CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of May 6, 2014 among TREEHOUSE FOODS, INC. as the Borrower, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer, and The Other Lenders Party Hereto JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. and WELLS FARGO BANK,...
Exhibit 10.1
Execution Version
Published Deal CUSIP: 00000XXX0
Revolver CUSIP: 00000XXX0
Term A CUSIP: 00000XXX0
Dated as of May 6, 2014
among
as the Borrower,
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer,
and
The Other Lenders Party Hereto
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. and
XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as Co-Syndication Agents for the Revolving Credit Facility
COBANK, ACB
as Syndication Agent for the Term A Facility
SUNTRUST BANK and
BMO XXXXXX BANK N.A.
as Co-Documentation Agents
Arranged By:
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC,
XXXXX FARGO SECURITIES, LLC,
BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP. and
SUNTRUST XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX, INC.
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners for the Revolving Credit Facility
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. and
COBANK, ACB
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners for the Term A Facility
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section |
Page | |||||
ARTICLE I. | ||||||
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS | ||||||
1.01 |
Defined Terms | 1 | ||||
1.02 |
Other Interpretive Provisions | 33 | ||||
1.03 |
Accounting Terms | 34 | ||||
1.04 |
Rounding | 35 | ||||
1.05 |
Times of Day; Rates | 35 | ||||
1.06 |
Letter of Credit Amounts | 35 | ||||
1.07 |
Accounting for Acquisitions and Dispositions | 35 | ||||
1.08 |
Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents | 36 | ||||
ARTICLE II. | ||||||
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS | ||||||
2.01 |
Revolving Credit Loans and Term Loans | 36 | ||||
2.02 |
Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans | 37 | ||||
2.03 |
Letters of Credit | 39 | ||||
2.04 |
Swing Line Loans | 50 | ||||
2.05 |
Prepayments | 53 | ||||
2.06 |
Termination or Reduction of Commitments | 55 | ||||
2.07 |
Repayment of Loans | 55 | ||||
2.08 |
Interest | 57 | ||||
2.09 |
Fees | 58 | ||||
2.10 |
Computation of Interest and Fees | 58 | ||||
2.11 |
Evidence of Debt | 58 | ||||
2.12 |
Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback | 59 | ||||
2.13 |
Sharing of Payments by Lenders | 61 | ||||
2.14 |
Increase in Commitments | 62 | ||||
2.15 |
Cash Collateral | 65 | ||||
2.16 |
Defaulting Lenders | 66 | ||||
2.17 |
Extensions of Term Loans and Revolving Credit Commitments | 68 | ||||
ARTICLE III. | ||||||
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY | ||||||
3.01 |
Taxes | 71 | ||||
3.02 |
Illegality | 75 | ||||
3.03 |
Inability to Determine Rates | 76 | ||||
3.04 |
Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans | 76 | ||||
3.05 |
Compensation for Losses | 78 | ||||
3.06 |
Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders | 79 | ||||
3.07 |
Survival | 79 |
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ARTICLE IV. | ||||||
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS | ||||||
4.01 |
Conditions of Initial Credit Extension | 79 | ||||
4.02 |
Conditions to all Credit Extensions | 81 | ||||
ARTICLE V. | ||||||
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES | ||||||
5.01 |
Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws | 82 | ||||
5.02 |
Authorization; No Contravention | 83 | ||||
5.03 |
Governmental Authorization; Other Consents | 83 | ||||
5.04 |
Binding Effect | 83 | ||||
5.05 |
Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect | 83 | ||||
5.06 |
Litigation | 83 | ||||
5.07 |
No Default | 84 | ||||
5.08 |
Ownership of Property; Liens | 84 | ||||
5.09 |
Environmental Compliance | 84 | ||||
5.10 |
Insurance | 84 | ||||
5.11 |
Taxes | 84 | ||||
5.12 |
ERISA Compliance | 84 | ||||
5.13 |
Subsidiaries; Equity Interests | 85 | ||||
5.14 |
Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act | 85 | ||||
5.15 |
Disclosure | 86 | ||||
5.16 |
Compliance with Laws | 86 | ||||
5.17 |
Solvency | 86 | ||||
5.18 |
Anti-Terrorism Laws | 86 | ||||
ARTICLE VI. | ||||||
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS | ||||||
6.01 |
Financial Statements | 87 | ||||
6.02 |
Certificates; Other Information | 88 | ||||
6.03 |
Notices | 89 | ||||
6.04 |
Payment of Taxes | 90 | ||||
6.05 |
Preservation of Existence, Etc. | 90 | ||||
6.06 |
Maintenance of Properties | 90 | ||||
6.07 |
Maintenance of Insurance | 90 | ||||
6.08 |
Compliance with Laws | 90 | ||||
6.09 |
Books and Records | 90 | ||||
6.10 |
Inspection Rights | 91 | ||||
6.11 |
Use of Proceeds | 91 | ||||
6.12 |
Additional Guarantors | 91 | ||||
6.13 |
Farm Credit Equities | 92 | ||||
ARTICLE VII. | ||||||
NEGATIVE COVENANTS | ||||||
7.01 |
Liens | 93 | ||||
7.02 |
Investments | 95 |
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7.03 |
Subsidiary Indebtedness | 95 | ||||
7.04 |
Fundamental Changes | 96 | ||||
7.05 |
Dispositions | 97 | ||||
7.06 |
Restricted Payments | 98 | ||||
7.07 |
Acquisitions | 98 | ||||
7.08 |
Change in Nature of Business | 99 | ||||
7.09 |
Transactions with Affiliates | 99 | ||||
7.10 |
Burdensome Agreements | 99 | ||||
7.11 |
Use of Proceeds | 100 | ||||
7.12 |
Financial Covenants | 100 | ||||
7.13 |
Sale-Leaseback Transactions | 100 | ||||
ARTICLE VIII. | ||||||
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES | ||||||
8.01 |
Events of Default | 100 | ||||
8.02 |
Remedies Upon Event of Default | 102 | ||||
8.03 |
Application of Funds | 103 | ||||
ARTICLE IX. | ||||||
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT | ||||||
9.01 |
Appointment and Authority | 104 | ||||
9.02 |
Rights as a Lender | 104 | ||||
9.03 |
Exculpatory Provisions | 105 | ||||
9.04 |
Reliance by Administrative Agent | 106 | ||||
9.05 |
Delegation of Duties | 106 | ||||
9.06 |
Resignation of Administrative Agent | 106 | ||||
9.07 |
Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders | 107 | ||||
9.08 |
No Other Duties, Etc. | 108 | ||||
9.09 |
Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim | 108 | ||||
9.10 |
Guaranty Matters | 108 | ||||
9.11 |
Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements and Guaranteed Hedge Agreements | 109 | ||||
ARTICLE X. | ||||||
MISCELLANEOUS | ||||||
10.01 |
Amendments, Etc. | 109 | ||||
10.02 |
Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication | 111 | ||||
10.03 |
No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement | 113 | ||||
10.04 |
Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver | 114 | ||||
10.05 |
Payments Set Aside | 116 | ||||
10.06 |
Successors and Assigns | 116 | ||||
10.07 |
Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality | 122 | ||||
10.08 |
Right of Setoff | 123 | ||||
10.09 |
Interest Rate Limitation | 124 | ||||
10.10 |
Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness | 124 | ||||
10.11 |
Survival of Representations and Warranties | 124 | ||||
10.12 |
Severability | 125 |
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10.13 |
Replacement of Lenders | 125 | ||||
10.14 |
Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc. | 126 | ||||
10.15 |
Waiver of Jury Trial | 127 | ||||
10.16 |
USA PATRIOT Act Notice | 127 | ||||
10.17 |
No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility | 127 | ||||
10.18 |
Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents | 128 | ||||
10.19 |
Judgment Currency | 128 | ||||
SIGNATURES |
S-1 |
v
SCHEDULES | ||
1.02 |
Existing Letters of Credit | |
2.01 |
Commitments and Applicable Percentages | |
5.13 |
Subsidiaries; Other Equity Investments | |
6.03(c) |
ERISA Events | |
7.01 |
Existing Liens | |
7.03 |
Existing Indebtedness | |
10.02 |
Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices | |
10.06(e) |
Voting Participants | |
EXHIBITS | ||
Form of | ||
A |
Committed Loan Notice | |
B |
Swing Line Loan Notice | |
C-1 |
Revolving Credit Note | |
C-2 |
Term Loan Note | |
D |
Compliance Certificate | |
E |
Assignment and Assumption | |
F |
Guaranty |
vi
This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of May 6, 2014, among TREEHOUSE FOODS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), each lender from time to time party hereto (collectively, the “Lenders” and individually, a “Lender”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer.
The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide a term loan facility and a revolving credit facility, with swing line and letter of credit subfacilities, and the Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
1.01 Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
“Acquired Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of any Person (a) that is existing at the time such Person is acquired by, or merged or consolidated with or into, the Borrower or a Subsidiary of the Borrower, and (b) that is not created in contemplation of such event.
“Acquisition” means the acquisition of (a) a controlling equity or other ownership interest in another Person or (b) assets of another Person which constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or of a line or lines of business conducted by such Person.
“Acquisition Compliance Period” has the meaning specified in Section 7.12(b).
“Additional Credit Extension Amendment” means an amendment to this Agreement (which may be in the form of an amendment and restatement), including an Increase Joinder, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent providing for Incremental Term Loans, Extended Term Loans or Extended Revolving Credit Commitments in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
“Administrative Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.
“Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.02, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.
“Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all the Lenders.
“Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments” means the Revolving Credit Commitments of all the Lenders. The initial amount of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments in effect on the Closing Date is $900,000,000.
“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.
“Applicable Fee Rate” means, at any time, in respect of the Revolving Credit Facility, the applicable percentage per annum set forth below determined by reference to the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as set forth in the most recent Compliance Certificate received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.02(a):
Applicable Fee Rate
Pricing |
Consolidated Leverage Ratio |
Facility Fee |
||||
1 |
Less than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00 |
0.250 | % | |||
2 |
Less than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 but greater than 2.50 to 1.00 |
0.300 | % | |||
3 |
Less than or equal to 3.50 to 1.00 but greater than 3.00 to 1.00 |
0.350 | % | |||
4 |
Greater than 3.50 to 1.00 |
0.400 | % |
Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Fee Rate resulting from a change in the Consolidated Leverage Ratio shall become effective as of the first Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(a); provided, however, that if a Compliance Certificate is not delivered when due in accordance with such Section, then Pricing Level 4 shall apply from the first Business Day after the date on which such Compliance Certificate was required to have been delivered until the date that is the first Business Day immediately after the date such Compliance Certificate is delivered. The Applicable Fee Rate in effect from the Closing Date until the first Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(a) shall be at Pricing Level 2.
“Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender at any time (a) with respect to such Lender’s portion of all of the Facilities, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the sum of (x) the outstanding Terms Loans of all Classes held by such Lender at such time and (y) the Revolving Credit Facility represented by such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment at such time, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.16; (b) with respect to such Lender’s portion of the outstanding Term Loans of any Class at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the outstanding principal amount of the
2
Term Loans of such Class held by such Lender at such time; and (c) with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Revolving Credit Facility represented by such Revolving Credit Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment at such time, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.16. If the commitment of each Revolving Credit Lender to make Revolving Credit Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Revolving Credit Lender in respect of the Revolving Credit Facility shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Revolving Credit Lender in respect of the Revolving Credit Facility most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender in respect of each Facility is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.
“Applicable Rate” means, at any time, (a) with respect to the Term Loans of any Class other than Term A Loans, any percentage(s) per annum set forth in the related Additional Credit Extension Amendment, and (b) with respect to the Term A Loans and the Revolving Credit Facility, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as set forth in the most recent Compliance Certificate received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.02(a):
Applicable Rate
Revolving Credit Facility |
Term A Facility | |||||||||||||||||
Pricing |
Consolidated Leverage Ratio |
Eurodollar Rate + Letter of Credit Fee |
Base Rate |
Eurodollar Rate |
Base Rate |
|||||||||||||
1 |
Less than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00 |
1.000 | % | 0.000 | % | 1.500 | % | 0.500 | % | |||||||||
2 |
Less than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 but greater than 2.50 to 1.00 |
1.200 | % | 0.200 | % | 1.750 | % | 0.750 | % | |||||||||
3 |
Less than or equal to 3.50 to 1.00 but greater than 3.00 to 1.00 |
1.400 | % | 0.400 | % | 2.000 | % | 1.000 | % | |||||||||
4 |
Greater than 3.50 to 1.00 |
1.600 | % | 0.600 | % | 2.250 | % | 1.250 | % |
Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in the Consolidated Leverage Ratio shall become effective as of the first Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(a); provided, however, that if a Compliance Certificate is not delivered when due in accordance with such Section, then Pricing Level 4 shall apply from the first Business Day after the date on which such Compliance Certificate was required to have been delivered until the date that is the first Business Day immediately after the date such Compliance Certificate is delivered. The Applicable Rate in effect from the Closing Date until the first Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(a) shall be at Pricing Level 2.
3
“Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage” means with respect to any Revolving Credit Lender at any time, such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Percentage in respect of the Revolving Credit Facility at such time.
“Appropriate Lender” means, at any time, (a) with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, a Lender that has a Commitment with respect to such Facility or holds a Revolving Credit Loan, at such time, (b) with respect to Term Loans of any Class, the Lenders of such Class, (c) with respect to the Letter of Credit Sublimit, (i) the L/C Issuer and (ii) if any Letters of Credit have been issued pursuant to Section 2.03(a), the Revolving Credit Lenders and (d) with respect to the Swing Line Sublimit, (i) the Swing Line Lender and (ii) if any Swing Line Loans are outstanding pursuant to Section 2.04(a), the Revolving Credit Lenders.
“Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
“Arrangers” means, collectively, the Revolving Credit Arrangers and the Term A Arranger.
“Assignee Group” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same investment advisor.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 10.06(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit E or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date and without duplication, (a) in respect of any capital lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a capital lease, and (c) in the case of any other “Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities,” the capitalized amount of such obligation that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared on such date in accordance with GAAP if such transaction were accounted for as a secured loan (including, in respect of any asset securitization transaction of any Person, the actual amount of any unrecovered investment of purchasers or transferees of assets so transferred).
“Audited Financial Statements” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.
“Available Liquidity” means the sum of (a) the Unencumbered Cash and Cash Equivalents of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, plus (b) to the extent the Borrower has the present ability to satisfy all conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.02, the positive remainder (if any) of (i) the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments minus (ii) the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings.
4
“Availability Period” means, with respect to the Revolving Credit Commitments or any given Class of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date for such Facility, (b) the date of termination of the Commitments for such Facility pursuant to Section 2.06, and (c) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.
“Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.
“Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate,” and (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.00%. The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.
“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.
“BMOCM” means BMO Capital Markets Corp. and its successors.
“BofA Fee Letter” means the letter agreement, dated April 22, 2014, among the Borrower, Bank of America and MLPFS.
“Borrower” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.
“Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02.
“Borrowing” means a Revolving Credit Borrowing, a Swing Line Borrowing or a Term Borrowing, as the context may require.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day that is also a London Banking Day.
“Canadian Dollar” means lawful money of Canada.
“Canadian Dollar Equivalent” means, at any time, with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, the equivalent amount thereof in Canadian Dollars as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, at such time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the most recent Revaluation Date) for the purchase of Canadian Dollars with Dollars.
5
“Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender (as applicable) and the Lenders, as collateral for L/C Obligations, Obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans, or obligations of Lenders to fund participations in respect of either thereof (as the context may require), cash or deposit account balances or, if the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender benefitting from such collateral shall agree in its sole discretion, other credit support, in each case pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to (a) the Administrative Agent and (b) the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender (as applicable). “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral and other credit support.
“Cash Management Agreement” means any agreement to provide cash management services, including treasury, depository, overdraft, credit or debit card (including purchasing and commercial cards, prepaid cards, including payroll, stored value and gift cards, and merchant services processing), electronic funds transfer and other cash management arrangements.
“Cash Management Bank” means any Person that, (a) at the time it enters into a Cash Management Agreement with a Loan Party, is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) at the time it (or its Affiliate) becomes a Lender, is a party to a Cash Management Agreement with a Loan Party, in each case in its capacity as a party to such Cash Management Agreement.
“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Xxxx-Xxxxx Xxxx Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.
“Change of Control” means an event or series of events by which:
(a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such person or its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, directly or indirectly, of 35% or more of the equity securities of the Borrower entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a fully-diluted basis; or
6
(b) during any period of 12 consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of the Borrower cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body.
“Class” (a) when used with respect to Lenders, refers to whether such Lenders are Lenders under the Revolving Credit Facility or Lenders holding a portion of a Class of Term Loans, (b) when used with respect to Commitments, refers to whether such Commitments are Revolving Credit Commitments, Extended Revolving Credit Commitments that are designated as an additional Class of Commitments, Incremental Revolving Credit Commitments, Term A Commitments or Incremental Term Commitments and (c) when used with respect to Loans or a Borrowing, refers to whether such Loans, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Credit Loans, Revolving Credit Loans under Extended Revolving Credit Commitments that are designated as an additional Class of Revolving Credit Loans, Term A Loans, Extended Term Loans that are designated as an additional Class of Term Loans or Incremental Term Loans that are designated as an additional Class of Term Loans. Revolving Credit Commitments, Incremental Revolving Credit Commitments, Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, Term A Commitments or Incremental Term Commitments (and in each case, the Loans made pursuant to such Commitments) and Extended Term Loans that have different terms and conditions shall be construed to be in different Classes. Commitments (and, in each case, the Loans made pursuant to such Commitments) and Extended Term Loans that have the same terms and conditions shall be construed to be in the same Class. There shall be no more than an aggregate of two Classes of revolving credit facilities and five Classes of term loan facilities under this Agreement.
“Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 10.01.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
“CoBank” means CoBank, ACB and its successors.
“Commitment” means a Revolving Credit Commitment, an Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, a Term A Commitment and/or an Incremental Term Loan Commitment.
“Committed Borrowing” means a Revolving Credit Borrowing and/or a Term Borrowing, as the context may require.
“Committed Loan” means a Revolving Credit Loan and/or a Term Loan, as the context may require.
“Committed Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Committed Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A.
7
“Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D.
“Consolidated Domestic Assets” means, as of any date of determination, (a) the net book value of all assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries less (b) the net book value of all assets of Foreign Subsidiaries of the Borrower, in each case, on such date determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated EBIT” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, an amount equal to Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (a) the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income (without duplication): (i) Consolidated Interest Charges for such period, (ii) the provision for Federal, state, local and foreign income taxes payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period, (iii) non-recurring expenses or losses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries reducing such Consolidated Net Income which do not represent a cash item in such period; provided, that Consolidated EBIT shall be decreased by the amount of any cash expenditures in such period related to non-cash expenses or losses added back to Consolidated EBIT during any prior period, (iv) any non-cash charges (other than those representing the accrual or reserve for a future cash expense) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period, and (v) any fees or expenses related to any Permitted Acquisition, or the incurrence, modification or repayment of Indebtedness permitted hereunder, including any fees or expenses related to (x) the incurrence of the Obligations and (y) any amendment or other modification of the Obligations or other Indebtedness, in each case of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period, and minus (b) the following to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated Net Income: (i) Federal, state, local and foreign income tax credits of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period and (ii) all extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring gains increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period.
“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, Consolidated EBIT plus depreciation and amortization expense, in each case, to the extent deducted in calculating Consolidated Net Income for such period.
“Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination and without duplication, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments, (b) all purchase money Indebtedness, (c) all direct obligations arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments, (d) all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than accounts payable in the ordinary course of business), (e) Attributable Indebtedness in respect of capital leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and other Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities, (f) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified in clauses (a) through (e) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (g) all Indebtedness of the
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types referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary.
“Consolidated Interest Charges” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis and without duplication, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, (b) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period under capital leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, and (c) the amount of payments in respect of Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period that are in the nature of interest (including, with respect to securitization transactions, the aggregate discount (net of reserves) from the face value of the assets transferred) provided that Consolidated Interest Charges for any period shall exclude any amortization or write-off of deferred financing fees during such period.
“Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated EBIT for the period of the four prior fiscal quarters ending on such date to (b) Consolidated Interest Charges for such period.
“Consolidated Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness as of such date minus the lesser of (i) all Unencumbered Cash and Cash Equivalents of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of such date with adjustments for international tax effects at an assumed withholding rate of 35% (provided, however, that with respect to any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is organized under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada that is eligible for benefits under the United States-Canada Income Tax Treaty, the assumed withholding rate shall be 5%) and (ii) $100,000,000 to (b) Consolidated EBITDA for the period of the four fiscal quarters most recently ended.
“Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, the net income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for that period.
“Consolidated Tangible Assets” means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, Consolidated Total Assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on that date minus the Intangible Assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on that date.
“Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of any date of determination, the net book value of all assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on such date determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
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“Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.
“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.
“Cost of Acquisition” means, with respect to any Acquisition, as at the date of entering into any agreement therefor, the sum of the following (without duplication): (i) the value of the Equity Interests of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to be transferred in connection therewith, (ii) the amount of any cash and fair market value of other property (excluding property described in clause (i) and the unpaid principal amount of any debt instrument) given as consideration, (iii) the amount (determined by using the face amount or the amount payable at maturity, whichever is greater) of any Indebtedness incurred, assumed or acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with such Acquisition, (iv) all additional purchase price amounts in the form of earnouts and other contingent obligations that should be recorded on the financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, (v) all amounts paid in respect of covenants not to compete, consulting agreements that should be recorded on financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, and other affiliated contracts in connection with such Acquisition, (vi) the aggregate fair market value of all other consideration given by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with such Acquisition, and (vii) out of pocket transaction costs for the services and expenses of attorneys, accountants and other consultants incurred in effecting such transaction, and other similar transaction costs so incurred. For purposes of determining the Cost of Acquisition for any transaction, (A) the Equity Interests of the Borrower shall be valued (I) in the case of any Equity Interests then designated as a national market system security by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASDAQ”) or is listed on a national securities exchange, the average of the last reported bid and ask quotations or the last prices reported thereon, and (II) with respect to any other Equity Interests, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Borrower and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, determined to be a reasonable valuation by the independent public accountants referred to in Section 6.01(a), (B) the Equity Interests of any Subsidiary shall be valued as determined by the Board of Directors of such Subsidiary and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, determined to be a reasonable valuation by the independent certified public accountants referred to in Section 6.01(a), and (C) with respect to any Acquisition accomplished pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants or the conversion of securities, the Cost of Acquisition shall include both the cost of acquiring such option, warrant or convertible security as well as the cost of exercise or conversion.
“Credit Extension” means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.
“Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.
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“Default” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.
“Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum.
“Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.16(b), any Lender that, as determined by the Administrative Agent, (a) has failed to perform any of its funding obligations hereunder, including in respect of its Loans or participations in respect of Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans, within three Business Days of the date required to be funded by it hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Borrower or the Administrative Agent that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations or has made a public statement to that effect with respect to its funding obligations hereunder or under other agreements generally in which it commits to extend credit (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a Loan cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, acting in good faith, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its funding obligations, or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or a custodian appointed for it, or (iii) taken any action in furtherance of, or indicated its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority.
“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person, including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.
“Disqualified Equity Interest” means any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is ninety-one (91) days after the latest Maturity Date in effect at the time of issuance of such Equity Interest.
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“Dollar” and “$” mean lawful money of the United States.
“Dollar Equivalent” means, at any time, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, such amount, and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in Canadian Dollars, the equivalent amount thereof in Dollars as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, at such time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the most recent Revaluation Date) for the purchase of Dollars with Canadian Dollars.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the United States.
“Eligible Assignee” means, with respect to any Facility (a) a Lender under such Facility; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender under such Facility; (c) an Approved Fund; and (d) any other Person approved by (i) (A) the Administrative Agent and (B), with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, and (ii) unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include (x) the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (y) any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (y), or (z) a natural person.
“Environmental Laws” means any and all applicable Federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, judgments, orders, decrees, permits or licenses relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.
“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or
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such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and, for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code, Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code).
“ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or the receipt of notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Sections 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (f) the imposition of any material liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; or (g) the determination that any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan is considered an at-risk plan or a plan in endangered or critical status within the meaning of Sections 430, 431 and 432 of the Code or Sections 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA.
“Eurodollar Rate” means,
(a) for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) as administered by ICE Benchmark Administration (or to the extent that ICE Benchmark Adminstration no longer administers such rate, any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time) or a comparable or successor rate, which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent, as published by Bloomberg (or such other commercially available source providing quotations as designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period; and
(b) for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to LIBOR, at or about 11:00 a.m., London time, determined two Business Days prior to such date for U.S. Dollar deposits with a term of one month commencing that day;
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provided that to the extent a comparable or successor rate is approved by the Administrative Agent in connection herewith, the approved rate shall be applied for the applicable Interest Period in a manner consistent with market practice; provided, further, that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such approved rate shall be applied for the applicable Interest Period in a manner as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent.
“Eurodollar Rate Loan” means a Committed Loan that bears interest at a rate based on clause (a) of the definition of “ Eurodollar Rate.”
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Guarantor of, or the grant by such Guarantor of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guaranty thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 14 of the Guaranty and any other “keepwell, support or other agreement” for the benefit of such Guarantor and any and all guarantees of such Guarantor’s Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Guarantor, or a grant by such Guarantor of a security interest, becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guaranty or security interest is or becomes excluded in accordance with the first sentence of this definition.
“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its net income (however denominated), branch profits taxes and franchise taxes imposed on it, in each case, by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or in which it is otherwise doing business (other than jurisdictions in which such Person is doing business solely as a result of this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any participation in a Letter of Credit or any Loan made by it) or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section 10.13), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party hereto (or designates a new Lending Office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or inability to comply with Section 3.01(e), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new Lending Office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant
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to Section 3.01(a), (d) in the case of any Lender other than a Foreign Lender, any backup withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Lender at the time such Lender becomes a party hereto or is attributable to such Lender’s failure or inability to comply with Section 3.01(e) and (e) any Taxes imposed pursuant to FATCA.
“Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 27, 2010 among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, as amended prior to the date hereof.
“Existing Letters of Credit” means the Letters of Credit set forth on Schedule 1.02.
“Extended Revolving Credit Commitments” has the meaning specified in Section 2.17(a).
“Extended Term Loans” has the meaning specified in Section 2.17(a).
“Extending Revolving Credit Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 2.17(a).
“Extending Term Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 2.17(a).
“Extension” has the meaning specified in Section 2.17(a).
“Extension Offer” has the meaning specified in Section 2.17(a).
“Facility” means (a) the Term A Facility, (b) any other Class of Term Loans or (c) the Revolving Credit Facility, as the context may require; and “Facilities” means all of them.
“Farm Credit Equities” has the meaning specified in Section 6.13(a).
“Farm Credit Lender” means a lending institution organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended and under the regulation of the Farm Credit Administration.
“FASB ASC” means the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantially comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with) and any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any Laws or official agreement implementing an official governmental agreement with respect thereto.
“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977.
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“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.
“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes (including such a Lender when acting in the capacity of the L/C Issuer). For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, a State thereof or the District of Columbia.
“Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company” means any Subsidiary of any Person that (w) has no material assets other than (1) Equity Interest of one or more Foreign Subsidiaries at least one of which is a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code and (2) intercompany loans/receivables owed to such Subsidiary by one or more Subsidiaries described in clause (1) and (x) no material liabilities other than those reasonably relating to the assets described in clauses (1) and (2) above and as contemplated by clause (z) below and (z) is not a guarantor of any Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary other than as permitted pursuant to Section 7.03(g) (and, for a period of up to 30 days following the Closing Date, a guarantee of the Senior Notes).
“FRB” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.
“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, (a) with respect to the L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the outstanding L/C Obligations other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) with respect to the Swing Line Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of Swing Line Loans other than Swing Line Loans as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.
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“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).
“Granting Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(g).
“Guarantee” means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.
“Guaranteed Cash Management Agreement” means any Cash Management Agreement that is entered into by and between any Loan Party and any Cash Management Bank.
“Guaranteed Hedge Agreement” means any Swap Contract that is entered into by and between any Loan Party and any Hedge Bank.
“Guaranteed Parties” means, collectively, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Hedge Banks, the Cash Management Banks, and each co-agent or sub-agent appointed by the Administrative Agent from time to time pursuant to Section 9.05.
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“Guarantors” means, collectively or individually as the context may indicate, (a) each of the existing Domestic Subsidiaries (other than a Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company) of the Borrower that is a Material Subsidiary on the Closing Date and each other Person who becomes a party to the Guaranty (including by execution of a Guaranty Joinder Agreement) and (b) with respect to the payment and performance by each Specified Loan Party of its obligations under its Guaranty with respect to all Swap Obligations, the Borrower.
“Guaranty” means the Guaranty made by the Guarantors in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Guaranteed Parties, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit F.
“Guaranty Joinder Agreement” means each Guaranty Joinder Agreement substantially in the form thereof attached to the Guaranty, executed and delivered by a Guarantor to the Administrative Agent under the Guaranty pursuant to Section 6.12.
“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.
“Hedge Bank” means any Person that, (a) at the time it enters into a Swap Contract, is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) at the time it (or its Affiliate) becomes a Lender, is a party to a Swap Contract not prohibited under Article VI or VII, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Swap Contract.
“Increase Effective Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.14(d).
“Increase Joinder” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.14(c).
“Incremental Commitments” means Incremental Revolving Credit Commitments and/or the Incremental Term Commitments.
“Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.14(a).
“Incremental Term Commitments” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.14(a).
“Incremental Term Loans” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.01(c).
“Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:
(a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;
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(b) all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;
(c) net obligations, if any, of such Person under any Swap Contract;
(d) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than accounts payable in the ordinary course of business and, in each case, not past due for more than 120 days after the date on which such account payable was created or, if overdue for more than 120 days, as to which a dispute exists and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP have been established on the books of such Person);
(e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse;
(f) capital leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and other Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities;
(g) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Disqualified Equity Interest; and
(h) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.
For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease, Synthetic Lease Obligation or other Off-Balance Sheet Liability as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.
“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes (including Other Taxes) other than Excluded Taxes.
“Indemnitees” has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(b).
“Information” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07.
“Intangible Assets” means assets that are considered to be intangible assets under GAAP, including customer lists, goodwill, computer software, copyrights, trade names, trademarks, patents, franchises, licenses, unamortized deferred charges, unamortized debt discount and capitalized research and development costs.
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“Interest Payment Date” means, (a) as to any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date of the Facility under which such Loan was made; provided, however, that if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date of the Facility under which such Loan was made (with Swing Line Loans being deemed made under the Revolving Credit Facility for purposes of this definition).
“Interest Period” means, as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter, as selected by the Borrower in its Committed Loan Notice or such other period of twelve months requested by the Borrower and consented to by all the Appropriate Lenders; provided that:
(i) any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;
(ii) any Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and
(iii) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date of the Facility under which such Loan was made.
“Investment” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other acquisition of capital stock or other securities of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or interest in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture interest in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which the investor Guarantees Indebtedness of such other Person, or (c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of another Person that constitute a business unit. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such Investment; provided that for purposes of compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the original cost of such Investment plus the cost of all additions thereto, without any adjustments for increases or decreases in value, or write-ups, write-downs or write-offs with respect to such Investment (other than adjustments for the repayment of, or the refund of capital with respect to, the original principal amount of any such Investment).
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
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“ISP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the “International Standby Practices 1998” published by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, Inc. (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).
“Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to any such Letter of Credit.
“JPMSL” means X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC and its successors.
“Laws” means, collectively, (a) all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, regulations, ordinances, codes and publicly available administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case having the force of law, and (b) for the purposes of Article II, Article III, Section 10.13 and any related definitions, all of the foregoing and any related rules and guidelines, including any interpretations thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, in each case whether or not publicly available or having the force of law.
“L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Revolving Credit Lender, such Revolving Credit Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.
“L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Revolving Credit Borrowing.
“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.
“L/C Issuer” means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.
“Lender” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and includes each Class of Lenders and, as the context requires, includes the Swing Line Lender.
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“Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
“Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder and shall include the Existing Letters of Credit.
“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.
“Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is seven days prior to the then latest Maturity Date for the Revolving Credit Facility (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).
“Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(h).
“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $75,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments.
“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan (including any Incremental Term Loans, any Extended Term Loans, loans made pursuant to any Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment or loans made pursuant to any Extended Revolving Credit Commitment).
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, the Guaranty, each Guaranty Joinder Agreement, each Issuer Document, each Additional Credit Extension Amendment, each Increase Joinder, each Extension Offer, any agreement creating or perfecting rights in Cash Collateral pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.15 and the BofA Fee Letter.
“Loan Parties” means, collectively, the Borrower and each Guarantor.
“London Banking Day” means any day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect upon (a) the operations, business, properties or financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) the ability of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole to perform its or their respective obligations under any Loan Document to which such Person or Persons are party, as the case may be; or (c) the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party.
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“Material Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Domestic Subsidiary of the Borrower (a) the total assets of which exceed, as at the end of any fiscal quarter or, in the case of the consummation of any Permitted Acquisition, as of the end of the fiscal quarter most recently ended prior to the effective date of such Acquisition (calculated on a pro forma basis taking into account the consummation of such Permitted Acquisition), 10% of Consolidated Domestic Assets, or (b) that contributed 10% or more of Consolidated EBITDA in any fiscal year or, in the case of the consummation of any Permitted Acquisition (calculated on a pro forma basis taking into account the consummation of such Permitted Acquisition) as if such Acquisition occurred on the first day of the fiscal year most recently ended.
“Maturity Date” means (a) with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility (but excluding any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments and any Loans made pursuant thereto), the date that is five years after the Closing Date, (b) with respect to the Term A Loans, the date that is seven years after the Closing Date, (c) with respect to any other Class of Term Loans, the date specified as the “Maturity Date” therefor in the applicable Additional Credit Extension Amendment and (d) with respect to any Class of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, the date specified as the “Maturity Date” therefor in the applicable Additional Credit Extension Amendment, as the context may require; provided, however, that, in each case, if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.
“MLPFS” means Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated and its successors.
“Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.
“Net Cash Proceeds” means with respect to any proceeds of a Recovery Event received or paid to the account of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, the excess, if any, of (i) the sum of cash and Cash Equivalents received in connection with such transaction minus (ii) the sum of (A) the principal amount, premium or penalty, if any, interest and other amounts on any Indebtedness that is secured by the applicable asset and that is required (directly or indirectly) to be repaid in connection with such transaction (other than Indebtedness under the Loan Documents), (B) the out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by such Loan Party or such Subsidiary in connection with such transaction, (C) Taxes paid or reasonably estimated to be payable within 2 years of the date of the relevant transaction as a result of any gain recognized in connection therewith; provided that, if the amount of any estimated Taxes pursuant to subclause (C) exceeds the amount of Taxes actually required to be paid in cash in respect of such Recovery Event, the aggregate amount of such excess shall constitute Net Cash Proceeds and (D) amounts which are required to be reserved for on the balance sheet or otherwise required to be placed in escrow in connection with such transaction unless and until such amounts are no longer required to be subject to a reserve or are released to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries; provided, further, that Net Cash Proceeds shall be deemed to exclude (x) proceeds of business interruption insurance to the extent such proceeds constitute compensation for lost earnings) and (y) cash receipts from proceeds of insurance or condemnation awards (or payments in lieu thereof) to the extent that such proceeds, awards or payments are received by any Person in respect of any third
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party claim against such Person and applied to pay (or to reimburse such Person for its prior payment of) such claim and the costs and expenses of such Person with respect thereto except to the extent such Person is contractually entitled to retain such proceeds, awards or payments.
“Note” means a Revolving Credit Note or a Term Loan Note, as the context may require.
“Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan, Letter of Credit, Guaranteed Cash Management Agreement or Guaranteed Hedge Agreement, in each case whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, or which would accrue but for the commencement of such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding; provided that the Obligations shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations.
“Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities” means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination thereof, without duplication and to the extent not included as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP: (a) with respect to any asset securitization transaction (including any accounts receivable purchase facility) (i) the unrecovered investment of purchasers or transferees of assets so transferred, and (ii) any other payment, recourse, repurchase, hold harmless, indemnity or similar obligation of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of assets transferred or payments made in respect thereof, other than limited recourse provisions that are customary for transactions of such type and that neither (x) have the effect of limiting the loss or credit risk of such purchasers or transferees with respect to payment or performance by the obligors of the assets so transferred nor (y) impair the characterization of the transaction as a true sale under applicable Laws (including Debtor Relief Laws); (b) the monetary obligations under any financing lease or so-called “synthetic,” tax retention or off-balance sheet lease transaction which, upon the application of any Debtor Relief Law to such Person or any of its Subsidiaries, would be characterized as indebtedness; and (c) any other monetary obligation arising with respect to any other transaction which (i) is characterized as indebtedness for tax purposes but not for accounting purposes in accordance with GAAP or (ii) is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries (for purposes of this clause (c), any transaction structured to provide tax deductibility as interest expense of any dividend, coupon or other periodic payment will be deemed to be the functional equivalent of a borrowing).
“OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.
“Organization Documents” means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement; and (c)
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with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or organization of such entity.
“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to any Loan Document, other than any such Taxes resulting from an assignment or participation (other than an assignment pursuant to Section 10.13).
“Outstanding Amount” means (i) Revolving Credit Loans and Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Revolving Credit Loans and Swing Line Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; (ii) with respect to any Class of Term Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Term Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (iii) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate outstanding amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.
“Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d).
“Participant Register” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d).
“Patriot Act” has the meaning specified in Section 10.16.
“Payment Default” means the failure of the Borrower to pay any Obligation when due (after giving effect to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
“Pension Act” means the Pension Protection Act of 2006.
“Pension Funding Rules” means the rules of the Code and ERISA regarding minimum required contributions (including any installment payment thereof) to Pension Plans and set forth in, with respect to plan years ending prior to the effective date of the Pension Act, Section 412 of the Code and Section 302 of ERISA, each as in effect prior to the Pension Act and, thereafter, Section 412, 430, 431, 432 and 436 of the Code and Sections 302, 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA.
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“Pension Plan” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is sponsored or maintained by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five plan years.
“Permitted Acquisition” means any Acquisition that is permitted by the terms of Section 7.07.
“Permitted Lines of Business” means, collectively, (a) food services, (b) food-related manufacturing, production and processing, (c) consumer products, (d) private label products, (e) animal feed production and processing, (f) any other business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the Closing Date, and (g) any business reasonably related or incidental to any of the foregoing.
“Permitted Securitization Facility” means any transaction or series of transactions involving the sale of accounts receivable (and related supporting obligations and books and records) so long as the Indebtedness thereunder and other payment obligations with respect thereto are nonrecourse to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than any Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary), other than limited recourse provisions that are customary for transactions of such type and do not have the effect of Guaranteeing the repayment of any such Indebtedness or limiting the loss or credit risk of lenders or purchasers with respect to payment or performance by the obligors of the accounts receivable so transferred.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by the Borrower or, with respect to any such plan that is subject to the Pension Funding Rules or Title IV of ERISA, the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.
“Platform” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02.
“Pro Forma Cost Savings” means, without duplication of amounts added-back to calculate Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated EBIT, with respect to any period, the reductions in costs and other operating improvements or synergies that have been realized or are reasonably anticipated to be realized in good faith with respect to a Permitted Acquisition within twelve months of the date of such Acquisition and that are reasonably identifiable and factually supportable, as if all such reductions in costs and other operating improvements or synergies had been effected as of the beginning of such period, decreased by any recurring incremental expenses incurred or to be incurred during such four-quarter period in order to achieve such reduction in costs; provided, that (x) the amount of Pro Forma Cost Savings that may be included on a pro forma basis shall not exceed 10% of Consolidated EBITDA for the applicable four-quarter period and (y) the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate certifying as to the determination and calculation of the Pro Forma Cost Savings and including the factual support thereof.
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“Public Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02.
“Qualified ECP Guarantor” means, at any time, each Loan Party with total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under §1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.
“Recovery Event” means the receipt by the Borrower or any of its Domestic Subsidiaries of any cash insurance proceeds or condemnation award payable by reason of theft, loss, physical destruction or damage, taking or similar event with respect to any of their respective property or assets.
“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(c).
“Registered Public Accounting Firm” has the meaning specified in the Securities Laws and shall be independent of the Borrower as prescribed in the Securities Laws.
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.
“Reportable Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30 day notice period has been waived.
“Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Term Loans or Revolving Credit Loans, a Committed Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.
“Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders holding more than 50% of the sum of the (a) Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Revolving Credit Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Revolving Credit Lender for purposes of this definition) and (b) aggregate unused Commitments; provided that the amount of any participation in any Swing Line Loan and Unreimbursed Amounts that a Defaulting Lender has failed to fund that have not been reallocated to and funded by another Lender shall be deemed to be held by the Lender that is the Swing Line Lender or L/C Issuer, as the case may be, in making such determination.
“Required Revolving Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Revolving Credit Lenders holding more than 50% of the sum of (a) the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Revolving Credit Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Revolving Credit Lender for purposes of this definition) and (b) aggregate unused Revolving Credit Commitments; provided that the unused Revolving Credit Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Revolving Lenders.
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“Required Term Loan Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, with respect to Lenders of any Class of Term Loans, Lenders holding more than 50% of such Class of Term Loans on such date; provided that the portion of such Class of Term Loans held by any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Term Loan Lenders.
“Responsible Officer” means (a) for the purposes of Section 8.01(c), the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer or any senior vice president of a Loan Party and (b) for all other purposes, the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer or any senior vice president, vice president or assistant treasurer of a Loan Party. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.
“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any capital stock or other Equity Interest of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other Equity Interest, or on account of any return of capital to the Borrower’s stockholders, partners or members (or the equivalent Person thereof).
“Revaluation Date” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, each of the following: (a) each date of issuance of a Letter of Credit denominated in Canadian Dollars, (b) each date of an amendment of any such Letter of Credit having the effect of increasing the amount thereof, (c) each date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit denominated in Canadian Dollars, and (d) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer shall determine or the Required Revolving Lenders shall require.
“Revolving Credit Arrangers” means, collectively, Bank of America, JPMSL, XXX, XXXX and BMOCM, in their capacities as joint lead arrangers.
“Revolving Credit Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Revolving Credit Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Revolving Credit Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01(a).
“Revolving Credit Commitment” means, as to each Revolving Credit Lender, its obligation to (a) make Revolving Credit Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01 (including loans made pursuant to any Incremental Revolving Commitment and loans made pursuant to any Extended Revolving Credit Commitment), (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto or in any documentation executed by such Lender pursuant to Section 2.14, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.
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“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the aggregate principal amount at such time of its outstanding Revolving Credit Loans and such Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans at such time.
“Revolving Credit Facility” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Revolving Credit Lenders’ Revolving Credit Commitments (including any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments) at such time.
“Revolving Credit Lender” means, as of any date of determination, a Lender with a Revolving Credit Commitment or, if the Revolving Credit Commitments have terminated or expired, a Lender with Revolving Credit Exposure.
“Revolving Credit Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.
“Revolving Credit Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Revolving Credit Lender evidencing Revolving Credit Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit C-1.
“Sale and Leaseback Permitted Amount” means, on any date and without duplication, in respect of any Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the net present value (discounted using (x) the cost of debt stated in the lease or (y) if no such cost is stated in the lease, the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate in effect on the date of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction) of the obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the then remaining term of any applicable lease.
“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any arrangement, directly or indirectly, whereby a seller or transferor shall sell or otherwise transfer any real or personal property and then or thereafter lease, or repurchase under an extended purchase contract, conditional sales or other title retention agreement, the same or similar property.
“Sanction(s)” means any international economic sanction administered or enforced by the United States Government (including without limitation, OFAC), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“Securities Laws” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Exchange Act, Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the applicable accounting and auditing principles, rules, standards and practices promulgated, approved or incorporated by the SEC or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, as each of the foregoing may be amended and in effect on any applicable date hereunder.
“Senior Notes” means the Borrower’s 4.875% senior notes due 2022 issued on March 11, 2014, in the aggregate principal amount of $400,000,000.
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“Solvent” and “Solvency” mean, with respect to any Person on any date of determination, that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair salable value of the assets of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person’s ability to pay such debts and liabilities as they mature, (d) such Person is not engaged in business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in business or a transaction, for which such Person’s property would constitute an unreasonably small capital, and (e) such Person is able to pay its debts and liabilities, contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the ordinary course of business. The amount of contingent liabilities at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in the light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.
“SPC” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(g).
“Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower created solely for the purpose of, and whose sole activity shall consist of, acquiring and financing accounts receivable of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to a Permitted Securitization Facility.
“Specified Loan Party” means any Loan Party that is not an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act (determined prior to giving effect to Section 14 of the Guaranty.
“Spot Rate” for Canadian Dollars means the rate determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, to be the rate quoted by the Person acting in such capacity as the spot rate for the purchase by such Person of Canadian Dollars with Dollars, or Dollars with Canadian Dollars, as applicable, through its principal foreign exchange trading office at approximately 11:00 a.m. on the date two Business Days prior to the date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made; provided that the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer may obtain such spot rate from another financial institution designated by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer if the Person acting in such capacity does not have as of the date of determination a spot buying rate for Canadian Dollars or Dollars, as applicable; and provided further that the L/C Issuer may use such spot rate quoted on the date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made in the case of any Letter of Credit denominated in Canadian Dollars.
“STRH” means SunTrust Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Inc. and its successors.
“Subsidiary” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other governing body (other than securities or interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
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“Swap Contract” means any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided, that any and all such transactions, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, the same master agreement, including any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other form of master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), shall be deemed to be a single Swap Contract to the extent such transactions and related confirmations are subject to legally enforceable netting agreements.
“Swap Obligations” means with respect to any Guarantor any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.
“Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any Swap Contract, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contract, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contract has been closed out and termination value determined in accordance therewith, such termination value, and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount determined as the xxxx-to-market value for such Swap Contract (or, if applicable, the net aggregate xxxx-to-market value of all transactions constituting such Swap Contract), as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such type of Swap Contract (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).
“Swing Line” means the revolving credit facility made available by the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04.
“Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.04.
“Swing Line Lender” means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.
“Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(a).
“Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.04(b), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B.
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“Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $50,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments.
“Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so-called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).
“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Term A Arrangers” means, collectively, Bank of America and CoBank, in their capacities as joint lead arrangers.
“Term A Commitment” means as to each Lender, its obligation to make Term A Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(b), in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 under the caption “Term A Commitment” or opposite such caption in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Term A Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement. The aggregate principal amount of the Term A Commitments of all of the Term A Lenders as in effect on the Closing Date is $300,000,000.
“Term A Facility” means, at any time, (a) on or prior to the Closing Date, the aggregate amount of the Term A Commitments at such time and (b) thereafter, the aggregate principal amount of the Term A Loans of all Term A Lenders outstanding at such time.
“Term A Lender” means (a) at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, any Lender that has a Term A Commitment at such time and (b) at any time after the Closing Date, any Lender that holds Term A Loans at such time.
“Term A Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01(b).
“Term Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Term Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Term Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01(b) or 2.01(c).
“Term Lender” means, as of any date of determination, a Term A Lender, an Extending Term Lender or a Lender holding an Incremental Term Commitment or Incremental Term Loans, as the context may require.
“Term Loan” means any Term A Loan, any Incremental Term Loan or any Extended Term Loan, as the context may require.
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“Term Loan Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Term Loan Lender evidencing Term Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit C-2.
“Total Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans and all L/C Obligations.
“Total Revolving Credit Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Revolving Credit Loans, Swing Line Loans and L/C Obligations.
“Trigger Quarter” has the meaning specified in Section 7.12(b).
“Type” means, with respect to any Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.
“Unencumbered Cash and Cash Equivalents” means, with respect to any Person, the cash or cash equivalents owned by such Person (excluding assets of any retirement plan) which (a) are not the subject of any Lien or other arrangement with any creditor to have its claim satisfied out of such cash or cash equivalents prior to the general creditors of such Person (other than banker’s liens, rights of set-off or similar rights or remedies as to deposit accounts or securities accounts in which such cash or cash equivalents are held), and (b) if not cash, may be converted to cash within thirty (30) days.
“Unfunded Pension Liability” means the excess of a Pension Plan’s benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, determined in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Pension Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable plan year.
“United States” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.
“Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(c)(i).
“WFS” means Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC and its successors.
1.02 Other Interpretive Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:
(a) The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words
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“herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
(b) In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”
(c) Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
1.03 Accounting Terms. (a) Generally. All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining compliance with any covenant (including the computation of any financial covenant) contained herein, Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be carried at 100% of the outstanding principal amount thereof, and the effects of FASB ASC 825 on financial liabilities shall be disregarded.
(a) Changes in GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP; provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for all purposes of this Agreement, in no event will any lease that would have been categorized as an operating lease as determined in accordance with GAAP as of the Closing Date be considered a capital lease.
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(b) Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities. All references herein to consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or to the determination of any amount for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis or any similar reference shall, in each case, be deemed to include each variable interest entity that the Borrower is required to consolidate pursuant to FASB ASC 810 as if such variable interest entity were a Subsidiary as defined herein.
1.04 Rounding. Any financial ratios required to be maintained by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).
1.05 Times of Day; Rates. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Central time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
The Administrative Agent does not warrant, nor accept responsibility, nor shall the Administrative Agent have any liability with respect to the administration, submission or any other matter related to the rates in the definition of “Eurodollar Rate” or with respect to any comparable or successor rate thereto.
1.06 Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.
1.07 Accounting for Acquisitions and Dispositions. With respect to any Acquisition consummated on or after the Closing Date, the following shall apply:
(a) For each of the four periods of four fiscal quarters ending next following the date of any Acquisition, Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated EBIT shall include the results of operations of the Person or assets so acquired on a historical pro forma basis to the extent information in sufficient detail concerning such historical results of such Person or assets is reasonably available, without giving effect to any cost savings other than Pro Forma Cost Savings.
(b) For each of the four periods of four fiscal quarters ending next following the date of each Acquisition, Consolidated Interest Charges shall include the results of operations of the Person or assets so acquired determined on a historical pro forma basis to the extent information in sufficient detail concerning such historical results of such Person or assets is reasonably available; provided, that, Consolidated Interest Charges shall be adjusted on a historical pro forma basis to (i) eliminate interest expense accrued during such period on any Indebtedness repaid in connection with such Acquisition and (ii) include interest expense on any Indebtedness (including Indebtedness hereunder) incurred, acquired or assumed in connection with such Acquisition (“Incremental Debt”) calculated (x) as if all such Incremental Debt had
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been incurred as of the first day of such four fiscal quarter period and (y) at the following interest rates: (I) for all periods subsequent to the date of the Acquisition and for Incremental Debt assumed or acquired in the Acquisition and in effect prior to the date of Acquisition, at the actual rates of interest applicable thereto, and (II) for all periods prior to the actual incurrence of such Incremental Debt, at the average daily rate applicable to the Incremental Debt during all periods subsequent to the date of the Acquisition;
(c) For each of the four periods of four fiscal quarters ending next following the date of any Disposition of a Subsidiary or all or substantially all of the assets of a Subsidiary, (i) Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated EBIT shall exclude the results of operations of the Person or assets so disposed of on a historical pro forma basis, and which amounts shall include only adjustments reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and
(d) For each of the four periods of four fiscal quarters ending next following the date of any Disposition of a Subsidiary or all or substantially all of the assets of a Subsidiary, Consolidated Interest Charges shall be adjusted on a historical pro forma basis to eliminate interest expense accrued during such period on (i) any Indebtedness repaid or assumed from the Subsidiary in connection with such Disposition or (ii) if such Disposition is of all of the Equity Interests of the Subsidiary, any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary for which neither the Borrower nor any other Subsidiary is directly or indirectly liable.
1.08 Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents.
(a) The Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, shall determine the Spot Rates as of each Revaluation Date to be used for calculating Dollar Equivalent amounts of L/C Credit Extensions and Outstanding Amounts with respect to L/C Obligations denominated in Canadian Dollars. Such Spot Rates shall become effective as of such Revaluation Date and shall be the Spot Rates employed in converting any amounts between the applicable currencies until the next Revaluation Date to occur. Except for purposes of financial statements delivered by Loan Parties hereunder or calculating financial covenants hereunder or except as otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any currency (other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable.
(b) Wherever in this Agreement in connection with the issuance, amendment or extension of a Letter of Credit, an amount, such as a required minimum or multiple amount, is expressed in Dollars, but such Letter of Credit is denominated in Canadian Dollars, such amount shall be the relevant Canadian Dollar Equivalent of such Dollar amount (rounded to the nearest unit of Canadian Dollars, with 0.5 of a unit being rounded upward), as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be.
ARTICLE II.
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS
2.01 Revolving Credit Loans and Term Loans.
(a) Revolving Credit Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Revolving Credit
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Loan”) to the Borrower from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Revolving Credit Borrowing, (i) the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, and (ii) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Revolving Credit Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment. Within the limits of each Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.01. Revolving Credit Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided herein.
(b) Term A Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make a single term loan (each, a “Term A Loan”) to the Borrower on the Closing Date in an amount not to exceed such Lender’s Term A Commitment. Amounts borrowed under this Section 2.01(b) and repaid or prepaid may not be reborrowed. Term A Loans may consist of Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, or a combination thereof, as further provided herein.
(c) Incremental Term Loans. Subject to Section 2.14, as set forth in any Increase Joinder or other Additional Credit Extension Amendment entered into pursuant to Section 2.14, each Incremental Term Loan Lender party thereto severally agrees to make its portion of a term loan (each, an “Incremental Term Loan”) in a single advance to the Borrower in the amount of its respective Incremental Term Loan Commitment as set forth in such Increase Joinder or such other Additional Credit Extension Amendment. Amounts repaid on any Incremental Term Loan may not be reborrowed. Each Incremental Term Loan may be a Base Rate Loan or Eurodollar Rate Loan, as further provided herein.
2.02 Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.
(a) Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans; provided, however, that if the Borrower wishes to request Eurodollar Rate Loans having an Interest Period other than one, two, three or six months in duration as provided in the definition of “Interest Period”, the applicable notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m. four Business Days prior to the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation, whereupon the Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice to the Appropriate Lenders of such request and determine whether the requested Interest Period is acceptable to all of them. Not later than 10:00 a.m., three Business Days before the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower (which notice may be by telephone) whether or not the requested Interest Period has been consented to by all the Lenders. Each telephonic notice by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Committed Loan
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Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in Sections 2.03(c) and 2.04(c), each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Committed Borrowing a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto. If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Committed Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans. If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, a Swing Line Loan may not be converted to a Eurodollar Rate Loan.
(b) Following receipt of a Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Applicable Percentage under the applicable Facility of the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in the preceding subsection. In the case of a Committed Borrowing, each Appropriate Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 12:00 noon on the Business Day specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.01), the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Borrower; provided, however, that if, on the date a Committed Loan Notice with respect to a Revolving Credit Borrowing is given by the Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such Revolving Credit Borrowing, first, shall be applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and second, shall be made available to the Borrower as provided above.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurodollar Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of the Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Loan. During the existence of any Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans with Interest Periods in excess of one month without the consent of the Required Lenders. During the existence of any Event of Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders.
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(d) The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Appropriate Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any change in Bank of America’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.
(e) After giving effect to all Term Borrowings, all conversions of Term Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Term Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than seven Interest Periods in effect with respect to Term Loans. After giving effect to all Revolving Credit Borrowings, all conversions of Revolving Credit Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Revolving Credit Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten Interest Periods in effect with respect Revolving Credit Loans.
2.03 Letters of Credit.
(a) The Letter of Credit Commitment.
(i) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (A) the L/C Issuer agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the Revolving Credit Lenders set forth in this Section 2.03, (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars or in Canadian Dollars for the account of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries, and to amend or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of Credit; and (B) the Revolving Credit Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries and any drawings thereunder; provided that after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit, (x) the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, (y) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment, and (z) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit. Each request by the Borrower for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by the Borrower that the L/C Credit Extension so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the proviso to the preceding sentence. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly the Borrower may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and reimbursed. All Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed to have been issued pursuant hereto, and from and after the Closing Date shall be subject to and governed by the terms and conditions hereof.
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(ii) The L/C Issuer shall not issue any Letter of Credit, if:
(A) subject to Section 2.03(b)(iii), the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of issuance or last extension, unless the Required Revolving Credit Lenders have approved such expiry date; or
(B) the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all the Revolving Credit Lenders have approved such expiry date.
(iii) The L/C Issuer shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:
(A) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good xxxxx xxxxx material to it;
(B) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C Issuer;
(C) except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, such Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount less than $500,000;
(D) such Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars or Canadian Dollars;
(E) such Letter of Credit provides for automatic reinstatement of the stated amount after any drawing thereunder; or
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(F) any Revolving Credit Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (in its sole discretion) with the Borrower or such Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.16(a)(iv)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either such Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Obligations as to which the L/C Issuer has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion.
(iv) The L/C Issuer shall not amend any Letter of Credit if the L/C Issuer would not be permitted at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof.
(v) The L/C Issuer shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to such Letter of Credit.
(vi) The L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Revolving Credit Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Administrative Agent in Article IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in Article IX included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.
(b) Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters of Credit.
(i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed
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issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount and currency thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (1) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (2) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (3) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (4) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.
(ii) Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, the L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Revolving Credit Lender, the Administrative Agent or any Loan Party, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Article IV shall not then be satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower (or the applicable Subsidiary) or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with the L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Revolving Credit Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage times the amount of such Letter of Credit.
(iii) If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer may, in its sole and absolute discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit the L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Revolving Credit Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized
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(but may not require) the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date; provided, however, that the L/C Issuer shall not permit any such extension if (A) the L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is five Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Revolving Credit Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Revolving Credit Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.
(iv) Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.
(c) Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.
(i) Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. In the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in Canadian Dollars, the Borrower shall reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer in Canadian Dollars, unless (A) such L/C Issuer (at its option) shall have specified in such notice that it will require reimbursement in Dollars, or (B) in the absence of any such requirement for reimbursement in Dollars, the Borrower shall have notified such L/C Issuer promptly following receipt of the notice of drawing that the Borrower will reimburse such L/C Issuer in Dollars. In the case of any such reimbursement in Dollars of a drawing under a Letter of Credit denominated in Canadian Dollars, the applicable L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower of the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of the drawing promptly following the determination thereof. Not later than 10:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit (each such date, an “Honor Date”), the Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing and in the applicable currency. If the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by such time, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Revolving Credit Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (expressed in Dollars in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent thereof in the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in Canadian Dollars) (the “Unreimbursed Amount”), and the amount of such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage thereof. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Revolving Credit Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard
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to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice). Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.
(ii) Each Revolving Credit Lender shall upon any notice pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) make funds available (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral provided for this purpose) for the account of the L/C Issuer, in Dollars, at the Administrative Agent’s Office for Dollar-denominated payments in an amount equal to its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of the Dollar Equivalent of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 12:00 noon on the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions of Section 2.03(c)(iii), each Revolving Credit Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the L/C Issuer in Dollars.
(iii) With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Revolving Credit Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other reason, the Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from the L/C Issuer an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In such event, each Revolving Credit Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its participation obligation under this Section 2.03.
(iv) Until each Revolving Credit Lender funds its Revolving Credit Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this Section 2.03(c) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of such amount shall be solely for the account of the L/C Issuer.
(v) Each Revolving Credit Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Credit Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as contemplated by this Section 2.03(c), shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the L/C Issuer, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C)
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any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Revolving Credit Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Credit Loans pursuant to this Section 2.03(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than delivery by the Borrower of a Committed Loan Notice). No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment made by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.
(vi) If any Revolving Credit Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by the time specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii) then, without limiting the other provisions of this Agreement, the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the L/C Issuer in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Revolving Credit Loan included in the relevant Revolving Credit Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Revolving Credit Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d) Repayment of Participations.
(i) At any time after the L/C Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has received from any Revolving Credit Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect of such payment in accordance with Section 2.03(c), if the Administrative Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether directly from the Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by the Administrative Agent), the Administrative Agent will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage thereof (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s L/C Advance was outstanding) in Dollars and in the same funds as those received by the Administrative Agent.
(ii) If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Revolving Credit Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent
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for the account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
(e) Obligations Absolute. The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the following:
(i) any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement, or any other Loan Document;
(ii) the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;
(iii) any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;
(iv) waiver by the L/C Issuer of any requirement that exists for the L/C Issuer’s protection and not the protection of the Borrower or any waiver by the L/C Issuer which does not in fact materially prejudice the Borrower;
(v) honor of a demand for payment presented electronically even if such Letter of Credit requires that demand be in the form of a draft;
(vi) any payment made by the L/C Issuer in respect of an otherwise complying item presented after the date specified as the expiration date of, or the date by which documents must be received under such Letter of Credit if presentation after such date is authorized by the UCC or the ISP, as applicable;
(vii) any payment by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy,
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debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law;
(viii) any adverse change in the relevant exchange rates or in the availability of Canadian Dollars to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or in the relevant currency markets generally; or
(ix) any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with the Borrower’s instructions or other irregularity in the terms or form of such Letter of Credit or amendment, as the case may be, the Borrower will promptly notify the L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.
(f) Role of L/C Issuer. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Revolving Credit Lenders or the Required Revolving Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document. The Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.03(e); provided, however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be
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in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason.
(g) Applicability of ISP. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any such agreement applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit), the rules of the ISP shall apply to each Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible to the Borrower for, and the L/C Issuer’s rights and remedies against the Borrower shall not be impaired by, any action or inaction of the L/C Issuer required or permitted under any law, order, or practice that is required or permitted to be applied to any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, including the Law or any order of a jurisdiction where the L/C Issuer or the beneficiary is located, the practice stated in the ISP, or in the decisions, opinions, practice statements, or official commentary of the ICC Banking Commission, the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade – International Financial Services Association (BAFT-IFSA), or the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, whether or not any Letter of Credit chooses such law or practice.
(h) Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Credit Lender in accordance with its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) in Dollars for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the Dollar Equivalent of the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit; provided, however, any Letter of Credit Fees otherwise payable for the account of a Defaulting Lender with respect to any Letter of Credit as to which such Defaulting Lender has not provided Cash Collateral satisfactory to the L/C Issuer pursuant to this Section 2.03 shall be payable, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable Law, to the other Lenders in accordance with the upward adjustments in their respective Applicable Revolving Credit Percentages allocable to such Letter of Credit pursuant to Section 2.16(a)(iv), with the balance of such fee, if any, payable to the L/C Issuer for its own account. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears and (ii) due and payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, so long as any Payment Default exists, upon the request of the Required Revolving Lenders all Letter of Credit Fees will accrue at the Default Rate.
(i) Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account, in Dollars, a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum specified in the BofA Fee Letter, computed on the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit and on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee shall be due and payable on the tenth Business Day
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after the end of each March, June, September and December in respect of the most recently-ended quarterly period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.
(j) Conflict with Issuer Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.
(k) Letters of Credit Issued for Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder is in support of any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, the Borrower shall be obligated to reimburse the L/C Issuer hereunder for any and all drawings under such Letter of Credit. The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of the Borrower, and that the Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.
(l) Provisions Related to Letters of Credit in respect of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments. If the expiry date of any Letter of Credit occurs after the date that is seven days prior to the Maturity Date in respect of any tranche of Revolving Credit Commitments (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day), then (i) if consented to by the L/C Issuer, if another tranche of Revolving Credit Commitments in respect of which the Maturity Date shall not have so occurred are then in effect, such Letters of Credit for which consent has been obtained shall automatically be deemed to have been issued (including for purposes of the obligations of the Revolving Credit Lenders to purchase participations therein and to make Revolving Credit Loans and payments in respect thereof pursuant to Section 2.03(c) and (d)) under (and ratably participated in by Revolving Credit Lenders pursuant to) the Revolving Credit Commitments in respect of such non-terminating tranches up to an aggregate amount not to exceed the aggregate amount of the unutilized Revolving Credit Commitments thereunder at such time (it being understood that no partial face amount of any Letter of Credit may be so reallocated); (ii) the obligations of the Revolving Credit Lenders under the terminating tranche to purchase participations in such Letters of Credit and to make Revolving Credit Loans and payments in respect thereof pursuant to Section 2.03(c) and (d) shall terminate; and (iii) to the extent not reallocated pursuant to immediately preceding subclause (i), the Borrower shall Cash Collateralize any such Letter of Credit in accordance with Section 2.15. Upon the maturity date of any tranche of Revolving Credit Commitments, the sublimit for Letters of Credit may be reduced as agreed between the L/C Issuers and the Borrower, without the consent of any other Person.
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2.04 Swing Line Loans.
(a) The Swing Line. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Revolving Credit Lenders set forth in this Section 2.04, may, in its sole discretion, make loans (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”) to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Revolving Credit Loans and L/C Obligations of the Revolving Credit Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment; provided, however, that (i) after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (A) the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, and (B) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Revolving Credit Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment; (ii) the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan; and (iii) the Swing Line Lender shall not be under any obligation to make any Swing Line Loan if it shall determine (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that it has, or by such Credit Extension may have, Fronting Exposure. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.04, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.04. Each Swing Line Loan shall be a Base Rate Loan or shall bear interest at a rate agreed to between the Borrower and the Swing Line Lender prior to funding such Loan. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Revolving Credit Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.
(b) Borrowing Procedures. Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 noon on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $100,000, and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Revolving Credit Lender) prior to 1:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.04(a), or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than 2:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrower at its office by crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in immediately available funds.
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(c) Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.
(i) The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole and absolute discretion may request, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Revolving Credit Lender make a Base Rate Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.02, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Revolving Credit Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of the amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral available with respect to the applicable Swing Line Loan) for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 12:00 noon on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon, subject to Section 2.04(c)(ii), each Revolving Credit Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.
(ii) If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Revolving Credit Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.04(c)(i), the request for Base Rate Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Revolving Credit Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Revolving Credit Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.
(iii) If any Revolving Credit Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.04(c) by the time specified in Section 2.04(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Swing Line
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Lender in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Swing Line Lender in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Revolving Credit Loan included in the relevant Borrowing or funded participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(iv) Each Revolving Credit Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Credit Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Revolving Credit Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Revolving Credit Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Credit Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.
(d) Repayment of Participations.
(i) At any time after any Revolving Credit Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Revolving Credit Lender its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of such payment (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s risk participation was funded) in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.
(ii) If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Revolving Credit Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender. The obligations of the Revolving Credit Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
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(e) Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender. The Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until each Revolving Credit Lender funds its Base Rate Loan or risk participation pursuant to this Section 2.04 to refinance such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.
(f) Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender. The Borrower shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.
2.05 Prepayments.
(a) Voluntary Prepayments of Loans.
(i) Revolving Credit Loans and Term Loans. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Revolving Credit Loans or any Class of Term Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m. (A) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (B) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurodollar Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s ratable portion of such prepayment (based on such Lender’s Applicable Percentage in respect of the relevant Facility). If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. Subject to Section 2.16, each such prepayment of the outstanding Term Loans of any Class pursuant to this Section 2.05(a) shall be applied as directed by the Borrower, and each prepayment of the outstanding Term Loans of any Class or the Revolving Credit Loans pursuant to this Section 2.05(a) shall be paid to the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages in respect of each of the relevant Facilities.
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(ii) Swing Line Loans. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (A) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 noon on the date of the prepayment, and (B) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.
(b) Mandatory Prepayments of Loans.
(i) Revolving Credit Commitments. If for any reason the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings at any time exceed the Aggregate Credit Revolving Commitments then in effect, the Borrower shall immediately prepay Revolving Credit Loans and/or Swing Line Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to such excess; provided, however, that the Borrower shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this Section 2.05(b) unless after the prepayment in full of the Revolving Credit Loans and Swing Line Loans the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings exceed the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments then in effect.
(ii) Recovery Events. To the extent of Net Cash Proceeds received in connection with a Recovery Event which are in excess of $25,000,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year and which are not applied to repair, replace or relocate damaged property or to purchase or acquire fixed or capital assets in replacement of the assets lost or destroyed within three hundred sixty-five (365) days of the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds (or which are not committed to be reinvested within 180 days of the expiration of such 365 day period), the Borrower shall prepay the Term Loans in an aggregate amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of such cash proceeds net of all third-party costs incurred to obtain such cash proceeds (such prepayment to be applied as set forth in clause (iii) below); provided that if such Net Cash Proceeds have not been reinvested or committed to be reinvested within the time periods set forth above, the Borrower shall be required to prepay the Term Loans with such Net Cash Proceeds.
(iii) Application of a Mandatory Prepayments. All amounts required to be paid pursuant to this Section 2.05(b) shall be applied as follows:
(A) With respect to all amounts prepaid pursuant to Section 2.05(b)(i), first, ratably to the L/C. Borrowings and the Swing Line Loans, second, to the outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, and, third, to Cash Collateralize the remaining L/C Obligations; and
(B) With respect to all amounts prepaid pursuant to Section 2.05(b)(ii), as directed by the Borrower.
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Within the parameters of the applications set forth above, prepayments shall be applied first to Base Rate Loans and then to LIBOR Rate Loans in direct order of Interest Period maturities. All prepayments under this Section 2.05(b) shall be subject to Section 3.05, but otherwise without premium or penalty, and shall be accompanied by interest on the principal amount prepaid through the date of prepayment.
2.06 Termination or Reduction of Commitments.
(a) Optional. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the unused Commitments of any Class or from time to time permanently reduce such Commitments; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m. three Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Revolving Credit Outstandings (other than the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations that have been Cash Collateralized) would exceed the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, such Sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess.
(b) Mandatory. The aggregate Term A Commitments shall be automatically and permanently reduced to zero on the date of the Borrowing of Term A Loans.
(c) Application of Commitment Reductions; Payment of Fees. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments. Any reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments shall be applied to the Revolving Credit Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.
2.07 Repayment of Loans.
(a) Revolving Credit Loans. The Borrower shall repay to the Revolving Credit Lenders on the Maturity Date for each Revolving Credit Facility tranche, the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Credit Loans under such Revolving Credit Facility tranche outstanding on such date.
(b) Swing Line Loans. The Borrower shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur of (i) the date ten Business Days after such Swing Ling Loan is made and (ii) the Maturity Date for the Revolving Credit Facility in effect on the Closing Date (although Swing Line Loans may thereafter be reborrowed, in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, if there are one or more Classes of Revolving Credit Commitments which remain in effect).
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(c) Term A Loans. The Borrower shall repay to the Term A Lenders the aggregate principal amount of all Term A Loans outstanding on the following dates in the respective amounts set forth opposite such dates (as such installments may hereafter be adjusted as a result of prepayments made pursuant to Section 2.05), unless accelerated sooner pursuant to Section 8.02.
Date |
Amount | |||
September 30, 2014 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2014 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2015 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
June 30, 2015 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
September 30, 2015 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2015 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2016 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
June 30, 2016 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
September 30, 2016 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2016 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2017 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
June 30, 2017 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
September 30, 2017 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2017 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2018 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
June 30, 2018 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
September 30, 2018 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2018 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2019 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
June 30, 2019 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
September 30, 2019 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2019 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2020 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
June 30, 2020 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
September 30, 2020 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
December 31, 2020 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
March 31, 2021 |
$ | 750,000 | ||
Maturity Date for the Term A Loans |
|
Outstanding Principal Balance of the Term A Loans |
|
provided, however, that the final principal repayment installment of the Term A Loans shall be repaid on the Maturity Date for the Term A Loans and in any event shall be in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of all Term A Loans outstanding on such date.
(d) Other Term Loans. The Borrower shall repay the outstanding principal amount of each Class of Term Loans (other than the Term A Loans) in the installments on the dates and in the amounts set forth in the applicable Additional Credit Extension Amendment (as such installments may hereafter be adjusted as a result of prepayments made pursuant to Section 2.05), unless accelerated sooner pursuant to Section 8.02.
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2.08 Interest.
(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan under a Facility shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate for such Facility; (ii) each Base Rate Loan under a Facility (including any Swing Line Loan that is a Base Rate Loan) shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the sum of the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate for Base Rate Loans for such Facility; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate for the Revolving Credit Facility (unless otherwise agreed to between the Borrower and the Swing Line Lender in writing prior to funding such Loan).
(b) (i) If any Payment Default exists with respect to any amount of principal of any Loan, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(ii) If any Payment Default exists with respect to any other amount (other than principal of any Loan) payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document, then upon the request of the Required Lenders, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(iii) So long as any Payment Default exists, upon the request of the Required Lenders the principal amount of all outstanding amounts constituting Obligations hereunder (excluding (x) Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements and Guaranteed Hedge Agreements and (y) other Obligations to the extent already subject to the Default Rate pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above) shall bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(iv) Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.
(c) Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.
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2.09 Fees. In addition to certain fees described in subsections (i) and (j) of Section 2.03:
(a) Facility Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Credit Lender in accordance with its Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage, a facility fee equal to the Applicable Fee Rate times the actual daily amount of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments (or, if the Aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments have terminated, on the Outstanding Amount of all Revolving Credit Loans, Swing Line Loans and L/C Obligations), regardless of usage, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.16. The facility fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period for the Revolving Credit Facility (and thereafter so long as any Revolving Credit Loans, Swing Line Loans or L/C Obligations remain outstanding), including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period for the Revolving Credit Facility (and, if applicable, thereafter on demand). The facility fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Fee Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Fee Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Fee Rate was in effect.
(b) Other Fees. (i) The Borrower shall pay to each Arranger and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the BofA Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.
(ii) The Borrower shall pay to the Lenders such fees as shall have been separately agreed upon in writing in the amounts and at the times so specified. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.
2.10 Computation of Interest and Fees. All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate) shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year). Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid; provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.12(a), bear interest for one day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
2.11 Evidence of Debt.
(a) The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business. The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the
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Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b) In addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a), each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.
2.12 Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.
(a) General. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made free and clear of and without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 1:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage in respect of the relevant Facility (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 1:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.
(b) (i) Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Committed Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or, in the case of a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.02) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the
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Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to the relevant Loans (without duplication of any interest paid in accordance with Section 2.08). If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.
(ii) Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Appropriate Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Appropriate Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(c) Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.
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(d) Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 10.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 10.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 10.04(c).
(e) Funding Source. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.
(f) Insufficient Funds. If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, L/C Borrowings, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, toward payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, toward payment of principal and L/C Borrowings then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and L/C Borrowings then due to such parties.
2.13 Sharing of Payments by Lenders. If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Committed Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Committed Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Committed Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Committed Loans and other amounts owing them, provided that:
(i) if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and
(ii) the provisions of this Section 2.13 shall not be construed to apply to (A) any payment made by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender), (B) the application of Cash Collateral provided for in Section 2.15, or (C) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than an assignment to the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).
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The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.
2.14 Increase in Commitments.
(a) Request for Increase. The Borrower may by written notice to the Administrative Agent elect to request (x) prior to the Maturity Date for the Revolving Credit Facility, an increase to the existing Revolving Credit Commitments (each, an “Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment”) and/or (y) prior to the Maturity Date for the Term A Loans, the establishment of one or more new term loan commitments for an additional Class of term loans or as an increase to an existing Class of Term Loans (each, an “Incremental Term Commitment”), by an aggregate amount not in excess of $400,000,000. Each Incremental Commitment shall be in a minimum amount of $25,000,000. At the time of sending such notice, the Borrower (in consultation with the Administrative Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders or such shorter period as the Borrower and the Administrative Agent may agree).
(b) Lender Elections to Increase. Each Lender may elect or decline, in its sole discretion, to provide any Incremental Commitment and shall notify the Administrative Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to provide any Incremental Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Applicable Percentage of such requested Incremental Commitment. Any Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to provide such Incremental Commitment.
(c) Notification by Administrative Agent; Additional Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender of the Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To the extent the Lenders have not agreed to provide Incremental Commitments in an amount sufficient to provide the full amount of the requested Incremental Commitments, subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent, and, in connection with any Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender (which approvals shall not be unreasonably withheld), the Borrower may also invite additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders in order to provide, together with the existing Lenders providing Incremental Commitments, the aggregate requested Incremental Commitments. In order to become a Lender, each such additional Eligible Assignee shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent a joinder agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel (the “Increase Joinder”). Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10.01, the Increase Joinder or other related Additional Credit Extension Amendment may, without the consent of any other Lenders, effect such amendments to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as may be necessary or appropriate, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, to effect the provisions of this Section 2.14.
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(d) Effective Date and Allocations. If the Aggregate Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall determine the effective date (the “Increase Effective Date”) and the final allocation of such increase. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and the Increase Effective Date.
(e) Conditions to Effectiveness of Incremental Commitments. The Incremental Commitments shall become effective as of the Increase Effective Date; provided that the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of such Loan Party (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Loan Party approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of the Borrower, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct on and as of the Increase Effective Date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.14, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01 (provided that, in the event that the proceeds of Borrowings under such Incremental Commitments will be used to finance a Permitted Acquisition and to the extent the Lenders providing such Incremental Commitments agree, the foregoing clause (A) shall be limited to customary “specified representations” and those representations included in the acquisition agreement related to such Permitted Acquisition that are material to the interests of the Lenders and only to the extent that the Borrower or its applicable Subsidiary has the right to terminate its obligations under such acquisition agreement as a result of a breach of such representations) and (B) no Default exists (provided that, in the event that the proceeds of Borrowings under such Incremental Commitments will be used to finance a Permitted Acquisition and to the extent the Lenders providing such Incremental Commitments agree, the foregoing clause (B) shall not be a condition precedent to such Incremental Commitments).
(f) Adjustment of Revolving Credit Loans. To the extent the Commitments being increased on the relevant Increase Effective Date are Incremental Revolving Credit Commitments, then, on such Increase Effective Date, (i) each relevant Revolving Credit Lender that is increasing its Revolving Credit Commitment shall make available to the Administrative Agent such amounts in immediately available funds as such Administrative Agent shall determine, for the benefit of the other relevant Revolving Credit Lenders, as being required in order to cause, after giving effect to such increase and the application of such amounts to make payments to such other relevant Revolving Credit Lenders, the outstanding Revolving Credit Loans (and risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans and Letter of Credit Exposure) to be held ratably by all Revolving Credit Lenders in accordance with their respective revised Applicable Revolving Credit Percentages, (ii) the Borrower shall be deemed to have prepaid and reborrowed the outstanding Revolving Credit Loans as of such Increase Effective Date to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Revolving Credit Loans ratable with any revised Applicable Revolving Credit Percentages arising from any nonratable increase in the Revolving Commitments under this Section 2.14, and (iii) the Borrower shall pay to the relevant Revolving Credit Lenders the amounts, if any, required pursuant to Section 3.05 as a result of such prepayment.
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(g) Terms of New Loans and Commitments. The terms and provisions of Loans made pursuant to Incremental Commitments shall be as follows:
(i) terms and provisions of Incremental Term Loans shall be, except as otherwise set forth herein, in the Increase Joinder or other related Additional Credit Extension Amendment, identical to the Term A Loans (it being understood that Incremental Term Loans may be a part of the Term A Loans) and to the extent that the terms and provisions of Incremental Term Loans are not identical to the Term A Loans (except to the extent permitted by clause 2.14(g)(iii)(iii), (iv), (v) or (vi) below) they shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; provided that in any event the Incremental Term Loans must comply with clause 2.14(g)(iii)(iii), (iv), (v) or (vi) below;
(ii) the terms and provisions of Revolving Credit Loans made pursuant to new Commitments shall be identical to the Revolving Credit Loans;
(iii) the scheduled principal amortization payments under each Incremental Term Loan shall be as set forth in the related Increase Joinder or other related Additional Credit Extension Amendment; provided that the weighted average life to maturity of each Incremental Term Loan shall not be less than the remaining weighted average life to maturity of the then existing Term A Loans;
(iv) the maturity date of each Incremental Term Loan shall be as set forth in the Increase Joinder or other Additional Credit Extension Amendment; provided that such date shall not be earlier than the Maturity Date for the Term A Loans;
(v) the Applicable Rate, fees and amortization schedule applicable to Incremental Term Loans shall be determined by the Borrower and the Lenders of the Incremental Term Loans and set forth in the related Increase Joinder or other related Additional Credit Extension Amendment;
(vi) any Incremental Term Loans may participate on a pro rata basis or on a less than pro rata basis (but not on a greater than pro rata basis) in any voluntary or mandatory prepayments hereunder (whether by acceleration or otherwise), as specified in the Increase Joinder or other Additional Credit Extension Amendment; and
(vii) Schedule 2.01 shall be deemed revised to reflect the commitments and commitment percentages of the Incremental Term Loan Lenders as set forth in the Increase Joinder or other Additional Credit Extension Amendment.
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(h) Equal and Ratable Benefit. The Loans and Commitments established pursuant to this paragraph shall constitute Loans and Commitments under, and shall be entitled to all the benefits afforded by, this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and shall, without limiting the foregoing, benefit equally and ratably from the Guaranty, except that the new Loans may be subordinated in right of payment to the extent set forth in the Increase Joinder.
(i) Conflicting Provisions. This Section shall supersede any provisions in Sections 2.13 or 10.01 to the contrary.
2.15 Cash Collateral.
(a) Certain Credit Support Events. Upon the request of the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer (i) if the L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, (ii) if, as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains outstanding, or (iii) if required pursuant to Section 2.03(l), the Borrower shall, in each case, immediately Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations. At any time that there shall exist a Defaulting Lender, immediately upon the request of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to cover all Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.16(a)(iv) and any Cash Collateral provided by the Defaulting Lender).
(b) Grant of Security Interest. All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America. The Borrower, and to the extent provided by any Lender, such Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders (including the Swing Line Lender), and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant to Section 2.15(c). If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent as herein provided, or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the applicable Fronting Exposure and other obligations secured thereby, the Borrower or the relevant Defaulting Lender will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency.
(c) Application. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Cash Collateral provided under any of this Section 2.15 or Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.16 or 8.02 in respect of Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans shall be held and applied to the satisfaction of the specific L/C Obligations, Swing Line Loans, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligations for which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may be provided for herein.
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(d) Release. Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) provided to reduce Fronting Exposure or other obligations shall be released promptly following (i) the elimination of the applicable Fronting Exposure or other obligations giving rise thereto (including by the termination of Defaulting Lender status of the applicable Lender (or, as appropriate, its assignee following compliance with Section 10.06(b)(iv))) or (ii) the Administrative Agent’s good faith determination that there exists excess Cash Collateral; provided, however, (x) that Cash Collateral furnished by or on behalf of a Loan Party shall not be released during the continuance of a Default or Event of Default (and following application as provided in this Section 2.15 may be otherwise applied in accordance with Section 8.03), and (y) the Person providing Cash Collateral and the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, may agree that Cash Collateral shall not be released but instead held to support future anticipated Fronting Exposure or other obligations.
2.16 Defaulting Lenders.
(a) Adjustments. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as that Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:
(i) Waivers and Amendments. Such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in Section 10.01.
(ii) Reallocation of Payments. Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of that Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VIII or otherwise, and including any amounts made available to the Administrative Agent by that Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 10.08), shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; third, if so determined by the Administrative Agent or requested by the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, to be held as Cash Collateral for future funding obligations of that Defaulting Lender of any participation in any Swing Line Loan or Letter of Credit; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a non-interest bearing deposit account and released in order to satisfy obligations of that Defaulting Lender to fund Loans under this Agreement; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default or Event of
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Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to that Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowings in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share and (y) such Loans or L/C Borrowings were made at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Borrowings owed to, all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Borrowings owed to, that Defaulting Lender. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to this Section 2.16(a)(ii) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by that Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.
(iii) Certain Fees. Such Defaulting Lender (x) shall be entitled to receive any facility fee pursuant to Section 2.10 for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to extent allocable to the sum of (1) the Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans funded by it and (2) its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans for which it has provided Cash Collateral pursuant to Section 2.03, Section 2.04, Section 2.15, or Section 2.16(a)(ii), as applicable (and the Borrower shall (A) be required to pay to each of the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, the amount of such fee allocable to its Fronting Exposure arising from that Defaulting Lender and (B) not be required to pay the remaining amount of such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender) and (y) shall be limited in its right to receive Letter of Credit Fees as provided in Section 2.03(h).
(iv) Reallocation of Applicable Percentages to Reduce Fronting Exposure. During any period in which there is a Defaulting Lender, for purposes of computing the amount of the obligation of each non-Defaulting Lender to acquire, refinance or fund participations in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans pursuant to Sections 2.03 and 2.04, the “Applicable Percentage” of each non-Defaulting Lender shall be computed without giving effect to the Commitment of that Defaulting Lender; provided, that, (i) each such reallocation shall be given effect only if, at the date the applicable Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, no Default or Event of Default exists; and (ii) the aggregate obligation of each non-Defaulting Lender to acquire, refinance or fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Agreement shall not at any time exceed the positive difference, if any, of (1) the Commitment of that non-Defaulting Lender minus (2) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of that Lender.
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(b) Defaulting Lender Cure. If the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer agree in writing that a Defaulting Lender no longer is a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein (which may include arrangements with respect to any Cash Collateral), that Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase that portion of outstanding Loans of the other Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Committed Loans and funded and unfunded participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans to be held on a pro rata basis by the Lenders in accordance with their Applicable Percentages (without giving effect to Section 2.16(a)(iv)), together with any payments reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent to be necessary to compensate the non-Defaulting Lenders for any loss, cost or expense of the type described in Section 3.05 (all of which purchases are hereby consented to by the Borrower and each Lender) whereupon that Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided, further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.
2.17 Extensions of Term Loans and Revolving Credit Commitments.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, pursuant to one or more offers (each, an “Extension Offer”) made from time to time by the Borrower to all Term Lenders of any Class of Term Loans or any Class of Revolving Credit Commitments, in each case on a pro rata basis (based on the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the respective Term Loans or Revolving Credit Commitments of the applicable Class) and on the same terms to each such Lender, the Borrower is hereby permitted to consummate from time to time transactions with individual Lenders that accept the terms contained in such Extension Offers to extend the maturity date of each such Lender’s Term Loans and/or Revolving Credit Commitments of the applicable Class and otherwise modify the terms of such Term Loans and/or Revolving Credit Commitments pursuant to the terms of the relevant Extension Offer (including, without limitation, by changing the interest rate or fees payable in respect of such Term Loans and/or Revolving Credit Commitments (and related outstandings) and/or modifying the amortization schedule in respect of such Term Loans) (each, an “Extension,” and each group of Term Loans or Revolving Credit Commitments, as applicable, in each case as so extended, as well as the original Term Loans and the original Revolving Credit Commitments (in each case not so extended), being a separate Class of Term Loans from the Class of Term Loans from which they were converted, and any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments (as defined below) shall constitute a separate Class of Revolving Credit Commitments from the Class of Revolving Credit Commitments from which they were converted, it being understood that an Extension may be in the form of an increase in the amount of any other then outstanding Class of Term Loans or Revolving Credit Commitments otherwise satisfying the criteria set forth below), so long as the following terms are satisfied:
(i) no Default shall exist at the time the notice in respect of an Extension Offer is delivered to the Lenders, and no Default shall exist immediately prior to or after giving effect to the effectiveness of any Extended Term Loans (as defined below) or Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, as applicable;
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(ii) except as to interest rates, fees and final maturity (which shall be determined by the Borrower and set forth in the relevant Extension Offer), the Revolving Credit Commitment of any Revolving Credit Lender that agrees to an extension with respect to such Revolving Credit Commitment (an “Extending Revolving Credit Lender”) extended pursuant to an Extension (an “Extended Revolving Credit Commitment”), and the related outstandings, shall be a Revolving Credit Commitment (or related outstandings, as the case may be) with the same terms as the original Class of Revolving Credit Commitments (and related outstandings); provided that at no time shall there be Revolving Credit Commitments hereunder (including Extended Revolving Credit Commitments and any original Revolving Credit Commitments) which have more than two different maturity dates;
(iii) except as to interest rates, fees, amortization, final maturity date, premium, required prepayment dates and participation in prepayments (which shall, subject to immediately succeeding clauses (iv), (v) and (vi), be determined by the Borrower and set forth in the relevant Extension Offer), the Term Loans of any Lender (an “Extending Term Lender”) extended pursuant to any Extension (“Extended Term Loans”) shall have the same terms as the Class of Term Loans subject to such Extension Offer (except for covenants or other provisions contained therein applicable only to periods after the then latest Maturity Date of any Class of Term Loans hereunder or, to the extent such Classes of Term Loans are later prepaid, the period after such prepayment);
(iv) the final maturity date of any Extended Term Loans shall be no earlier than the final maturity date of the Class of Term Loans subject to such Extension Offer and the amortization schedule applicable to Term Loans pursuant to Section 2.07 for periods prior to such final maturity date of the Term Loans subject to such Extension Offer may not be increased;
(v) the weighted average life to maturity of any Extended Term Loans shall be no shorter than the remaining weighted average life to maturity of the Term Loans extended thereby;
(vi) any Extended Term Loans may participate on a pro rata basis or on a less than pro rata basis (but not on a greater than pro rata basis) in any voluntary or mandatory prepayments hereunder, as specified in the applicable Extension Offer;
(vii) if the aggregate principal amount of the Class of Term Loans (calculated on the face amount thereof) or Revolving Credit Commitments, as the case may be, in respect of which Term Lenders or Revolving Credit Lenders, as the case may be, shall have accepted the relevant
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Extension Offer shall exceed the maximum aggregate principal amount of Term Loans or Revolving Credit Commitments of such Class, as the case may be, offered to be extended by the Borrower pursuant to such Extension Offer, then the Term Loans or Revolving Credit Commitments of such Class, as the case may be, of such Term Lenders or Revolving Credit Lenders, as the case may be, shall be extended ratably up to such maximum amount based on the respective principal amounts (but not to exceed actual holdings of record) with respect to which such Term Lenders or Revolving Credit Lenders, as the case may be, have accepted such Extension Offer;
(viii) the establishment of any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments shall be accompanied by a reduction in the Revolving Credit Commitments in at least the amount of such Extended Revolving Credit Commitments; provided that any reduction in the Revolving Credit Commitments may, at the option of the Borrower, be directed to a disproportional reduction of the Revolving Credit Commitments of any Lender providing an Extended Revolving Credit Commitment;
(ix) all documentation in respect of such Extension shall be consistent with the foregoing and otherwise acceptable to the Administrative Agent; and
(x) any applicable minimum extension condition required by the Borrower shall be satisfied unless waived by the Borrower.
(b) With respect to all Extensions consummated by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.17(a), (i) such Extensions shall not constitute voluntary or mandatory payments or prepayments for purposes of Section 2.05 and (ii) there shall be not more than five (5) Classes of Extended Term Loans outstanding at any time. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby consent to the transactions contemplated by this Section 2.17 (including, for the avoidance of doubt, payment of any interest, fees or premium in respect of any Extended Term Loans and/or Extended Revolving Credit Commitments on the such terms as may be set forth in the relevant Extension Offer) and hereby waive the requirements of any provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, Sections 2.05, 2.12 and 2.13) or any other Loan Document that may otherwise prohibit any such Extension or any other transaction contemplated by this Section 2.17.
(c) No consent of any Lender or the Administrative Agent shall be required to effectuate any Extension, other than (i) the consent of each Lender agreeing to such Extension with respect to one or more of its Term Loans and/or Revolving Credit Commitments (or a portion thereof) and (ii) with respect to any Extension of any Class of Revolving Credit Commitments, the consent of the L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender (if such L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender is being requested to issue letters of credit or make swing line loans with respect to the Class of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments). The Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent to enter into an Additional Credit Extension Amendment to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with the Borrower and the other applicable Loan Parties as may be necessary in order to establish new Classes in respect of Revolving Credit
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Commitments or Term Loans so extended and such technical amendments as may be necessary or appropriate in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent in connection with the establishment of such new Classes, in each case on terms consistent with this Section 2.17.
(d) In connection with any Extension, the Borrower shall provide the Administrative Agent at least five (5) Business Days’ (or such shorter period as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent) prior written notice thereof, and shall agree to such procedures (including, without limitation, regarding timing, rounding and other adjustments and to ensure reasonable administrative management of the credit facilities hereunder after such Extension), if any, as may be established by, or acceptable to, the Administrative Agent, in each case acting reasonably to accomplish the purposes of this Section 2.17.
(e) This Section shall supersede any provisions in Sections 2.13 or 10.01 to the contrary. Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, no Lender’s Commitments may be extended without such Lender’s consent and any such decision whether to extend its Term Loan or Revolving Credit Commitment shall be in such Lender’s sole and absolute discretion.
ARTICLE III.
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
3.01 Taxes.
(a) Payments Free of Taxes; Obligation to Withhold; Payments on Account of Taxes. (i) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall to the extent permitted by applicable Laws be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Taxes. If, however, applicable Laws require the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to withhold or deduct any Tax, such Tax shall be withheld or deducted in accordance with such Laws as determined by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, upon the basis of the information and documentation to be delivered pursuant to subsection (e) below.
(ii) If the Borrower or the Administrative Agent shall be required by the Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes, including both United States Federal backup withholding and withholding Taxes, from any payment, then (A) the Administrative Agent shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by the Administrative Agent to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) the Administrative Agent shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with the Code, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, Lender or L/C Issuer, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.
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(b) Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Laws.
(c) Tax Indemnifications. (i) Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) above, the Borrower shall, and does hereby, indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the L/C Issuer, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) withheld or deducted by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent or paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, as a result of its Commitment, any Loans made by it hereunder, any Letter of Credit issued hereunder, any participation in any of the foregoing, or otherwise arising in any manner in connection with any Loan Document and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. The Borrower shall also, and does hereby, indemnify the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, for any amount which a Lender or the L/C Issuer for any reason fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required by clause (ii) of this subsection. A certificate as to the amount of any such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(ii) Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) above, each Lender and the L/C Issuer shall, and does hereby, indemnify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, against any and all Taxes and any and all related losses, claims, liabilities, penalties, interest and expenses (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Borrower or the Administrative Agent) incurred by or asserted against the Borrower or the Administrative Agent by any Governmental Authority as a result of the failure by such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to deliver, or as a result of the inaccuracy, inadequacy or deficiency of, any documentation required to be delivered by such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (e). Each Lender and the L/C Issuer hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (ii). The agreements in this clause (ii) shall survive the resignation and/or replacement of the Administrative Agent, any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.
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(d) Evidence of Payments. Upon request by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, after any payment of Indemnified Taxes by the Borrower or by the Administrative Agent to a Governmental Authority as provided in this Section 3.01, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent or the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the Borrower, as the case may be, the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return required by Laws to report such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be.
(e) Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation. (i) Each Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and to the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by applicable Laws or when reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable Laws or by the taxing authorities of any jurisdiction and such other reasonably requested information as will permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine (A) whether or not payments made hereunder or under any other Loan Document are subject to Taxes, (B) if applicable, the required rate of withholding or deduction, and (C) such Lender’s entitlement to any available exemption from, or reduction of, applicable Taxes in respect of all payments to be made to such Lender by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise to establish such Lender’s status for withholding tax purposes in the applicable jurisdiction.
(ii) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States,
(A) any Lender that is a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or such other documentation or information prescribed by applicable Laws or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements; and
(B) each Foreign Lender that is entitled under the Code or any applicable treaty to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number as shall be reasonably requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:
(I) executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party,
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(II) executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI,
(III) executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8IMY and all required supporting documentation,
(IV) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or
(V) executed originals of any other form prescribed by applicable Laws as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States Federal withholding tax together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable Laws to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.
(C) if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
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(iii) Each Lender shall promptly (A) notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction, and (B) take such steps as shall not be materially disadvantageous to it, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, and as may be reasonably necessary (including the re-designation of its Lending Office) to avoid any requirement of applicable Laws of any jurisdiction that the Borrower or the Administrative Agent make any withholding or deduction for Taxes from amounts payable to such Lender.
(f) Treatment of Certain Refunds. Unless required by applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender or the L/C Issuer, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. If the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Indemnified Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section with respect to the Indemnified Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer in the event the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This subsection shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.
3.02 Illegality. If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended, and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans
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(the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.
3.03 Inability to Determine Rates. If the Required Lenders determine that for any reason in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof that (a) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank eurodollar market for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan, or (c) the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender. Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurodollar Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.
3.04 Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans.
(a) Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement contemplated by Section 3.04(e)) or the L/C Issuer;
(ii) subject any Lender or the L/C Issuer to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any participation in a Letter of Credit or any Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it, or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender or the L/C Issuer in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes covered by Section 3.01 and the imposition of, or any change in the rate of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer); or
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(iii) impose on any Lender or the L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate, or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or the L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) Capital Requirements. If any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or the L/C Issuer or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c) Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d) Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine months prior to the date that such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case
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may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).
(e) Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans. The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurodollar Rate Loan and each Base Rate Loan that bears interest at the rate set forth in clause (c) of the definition thereof equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Borrower shall have received at least 10 days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice 10 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable 10 days from receipt of such notice.
3.05 Compensation for Losses. Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:
(a) any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);
(b) any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower; or
(c) any assignment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 10.13;
including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.
For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders under this Section 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurodollar Rate Loan was in fact so funded.
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3.06 Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
(a) Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender, the L/C Issuer, or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, then at the request of the Borrower such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall, as applicable, use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or the L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b) Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 10.13.
3.07 Survival. All of the Borrower’s obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, and resignation of the Administrative Agent.
ARTICLE IV.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
4.01 Conditions of Initial Credit Extension. The obligation of the L/C Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:
(a) The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or telecopies (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party, each dated as of the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders:
(i) executed counterparts of this Agreement and the Guaranty, sufficient in number for distribution to the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Borrower;
(ii) a Note executed by the Borrower in favor of each Lender requesting a Note;
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(iii) such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party;
(iv) such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is duly organized or formed, validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(v) a favorable opinion of Winston & Xxxxxx LLP, counsel to the Loan Parties, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to such matters concerning the Loan Parties and the Loan Documents as the Required Lenders may reasonably request;
(vi) a certificate of a Responsible Officer of each Loan Party either (A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by such Loan Party and the validity against such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or approvals are so required;
(vii) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying (A) that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied, (B) that there has been no event or circumstance since December 31, 2013 that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; (C) a calculation of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of the Borrower ended December 31, 2013;
(viii) an officer’s certificate prepared by the chief financial officer of the Borrower attesting to the financial condition and Solvency of the Borrower and the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, respectively, after giving effect to the Loans to be made on the Closing Date, the other Credit Extensions related thereto and the other transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;
(ix) an initial Request for Credit Extension with respect to the Credit Extensions to be made on the Closing Date in accordance with the requirements hereof; and
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(x) such other assurances, certificates, documents, consents or opinions as the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any Lender reasonably may require.
(b) Any and all fees payable on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid or be simultaneously paid with the proceeds of such initial Credit Extension.
(c) Unless waived by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall have paid, or be simultaneously paying with the proceeds of such initial Credit Extension, all fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent (directly to such counsel if requested by the Administrative Agent) to the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional amounts of such fees, charges and disbursements as shall constitute its reasonable estimate of such fees, charges and disbursements incurred or to be incurred by it through the closing proceedings (provided that such estimate shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent).
(d) The Borrower shall have terminated the commitments of the lenders and repaid or prepaid in full all amounts outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement (and any letters of credit outstanding thereunder shall have been cash collateralized or continued as Letters of Credit under this Agreement).
(e) There shall not exist any action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened in any court or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(f) The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received, at least three Business Days in advance of the Closing Date, all documentation and instruments required by regulatory authorities with respect to the Borrower and Guarantors under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including without limitation the Patriot Act, that has been reasonably requested by Lenders prior to the Closing Date.
(g) The Borrower shall have purchased the Farm Credit Equities, consistent with the requirements of Section 6.13.
Without limiting the generality of the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9.03, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required hereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.
4.02 Conditions to all Credit Extensions. The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions precedent:
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(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower and each other Loan Party contained in Article V or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects (except, if a qualifier relating to materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar concept applies to any representation or warranty, such representation or warranty shall be required to be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects (except, if a qualifier relating to materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar concept applies to any representation or warranty, such representation or warranty shall be required to be true and correct in all respects) as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01.
(b) No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.
(c) The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.
Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.
ARTICLE V.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:
5.01 Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws. Each Loan Party and each Subsidiary thereof (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own or lease its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license, and (d) is in compliance with all Laws; except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i), (c) or (d), to the extent that failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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5.02 Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is a party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any material breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under (other than Liens permitted by clause (a) of Section 7.01), or require any payment to be made under any material Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or affecting such Person or its properties or any of its Subsidiaries; (c) violate any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject; or (d) violate any Law in any material respect. Each Loan Party and each Subsidiary thereof is in compliance with all Contractual Obligations referred to in clause (b), except to the extent that failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.03 Governmental Authorization; Other Consents. No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document to which it is a party except such approvals, consents, exemptions, authorizations or other actions as have been made or obtained, as applicable, and are in full force and effect.
5.04 Binding Effect. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally or by general principles of equity.
5.05 Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.
(a) The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (ii) fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein.
(b) [Reserved].
(c) Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.06 Litigation. There are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower overtly threatened, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, in each case in any material respect, or (b) either individually or in the aggregate would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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5.07 No Default. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation that would, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
5.08 Ownership of Property; Liens. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary has good and marketable title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its business, except for such defects in title as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than Liens permitted by Section 7.01.
5.09 Environmental Compliance. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries conduct in the ordinary course of business a review of the effect of existing Environmental Laws and claims alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of any Environmental Law on their respective businesses, operations and properties, and as a result thereof the Borrower has reasonably concluded that such Environmental Laws and claims would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.10 Insurance. The properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary operates.
5.11 Taxes. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all Federal, state and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is party to any tax sharing agreement, other than tax sharing agreements among Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries.
5.12 ERISA Compliance.
(a) Each Plan is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other Federal or state Laws. Each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS or an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS with respect thereto or will be filed within the applicable remedial application period and, to the best
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knowledge of the Borrower, nothing has occurred which would prevent, or cause the loss of, such qualification. The Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate have made all material required contributions to each Plan subject to the Pension Funding Rules, and no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period pursuant to the Pension Funding Rules has been made with respect to any Plan.
(b) There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) (i) With respect to all Multiemployer Plans, no ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur which has resulted in or would reasonably be excepted to result in liability of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in an aggregate amount in excess of $50,000,000; (ii) with respect to all Plans other than Multiemployer Plans, no ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (iii) no Pension Plan has any Unfunded Pension Liability in excess of $50,000,000; (iv) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate reasonably expects to incur any material liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan (other than premiums due and not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA); (v) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate reasonably expects to incur any material liability (and, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in such liability) under Sections 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multiemployer Plan; and (vi) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Sections 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.
5.13 Subsidiaries; Equity Interests. As of the Closing Date, the Borrower has no Subsidiaries other than those specifically disclosed in Part (a) of Schedule 5.13, and all of the outstanding Equity Interests in such Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Borrower in the amounts specified on Part (a) of Schedule 5.13 free and clear of all Liens (other than Liens permitted by clauses (a) through (m) of Section 7.01). As of the Closing Date, the Borrower has no other equity investments in any other corporation or entity other than those specifically disclosed in Part(b) of Schedule 5.13 and those permitted by Section 7.02(a).
5.14 Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.
(a) The Borrower is not engaged and will not engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the FRB), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock.
(b) None of the Borrower, any Person Controlling the Borrower, or any Subsidiary is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
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5.15 Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case, as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
5.16 Compliance with Laws. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.17 Solvency. As of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the Credit Extensions to be made on the Closing Date, each Loan Party is, individually and together with its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, Solvent.
5.18 Anti-Terrorism Laws.
(a) No Loan Party nor, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, any Subsidiary of a Loan Party, any director, officer, agent, employee, Affiliate of, or other Persons associated with or acting on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is currently the subject of any Sanctions or located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is, or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, Northern Korea, Sudan or Syria). No Loan, nor the proceeds from any Loan or any other Credit Extension, has been used or will be used, directly or indirectly, to lend, contribute, provide or has otherwise made available to fund any activity or business of any Person who is the subject of any Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in any violation by any Person (including any Lender, the Arrangers, the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender) of Sanctions.
(b) None of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, any director, officer, agent, employee, Affiliate of, or other Person associated with or acting on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA or any other applicable anti-corruption law; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.
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(c) No part of the proceeds of the Credit Extensions will be used, directly or indirectly, (i) for any payments to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the FCPA or any other applicable anti-corruption law; or (ii) to fund any activities or business of or with any Person, or in a country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is, or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions.
(d) To the extent applicable, each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance, in all material respects, with (i) the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, and each of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) and any other enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto and (ii) the Patriot Act.
ARTICLE VI.
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall, and shall (except in the case of the covenants set forth in Sections 6.01, 6.02, and 6.03) cause each Subsidiary to:
6.01 Financial Statements. Deliver to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:
(a) as soon as available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower (or if earlier within 15 days after the date required to be filed with the SEC (without giving effect to extensions)), a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of a Registered Public Accounting Firm of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable (it being agreed that any “Big Four” accounting firm shall be deemed to be acceptable) to the Required Lenders (the “Auditor”), which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with audit standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and applicable Securities Laws and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit or with respect to the absence of material misstatement; and
(b) as soon as available, but in any event within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower (commencing with the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2014) (or if earlier within 10 days after the date required to be filed with the SEC (without giving effect to extensions)), a consolidated balance sheet of the
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Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal year then ended, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, such consolidated statements to be certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.
As to any information contained in materials furnished pursuant to Section 6.02(c), the Borrower shall not be separately required to furnish such information under clause (a) or (b) above, but the foregoing shall not be in derogation of the obligation of the Borrower to furnish the information and materials described in clauses (a) and (b) above at the times specified therein.
6.02 Certificates; Other Information. Deliver to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:
(a) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 6.01(a) and (b) (commencing with the delivery of the financial statements for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2014), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower (which delivery may, unless the Administrative Agent, or a Lender requests executed originals, be by electronic communication including fax or e-mail and shall be deemed to be an original authentic counterpart thereof for all purposes);
(b) promptly after any request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of the Borrower by independent accountants in connection with the accounts or books of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any audit of any of them;
(c) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of the Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which the Borrower may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, and not otherwise required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto; and
(d) promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.
Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) or Section 6.02(c) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the
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Borrower’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 10.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender that requests the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (ii) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender (by facsimile or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents. The Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery of or to maintain paper copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Borrower with any such request for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.
The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or the Arrangers will make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar electronic system (the “Platform”) and (b) certain of the Lenders (each, a “Public Lender”) may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC”, the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not containing any material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal and state securities laws (provided, however, that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 10.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated Public Side Information”; and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated “Public Side Information”.
6.03 Notices. Promptly notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) of the occurrence of any Default;
(b) of any matter that has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) of the occurrence of any ERISA Event other than those disclosed on Schedule 6.03(c); and
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(d) of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
Each notice pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to Section 6.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.
6.04 Payment of Taxes. Pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable, all tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets, unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by the Borrower or such Subsidiary.
6.05 Preservation of Existence, Etc. (a) Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization except in a transaction permitted by Section 7.04 or 7.05; (b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) preserve or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.06 Maintenance of Properties. (a) Maintain, preserve and protect all of its material properties and equipment necessary in the operation of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted; and (b) make all necessary repairs thereto and renewals and replacements thereof, in each case except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.07 Maintenance of Insurance. Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons.
6.08 Compliance with Laws. Comply in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its business or property, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; or (b) the failure to comply therewith would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.09 Books and Records. Maintain proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.
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6.10 Inspection Rights. Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Administrative Agent and each Lender to visit and inspect any of its properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its directors, officers, and independent public accountants, all at the expense of the Borrower and at such reasonable times during normal business hours, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower; provided, however, that (i) so long as no Event of Default exists, inspections pursuant to this Section 6.10 shall be limited to no more than once per calendar year, and (ii) when an Event of Default exists the Administrative Agent or any Lender (or any of their respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at any time during normal business hours, as often as may be desired and without advance notice.
6.11 Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions (i) to refinance Existing Credit Agreement and (ii) for working capital and other general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document.
6.12 Additional Guarantors.
(a) As soon as practicable (but in any event within 30 days (or such longer period approved by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion) following the earlier of (x) the delivery of financial statements referred to in Section 6.01(a) or (b), as applicable, with respect to any fiscal quarter in which such Person has become a Material Subsidiary, or (y) any Investment in, Disposition of assets by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to, or Acquisition that results in such Person becoming a Material Subsidiary), cause each Person (other than a Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company) that becomes a Material Subsidiary (other than a Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary) to deliver to the Administrative Agent each of the following: (i) a Guaranty Joinder Agreement duly executed by such Subsidiary; (ii) current copies of the documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of Section 4.01(a) with respect to such Subsidiary, all certified by the applicable Governmental Authority or appropriate officer as the Administrative Agent may elect, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and (iii) if requested by the Administrative Agent, opinions of counsel to such Subsidiary with respect to the documents delivered and the transactions contemplated by this Section 6.12(a) substantially similar in form and substance to the opinion of counsel delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(a)(v) or otherwise acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
(b) As soon as practicable (but in any event within 30 days (or such longer period approved by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion) following the earlier of (x) the delivery of financial statements referred to in Section 6.01(a) or (b), as applicable, with respect to any fiscal quarter in which such event occurs, or (y) any Investment by or Disposition of assets by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Acquisition that results in any such event), (i) notify the Administrative Agent if in excess of 15% of Consolidated Domestic Assets are owned by, or in excess of 15% of Consolidated EBITDA in any fiscal year is contributed by, Domestic Subsidiaries which are not Guarantors (excluding for the purpose of such calculation any Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary), and, (ii) cause such Domestic Subsidiaries (other than a Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company) as are necessary to eliminate such excess to deliver to the Administrative Agent each of the items described in clauses (i) through (iii) of Section 6.12(a) above.
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(c) Notify the Administrative if at any time any Subsidiary of the Borrower which is not a Guarantor Guarantees any Indebtedness of the Borrower and as soon as practicable (but in any event within 30 days), cause such Subsidiary (other than a Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company) to deliver to the Administrative Agent each of the items described in clauses (i) through (iii) of Section 6.12(a) above.
(d) Within thirty days of the Closing Date, either (x) provide Administrative Agent with evidence (which may be in the form of a certificate of the Borrower and/or copies of release documents) evidencing the release of each Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company from its guaranty of the Senior Notes, or (y) provide a Guaranty from such Foreign Subsidiary Holding Company.
6.13 Farm Credit Equities. (a) So long as a Farm Credit Lender is a Lender or Voting Participant hereunder, the Borrower will acquire equity in such Farm Credit Lender in such amounts and at such times as such Farm Credit Lender may require in accordance with such Farm Credit Lender’s bylaws and capital plan or similar documents (as each may be amended from time to time), except that the maximum amount of equity that the Borrower may be required to purchase in such Farm Credit Lender in connection with the portion of the Loans made by such Farm Credit Lender may not exceed the maximum amount permitted by the applicable bylaws, capital plan and related documents (x) at the time this Agreement is entered into or (y) in the case of a Farm Credit Lender that becomes a Lender or Voting Participant as a result of an assignment or sale of participation, at the time of the closing of the related assignment or sale of participation. The Borrower acknowledges receipt of documents from each Farm Credit Lender that describe the nature of the Borrower’s stock and other equities in such Farm Credit Lender acquired in connection with its patronage loan from such Farm Credit Lender (the “Farm Credit Equities”) as well as applicable capitalization requirements, and agrees to be bound by the terms thereof.
(b) Each party hereto acknowledges that each Farm Credit Lender’s bylaws, capital plan and similar documents (as each may be amended from time to time) shall govern (x) the rights and obligations of the parties with respect to the Farm Credit Equities and any patronage refunds or other distributions made on account thereof or on account of the Borrower’s patronage with such Farm Credit Lender, (y) the Borrower’s eligibility for patronage distributions from such Farm Credit Lender (in the form of Farm Credit Equities and cash) and (z) patronage distributions, if any, in the event of a sale of a participation interest. Each Farm Credit Lender reserves the right to assign or sell participations in all or any part of its Commitments or outstanding Loans hereunder on a non-patronage basis (and/or to a Lender that pays no patronage or pays patronage that is lower than the patronage paid by the transferring Farm Credit Lender) in accordance with Section 10.06.
(c) Each party hereto acknowledges that each Farm Credit Lender has a statutory first lien pursuant to the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (as amended from time to time) on all Farm Credit Equities of such Farm Credit Lender that the Borrower may now own or hereafter acquire, which statutory lien shall be for such Farm Credit Lender’s sole and exclusive
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benefit. The Farm Credit Equities of a particular Farm Credit Lender shall not constitute security for the Obligations due to any other Lender. To the extent that any of the Loan Documents create a Lien on the Farm Credit Equities of a Farm Credit Lender or on patronage accrued by such Farm Credit Lender for the account of the Borrower (including, in each case, proceeds thereof), such Lien shall be for such Farm Credit Lender’s sole and exclusive benefit and shall not be subject to pro rata sharing hereunder. Neither the Farm Credit Equities nor any accrued patronage shall be offset against the obligations hereunder except that, in the event of an Event of Default, a Farm Credit Lender may elect, solely at its discretion, to apply the cash portion of any patronage distribution or retirement of equity, made with respect to the Farm Credit Equities of such Farm Credit Lender, to amounts due under this Agreement. The Borrower acknowledges that any corresponding tax liability associated with such application is the sole responsibility of the Borrower. No Farm Credit Lender shall have an obligation to retire the Farm Credit Equities of such Farm Credit Lender upon any Default, either for application to the Obligations or otherwise.
ARTICLE VII.
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
7.01 Liens. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than the following:
(a) Liens pursuant to any Loan Document;
(b) Liens existing on the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 7.01 and any renewals or extensions thereof, provided that (i) the property covered thereby is not changed, (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not increased except as contemplated by Section 7.03(b), (iii) the direct or any contingent obligor with respect thereto is not changed, and (iv) any renewal or extension of the obligations secured or benefited thereby is permitted by Section 7.03(b);
(c) Liens for taxes not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;
(d) liens of landlords and carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not overdue for a period of more than 60 days or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person;
(e) pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security or similar legislation, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA;
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(f) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other than Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(g) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person;
(h) Liens securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting an Event of Default under Section 8.01(h);
(i) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.03(c) (or, with respect to the Borrower, Indebtedness of the type described in Section 7.03(c)); provided that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Indebtedness (and improvements and attachments thereto) and (ii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost or fair market value, whichever is lower, of the property being acquired on the date of acquisition;
(j) Liens securing Acquired Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.03(d); provided that such Liens do not (i) at any time encumber any property other than property acquired in such Permitted Acquisition (and improvements and attachments thereto), or (ii) secure any Indebtedness other than Acquired Indebtedness existing immediately prior to the time of acquisition of such property;
(k) Liens on accounts receivable (and related supporting obligations and books and records) subject to any Permitted Securitization Facility;
(l) other Liens incidental to the conduct of the Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries businesses (including Liens on goods securing trade letters of credit issued in respect of the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business, or the ownership of any of the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s property or assets) which (x) are not incurred in connection with Indebtedness, and (y) do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of the Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiary’s property or assets or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of the Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiary’s businesses;
(m) customary rights of setoff, revocation, refund or chargeback under deposit agreements, or banker’s or similar liens arising under the UCC, of banks or other financial institutions where the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries maintains deposit accounts in the ordinary course of business in accordance with this Agreement;
(n) Liens securing Indebtedness and other obligations otherwise permitted hereunder; provided, that the aggregate outstanding amount of Indebtedness secured by such Liens, when taken together with all Indebtedness permitted by Section 7.03(g) then outstanding, does not at any time exceed $75,000,000 less the aggregate outstanding Sale and Leaseback Permitted Amount from Sale and Leaseback Transactions consummated in accordance with Section 7.13; and
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(o) statutory Liens on the Farm Credit Equities of any Farm Credit Lender that the Borrower has acquired pursuant to Section 6.13.
7.02 Investments. Make any Investments, except:
(a) Investments held by the Borrower or such Subsidiary in the form of cash and cash equivalents (including Investments consisting of deposits with financial institutions available for withdrawal on demand);
(b) Investments of the Borrower in any wholly-owned Subsidiary and Investments of any wholly-owned Subsidiary in the Borrower or in another wholly-owned Subsidiary;
(c) Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of prepaid expenses, accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled account debtors to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or limit loss;
(d) Guarantees permitted by Section 7.03;
(e) Permitted Acquisitions (other than Acquisitions in which (x) immediately after the consummation of such Acquisition, the Person acquired is not either a wholly-owned Subsidiary or merged into the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary or, (y) if assets are being acquired, the acquiror is not the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary);
(f) Investments of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in, and the creation of, any Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary;
(g) so long as no Default shall exist or would result therefrom, other Investments that, when taken together with the aggregate amount of all other Investments previously made pursuant to this Section 7.02(g) (net of any principal amount thereof that is repaid or returned), do not exceed 20% of Consolidated Tangible Assets (calculated as of the most recent date for which financial statements have been furnished pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) or, if no such financial statements have been delivered, as calculated in the Audited Financial Statements); and
(h) the Farm Credit Equities and any other stock or securities of, or Investments in, Farm Credit Lenders or their investment services or programs.
7.03 Subsidiary Indebtedness. Permit any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) (i) Indebtedness under the Loan Documents or, with respect to any Loan Party, under Guaranteed Cash Management Agreement or Guaranteed Hedge Agreement, and (ii) to the extent a Subsidiary is also a Guarantor, Indebtedness of such Subsidiary under Guarantees of the Senior Notes and Guarantees of other unsecured Indebtedness of the Borrower;
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(b) Indebtedness outstanding on the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 7.03 and any refinancings, refundings, renewals or extensions thereof; provided that the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder;
(c) Indebtedness in respect of capital leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and purchase money obligations for fixed or capital assets within the limitations set forth in Section 7.01(j); provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding, when taken together with all Indebtedness permitted by Section 7.03(d) then outstanding, shall not exceed 10% of Consolidated Tangible Assets;
(d) Acquired Indebtedness; provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding, when taken together with all Indebtedness permitted by Section 7.03(c) then outstanding, shall not exceed 10% of Consolidated Tangible Assets;
(e) Indebtedness of any Subsidiary owing to the Borrower or any wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower; provided, that any such Indebtedness of any Guarantor shall be to the Borrower or another Guarantor or subordinate to the payment in full in cash of the Obligations on terms and conditions acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion;
(f) Indebtedness pursuant to any Permitted Securitization Facility; and
(g) Indebtedness not otherwise permitted by this Section 7.03 the aggregate outstanding amount of which, when taken together with the aggregate outstanding amount of Indebtedness of the Borrower secured by a Lien permitted by Section 7.01(n), does not at any time exceed $100,000,000 less the aggregate outstanding Sale and Leaseback Permitted Amount from Sale and Leaseback Transactions consummated in accordance with Section 7.13.
7.04 Fundamental Changes. Merge, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate with or into another Person, or 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 or in favor of any Person, except that, so long as no Default exists or would result therefrom:
(a) any Subsidiary may merge with (i) the Borrower, provided that the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or (ii) any one or more other Subsidiaries, provided that (x) when any wholly-owned Subsidiary is merging with another Subsidiary, the wholly-owned Subsidiary shall be the continuing or surviving Person and (y) when any Guarantor is merging with another Subsidiary, the Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving Person;
(b) any Subsidiary may Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or to another Subsidiary; provided that (x) if the transferor in such a transaction is a wholly-owned Subsidiary, then the transferee must either be the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary, and (y) if the transferor in such a transaction is a Guarantor, then the transferee must either be the Borrower or another Guarantor;
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(c) the Borrower or any Subsidiary may Dispose of any Equity Interests to another Subsidiary or to the Borrower; provided, that (x) if the transferor in such transaction is a wholly-owned Subsidiary, then the transferee must either be the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary, and (y) if the transferor in such transaction is a Guarantor, then the transferee must either be the Borrower or another Guarantor;
(d) any Subsidiary may merge with, or Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets to, another Person in order to consummate a Disposition permitted by Section 7.05(g);
(e) the Borrower or any Subsidiary may engage in Permitted Acquisitions pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; and (i) any Person may merge into or consolidate with the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) any Subsidiary may merge into or consolidate with another Person, in each case, in connection with a Permitted Acquisition so long as, (x) in the case of any merger involving the Borrower or a Guarantor, the Borrower or such Guarantor, as applicable, is the surviving entity or (y) in the case of any merger involving a Subsidiary where the other Person is the surviving entity, such Person becomes a Guarantor in accordance with Section 6.12.
7.05 Dispositions. Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except:
(a) Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, in the ordinary course of business;
(b) Dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business;
(c) Dispositions of equipment or real property to the extent that (i) such property is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement property or (ii) the proceeds of such Disposition are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement property;
(d) Dispositions of property by any Subsidiary to the Borrower or to a wholly-owned Subsidiary; provided that if the transferor of such property is a Guarantor, the transferee thereof must either be the Borrower or a Guarantor;
(e) Dispositions permitted by Section 7.04(a), Section 7.04(b) or Section 7.04(c);
(f) Dispositions of accounts receivable (and related supporting obligations and books and records) subject to any Permitted Securitization Facility; and
(g) Dispositions not otherwise permitted by this Section 7.05; provided, that (i) at the time of such Disposition, no Default shall exist or would result from such Disposition, (ii) the aggregate book value of all property Disposed of in reliance on this clause (g)
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in any 12 month period shall not exceed 20% of Consolidated Tangible Assets (calculated as of the most recent date for which financial statements have been furnished pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) or, if no such financial statements have been delivered, as calculated in the Audited Financial Statements), and (iii) any Disposition pursuant to this clause (g) shall be for fair market value.
7.06 Restricted Payments. Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except that, so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of any action described below or would result therefrom:
(a) each Subsidiary may make Restricted Payments to the Borrower, the Guarantors and any other Person that owns an Equity Interest in such Subsidiary, ratably according to their respective holdings of the type of Equity Interest in respect of which such Restricted Payment is being made;
(b) the Borrower and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in the common stock or other common Equity Interests of such Person;
(c) the Borrower and each Subsidiary may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire Equity Interests issued by it with the proceeds received from the substantially concurrent issue of new shares of its common stock or other common Equity Interests; and
(d) the Borrower may declare or pay cash dividends to its stockholders and purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for cash Equity Interests issued by it; provided that at the time of such declaration, payment, purchase, redemption or acquisition, as the case may be, (i) no Default shall exist or would result therefrom, (ii) there shall be at least $50,000,000 of Available Liquidity, both immediately prior to declaration and immediately after payment of such cash dividend or purchase of redemption price, and (iii) with respect to any Restricted Payment the amount of which, when added to the amount of all other Restricted Payments pursuant to this clause (d) in the immediately preceding twelve months, is in excess of $25,000,000, the Borrower shall have furnished to the Administrative Agent a Compliance Certificate prepared on a historical pro forma basis as of the most recent date for which financial statements have been furnished pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) (or, if no such financial statements have been delivered, as of the date of the Audited Financial Statements), which Compliance Certificate shall demonstrate that, upon giving pro forma effect to such action as of the date thereof and all such other prior Restricted Payments pursuant to this clause (d) as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter, no Default would be deemed to have occurred at such time as a result thereof.
7.07 Acquisitions. Consummate any Acquisition, unless (i) the Person to be (or whose assets are to be) acquired does not oppose such Acquisition and the line or lines of business of the Person to be acquired are Permitted Lines of Business; and (ii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing either immediately prior to or immediately after giving effect to such Acquisition and, if the Cost of Acquisition is in excess of $75,000,000, prior to the consummation of such Acquisition, the Borrower shall have furnished
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to the Administrative Agent, (A) pro forma historical financial statements as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year of the Borrower and most recent interim fiscal quarter, if applicable, giving effect to such Acquisition and (B) a Compliance Certificate prepared on a historical pro forma basis as of the most recent date for which financial statements have been furnished pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) (or, if no such financial statements have been delivered, as of the date of the Audited Financial Statements) giving effect to such Acquisition, which certificate shall demonstrate that no Default or Event of Default would exist immediately after giving effect thereto; provided that, with respect to the Consolidated Leverage Ratio covenant in Section 7.12(b), the Borrower may demonstrate pro forma compliance with such covenant if (x) it demonstrates a pro forma Consolidated Leverage Ratio greater than 3.50 to 1.00 but less than 4.00 to 1.00 and (y) the fiscal quarter during which such Acquisition is or would be consummated either (A) is going to be a Trigger Quarter based on such pro forma projections (in which case such fiscal quarter shall be deemed to be a Trigger Quarter) so long as the second proviso to Section 7.12(b) does not apply or (B) falls within an Acquisition Compliance Period.
7.08 Change in Nature of Business. Engage in any material line of business other than Permitted Lines of Business.
7.09 Transactions with Affiliates. Enter into any transaction of any kind with any Affiliate of the Borrower other than (a) transactions which are on fair and reasonable terms substantially as favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary as would be obtainable by the Borrower or such Subsidiary at the time in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate, and (b) transactions among Loan Parties.
7.10 Burdensome Agreements. Enter into any Contractual Obligation (other than this Agreement or any other Loan Document) that (a) limits the ability of any Subsidiary (other than a Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary) to make Restricted Payments to the Borrower or any Guarantor or to otherwise transfer property to the Borrower or any Guarantor, in each case other than (i) any limitation consisting of customary non-assignment provisions in Contractual Obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business to the extent such provisions restrict the transfer or assignment of such agreement, (ii) any limitation pursuant to a Lien permitted under clause (i) or (j) of Section 7.01 to the extent such provisions restrict the transfer of the property subject to such agreements, (iii) customary limitations on the Disposition of an asset pursuant to an agreement with a Person that is not an Affiliate to Dispose of such asset to such Person to the extent such Disposition is permitted by Section 7.05, (iv) customary limitations on a Subsidiary party to a Permitted Securitization Facility that restrict the transfer of such Subsidiary’s interest in accounts receivable (and related supporting obligations and books and records) subject to such Permitted Securitization Facility, and (v) limitations set forth in documents governing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.03(d) so long as such limitations are not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person(s), or the property or assets of the Person(s), that are the subject of the applicable Acquisition, or (b) prohibits any Subsidiary (other than any Special Purpose Finance Subsidiary) from Guaranteeing the Obligations pursuant to the Guaranty (or any Guaranty Joinder Agreement).
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7.11 Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of the FRB) or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock or to refund indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.
7.12 Financial Covenants.
(a) Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio. Permit the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower to be less than 2.50 to 1.00.
(b) Consolidated Leverage Ratio. Permit the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower to be greater than 3.50 to 1.00; provided that if, at the end of any fiscal quarter, the Consolidated Leverage Ratio is greater than 3.50 to 1.00 and the Borrower has entered into a Permitted Acquisition within such fiscal quarter (a fiscal quarter in which such conditions are satisfied, a “Trigger Quarter”), then the Consolidated Leverage Ratio may be greater than 3.50 to 1.00 but shall not exceed 4.00 to 1.00 for such Trigger Quarter and the next succeeding three fiscal quarters (such period, an “Acquisition Compliance Period”); provided, further, that, following the occurrence of a Trigger Quarter, no subsequent Trigger Quarter shall be deemed to have occurred or to exist for any reason unless and until the Consolidated Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 3.50 to 1.00 as of the end of any fiscal quarter following the occurrence of such initial Trigger Quarter.
7.13 Sale-Leaseback Transactions. Enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction, except to the extent permitted by Section 7.05(g) and there being at least $1 of additional debt available under Section 7.03(g) after giving effect thereto.
ARTICLE VIII.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
8.01 Events of Default. Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:
(a) Non-Payment. The Borrower or any other Loan Party fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan or any L/C Obligation, or (ii) within three Business Days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan or on any L/C Obligation, or any fee due hereunder, or (iii) within five Business Days after the same becomes due, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or
(b) Specific Covenants. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Section 6.03, 6.05 (in the case of any Loan Party), 6.10, 6.11, 6.12 or Article VII, or any Guarantor fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in the Guaranty; or
(c) Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in subsection (a) or (b) above) contained in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for 30 days after written notice thereof to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender; or
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(d) Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect or misleading when made or deemed made; or
(e) Cross-Default. (i) The Borrower or any Subsidiary (A) fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than $50,000,000, or (B) fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or Guarantee or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; provided that this clause (e)(i) shall not apply to Indebtedness secured by any Lien permitted under clause (i) or (j) of Section 7.01 to the extent such Indebtedness becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets secured by such Lien, or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any Event of Default (as defined in such Swap Contract) as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined) under such Swap Contract as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is an Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by the Borrower or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than $50,000,000; or
(f) Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. Any Loan Party or any of its Material Subsidiaries institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for 60 calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for 60 calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; or
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(g) Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) The Borrower or any Material Subsidiary becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within 30 days after its issue or levy; or
(h) Judgments. There is entered against the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i) a final judgment or order for the payment of money in an aggregate amount exceeding $50,000,000 (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage), or (ii) any one or more non-monetary final judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and, in either case, (A) any seizure, sale or similar enforcement proceeding is commenced by any creditor upon any assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary with respect to such judgment or order, or (B) there is a period of 60 consecutive days during which such judgments or orders shall not have been paid, vacated, discharged, stayed or bonded pending appeal; or
(i) ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of $50,000,000, or (ii) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of $50,000,000; or
(j) Invalidity of Loan Documents. Any material provision of any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any provision of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document; or
(k) Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control.
8.02 Remedies Upon Event of Default. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:
(a) declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;
(b) declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower;
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(c) require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the then Outstanding Amount thereof); and
(d) exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under the Loan Documents;
provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
8.03 Application of Funds. After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02), any amounts received under the Loan Documents, subject to the provisions of Sections 2.15 and 2.16, be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:
First, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under Article III) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;
Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of Credit Fees and amounts payable in respect of Guaranteed Hedge Agreements and Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuer and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;
Third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans, L/C Borrowings and other Obligations, ratably among the Lenders and the L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third payable to them;
Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, L/C Borrowings and Obligations then owing under Guaranteed Hedge Agreements and Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements, ratably among the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Hedge Banks and the Cash Management Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by them;
Fifth, to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer, to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprising the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise Cash Collateralized by the Borrower pursuant to Sections 2.03 and 2.15; and
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Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.
Subject to Sections 2.03(c) and 2.15, amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Fifth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Obligations arising under Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements and Guaranteed Hedge Agreements shall be excluded from the application described above if the Administrative Agent has not received written notice thereof, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. Each Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank not a party to this Agreement that has given the notice contemplated by the preceding sentence shall, by such notice, be deemed to have acknowledged and accepted the appointment of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms of Article IX for itself and its Affiliates as if a “Lender” party hereto.
ARTICLE IX.
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
9.01 Appointment and Authority. Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and the Borrower shall not have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions. It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law. Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.
9.02 Rights as a Lender. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.
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9.03 Exculpatory Provisions. The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, and its duties hereunder shall be administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:
(a) shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;
(b) shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents), provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law; and
(c) shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.
The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 10.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or the L/C Issuer.
The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
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9.04 Reliance by Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance, extension, renewal or increase of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.
9.05 Delegation of Duties. The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.
9.06 Resignation of Administrative Agent. (a) The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Resignation Effective Date”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may on behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided that if the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that no qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.
(a) With effect from the Resignation Effective Date (1) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (2) except for any indemnity payments or other amounts then owed to the retiring Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each
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Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above in this Section. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent (other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring Administrative Agent as of the Resignation Effective Date and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section 9.06). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 10.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.
(c) Any resignation by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender. If Bank of America resigns as an L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c). Upon the appointment by the Borrower of a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder (which successor shall in all cases be a Lender other than a Defaulting Lender), (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.
9.07 Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
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9.08 No Other Duties, Etc. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Bookrunners, Arrangers, the Syndication Agent or Co-Documentation Agents listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.
9.09 Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.03(h) and (i), 2.09 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(b) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09 and 10.04.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or the L/C Issuer or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or the L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.
9.10 Guaranty Matters. The Lenders (including each in its capacities as a potential Cash Management Bank and a potential Hedge Bank) and the L/C Issuer irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder. Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty pursuant to this Section 9.10.
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9.11 Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements and Guaranteed Hedge Agreements. No Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank that obtains the benefit of the provisions of Section 8.03 or the Guaranty by virtue of the provisions hereof or of the Guaranty shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document (or to notice of or to consent to any amendment, waiver or modification of the provisions hereof or of the Guaranty) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IX to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under Guaranteed Cash Management Agreements and Guaranteed Hedge Agreements unless the Administrative Agent has received written notice of such Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS
10.01 Amendments, Etc. Except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement (including without limitation in Section 2.15 and Section 2.16), no amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by the Borrower or any other Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:
(a) waive any condition set forth in Section 4.01 (except as expressly provided therein) without the written consent of each Lender;
(b) extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender;
(c) postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;
(d) reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (v) of the second proviso to this Section 10.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary (i) to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate or (ii) to amend any financial covenant hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or L/C Borrowing or to reduce any fee payable hereunder;
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(e) change Section 8.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender;
(f) change (i) any provision of this Section 10.01 or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder (other than the definitions specified in clause (ii) of this Section 10.01(f)), without the written consent of each Lender or (ii) the definition of “Required Revolving Lenders” or “Required Term Loan Lenders” without the written consent of each Lender under the applicable Facility; or
(g) release all or substantially all of the value of the Guaranty without the written consent of each Lender, except to the extent the release of any Subsidiary from the Guaranty is permitted pursuant to Section 9.10 (in which case such release may be made by the Administrative Agent acting alone); or
(h) impose any greater restriction on the ability of any Lender under a Facility to assign any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the written consent of (i) if such Facility is any Class of Term Loans, the Required Term Loan Lenders with respect to such Class of Term Loans and (ii) if such Facility is the Revolving Credit Facility, the Required Revolving Lenders;
(i) (i) waive any condition set forth in Section 4.02 as to any Credit Extension under the Revolving Credit Facilities or (ii) amend, waive or otherwise modify any term or provision which directly affects Lenders under the Revolving Credit Facility and does not directly affect Lenders under any other Facility, in each case, without the written consent of the Required Revolving Lenders;
and, provided further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (iii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; (iv) Section 10.06(g) may not be amended, waived or otherwise modified without the consent of each Granting Lender all or any part of whose Loans are being funded by an SPC at the time of such amendment, waiver or other modification; (iv) the BofA Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto; and (v) any amendment or waiver that by its terms affects the rights or duties of Lenders holding Loans or Commitments of a particular Class (but not the Lenders holding Loans or Commitments of any other Class) will require only the requisite percentage in interest of the affected Class of Lenders that would be required to consent thereto if such Class of Lenders were the only Class of Lenders. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the
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consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender more adversely than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.
10.02 Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication.
(a) Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by facsimile as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:
(i) if to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 10.02; and
(ii) if to any other Lender, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire (including, as appropriate, notices delivered solely to the Person designated by a Lender on its Administrative Questionnaire then in effect for the delivery of notices that may contain material non-public information relating to the Borrower).
Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient). Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).
(b) Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Article II if such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Borrower may each, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.
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Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii), if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient.
(c) The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).
(d) Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, facsimile number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender. Furthermore, each Public Lender agrees to cause at least one individual at or on behalf of such Public Lender to at all times have selected the “Private Side Information” or similar designation on the content declaration screen of the Platform in order to enable such Public Lender or its delegate, in accordance with such Public Lender’s compliance procedures and applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws, to make reference to Borrower Materials that are not made available through the Public Side Information” portion of the Platform and that may contain material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal or state securities laws.
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(e) Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic or electronic Committed Loan Notices, Letter of Credit Applications and Swing Line Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.
10.03 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement. No failure by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided, and provided under each other Loan Document, are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 8.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders and the L/C Issuer; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 10.08 (subject to the terms of Section 2.13), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided, further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 2.14, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.
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10.04 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
(a) Costs and Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the L/C Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer (including the fees, charges and disbursements of one counsel to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, taken as a whole, and, if reasonably necessary, of one regulatory counsel and one local counsel in any relevant material jurisdiction and in the case of a conflict of interest, one additional counsel to all such persons similarly situated, taken as a whole), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
b) Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the L/C Issuer, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of one counsel to the Indemnified Parties, taken as a whole, and solely in the case of a conflict of interest, one additional counsel to all affected Indemnified Parties similarly situated, taken as a whole (and, if reasonably necessary, of one local counsel and one applicable regulatory counsel in each relevant material jurisdiction to all such Indemnified Parties, taken as a whole)), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrower or any other Loan Party arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including in respect of any matters addressed in Section 3.01), (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower or any other Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee,
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be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by the Borrower or any other Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if the Borrower or such Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(c) Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Borrower for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(d).
(d) Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, other than for direct or actual damages resulting from (i) such Indemnitee’s gross negligence or willful misconduct or (ii) a breach in bad faith by such Indemnitee of its obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, in either case as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(e) Payments. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after demand therefor.
(f) Survival. The agreements in this Section and the indemnity provision of Section 10.02(e) shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.
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10.05 Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
10.06 Successors and Assigns.
(a) Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section, (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (f) of this Section, or (iv) to an SPC in accordance with the provisions of subsection (h) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b) Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment(s) and the Loans (including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations and in Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:
(i) Minimum Amounts.
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(A) in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment under any Facility and the Loans at the time owing to it (in each case with respect to any Facility) or contemporaneous assignments to related Approved Funds that equal at least the amount specified in Section 10.06(b)(i)(B) in the aggregate or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and
(B) in any case not described in Section 10.06(b)(i)(A), the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided, however, that concurrent assignments to members of an Assignee Group and concurrent assignments from members of an Assignee Group to a single Eligible Assignee (or to an Eligible Assignee and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated as a single assignment for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has been met.
(ii) Proportionate Amounts. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not apply to the Swing Line Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans;
(iii) Additional Required Consents. Any assignment of a Revolving Credit Commitment or Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment must be approved by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) unless the Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee).
(iv) Assignment and Assumption. The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a $3,500 processing and recordation fee; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The Eligible Assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.
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(v) Certain Additional Payments. In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or subparticipations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Loans previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (x) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon) and (y) acquire (and fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Loans and participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under applicable Law without compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.
(vi) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, and 10.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment; provided, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.
(c) Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower (and such agency being solely for tax purposes), shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it (or the
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equivalent thereof in electronic form) and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest) of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. In addition, the Administrative Agent shall maintain on the Register information regarding the designation, and revocation of designation, of any Lender as a Defaulting Lender. The Register shall be available for inspection by each of the Borrower and the L/C Issuer at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. In addition, at any time that a request for a consent for a material or substantive change to the Loan Documents is pending, any Lender may request and receive from the Administrative Agent a copy of the Register.
(d) Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person, a Defaulting Lender or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) 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 (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 10.04(c) without regard to the existence of any participation.
Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide 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; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 10.01 that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 3.01(e) shall be delivered to the Lender who sells the participation) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Sections 3.06 and 10.13 as if it were an assignee under subsection (b) of this Section and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 3.01 or 3.04, with respect to any participation, than the Lender from whom it acquired the applicable participation would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 3.06 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits
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of Section 10.08 as though it were a Lender, provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(e) Voting Participants. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 10.06 to the contrary, any Farm Credit Lender that (i) has purchased a participation in the minimum amount of $5,000,000 on or after the Closing Date, (ii) is, by written notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (a “Voting Participant Notification”), designated by the selling Lender (including any existing Voting Participant) as being entitled to be accorded the rights of a voting participant hereunder (any Farm Credit Lender so designated being called a “Voting Participant”) and (iii) receives the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (such consent by the Borrower not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) to become a Voting Participant (only to the extent and under such circumstances that such consent would be required if such Voting Participant were to become a Lender pursuant to an assignment in accordance with subsection (b) of this Section, and such consent is not required for an assignment to an existing Voting Participant), shall be entitled to vote (and the voting rights of the selling Lender shall be correspondingly reduced), on a dollar for dollar basis, as if such Voting Participant were a Lender, on any matter requiring or allowing a Lender to provide or withhold its consent, or to otherwise vote on any proposed action, in each case, in lieu of the vote of the selling Lender; provided, however, that if such Voting Participant has at any time failed to fund any portion of its participation when required to do so and notice of such failure has been delivered by the selling Lender to the Administrative Agent, then until such time as all amounts of its participation required to have been funded have been funded and notice of such funding has been delivered by the selling Lender to the Administrative Agent, such Voting Participant shall not be entitled to exercise its voting rights pursuant to the terms of this clause (e), and the voting rights of the selling Lender shall not be correspondingly reduced by the amount for such Voting Participant’s participation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Farm Credit Lender designated as a Voting Participant on Schedule 10.06(e) shall be a Voting Participant without delivery of a Voting Participant Notification and without the prior written consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent. To be effective, each Voting Participant Notification shall, with respect to any Voting Participant, (A) state the full name of such Voting Participant, as well as all contact information required of an assignee as set forth in the Administrative Questionnaire, (B) state the dollar amount of the participation purchased and (C) include such other information as may be required by the Administrative Agent. The selling Lender (including
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any existing Voting Participant) and the Voting Participant shall notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower within three Business Days of any termination of, or reduction or increase in the amount of, such participation and shall promptly upon request of the Administrative Agent update or confirm there has been no change in the information set forth in Schedule 10.06(e) or delivered in connection with any Voting Participant Notification. The Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall be entitled to conclusively rely on information provided by a Lender identifying itself or its participant as a Farm Credit Bank without verification thereof and may also conclusively rely on the information set forth in Schedule 10.06(e), delivered in connection with any Voting Participant Notification or otherwise furnished pursuant to this clause (e) and, unless and until notified thereof in writing by the selling Lender, may assume that there have been no changes in the identity of Voting Participants, the dollar amount of participations, the contact information of the participants or any other information furnished to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent pursuant to this clause (e). The voting rights hereunder are solely for the benefit of the Voting Participants and shall not inure to any assignee or participant of a Voting Participant that is not a Farm Credit Lender.
(f) Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank or other central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
(g) Special Purpose Funding Vehicles. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any Lender (a “Granting Lender”) may grant to a special purpose funding vehicle identified as such in writing from time to time by the Granting Lender to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (an “SPC”) the option to provide all or any part of any Committed Loan that such Granting Lender would otherwise be obligated to make pursuant to this Agreement; provided that (i) nothing herein shall constitute a commitment by any SPC to fund any Committed Loan, and (ii) if an SPC elects not to exercise such option or otherwise fails to make all or any part of such Committed Loan, the Granting Lender shall be obligated to make such Committed Loan pursuant to the terms hereof or, if it fails to do so, to make such payment to the Administrative Agent as is required under Section 2.12(b)(ii). Each party hereto hereby agrees that (i) neither the grant to any SPC nor the exercise by any SPC of such option shall increase the costs or expenses or otherwise increase or change the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement (including its obligations under Section 3.04), (ii) no SPC shall be liable for any indemnity or similar payment obligation under this Agreement for which a Lender would be liable, and (iii) the Granting Lender shall for all purposes, including the approval of any amendment, waiver or other modification of any provision of any Loan Document, remain the lender of record hereunder. The making of a Committed Loan by an SPC hereunder shall utilize the Commitment of the Granting Lender to the same extent, and as if, such Committed Loan were made by such Granting Lender. In furtherance of the foregoing, each party hereto hereby agrees (which agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement) that, prior to the date that is one year and one day after the payment in full of all outstanding commercial paper or other senior debt of any SPC, it will not institute against, or join any other Person in instituting against, such SPC any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, or liquidation proceeding under the laws of the United States or any State thereof. Notwithstanding anything to
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the contrary contained herein, any SPC may (i) with notice to, but without prior consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and with the payment of a processing fee in the amount of $3,500 (which processing fee may be waived by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), assign all or any portion of its right to receive payment with respect to any Committed Loan to the Granting Lender and (ii) disclose on a confidential basis any non-public information relating to its funding of Committed Loans to any rating agency, commercial paper dealer or provider of any surety or Guarantee or credit or liquidity enhancement to such SPC.
(h) Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Revolving Credit Commitment and Revolving Credit Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, Bank of America may, (i) upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer and/or (ii) upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c)). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (b) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.
10.07 Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent required or requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over such Person or its Related Parties (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or
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Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement or any Eligible Assignee invited to be a Lender pursuant to Section 2.14(c) or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided hereunder or (ii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers of other market identifiers with respect to the credit facilities provided hereunder, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.
For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary after the Closing Date, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning the Borrower or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws.
10.08 Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, the L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office or Affiliate of such Lender or the L/C Issuer different from the branch or office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided, that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.16 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail
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the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.
10.09 Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.
10.10 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile or other electronic imaging means (including PDF) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
10.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.
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10.12 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.12, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.
10.13 Replacement of Lenders. If the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender (w) requests compensation under Section 3.04, (x) is a Defaulting Lender, (y) elects not to participate in an Extension Offer if the Required Lenders under the relevant Facility elect to participate in such Extension Offer, or (z) refuses to consent to any waiver, consent or amendment requested by the Borrower pursuant to Section 10.01 that has received the written approval of the Required Lenders (or, in the case of a consent, waiver or amendment involving all affected Lenders of a certain Class, the Required Revolving Lenders or Required Term Loan Lenders of such Class, as applicable), but also requires the approval of such Lender, then in any such case the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 10.06), all of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:
(a) the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee specified in Section 10.06(b);
(b) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.05) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);
(c) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter;
(d) such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws; and
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(e) in the case of any required assignment pursuant to clause (z), the assignee shall consent to the waiver, consent or amendment described in such clause (z). A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
10.14 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.
(a) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
(b) SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT COMMENCE ANY ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING OF ANY KIND OR DESCRIPTION, WHETHER IN LAW OR EQUITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER, THE L/C ISSUER, OR ANY RELATED PARTY OF THE FOREGOING IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO, IN ANY FORUM OTHER THAN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS AND AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER OR THE L/C ISSUER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE BORROWER OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.
(c) WAIVER OF VENUE. THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (b) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE
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PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.
(d) SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 10.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
10.15 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
10.16 USA PATRIOT Act Notice. Each Lender that is subject to the Patriot Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Patriot Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act. The Borrower shall, promptly following a request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent or such Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act.
10.17 No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates’ understanding, that: (i)(A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders, on the other hand, (B) the Borrower has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) the Borrower is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the
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other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) each of the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) none of the Administrative Agent, any Arranger or any Lender has any obligation to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower and its Affiliates, and none of the Administrative Agent, any Arranger or any Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower or its Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Borrower hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.
10.18 Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption or in any amendment or other modification hereof (including waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
10.19 Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Loan document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of the Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, the Administrative Agent may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent from the Borrower in the Agreement Currency, the Borrower agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Administrative Agent or the Person to whom such obligation was owing against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent in such currency, the Administrative Agent agrees to return the amount of any excess to the Borrower (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable Law).
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
TREEHOUSE FOODS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Manduk | |
Name: Xxxxxxxx X. Manduk | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender, L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Title: Vice President |
Signature Page
XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxx Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxx Xxxx | ||
Title: Director | ||
BMO XXXXXX FINANCING, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
SUNTRUST BANK | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Director | ||
COOPERATIEVE CENTRALE | ||
RAIFFEISEN-BOERENLEENBANK B.A., “RABOBANK NEDERLAND” | ||
NEW YORK BRANCH | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Title: Managing Director |
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Senior Vice President | ||
BARCLAYS BANK PLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | ||
Title: Senior Vice President | ||
PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: Senior Vice President | ||
ASSOCIATED BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
1ST FARM CREDIT SERVICES, PCA | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President, Capital Markets Group |