed to extend
the
then current Final Maturity Date for the Relevant Period (each an
Extending
Lender),
whereupon such extension shall become effective with regard to those
Extending Lenders.
|
(e) |
At
any time prior to the then current Final Maturity Date, the Company
and/or
the Guarantor will have the option to identify a Lender that is willing
to
accept an assignment or transfer of the rights and obligations under
this
Agreement from a Lender who does not agree to extend the Final Maturity
Date, in which event, and at such time, the Lender who does not agree
(or
has not confirmed receipt of the First Extension Request or Second
Extension Request (as applicable) pursuant to paragraph (c)
above)
to extend the Final Maturity Date shall assign or transfer its rights
and
obligations under this Agreement to the other Lender at
par.
|
(f) |
Subject
to (e)
above,
the share in the Loan of any Lender who does not agree to extend
the Final
Maturity Date applicable to it for the Relevant Period together with
any
other sums owed to any such Lender under this Agreement shall be
repaid in
full on or prior to the Final Maturity Date applicable to that
Lender.
|
(g) |
No
more than two requests for an extension under this Clause may be
given,
and any such request is irrevocable.
|
(h) |
For
the avoidance of doubt, the Final Maturity Date cannot be after the
seventh anniversary of the Utilisation
Date.
|
3. |
PURPOSE
|
3.1 |
Loans
|
The
Loan
may only be used for the general
corporate purposes of the Company, including, but not limited to, payment
of
dividends.
3.2 |
No
obligation to monitor
|
No
Finance Party is bound to monitor or verify the utilisation of the
Facility.
4. |
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
|
4.1 |
Conditions
precedent documents
|
A
Request
may not be given until the Facility Agent has notified the Company and the
Lenders that it has received all of the documents and evidence set out in
Schedule
2
(Conditions
Precedent Documents)
in form
and substance satisfactory to the Facility Agent. The Facility Agent must
give
this notification to the Company and the Lenders promptly upon being so
satisfied.
4.2 |
Further
conditions precedent
|
The
obligations of each Lender to participate in the Loan are subject to the
further
conditions precedent that on both the date of the Request and the Utilisation
Date for the Loan:
(a) |
the
Repeating Representations are correct in all material respects;
and
|
(b) |
no
Default is outstanding or would result from the
Loan.
|
4.3 |
Maximum
number
|
Unless
the Facility Agent agrees, a Request may not be given if, as a result, there
would be more than 1
Loan
outstanding.
5. |
UTILISATION
- LOAN
|
5.1 |
Giving
of Requests
|
(a) |
The
Company may borrow the Loan by giving to the Facility Agent a duly
completed Request.
|
(b) |
Unless
the Facility Agent otherwise agrees, the latest time for receipt
by the
Facility Agent of the duly completed Request is 11.00 a.m. (London
time)
three Business Days before the proposed Utilisation
Date.
|
(c) |
The
Request is irrevocable.
|
5.2 |
Completion
of Requests
|
The
Request for the Loan will not be regarded as having been duly completed
unless:
(a) |
the
Utilisation Date is a Business Day falling within the Availability
Period;
|
(b) |
the
amount of the Loan requested is:
|
(i) |
a
minimum of US$5,000,000
and an integral multiple of US$1,000,000;
|
(ii) |
equal
to or less than the Total Commitments; or
|
(iii) |
such
other amount as the Facility Agent may agree;
and
|
(c) |
the
proposed Interest Period complies with this
Agreement.
|
Only
one
Loan may be requested in a Request and is available under this
Facility.
5.3 |
Advance
of Loan
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent must promptly notify each Lender of the details of
the
requested Loan and the amount of its share in the
Loan.
|
(b) |
The
amount of each Lender’s share of the Loan will be its Pro Rata Share on
the proposed Utilisation Date.
|
(c) |
No
Lender is obliged to participate in the Loan if, as a
result:
|
(i) |
its
share in the Loan would exceed its Commitment;
or
|
(ii) |
the
Loan would exceed the Total Commitments.
|
(d) |
If
the conditions set out in this Agreement have been met, each Lender
must
make its share in the Loan available to the Facility Agent for the
Company
through its Facility Office on the Utilisation
Date.
|
6. |
REPAYMENT
|
The
Company must repay each Lender's share in the Loan in full on or before
the
Final
Maturity Date applicable to it.
7. |
PREPAYMENT
AND CANCELLATION
OR ASSIGNMENT
|
7.1 |
Mandatory
prepayment or
assignment - illegality
|
(a) |
A
Lender must notify the Facility Agent, the Company and the Guarantor
promptly if it becomes aware that it is unlawful in any applicable
jurisdiction for that Lender to perform any of its obligations under
a
Finance Document or to fund or maintain its share in the
Loan.
|
(b) |
After
notification under paragraph (a)
above
the Facility Agent must notify the Company and the Guarantor and,
subject
to paragraph (d)
below:
|
(i) |
the
Company must repay or prepay the share of that Lender in the Loan
on the
date specified in paragraph (c)
below;
and
|
(ii) |
the
Commitment of that Lender will be immediately
cancelled.
|
(c) |
The
date for repayment or prepayment of a Lender's share in the Loan
will
be:
|
(i) |
the
last day of the current Interest Period of the Loan;
or
|
(ii) |
if
earlier, the date specified by the Lender in the notification under
paragraph (a)
above
and which must not be earlier than the last day of any applicable
grace
period allowed by law.
|
(d) |
At
any time prior to the date for repayment or prepayment specified
in
paragraph (c)
above,
the Company and/or the Guarantor will have the option to identify
a Lender
that is willing to accept an assignment or transfer of the rights
and
obligations under this Agreement of a Lender who has made a notification
under this Clause 7.1,
in which event, and at such time, the Lender who has made such
notification shall assign or transfer its rights and obligations
under
this Agreement to the other Lender at par (such assignment or transfer
to
be effective on or before the date for repayment or prepayment specified
in paragraph (c)
above).
|
(e) |
Unless
the Facility Agent otherwise agrees, in the event that a transfer
or
assignment requested by the Company and/or the Guarantor under this
Clause
7.1 takes effect, the Company must pay to the Facility Agent for
its own
account a fee of US$3,500.
|
7.2 |
Voluntary
prepayment
|
(a) |
The
Company may, by giving not less than two
Business Days' prior notice to the Facility Agent, prepay the Loan
at any
time in whole or in part.
|
(b) |
A
prepayment of part of the Loan must be in a minimum amount of US$5,000,000
and an integral multiple of US$1,000,000.
|
7.3 |
Automatic
cancellation
|
The
unutilised Commitment of each Lender will be automatically cancelled on the
earlier of:
(i) |
the
date of (and immediately following) the advance of the Loan; and
|
(ii) |
the
close of business on the last day of the Availability
Period.
|
7.4 |
Voluntary
cancellation
|
(a) |
The
Company may, by giving not less than three
Business Days' prior notice to the Facility Agent, cancel the unutilised
amount of the Total Commitments in whole or in
part.
|
(b) |
Partial
cancellation of the Total Commitments must be in a minimum amount
of
US$5,000,000
and an integral multiple of US$1,000,000.
|
(c) |
Any
cancellation in part will be applied pro rata against the Commitment
of
each Lender.
|
7.5 |
Right
of repayment and cancellation of a single
Lender
|
(a) |
If
the Company is, or will be, required to pay to a Lender (the Notified
Lender or
that
Lender):
|
(i) |
a
Tax Payment; or
|
(ii) |
an
Increased Cost,
|
provided
that no Default has occurred and is continuing, and the Company has satisfied
all its obligations under this Agreement to that Lender, the Company may,
while
the requirement continues, give notice to the Facility Agent requesting
assignment or prepayment and cancellation in respect of that
Lender.
(b) |
After
notification under paragraph (a)
above
and subject to paragraph (d)
below:
|
(i) |
the
Company must repay or prepay that Lender's share in the Loan on the
date
specified in paragraph (c)
below;
and
|
(ii) |
the
Commitment of that Lender will be immediately
cancelled.
|
(c) |
The
date for repayment or prepayment of that Lender's share in the Loan
will
be:
|
(i) |
the
last day of the current Interest Period for the Loan;
or
|
(ii) |
if
earlier, the date specified by the Company in its
notification.
|
(d) |
At
any time prior to the date for repayment or prepayment specified
in
paragraph (c)
above,
the Company and/or the Guarantor will have the option to identify
a Lender
that is willing to accept an assignment or transfer of the rights
and
obligations under this Agreement of the Notified Lender, in which
event,
and at such time, the Notified Lender shall assign or transfer its
rights
and obligations under this Agreement to the other Lender at par (such
assignment or transfer to be effective on or before the date for
repayment
or prepayment specified in paragraph (c)
above).
|
(e) |
Unless
the Facility Agent otherwise agrees, in the event that a transfer
or
assignment requested by the Company and/or the Guarantor under this
Clause
7.5
takes effect, the Company must pay to the Facility Agent for its
own
account a fee of US$3,500.
|
7.6 |
Mandatory
Cost
|
(a) |
The
Company will not be required to pay any Lender any amount in respect
of
any Mandatory Cost until after both:
|
(i) |
the
rate of Mandatory Cost has increased from the rate in effect at the
date
of this Agreement; and
|
(ii) |
that
Lender has notified the Facility Agent that it requires the Company
to pay
Mandatory Cost.
|
(b) |
If
any Lender provides a notification to the Facility Agent in accordance
with (a)
above,
the Company may, provided that no Default has occurred and is continuing,
and the Company has satisfied all its obligations under this Agreement
to
that Lender, while the requirement continues, give notice to the
Facility
Agent requesting assignment or prepayment and cancellation in respect
of
that Lender (the Notified
Lender or
that
Lender).
|
(c) |
After
notification by the Company to the Facility Agent under paragraph
(b)
above
and subject to paragraph (e)
below:
|
(i) |
the
Company must repay or prepay that Lender's share in the Loan on the
date
specified in paragraph (d)
below;
and
|
(ii) |
the
Commitment of that Lender will be immediately
cancelled.
|
(d) |
The
date for repayment or prepayment of a Lender's share in the Loan
will
be:
|
(i) |
the
last day of the current Interest Period for the Loan;
or
|
(ii) |
if
earlier, the date specified by the Company in its
notification.
|
(e) |
At
any time prior to the date for repayment or prepayment specified
in
paragraph (d)
above,
the Company and/or the Guarantor will have the option to identify
a Lender
that is willing to accept an assignment or transfer of the rights
and
obligations under this Agreement of the Notified Lender, in which
event,
and at such time, the Notified Lender shall assign or transfer its
rights
and obligations under this Agreement to the other Lender at par (such
assignment or transfer to be effective on or before the date for
repayment
or prepayment specified in paragraph (d)
above).
|
(f) |
Unless
the Facility Agent otherwise agrees, in the event that a transfer
or
assignment requested by the Company and/or the Guarantor under this
Clause
7.6
takes effect, the Company must pay to the Facility Agent for its
own
account a fee of US$3,500.
|
7.7 |
Partial
prepayment of the
Loan
|
No
amount
of the Loan prepaid under this Agreement may subsequently be
re-borrowed.
7.8 |
Miscellaneous
provisions
|
(a) |
Any
notice of prepayment and/or cancellation under this Agreement is
irrevocable and must specify the relevant date(s) and the affected
Loan
and Commitments. The Facility Agent must notify the Lenders promptly
of
receipt of any such notice.
|
(b) |
All
prepayments under this Agreement must be made with accrued interest
on the
amount prepaid. No premium or penalty is payable in respect of any
prepayment except for the Agent's fee in Clause 7.5(e) or Break
Costs.
|
(c) |
The
Majority Lenders may agree a shorter notice period for a voluntary
prepayment or a voluntary cancellation.
|
(d) |
No
prepayment or cancellation is allowed except in accordance with the
express terms of this Agreement.
|
(e) |
No
amount of the Total Commitments cancelled under this Agreement may
subsequently be reinstated.
|
8. |
INTEREST
|
8.1 |
Calculation
of interest
|
The
rate
of interest on the Loan for its Interest Period is the percentage rate per
annum
equal to the aggregate of the applicable:
(a) |
Margin;
|
(b) |
LIBOR;
and
|
(c) |
Mandatory
Cost, subject to the provisions of Clause 7.6(a) (Mandatory Cost)
above.
|
8.2 |
Payment
of interest
|
Except
where it is provided to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company must
pay
accrued interest on the Loan made to it on the last day of each Interest
Period.
8.3 |
Margin
|
(a) |
In
this Subclause:
|
Quoting
Rating Agency means
at
any time a Rating Agency which has a Debt Rating of the Guarantor (as defined
in
paragraph (b)
below)
at the
relevant time.
(b) |
The
Margin applicable to the Loan will be the percentage rate per annum
specified in Column 3 below which corresponds to the criteria in
relation
to the long-term senior unsecured, non-credit enhanced debt rating
assigned to the Guarantor in Column 2 below by Fitch, Xxxxx'x and/or
S&P (as the case may be) (the Debt
Rating of the Guarantor)
at the relevant time.
|
Column
1
Pricing
Level
|
Column
2
Debt
Rating of the Guarantor
|
Column
3
Margin
(per cent. per annum)
|
||
Fitch
|
Xxxxx'x
|
S&P
|
||
I
|
≥
A
|
≥
A2
|
≥
A
|
0.225
|
XX
|
X-
|
X0
|
X-
|
0.00
|
XXX
|
BBB+
|
Baa1
|
BBB+
|
0.30
|
IV
|
BBB
|
Baa2
|
BBB
|
0.35
|
X
|
XXX-
|
Xxx0
|
XXX-
|
0.000
|
XX
|
≤
BB+
|
≤
Ba1
|
≤
BB+
|
0.60
|
(c) |
(i)If
the Debt Rating of the Guarantor is split, such that a different
Margin is
applicable to each Quoting Rating Agency's rating, the applicable
Margin
will be determined as follows:
|
(A) |
if
the Debt Rating of the Guarantor is split and all three ratings fall
in
different pricing levels, the Margin applicable to the middle rating
as
set out in the table in paragraph (b)
above
shall apply; or
|
(B) |
if
the Debt Rating of the Guarantor is split and two of the ratings
fall in
the same pricing level (the Majority
Level) and
the third rating falls in a different pricing level, the Margin applicable
to the Majority Level as set out in the table in
paragraph (b)
above
shall apply.
|
(ii) |
If
only two Rating Agencies issue a Debt Rating of the Guarantor, the
Margin
applicable to the higher rating shall apply, provided that, if the
higher
rating is two or more pricing levels above the lower rating, the
Margin
applicable to the rating that is one pricing level higher than the
lower
of the split ratings as set out in the table in paragraph (b)
above
shall apply.
|
(iii) |
If
only one Rating Agency issues a Debt Rating of the Guarantor, the
Margin
applicable to that rating as set out in the table in paragraph
(b)
above
shall apply.
|
(iv) |
If
no Rating Agency issues a Debt Rating of the Guarantor, the Margin
applicable to Pricing Level VI as set out in the table in paragraph
(b)
above
shall apply.
|
(d) |
Any
change in the Margin resulting from a publicly announced change in
the
Debt Rating of the Guarantor shall be effective, subject to paragraph
(e)
below,
as of the date of such public
announcement.
|
(e) |
For
so long as an Event of Default is outstanding, the Margin will be
increased by 2 per cent. per annum.
|
8.4 |
Interest
on overdue amounts
|
(a) |
If
an Obligor fails to pay any amount payable by it under the Finance
Documents, it must immediately on demand by the Facility Agent pay
interest on the overdue amount from its due date up to the date of
actual
payment, before, on and after judgment.
|
(b) |
Interest
on an overdue amount is payable at the rate which would have been
payable
(including any increase to the Margin under Clause 8.3(e)
above)
if the overdue amount had, during the period of non-payment, constituted
the Loan in the currency of the overdue amount. For this purpose,
the
Facility Agent may (acting reasonably):
|
(i) |
select
successive Interest Periods of any duration of up to six months;
and
|
(ii) |
determine
the appropriate Rate Fixing Day for that Interest
Period.
|
(c) |
Notwithstanding
paragraph (b)
above,
if the overdue amount is a principal amount of the Loan and becomes
due
and payable before the last day of its current Interest Period, then
the
first Interest Period for that overdue amount will be the unexpired
portion of that Interest Period. After the expiry of the first Interest
Period for that overdue amount, the rate on the overdue amount will
be
calculated in accordance with paragraph (b)
above.
|
(d) |
Interest
(if unpaid) on an overdue amount will be compounded with that overdue
amount at the end of each of its Interest Periods but will remain
immediately due and payable.
|
8.5 |
Notification
of rates of interest
|
The
Facility Agent must promptly notify each relevant Party of the determination
of
a rate of interest under this Agreement.
9. |
INTEREST
PERIODs
|
9.1 |
Selection
|
(a) |
The
Loan has successive six month Interest
Periods.
|
(b) |
Each
Interest Period for the Loan will be six months, starting on the
Utilisation Date or on the expiry of the preceding Interest Period,
as the
case may be.
|
9.2 |
No
overrunning the Final Maturity
Date
|
If
an
Interest Period would otherwise overrun the last applicable Final Maturity
Date,
it will be shortened so that it ends on the Final Maturity Date.
10. |
MARKET
DISRUPTION
|
10.1 |
Failure
of a Reference Bank to supply a
rate
|
If
LIBOR
is to be calculated by reference to the Reference Banks but a Reference Bank
does not supply a rate by 12.00 noon on a Rate Fixing Day, the applicable
LIBOR
will, subject as provided below, be calculated on the basis of the rates
of the
remaining Reference Banks.
10.2 |
Market
disruption
|
(a) |
In
this Clause, each of the following events is a market
disruption event:
|
(i) |
LIBOR
is to be calculated by reference to the Reference Banks but no, or
only
one, Reference Bank supplies a rate by 12.00 noon on the Rate Fixing
Day;
or
|
(ii) |
the
Facility Agent receives by close of business on the Rate Fixing Day
notification from Lenders whose shares in the relevant Loan exceed
50 per
cent. of that Loan that the cost to them of obtaining matching deposits
in
the relevant interbank market is in excess of LIBOR for the relevant
Interest Period.
|
(b) |
The
Facility Agent must promptly notify the Company, the Guarantor and
the
Lenders of a market disruption event.
|
(c) |
After
notification under paragraph (b)
above,
the rate of interest on each Lender's share in the affected Loan
for the
relevant Interest Period will be the aggregate of the
applicable:
|
(i) |
Margin;
|
(ii) |
rate
notified to the Facility Agent by that Lender as soon as practicable,
and
in any event within 10 Business Days after the start of that Interest
Period, to be that which expresses as a percentage rate per annum
the cost
to that Lender of funding its share in that Loan from whatever source
it
may reasonably select, provided that in the absence of such notice
the
rate of interest in respect of that Lender's share in the Loan for
that
Interest Period will be the same rate of interest that was in effect
for
the immediately preceding Interest Period;
and
|
(iii) |
Mandatory
Cost.
|
10.3 |
Alternative
basis of interest or funding
|
(a) |
If
a market disruption event occurs and the Facility Agent, the Company
or
the Guarantor so requires, the Company, the Guarantor and the Facility
Agent must enter into negotiations for a period of not more than
30 days
with a view to agreeing an alternative basis for determining the
rate of
interest and/or funding for the affected
Loan.
|
(b) |
Any
alternative basis agreed will be, with the prior consent of all the
Lenders, the Company and the Guarantor, binding on all the
Parties.
|
11. |
TAXES
|
11.1 |
General
|
In
this
Clause:
Obligor's
Tax Jurisdiction
means
the jurisdiction in which the relevant Obligor is resident for Tax purposes.
Qualifying
Lender
means a
Lender which is:
(a) |
a
Treaty Lender; or
|
(b) |
a
Lender (other than a Lender within paragraph (a)
above)
that is entitled to receive interest in respect of an amount payable
to
that Lender under a Finance Document without a Tax Deduction imposed
by
the relevant Obligor's Tax Jurisdiction.
|
Tax
Credit
means a
credit against any Tax or any relief or remission for Tax (or its
repayment).
Tax
Deduction
means a
deduction or withholding for or on account of Tax from a payment under any
Finance Document.
Treaty
Lender means
a
Lender which is:
(a) |
resident
(as defined in the appropriate double taxation agreement) in a country
with which the Obligor's Tax Jurisdiction has a double taxation agreement
giving residents of that country full exemption from the taxation
on
interest imposed by that Obligor's Tax Jurisdiction;
and
|
(b) |
does
not carry on a business in the Obligor's Tax Jurisdiction through
a
permanent establishment with which the payment is effectively
connected.
|
11.2 |
Tax
gross-up
|
(a) |
Each
Obligor must make all payments to be made by it under the Finance
Documents without any Tax Deduction, unless a Tax Deduction is required
by
law.
|
(b) |
If:
|
(i) |
a
Lender is not, or ceases to be, a Qualifying Lender;
or
|
(ii) |
an
Obligor or a Lender is aware that an Obligor must make a Tax Deduction
(or
that there is a change in the rate or the basis of a Tax
Deduction),
|
it
must
promptly notify the Facility Agent. The Facility Agent must then promptly
notify
the affected Parties.
(c) |
Except
as provided below, if a Tax Deduction is required by law to be made
by an
Obligor or the Facility Agent, the amount of the payment due from
the
Obligor will be increased to an amount which (after making the Tax
Deduction) leaves an amount equal to the payment which would have
been due
if no Tax Deduction had been required.
|
(d) |
Except
as provided below, an Obligor is not required to make an increased
payment
under paragraph (c)
above
for a Tax Deduction in respect of tax imposed by the Obligor's Tax
Jurisdiction to a Lender that is not, or has ceased to be, a Qualifying
Lender in excess of the amount that the Obligor would have had to
pay had
the Lender been, or not ceased to be, a Qualifying
Lender.
|
(e) |
Paragraph
(d)
above
will not apply if the Lender has ceased to be a Qualifying Lender
by
reason of any change after the date it became a Lender under this
Agreement in (or in the interpretation, administration, or application
of)
any law or double taxation agreement or any published practice or
concession of any relevant taxing
authority.
|
(f) |
An
Obligor is not required to make an increased payment to a Lender
under
paragraph (c)
above
for a Tax Deduction in respect of tax imposed by the Obligor's Tax
Jurisdiction if that Lender is a Treaty Lender and the Obligor making
the
payment is able to demonstrate that the Tax Deduction would not have
been
required if the Lender had complied with its obligations under paragraph
(i)
below.
|
(g) |
If
an Obligor is required to make a Tax Deduction, that Obligor must
make the
minimum Tax Deduction allowed by law and must make any payment required
in
connection with that Tax Deduction within the time allowed by
law.
|
(h) |
Within
30 days of making either a Tax Deduction or a payment required in
connection with a Tax Deduction, the Obligor making that Tax Deduction
or
payment must deliver to the Facility Agent for the relevant Finance
Party
entitled to the payment an original receipt (or a certified copy
thereof)
satisfactory to that Finance Party (acting reasonably) that the Tax
Deduction has been made or (as applicable) the appropriate payment
has
been paid to the relevant taxing
authority.
|
(i) |
A
Treaty Lender must co-operate with each Obligor by using its reasonable
endeavours to complete any procedural formalities necessary for that
Obligor to obtain authorisation to make that payment without a Tax
Deduction.
|
11.3 |
Tax
indemnity
|
(a) |
Except
as provided below, the Company must indemnify a Finance Party against
any
loss or liability which that Finance Party (in its reasonable discretion)
determines will be or has been suffered (directly or indirectly)
by that
Finance Party for or on account of Tax in relation to a payment received
or receivable (or any payment deemed to be received or receivable)
under a
Finance Document.
|
(b) |
Paragraph
(a)
above
does not apply to any Tax assessed on a Finance Party under the laws
of
the jurisdiction in which:
|
(i) |
that
Finance Party is incorporated or, if different, the jurisdiction
(or
jurisdictions) in which that Finance Party has a Facility Office
and is
treated as resident for tax purposes; or
|
(ii) |
that
Finance Party's Facility Office is located in respect of amounts
received
or receivable in that jurisdiction,
|
if
that
Tax is imposed on or calculated by reference to the net income received or
receivable by that Finance Party. However, any payment deemed to be received
or
receivable, including any amount treated as income but not actually received
by
the Finance Party, such as a Tax Deduction, will not be treated as net income
received or receivable for this purpose.
(c) |
A
Finance Party making, or intending to make, a claim under paragraph
(a)
above
must promptly notify the Company of the event which will give, or
has
given, rise to the claim.
|
11.4 |
Tax
Credit
|
If
an
Obligor makes a Tax Payment and the relevant Finance Party (in its absolute
discretion) determines that:
(a) |
a
Tax Credit is attributable to that Tax Payment;
and
|
(b) |
that
Finance Party has obtained, utilised and fully retained that Tax
Credit on
an affiliated group basis,
|
the
Finance Party must pay an amount to the Obligor which that Finance Party
determines (in its absolute discretion) will leave it (after that payment)
in
the same after-Tax position as it would have been if the Tax Payment had
not
been required to be made by the Obligor.
11.5 |
Stamp
taxes
|
The
Company must pay and indemnify each Finance Party against any stamp duty,
stamp
duty land tax, registration or other similar Tax payable in connection with
the
entry into, performance or enforcement of any Finance Document, except for
any
such Tax payable in connection with the entry into a Transfer
Certificate.
11.6 |
Value
added taxes
|
(a) |
Any
amount payable under a Finance Document by an Obligor is exclusive
of any
value added tax or any other Tax of a similar nature which might
be
chargeable in connection with that amount. If any such Tax is chargeable,
the Obligor must pay to the Finance Party (in addition to and at
the same
time as paying that amount) an amount equal to the amount of that
Tax.
|
(b) |
Where
a Finance Document requires any Party to reimburse a Finance Party
for any
costs or expenses, that Party must also at the same time pay and
indemnify
the Finance Party against all value added tax or any other Tax of
a
similar nature incurred by the Finance Party in respect of those
costs or
expenses but only to the extent that the Finance Party (acting reasonably)
determines that it is not entitled to credit or repayment from the
relevant tax authority in respect of the
Tax.
|
12. |
INCREASED
COSTS
|
12.1 |
Increased
Costs
|
Except
as
provided below in this Clause, the Company must pay to a Finance Party the
amount of any Increased Cost incurred by that Finance Party as a result
of:
(a) |
the
introduction of, or any change in, or any change in the interpretation,
administration or application of, any law or regulation;
or
|
(b) |
compliance
with any law or regulation made after the date of this
Agreement.
|
12.2 |
Exceptions
|
The
Company need not make any payment for an Increased Cost to the extent that
the
Increased Cost is:
(a) |
compensated
for under another Clause or would have been but for an exception
to that
Clause;
|
(b) |
attributable
to a Finance Party wilfully failing to comply with any law or regulation;
or
|
(c) |
incurred
more than six months prior to the date that such Finance Party notifies
the Company of such Finance Party's intention to claim compensation
therefore; provided that, if the circumstances giving rise to such
claim
have a retroactive effect, then such six-month period shall be extended
to
include the period of such retroactive
effect.
|
12.3 |
Claims
|
(a) |
A
Finance Party intending to make a claim for an Increased Cost must
notify
the Facility Agent of the circumstances giving rise to and the amount
of
the claim, following which the Facility Agent will promptly notify
the
Company and the Guarantor.
|
(b) |
Each
Finance Party must, as soon as practicable after a demand by the
Facility
Agent, provide a certificate confirming the amount of its Increased
Cost.
|
13. |
MITIGATION
|
13.1 |
Mitigation
|
(a) |
Each
Finance Party must, in consultation with the Company and the Guarantor,
take all reasonable steps to mitigate any circumstances which arise
and
which result or would result in:
|
(i) |
any
Tax Payment or Increased Cost being payable to that Finance
Party;
|
(ii) |
that
Finance Party being able to exercise any right of prepayment and/or
cancellation under this Agreement by reason of any illegality;
or
|
(iii) |
that
Finance Party incurring any cost of complying with the minimum reserve
requirements of the European Central
Bank,
|
including
transferring its rights and obligations under the Finance Documents to an
Affiliate or changing its Facility Office.
(b) |
Paragraph
(a)
above
does not in any way limit the obligations of any Obligor under the
Finance
Documents.
|
(c) |
The
Company must indemnify each Finance Party for all costs and expenses
reasonably incurred by that Finance Party as a result of any step
taken by
it under this Subclause, provided that the Guarantor has been consulted
with regard to such costs and expenses prior to their
incurrence.
|
(d) |
A
Finance Party is not obliged to take any step under this Subclause
if, in
the opinion of that Finance Party (acting reasonably), to do so might
be
prejudicial to it.
|
13.2 |
Conduct
of business by a Finance Party
|
No
term
of this Agreement will:
(a) |
interfere
with the right of any Finance Party to arrange its affairs (Tax or
otherwise) in whatever manner it thinks
fit;
|
(b) |
oblige
any Finance Party to investigate or claim any credit, relief, remission
or
repayment available to it in respect of Tax or the extent, order
and
manner of any claim; or
|
(c) |
oblige
any Finance Party to disclose any information relating to its affairs
(Tax
or otherwise) or any computation in respect of
Tax.
|
14. |
PAYMENTS
|
14.1 |
Place
|
Unless
a
Finance Document specifies that payments under it are to be made in another
manner, all payments by a Party (other than the Facility Agent) under the
Finance Documents must be made to the Facility Agent to its account at such
office or bank in New York, as it may notify to that Party for this purpose
by
not less than five Business Days' prior notice.
14.2 |
Funds
|
Payments
under the Finance Documents to the Facility Agent must be made for value
on the
due date at such times and in such funds as the Facility Agent may specify
to
the Party concerned as being customary at the time for the settlement of
transactions in that currency in the place for payment.
14.3 |
Distribution
|
(a) |
In
this Subclause, Standing Payment Instruction
means:
|
(i) |
in
relation to a Lender which is a Lender on the date of this Agreement,
payment instructions set below the name of that Lender in Schedule
7
(Form
of Standing Payment Instructions);
or
|
(ii) |
in
relation to a Lender which becomes a Lender after the date of this
Agreement, payment instructions set out in the Transfer Certificate
to
which that Lender is a party,
|
or
such
other payment instructions the Lender may notify to the Facility Agent but
not
less than five Business Days' prior notice.
(b) |
Each
payment received by the Facility Agent under the Finance Documents
for
another Party must, except as provided below, be made available by
the
Facility Agent to that Party by payment (as soon as practicable after
receipt) to its account with such office or bank in New York, as
it may
notify to the Facility Agent for this purpose by not less than five
Business Days' prior notice.
|
(c) |
Notwithstanding
paragraph (a)
above,
any payment to be made under the Finance Documents by the Facility
Agent
to a Lender must be made in accordance with that Lender's Standing
Payment
Instruction.
|
(d) |
The
Facility Agent may apply any amount received by it for an Obligor
in or
towards payment (on the date and in the currency and funds of receipt)
of
any amount due from that Obligor under the Finance Documents or in
or
towards the purchase of any amount of any currency to be so
applied.
|
(e) |
Where
a sum is paid to the Facility Agent under this Agreement for another
Party, the Facility Agent is not obliged to pay that sum to that
Party
until it has established that it has actually received it. However,
the
Facility Agent may assume that the sum has been paid to it, and,
in
reliance on that assumption, make available to that Party a corresponding
amount. If it transpires that the sum has not been received by the
Facility Agent, that Party must immediately on demand by the Facility
Agent refund any corresponding amount made available to it together
with
interest on that amount from the date of payment to the date of receipt
by
the Facility Agent at a rate calculated by the Facility Agent to
reflect
its cost of funds.
|
14.4 |
Currency
|
(a) |
Unless
a Finance Document specifies that payments under it are to be made
in a
different manner, the currency of each amount payable under the Finance
Documents is determined under this
Clause.
|
(b) |
Amounts
payable in respect of Taxes, fees, costs and expenses are payable
in the
currency in which they are incurred.
|
(c) |
Each
other amount payable under the Finance Documents is payable in
US$.
|
(d) |
If
a change in any currency of a country occurs, the Finance Documents
will
be amended in accordance with Clause 25.3 (Change of
currency).
|
14.5 |
No
set-off or counterclaim
|
All
payments made by an Obligor under the Finance Documents must be calculated
and
made without (and free and clear of any deduction for) set-off or
counterclaim.
14.6 |
Business
Days
|
(a) |
If
a payment under the Finance Documents is due on a day which is not
a
Business Day, the due date for that payment will instead be the next
Business Day in the same calendar month (if there is one) or the
preceding
Business Day (if there is not).
|
(b) |
During
any extension of the due date for payment of any principal under
this
Agreement interest is payable on that principal at the rate payable
on the
original due date.
|
14.7 |
Partial
payments
|
(a) |
If
any Administrative Party receives a payment insufficient to discharge
all
the amounts then due and payable by the Obligors under the Finance
Documents, the Administrative Party must apply that payment towards
the
obligations of the Obligors under the Finance Documents in the following
order:
|
(i) |
first,
in or towards payment pro rata of any unpaid fees of the Administrative
Parties as well as any costs and expenses of the Facility Agent payable
in
accordance with the terms of the Finance
Documents;
|
(ii) |
secondly,
in or towards payment pro rata of any accrued interest or fee due
but
unpaid under this Agreement;
|
(iii) |
thirdly,
in or towards payment pro rata of any principal amount due but unpaid
under this Agreement; and
|
(iv) |
fourthly,
in or towards payment pro rata of any other sum due but unpaid under
the
Finance Documents.
|
(b) |
The
Facility Agent must, if so directed by the Lenders, vary the order
set out
in subparagraphs (a)(ii)
to
(iv)
above
and promptly notify the Obligors of such
change.
|
(c) |
This
Subclause will override any appropriation made by an
Obligor.
|
14.8 |
Timing
of payments
|
If
a
Finance Document does not provide for when a particular payment is due, that
payment will be due within ten Business Days of demand by the relevant Finance
Party.
15. |
GUARANTEE
AND INDEMNITY
|
15.1 |
Guarantee
and indemnity
|
The
Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally:
(a) |
guarantees
to each Finance Party punctual performance by the Company of all
its
obligations under the Finance Documents;
|
(b) |
undertakes
with each Finance Party that, whenever the Company does not pay any
amount
when due under or in connection with any Finance Document, the Guarantor
must within two Business Days of demand by the Facility Agent pay
that
amount as if it were the principal obligor in respect of that amount;
and
|
(c) |
indemnifies
each Finance Party immediately on demand against any cost, loss or
liability suffered by that Finance Party if any obligation guaranteed
by
it is or becomes unenforceable, invalid or illegal; the amount of
the
cost, loss or liability under this indemnity will be equal to the
amount
the Finance Party would otherwise have been entitled to recover from
the
Company under the Finance Documents had such guaranteed obligation
not
been unenforceable, invalid or illegal.
|
15.2 |
Continuing
guarantee
|
This
guarantee is a continuing guarantee and will extend to the ultimate balance
of
all sums payable by the Company under the Finance Documents, regardless of
any
intermediate payment or discharge in whole or in part.
15.3 |
Reinstatement
|
(a) |
If
any payment by an Obligor or any discharge given by a Finance Party
(whether in respect of the obligations of an Obligor or any security
for
those obligations or otherwise) or arrangement is made in whole or
in part
on the faith of any payment, security or other disposition which
is
avoided or must be restored on insolvency, liquidation, administration
or
other similar event, the liability of the Guarantor under this Clause
will
continue or be reinstated as if the discharge or arrangement had
not
occurred.
|
(b) |
Each
Finance Party may concede or compromise any claim that any payment,
security or other disposition is liable to avoidance or
restoration.
|
15.4 |
Waiver
of defences
|
The
obligations of the Guarantor under this Clause will not be affected by any
act, omission or thing which, but for this provision, would reduce, release
or
prejudice any of its obligations under this Clause (without limitation and
whether or not known to it or any Finance Party). This includes:
(a) |
any
time, consent or waiver granted to, or composition with, any Obligor
or
other person;
|
(b) |
any
release of any Obligor or any other person under the terms of any
composition or arrangement with any creditor of any member of the
Group;
|
(c) |
the
taking, variation, compromise, exchange, renewal or release of, or
refusal
or neglect to perfect, take up or enforce, any rights against, or
security
over assets of, any Obligor or any other
person;
|
(d) |
any
non-presentation or non-observance of any formality or other requirement
in respect of any instrument or any failure to realise the full value
of
any security;
|
(e) |
any
incapacity or lack of power, authority or legal personality of or
dissolution or change in the members or status of any Obligor or
any other
person;
|
(f) |
any
amendment (however fundamental) or replacement of a Finance Document
or
any other document or security;
|
(g) |
any
unenforceability, illegality, invalidity or non-provability of any
obligation of any person under any Finance Document or any other
document
or security; or
|
(h) |
any
insolvency or similar proceedings.
|
15.5 |
Immediate
recourse
|
(a) |
The
Guarantor waives any right it may have of first requiring any Finance
Party (or any trustee or agent on its behalf) to proceed against
or
enforce any other right or security or claim payment from any person
before claiming from the Guarantor under this
Clause.
|
(b) |
This
waiver applies irrespective of any law or any provision of a Finance
Document to the contrary.
|
15.6 |
Appropriations
|
Until
all
amounts which may be or become payable by the Obligors under or in connection
with the Finance Documents have been irrevocably paid in full, each Finance
Party (or any trustee or agent on its behalf) may without affecting the
liability of the Guarantor under this Clause:
(a) |
(i)refrain
from applying or enforcing any other moneys, security or rights held
or
received by that Finance Party (or any trustee or agent on its behalf)
against those amounts; or
|
(ii) |
apply
and enforce them in such manner and order as it sees fit (whether
against
those amounts or otherwise); and
|
(b) |
hold
in an interest-bearing suspense account any moneys received on account
of
the Guarantor's liability under this
Clause.
|
15.7 |
Non-competition
|
Unless:
(a) |
all
amounts which may be or become payable by the Obligors under or in
connection with the Finance Documents have been irrevocably paid
in full;
or
|
(b) |
the
Facility Agent otherwise directs,
|
the
Guarantor will not, after a claim has been made or by virtue of any payment
or
performance by it under this Clause:
(i) |
be
subrogated to any rights, security or moneys held, received or receivable
by any Finance Party (or any trustee or agent on its
behalf);
|
(ii) |
be
entitled to any right of contribution or indemnity in respect of
any
payment made or moneys received on account of the Guarantor's liability
under this Clause;
|
(iii) |
claim,
rank, prove or vote as a creditor of the Company or its estate in
competition with any Finance Party (or any trustee or agent on its
behalf)
unless it immediately turns over to the Finance Parties any proceeds
that
it recovers as a creditor; or
|
(iv) |
receive,
claim or have the benefit of any payment, distribution or security
from or
on account of the Company, or exercise any right of set-off as against
the
Company.
|
The
Guarantor must hold in trust for and immediately pay or transfer to the Facility
Agent for the Finance Parties any payment or distribution or benefit of security
received by it contrary to this Clause or in accordance with any directions
given by the Facility Agent under this Clause.
15.8 |
Additional
security
|
This
guarantee is in addition to and is not in any way prejudiced by any other
guarantee or security now or subsequently held by any Finance
Party.
16. |
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
16.1 |
Representations
and warranties
|
The
representations and warranties set out in this Clause are made by each Obligor
or (if it so states) either one of them to each Finance Party and are subject
to
Clause 19.11 (BLIO Matters).
16.2 |
Status
|
It
is a
limited liability company or corporation duly organised, validly existing
and in
good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation.
16.3 |
Powers,
authority and non-conflict
|
The
execution, delivery and performance by it of the Finance Documents to which
it
is a party, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby,
are
within its corporate powers, have been duly authorised by all necessary
corporate action, and do not contravene:
(a) |
any
of its constitutional documents; or
|
(b) |
any
law or contractual restriction binding on or affecting
it.
|
16.4 |
Authorisations
|
No
authorisation or approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing
with,
any governmental authority or regulatory body or any other third party is
required for the due execution, delivery and performance by it of any Finance
Document to which it is a party.
16.5 |
Legal
validity
|
Each
Finance Document to which it is a party has been duly executed and delivered
by
it. Subject to the Legal Reservations, each Finance Document to which it
is a
party, is its legal, valid and binding obligations enforceable against it
in
accordance with such Finance Document's respective terms.
16.6 |
Financial
statements
|
The
Guarantor represents and warrants that the Consolidated balance sheet of
the
Guarantor as at 25 December, 2004, and the related Consolidated statements
of
income and cash flows of the Group for the fiscal year then ended, accompanied
by an opinion of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants,
and
the Consolidated balance sheet of the Group as at 25 June, 2005 and the related
Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Group for the six
months
then ended, duly certified by the chief financial officer of the Guarantor,
copies of which have been furnished to each Lender, fairly present, subject,
in
the case of said balance sheet as at 25 June, 2005 and said statements of
income
and cash flows for the six months then ended, to year-end audit adjustments,
the
Consolidated financial condition of the Group as at such dates and the
Consolidated results of the operations of the Group for the periods ended
on
such dates, all in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied. At the date of this Agreement there has been no Material
Adverse Change since 25 December, 2004, other than as publicly disclosed
prior
to the date of this Agreement.
16.7 |
Litigation
|
At
the
date of this Agreement there is no pending or threatened action, suit,
investigation, litigation or proceeding, including, without limitation, any
Environmental Action, affecting any member of the Group before any court,
governmental agency or arbitrator that:
(a) |
could
be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect (other than
matters
as are identified in the periodic report of the Guarantor, which
are filed
prior to the date of this Agreement with the SEC);
or
|
(b) |
purports
to affect the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement
or
any other Finance Document or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby.
|
16.8 |
Use
of credit
|
It
is not
engaged in the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing
or
carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Board
of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System), and no proceeds of any Loan will
be
used to purchase or carry any margin stock or to extend credit to others
for the
purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock.
16.9 |
Title
to property
|
The
Company represents and warrants that it, and the Guarantor represents and
warrants that each member of the Group has good title to, or valid leasehold
interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business,
except for defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct
its business as currently conducted or to utilise such properties for their
intended purposes and that, individually or in the aggregate, could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
16.10 |
Intellectual
property
|
The
Company represents and warrants that it, and the Guarantor represents and
warrants that each member of the Group owns, or is licensed to use, all
trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property
material to its business, and the use thereof by each member of the Group
does
not infringe upon the rights of any other person, except for any such
infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
16.11 |
Compliance
with laws
|
The
Company represents and warrants that it, and the Guarantor represents and
warrants that each member of the Group is in compliance with all laws
(including, without limitation, ERISA, Environmental Laws and the Patriot
Act),
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.
16.12 |
Investment
Company Act
|
The
Company represents and warrants that it is not, and the Guarantor represents
and
warrants that no member of the Group is:
(a) |
an
"investment company" as defined in, or subject to regulation under,
the
Investment Company Act of 1940; or
|
(b) |
a
"holding company" as defined in, or subject to regulation under,
the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of
1935.
|
16.13 |
Taxes
|
(a) |
The
Company represents and warrants that it, and the Guarantor represents
and
warrants that each member of the Group has timely filed or caused
to be
filed all tax returns and reports required to have been filed and
has paid
or caused to be paid all taxes required to have been filed and has
paid or
caused to be paid all taxes required to have been paid by it,
except:
|
(i) |
taxes
that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings
and for
which such person has set aside on its books reserves where required
by
GAAP; or
|
(ii) |
to
the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected
to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
|
(b) |
The
Company represents and warrants that for Tax purposes, it is resident
only
in the jurisdiction of its incorporation.
|
16.14 |
Ownership
of the Company
|
The
Company is a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Guarantor.
16.15 |
Material
Subsidiaries
|
Attached
hereto at Schedule
6
is a
list of each Material Subsidiary on the date hereof.
16.16 |
Dutch
Banking Act
|
(a) |
If
the Company is a credit institution (kredietinstelling)
under the Dutch Banking Act, it is in compliance with the applicable
provisions of the Dutch Banking Act and any implementing regulation,
including the Dutch Exemption Regulation.
|
(b) |
On
the date of this Agreement the Company has verified the status of
each
person which is a Lender under this Agreement either
as:
|
(i) |
a
Professional Market Party under the Dutch Exemption Regulation;
or
|
(ii) |
exempted
from the requirement to be a Professional Market Party because it
forms
part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
with the Company.
|
(c) |
The
Company will be deemed to have complied with its verification obligation
set out under (b)(i)
above,
if it could reasonably assume that the Lender concerned is a Professional
Market Party on the basis of:
|
(i) |
information
from public registers;
|
(ii) |
information
from a recognised rating institution within the meaning of the Dutch
capital adequacy rules for credit institutions as set out in the
Credit
System Supervision Manual (Handboek
Wtk)
part 9001-02;
|
(iii) |
information
received from such Lender; or
|
(iv) |
an
express confirmation from such Lender.
|
16.17 |
Times
for making representations and
warranties
|
(a) |
The
representations and warranties set out in this Clause are made by
each
Obligor on the date of this Agreement.
|
(b) |
Unless
a representation and warranty is expressed to be given at a specific
date,
each representation and warranty is deemed to be repeated by each
Obligor
on the Utilisation Date and the first day of each Interest
Period.
|
(c) |
When
a representation and warranty is repeated, it is applied to the
circumstances existing at the time of
repetition.
|
17. |
POSITIVE
COVENANTS
|
17.1 |
General
|
For
so
long as any amount is outstanding under any of the Finance Documents or any
Lender shall have any Commitment under this Agreement, each Obligor agrees
to be
bound by the covenants set out in this Clause relating to it and, where the
covenant is expressed to apply to each member of the Group, each Obligor
must
ensure that each of its Subsidiaries performs that covenant. Each covenant
is
subject to Clause 19.11 (BLIO Matters).
17.2 |
Compliance
with laws
|
The
Guarantor must comply, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply, with
all
applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders, such compliance to include,
without limitation, compliance with ERISA, Environmental Laws and the Patriot
Act to the extent that the failure to do so could reasonably be expected
to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
17.3 |
Payment
of taxes
|
The
Guarantor must pay and discharge, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay
and
discharge, before the same shall become delinquent:
(a) |
all
taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies imposed upon
it or
upon its property; and
|
(b) |
all
lawful claims that, if unpaid, might by law become a Security Interest
upon its property,
|
provided,
however, that neither the Guarantor nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be
required to pay or discharge any such tax, assessment, charge or claim that
is
being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings and as to which
appropriate reserves are being maintained where required by GAAP, unless
and
until any Security Interest resulting therefrom attaches to its property
and
enforcement, collection, execution, levy or foreclosure proceedings shall
have
been commenced with respect to one or more such taxes, assessments, charges,
levies or claims that, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
17.4 |
Insurance
|
The
Guarantor must maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain,
insurance with responsible and reputable insurance companies or associations
in
such amounts and covering such risks as is usually carried by companies engaged
in similar businesses and owning similar properties in the same general areas
in
which the Guarantor or such Subsidiary operates.
17.5 |
Preservation
of corporate existence
|
The
Guarantor must preserve and maintain, and cause each of its Material
Subsidiaries to preserve and maintain, its corporate existence, rights (charter
and statutory) and franchises; provided, however, that the Guarantor and
its
Material Subsidiaries may consummate any merger or consolidation permitted
under
Clause 18.3
(Mergers)
and
provided further that neither the Guarantor nor any of its Material Subsidiaries
shall be required to preserve any right or franchise if the board of directors
of the Guarantor or such Subsidiary shall reasonably determine that the
preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business
of
the Guarantor or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, and that the loss thereof
is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Guarantor, such Subsidiary
or the Lenders.
17.6 |
Inspection
rights
|
The
Guarantor must, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon no less
than 5
Business Days' prior notice to the Guarantor, permit the Facility Agent or
any
of the Lenders or any agents or representatives thereof, to examine and make
copies of and abstracts from the records and books of account of, and visit
the
properties of, any member of the Group, and to discuss the affairs, finances
and
accounts of any member of the Group with any of their officers or directors
and
with their independent certified public accountants.
17.7 |
Maintenance
of accounts
|
The
Guarantor must keep, and cause each of its Material Subsidiaries to keep,
proper
books of record and account, in which full and correct entries shall be made
of
all financial transactions and the assets and business of the Guarantor and
each
such Subsidiary in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
in
effect from time to time.
17.8 |
Maintenance
of properties
|
The
Guarantor must maintain and preserve, and cause each of its Material
Subsidiaries to maintain and preserve, all of its properties that are used
or
useful in the conduct of its business in good working order and condition,
ordinary wear and tear excepted.
17.9 |
Ownership
of the Company
|
The
Guarantor must maintain 100 per cent. direct or indirect ownership of the
Company.
17.10 |
Reporting
requirements
|
(a) |
The
Guarantor (or the Company in the case of (ii)
below)
must supply to the Facility Agent in sufficient copies for all the
Lenders:
|
(i) |
as
soon as available and in any event within 60 days after the end of
each of
the first three quarters of each fiscal year of the Guarantor, a
Consolidated balance sheet of the Group as of the end of such quarter
and
Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Group for
the
period commencing at the end of the previous fiscal year and ending
with
the end of such quarter, duly certified (subject to year-end audit
adjustments) by the chief financial officer, treasurer or controller
of
the Guarantor as having been prepared in accordance with GAAP and
certificates of the chief financial officer, treasurer or controller
of
the Guarantor as to compliance with the terms of this Agreement and
setting forth in reasonable detail the calculations necessary to
demonstrate compliance with Clause 18.8
(Financial
covenants),
provided that in the event of any change in GAAP used in the preparation
of such financial statements, the Guarantor shall also provide, if
necessary for the determination of compliance with
Clause 18.8
(Financial
covenants),
a statement of reconciliation conforming such financial statements
to
GAAP;
|
(ii) |
as
soon as available and in any event within 60 days after the end of
each of
the first half of each fiscal year of the Company, interim financial
statements of the Company;
|
(iii) |
as
soon as available and in any event within 105 days after the end
of each
fiscal year of the Guarantor, a copy of the audited annual report
for such
year for the Group, containing a Consolidated balance sheet of the
Group
as of the end of such fiscal year and Consolidated statements of
income
and cash flows of the Group for such fiscal year, in each case accompanied
by an opinion acceptable to the Majority Lenders by
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP or other independent public accountants
acceptable to the Majority Lenders and certificates of the chief
financial
officer, treasurer or controller of the Guarantor as to compliance
with
the terms of this Agreement and setting forth in reasonable detail
the
calculations necessary to demonstrate compliance with Clause 18.8
(Financial
covenants),
provided that in the event of any change in GAAP used in the preparation
of such financial statements, the Guarantor shall also provide, if
necessary for the determination of compliance with Clause 18.8
(Financial
covenants),
a statement of reconciliation conforming such financial statements
to
GAAP;
|
(iv) |
as
soon as possible and in any event within five days after the occurrence
of
each Default continuing on the date of such statement, a statement
of the
chief financial officer, treasurer or controller of the Guarantor
setting
forth details of such Default and the action that the Guarantor has
taken
and proposes to take with respect
thereto;
|
(v) |
promptly
after the sending or filing thereof, copies of all reports that the
Guarantor sends to any of its securityholders, and copies of all
reports
and registration statements that the Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries
files with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national
securities exchange;
|
(vi) |
promptly
after the commencement thereof, notice of all actions and proceedings
before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator affecting any
member
of the Group of the type described in Clause 16.7
(Litigation);
and
|
(vii) |
such
other information respecting any member of the Group as any Lender
through
the Facility Agent may from time to time reasonably
request.
|
(b) |
Reports
required to be delivered pursuant to (i),
(iii),
(v) and (vi) above shall be deemed to have been delivered on the
date on
which such report is posted on the SEC's website at xxx.xxx.xxx,
and such
posting shall be deemed to satisfy the reporting requirements of
(i),
(iii),
(v) and (vi) above; provided that the Guarantor shall deliver paper
copies
of the certificate required by (i)
and (iii)
above to the Facility Agent and each of the Lenders until such time
as the
Facility Agent shall provide the Company or Guarantor written notice
otherwise.
|
17.11 |
Know
your customer requirements
|
(a) |
Each
Obligor must as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt
of
written request from any Finance Party supply to that Finance Party
any
documentation or other evidence which is reasonably requested by
that
Finance Party (whether for itself, on behalf of any Finance Party
or any
prospective new Lender) to enable a Finance Party or prospective
new
Lender to carry out and be satisfied with the results of all applicable
know your customer requirements.
|
(b) |
Each
Lender must promptly on the request of the Facility Agent supply
to the
Facility Agent any documentation or other evidence which is reasonably
required by the Facility Agent to carry out and be satisfied with
the
results of all know your customer
requirements.
|
18. |
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
AND FINANCIAL COVENANTS
|
18.1 |
General
|
For
so
long as any amount is outstanding under any of the Finance Documents or any
Lender shall have any Commitment under this Agreement, each Obligor agrees
to be
bound by the covenants set out in this Clause relating to it and, where the
covenant is expressed to apply to each member of the Group, each Obligor
must
ensure that each of its Subsidiaries performs that covenant.
18.2 |
Negative
pledge
|
The
Guarantor must not create or suffer to exist, or permit any of its Subsidiaries
to create or suffer to exist, any Security Interest on or with respect to
any of
its properties, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or assign, or permit
any of its Subsidiaries to assign, any right to receive income, other
than:
(a) |
Permitted
Security Interests;
|
(b) |
purchase
money Security Interests upon or in any real property or equipment
acquired or held by any member of the Group in the ordinary course
of
business to secure the purchase price of such property or equipment
or to
secure Debt incurred solely for the purpose of financing the acquisition
of such property or equipment, or Security Interests existing on
such
property or equipment at the time of its acquisition (other than
any such
Security Interests created in contemplation of such acquisition that
were
not incurred to finance the acquisition of such property) or extensions,
renewals or replacements of any of the foregoing for the same or
a lesser
amount, provided, however, that no such Security Interest shall extend
to
or cover any properties of any character other than the real property
or
equipment being acquired, and no such extension, renewal or replacement
shall extend to or cover any properties not theretofore subject to
the
Security Interest being extended, renewed or replaced, provided further
that the aggregate principal amount of the indebtedness secured by
the
Security Interests referred to in this paragraph shall not exceed
US$100,000,000 at any time outstanding;
|
(c) |
Security
Interests arising in connection with any court action or other legal
proceeding so long as no Default under Clause 19.7
(Final
judgment)
has occurred and is continuing;
|
(d) |
other
Security Interests securing Debt in an aggregate principal amount
not to
exceed US$50,000,000 at any time outstanding;
and
|
(e) |
the
replacement, extension or renewal of any Security Interest permitted
by
paragraph (a)
above
upon or in the same property theretofore subject thereto or the
replacement, extension or renewal (without increase in the amount
or
change in any direct or contingent obligor) of the Debt secured
thereby.
|
18.3 |
Mergers
|
The
Guarantor must not merge or consolidate with or into, or convey, transfer,
lease
or otherwise dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of
transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or
hereafter acquired) to, any person, or permit any of its Material Subsidiaries
to do so, except that:
(a) |
any
Material Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with or into, or dispose
of
assets to, any other Subsidiary of the
Guarantor;
|
(b) |
any
Subsidiary of the Guarantor may merge into or dispose of assets to
the
Guarantor or to the Company; and
|
(c) |
the
Guarantor and/or the Company may merge with any other person so long
as
the Guarantor and/or the Company (as the case may be) is the surviving
corporation,
|
provided,
in each case, that no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the
time
of such proposed transaction or would result therefrom.
18.4 |
Accounting
changes
|
The
Guarantor must not make or permit, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to make
or
permit, any change in accounting policies or reporting practices, except
as
required or permitted by generally accepted accounting principles.
18.5 |
Change
of business
|
The
Guarantor must not make, or permit any of its Material Subsidiaries to make,
any
material change in the nature of the business carried on at the date hereof
by
the Guarantor and its Material Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, provided that
the
Guarantor and its Material Subsidiaries may expand into other lines of business
in the health products industry.
18.6 |
Restrictive
agreements
|
The
Guarantor must not directly or indirectly enter into, incur or permit to
exist,
or permit any of its Subsidiaries to enter into, incur or permit to exist,
any
agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any
condition upon:
(a) |
the
ability of the Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries to create, incur
or
permit to exist any Security Interest upon any of its property or
assets;
or
|
(b) |
the
ability of any Subsidiary of the Guarantor to pay dividends or other
distributions with respect to any shares of its capital stock or
to make
or repay loans or advances to the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary
of the
Guarantor or to guarantee Debt of the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary
of
the Guarantor;
|
provided
that:
(i) |
paragraph
(a)
above
and this paragraph (b)
shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or
by this
Agreement or the Existing Guarantor Credit
Agreement;
|
(ii) |
paragraph
(a)
above
and this paragraph (b)
shall not apply to restrictions and conditions that could not be
reasonably expected to cause a material adverse effect on the ability
of
the Guarantor to perform any of its obligations under this
Agreement;
|
(iii) |
paragraph
(a)
above
and this paragraph (b)
shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date
hereof
(but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment
or
modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or
condition);
|
(iv) |
paragraph
(a)
above
and this paragraph (b)
shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained
in
agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary of the Guarantor
pending
such sale, provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to
the
Subsidiary of the Guarantor that is to be sold and such sale is permitted
hereunder;
|
(v) |
paragraph
(a)
above
shall not apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement
relating to secured Debt permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions
or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such
Debt;
and
|
(vi) |
paragraph
(a)
above
shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and licences restricting
the assignment thereof.
|
18.7 |
Use
of credit
|
The
Guarantor must not use, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to use, the proceeds
of any Loan to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation
U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) or to extend credit
to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock.
18.8 |
Financial
covenants
|
So
long
as any Loan shall remain unpaid or any Lender shall have any Commitment
hereunder, the Guarantor must:
(a) |
maintain
a ratio of Consolidated Debt for Borrowed Money to Consolidated EBITDA
of
the Group for the four fiscal quarters most recently ended of not
greater
than 3.0:1.0; and
|
(b) |
maintain
a ratio of Consolidated EBITDA of the Group for the four fiscal quarters
most recently ended to interest payable on, and amortisation of debt
discount in respect of, all Debt for Borrowed Money during such period,
by
the Group of not less than 4.0:1.0.
|
The
ratios referred to in this Clause 18.8 shall be tested by reference to the
financial statements most recently delivered by the Guarantor to the Facility
Agent in accordance with Clause 17.10(a)(i) and Clause
17.10(a)(iii).
19. |
DEFAULT
|
19.1 |
Events
of Default
|
Subject
to Clause 19.11 (BLIO Matters) below, each of the events or circumstances
set
out in this Clause is an Event of Default.
19.2 |
Non-payment
|
An
Obligor does not pay on the due date any amount payable pursuant to a Finance
Document unless:
(i) |
its
failure to pay is caused by administrative or technical error;
and
|
(ii) |
payment
is made within two Business Days of receiving notice that the payment
was
not made on its due date.
|
19.3 |
Misrepresentation
|
Any
representation or warranty made by an Obligor herein or by an Obligor (or
any of
its officers) in connection with this Agreement shall prove to have been
incorrect in any material respect when made.
19.4 |
Breach
of other obligations
|
(a) |
An
Obligor shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement
contained in Clauses 17.5
(Preservation
of corporate existence),
17.6
(Inspection
rights),
17.10
(Reporting
requirements),
or 18
(Negative
Covenants and Financial Covenants);
or
|
(b) |
an
Obligor shall fail to perform or observe any other term, covenant
or
agreement contained in this Agreement on its part to be performed
or
observed if such failure shall remain unremedied for 30 days after
the
earlier of:
|
(i) |
written
notice thereof shall have been given to the Company and the Guarantor
by
the Facility Agent or any Lender; and
|
(ii) |
a
responsible financial officer of the Company and the Guarantor otherwise
becomes aware of such failure.
|
19.5 |
Cross-default
|
(a) |
The
Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to pay any principal
of or
premium or interest on any Debt that is outstanding in a principal
or
notional amount of at least US$50,000,000 in the aggregate (but excluding
Debt outstanding hereunder) of the Guarantor or such Subsidiary (as
the
case may be), when the same becomes due and payable (whether by scheduled
maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise),
and
such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if
any,
specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Debt;
|
(b) |
any
other event shall occur or condition shall exist under any agreement
or
instrument relating to any such Debt and shall continue after the
applicable grace period, if any, specified in such agreement or
instrument, if the effect of such event or condition is to accelerate,
or
to permit the acceleration of, the maturity of such Debt; or
|
(c) |
any
such Debt shall be declared to be due and payable, or required to
be
prepaid or redeemed (other than by a regularly scheduled required
prepayment or redemption), purchased or defeased, or an offer to
prepay,
redeem, purchase or defease such Debt shall be required to be made,
in
each case prior to the stated maturity
thereof.
|
19.6 |
Insolvency
|
Except
as
provided below, any of the following occurs in respect of the Guarantor or
any
of its Material Subsidiaries:
(a) |
it
shall generally not pay its debts as such debts become
due;
|
(b) |
it
admits in writing its inability to pay its debts
generally;
|
(c) |
it
makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
|
(d) |
any
proceeding shall be instituted by or against it:
|
(i) |
seeking
to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent;
|
(ii) |
seeking
liquidation, winding up, reorganisation, arrangement, adjustment,
protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any law
relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganisation or relief of
debtors;
or
|
(iii) |
seeking
the entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver,
trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for any substantial
part of its property; and
|
in
the
case of any such proceeding instituted against it (but not instituted by
it):
(iv) |
either
such proceeding shall remain undismissed or unstayed for a period
of 60
days; or
|
(v) |
any
of the actions sought in such proceeding (including, without limitation,
the entry of an order for relief against, or the appointment of a
receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for, it or
for any
substantial part of its property) shall occur; or
|
(e) |
the
Guarantor or any of its Material Subsidiaries shall take any corporate
action to authorise any of the actions set forth above in this
Clause.
|
19.7 |
Final
judgment
|
(a) |
Any
judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of US$25,000,000
in
the aggregate shall be rendered against the Guarantor or any of its
Subsidiaries and either:
|
(i) |
enforcement
proceedings shall have been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment
or order;
|
(ii) |
other
than in respect of a settlement order, there shall be any period
of 30
consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment
or
order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in
effect;
or
|
(iii) |
the
Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries shall be in default under a
settlement order.
|
(b) |
Any
non-monetary judgment or order shall be rendered against the Guarantor
or
any of its Subsidiaries that could be reasonably expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect, and there shall be any period of 30 consecutive
days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order,
by
reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in
effect.
|
19.8 |
Change
of control
|
(a) |
Any
person or two or more persons acting in concert shall have acquired
beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities
and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of
1934),
directly or indirectly, of Voting Stock of the Guarantor (or other
securities convertible into such Voting Stock) representing 30 per
cent.
or more of the combined voting power of all Voting Stock of the Guarantor;
|
(b) |
during
any period of up to 12 consecutive months, commencing before or after
the
date of this Agreement, individuals who at the beginning of such
12-month
period were directors of the Guarantor shall cease for any reason
to
constitute a majority of the board of directors of the Guarantor;
or
|
(c) |
any
person or two or more persons acting in concert shall have acquired
by
contract or otherwise, or shall have entered into a contract or
arrangement that, upon consummation, will result in its or their
acquisition of the power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a
controlling influence over the management or policies of the
Guarantor.
|
19.9 |
ERISA
|
The
Guarantor or any of its ERISA Affiliates shall incur, or shall be reasonably
likely to incur liability in excess of US$50,000,000 in the aggregate as
a
result of one or more of the following:
(a) |
the
occurrence of any ERISA Event;
|
(b) |
the
partial or complete withdrawal of the Guarantor or any of its ERISA
Affiliates from a Multiemployer Plan; or
|
(c) |
the
reorganisation or termination of a Multiemployer
Plan.
|
19.10 |
Acceleration
|
If
an
Event of Default occurs, the Facility Agent shall at the request, or may
with
the consent, of the Majority Lenders, by notice to the Company and the
Guarantor:
(a) |
declare
the obligation of each Lender to advance Loans to be terminated,
whereupon
the same shall forthwith terminate; and
|
(b) |
declare
the Loans, all interest thereon and all other amounts payable under
this
Agreement to be forthwith due and payable, whereupon the Loans, all
such
interest and all such amounts shall become and be forthwith due and
payable, without presentment, demand, protest or further notice of
any
kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Company; provided,
however, that in the event of an actual or deemed entry of an order
for
relief with respect to the Guarantor under the Bankruptcy
Code:
|
(i) |
the
obligation of each Lender to make Loans shall automatically be terminated;
and
|
(ii) |
the
Loans, all such interest and all such amounts shall automatically
become
and be due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or any
notice
of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the
Company.
|
19.11 |
BLIO
Matters
|
(a) |
Solely
for the Waiver Period, it is agreed that, the BLIO Matters described
in
the BLIO Announcements will not result in or constitute a breach
of this
Agreement (including, without limitation, any misrepresentation or
breach
of covenant) or an Event of Default) to the extent
that:
|
(i) |
any
restatements of the Guarantor's financial statements for prior financial
periods do not result in reductions in profits after tax of the Guarantor
of more than US$50,000,000 in the aggregate;
and
|
(ii) |
with
respect to any delay in delivery of financial statements required
to be
delivered under this Agreement, such delay does not extend beyond
1 March,
2006.
|
(b) |
In
this Clause:
|
BLIO
Announcements
means
the Guarantor's:
(i) |
press
releases dated 26 October, 2005 and 3 November, 2005;
and
|
(ii) |
filings
with the SEC on Form 8-K dated 27 October, 2005 and on Form 12(b)-25
dated
3 November, 2005,
|
in
each
case relating to the Guarantor's Subsidiary, BL Industria Otica, Ltda
(BLIO)
and the
Guarantor's related investigation.
BLIO
Matters
means
the events including, without limitation, the allegations of improper
management, improper accounting and unpaid taxes of BLIO, and the Guarantor's
related investigation, which may result in the need for the Guarantor
to:
(i) |
delay
delivery of its financial statements to the Facility Agent under
this
Agreement;
|
(ii) |
delay
certain of its filings with the SEC; and
|
(iii) |
restate
its financial statements for prior periods, and that such a restatement,
if necessary, would also require unrelated out-of-period entries
made in
prior periods to be reclassified to the appropriate prior
period.
|
Waiver
Period
means
the period beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending on the Waiver
Termination Date.
Waiver
Termination Date
means
the date (if any) on which holders of any Debt owed by the Guarantor or any
of
its Subsidiaries in a principal or notional amount of at least US$50,000,000
shall accelerate or give notice of acceleration of such Debt.
(c) |
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, with respect to the BLIO Matters, nothing in this
Clause
19.11
shall constitute an admission (i) of liability with respect to the
BLIO
Matters, (ii) that any misrepresentation or breach of warranty, covenant
or other provision of this Agreement has occurred, or (iii) that
an Event
of Default has occurred under this
Agreement.
|
(d) |
On
the Waiver Termination Date, without any further action by any Finance
Party, all of the terms and provisions set forth in this Agreement
that
are waived pursuant to this Clause 19.11
and not cured prior to the Waiver Termination Date shall have the
same
force and effect as if this Clause 19.11
did not exist, and the Finance Parties shall have all of the rights
and
remedies afforded to them under this Agreement with respect to any
such
waived terms and provisions as though this Clause 19.11
did not exist.
|
20. |
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE PARTIES
|
20.1 |
Appointment
of the Facility Agent
|
(a) |
Each
Finance Party (other than the Facility Agent) irrevocably appoints
the
Facility Agent to act as its agent under and in connection with the
Finance Documents.
|
(b) |
Each
Finance Party irrevocably authorises the Facility Agent
to:
|
(i) |
perform
the duties and to exercise the rights, powers, authorities and discretions
that are specifically given to it under or in connection with the
Finance
Documents, together with any other incidental rights, powers, authorities
and discretions; and
|
(ii) |
execute
each Finance Document expressed to be executed by the Facility
Agent.
|
(c) |
The
Facility Agent has only those duties which are expressly specified
in the
Finance Documents. Those duties are solely of a mechanical and
administrative nature.
|
20.2 |
Role
of the Mandated Lead Arrangers
|
Except
as
specifically provided in the Finance Documents, no
Mandated Lead Arranger has any
obligations of any kind to any other Party in connection with any Finance
Document.
20.3 |
No
fiduciary duties
|
(a) |
Nothing
in the Finance Documents makes an Administrative Party a trustee
or
fiduciary for any other Party or any other person;
and
|
(b) |
no
Administrative Party need hold in trust any moneys paid to it or
recovered
by it for a Party in connection with the Finance Documents or be
liable to
account for interest on those moneys.
|
20.4 |
Individual
position of an Administrative
Party
|
(a) |
If
it is also a Lender, each Administrative Party has the same rights
and
powers under the Finance Documents as any other Lender and may exercise
those rights and powers as though it were not an Administrative
Party.
|
(b) |
Each
Administrative Party may:
|
(i) |
accept
deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of
banking
or carry on any other business with an Obligor or its related entities
(including acting as an agent or a trustee for any other financing);
and
|
(ii) |
retain
any profits or remuneration it receives under the Finance Documents
or in
relation to any other business it carries on with an Obligor or its
related entities.
|
20.5 |
Reliance
|
The
Facility Agent may:
(a) |
rely
on any representation, notice or document believed by it to be genuine
and
correct and to have been signed by, or with the authority of, the
proper
person;
|
(b) |
rely
on any statement made by any person regarding any matters which may
reasonably be assumed to be within his knowledge or within his power
to
verify;
|
(c) |
assume,
unless the context otherwise requires, that any communication made
by an
Obligor is made on behalf of and with the consent and knowledge of
each
Obligor;
|
(d) |
engage,
pay for and rely on the advice or services of any professional advisers
selected by it (including those representing a Party other than the
Facility Agent); and
|
(e) |
act
under the Finance Documents through its personnel and
agents.
|
20.6 |
Majority
Lenders' instructions
|
(a) |
Unless
any contrary indication appears in a Finance Document, the Facility
Agent
is fully protected if it acts (or refrains from taking action) on
the
instructions of the Majority Lenders in the exercise of any right,
power,
authority or discretion or any matter not expressly provided for
in the
Finance Documents. Unless any contrary indication appears in a Finance
Document, any such instructions given by the Majority Lenders will
be
binding on all the Lenders. In the absence of instructions from the
Majority Lenders (or if appropriate, the Lenders), the Facility Agent
may
act (or refrain from taking action) as it considers to be in the
best
interests of all the Lenders.
|
(b) |
The
Facility Agent may assume that unless it has received notice to the
contrary in its capacity as Facility Agent for the Lenders, any right,
power, authority or discretion vested in any Party or the Majority
Lenders
has not been exercised.
|
(c) |
The
Facility Agent may refrain from acting in accordance with the instructions
of the Majority Lenders (or, if appropriate, the Lenders) until it
has
received security satisfactory to it, whether by way of payment in
advance
or otherwise, against any liability or loss which it may incur in
complying with the instructions.
|
(d) |
The
Facility Agent is not authorised to act on behalf of a Lender (without
first obtaining that Lender's consent) in any legal or arbitration
proceedings in connection with any Finance
Document.
|
20.7 |
Responsibility
|
(a) |
No
Administrative Party is responsible for the adequacy, accuracy and/or
completeness of any statement or information (whether written or
oral)
supplied by an Administrative Party, an Obligor or any other person
given
in or in connection with any Finance Document including the Information
Memorandum.
|
(b) |
No
Administrative Party is responsible for the legality, validity,
effectiveness, adequacy, completeness or enforceability of any Finance
Document or any other agreement, arrangement or document entered
into,
made or executed in anticipation of or in connection with any Finance
Document.
|
(c) |
Without
affecting the responsibility of any Obligor for information supplied
by it
or on its behalf in connection with any Finance Document, each Lender
confirms that it:
|
(i) |
has
been, and will continue to be, solely responsible for making its
own
independent appraisal investigation of all risks arising under or
in
connection with the Finance Documents including but not limited
to:
|
(A) |
the
financial conditions, status and nature of each member of the
Group;
|
(B) |
the
legality, validity, effectiveness, adequacy or enforceability of
any
Finance Document and any other agreement, arrangement or document
entered
into, made or executed in anticipation of, under or in connection
with any
Finance Document;
|
(C) |
whether
that Lender has recourse, and the nature and extent of that recourse,
against any Party or any of its respective assets under or in connection
with any Finance Document, the transactions contemplated by the Finance
Documents or any other agreement, arrangement or document entered
into,
made or executed in anticipation of, under or in connection with
any
Finance Document; and
|
(D) |
the
adequacy, accuracy and/or completeness of the Information Memorandum
and
any other information provided by the Facility Agent, any Party or
by any
other person under or in connection with any Finance Document, the
transactions contemplated by the Finance Documents or any other agreement,
arrangement or document entered into, made or executed in anticipation
of,
under or in connection with any Finance Document;
and
|
(ii) |
has
not relied exclusively on any information provided to it by any
Administrative Party in connection with any Finance Document or agreement
entered into in anticipation of or in connection with any Finance
Document.
|
20.8 |
Exclusion
of liability
|
(a) |
Without
limiting paragraph (b)
below,
the Facility Agent is not liable or responsible for any action taken
or
not taken by it under or in connection with any Finance Document,
unless
directly caused by its gross negligence or wilful
misconduct.
|
(b) |
No
Party (other than the relevant Administrative Party) may take any
proceedings against any officers, employees or agents of another
Administrative Party in respect of any claim it might have against
that
Administrative Party or in respect of any act or omission of any
kind by
that officer, employee or agent in connection with any Finance Document.
Any officer, employee or agent of an Administrative Party may rely
on this
Subclause and enforce its terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third
Parties) Xxx 0000.
|
(c) |
The
Facility Agent is not liable for any delay (or any related consequences)
in crediting an account with an amount required under the Finance
Documents to be paid by the Facility Agent if the Facility Agent
has taken
all necessary steps as soon as reasonably practicable to comply with
the
regulations or operating procedures of any recognised clearing or
settlement system used by the Facility Agent for that
purpose.
|
(d) (i) |
Nothing
in this Agreement will oblige any Administrative Party to carry out
any
know your customer requirement or other checks in relation to any
person
on behalf of any Finance Party.
|
(ii) |
Each
Finance Party confirms to each Administrative Party that it is solely
responsible for any know your customer requirements or checks it
is
required to carry out and that it may not rely on any statement in
relation to those requirements or checks made by any of the Administrative
Parties.
|
20.9 |
Default
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent is not obliged to monitor or enquire whether a Default
has
occurred. The Facility Agent is not deemed to have knowledge of the
occurrence of a Default.
|
(b) |
If
the Facility Agent:
|
(i) |
receives
notice from a Party referring to this Agreement, describing a Default
and
stating that the circumstances described is a Default;
or
|
(ii) |
is
aware of the non-payment of any principal, interest or fee payable
to a
Finance Party (other than the Facility Agent or a Mandated Lead Arranger)
under this Agreement,
|
it
must
promptly notify the other Finance Parties.
20.10 |
Information
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent must promptly forward to a Party the original or a
copy of
any document which is delivered to the Facility Agent by a Party
for any
other Party.
|
(b) |
Except
where a Finance Document specifically provides otherwise, the Facility
Agent is not obliged to review or check the adequacy, accuracy or
completeness of any document it forwards to another
Party.
|
(c) |
Except
as provided above, the Facility Agent has no
duty:
|
(i) |
either
initially or on a continuing basis to provide any Lender with any
credit
or other information concerning the risks arising under or in connection
with the Finance Documents (including any information relating to
the
financial condition or affairs of any Obligor or its related entities
or
the nature or extent of recourse against any Party or its assets)
whether
coming into its possession before, on or after the date of this Agreement;
or
|
(ii) |
unless
specifically requested to do so by a Lender in accordance with a
Finance
Document, to request any certificate or other document from any
Obligor.
|
(d) |
In
acting as Facility Agent for the Finance Parties, the agency division
of
the Facility Agent is treated as a separate entity from its other
divisions and departments. If information is received by another
division
or department of the Facility Agent, it may be treated as confidential
to
that division or department and the Facility Agent shall not be deemed
to
have notice of it.
|
(e) |
The
Facility Agent is not obliged to disclose to any person any confidential
information supplied to it by or on behalf of a member of the Group
solely
for the purpose of evaluating whether any waiver or amendment is
required
in respect of any term of the Finance
Documents.
|
(f) |
Each
Obligor irrevocably authorises the Facility Agent to disclose to
the other
Finance Parties any information which, in its opinion, is received
by it
in its capacity as the Facility Agent.
|
20.11 |
Indemnities
|
(a) |
Without
limiting the liability of any Obligor under the Finance Documents,
each
Lender must indemnify the Facility Agent, within three Business Days
of
demand, for that Lender's Pro Rata Share of any cost, loss or liability
incurred by the Facility Agent in acting as the Facility Agent under
the
Finance Documents (unless the Facility Agent has been reimbursed
by an
Obligor under a Finance Document), except to the extent that the
cost,
loss or liability is caused by the Facility Agent's gross negligence
or
wilful misconduct.
|
(b) |
If
a Party owes an amount to the Facility Agent under the Finance Documents,
the Facility Agent may, after giving notice to that
Party:
|
(i) |
deduct
from any amount received by it for that Party any amount due to the
Facility Agent from that Party under a Finance Document but unpaid;
and
|
(ii) |
apply
that amount in or towards satisfaction of the owed
amount.
|
That
Party will be regarded as having received the amount so deducted.
20.12 |
Compliance
|
Each
Administrative Party may refrain from doing anything (including disclosing
any
information) which might, in its opinion, constitute a breach of any law
or
regulation or be otherwise actionable at the suit of any person, and may
do
anything which, in its opinion, is necessary or desirable to comply with
any law
or regulation.
20.13 |
Resignation
of the Facility Agent
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent may resign and appoint any of its Affiliates as successor
Facility Agent by giving notice to the other Finance Parties, the
Company
and the Guarantor.
|
(b) |
Alternatively,
the Facility Agent may resign by giving notice to the Finance Parties,
the
Company and the Guarantor, in which case the Majority Lenders may
appoint
a successor Facility Agent.
|
(c) |
If
no successor Facility Agent has been appointed under
paragraph (b)
above
within 30 days after notice of resignation was given, the Facility
Agent may appoint a successor Facility
Agent.
|
(d) |
The
person(s) appointing a successor Facility Agent must, if practicable,
consult with the Company and the Guarantor prior to the appointment.
Any
successor Facility Agent must have an office in the
U.K.
|
(e) |
The
resignation of the Facility Agent and the appointment of any successor
Facility Agent will both become effective only when the successor
Facility
Agent notifies all the Parties that it accepts its appointment. On
giving
the notification, the successor Facility Agent will succeed to the
position of the Facility Agent and the term Facility
Agent
will mean the successor Facility Agent.
|
(f) |
The
retiring Facility Agent must, at its own cost, make available to
the
successor Facility Agent such documents and records and provide such
assistance as the successor Facility Agent may reasonably request
for the
purposes of performing its functions as the Facility Agent under
the
Finance Documents.
|
(g) |
Upon
its resignation becoming effective, this Clause will continue to
benefit the retiring Facility Agent in respect of any action taken
or not
taken by it in connection with the Finance Documents while it was
the
Facility Agent, and, subject to paragraph (f)
above,
it will have no further obligations under any Finance
Document.
|
20.14 |
Relationship
with Lenders
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent may treat each Lender as a Lender, entitled to payments
under this Agreement and as acting through its Facility Office(s)
unless
it has received not less than five Business Days' prior notice from
that
Lender to the contrary in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement.
|
(b) |
The
Facility Agent may at any time, and must if requested to do so by
the
Majority Lenders, convene a meeting of the
Lenders.
|
(c) |
The
Facility Agent must keep a record of all the Parties and supply any
other
Party with a copy of the record on request. The record will include
each
Lender's Facility Office(s) and contact details for the purposes
of this
Agreement.
|
(d) |
Each
Lender must supply the Facility Agent with any information required
by the
Facility Agent in order to calculate the Mandatory Cost in accordance
with
Schedule
4
(Calculation
of the Mandatory Cost).
|
20.15 |
Notice
period
|
Where
this Agreement specifies a minimum period of notice to be given to the Facility
Agent, the Facility Agent may, at its discretion, accept a shorter notice
period.
20.16 |
Deduction
from amounts payable by the Facility
Agent
|
If
any
Party owes an amount to the Facility Agent under the Finance Documents the
Facility Agent may, after giving notice to that Party, deduct an amount not
exceeding that amount from any payment to that Party which the Facility Agent
would otherwise be obliged to make under the Finance Documents and apply
the
amount deducted in or towards satisfaction of the amount owed. For the purposes
of the Finance Documents that Party must be regarded as having received any
amount so deducted.
21. |
EVIDENCE
AND CALCULATIONS
|
21.1 |
Accounts
|
Accounts
maintained by a Finance Party in connection with this Agreement are prima
facie
evidence of the matters to which they relate for the purpose of any litigation
or arbitration proceedings.
21.2 |
Certificates
and determinations
|
Any
certification or determination by a Finance Party of a rate or amount under
the
Finance Documents will be, in the absence of manifest error, conclusive evidence
of the matters to which it relates.
21.3 |
Calculations
|
Any
interest or fee accruing under this Agreement accrues from day to day and
is
calculated on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed and a year of
360
days or if market practice differs, in accordance with market
practice.
22. |
FEES
|
22.1 |
Facility
Agent's fee
|
The
Company must pay to the Facility Agent for its own account an agency fee
in the
manner agreed in the Fee Letter between the Facility Agent and the
Company.
22.2 |
Participation
fees
|
The
Company must pay to the Mandated Lead Arrangers
or the
Facility Agent, as applicable, the participation fees in the manner agreed
in
the Fee Letter between the Mandated Lead Arrangers
and the
Company.
22.3 |
Arrangement
fees
|
The
Company must pay to each of the Mandated Lead Arrangers
for
their
own
account the arrangement fees in the manner agreed in each Fee Letter between
a
Mandated Lead Arranger and the Company.
23. |
INDEMNITIES
AND BREAK COSTS
|
23.1 |
Currency
indemnity
|
(a) |
The
Company must, as an independent obligation, indemnify each Finance
Party
against any loss or liability which that Finance Party incurs as
a
consequence of:
|
(i) |
that
Finance Party receiving an amount in respect of an Obligor's liability
under the Finance Documents; or
|
(ii) |
that
liability being converted into a claim, proof, judgment or
order,
|
in
a
currency other than the currency in which the amount is expressed to be payable
under the relevant Finance Document.
(b) |
Unless
otherwise required by law, each Obligor waives any right it may have
in
any jurisdiction to pay any amount under the Finance Documents in
a
currency other than that in which it is expressed to be
payable.
|
23.2 |
Other
indemnities
|
(a) |
The
Company must indemnify each Finance Party against any loss or liability
which that Finance Party incurs as a consequence
of:
|
(i) |
the
occurrence of any Event of Default;
|
(ii) |
any
failure by an Obligor to pay any amount due under a Finance Document
on
its due date, including any resulting from any distribution or
redistribution of any amount among the Lenders under this
Agreement;
|
(iii) |
(other
than by reason of the gross negligence, wilful misfeasance or default
by
that Finance Party) the Loan not being made after the Request has
been
delivered;
|
(iv) |
the
Loan (or part of the Loan) not being prepaid in accordance with this
Agreement; or
|
(v) |
any
representation made under Clause 16.16
(Dutch
Banking Act)
or Clause 26.2
(Assignments
and transfers by Lenders)
being incorrect when made or deemed to be made. A Lender which makes
a
representation which is untrue in relation to its status as a Professional
Market Party or its status as part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
cannot make a demand under this
paragraph.
|
The
Company's liability in each case includes any loss or expense on account
of
funds borrowed, contracted for or utilised to fund any amount payable under
any
Finance Document or any Loan.
(b) |
The
Company must indemnify the Facility Agent against any loss or liability
incurred by the Facility Agent (acting reasonably) as a result
of:
|
(i) |
investigating
any event which the Facility Agent reasonably believes to be a Default;
or
|
(ii) |
acting
or relying on any notice which the Facility Agent reasonably believes
to
be genuine, correct and appropriately
authorised.
|
23.3 |
Break
Costs
|
(a) |
The
Company must pay to each Lender its Break Costs if the Loan or an
overdue
amount is repaid or prepaid other than on the last day of any Interest
Period applicable to it.
|
(b) |
Break
Costs are the amount (if any) determined by the relevant Lender acting
reasonably, by which:
|
(i) |
the
interest (excluding Margin) which that Lender would have received
for the
period from the date of receipt of any part of its share in the Loan
or an
overdue amount to the last day of the applicable Interest Period
for that
Loan or overdue amount if the principal or overdue amount received
had
been paid on the last day of that Interest
Period;
|
exceeds
(ii) |
the
amount which that Lender would be able to obtain by placing an amount
equal to the amount received by it on deposit with a leading bank
in the
appropriate interbank market for a period starting on the Business
Day
following receipt and ending on the last day of the applicable Interest
Period.
|
(c) |
Each
Lender must supply to the Facility Agent for the Company and the
Guarantor
details of the amount of any Break Costs claimed by it under this
Subclause.
|
24. |
EXPENSES
|
24.1 |
Initial
costs
|
The
Company must pay to the Facility Agent the amount of all costs and expenses
(including fees of legal counsel to the Facility Agent only) reasonably and
properly incurred by it in connection with the negotiation, preparation,
printing, entry into, syndication and execution of the Finance Documents
provided that the Company and the Guarantor approved such costs and expenses
prior to their being incurred.
24.2 |
Subsequent
costs
|
The
Company must pay to the Facility Agent the amount of all costs and expenses
(including legal fees) reasonably incurred by it in connection
with:
(a) |
the
negotiation, preparation, printing and entry into of any Finance
Document
(other than a Transfer Certificate) executed after the date of this
Agreement;
|
(b) |
any
amendment, waiver or consent requested by or on behalf of an Obligor
provided that the Company and the Guarantor approved such costs and
expenses prior to their being incurred;
and
|
(c) |
any
amendment, waiver or consent specifically allowed by this
Agreement.
|
24.3 |
Enforcement
costs
|
The
Company must pay to each Finance Party the amount of all costs and expenses
(including legal fees) incurred by it in connection with the enforcement
of, or
the preservation of any rights under, any Finance Document.
24.4 |
Timing
for payments of costs
|
All
payments under this Clause will be due within thirty days of demand by the
relevant Finance Party.
25. |
AMENDMENTS
AND WAIVERS
|
25.1 |
Procedure
|
(a) |
Except
as provided in this Clause, any term of the Finance Documents may
only be
amended, replaced or waived with the agreement of the Company, the
Guarantor and the Majority Lenders. The Facility Agent may effect,
on
behalf of any Finance Party, an amendment or waiver allowed under
this
Clause.
|
(b) |
The
Facility Agent must promptly notify the other Parties of any amendment
or
waiver effected by it under paragraph (a)
above.
Any such amendment or waiver is binding on all the
Parties.
|
25.2 |
Exceptions
|
(a) |
An
amendment or waiver which relates to:
|
(i) |
the
definition of Majority
Lenders
in
Clause 1.1
(Definitions);
|
(ii) |
an
extension of the date of payment of any amount to a Lender under
the
Finance Documents;
|
(iii) |
a
reduction in the Margin or a reduction in the amount of any payment
of
principal, interest, fee or other amount payable to a Lender under
the
Finance Documents;
|
(iv) |
an
increase in, or an extension of, a Commitment or the Total Commitments
(except as expressly provided in Clause 2.3
(Extension
Option);
|
(v) |
a
release of an Obligor other than in accordance with the terms of
this
Agreement;
|
(vi) |
a
term of a Finance Document which expressly requires the consent of
each
Lender;
|
(vii) |
the
right of a Lender to assign or transfer its rights or obligations
under
the Finance Documents; or
|
(viii) |
this
Clause,
|
may
only
be made with the consent of all the Lenders.
(b) |
An
amendment or waiver which relates to the rights or obligations of
an
Administrative Party may only be made with the consent of that
Administrative Party.
|
(c) |
A
Fee Letter may be amended or waived with the agreement of the
Administrative Party that is a party to that Fee Letter and the Company
and the Guarantor.
|
25.3 |
Change
of currency
|
If
a
change in any currency of a country occurs (including where there is more
than
one currency or currency unit recognised at the same time as the lawful currency
of a country), the Finance Documents will be amended to the extent the Facility
Agent (acting reasonably and after consultation with the Company) determines
is
necessary to reflect the change.
25.4 |
Waivers
and remedies cumulative
|
The
rights and remedies of each Finance Party under the Finance
Documents:
(a) |
may
be exercised as often as necessary;
|
(b) |
are
cumulative and not exclusive of its rights or remedies under the
general
law; and
|
(c) |
may
be waived only in writing and
specifically.
|
Delay
in
exercising or non-exercise of any right or remedy is not a waiver of that
right
or remedy.
26. |
CHANGES
TO THE PARTIES
|
26.1 |
Assignments
and transfers by Obligors
|
Neither
Obligor may assign or transfer any of its rights and obligations under the
Finance Documents without the prior consent of all the Lenders.
26.2 |
Assignments
and transfers by Lenders
|
(a) |
A
Lender (the Existing
Lender)
may, subject to the following provisions of this Subclause, at any
time
assign or transfer (including by way of novation) any of its rights
and
obligations under this Agreement to any other person (the New
Lender).
|
(b) |
Unless
the Guarantor and the Facility Agent otherwise agree and except as
provided below, a transfer of part of a Commitment or part of its
rights
and obligations under this Agreement by the Existing Lender must
be in a
minimum amount of US$5,000,000 and an integral multiple of
US$1,000,000.
|
(c) |
The
consent of the Guarantor is required for any assignment or transfer
unless:
|
(i) |
the
assignment is by way of security to any U.S. Federal Reserve Bank;
|
(ii) |
the
New Lender is another Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, in which
case
prior written notice must be given by the Existing Lender to the
Company,
the Guarantor and the Facility Agent; or
|
(iii) |
an
Event of Default is outstanding.
|
The
consent of the Guarantor must not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The
Guarantor will be deemed to have given its consent five Business Days after
the
Guarantor is given notice of the request unless it is expressly refused by
the
Guarantor within that time.
(d) |
The
Facility Agent is not obliged to execute a Transfer Certificate or
otherwise give effect to an assignment or transfer until it has completed
all know your customer requirements to its satisfaction. The Facility
Agent must promptly notify the Existing Lender and the New Lender
if there
are any such requirements.
|
(e) |
If
the consent of the Guarantor is required for any assignment or transfer
(irrespective of whether it may be unreasonably withheld or not),
the
Facility Agent is not obliged to execute a Transfer Certificate if
the
Guarantor withholds its consent.
|
(f) (i) |
If,
on the date of an assignment or transfer, it is a requirement of
Dutch law
that each Lender must be a Professional Market
Party:
|
(A) |
unless
the New Lender is a Professional Market Party, the consent of the
Company
is required for any assignment or
transfer;
|
(B) |
the
Company's consent must not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed;
|
(C) |
the
Company will be deemed to have given its consent five Business Days
after
the Company and the Guarantor are given written notice of the request
together with a copy of a Transfer Certificate signed by the New
Lender
confirming that it is a Professional Market Party or forms part of
a
closed circle with the Company unless it is expressly refused by
the
Company within that time because either:
|
I. |
the
proposed New Lender is not a Professional Market Party or does not
form
part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
with the Company; or
|
II. |
the
Company has demonstrated that it is in good faith unable to determine
with
certainty whether the proposed New Lender is a Professional Market
Party
or forms part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
with the Company;
|
(D) |
the
New Lender must comply with the obligations set out in paragraph
(ii)
below;
|
(E) |
the
Company must make the representation set out in paragraph (iii)
below;
and
|
(F) |
no
assignment or transfer will be effective unless both the New Lender
and
the Company have complied with the requirements of this
Subclause.
|
(ii) |
On
the date the assignment or transfer becomes effective the New Lender
must
make the representation on the terms set out in paragraph 3 of the
Transfer Certificate.
|
(iii) |
On
the date that a New Lender becomes party to this Agreement as a Lender
the
Company represents that on that date it has verified the status of
that
New Lender either as:
|
(A) |
a
Professional Market Party under the Dutch Exemption
Regulation;
|
(B) |
exempted
from the requirement to be a Professional Market Party because it
forms
part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
with the Company; or
|
(C) |
The
Company will be deemed to have complied with its verification obligation
set out under (A)
above,
if it could reasonably assume that the New Lender concerned is a
Professional Market Party on the basis
of:
|
I. |
information
from public registers;
|
II. |
information
from a recognised rating institution within the meaning of the Dutch
capital adequacy rules for credit institutions as set out in the
Credit
System Supervision Manual (Handboek
Wtk)
part 9001-02;
|
III. |
information
received from such New Lender; or
|
IV. |
an
express confirmation from such New
Lender.
|
(g) |
An
assignment of rights will only be effective if the New Lender confirms
to
the Facility Agent, the Company, and the Guarantor in form and substance
satisfactory to the Facility Agent that it is bound by obligations
to the
other Finance Parties under this Agreement equivalent to those it
would
have been under if it were an Original
Lender.
|
(h) |
A
transfer of obligations will be effective only if
either:
|
(i) |
rights
are assigned and obligations released and equivalent obligations
assumed
in accordance with the following provisions of this Clause;
or
|
(ii) |
the
obligations are novated in accordance with the following provisions
of
this Clause.
|
(i) |
Unless
the Facility Agent otherwise agrees, the New Lender must pay to the
Facility Agent for its own account, on or before the date any assignment
or transfer occurs, a fee of US$3,500.
|
(j) |
Any
reference in this Agreement to a Lender includes a New Lender but
excludes
a Lender if no amount is or may be owed to or by it under this
Agreement.
|
26.3 |
Transfer
Certificates
|
(a) |
In
this Subclause:
|
Transfer
Date
means,
for a Transfer Certificate, the later of:
(i) |
the
proposed Transfer Date specified in that Transfer
Certificate;
|
(ii) |
the
date on which the Facility Agent executes that Transfer Certificate;
and
|
a
reference to an assignment includes any related release and
assumption.
(b) |
An
assignment or novation is effected if:
|
(i) |
the
Existing Lender and the New Lender deliver to the Facility Agent
a duly
completed Transfer Certificate; and
|
(ii) |
the
Facility Agent executes it.
|
The
Facility Agent must execute as soon as reasonably practicable a Transfer
Certificate delivered to it and which appears on its face to be in
order.
(c) |
Each
Finance Party (other than the Existing Lender and the New Lender)
irrevocably authorises the Facility Agent to execute any duly completed
Transfer Certificate on its behalf.
|
(d) |
For
a transfer by assignment on the Transfer
Date:
|
(i) |
the
Existing Lender will assign absolutely to the New Lender the Existing
Lender's rights expressed to be the subject of the assignment in
the
Transfer Certificate;
|
(ii) |
the
Existing Lender will be released from the obligations expressed to
be the
subject of the release in the Transfer Certificate;
and
|
(iii) |
the
New Lender will become a Lender under this Agreement and will be
bound by
obligations equivalent to those from which the Existing Lender is
released
under sub-paragraph (ii)
above.
|
(e) |
For
a transfer by novation on the Transfer
Date:
|
(i) |
the
New Lender will assume the rights and obligations of the Existing
Lender
expressed to be the subject of the novation in the Transfer Certificate
in
substitution for the Existing Lender;
|
(ii) |
the
Existing Lender will be released from those obligations and cease
to have
those rights; and
|
(iii) |
the
New Lender will become a Lender under this Agreement and be bound
by the
terms of this Agreement as a Lender.
|
(f) |
The
Facility Agent must, as soon as reasonably practicable after it has
executed a Transfer Certificate, send a copy of that Transfer Certificate
to the Company and the Guarantor.
|
26.4 |
Limitation
of responsibility of Existing
Lender
|
(a) |
Unless
expressly agreed to the contrary, an Existing Lender makes no
representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility to a New
Lender
for:
|
(i) |
the
financial condition of an Obligor; or
|
(ii) |
the
legality, validity, effectiveness, enforceability, adequacy, accuracy,
completeness or performance of:
|
(A) |
any
Finance Document or any other document;
|
(B) |
any
statement or information (whether written or oral) made in or supplied
in
connection with any Finance Document, or
|
(C) |
any
observance by any Obligor of its obligations under any Finance Document
or
any other documents,
|
and
any
representations or warranties implied by law are excluded.
(b) |
Each
New Lender confirms to the Existing Lender and the other Finance
Parties
that it:
|
(i) |
has
made, and will continue to make, its own independent appraisal of
all
risks arising under or in connection with the Finance Documents (including
the financial condition and affairs of each Obligor and its related
entities and the nature and extent of any recourse against any Party
or
its assets) in connection with its participation in this Agreement;
and
|
(ii) |
has
not relied exclusively on any information supplied to it by the Existing
Lender in connection with any Finance
Document.
|
(c) |
Nothing
in any Finance Document requires an Existing Lender
to:
|
(i) |
accept
a re-transfer from a New Lender of any of the rights and obligations
assigned or transferred under this Clause;
or
|
(ii) |
support
any losses incurred by the New Lender by reason of the non-performance
by
either Obligor of its obligations under any Finance Document or
otherwise.
|
26.5 |
Participations
|
Any
Lender may at any time, without the consent of the Company, the Guarantor
or the
Facility Agent and without notice to the Facility Agent, sell participations
to
any person in all or a portion of such Lender's rights and/or obligations
under
this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans
owing to it) provided that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce
this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any
provision of this Agreement.
26.6 |
Costs
resulting from change of Lender or Facility
Office
|
If:
(a) |
a
Lender assigns or transfers any of its rights and obligations under
the
Finance Documents or changes its Facility Office;
and
|
(b) |
as
a result of circumstances existing at the date the assignment, transfer
or
change occurs, an Obligor would be obliged to pay a Tax Payment or
an
Increased Cost,
|
then
the
relevant Obligor need only pay that Tax Payment or Increased Cost to the
same
extent that it would have been obliged to if no assignment, transfer or change
had occurred.
26.7 |
Changes
to the Reference Banks
|
If
a
Reference Bank (or, if a Reference Bank is not a Lender, the Lender of which
it
is an Affiliate) ceases to be a Lender, the Facility Agent must (in consultation
with the Company and the Guarantor) appoint another Lender or an Affiliate
of a
Lender to replace that Reference Bank.
27. |
DISCLOSURE
OF INFORMATION
|
(a) |
Each
Finance Party must keep confidential any information supplied to
it by or
on behalf of any Obligor in connection with the Finance Documents.
However, subject to the terms of any confidentiality agreement then
binding between an Obligor and the Finance Party, a Finance Party
is
entitled to disclose information:
|
(i) |
which
is publicly available, other than as a result of a breach by that
Finance
Party of this Clause;
|
(ii) |
in
connection with any legal or arbitration proceedings provided that
to the
extent practicable under the circumstances and lawful, that Finance
Party
shall provide the Obligors with prompt notice of the requested disclosure
so that any Obligor may seek an order protecting against or limiting
such
disclosure;
|
(iii) |
if
required to do so under any law or
regulation;
|
(iv) |
to
a governmental, banking, taxation or other regulatory
authority;
|
(v) |
to
its professional advisers;
|
(vi) |
to
any rating agency;
|
(vii) |
to
the extent allowed under paragraph (b)
below;
|
(viii) |
to
another Obligor; or
|
(ix) |
with
the agreement of the relevant Obligor.
|
(b) |
A
Finance Party may disclose to an Affiliate or any person with whom
it may
enter, or has entered into, any kind of transfer, participation or
other
agreement in relation to this Agreement (a participant):
|
(i) |
a
copy of any Finance Document; and
|
(ii) |
any
information which that Finance Party has acquired under or in connection
with any Finance Document.
|
However,
before a participant may receive any confidential information, it must agree
with the relevant Finance Party to keep that information confidential on
the
terms of paragraph (a)
above.
28. |
SET-OFF
|
A
Finance
Party may set off any matured obligation owed to it by an Obligor under the
Finance Documents (to the extent beneficially owned by that Finance Party)
against any matured obligation owed by that Finance Party to an Obligor,
regardless of the place of payment, booking branch or currency of either
obligation. If the obligations are in different currencies, the Finance Party
may convert either obligation at a market rate of exchange in its usual course
of business for the purpose of the set-off.
29. |
PRO
RATA SHARING
|
29.1 |
Redistribution
|
If
any
amount owing by an Obligor under this Agreement to a Finance Party (the
recovering
Finance Party)
is
discharged by payment, set-off or any other manner other than in accordance
with
this Agreement (a recovery),
then:
(a) |
the
recovering Finance Party must, within three Business Days, supply
details
of the recovery to the Facility Agent;
|
(b) |
the
Facility Agent must calculate whether the recovery is in excess of
the
amount which the recovering Finance Party would have received if
the
recovery had been received and distributed by the Facility Agent
under
this Agreement; and
|
(c) |
the
recovering Finance Party must pay to the Facility Agent an amount
equal to
the excess (the redistribution).
|
29.2 |
Effect
of redistribution
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent must treat a redistribution as if it were a payment
by the
relevant Obligor under this Agreement and distribute it among the
Finance
Parties, other than the recovering Finance Party,
accordingly.
|
(b) |
When
the Facility Agent makes a distribution under paragraph (a)
above,
the recovering Finance Party will be subrogated to the rights of
the
Finance Parties which have shared in that
redistribution.
|
(c) |
If
and to the extent that the recovering Finance Party is not able to
rely on
any rights of subrogation under paragraph (b)
above,
the relevant Obligor will owe the recovering Finance Party a debt
which is
equal to the redistribution, immediately payable and of the type
originally discharged.
|
(d) |
If:
|
(i) |
a
recovering Finance Party must subsequently return a recovery, or
an amount
measured by reference to a recovery, to an Obligor;
and
|
(ii) |
the
recovering Finance Party has paid a redistribution in relation to
that
recovery,
|
each
Finance Party must reimburse the recovering Finance Party all or the appropriate
portion of the redistribution paid to that Finance Party, together with interest
for the period while it held the redistribution. In this event, the subrogation
in paragraph (b)
above
will
operate in reverse to the extent of the reimbursement.
29.3 |
Exceptions
|
Notwithstanding
any other term of this Clause, a recovering Finance Party need not pay a
redistribution to the extent that:
(a) |
it
would not, after the payment, have a valid claim against the relevant
Obligor in the amount of the redistribution;
or
|
(b) |
it
would be sharing with another Finance Party any amount which the
recovering Finance Party has received or recovered as a result of
legal or
arbitration proceedings, where:
|
(i) |
the
recovering Finance Party notified the Facility Agent of those proceedings;
and
|
(ii) |
the
other Finance Party had an opportunity to participate in those proceedings
but did not do so or did not take separate legal or arbitration
proceedings as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving notice
of
them.
|
30. |
SEVERABILITY
|
If
a term
of a Finance Document is or becomes illegal, invalid or unenforceable in
any
respect under any jurisdiction, that will not affect:
(a) |
the
legality, validity or enforceability in that jurisdiction of any
other
term of the Finance Documents; or
|
(b) |
the
legality, validity or enforceability in other jurisdictions of that
or any
other term of the Finance Documents.
|
31. |
COUNTERPARTS
|
Each
Finance Document may be executed in any number of counterparts. This has
the
same effect as if the signatures on the counterparts were on a single copy
of
the Finance Document.
32. |
NOTICES
|
32.1 |
In
writing
|
(a) |
Any
communication to be made under or in connection with a Finance Document
must be in writing and, unless otherwise stated, may be
given:
|
(i) |
in
person, by post, fax; or
|
(ii) |
to
the extent agreed by the Parties making and receiving communication,
by
e-mail or other electronic communication.
|
(b) |
For
the purpose of the Finance Documents, an electronic communication
will be
treated as being in writing.
|
(c) |
Unless
it is agreed to the contrary, any consent or agreement required under
a
Finance Document must be given in
writing.
|
32.2 |
Contact
details
|
(a) |
Except
as provided below, the contact details of each Party for all
communications in connection with the Finance Documents are those
notified
by that Party for this purpose to the Facility Agent on or before
the date
it becomes a Party.
|
(b) |
The
contact details of the Company for this purpose
are:
|
Xxxxxxx:Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
000, 0000 XX Xxxxxxxx-Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
Fax
number: x00
00
0000 000
Attention: Financial
Controller.
(c) |
The
contact details of the Guarantor for this purpose
are:
|
Address:One
Bausch & Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Fax
number: x0
000
000 0000
Attention: Corporate
Treasury Operations.
(d) |
The
contact details of the Facility Agent for this purpose
are:
|
Address:Citigroup
Centre, 33 Canada Square, Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx X00 0XX
Fax
number: x00
(0)
00 0000 0000
E-mail: xxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
Attention: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx.
(e) |
Any
Party may change its contact details by giving five Business Days'
notice
to the Facility Agent or (in the case of the Facility Agent) to the
other
Parties.
|
(f) |
Where
a Party nominates a particular department or officer to receive a
communication, a communication will not be effective if it fails
to
specify that department or officer.
|
32.3 |
Effectiveness
|
(a) |
Except
as provided below, any communication in connection with a Finance
Document
will be deemed to be given as follows:
|
(i) |
if
delivered in person, at the time of
delivery;
|
(ii) |
if
posted, when received;
|
(iii) |
if
by fax, when received in legible form;
and
|
(iv) |
if
by e-mail or any other electronic communication, when received in
legible
form.
|
(b) |
A
communication given under paragraph (a)
above
but received on a non-working day or after business hours in the
place of
receipt will only be deemed to be given on the next working day in
that
place.
|
(c) |
A
communication to the Facility Agent will only be effective on actual
receipt by it.
|
32.4 |
Obligors
|
(a) |
All
communications under the Finance Documents to or from an Obligor
must be
sent through the Facility Agent.
|
32.5 |
Use
of websites
|
(a) |
Except
as provided below, the Company may deliver any information under
this
Agreement to those Lenders (the Website
Lenders)
who accept this method of communication by posting it on to an electronic
website if:
|
(i) |
the
Facility Agent and the Lender expressly agree (after consultation
with
each of the Lenders);
|
(ii) |
the
Company and the Facility Agent designate an electronic website for
this
purpose (the Designated
Website);
|
(iii) |
both
the Company and the Facility Agent are aware of the address of and
relevant password specifications for the Designated Website;
and
|
(iv) |
the
information posted is in a format previously agreed between the Company
and the Facility Agent.
|
The
Facility Agent must supply each Website Lender, the Company and the Guarantor
with the address of and any relevant password specifications for the Designated
Website following designation of that website by the Company and the Facility
Agent.
(b) |
If
any Lender (a Paper
Form Lender)
does not agree to the delivery of information electronically then
the
Facility Agent must notify the Company accordingly and the Company
must
supply the information to the Facility Agent (in sufficient copies
for
each Paper Form Lender) in paper form. In any event the Company must
supply the Facility Agent with at least one copy in paper form of
any
information required to be provided by
it.
|
(c) |
The
Company must, promptly upon becoming aware of its occurrence, notify
the
Facility Agent if:
|
(i) |
the
Designated Website cannot be accessed due to technical
failure;
|
(ii) |
the
Company becomes aware that the Designated Website or any information
posted on to the Designated Website is or has been infected by any
electronic virus or similar software;
|
(iii) |
any
new information which is required to be provided and this Agreement
is
posted on to the Designated Website;
|
(iv) |
the
password specifications for the Designated Website change;
or
|
(v) |
any
existing information which has been provided under this Agreement
and
posted on to the Designated Website is
amended.
|
If
the
Company notifies the Facility Agent under paragraph (c)(i)
or
paragraph (c)(v)
above,
all
information to be provided by the Company under this Agreement after the
date of
that notice must be supplied in paper form unless and until the Facility
Agent
and each Website Lender is satisfied that the circumstances giving rise to
the
notification are no longer continuing.
(d) |
Notwithstanding
paragraphs (a),
(b)
and (c)
above,
the Company may deliver any information under this Agreement to a
Lender
and/or the Facility Agent by posting it on the SEC's website at
xxx.xxx.xxx, and such posting shall be deemed to satisfy any requirement
to deliver such information.
|
33. |
LANGUAGE
|
(a) |
Any
notice given in connection with a Finance Document must be in
English.
|
(b) |
Any
other document provided in connection with a Finance Document must
be:
|
(i) |
in
English; or
|
(ii) |
(unless
the Facility Agent otherwise agrees) accompanied by a certified English
translation. In this case, the English translation prevails unless
the
document is a statutory or other official
document.
|
34. |
GOVERNING
LAW
|
This
Agreement is governed by English law.
35. |
ENFORCEMENT
|
35.1 |
Jurisdiction
|
(a) |
The
English courts have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute
in
connection with any Finance Document.
|
(b) |
The
English courts are the most appropriate and convenient courts to
settle
any such dispute in connection with any Finance Document. Each Party
agrees not to argue to the contrary and waives objection to those
courts
on the grounds of inconvenient forum or otherwise in relation to
proceedings in connection with any Finance
Document.
|
(c) |
This
Clause is for the benefit of the Finance Parties only. To the extent
allowed by law, a Finance Party may take:
|
(i) |
proceedings
in any other court; and
|
(ii) |
concurrent
proceedings in any number of
jurisdictions.
|
(d) |
References
in this Clause to a dispute in connection with a Finance Document
includes
any dispute as to the existence, validity or termination of that
Finance
Document.
|
35.2 |
Service
of process
|
(a) |
Each
Obligor not incorporated in England and Wales irrevocably appoints
Bausch
& Lomb Incorporated of 106 - 000 Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx-xxxx-Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxx XX0 0XX as its agent under the Finance Documents for service
of
process in any proceedings before the English courts in connection
with
any Finance Document.
|
(b) |
If
any person appointed as process agent under this Clause is unable
for any
reason to so act, the Company (on behalf of the Obligors) must immediately
(and in any event within five days of the event taking place) appoint
another agent on terms acceptable to the Facility Agent. Failing
this, the
Facility Agent may appoint another process agent for this
purpose.
|
(c) |
Each
Obligor agrees that failure by a process agent to notify it of any
process
will not invalidate the relevant
proceedings.
|
(d) |
This
Clause does not affect any other method of service allowed by
law.
|
35.3 |
Waiver
of immunity
|
Each
Obligor irrevocably and unconditionally:
(a) |
agrees
not to claim any immunity from proceedings brought by a Finance Party
against it in relation to a Finance Document and to ensure that no
such
claim is made on its behalf;
|
(b) |
consents
generally to the giving of any relief or the issue of any process
in
connection with those proceedings; and
|
(c) |
waives
all rights of immunity in respect of it or its
assets.
|
35.4 |
Waiver
of trial by jury
|
EACH
PARTY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE
OF
ACTION IN CONNECTION WITH ANY FINANCE DOCUMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED
BY ANY FINANCE DOCUMENT. THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE FILED AS A WRITTEN CONSENT
TO
TRIAL BY COURT.
35.5 |
Patriot
Act
|
Each
Lender that is subject to the Patriot Act and the Facility Agent (for itself
and
not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies each Obligor that pursuant to
the
requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record
information that identifies the Obligors, which information includes the
name
and address of each Obligor and other information that will allow such Lender
or
the Facility Agent, as applicable, to identify the Obligors in accordance
with
the Patriot Act.
THIS
AGREEMENT has
been
entered into on the date stated at the beginning of this Agreement.
SCHEDULE
1
ORIGINAL
PARTIES
PART
1
ORIGINAL
LENDERS
AND COMMITMENTS
Original
Lender
|
Commitment
(US$)
|
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.
KEYBANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
BANK
OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI TRUST COMPANY
MIZUHO
CORPORATE BANK, LTD.
SOCIÉTÉ
GÉNÉRALE
BARCLAYS
BANK PLC
USBANK
THE
NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY
|
85,000,000
60,000,000
60,000,000
40,000,000
40,000,000
40,000,000
20,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
|
Total
Commitments
|
___________
US$375,000,000
___________
|
PART
2
MANDATED
LEAD ARRANGERS
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS LIMITED
X.
X.
XXXXXX PLC
KEYBANC
CAPITAL MARKETS
SCHEDULE
2
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT DOCUMENTS
Obligors
1. |
A
copy of the constitutional documents of each
Obligor.
|
2. |
A
copy of (or a certified copy of an extract of) a resolution of the
board
of directors of each Obligor approving the terms of, and the transactions
contemplated by, this Agreement.
|
3. |
A
specimen of the signature of each person authorised on behalf of
an
Obligor to enter into or witness the entry into of any Finance Document
or
to sign or send any document or notice in connection with any Finance
Document.
|
4. |
A
certificate of each Obligor (signed by a director in the case of
the
Company and the company secretary in the case of the Guarantor) confirming
that borrowing or guaranteeing, as appropriate, the Total Commitments
would not cause any borrowing, guarantee or similar limit binding
on any
Obligor to be exceeded.
|
5. |
A
certificate of an authorised signatory of each Obligor certifying
that
each copy document specified in this Schedule that relates to it
is
correct, complete and in full force and effect as at a date no earlier
than the date of this Agreement.
|
6. |
Evidence
that the agent of the Obligors under the Finance Documents for service
of
process in England and Wales has accepted its
appointment.
|
7. |
A
copy of a resolution of the managing board/supervisory board/shareholders
in general meeting of the Company approving the terms of, and the
transactions contemplated by, this
Agreement.
|
8. |
An
unconditional positive works council advice (advies)
in respect of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
|
9. |
An
extract of the registration of the Company in the trade register
of the
chamber of commerce.
|
Legal
opinions
10. |
A
legal opinion of A. Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Vice President, Assistant General
Counsel and Assistant Secretary to the Guarantor, addressed to the
Finance
Parties.
|
11. |
A
legal opinion of Xxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, legal advisers in the Netherlands
to the Mandated Lead Arrangers
and the Facility Agent, addressed to the Finance
Parties.
|
12. |
A
legal opinion of Xxxxx & Overy LLP, legal advisers in England to the
Mandated Lead Arrangers
and the Facility Agent, addressed to the Finance
Parties.
|
Other
documents and evidence
13. |
Evidence
that all fees and expenses then due and payable from the Company
under
this Agreement have been or will be paid by the first Utilisation
Date.
|
SCHEDULE
3
FORM
OF REQUEST
To:
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
as
Facility Agent
From:
[ ]
Date: [ ]
BAUSCH
& LOMB B.V. -
US$375,000,000
Credit Agreement
dated
29
November, 2005 (the
Agreement)
1. |
We
refer to the Agreement. This is a
Request.
|
2. |
We
wish to borrow a Loan on the following
terms:
|
(a) |
Utilisation
Date:
[ ]
|
(b) |
Amount:
[US$ ]
|
(c) |
Interest
Period: 6 months.
|
3. |
Our
payment instructions are:
[ ].
|
4. |
We
confirm that each condition precedent under the Agreement which must
be
satisfied on the date of this Request is so
satisfied.
|
5. |
This
Request is irrevocable.
|
By:
[ ]
SCHEDULE
4
1. |
General
|
(a) |
The
Mandatory Cost is to compensate a Lender for the cost of compliance
with:
|
(i) |
the
requirements of the Bank of England and/or the Financial Services
Authority (or, in either case, any other authority which replaces
any of
its functions); or
|
(ii) |
the
requirements of the European Central
Bank.
|
(b) |
The
Mandatory Cost is expressed as a percentage rate per
annum.
|
(c) |
The
Mandatory Cost is the weighted average (weighted in proportion to
the
percentage share of each Lender in the relevant Loan) of the rates
for the
Lenders calculated by the Facility Agent in accordance with this
Schedule
on the first day of an
Interest Period
(or as soon as possible after then).
|
(d) |
The
Facility Agent must distribute each amount of Mandatory Cost among
the
Lenders on the basis of the rate for each
Lender.
|
(e) |
Any
determination by the Facility Agent pursuant to this Schedule will
be, in
the absence of manifest error, conclusive and binding on all the
Parties.
|
2. |
For
a Lender lending from a Facility Office in the
U.K.
|
(a) |
The
relevant rate for a Lender lending from a Facility Office in the
U.K. is
calculated in accordance with the following
formula:
|
Ex
0.01 per cent. per annum
300
where
on
the day of application of the formula, E is calculated by the Facility Agent
as
being the average of the rates of
charge under
the
fees rules supplied by the Reference Banks to the Facility Agent under paragraph
(d)
below
and
expressed
in
pounds per £1 million.
(b) |
For
the purposes of this paragraph 2:
|
(i) |
fees
rules
means the then current rules on periodic fees in the Supervision
Manual of
the FSA Handbook or any other law or regulation as may then be in
force
for the payment of fees for the acceptance of
deposits;
|
(ii) |
fee
tariffs
means the fee tariffs specified in the fees rules under fee-block
Category
A1 (Deposit acceptors) (ignoring any minimum fee or zero rated fee
required pursuant to the fees rules but applying any applicable discount
rate); and
|
(iii) |
tariff
base
has the meaning given to it in, and will be calculated in accordance
with,
the fees rules.
|
(c) |
Each
rate calculated in accordance with the formula is, if necessary,
rounded
upward to four decimal places.
|
(d) |
If
requested by the Facility Agent, each Reference Bank must, as soon
as
practicable after publication by the Financial Services Authority,
supply
to the Facility Agent the rate of charge payable by that Reference
Bank to
the Financial Services Authority under the fees rules for that financial
year of the Financial Services Authority (calculated by that Reference
Bank as being the average of the fee tariffs applicable to that Reference
Bank for that financial year) and expressed in pounds per £1 million of
the tariff base of that Reference Bank.
|
(e) |
Each
Lender must supply to the Facility Agent the information required
by it to
make a calculation of the rate for that Lender. In particular, each
Lender
must supply the following information on or prior to the date on
which it
becomes a Lender:
|
(i) |
the
jurisdiction of its Facility Office; and
|
(ii) |
any
other information that the Facility Agent reasonably requires for
that
purpose.
|
Each
Lender must
promptly notify the Facility Agent of any change to the information supplied
to
it under this paragraph.
(f) |
The
rates of charge of each Reference Bank for the purpose of E above
are
determined by the Facility Agent based upon the information supplied
to it
under paragraphs (d)
and (e)
above.
Unless a Lender notifies the Facility Agent to the contrary, the
Facility
Agent may assume that the Lender's obligations in respect of cash
ratio
deposits and special deposits are the same as those of a typical
bank from
its jurisdiction of incorporation with a Facility Office in the
U.K.
|
(g) |
The
Facility Agent has no liability to any Party if its calculation over
or
under compensates any Lender. The Facility Agent is entitled to assume
that the information provided by any Lender or Reference Bank under
this
Schedule is true and correct in all
respects.
|
3. |
For
a Lender lending from a Facility Office in a Participating Member
State
|
(a) |
The
relevant rate for a Lender lending from a Facility Office in a
Participating Member State is the percentage rate per annum notified
by
that Lender to the Facility Agent. This percentage rate per annum
must be
certified by that Lender in its notice to the Facility Agent as its
reasonable determination of the cost (expressed as a percentage of
that
Lender's share in all Loans made from that Facility Office) of complying
with the minimum reserve requirements of the European Central Bank
in
respect of Loans made from that Facility
Office.
|
(b) |
If
a Lender fails to specify a rate under paragraph (a)
above,
the Facility Agent will assume that the Lender has not incurred any
such
cost.
|
4. |
Changes
|
(a) |
The
Facility Agent may, after consultation with the Company and the Lenders,
determine and notify all the Parties of any amendment to this Schedule
which is required to reflect:
|
(i) |
any
change in law or regulation; or
|
(ii) |
any
requirement imposed by the Bank of England, the Financial Services
Authority or the European Central Bank (or, in any case, any successor
authority).
|
(b) |
If
the Facility Agent, after consultation with the Company, determines
that
the Mandatory Cost for a Lender lending from a Facility Office in
the U.K.
can be calculated by reference to a screen, the Facility Agent may
notify
all the Parties of any amendment to this Agreement which is required
to
reflect this.
|
SCHEDULE
5
FORMS
OF TRANSFER CERTIFICATE
PART
1
FORM
FOR TRANSFERS BY ASSIGNMENT
To:CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC as Facility Agent
From:[THE
EXISTING LENDER] (the Existing
Lender)
and [THE NEW LENDER] (the New
Lender)
|
Date:[ ]
BAUSCH
& LOMB B.V. - US$375,000,000 Credit Agreement
dated
29 November, 2005 (the
Agreement)
We
refer
to the Agreement. This is a Transfer Certificate.
1. |
In
accordance with the terms of the
Agreement:
|
(a) |
the
Existing Lender assigns absolutely to the New Lender all the rights
of the
Existing Lender under the Agreement specified in the
Schedule;
|
(b) |
the
Existing Lender is released from all its obligations under the Agreement
which correspond to the Existing Lender's rights specified in the
Schedule; and
|
(c) |
the
New Lender becomes a Lender under the Agreement and is bound by
obligations equivalent to those from which the Existing Lender is
released
under paragraph (b)
above.
|
2. |
The
proposed Transfer Date is
[ ].
|
3. |
[On
the Transfer Date, the New Lender represents to the Existing Lender,
the
other Finance Parties, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated and Bausch &
Lomb B.V. that it is [a Professional Market Party under the Dutch
Exemption Regulation] [exempted from the requirement to be a Professional
Market Party because it forms part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
with Xxxxxx & Lomb B.V.].]
|
4. |
The
administrative details of the New Lender for the purposes of the
Agreement
are set out in the Schedule.
|
5. |
[The
New Lender is a Qualifying Lender.]1
|
6. |
This
Transfer Certificate is governed by English law.
1 Include
if applicable.
|
THE
SCHEDULE
Rights
and obligations to be transferred by assignment
[insert
relevant details, including applicable Commitment (or part)]
Administrative
details of the New Lender
[insert
details of Facility Office, address for notices and payment details
etc.]
[EXISTING
LENDER]
[NEW
LENDER]
By: By:
The
Transfer Date is confirmed by the Facility Agent as
[ ].
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
as
Facility Agent, for and on behalf
of
each
of the parties to the
Agreement
(other than the Existing Lender and
the
New
Lender)
By:
Note:
It
is the responsibility of each individual New Lender to ascertain
whether
any other document or formality is required to perfect the transfer
contemplated by this Transfer
Certificate.
|
PART
2
FORM
FOR TRANSFERS BY NOVATION
To:CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
as
Facility Agent
From:[THE
EXISTING LENDER] (the Existing Lender) and [THE NEW LENDER] (the
New
Lender)
|
Date:[ ]
BAUSCH
& LOMB B.V.
- US$375,000,000
Credit Agreement
dated
29
November, 2005 (the
Agreement)
We
refer
to the Agreement. This is a Transfer Certificate.
1. |
The
Existing Lender transfers by novation to the New Lender the Existing
Lender's rights and obligations referred to in the Schedule below
in
accordance with the terms of the
Agreement.
|
2. |
The
proposed Transfer Date is
[ ].
|
3. |
[On
the Transfer Date, the New Lender represents to the Existing Lender,
the
other Finance Parties, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated and Bausch &
Lomb B.V. that it is [a Professional Market Party under the Dutch
Exemption Regulation] [exempted from the requirement to be a Professional
Market Party because it forms part of a closed circle (besloten
xxxxx)
with Xxxxxx & Lomb B.V.].]
|
4. |
The
administrative details of the New Lender for the purposes of the
Agreement
are set out in the Schedule.
|
5. |
[The
New Lender is a Qualifying Lender.]2
|
6. |
The
New Lender expressly acknowledges the limitations on the Existing
Lender's
obligations in respect of this Transfer Certificate contained in
the
Agreement.
|
7. |
This
Transfer Certificate may be executed in any number of counterparts
and
this has the same effect as if the signatures on the counterpart
were on a
single copy of the Transfer Certificate.
|
8. |
This
Transfer Certificate is governed by English law.
2 Include
if applicable.
|
THE
SCHEDULE
Rights
and obligations to be transferred by novation
[insert
relevant details, including applicable Commitment (or part)]
Administrative
details of the New Lender
[insert
details of Facility Office, address for notices and payment details
etc.]
[EXISTING
LENDER]
[NEW
LENDER]
By: By:
The
Transfer Date is confirmed by the Facility Agent as
[ ].
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
By:
Note:It
is the responsibility of each individual New Lender to ascertain
whether
any other document or formality is required to perfect the transfer
contemplated by this Transfer
Certificate.
|
SCHEDULE
6
MATERIAL
SUBSIDIARIES
Material
Subsidiaries of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
stated
in US$000s as of 25 December, 2004
Material
Subsidiary
|
Consolidated
Subsidiary assets (excluding inter-company
assets)
|
Per
cent. of total Consolidated assets
|
Net
Subsidiary sales (excluding inter-company sales)
|
Per
cent. of total Consolidated sales
|
BLJ
Company Ltd
|
US$141,761
|
4.7%
|
US$226,554
|
10.1%
|
B&L
France
|
US$378,993
|
12.5%
|
US$182,242
|
8.2%
|
Xx.
Xxxx
|
US$164,538
|
5.4%
|
US$113,518
|
5.1%
|
B&L
UK
|
US$81,912
|
2.7%
|
US$121,853
|
5.5%
|
Bausch
& Lomb B.V.
|
US$183,232
|
6.1%
|
US$99,581
|
4.5%
|
Bausch
& Lomb Ireland
|
US$230,450
|
7.6%
|
US$0
|
0%
|
SCHEDULE
7
Bank
Name: []
A/C
Name: [
]
A/C
No:
[
]
SIGNATORIES
Company
BAUSCH
& LOMB B.V.
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
XXXXXX
XXXXXX
Guarantor
BAUSCH
& LOMB INCORPORATED
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx
XXXXXXX
X. XXXXXXXX
Mandated
Lead Arrangers
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS LIMITED
By:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxx
XXXX
XXXXX
X.
X. XXXXXX PLC
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
XXXXXXX
X. XXXX
KEYBANC
CAPITAL MARKETS
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx-Xxxxxx
XXXXXX
XXXXXX-XXXXXX
Original
Lenders
BANK
OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI TRUST COMPANY
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
XXXXXX
XXXXXXX
BARCLAYS
BANK PLC
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
XXXXXXXX
X. XXXX
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
By:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxx
XXXX
XXXXX
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
XXXXXXXX
X. XXXXXXXXX
KEYBANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
XXXXXXXX
XXXX
MIZUHO
CORPORATE BANK, LTD.
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
SOCIÉTÉ
GÉNÉRALE
By:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
XXXX
XXXXXXXX
THE
NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
XXXXXX
X.
XXXXXXX
USBANK
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
XXXXXXX
X. XXXXXXX
Facility
Agent
CITIBANK
INTERNATIONAL PLC
By:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxx
XXXX
XXXXX