CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of April 8, 2009 among J. C. PENNEY COMPANY, INC., J. C. PENNEY CORPORATION, INC., J. C. PENNEY PURCHASING CORPORATION, The Lenders Party Hereto, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent and WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL...
Exhibit
10.1
|
Β
EXECUTION
COPY
Β
Β
dated
as of April 8, 2009
Β
among
Β
X.
X. XXXXXX COMPANY, INC.,
X.
X. PENNEY CORPORATION, INC.,
X.
X. XXXXXX PURCHASING CORPORATION,
Β
The
Lenders Party Hereto,
Β
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Administrative Agent
Β
and
Β
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
LC Agent
___________________________
Β
X.X.
XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.,
BANC
OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC,
BARCLAYS
CAPITAL and
WACHOVIAΒ BANK,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as
Joint Bookrunners and Co-Lead Arrangers,
Β
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Syndication Agent
Β
and
Β
BANK
OF AMERICA, N.A.,
BARCLAYS
BANK PLC and
WACHOVIAΒ BANK,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Joint Documentation Agents
Β
Β
[CS&M
Reference No. 6701-806]
Β
Β
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Β
Β
Β |
ARTICLE
I
Definitions
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 1.01.Β Β | Defined TermsΒ | Β Β 1 |
Β SECTION 1.02. | Classification of Loans and BorrowingsΒ | Β 22 |
Β SECTION 1.03.Β | Terms GenerallyΒ | Β 22 |
Β SECTION 1.04.Β | Accounting Terms; GAAPΒ | Β 23 |
Β |
Β
ARTICLE II
The Credits
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 2.01. | CommitmentsΒ | Β 23 |
Β SECTION 2.02.Β | Loans and BorrowingsΒ | Β 23 |
Β SECTION 2.03.Β | Requests for Revolving Borrowings | Β 24 |
Β SECTION 2.04.Β | Swingline Loans | Β 25 |
Β SECTION 2.05. | Letters of Credit | Β 26 |
Β SECTION 2.06. | Funding of Borrowings | Β 32 |
Β SECTION 2.07. | Interest Elections | Β 33 |
Β SECTION 2.08. | Termination and Reduction of Commitments | Β 34 |
Β SECTION 2.09.Β | RepaymentΒ of Loans; Evidence of Debt | Β 34 |
Β SECTION 2.10.Β | Prepayment of Loans | Β 35 |
Β SECTION 2.11.Β | FeesΒ | Β 36 |
Β SECTION 2.12.Β | Interest | Β 37 |
Β SECTION 2.13. | Alternate Rate of Interest | Β 37 |
Β SECTION 2.14.Β | Increased Costs | Β 38 |
Β SECTION 2.15.Β | Break Funding Payments | Β 39 |
Β SECTION 2.16.Β | Taxes | Β 40 |
Β SECTION 2.17.Β | Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs | Β 43 |
Β SECTION 2.18. | Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders | Β 44 |
Β SECTION 2.19. | Reserved. | Β 47 |
Β SECTION 2.20.Β | Borrowing Subsidiaries | Β 47 |
Β SECTION 2.21.Β | Defaulting Lenders | Β 47 |
Β |
Β
Β ARTICLE III
Representations and Warranties
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 3.01. | Organization; Powers | Β 50 |
Β SECTION 3.02.Β | Authorization; Enforceability | Β 50 |
Β SECTION 3.03. | Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts | Β 50 |
Β SECTION 3.04. | Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change | Β 50 |
Β SECTION 3.05. | PropertiesΒ | Β 51 |
i
Β
Β
Β SECTION 3.06.Β | Litigation and Environmental MattersΒ | Β 51 |
Β SECTION 3.07.Β | Compliance with Laws and AgreementsΒ | Β 51 |
Β SECTION 3.08.Β | Investment Company Status | Β 51 |
Β SECTION 3.09. | Taxes | Β 51 |
Β SECTION 3.10. | ERISA | Β 52 |
Β SECTION 3.11. | Disclosure | Β 52 |
Β SECTION 3.12.Β | Material SubsidiariesΒ | Β 52 |
Β |
Β
ARTICLE IV
Conditions
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 4.01.Β | Effective Date | Β 52 |
Β SECTION 4.02.Β | Each Credit EventΒ | Β 54 |
Β SECTION 4.03. | Borrowing SubsidiariesΒ | Β 54 |
Β |
Β
ARTICLE V
Affirmative Covenants
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 5.01.Β | Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information | Β 55 |
Β SECTION 5.02. | Notices of Material Events | Β 56 |
Β SECTION 5.03. | Information Regarding CollateralΒ | Β 57 |
Β SECTION 5.04.Β | Existence; Conduct of Business | Β 58 |
Β SECTION 5.05. | Payment of Obligations | Β 58 |
Β SECTION 5.06. | Maintenance of Properties | Β 58 |
Β SECTION 5.07.Β | Insurance | Β 58 |
Β SECTION 5.08.Β Β | Books and Records; Inspection Rights; Inventory AuditsΒ | Β 58 |
Β SECTION 5.09. | Compliance with LawsΒ | Β 59 |
Β SECTION 5.10. | Use of Proceeds and Letters of CreditΒ | Β 59 |
Β SECTION 5.11. | Additional Guarantee PartiesΒ | Β 59 |
Β SECTION 5.12. | Further Assurances | Β 60 |
Β SECTION 5.13.Β | Maintenance of RatingsΒ | Β 60 |
Β SECTION 5.14. | Prepayment AvoidanceΒ | Β 60 |
Β |
Β
ARTICLE VI
Negative Covenants
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 6.01.Β | IndebtednessΒ | Β 60 |
Β SECTION 6.02. | LiensΒ | Β 61 |
Β SECTION 6.03.Β | Fundamental ChangesΒ | Β 63 |
Β SECTION 6.04.Β | Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions | Β 63 |
Β SECTION 6.05. | Asset SalesΒ | Β 64 |
Β SECTION 6.06.Β | Sale and Leaseback TransactionsΒ | Β 65 |
Β SECTION 6.07. | Restricted PaymentsΒ | Β 65 |
Β SECTION 6.08.Β | Restrictive AgreementsΒ | Β 66 |
ii
Β
Β SECTION 6.09.Β | Leverage Ratio | Β 66 |
Β SECTION 6.10.Β | Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio | Β 67 |
Β SECTION 6.11.Β Β | Asset Coverage RatioΒ | Β 67 |
Β SECTION 6.12.Β | Restriction on Non-Material SubsidiariesΒ | Β 67 |
Β |
Β
Β ARTICLE VII
Β Events of Default
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 7.01. | Events of DefaultΒ | Β 67 |
Β SECTION 7.02.Β | Exclusion of Immaterial SubsidiariesΒ | Β 70 |
Β |
Β
Β ARTICLE VIII
The
Administrative Agent
Β
|
Β |
Β | Β | Β |
Β |
Β ARTICLE IX
Miscellaneous
Β
|
Β |
Β SECTION 9.01. | Notices | Β 72 |
Β SECTION 9.02.Β | Waivers; Amendments | Β 73 |
Β SECTION 9.03.Β | Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver | Β 74 |
Β SECTION 9.04. | Successors and AssignsΒ | Β 76 |
Β SECTION 9.05.Β | SurvivalΒ | Β 79 |
Β SECTION 9.06.Β Β | Counterparts; Integration; EffectivenessΒ | Β 79 |
Β SECTION 9.07. | Severability | Β 79 |
Β SECTION 9.08. | Right of SetoffΒ | Β 79 |
Β SECTION 9.09. | Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of ProcessΒ | Β 80 |
Β SECTION 9.10. | WAIVER OF JURY TRIALΒ | Β 81 |
Β SECTION 9.11. | Headings | Β 81 |
Β SECTION 9.12.Β | Confidentiality | Β 81 |
Β SECTION 9.13.Β | Interest Rate LimitationΒ | Β 82 |
Β SECTION 9.14. | USA Patriot ActΒ | Β 82 |
Β SECTION 9.15.Β | Waiver Under Existing Credit Agreement | Β 82 |
Β | Β | Β |
Β
Β SCHEDULES: | Β |
Β Schedule 2.01 -- Commitments | Β |
Β Schedule 2.05 -- Issuing Banks | Β |
Β Schedule 3.06 -- Disclosed Matters | Β |
Β Schedule 3.12 -- Material Subsidiaries | Β |
Β Schedule 6.01 -- Existing Indebtedness | Β |
Β Schedule 6.02 -- Existing Liens | Β |
Β Schedule 6.04 -- Existing Investments | Β |
Β
iii
Β
Β
Schedule 6.08
-- Existing Restrictions
Β | Β | Β |
Β EXHIBITS: | Β | Β |
Β | Β | Β |
Exhibit
AΒ Β --
|
Form
of Assignment and Assumption
|
Β |
Exhibit BΒ Β -- | Forms of Opinion of Counsel toΒ the Loan Parties | Β |
Exhibit CΒ Β -- | Form of Guarantee and Collateral Agreement | Β |
Exhibit
DΒ Β --
|
Form
of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate
|
Β |
Β
iv
Β
Β
Β
CREDIT
AGREEMENT dated as of April 8, 2009, among X. X. XXXXXX COMPANY, INC., X. X.
PENNEY CORPORATION, INC., X. X. XXXXXX PURCHASING CORPORATION, the LENDERS party
hereto, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and
WACHOVIAΒ BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as LC Agent.
Β
The
parties hereto agree as follows:
Β
ARTICLE
I
Β
Β
Definitions
Β
SECTION
1.01.Β Defined
Terms.Β Β As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the
meanings specified below:
Β
βABRβ, when used in
reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans
comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by
reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
Β
βAccount Partiesβ
means the Parent Borrower and Purchasing.
Β
βAdditional Costsβ has
the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.14(c).
Β
βAdditional Grantorβ
means any Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower that is designated by the Parent
Borrower, with the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, to become
a party to the Collateral Agreement for the purpose of granting a security
interest in such Subsidiaryβs inventory; provided that the
Parent Borrower shall cause the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to be
satisfied with respect to such Subsidiary immediately upon such Subsidiary
becoming an Additional Grantor.
Β
βAdditional Inventoryβ
means, with respect to any Additional Grantor, any inventory owned by such
Additional Grantor that the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent agree,
in writing, shall be deemed to be βCollateralβ under the Collateral
Agreement.
Β
βAdjusted LIBO Rateβ
means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an
interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%)
equal to (a)Β the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by
(b)Β the Statutory Reserve Rate.
Β
βAdministrative Agentβ
means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent for the
Lenders hereunder.
Β
βAdministrative
Questionnaireβ means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied
by the Administrative Agent.
Β
βAffiliateβ means,
with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under
common Control with the Person specified.
Β
2
βAlternate Base Rateβ
means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a)Β the Prime
Rate in effect on such day, (b)Β the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect
on such day plusΒ Β½ of 1% and (c) the
Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one-month Interest Period on such day (or if such day
is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 1%; provided that, for
the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of calculating the Alternate Base Rate, the
Adjusted LIBO Rate for any day shall be based on the Reuters BBA Libor Rates
PageΒ 3750 (or on any successor or substitute page of such page) at
approximately 11:00Β a.m. London time on such day.Β Β Any change in
the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds
Effective Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including
the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective
Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively.
Β
βApplicable Lending
Officeβ means, for each Issuing Bank or Lender, the office or branch of
such Issuing Bank or Lender (or an affiliate of such Issuing Bank or Lender)
designated in an Administrative Questionnaire delivered by such Issuing Bank or
Lender to the Administrative Agent or such other office or branch of such
Issuing Bank or Lender as such Issuing Bank or Lender may, from time to time, in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, specify to the Administrative
Agent, the Borrowers and the Account Parties as the office or branch by which
its Letters of Credit, Loans or Commitments, as applicable, are to be made and
maintained.
Β
βApplicable
Percentageβ means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the
total Commitments represented by such Lenderβs Commitment; provided that in the
case of Section 2.21 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, βApplicable
Percentageβ shall mean the percentage of the total Commitments (disregarding any
Defaulting Lenderβs Commitment) represented by such Lenderβs
Commitment.Β Β If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the
Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most
recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
Β
βApplicable Rateβ
means, for any day, with respect to any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Revolving Loan,
or with respect to the participation fees in respect of Stand-by Letters of
Credit or the commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the
applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption βABR Spreadβ,
βEurodollar Spreadβ, βStand-by Letter of Credit Fee Rateβ or βCommitment Fee
Rateβ, as the case may be, based upon the Credit Rating of Holdings assigned by
Xxxxxβx and S&P, respectively, applicable on such date:
Β
Credit
Ratings
Xxxxxβx/S&P:
|
ABR
Spread
|
Eurodollar
Spread
|
Stand-by Letter of
Credit
Β Fee
Rate
|
Commitment Fee
Rate
|
Category
1
β₯Baa2/BBB
|
2.00%
|
3.00%
|
3.00%
|
0.50%
|
Category
2
Baa3/BBB-
|
2.50%
|
3.50%
|
3.50%
|
0.50%
|
Category
3
Ba1/BB+
|
3.00%
|
4.00%
|
4.00%
|
0.50%
|
Category
4
β€Ba2/BB
|
3.50%
|
4.50%
|
4.50%
|
0.75%
|
Β
For
purposes of the foregoing, (a) if either Xxxxxβx or S&P shall not have in
effect a Credit Rating (other than by reason of the circumstances referred to in
the last sentence of this definition) the Applicable Rate shall be determined on
the basis of the rating agency that
Β
3
does
then have a Credit Rating in effect; (b) if the Credit Ratings established or
deemed to be established by Xxxxxβx and S&P shall fall within different
Categories, the Applicable Rate shall be based on the lower of the two Credit
Ratings; (c)Β if neither Xxxxxβx nor S&P has in effect a Credit Rating
(other than by reason of the circumstances referred to in the last sentence of
this definition) the Credit Ratings shall be deemed to be those set forth in
Category 4; (d) the Applicable Rate shall be deemed to be the Applicable Rate
set forth in CategoryΒ 4 at any time that an Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing and (e)Β if the Credit Ratings
established or deemed to have been established by Xxxxxβx and S&P shall be
changed (other than as a result of a change in the rating system of Xxxxxβx or
S&P), such change shall be effective as of the date on which it is first
announced by the applicable rating agency, irrespective of when notice of such
change shall have been furnished by Holdings or the Parent Borrower to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01 or
otherwise.Β Β Each change in the Applicable Rate shall apply during the
period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date
immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.Β Β If
the rating system of Xxxxxβx or S&P shall change, or if either such rating
agency shall cease to be in the business of rating obligors, the Parent Borrower
and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend this definition to
reflect such changed rating system or the unavailability of Credit Ratings from
such rating agency and, pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the
Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to the Credit Rating most
recently in effect prior to such change or cessation.
Β
βAsset Coverage
Certificateβ means a certificate setting forth the calculation of the
Asset Coverage Ratio and signed on behalf of the Parent Borrower by a Financial
Officer.
Β
βAsset Coverage Ratioβ
means, on any date, the ratio of (a) the book value of all Eligible Inventory as
of the last day of the fiscal month ended on or most recently prior to such
date, determined in accordance with GAAP as applied on a consistent basis
(including the deduction of any marked-down inventory reserves in accordance
with GAAP), to (b) the sum of (i)Β the total amount that Holdings and the
Subsidiaries would be required to pay (taking into account any netting
agreements) if all Swap Agreements to which they are parties were terminated as
of the last day of the fiscal month ended on or most recently prior to such date
(but only to the extent that such payment obligations constitute Obligations)
plus (ii)Β total Revolving Credit Exposures as of such date.
Β
βAssignment and
Assumptionβ means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender
and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by
SectionΒ 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of
ExhibitΒ A or any other form approved by the Administrative
Agent.
Β
βAvailability Periodβ
means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the
earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the
Commitments.
Β
βBoardβ means the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of
America.
Β
βBorrowersβ means the
Parent Borrower and, if eligible to be a Borrower at the time in accordance with
Section 2.20, each Borrowing Subsidiary.
Β
4
βBorrowingβ means (a)
Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date
and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in
effect or (b) a Swingline Loan.
Β
βBorrowing Requestβ
means a request by a Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with
Section 2.03.
Β
βBorrowing Subsidiaryβ
means any Subsidiary with respect to which a Subsidiary Borrower Election shall
have been executed and delivered as provided in Section 2.20 and with respect to
which a Subsidiary Borrower Termination has not been executed as provided in
Section 2.20.
Β
βBusiness Dayβ means
any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in
New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when
used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term βBusiness Dayβ shall
also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits
in the London interbank market.
Β
βCapital Lease
Obligationsβ of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay
rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the
right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which
obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on
a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations
shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with
GAAP.
Β
βChange in Controlβ
means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or
of record, by any Person other than Holdings or a wholly owned Subsidiary of
Holdings of any Equity Interest in the Parent Borrower; (b) the acquisition of
ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or
group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules
of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder as in effect on the date
hereof) other than any retirement or savings plan for employees of Holdings and
its Subsidiaries, of Equity Interests representing more than 40% of either the
aggregate ordinary voting power or the aggregate equity value represented by the
issued and outstanding Equity Interests in Holdings, other than pursuant to a
Permitted Holding Company Reorganization; or (c) occupation of a majority of the
seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of Holdings by Persons
who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of Holdings nor (ii)
appointed by directors so nominated.
Β
βChange in Lawβ means
(a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this
Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the
interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the
date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender or any Issuing Bank (or,
for purposes of Section 2.14(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such
Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs holding company, if any) with any request,
guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any
Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this
Agreement.
Β
βChargesβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.13.
Β
5
βClassβ, when used in
reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans
comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans or Swingline Loans.
Β
βCodeβ means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
Β
βCollateralβ means any
and all βCollateralβ, as defined in the Collateral Agreement.
Β
βCollateral Agreementβ
means the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement among the Guarantee Parties, the
Additional Grantors and the Administrative Agent, substantially in the form of
Exhibit C.
Β
βCollateral and Guarantee
Requirementβ means the requirement that:
Β
(a)Β Β the
Administrative Agent shall have received from each Loan Party either (i) a
counterpart of the Collateral Agreement duly executed and delivered on behalf of
such Loan Party or (ii) in the case of any Person that becomes a Loan Party
after the Effective Date, a supplement to the Collateral Agreement, in the form
specified therein, duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Loan
Party;
Β
(b)Β Β at
any time other than during a Release Period, all documents and instruments,
including Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, required by law or
reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to be filed, registered or
recorded to create the Liens intended to be created by the Collateral Agreement
and perfect such Liens to the extent required by, and with the priority required
by, the Collateral Agreement, shall have been filed, registered or recorded or
delivered to the Administrative Agent for filing, registration or recording;
and
Β
(c)Β Β each
Loan Party shall have obtained all consents and approvals required to be
obtained by it in connection with the execution and delivery of the Collateral
Agreement, the performance of its obligations thereunder and, at any time other
than during a Release Period, the granting by it of the Liens
thereunder.
Β
βCommitmentβ means,
with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving
Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans
hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of
such Lenderβs Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a)
reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08 and (b) reduced or increased
from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to
Section 9.04.Β Β The initial amount of each Lenderβs Commitment is set
forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which
such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable.Β Β The
initial aggregate amount of the Lendersβ Commitments is
$750,000,000.
Β
βConsolidated EBITDAβ
means, for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such period (disregarding any
non-cash charges or credits related to any Plan, any non-qualified supplemental
pension plan maintained, sponsored or contributed to by Holdings or any ERISA
Affiliate, or any Multiemployer Plan) plus (a) without
duplication and to the extent deducted in determining such Consolidated Net
Income, the sum of (i) consolidated interest expense for such
Β
6
period
plus (ii)
consolidated financing costs associated with securitization programs for such
period plus
(iii) consolidated income tax expense for such period plus (iv) all amounts
attributable to depreciation and amortization for such period plus (v) any
extraordinary or other non-recurring non-cash charges (it being understood that
the write-down or write-off of any inventory or accounts receivable shall not be
construed to be a non-recurring non-cash charge) for such period, providedΒ that in
the event Holdings or any Subsidiary makes any cash payment in respect of any
such non-cash charge, such cash payment shall be deducted from Consolidated
EBITDA in the period in which such payment is made, and minus (b) without
duplication and to the extent included in determining such Consolidated Net
Income, any extraordinary or other non-recurring gains for such period, all
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
Β
βConsolidated Interest
Expenseβ means, for any period, the excess of (a) the interest expense
(including imputed interest expense in respect of Capital Lease Obligations) of
Holdings and the Subsidiaries for such period, including any interest that is
capitalized rather than expensed for such period minus (b) interest income of
Holdings and the Subsidiaries for such period, all determined on a consolidated
basis in accordance with GAAP.
Β
βConsolidated Net
Incomeβ means, for any period, the net income or loss of Holdings and the
Subsidiaries for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance
with GAAP; provided that there
shall be excluded (a) the income of any Person (other than Holdings) in which
any other Person (other than Holdings or any Subsidiary or any director holding
qualifying shares in compliance with applicable law) owns an Equity Interest,
except to the extent of the amount of dividends or other distributions actually
paid to Holdings or any of the Subsidiaries during such period, and (b) the
income or loss of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Subsidiary
or is merged into or consolidated with Holdings or any Subsidiary or the date
that such Personβs assets are acquired by Holdings or any
Subsidiary.
Β
βConsolidated Rent
Expenseβ means, for any period, the rental expense in respect of stores
and other real property (other than Capital Lease Obligations) deducted in
determining Consolidated Net Income for such period.
Β
βControlβ 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.Β Β βControllingβ and
βControlledβ
have meanings correlative thereto.
Β
βCredit Ratingβ means,
in the case of Xxxxxβx, the βCorporate Family Ratingβ (or its equivalent)
assigned by Xxxxxβx to Holdings and, in the case of S&P, the βIssuer Credit
Ratingβ assigned by S&P to Holdings.
Β
βDefaultβ means any
event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice,
lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of
Default.
Β
βDefaulting
Lenderβ means any Lender, as determined by
the Administrative Agent, that has (a) failed to fund any portion of its Loans
or participations in Letters of Credit or
Β
7
Swingline Loans within three Business Days of the date
required to be funded by it hereunder,
(b) notified the Parent Borrower,
the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any Lender
in writing that it does not intend to comply with any of its funding obligations
under this Agreement or has made a public statement to the effect that it does
not intend to comply with its funding obligations generally under
other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) failed, within three
Business Days after request by the Administrative Agent, to confirm that it will
comply with the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations to fund
prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and
Swingline Loans, (d) otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or
any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within
three Business Days of the date when due, unless the subject of a good faith
dispute, or (e)(i) become or is insolvent or has a parent company that has
become or is insolvent or (ii) become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency
proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee or custodian appointed
for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to,
approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment or has a
parent company that has become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency
proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee or custodian appointed
for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to,
approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or
appointment.
Β
βDisclosed Mattersβ
means the actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental matters disclosed
in ScheduleΒ 3.06.
Β
βDisqualified Equity
Interestβ means any Equity Interest in Holdings that by its terms (or by
the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is
exchangeable, either mandatorily or at the option of the holder thereof), or
upon the happening of any event or condition:
Β
(a)
matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than solely for Equity Interests in
Holdings that do not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests and cash in lieu
of fractional shares of such Equity Interests), whether pursuant to a sinking
fund obligation or otherwise, prior to the Specified Date;
Β
(b)
is convertible or exchangeable at the option of the holder thereof for
Indebtedness or Equity Interests (other than solely for Equity Interests in
Holdings that do not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests and cash in lieu
of fractional shares of such Equity Interests), prior to the Specified Date;
or
Β
(c)
is redeemable (other than solely for Equity Interests in Holdings that do not
constitute Disqualified Equity Interests and cash in lieu of fractional shares
of such Equity Interests) or is required to be repurchased by Holdings or any of
its Affiliates, in whole or in part, at the option of the holder thereof, prior
to the Specified Date; provided that this
clauseΒ (c) shall not apply to any requirement of mandatory redemption or
repurchase that is contingent upon an asset disposition or the incurrence of
Indebtedness if such mandatory redemption or repurchase can be avoided through
repayment or prepayment of Loans or through investments by Holdings in assets to
be used in their businesses.
Β
βdollarsβ or β$β refers to lawful
money of the United States of America.
Β
8
βEffective Dateβ means
the date on which the conditions specified in SectionΒ 4.01 are satisfied
(or waived in accordance with SectionΒ 9.02).
Β
βEligible In-Transit
Inventoryβ means all import inventory of the Loan Parties that is in
transit from a location outside of the United States of America for which title
remains with a Loan Party and which is fully insured; provided that the
aggregate book value of all Eligible In-Transit Inventory shall not exceed 5% of
the aggregate book value of all Eligible Inventory.
Β
βEligible Inventoryβ
means (a) all inventory of the Loan Parties located in the United States of
America and all Eligible In-Transit Inventory, other than consignment inventory
(including inventory subject to βsale or returnβ arrangements), and (b) all
Additional Inventory located in the United States of America, other than
consignment inventory (including inventory subject to βsale or returnβ
arrangements); provided that, unless
and until the Liens granted under the Collateral Agreement are released as
provided in SectionΒ 6.15(d) of the Collateral Agreement, any such
inventory, Eligible In-Transit Inventory or Additional Inventory shall
constitute βEligible Inventoryβ only if such inventory is subject to a perfected
first-priority Lien securing the Obligations pursuant to the terms of the
Collateral Agreement.
Β
βEnvironmental Lawsβ
means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees,
judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or
entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the
environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management,
release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety
matters.
Β
βEnvironmental
Liabilityβ means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any
liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or
indemnities), of Holdings or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting
from or based upon (a)Β violation of any Environmental Law, (b)Β the
generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any
Hazardous Materials, (c)Β exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d)Β 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.
Β
βEquity Interestsβ
means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a
limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity
ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights
entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity
interest.
Β
βERISAβ means the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time,
and the final rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as from time to time
in effect.
Β
βERISA Affiliateβ
means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with
Holdings, is treated as a single employer under SectionΒ 414(b) or (c) of
the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the
Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the
Code.
Β
9
βERISA Eventβ means
(a)Β any βreportable eventβ, as defined in SectionΒ 4043 of ERISA or the
regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for
which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b)Β a failure by any Plan to
satisfy the minimum funding standard (as defined in SectionΒ 412 of the Code
or SectionΒ 302 of ERISA) applicable to such Plan, whether or not waived;
(c)Β the filing pursuant to SectionΒ 412(c) of the Code or
SectionΒ 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum
funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d)Β a determination that any
Plan is, or is expected to be, in βat-riskβ status (as defined in Section
303(i)(4) of ERISA or Section 430(i)(4) of the Code); (e) the incurrence by
Holdings or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under TitleΒ IV of
ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (f)Β the receipt by
Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any
notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans (other than a
termination initiated by Holdings or an ERISA Affiliate) or to appoint a trustee
to administer any Plan; (g) the incurrence by Holdings or any of its ERISA
Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal
from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (h)Β the receipt by Holdings or any
ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from
Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of
Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is
expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of
TitleΒ IV of ERISA or in βendangeredβ or βcriticalβ status (within the
meaning of Section 432 of the Code or Section 305 of ERISA); (i)Β the
occurrence of a non-exempt βprohibited transactionβ (as defined in
SectionΒ 4975 of the Code or SectionΒ 406 of ERISA) with respect to
which Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate is a βdisqualified personβ (within the
meaning of Section 4975 of the Code) or a βparty in interestβ (within the
meaning of Section 406 of ERISA) or could otherwise be liable; or (j)Β any
other event or condition with respect to a Plan or Multiemployer Plan that could
result in liability of Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate.
Β
βEurodollarβ, when
used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the
Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by
reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
Β
βEvent of Defaultβ has
the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.
Β
βExcluded Subsidiaryβ
means, at any date, any Realty Company that is not a Material Subsidiary as of
such date.Β Β For purposes of determining whether a Realty Company is a
Material Subsidiary, the computations required by the definition of the term
βMaterial Subsidiaryβ shall be made including the accounts of all Excluded
Subsidiaries.
Β
βExcluded Taxesβ
means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or
any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation
of any Loan Party under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any (a) Other
Connection Taxes, (b) U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by a requirement of
law in effect at the time a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee under Section
2.18(b)) becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office),
with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of a
Borrower to such Foreign Lender, 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 Borrowers
with respect to such
Β
10
withholding
Tax under Section 2.16(a) or (c) Taxes attributable to a Lenderβs failure to
comply with Section 2.16(g).
Β
βExisting Credit
Agreementβ means the Credit Agreement dated as of April 7, 2005, as
amended, among Holdings, the Account Parties, the financial institutions named
therein as lenders, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and
Wachovia Bank, National Association, as LC Agent.
Β
βExisting Indenturesβ
means (a) the Indenture dated as of October 1, 1982, as amended, between the
Parent Borrower and U.S. Bank National Association (successor to Bank of America
National Trust and Savings Association), as trustee and (b) the Indenture dated
as of April 1, 1994, as amended, between the Parent Borrower and U.S. Bank
National Association (successor to Bank of America National Trust and Savings
Association), as trustee.
Β
βExisting Letter of
Creditβ means any letter of credit that is outstanding under the Existing
Credit Agreement on the Effective Date.
Β
βExtended Letter of
Creditβ has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
2.05(k).
Β
βFederal Funds Effective
Rateβ means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if
necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal
funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal
Reserve Bank of NewΒ York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day
that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next
1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by
the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing
selected by it.
Β
βFee Receiverβ means
any Person for whose account any payments of fees are made under Section 2.11(a)
or Section 2.11(b) of this Agreement.
Β
βFinancial Officerβ
means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, vice
president-chief accountant, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of
Holdings or the Parent Borrower.
Β
βFitchβ means Fitch,
Inc.
Β
βFixed Charge Coverage
Ratioβ means, for any period, the ratio of (a) Consolidated EBITDA plus
Consolidated Rent Expense to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense plus Consolidated
Rent Expense, in each case for such period.
Β
βForeign Lenderβ means
any Lender or Issuing Bank with respect to any Borrower, that (a) is not a
βUnited States personβ as defined by Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code (a βU.S. Personβ), or (b)
is a partnership or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes which is a U.S. Person, but only to the extent the
beneficial owners (including indirect partners if its direct partners are
partnerships or other entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income
tax purposes are U.S. Persons) are not U.S. Persons.
Β
11
βForeign Subsidiaryβ
means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other
than the United States of America or any State thereof or the District of
Columbia.
Β
βFunded Indebtednessβ
of any Person means, at any date for the determination thereof, without
duplication, the sum of (a) the outstanding aggregate principal amount of all
Indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money or of a type described in clause
(c) or (d) of the definition of the term βIndebtednessβ and (b)Β the
outstanding aggregate principal amount of all Indebtedness of others of the type
described in the preceding clauseΒ (a) for the payment of which such Person
is responsible or liable pursuant to a Guarantee or otherwise; provided that Funded
Indebtedness shall not include (i) any obligations under leases or any
guarantees of obligations of others under leases, (ii) any obligations of such
Person in respect of letters of credit, (iii) except as provided in clause (b)
above, any contingent obligations of such Person and (iv) any Indebtedness of
Holdings to any Subsidiary or of any Subsidiary to Holdings or any other
Subsidiary.Β Β It is understood that for the purposes of this definition
the term βprincipalβ when used at any date with respect to any Indebtedness
issued at a discount shall mean the amount of principal of such Indebtedness
that could be declared due and payable on that date upon the occurrence of one
or more events permitting the acceleration of such Indebtedness pursuant to the
terms of such Indebtedness.
Β
βGAAPβ means generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
Β
βGovernmental
Authorityβ means the government of the United States of America, any
other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and
any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or
other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.
Β
βGuaranteeβ of or by
any Person (the βguarantorβ) means any
obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the
economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any
other Person (the βprimary obligorβ) in
any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the
guarantor, direct or indirect, (a)Β to purchase or pay (or advance or supply
funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or
to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for
the payment thereof, (b)Β to purchase or lease property, securities or
services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other
obligation of the payment thereof, (c)Β to maintain working capital, equity
capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary
obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other
obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or
letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided that the
term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the
ordinary course of business.
Β
βGuarantee Partiesβ
means Holdings, the Parent Borrower, Purchasing, the Material Subsidiaries and
each Non-Material Subsidiary that is required to satisfy the
Collateral
Β
12
and
Guarantee Requirement in order for Holdings and the Parent Borrower to remain in
compliance with the provisions of Section 6.12.
Β
βHazardous
MaterialsβΒ Β means all explosive or radioactive materials,
substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic materials, substances, wastes or
other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates or by-products,
asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas,
infectious or medical wastes and all other materials, substances or wastes of
any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.
Β
βHoldingsβ means X. X.
Xxxxxx Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Β
βIndebtednessβ of any
Person means, without duplication, (a)Β all obligations of such Person for
borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b)Β all
obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar
instruments, (c)Β all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or
other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person,
(d)Β all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase
price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in
the ordinary course of business), (e)Β all Indebtedness of others secured by
(or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent
or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such
Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed,
(f)Β all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (g)Β all
Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h)Β all obligations, contingent
or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit
and letters of guaranty, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such
Person in respect of bankersβ acceptances and (j) all Off-Balance Sheet
Liabilities.Β Β The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the
Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person
is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result
of such Personβs ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity,
except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is
not liable therefor.
Β
βIndemnified Taxesβ
means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
Β
βInformation
Memorandumβ means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated March
2009 relating to the Parent Borrower and the Transactions.
Β
βIntercreditor
Agreementβ means an intercreditor agreement among the Loan Parties, the
Administrative Agent and the trustee, agent or other representative for holders
of any Indebtedness secured by second-priority Liens contemplated by clause (k)
of SectionΒ 6.02, which intercreditor agreement shall be consistent with the
then existing market practice and reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders
(it being understood that (i)Β any such intercreditor agreement shall be
considered approved by a Lender if made available to such Lender by the
Administrative Agent (through Intralinks or similar facility) and such Lender is
informed that such intercreditor agreement shall be considered approved by it if
there is no objection within three Business Days, and no such objection is made
and (ii)Β such intercreditor agreement shall be deemed accepted if approved
or deemed approved by the Required Lenders).
Β
13
βInterest Election
Requestβ means a request by a Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving
Borrowing in accordance with SectionΒ 2.07.
Β
βInterest Payment
Dateβ means (a)Β with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline
Loan), the last day of each March, June, September and December, (b) with
respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable
to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar
Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three monthsβ duration, each day
prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three
monthsβ duration after the first day of such Interest Period and (c)Β with
respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be
repaid.
Β
βInterest Periodβ
means,Β with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on
the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in
the calendar month that is one, two, three or sixΒ months (or, with the
consent of each Lender, nine or twelve months) thereafter, as the applicable
Borrower may elect; provided that (a) if
any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest
Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case
of a Eurodollar Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in
the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the
next preceding Business Day and (b) any Interest Period pertaining to a
Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month
(or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last
calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of
the last calendar month of such Interest Period.Β Β For purposes hereof,
the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is
made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, thereafter shall be the
effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such
Borrowing.
Β
βIssuing Bankβ means
any Lender or Affiliate of a Lender that agrees (as provided in Section 2.05(i))
to issue Letters of Credit, in its capacity as an issuer of Letters of Credit,
and its respective successors and assigns in such capacity as provided in
Section 2.05(i).Β Β The initial Issuing Banks are identified in Schedule
2.05.Β Β Subject to the consent of the Parent Borrower, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld, any Issuing Bank may, in its discretion,
arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by one or more of its
Affiliates, in which case the term βIssuing Bankβ shall
include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such
Affiliate.
Β
βLC Agentβ means
Wachovia Bank, National Association.
Β
βLC Disbursementβ
means a payment made by an Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of
Credit.
Β
βLC Exposureβ means,
at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding
Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the
aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or
on behalf of the Account Parties at such time.Β Β The LC Exposure of any
Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure
at such time.
Β
14
βLendersβ means the
Persons listed on ScheduleΒ 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become
a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, other than any such
Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and
Assumption.Β Β Unless the context otherwise requires, the term βLendersβ includes the
Swingline Lenders.
Β
βLetter of Creditβ
means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.Β Β Each
Existing Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a Letter of Credit as of
the Effective Date.Β Β Each Letter of Credit shall be either a Trade
Letter of Credit or a Stand-by Letter of Credit.
Β
βLeverage Ratioβ
means, on any date, the ratio of (a) Funded Indebtedness of Holdings and its
Subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis) as of such date to (b) Consolidated
EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of Holdings ended on
such date.
Β
βLIBO Rateβ means,
with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate
appearing on Reuters BBA Libor Rates Page 3750 (or on any successor or
substitute page of such service, or any successor to or substitute for such
service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on
such page of such service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time
to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to
dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m.,
London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest
Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such
Interest Period.Β Β In the event that such rate is not available at such
time for any reason, then the βLIBO Rateβ with
respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate
at which dollar deposits of $5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such
Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of the Administrative
Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at
approximately 11:00Β a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the
commencement of such Interest Period.
Β
βLienβ means, with
respect to any asset, (a)Β any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge,
hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset
and (b)Β the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale
agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease
having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating
to such asset.
Β
βLoanβ means a loan
made by a Lender to a Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
Β
βLoan Documentsβ means
this Agreement and the Collateral Agreement.
Β
βLoan Partiesβ means
Holdings, the Parent Borrower, the Borrowing Subsidiaries, the Account Parties,
the Additional Grantors and each Material Subsidiary that is a Guarantee
Party.
Β
βMaterial Adverse
Effectβ means (a) a materially adverse effect on the business, assets,
operations or condition of Holdings and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (b)
a material impairment of the ability of the Loan Parties to perform any of their
obligations under the Loan Documents or (c) a material impairment of the rights
of or benefits available to the Lenders or
Β
15
the
Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (except the Collateral Agreement
during a Release Period) (other than any such impairment of rights or benefits
that is primarily attributable to (i) action taken by one or more Lenders or the
Administrative Agent (excluding any action against one or more Lenders or the
Administrative Agent taken by Holdings, the Parent Borrower, any Borrowing
Subsidiary, any Account Party, their subsidiaries or their affiliates) or (ii)
circumstances that are unrelated to Holdings, the Parent Borrower, any Borrowing
Subsidiary, any Account Party, their Subsidiaries or their
Affiliates).
Β
βMaterial
Indebtednessβ means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of
Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or
more of Holdings and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding
$50,000,000.Β Β For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the
βprincipal amountβ of the obligations of Holdings or any Subsidiary in respect
of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving
effect to any netting agreements) that Holdings or such Subsidiary would be
required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such
time.
Β
βMaterial Subsidiaryβ
means, at any date of determination, any Subsidiary of Holdings then having Net
Tangible Assets representing more than 3% of the total Net Tangible Assets of
Holdings and its Subsidiaries.
Β
βMaturity Dateβ means
April 8, 2012.
Β
βMaximum Rateβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.13.
Β
βMergerβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in the definition of the term βPermitted Holding
Company Reorganizationβ.
Β
βMerger Subsidiaryβ
has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of the term βPermitted
Holding Company Reorganizationβ.
Β
βMoodyβsβ means
Xxxxxβx Investors Service, Inc.
Β
βMultiemployer Planβ
means a multiemployer plan as defined in SectionΒ 4001(a)(3) of ERISA
maintained, sponsored or contributed to by Holdings, the Parent Borrower,
Purchasing or any ERISA Affiliate.
Β
βNet Tangible Assetsβ
means the aggregate amount at which the assets of Holdings and its Subsidiaries
are reflected, in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the date hereof, on the
asset side of the consolidated balance sheet, as at the close of a monthly
accounting period (selected by the Parent Borrower) ending within the 65 days
next preceding the date of determination, of Holdings and its Subsidiaries
(after deducting all valuation and qualifying reserves relating to such assets),
except any of the following described items that may be included among such
assets:
Β
(a)Β Β trademarks,
patents, goodwill and similar intangibles;
Β
(b)Β Β investments
in and advances to Subsidiaries; and
Β
16
(c)Β Β capital
lease property rights,
Β
after
deducting from such amount current liabilities (other than deferred Tax effects)
as reflected, in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the date hereof, on such
balance sheet.
Β
βNew Holdcoβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in the definition of the term βPermitted Holding
Company Reorganizationβ.
Β
βNon-Material
Subsidiaryβ means, at any date of determination, any Subsidiary of
Holdings that is not a Material Subsidiary.
Β
βObligationsβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in the Collateral Agreement.
Β
βOff-Balance Sheet
Liabilityβ of a Person means (a) any repurchase obligation or liability
of such Person with respect to accounts or notes receivable sold by such Person,
(b) any indebtedness, liability or obligation under any so-called βsynthetic
leaseβ transaction entered into by such Person, or (c) any indebtedness,
liability or obligation arising with respect to any other transaction which is
the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not
constitute a liability on the balance sheets of such Person (other than
operating leases).
Β
βOther Connection
Taxesβ means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any
Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account
of any obligation of any Loan Party hereunder or under any other Loan Document,
Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such
recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising
from such recipient having executed, delivered, or become a party to, performed
its obligations or received payments under, received or perfected a security
interest under, sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document,
engaged in any other transaction pursuant to, or enforced any Loan
Documents).
Β
βOther Taxesβ means
any and all present or future stamp, court or documentary Taxes or any excise,
property, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from the
execution, delivery, performance enforcement of, registration of, receipt or
perfection of a security interest under, any payment made under, or otherwise
with respect to, any Loan Document.
Β
βParent Borrowerβ
means X. X. Xxxxxx Corporation, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Β
βParticipantβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.
Β
βParticipant Registerβ
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c)(i).
Β
βParticipation Amountβ
has the meaning assigned to such term in SectionΒ 2.05(e).
Β
βPatriot Actβ means
the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to
Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (TitleΒ III of Pub. L. No.
107-56 (signed into law OctoberΒ 26, 2001)).
Β
17
βPBGCβ means the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any
successor entity performing similar functions.
Β
βPerfection
Certificateβ means a certificate in the form of Exhibit C to the
Collateral Agreement or any other form approved by the Administrative
Agent.
Β
βPermitted
Encumbrancesβ means:
Β
(a)Β Β Liens
imposed by law for Taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies that are
not yet due or are being contested in compliance with
SectionΒ 5.05;
Β
(b)Β Β carriersβ,
warehousemenβs, mechanicsβ, landlordsβ, materialmenβs, repairmenβs and other
like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and
securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being
contested in compliance with Section 5.05;
Β
(c)Β Β pledges
and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workersβ
compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or
regulations;
Β
(d)Β Β deposits
to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory
obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of
a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
Β
(e)Β Β judgment
liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under
clause (k) of Section 7.01;
Β
(f)Β Β easements,
zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property
imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure
any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the
affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of Holdings
or any Subsidiary; and
Β
(g)Β Β the
special property interest of a consignor in respect of goods subject to
consignment;
Β
provided that the
term βPermitted Encumbrancesβ shall not include any Lien securing
Indebtedness.
Β
βPermitted Fee
Receiverβ means any Fee Receiver that, with respect to any fees paid
under Section 2.11(a) or Section 2.11(b), delivers to the Parent Borrower and
the Administrative Agent, on or prior to the date on which such Fee Receiver
becomes a party hereto (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of the
Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent, unless such Fee Receiver becomes
legally unable to do so solely as a result of a Change in Law after becoming a
party hereto), accurate and duly completed copies (in such number as requested
by the recipient) of one or more of Internal Revenue Service Forms W-9, W-8ECI,
W-8EXP, W-8BEN or W-8IMY (together with, if applicable, one of the
aforementioned forms duly completed from each direct or indirect beneficial
owner of such Fee Receiver) or any successor
Β
18
form
thereto that entitles such Fee Receiver to a complete exemption from U.S.
withholding Tax on such payments (provided that, in the
case of the Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, a Fee Receiver providing such
form shall qualify as a Permitted Fee Receiver only if such form establishes
such exemption on the basis of the βbusiness profitsβ or βother incomeβ articles
of a tax treaty to which the United States is a party and provides a U.S.
taxpayer identification number), in each case together with such supplementary
documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Parent
Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether such Fee Receiver is
entitled to such complete exemption.
Β
βPermitted Holding Company
Reorganizationβ means a transaction pursuant to which (a)Β a new
subsidiary (βNew
Holdcoβ) is organized as a direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of
Holdings, (b) New Holdco organizes a new subsidiary (the βMerger Subsidiaryβ),
which subsidiary is a wholly owned Subsidiary of New Holdco and (c)Β the
Merger Subsidiary merges with and into Holdings (the βMergerβ), pursuant to
which (i)Β each outstanding share of capital stock of any class in Holdings
is converted into one share of capital stock of the same class of New Holdco so
that each Person that beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, capital stock
of Holdings immediately prior to the consummation of the Merger continues to
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, the same percentage of capital stock
of the same class in New Holdco following the consummation of the Merger,
(ii)Β each share of capital stock of New Holdco owned by the Parent Borrower
immediately prior to the consummation of the Merger is cancelled and ceases to
exist immediately following the consummation of the
Merger,Β Β (iii)Β Holdings becomes a direct wholly owned subsidiary
of New Holdco and (iv) no other Person receives any consideration; provided that no such
transaction shall constitute a βPermitted Holding Company Reorganizationβ
unless, at or prior to the consummation of the Merger, (A)Β New Holdco shall
become a Guarantee Party and shall take all actions necessary to satisfy the
Collateral and Guarantee Requirement as a Guarantee Party and (B)Β New
Holdco, Holdings, the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall enter
into an amendment to this Agreement, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, providing for (1) the addition of New
Holdco as a party to this Agreement as a Loan Party subject to the same
obligations and provisions as are applicable to Holdings hereunder, (2) the
substitution of New Holdco for Holdings in the definition of the term βChange in
Controlβ and in all contexts applicable to consolidated financial calculations
and reporting requirements (including in the definition of the term βLeverage
Ratioβ) and (3) the addition of a new paragraph in Section 6.03 to the effect
that New Holdco shall not engage in any business or activity other than the
ownership of all the outstanding shares of capital stock of Holdings and
activities incidental thereto and that New Holdco will not acquire any assets
(other than shares of capital stock of Holdings, cash and Permitted Investments)
or incur any liabilities (other than liabilities under the Loan Documents and
other Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement, liabilities imposed by law,
including Tax liabilities, and other liabilities incidental to its existence and
permitted business and activities).
Β
βPermitted
Investmentsβ means:
Β
(a)Β Β direct
obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are
unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency or
instrumentality thereof);
Β
19
(b)Β Β investments
in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition
thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A1
from S&P, P1 from Xxxxxβx or F1 from Fitch;
Β
(c)Β Β investments
in certificates of deposit, bankerβs acceptances and time deposits issued or
guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or
offered by, (i) any domestic or offshore office of any commercial bank organized
under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof, (ii) any
office located within the United States of America or in a foreign jurisdiction
that has a tax treaty with the United States of America of a commercial bank
organized under the laws of another country or (iii) any office located in
London of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of
America, any Asian country or any European country, in each case which has a
combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than
$500,000,000; provided, however, that
investments with any bank that has a combined capital and surplus and undivided
profits of less than $500,000,000 are permitted if the Parent Borrower maintains
a banking relationship with such bank;
Β
(d)Β Β fully
collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for
securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial
institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above;
and
Β
(e)Β Β money
market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Securities and
Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and (ii)
have portfolio assets of at least $3,000,000,000; provided, that
investments in any money market fund with portfolio assets of less than
$3,000,000,000 are permitted if such fund has received a rating of AAA from
S&P or Aaa from Xxxxxβx.
Β
βPermitted Long-Term
Indebtednessβ means unsecured Indebtedness for borrowed money of Holdings
or the Parent Borrower; provided that such
Indebtedness shall mature later than, and shall not be subject to any scheduled
payment of principal, mandatory sinking fund requirement or similar repayment
obligation prior to, the Maturity Date.
Β
βPersonβ means any
individual, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture,
association, company, partnership, unincorporated organization, Governmental
Authority or other entity.
Β
βPlanβ means any
pension plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of
TitleΒ IV of ERISA or SectionΒ 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA
that is maintained, sponsored or contributed to by Holdings or any ERISA
Affiliate.
Β
βPrime Rateβ means the
rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. as its prime rate in effect at its principal office in New York
City; each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the
date such change is publicly announced as being effective.
Β
βPurchasingβ means X.
X. Xxxxxx Purchasing Corporation, a New York corporation.
Β
20
βRealty Companyβ means
each of JCP Realty Inc. and its Subsidiaries that is principally engaged in the
business of managing and owning real estate and real estate-related
interests.
Β
βRegisterβ has the
meaning assigned to such term in clause (iv) of
SectionΒ 9.04(b).
Β
βRelated Partiesβ
means, with respect to any specified Person, such Personβs Affiliates and the
respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person
and such Personβs Affiliates.
Β
βRelease Periodβ means
a period (a) commencing upon the release and termination of the security
interests in the Collateral pursuant to Section 6.15(d) of the Collateral
Agreement and (b) ending when Holdings and the Parent Borrower are required to
satisfy the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement as provided in Section
5.11(b).
Β
βRelevant Dateβ has
the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.16.
Β
βRequired Lendersβ
means, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused
Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit
Exposures and unused Commitments at such time.
Β
βRestricted Paymentβ
means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other
property) with respect to any Equity Interests in Holdings 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 Equity Interests in
Holdings or any Subsidiary; provided that a
dividend, distribution or payment payable solely in Equity Interests (other than
Disqualified Equity Interests) in Holdings shall not constitute a Restricted
Payment.
Β
βRevolving Credit
Exposureβ means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the
outstanding principal amount of such Lenderβs Revolving Loans and its LC
Exposure and Swingline Exposure at such time.
Β
βRevolving Loanβ means
a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.01.
Β
βS&Pβ means
Standard & Poorβs Ratings Services, a division of the XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies,
Inc.
Β
βSpecified Dateβ means
the date that is 180 days after the Maturity Date.
Β
βStand-by Letter of
Creditβ means any Letter of Credit that is not a Trade Letter of
Credit.
Β
βStatutory Reserve
Rateβ means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which
is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate
of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency
or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to
which the
Β
21
Administrative
Agent is subject for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as
βEurocurrency Liabilitiesβ in RegulationΒ D of the Board).Β Β Such
reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such
RegulationΒ D.Β Β Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute
eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without
benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available
from time to time to any Lender under such RegulationΒ D or any comparable
regulation.Β Β The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted
automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve
percentage.
Β
βsubsidiaryβ means,
with respect to any Person (the βparentβ) at any date,
any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other
entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in
the parentβs consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were
prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other
corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity
(a)Β of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than
50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case
of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of
such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b)Β that is, as of such date,
otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or
by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.
Β
βSubsidiaryβ means any
subsidiary of Holdings, including the Parent Borrower but excluding any Excluded
Subsidiary.
Β
βSubsidiary Borrower
Electionβ means an agreement executed by the Parent Borrower and a
Subsidiary, and delivered to and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent,
pursuant to which the Parent Borrower designates such Subsidiary to be, and such
Subsidiary agrees to be, a Borrower hereunder, in accordance with Section
2.20.Β Β Each Subsidiary Borrower Election shall be in a form reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
Β
βSubsidiary Borrower
Terminationβ means a notice executed by the Parent Borrower and delivered
to the Administrative Agent terminating a Subsidiaryβs status as a Borrower
hereunder in accordance with Section 2.20.
Β
βSwap Agreementβ means
any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative
transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference
to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or
securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic,
financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination
of these transactions; provided that no
phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services
provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of
Holdings or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
Β
βSwingline Exposureβ
means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans
outstanding at such time.Β Β The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any
time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such
time.
Β
22
βSwingline Lenderβ
means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and each other Lender that agrees to be a
Swingline Lender hereunder as provided in Section 2.04, in each case in its
capacity as a lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.
Β
βSwingline Loanβ means
a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.04.
Β
βTaxesβ means any and
all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or
withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest,
additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
Β
βTrade Letter of
Creditβ means any Letter of Credit issued for the purpose of providing
the primary payment mechanism in connection with the purchase of any materials,
goods or services by an Account Party in the ordinary course of business of such
Account Party.
Β
βTransactionsβ means
the execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of the Loan Documents
to which it is or is to be a party, the borrowing of Loans and the issuance of
Letters of Credit hereunder.
Β
βTypeβ, when used in
reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on
such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference
to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.
Β
βU.S. Tax Compliance
Certificateβ has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section
2.16(g).
Β
βWithdrawal Liabilityβ
means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial
withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in
PartΒ I of SubtitleΒ E of TitleΒ IV of ERISA.
Β
SECTION
1.02.Β Classification of Loans and
Borrowings.Β Β For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be
classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a βRevolving
Loanβ) or by Type (e.g., a βEurodollar
Loanβ) or by Class and Type (e.g., a βEurodollar
Revolving Loanβ).Β Β Borrowings also may be classified and referred to
by Class (e.g.,
a βRevolving Borrowingβ) or by Type (e.g., a βEurodollar
Borrowingβ) or by Class and Type (e.g., a βEurodollar
Revolving Borrowingβ).
Β
SECTION
1.03.Β Terms
Generally.Β Β The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally
to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.Β Β Whenever the
context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding mascuΒline,
feminine and neuter forms.Β Β The words βincludeβ, βincludesβ and
βincludingβ shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase βwithout
limitationβ.Β Β The word βwillβ shall be construed to have the same
meaning and effect as the word βshallβ.Β Β Unless the context requires
otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or
other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement,
instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or
otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements
or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall
be construed to include such Personβs successors and assigns, (c) the words
βhereinβ, βhereofβ and βhereunderβ, and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not
Β
23
to
any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles,
Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and
Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words
βassetβ and βpropertyβ 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.
Β
SECTION
1.04.Β Accounting Terms;
GAAP.Β Β Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms
of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP,
as in effect from time to time; provided that, if
Holdings or the Parent Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that Holdings
or the Parent Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to
eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in
the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the
Administrative Agent notifies Holdings or the Parent Borrower that the Required
Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose),
regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in
GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on
the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall
have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such
provision amended in accordance herewith.Β Β It is understood that all
financial computations hereunder with respect to Holdings and the Subsidiaries
(including computations of Consolidated EBITDA and Net Tangible Assets and
compliance with SectionsΒ 6.09 and 6.10) shall be made excluding the
accounts of all Excluded Subsidiaries.
Β
ARTICLE
II
Β
The
Credits
Β
SECTION
2.01.Β Commitments.Β Β Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make
Revolving Loans to the Borrowers from time to time during the Availability
Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (a) such
Lenderβs Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lenderβs Commitment or
(b)Β the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total
Commitments.Β Β Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and reborrow
Revolving Loans.
Β
SECTION
2.02.Β Loans and
Borrowings.Β Β (a)Β Β Each Revolving Loan shall be made
as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably
in accordance with their respective Commitments.Β Β The failure of any
Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other
Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the
Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for
any other Lenderβs failure to make Loans as required.
Β
(b)Β Subject
to SectionΒ 2.13, each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of
ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the applicable Borrower may request in
accordance herewith.Β Β Each Swingline Loan shall be an ABR
Loan.Β Β Each Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by
causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such
Loan; provided
that any exercise of such option shall not affect the
Β
24
obligation
of the relevant Borrower to repay such Loan in accordΒance with the terms of
this Agreement.
Β
(c)Β At
the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing,
such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of
$5,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000.Β Β At the time that each ABR
Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that
is an integral multiple of $5,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000; provided that an ABR
Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire
unused balance of the total Commitments or that is required to finance the
reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section
2.05(e).Β Β Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an
integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than
$5,000,000.Β Β Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be
outstanding at the same time; provided that there
shall not at any time be more than a total of 12 Eurodollar Revolving Borrowings
outstanding.
Β
(d)Β Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, no Borrower shall be entitled to request,
or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period
requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
Β
SECTION
2.03.Β Requests for Revolving
Borrowings.Β Β Β To request a Revolving Borrowing, a Borrower
shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the
case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New YorkΒ City
time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in
the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New YorkΒ City
time, on the day of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any
such notice given by the Parent Borrower of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to
finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by
SectionΒ 2.05(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time,
on the date of the proposed Borrowing.Β Β Each such telephonic Borrowing
Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery,
telecopy or electronic transmission to the Administrative Agent of a written
Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by
the relevant Borrower.Β Β Each such telephonic and written Borrowing
Request shall specify the following information in compliance with
SectionΒ 2.02:
Β
(i)Β the
aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
Β
(ii)Β the
date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
Β
(iii)Β whether
such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
Β
(iv)Β in
the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable
thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term
βInterest Periodβ; and
Β
(v)Β the
location and number of the relevant Borrowerβs account to which funds are to be
disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section
2.06.
Β
25
If
no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the
requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.Β Β If no
Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving
Borrowing, then the relevant Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an
Interest Period of one monthβs duration.Β Β Promptly following receipt
of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent
shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such
Lenderβs Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.
Β
SECTION
2.04.Β Swingline
Loans.Β Β (a)Β Β Subject to the terms and conditions set
forth herein, the Swingline Lenders agree to make Swingline Loans to the
Borrowers from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate
principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i)Β the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $50,000,000
or (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total
Commitments; provided that no
Swingline Lender shall be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an
outstanding Swingline Loan.Β Β Within the foregoing limits and subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay
and reborrow Swingline Loans.
Β
(b)Β To
request a Swingline Loan, a Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and
the applicable Swingline Lender of such request by telephone (confirmed by
telecopy or electronic transmission), not later than 12:00 noon, New York City
time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan.Β Β Each such notice shall
be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business
Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan.Β Β The applicable
Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the relevant
Borrower by means of a credit to the general deposit account of such Borrower
with such Swingline Lender (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance
the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in SectionΒ 2.05(e), by
remittance to the applicable Issuing Bank) by 3:00Β p.m., New York City
time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.
Β
(c)Β A
Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not
later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Business Day require the
Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of
such Swingline Lenderβs Swingline Loans outstanding.Β Β Such notice
shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will
participate.Β Β Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative
Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender, specifying in such notice such
Lenderβs Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.Β Β Each
Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as
provided above, to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
applicable Swingline Lender, such Lenderβs Applicable Percentage of such
Swingline Loan or Loans.Β Β Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its
obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this
paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any
circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default
or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall
be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction
whatsoever.Β Β Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this
paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as
provided in SectionΒ 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and
SectionΒ 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the
payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly
pay to the
Β
26
applicable
Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders.Β Β The
Administrative Agent shall notify the relevant Borrower of any participations in
any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments
in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and
not to the applicable Swingline Lender.Β Β Any amounts received by a
Swingline Lender from a Borrower (or other party on behalf of such Borrower) in
respect of a Swingline Loan of such Borrower after receipt by such Swingline
Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly
remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the
Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to
the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and
to such Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any
such payment so remitted shall be repaid to such Swingline Lender or to the
Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is
required to be refunded to such Borrower for any reason.Β Β The purchase
of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not
relieve the relevant Borrower of any default in the payment
thereof.
Β
(d)Β The
Parent Borrower may designate any Lender to be a Swingline Lender hereunder
subject to the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld) and such Lender.Β Β Any such
designation shall not be effective until confirmed in a written agreement signed
by the Parent Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the applicable
Lender.
Β
SECTION
2.05.Β Letters of
Credit.Β Β (a)Β Β General.Β Β Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (i) any Account Party may request
the issuance of Letters of Credit for its own account, in a form reasonably
acceptable to the applicable Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time
during the Availability Period, and (ii) the Issuing Banks agree to issue
Letters of Credit.Β Β In the event of any inconsistency between the
terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form
of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by an Account Party
to, or entered into by an Account Party with, any Issuing Bank relating to any
Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall
control.
Β
(b)Β Notice of Issuance,
Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions.Β Β To request
the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an
outstanding Letter of Credit), an Account Party shall hand deliver or telecopy
(or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been
approved by the applicable Issuing Bank) to the applicable Issuing Bank
(reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or
extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or
identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and
specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be
a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which
shall comply with paragraphΒ (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter
of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other
information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter
of Credit.Β Β If requested by the applicable Issuing Bank, such Account
Party also shall submit a letter of credit application on such Issuing Bankβs
standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of
Credit.Β Β A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or
extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each
Letter of Credit the applicable Account Party shall be deemed to represent and
warrant that), after giving effect to such
Β
27
issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension, (i) the LC Exposure shall not exceed
$500,000,000 and (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures shall not
exceed the total Commitments.
Β
Each
Issuing Bank shall provide to the LC Agent and the Administrative Agent not
later than 3:00 p.m. (or promptly thereafter, if unable to do so by 3:00 p.m.),
New York City time, on the first Business Day of each calendar week a report of
such Issuing Bank setting forth (i) the aggregate amount of all Letters of
Credit issued by such Issuing Bank that are outstanding as of 3:00 p.m. on the
last Business Day of the preceding calendar week, (ii) the average daily undrawn
amount of all Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank for each calendar
day during the period since the last calendar day covered by the preceding
weekly report (or, in the case of the first weekly report, during the period
from and including the Effective Date) and (iii) the aggregate amount of LC
Disbursements made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed as of the time of
such report.Β Β In addition to providing such weekly reports, each
Issuing Bank shall, from time to time upon request of the LC Agent or the
Administrative Agent, provide the LC Agent and the Administrative Agent with
information of the type referred to in the immediately preceding sentence on a
more frequent basis.
Β
The
LC Agent shall provide to each Lender not later than 3:00 p.m. (or promptly
thereafter, if unable to do so by 3:00 p.m.), New York City time, on the first
Business Day of each calendar month a report setting forth the aggregate amount
of all Letters of Credit that are outstanding as of the date of the most recent
weekly reports delivered by the Issuing Banks to the Administrative Agent
pursuant to clause (i) of the immediately preceding paragraph.
Β
Neither
the LC Agent nor the Administrative Agent nor any Issuing Bank shall have any
duty or obligation at any time to monitor the LC Exposure relative to the total
Commitments and neither the LC Agent nor the Administrative Agent nor any
Issuing Bank shall have any liability in respect of the issuance, amendment,
renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit to the extent that such issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension results in the total Revolving Credit Exposures
exceeding the total Commitments.Β Β It shall be the responsibility of
the Borrowers and the Account Parties to ensure that, after giving effect to the
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit, the sum of
the total Revolving Credit Exposures does not exceed the total
Commitments.
Β
(c)Β Expiration
Date.Β Β Except for Extended Letters of Credit issued in
accordance with Section 2.05(k), each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior
to the close of business onΒ the date that is five Business Days prior to
the Maturity Date.
Β
(d)Β Participations.Β Β By
the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit
increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the
applicable Issuing Bank or the Lenders, the Issuing Bank in respect of such
Letter of Credit hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires
from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such
Lenderβs Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn
under such Letter of Credit.Β Β In consideration and in furtherance of
the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay
to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank,
such Lenderβs Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by such Issuing
Bank and not reimbursed by
the applicable Account Party on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of
this Section, or
Β
28
of
any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to an Account Party for any
reason.Β Β Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to
acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of
Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any
circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any
Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or
termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without
any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.
Β
(e)Β Reimbursement.Β Β If
an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit,
(i) the applicable Account Party shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying
to such Issuing Bank an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than
12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made,
if such Account Party shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior
to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been
received by such Account Party prior to such time on such date, then not later
than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on (A) the Business Day that such Account
Party receives such notice, if such notice is received prior to 10:00 a.m., New
York City time, on the day of receipt, or (B) the Business Day immediately
following the day that such Account Party receives such notice, if such notice
is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that, if
such LC Disbursement is not less than $10,000,000, the Parent Borrower may,
subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance
with Section 2.03 or 2.04 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving
Borrowing by the Parent Borrower or a Swingline Loan to the Parent Borrower in
an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, such Account Partyβs
obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the
resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan; or (ii) such Issuing Bank
may, if arrangements to do so have been agreed upon in writing by the Parent
Borrower, a Borrowing Subsidiary or an Account Party and such Issuing Bank,
obtain reimbursement of such LC Disbursement by debiting directly from an
account of the Parent Borrower, such Borrowing Subsidiary or such Account Party
maintained with such Issuing Bank (or one of its Affiliates) an amount equal to
such LC Disbursement; provided that the
foregoing shall not be construed to prevent the applicable Account Party from
reimbursing LC Disbursements of an Issuing Bank in accordance with alternate
procedures agreed upon with such Issuing Bank, so long as such reimbursements
are made no later than required under clause (i) above.Β Β If such
Account Party fails to make such payment when due or the applicable Issuing Bank
is unable to debit the designated account of the Parent Borrower, the relevant
Borrowing Subsidiary or the relevant Account Party for the full amount of the LC
Disbursement, in each case as provided in the preceding sentence, the applicable
Issuing Bank shall notify the LC Agent (and upon receipt of such notice the LC
Agent shall notify each Lender and the Administrative Agent) of the applicable
LC Disbursement, the payment then due from such Account Party in respect thereof
and (in the case of such notice from the LC Agent to each Lender) such Lenderβs
Applicable Percentage thereof.Β Β Promptly following receipt of such
notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable
Percentage of the payment then due from such Account Party (the βParticipation
Amountβ), in the same manner as provided in SectionΒ 2.06 with
respect to Loans made by such Lender (and SectionΒ 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the
payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly
pay to the applicable Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the
Lenders.Β Β Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of
any payment from such Account Party pursuant to this paragraph, the
Administrative Agent shall distribute such
Β
29
payment
to the applicable Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments
pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse such Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders
and such Issuing Bank as their interests may appear.Β Β Any payment made
by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank for any LC
Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan
as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve such
Account Party of its obligation to reimburse such LC
Disbursement.
Β
(f)Β Obligations
Absolute.Β Β An Account Partyβs obligation to reimburse LC
Disbursements as provided in paragraphΒ (e) of this Section shall be
absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances
whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any
Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any
draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged,
fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or
inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by an Issuing Bank under a Letter of
Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply
with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance
whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for
the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or
provide a right of setoff against, such Account Partyβs obligations
hereunder.Β Β Neither the LC Agent, the Administrative Agent, the
Lenders nor any Issuing Bank, nor any of their respective Related Parties, shall
have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the
issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make
any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in
the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in
transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or
relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a
drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any
consequence arising from causes beyond the control of any Issuing Bank; provided that the
foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the applicable Issuing Bank from
liability to the applicable Account Party to the extent of any direct damages
(as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby
waived by such Account Party to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered
by such Account Party that are caused by the applicable Issuing Bankβs failure
to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented
under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof.Β Β The parties
hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank (as finally determined by
a court of competent jurisdiction) or such other standard of care as shall be
separately agreed to in writing by such Issuing Bank and the applicable Account
Party, such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such
determination.Β Β In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting
the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents
presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the
terms of a Letter of Credit, the applicable Issuing Bank may, in its sole
discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without
responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or
information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such
documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such
Letter of Credit.
Β
(g)Β Disbursement
Procedures.Β Β The applicable Issuing Bank shall, promptly
following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a
demand for payment
under a Letter of Credit.Β Β Such Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the
LC Agent, the
Β
30
Administrative
Agent and the applicable Account Party by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or
electronic transmission), or by such other means of communication (if any) as
have been agreed upon by such Account Party and such Issuing Bank, of such
demand for payment and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC
Disbursement thereunder; provided that any
failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve such Account
Party of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Lenders with
respect to any such LC Disbursement.
Β
(h)Β Interim
Interest.Β Β If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement,
then, unless the applicable Account Party shall reimburse such LC Disbursement
in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof
shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC
Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that such Account Party
reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR
Revolving Loans; provided that, if
such Account Party fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to
paragraphΒ (e) of this Section, then SectionΒ 2.12(c) shall
apply.Β Β Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the
account of the applicable Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and
after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this
Section to reimburse an Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to
the extent of such payment.
Β
(i)Β Designation and Replacement
of Issuing Banks.Β Β An Account Party may designate any Lender
(or Affiliate of a Lender) to be an Issuing Bank hereunder, subject to such
Lenderβs (or Affiliate of such Lenderβs) agreement, in its sole discretion, to
become an Issuing Bank.Β Β Such Account Party shall notify the
Administrative Agent of any such designation.Β Β An Issuing Bank may be
replaced at any time by written agreement among the applicable Account Party,
the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing
Bank (which must be a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender).Β Β The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of an
Issuing Bank.Β Β At the time any such replacement shall become
effective, the applicable Account Party shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for
the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section
2.11(b).Β Β From and after the effective date of any such replacement,
(i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of an
Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued
thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term βIssuing Bankβ shall be deemed
to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor
and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require.Β Β After
the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall
remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations
of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued
by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional
Letters of Credit.
Β
(j)Β Cash
Collateralization.Β Β If (i) any Event of Default shall occur and
be continuing, (ii) the Administrative Agent has declared the Loans outstanding
hereunder due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01 or (iii) in the case of a
Defaulting Lender, there shall exist any LC Exposure that cannot be reallocated
among the non-Defaulting Lenders pursuant to Section 2.21(c) then, on the
Business Day that an Account Party receives notice from the Administrative Agent
or the Required Lenders demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to
this paragraph, such Account Party shall deposit in an account with the
Administrative Agent, in theΒ name
of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders (or, in the case
of clause
Β
31
(iii),
the non-Defaulting Lenders), an amount in cash equal to the LC Exposure (or, in
the case of clause (iii), the LC Exposure of the Defaulting Lender that
cannot
be fully reallocated pursuant to
Section
2.21(c)(i)) as of such date attributable to Letters of Credit issued for the
account of such Account Party plus any accrued and
unpaid interest thereon; provided that the
obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately,
and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or
other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with
respect to Holdings, any Borrower or any Account Party described in
clauseΒ (h) or (i) of Section 7.01.Β Β Such deposit shall be held by
the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the
obligations of such Account Party under this Agreement.Β Β The
Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the
exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account.Β Β Other than any
interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be
made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at such
Account Partyβs risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear
interest.Β Β Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall
accumulate in such account.Β Β Moneys in such account shall be applied
by the Administrative Agent to reimburse any Issuing BankΒ Β that is not
a Defaulting Lender for LC Disbursements in respect of Letters of Credit issued
for the account of such Account Party for which such Issuing Bank has not been
reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction
of the reimbursement obligations of such Account Party for the LC Exposure at
such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, be applied to
satisfy the other Obligations.
Β
(k)Β Extended Letters of
Credit.Β Β An Account Party may request that an Issuing Bank
allow, and an Issuing Bank may (in its sole discretion) agree to allow, one or
more Letters of Credit issued by it to expire later than the date that is five
Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.Β Β Any such Letter of Credit
is referred to herein as an βExtended Letter of
Creditβ.Β Β The following provisions shall apply to any Extended
Letter of Credit, notwithstanding any contrary provision set forth
herein.
Β
(i)Β The
participations of each Lender in each Extended Letter of Credit shall terminate
at the close of business on the date that is five Business Days prior to the
Maturity Date, with the effect that Lenders shall not have any obligations to
acquire participations in any LC Disbursement made thereafter or otherwise with
respect to such Extended Letter of Credit, except with respect to demands for
drawings submitted on or prior to such date.
Β
(ii)Β On
or prior to the date that is fifteen days prior to the Maturity Date (or on the
date of any earlier termination of the Commitments), each Account Party shall
deposit with each Issuing Bank an amount in cash equal to the LC Exposure as of
such date attributable to the Extended Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing
Bank for the account of such Account Party.Β Β Each such deposit shall
be held by the applicable Issuing Bank in an account maintained by it as
collateral for the obligations of such Account Party in respect of such Extended
Letters of Credit.Β Β Each applicable Issuing Bank shall have exclusive
dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such
account.Β Β Other than any interest earned on the investment of such
deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of
the relevant Issuing Bank and at such Account Party's risk and expense, such
deposits shall not bear interest.Β Interest
or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such
account.Β Β Moneys
Β
32
in
such account shall be applied by the relevant Issuing Bank to reimburse LC
Disbursements in respect of such Extended Letters of Credit issued for the
account of such Account Party for which such Issuing Bank has not been
reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction
of any reimbursement obligations of such Account Party for such Issuing Bankβs
LC Exposure at such time.
Β
(iii)Β After
the close of business on the date that is five Business Days prior to the
Maturity Date, the fees that would have accrued pursuant to clause (i) of
Section 2.11(b) (if the participations of the Lenders in the Extended Letters of
Credit had not terminated) shall continue to accrue on the LC Exposure in
respect of each Extended Letter of Credit and shall be payable to each
applicable Issuing Bank for its own account.
Β
SECTION
2.06.Β Funding of
Borrowings.Β Β (a)Β Β Each Lender shall make each Loan to
be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of
immediately available funds by 1:00 p.m., New York City time, to the account of
the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by
notice to the Lenders; provided that
Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in SectionΒ 2.04.Β Β The
Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the applicable Borrower
by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of
such Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and
designated by such Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR
Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as
provided in Section 2.05(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the
applicable Issuing Bank.
Β
(b)Β Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the
proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the
Administrative Agent such Lenderβs share of such Borrowing (or, in respect of
the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement under Section 2.05(e), such Lenderβs
Participation Amount), the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has
made such share (or such Lenderβs Participation Amount, as applicable) available
on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in
reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower (or the
applicable Issuing Bank, as applicable) a corresponding amount.Β Β In
such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable
Borrowing (or such Lenderβs Participation Amount, as applicable) available to
the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the applicable Borrower
(or the applicable Issuing Bank, as applicable) severally agree to pay to the
Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest
thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available
to such Borrower (or such Issuing Bank, as applicable) to but excluding the date
of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender or
such Issuing Bank, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate
determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules
on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of such Borrower, the interest
rate applicable to ABR Loans.Β Β If (x) with respect to such Borrowing,
such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall
constitute such Lenderβs Loan included in such Borrowing or (y) with respect to
such reimbursement of such LC Disbursement, the applicable Account Party shall
reimburse the applicable LC Disbursement before the applicable Lender or Issuing
Bank reimburses the Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, then the
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to receive or retain the amount
due
to it as provided above together with interest payable by such Account Party
with respect to
Β
33
the
period commencing on the date that the Administrative Agent funded its payment
to the applicable Issuing Bank.
Β
SECTION
2.07.Β Interest
Elections.Β Β (a)Β Β Each Revolving Borrowing initially
shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the
case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period
as specified in such Borrowing Request.Β Β Thereafter, the applicable
Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue
such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, may elect
Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section.Β Β Such
Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the
affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably
among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans
comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate
Borrowing.Β Β This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings,
which may not be converted or continued.
Β
(b)Β To
make an election pursuant to this Section, the relevant Borrower shall notify
the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a
Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if such Borrower were
requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be
made on the effective date of such election.Β Β Each such telephonic
Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly
by hand delivery, telecopy or electronic transmission to the Administrative
Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the
Administrative Agent and signed by such Borrower.
Β
(c)Β Each
telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following
information in compliance with SectionΒ 2.02:
Β
(i)Β the
Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different
options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the
portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the
information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be
specified for each resulting Borrowing);
Β
(ii)Β the
effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request,
which shall be a Business Day;
Β
(iii)Β whether
the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
and
Β
(iv)Β if
the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be
applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period
contemplated by the definition of the term βInterest Periodβ.
Β
If
any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not
specify an Interest Period, then the relevant Borrower shall be deemed to have
selected an Interest Period of one monthβs duration.
Β
34
(d)Β Promptly
following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent
shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lenderβs portion of
each resulting Borrowing.
Β
(e)Β If
the relevant Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with
respect to a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest
Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided
herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to
an ABR Borrowing.Β Β Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if
an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent,
at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Parent Borrower, then,
so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving
Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii)
unless repaid, each Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR
Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.
Β
SECTION
2.08.Β Termination and Reduction of
Commitments.Β Β (a)Β Β Unless previously terminated, the
Commitments shall termiΒnate on the Maturity Date.
Β
(b)Β The
Parent Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the
Commitments; provided that (i)
each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral
multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000 and (ii) the Parent Borrower
shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any
concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.10, the sum of
the Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total Commitments.
Β
(c)Β The
Parent Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to
terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraphΒ (b) of this Section at
least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or
reduction, specifying such election and the effective date
thereof.Β Β Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative
Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.Β Β Each notice
delivered by the Parent Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable;
provided that a
notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Parent Borrower may
state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit
facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Parent Borrower (by
notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date)
if such condition is not satisfied.Β Β Any termination or reduction of
the Commitments shall be permanent.Β Β Each reduction of the Commitments
shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective
Commitments.
Β
SECTION
2.09.Β RepaymentΒ of Loans;
Evidence of Debt.Β Β (a)Β Β Each Borrower hereby
unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account
of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan owed by
such Borrower to such Lender on the Maturity Date and (ii) to each Swingline
Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan owed to such
Swingline Lender by such Borrower on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the
first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a
calendar month and is at least two Business Days after such Swingline Loan is
made; provided
that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrower shall repay
all Swingline Loans of such Borrower then outstanding.
Β
35
(b)Β Each
Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or
accounts evidencing the indebtedness of each Borrower to such Lender resulting
from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and
interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time
hereunder.
Β
(c)Β The
Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record
(i)Β the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof and
the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii)Β the amount of any principal or
interest due and payable or to become due and payable from each Borrower to each
Lender hereunder and (iii)Β the amount of any sum received by the
Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lenderβs
share thereof.
Β
(d)Β The
entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraphΒ (b)
orΒ (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the
existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the
failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or
any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of each Borrower
to repay its Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
Β
(e)Β Any
Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory
note.Β Β In such event, the applicable Borrower shall prepare, execute
and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender
(or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and
in a form approved by the Administrative Agent.Β Β Thereafter, the Loans
evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times
(including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or
more promissory notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named
therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its
registered assigns).
Β
SECTION
2.10.Β Prepayment of
Loans.Β Β (a)Β Β Each Borrower shall have the right at
any time and from time to time to prepay any of its Borrowings in whole or in
part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (c) of this
Section.
Β
(b)Β In
the event and on each occasion that the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures
exceeds the maximum amount of Revolving Credit Exposures permitted by Section
6.11, the Borrowers shall prepay Borrowings (or, if no such Borrowings are
outstanding, each Account Party shall deposit cash collateral in an account with
the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.05(j)) in an aggregate amount
equal to such excess.
Β
(c)Β The
applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of
prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the applicable Swingline Lender) by telephone
(confirmed by telecopy or electronic transmission) of any prepayment hereunder
(i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, not later
than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of
prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not
later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of
prepayment or (iii)Β in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not
later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of
prepayment.Β Β Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify
the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion
thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a
notice of prepayment is given in connection with
Β
36
a
conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by
SectionΒ 2.08, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice
of termination is revoked in accordance with
SectionΒ 2.08.Β Β Promptly following receipt of any such notice
relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the
Lenders of the contents thereof.Β Β Each partial prepayment of any
Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of
an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section
2.02.Β Β Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied
ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing.Β Β Prepayments
shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section
2.12.
Β
SECTION
2.11.Β Fees.Β Β (a)Β Β The
Parent Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of
each Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the
daily unused amount of the Commitment of such Lender during the period from and
including Effective Date to but excluding the date on which such Commitment
terminates.Β Β Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on
the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date
on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur
after the date hereof.Β Β All commitment fees shall be computed on the
basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days
elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).Β Β For
purposes of computing commitment fees, the Commitment of a Lender shall be
deemed to be used to the extent of the outstanding Revolving Loans and LC
Exposures of such Lender (and the Swingline Exposure of such Lender shall be
disregarded for such purposes).
Β
(b)Β The
Parent Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of
each Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in (A)
Stand-by Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate, and (B)
Trade Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at a rate equal to 50% of the
Applicable Rate used to determine the participation fees applicable to Stand-by
Letters of Credit on the determination date, in each case on the average daily
amount of such Lenderβs LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable
to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the
Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lenderβs
Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC
Exposure, and (ii) to each Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall accrue at
the rate of 0.125% per annum, on the average daily amount of the LC Exposure in
respect of Stand-by Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank (excluding any
portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period
from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of
termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC
Exposure, as well as such Issuing Bankβs standard fees with respect to the
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing
of drawings thereunder.Β Β Participation fees and fronting fees accrued
through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of
each year shall be payable in arrears on the third Business Day following such
last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date;
provided that
all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate
and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate
shall be payable on demand.Β Β Any other fees payable to any Issuing
Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 10 days after
demand.Β Β All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on
the basis of a year of 360 days and shall
Β
37
be
payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but
excluding the last day).
Β
(c)Β The
Parent Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account,
fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the
Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
Β
(d)Β All
fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available
funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the applicable Issuing Bank, in the
case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of commitment fees and
participation fees, to the Lenders.Β Β Fees paid shall not be refundable
under any circumstances.
Β
SECTION
2.12.Β Interest.Β Β (a)Β Β The
Loans comprising each ABRΒ Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall
bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable
Rate.
Β
(b)Β The
Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted
LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable
Rate.
Β
(c)Β Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other
amount payable by any Borrower or any Account Party hereunder is not paid when
due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue
amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per
annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate
otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of
this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate
applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this
Section.
Β
(d)Β Accrued
interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date
for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the
Commitments; provided that (i)
interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section shall be payable on
demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than
a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability
Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be
payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of
any conversion of any Eurodollar Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current
Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the
effective date of such conversion.
Β
(e)Β All
interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except
that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the
Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of
a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be
payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but
excluding the last day).Β Β The applicable Alternate Base Rate or
Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such
determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
Β
SECTION
2.13.Β Alternate Rate of
Interest.Β Β If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period
for a Eurodollar Borrowing:
Β
38
(a)Β
the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive
absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for
ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate for such Interest Period;
or
Β
(b)Β the
Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO
Rate for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to
such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan)
included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
Β
then
the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Parent Borrower and
the Lenders by telephone, telecopy or electronic transmission as promptly as
practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Parent
Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no
longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of
any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a
Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective and (ii) if any Borrowing Request
requests a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an
ABR Borrowing.
Β
SECTION
2.14.Β Increased
Costs.Β Β (a)Β Β Subject to Section 2.18, if any Change
in Law shall:
Β
(i)Β impose,
modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement
against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by,
any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO
Rate) or any Issuing Bank;
Β
(ii)Β subject
any Lender or the Issuing Bank to any (or any increase in any) Other Connection
Taxes with respect to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any Letter of
Credit, or any participation in a Letter of Credit or any Loan made or Letter of
Credit Issued by it, except any such Taxes imposed on or measured by its net
income or profits (however denominated) or franchise Taxes imposed in lieu of
net income or profits Taxes; or
Β
(iii)Β impose
on any Lender or any Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other
condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender or
any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
Β
and
the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender
of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan, or in the case of clause (ii), any
Loan, (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase
the cost to such Lender or such Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or
maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or
receivable by such Lender or such Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal,
interest or otherwise), then the relevant Borrower will pay to such Lender and
the relevant Account Party will pay to such Issuing Bank, as the case may be,
such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Issuing
Bank, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction
suffered in accordance with Section 2.18.
Β
(b)Β Subject
to Section 2.18, if any Lender or any Issuing Bank determines that any Change in
Law regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing
the
Β
39
rate
of return on such Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs capital or on the capital of
such Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs holding company, if any, as a consequence
of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit
held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a
level below that which such Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lenderβs or such
Issuing Bankβs holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law
(taking into consideration such Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs policies and the
policies of such Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs holding company with respect to
capital adequacy), then from time to time the relevant Borrower will pay to such
Lender and the relevant Account Party will pay to such Issuing Bank, as the case
may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such
Issuing Bank or such Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs holding company for any
such reduction suffered in accordance with Section 2.18.
Β
(c)Β A
certificate of a Lender or an Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts
necessary to compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or its holding company,
as the case may be, as specified in paragraphΒ (a) or (b) of this Section
shall be delivered to the Parent Borrower and shall be conclusive absent
manifest error.Β Β The relevant Borrower shall pay such Lender and the
relevant Account Party shall pay such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the
amount shown as due on any such certificate (such amount hereinafter referred to
as the βAdditional
Costsβ) within 30Β days after receipt thereof.
Β
(d)Β Subject
to Section 2.18, failure or delay on the part of any Lender or any Issuing Bank
to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of
such Lenderβs or such Issuing Bankβs right to demand such
compensation.
Β
SECTION
2.15.Β Break Funding
Payments.Β Β In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of
any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable
thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of
any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable
thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar
Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless
of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.10(c) and is revoked in
accordance therewith) or (d)Β the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other
than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a
request by the Parent Borrower pursuant to SectionΒ 2.18, then, in any such
event, the relevant Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and
expense attributable to such event.Β Β In the case of a Eurodollar Loan,
such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount
determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of
interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such
event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to
such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the
then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow,
convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for
such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such
principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would
bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a
comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar
market.Β Β A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or
amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall
be delivered to the Parent Borrower and shall be conclusive absent
manifest error.Β Β The relevant Borrower shall pay such Lender the
amount shown as due on any such certificate within 30 days after receipt
thereof.
Β
40
SECTION
2.16.Β Taxes.Β Β (a)Β Β Each
payment on account of any obligation of a Borrower or Account Party hereunder to
any Person, including the Administrative Agent, any Lender or Issuing Bank or
its beneficial owner, to which any such obligation is owed (each of the
foregoing being referred to as a βRecipientβ) shall be
made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes; provided
that if any applicable law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an
applicable Withholding Agent (as defined below)) requires the deduction or
withholding of any Indemnified Tax or Other Tax from any such payment
(including, for the avoidance of doubt, any such deduction or withholding
required to be made by the applicable Borrower or Account Party or the
Administrative Agent, or in the case of any Lender that is treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, by such Lender for the account
of any of its direct or indirect beneficial owners), the applicable Borrower or
Account Party, the Administrative Agent, the Lender or the applicable direct or
indirect beneficial owner of a Lender (any such person, a βWithholding Agentβ)
shall make such deductions and timely pay the full amount deducted to the
relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law and, if such
Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the applicable Borrower or
Account Party shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required
deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under
this Section 2.16) the Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would
have received had no such deductions been made.
Β
(b)Β In
addition, the Borrowers and the Account Parties shall pay, or at the option of
the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for, the payment of any Other Taxes
to the relevant Governmental Authorities in accordance with applicable law other
than any Other Taxes imposed upon any assignment or participation of a Lenderβs
rights, interests and obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document;
provided that
the amount such Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be) shall be
required to pay to a particular Lender in respect of Other Taxes shall not
exceed 1% of the aggregate amount of the Commitment of such Lender on which such
Other Taxes are imposed; provided further that if a
Lender is actually aware of the application of any Other Tax to any such
payment, execution, delivery or registration, such Lender shall promptly notify
the Parent Borrower of such Other Tax and the relevant Borrower or the relevant
Account Party (as the case may be) shall thereafter have the benefit of the
provisions of Section 2.18(b).
Β
(c)Β Each
Borrower and each Account Party shall indemnify each Recipient, within 30 days
after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or
Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on
or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 2.16) payable by such
Recipient on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation
of such Borrower or Account Party hereunder and expenses arising therefrom or
with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were
correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental
Authority.Β Β A certificate as to the amount of such payment or
liability delivered to such Borrower or Account Party by the Recipient, or by
the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Recipient, shall be conclusive absent
manifest error.
Β
(d)Β Each
Lender shall indemnify the Administrative Agent within 10 days after demand
therefor for the full amount of any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender
that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent, and reasonable expenses
arising therefrom or with
Β
41
respect
thereto, whether or not such Excluded Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or
asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.Β Β A certificate as to
the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the
Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.
Β
(e)Β Within
30 days after the date of any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the
relevant Borrower or the relevant Account Party (as the case may be) in respect
of any payment to any Recipient, such Borrower or such Account Party (as the
case may be) will furnish to the Administrative Agent, at its address referred
to in Section 9.01, the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing
payment thereof or, if such a receipt is not available, a certificate of the
treasurer or any assistant treasurer of such Borrower or such Account Party (as
the case may be) setting forth the amount of such payment and the date on which
such payment was made.
Β
(f)Β Each
Fee Receiver shall deliver the documentation necessary for it to be a Permitted
Fee Receiver and agrees to update Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (or its
successor form) or the applicable Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 (or its
successor form) upon any change in such Fee Receiverβs circumstances or if such
form expires or becomes inaccurate or obsolete, and to promptly notify the
Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent if such Fee Receiver becomes
legally ineligible to provide such form.
Β
(g)Β Any
Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of any
applicable withholding Tax with respect to payments under this Agreement shall
deliver to the Parent Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the
time or times reasonably requested by the Parent Borrower or the Administrative
Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by
applicable law or reasonably requested by the Parent Borrower as will permit
such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced
rate.Β Β Each Foreign Lender shall promptly notify the Parent Borrower
at any time it determines that it is no longer in a position to provide any such
previously delivered documentation to the Parent
Borrower.Β Β Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding
two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation
(other than such documentation set forth below in this paragraph (g)) shall not
be required if in the Foreign Lenderβs judgment such completion, execution or
submission would subject such Foreign Lender to any material unreimbursed cost
or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of
such Foreign Lender.
Β
Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do
so, deliver to the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number
of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on
which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time
to time thereafter upon the request of the Parent Borrower or the Administrative
Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:
Β
(i) duly completed copies of Internal
Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax
treaty to which the United States of America is a party,
Β
42
(ii)Β duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI,
Β
(iii)Β 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
substantially in the form of Exhibit D to the effect that such Foreign Lender is
not (A) a βbankβ within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a
β10 percent shareholderβ of any Borrower within the meaning of Section
871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (C) a βcontrolled foreign corporationβ described in
Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (D) the interest payments in question are
not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by such Lender
(a βU.S. Tax
Compliance Certificateβ) and (y) duly completed copies of Internal
Revenue Service Form W-8 BEN,
Β
(iv)Β to
the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner of payments made under
any Loan Document (for example, where the Foreign Lender is a partnership or
participating Lender granting a typical participation), an Internal Revenue
Service Form W-8IMY, accompanied by a Form W-8ECI, W-8BEN, U.S. Tax Compliance
Certificate, Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial
owner, as applicable; provided that, if the
Foreign Lender is a partnership (and not a participating Lender) and one or more
beneficial owners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest
exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate on
behalf of such beneficial owners, or
Β
(v)Β any
other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from
or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax duly completed together with such
supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the
Parent Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be
made.
Β
Each Lender agrees that if any form or
certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate
in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify
the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal
inability to do so.
Β
(h)Β If
any Recipient shall become aware that it is entitled to receive a refund in
respect of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been
indemnified pursuant to this Section 2.16, such Recipient shall promptly notify
the Parent Borrower of the availability of such refund and shall, within 30 days
after receipt of a request by the Parent Borrower, apply for such refund at the
Parent Borrowerβs expense.Β Β If any Recipient receives a refund in
respect of any Taxes for which such Recipient has received payment from a
Borrower or an Account Party hereunder, it shall within 30 days after the
receipt thereof repay the lesser of such refund and the amount paid by such
Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be) with respect to such Taxes
to the applicable Borrower or the applicable Account Party, as applicable, in
each case net of all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of such Recipient and
with interest received by such Recipient from the relevant taxing authority
attributable to such refund; provided that such
Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be), upon the request of such
Recipient, as applicable,
agree to return any such refund (plus interest,
penalties and other charges) to such Recipient, as applicable, in the
eventΒ such
Issuing Bank, Lender
or the Administrative Agent is required to pay such refund to any Governmental
Authority.Β
Notwithstanding
anything to the
Β
43
contrary
in this paragraph (h), in no event will any Issuing Bank or Lender be required
to pay any amount to any Loan Party the payment of which would place the Issuing
Bank or such Lender in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the Issuing
Bank or such Lender would have been if the indemnification payments or
additional amounts giving rise to such refund had never been
paid.Β Β This Section shall not be construed to require any Recipient to
make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes
that it deems confidential) to the Loan Parties or any other
Person.
Β
SECTION
2.17.Β Payments Generally; Pro Rata
Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.Β Β (a)Β Β Each Borrower
and each Account Party shall make each payment required to be made by it
hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC
Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.14, 2.15 or 2.16, or
otherwise) prior to the time expressly required hereunder for such payment (or,
if no such time is expressly required, prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time,
on the date when due), in immediately available funds, without set-off or
counterclaim.Β Β Any amounts received after such time on any date may,
in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received
on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest
thereon.Β Β All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent
at its offices at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, except payments to be
made directly to an Issuing Bank or a Swingline Lender as expressly provided
herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03
shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto.Β Β The
Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the
account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following
receipt thereof.Β Β If any payment under any Loan Document shall be due
on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to
the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing
interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such
extension.Β Β All payments under each Loan Document shall be made in
dollars.
Β
(b)Β If
at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the
Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC
Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied
(i) first, towards 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, towards payment of principal
and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder, ratably among the parties
entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC
Disbursements then due to such parties.
Β
(c)Β If
any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or
otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of
its Revolving Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans
resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the
aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements
and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by
any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall
purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans and
participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to the
extent necessary so that the benefitΒ 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
Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans;
provided that
(i) if any such
Β
44
participations
are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is
recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price
restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the
provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made
by any Borrower or any Account Party pursuant to and in accordance with the
express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as
consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its
Loans or participations in LC Disbursements to any assignee or participant,
other than to Holdings or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the
provisions of this paragraph shall apply).Β Β Each of the Borrowers and
each of the Account Parties 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 such
Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be) rights of set-off and
counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were
a direct creditor of such Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be) in
the amount of such participation.
Β
(d)Β Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Borrower or an
Account Party prior to the date on which any payment is due to the
Administrative Agent from such Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may
be) for the account of the Lenders or an Issuing Bank hereunder that such
Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be) will not make such payment,
the Administrative Agent may assume that such Borrower or such Account Party (as
the case may be) has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and
may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the
applicable Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount due.Β Β In such
event, if the relevant Borrower or the relevant Account Party (as the case may
be) has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the
applicable Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the
Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such
Lender or such Issuing Bank 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
Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance
with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
Β
(e)Β If
any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to
Section 2.04(c), 2.05(d) or (e), 2.06(b) or 2.17(d), then the Administrative
Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof),
apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the
account of such Lender to satisfy such Lenderβs obligations under such Sections
until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid.
Β
SECTION
2.18.Β Mitigation Obligations;
Replacement of Lenders.Β Β (a)Β Β If, with respect to any
Lender or the Administrative Agent, an event or circumstance occurs that would
entitle such Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise any of the rights or
benefits afforded by Section 2.14 or 2.16(a), such Lender or the Administrative
Agent, promptly upon becoming aware of the same, shall take all steps as may be
reasonably available (including designating a different Applicable Lending
Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or participating in Letters of
Credit or assigning its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its
offices, or furnishing
the proper certificates under any applicable Tax laws, Tax treaties, conventions
and governmental regulations to the extent that such certificates are legally
available to such Lender or to the Administrative Agent) to eliminate or
mitigate the effects of any event resulting in the
Β
45
ability
of such Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise rights under any of such
Sections; provided that neither
any Lender nor the Administrative Agent shall be under any obligation to take
any step that, in its reasonable judgment, would (i)Β result in its
incurring Additional Costs or Taxes in performing its obligations hereunder
unless the Borrowers and the Account Parties have expressly agreed to reimburse
it therefor or (ii)Β be materially disadvantageous to such Lender or to the
Administrative Agent.Β Β Within 60 days after the occurrence of any
event giving rise to any rights or benefits provided by Sections 2.14 and
2.16(a) in favor of any Lender or the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the
Administrative Agent (i)Β will notify the Parent Borrower of such event or
circumstance and (ii)Β provide the Parent Borrower with a certificate
setting forth in reasonable detail (x)Β the event or circumstance giving
rise to any benefit under Sections 2.14 and 2.16(a), (y)Β the effective date
of, and the time period during which, compensation for any Additional Costs or
Taxes are being claimed and (z)Β the determination of amount or amounts
claimed thereby and detailed calculations with respect thereto; provided that, if
such Lender or the Administrative Agent does not give the Parent Borrower such
notice and certificate within the 60-day period set forth in this sentence, the
relevant Borrower or the relevant Account Party (as the case may be) shall be
required to indemnify such Lender or the Administrative Agent only for such
Additional Costs and Taxes as are attributable to the period from and after the
first date as of which such notice and certificate have been received by the
Parent Borrower.Β Β Such Lender or the Administrative Agent shall notify
the Parent Borrower of any change in circumstances with respect to the event
specified in the above-described notice and certificate as promptly as
practicable after such Lender or the Administrative Agent obtains knowledge
thereof.Β Β Such certificate shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.Β Β Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither any Lender nor the
Administrative Agent shall deliver the notice and certificate described in this
paragraphΒ (a) to the Parent Borrower in respect of any Additional Costs or
Taxes unless it is then the general policy of such Lender or the Administrative
Agent to pursue similar rights and remedies in similar circumstances under
comparable provisions of other credit agreements.
Β
(b)Β With
respect to Sections 2.14 and 2.16, the Parent Borrower shall have the right,
should any Lender request any compensation or indemnity thereunder, or if any
Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, to (i)Β unless an Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing, (A)Β promptly terminate such Lenderβs
Commitment by irrevocable written notice of such termination to such Lender and
the Administrative Agent without the necessity of complying with Sections
2.08(b) and (c) hereof, (B)Β reduce the total Commitments by the amount of
such Lenderβs Commitment and (C)Β pay or prepay in immediately available
funds all Loans owing to such Lender, accrued and unpaid interest thereon,
accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, or (ii)Β require
such Lender to assign all its interests, rights and obligations under this
Agreement, without recourse to or representation or warranty by such Lender, to
an assignee in accordance with Section 9.04; provided that
(x)Β such assignment shall not conflict with any statute, law, rule,
regulation, order or decree of any Governmental Authority and (y)Β the
assigning Lender shall have received from the relevant Borrower and the relevant
Account Party and/or such assignee full payment in immediately available funds
of the principal of and interest accrued on the Loans to the date of such
assignment made by it hereunder and all other amounts owed to it hereunder that
are subject to such assignment, provided that amounts
payable under this clause (y) to any assigning Lender that is a Defaulting
Lender shall be applied in accordance with Section 2.21(e).
Β
46
(c)Β With
respect to Section 2.14 or 2.16, (i) other than with respect to Section 2.16(b),
neither any Lender nor the Administrative Agent shall be entitled to exercise
any right or benefit afforded thereby and neither the Borrowers nor the Account
Parties shall be obligated to reimburse any Lender or the Administrative Agent
pursuant to such Sections unless (x)Β such Lender or the Administrative
Agent has delivered to the Parent Borrower in accordance with Section 9.01 the
notice and the certificate described in Section 2.18(a) hereof and (y) the
Parent Borrower has had a 30-Business Day period following the receipt of such
notice and certificate (if the Parent Borrower in good faith disagrees with the
assertion that any payment under such Sections is due or with the amount shown
as due on such certificate and so notifies the Lender or the Administrative
Agent of such disagreement within 10 Business Days following receipt of the
notice and certificate) to negotiate with the requesting Lender or the
Administrative Agent, which negotiations shall be conducted by the respective
parties in good faith, and to agree upon another amount that will adequately
compensate such Lender or the Administrative Agent, it being expressly
understood that if the Parent Borrower does not provide the required notice of
its disagreement as provided above, the relevant Borrower or the relevant
Account Party (as the case may be) shall pay the amount shown as due on the
certificate on the tenth Business Day following receipt thereof and further if
the Parent Borrower does provide such required notice, and negotiations are
entered into but do not result in agreement by the Parent Borrower and such
Lender or the Administrative Agent within the 30-Business Day period, then the
relevant Borrower or the relevant Account Party (as the case may be) shall pay
the amount shown as due on the certificate on the last day of such period, but
in either event not earlier than the date as of which the relevant Additional
Costs or Taxes are incurred, (ii)Β other than with respect to Other Taxes,
unless the appropriate notice and certificate are delivered to the Parent
Borrower within the 60-day period described in Section 2.18(a), the relevant
Borrower or the relevant Account Party (as the case may be) shall be liable only
for Additional Costs, Taxes or amounts required to be paid which are
attributable to the period from and after the date such notice and certificate
have been received by such Borrower or such Account Party, as applicable,
(iii)Β neither the Borrowers nor the Account Parties shall be liable for any
amounts incurred as a result of any change in an Applicable Lending Office of
any Issuing Bank or Lender to the extent that such Issuing Bank or Lender shall
have had knowledge at the time of such change in Applicable Lending Office that
reimbursement or recoupment under Section 2.14 would arise as a result of such
change, (iv) each Lender or the Administrative Agent shall in good faith
allocate all Additional Costs, Taxes and payments required to be made fairly
among all its commitments (whether or not it seeks compensation from all
affected Borrowers or Account Parties), (v)Β neither any Lender nor the
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to exercise any right or benefit afforded
hereby or receive any payment otherwise due under Sections 2.14 and 2.16
(including, without limitation, any repayment by any Borrower or any Account
Party (as the case may be) of any refund of Taxes pursuant to Section 2.16(h))
which arises from any gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct of any
Lender or the Administrative Agent, or the failure of such Lender or the
Administrative Agent to comply with the terms of this Agreement, (vi)Β if
any Lender or the Administrative Agent shall have recouped any amount or
received any offsetting Tax benefit (other than a refund of Taxes as described
in Section 2.16(h)) or reserve or capital benefits theretofore paid to it by any
Borrower or any Account Party (as the case may be), such Lender or the
Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to such Borrower or such Account
Party
(as the case may be) an amount equal to the amount of the recoupment received by
such Lender or the Administrative Agent reduced by any reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses of such
Β
47
Lender
or the Administrative Agent attributable to such recoupment, as determined in
good faith by such Lender or the Administrative Agent, and (vii)Β the
liability of the Borrowers and the Account Parties to any Lender or the
Administrative Agent with respect to any Indemnified Taxes shall be reduced to
the extent that such Lender or the Administrative Agent receives an offsetting
Tax benefit (or could have received such a benefit by taking reasonable measures
to receive it); provided that there
shall not be any reductions pursuant to this clause (vii) with respect to any
Tax benefit (x)Β the existence of which such Lender or Administrative Agent
is unaware, (y)Β the claiming of which would result in any cost or Tax to
such Lender or the Administrative Agent (unless the relevant Borrower or the
relevant Account Party (as the case may be) shall have agreed to pay its
reasonably allocable portion of such cost or Tax) and (z)Β unless the
relevant Borrower or the relevant Account Party (as the case may be) shall agree
to indemnify the Lender or the Administrative Agent to the extent any Tax
benefit taken into account under this clauseΒ (vii) is thereafter lost or
becomes unavailable.
Β
(d)Β In
addition to their obligations under Section 2.14 hereof, each of the Lenders and
the Administrative Agent hereby agrees to execute and deliver, and to make any
required filings of, all certificates, agreements, documents, reports,
statements and other instruments as are reasonably necessary to effectuate the
purposes of this Section 2.18 and Sections 2.14 and 2.16.Β Β The Parent
Borrower agrees to pay all filing fees incurred by any Lender or the
Administrative Agent in performing its obligations under this Section
2.18.
Β
SECTION
2.19.Β Reserved.
Β
SECTION
2.20.Β Borrowing
Subsidiaries.Β Β The Parent Borrower may, at any time and from
time to time so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, designate any
Material Subsidiary (other than any Foreign Subsidiary) to be a Borrowing
Subsidiary hereunder by delivering to the Administrative Agent a Subsidiary
Borrowing Election with respect to such Material Subsidiary.Β Β The
eligibility of any Borrowing Subsidiary to borrow hereunder shall terminate when
the Administrative Agent receives a Subsidiary Borrower Termination with respect
to such Material Subsidiary.Β Β Each Subsidiary Borrower Election
delivered to the Administration Agent shall be duly executed on behalf of the
relevant Material Subsidiary and the Parent Borrower, and each Subsidiary
Borrower Termination delivered to the Administrative Agent shall be duly
executed on behalf of the Parent Borrower.Β Β The delivery of a
Subsidiary Borrower Termination shall not affect any obligation of the relevant
Material Subsidiary incurred in its capacity as a Borrower, and such Material
Subsidiary shall continue to constitute a Borrowing Subsidiary for all purposes
hereof (other than the right to borrow Loans) until all its obligations
hereunder as a Borrower have been discharged and paid in full.Β Β The
Administrative Agent shall promptly give notice to the Lenders and the Issuing
Banks of its receipt of any Subsidiary Borrower Election or Subsidiary Borrower
Termination.
Β
SECTION
2.21.Β Defaulting
Lenders.Β Β Notwithstanding any
provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting
Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is
a Defaulting Lender:
Β
(a) fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion
of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section
2.11(a);
Β
48
(b)Β the Commitment and Revolving Credit Exposure of such
Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether all Lenders or
the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any
consent to any amendment or waiver pursuant to Section 9.02), provided that any waiver, amendment or modification requiring
the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender which affects such Defaulting
Lender differently than other affected Lenders, or any waiver, amendment or modification that has the
effect of increasing the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, shall require the consent of such Defaulting
Lender;
Β
(c)Β if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the
time a Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:
Β
(i)Β all or any part of such Swingline Exposure and LC
Exposure shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance
with their respective Applicable Percentages but only to the extent (x) the sum
of all non-Defaulting Lendersβ Revolving Credit Exposures plus such Defaulting
Lenderβs Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure does not exceed the total of all
non-Defaulting Lendersβ Commitments (it
being understood that in no event shall any non-Defaulting Lenderβs Revolving
Credit Exposure exceed such Lenderβs Commitment as a result of such
reallocation) and (y) the conditions set
forth in Section 4.02 are satisfied at such time; and
Β
(ii)Β if the reallocation described in clause (i) above
cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrowers or the Account Parties shall within one Business Day following notice by the
Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash
collateralize such Defaulting Lenderβs LC Exposure (after giving effect to any
partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the
procedures set forth in Section 2.05(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is
outstanding;
Β
(iii)Β if the Borrowers or the
Account Parties cash collateralize any
portion of such Defaulting Lenderβs LC Exposure pursuant to this paragraph (c),
theΒ Borrowers shall not be
required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.11(b)
with respect to such Defaulting Lenderβs LC Exposure during the period such
Defaulting Lenderβs LC Exposure is cash collateralized;
Β
(iv)Β if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is
reallocated pursuant to this paragraph
(c), then the fees payable to the Lenders
pursuant to Section 2.11(a) and Section 2.11(b) shall be adjusted in accordance
with such non-Defaulting Lendersβ Applicable Percentages; or
Β
(v)Β if any Defaulting Lenderβs LC Exposure is neither cash
collateralized nor reallocated pursuant to this paragraph (c),
then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the Issuing Bank or any
Lender hereunder, all facility fees that otherwise would have been payable to
such Defaulting Lender (solely with respect to the portion of such Defaulting
Lenderβs Commitment that was utilized by such LC Exposure) and Letter of Credit
fees payable under Section 2.11(b) with respect to such Defaulting
Lenderβs LC Exposure shall be payable to the Issuing
Bank until such LC Exposure is cash collateralized and/or
reallocated;
Β
49
(d)Β so long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any
Swingline Loan and the Issuing Bank shall not be required to issue, amend or
increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure
will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or
cash collateral will be provided by the Borrowers or the Account Parties in accordance with Section 2.21(c), and participating
interests in any such newly issued or increased Letter of Credit or newly made
Swingline Loan shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner
consistent with Section 2.21(c)(i) (and Defaulting Lenders shall not participate therein);
and
Β
(e)Β any amount payable to such Defaulting Lender hereunder
(whether on account of principal, interest, fees or otherwise and including any
amount that would otherwise be payable to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to
Section 2.17(c), but excluding Section
2.18(b)) shall, in lieu of being distributed to such Defaulting Lender, be
retained by the Administrative Agent in a segregated account and, subject to any
applicable requirements of law, be applied at such time or times as may be
determined by the Administrative Agent (i) first, to the
payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative
Agent hereunder, (ii) second, pro rata, to the payment of any amounts owing by such
Defaulting Lender to the Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender hereunder, (iii)
third,
to the funding of any Loan or the funding or cash collateralization of any
participating interest in any Swingline Loan or Letter of Credit in respect of
which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required
by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent, (iv) fourth, if so
determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers or the Account Parties, held in such account as cash collateral for future
funding obligations of the Defaulting Lender under this Agreement, (v)
fifth,
pro rata, to the payment of any amounts owing to theΒ Borrowers, the
Account Parties or the Lenders as a result
of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the
Borrowers, the Account Parties or any Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a
result of such Defaulting Lenderβs breach of its obligations under this
Agreement and (vi) sixth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by
a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if such payment is (x) a prepayment of the principal amount of any Loans or reimbursement
obligations in respect of LC Disbursements which a Defaulting Lender has funded
its participation obligations and (y) made at a time when the conditions set
forth in Section 4.02 are satisfied, such payment shall be applied solely to
prepay the Loans of, and reimbursement obligations owed to, all non-Defaulting
Lenders pro rata prior to being applied to the prepayment of any Loans, or
reimbursement obligations owed to, any Defaulting Lender.
Β
Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β In the event that the Administrative Agent, the
Borrowers, the Account Parties, the Issuing Bank and the Swingline Lender each agrees
that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such
Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of
the Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lenderβs
Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans
of the other Lenders (other than Swingline Loans) as the Administrative
Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such
Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable
Percentage.
Β
50
ARTICLE
III
Β
Representations
and Warranties
Β
Each
of Holdings, the Parent Borrower and Purchasing represents and warrants to the
Lenders that:
Β
SECTION
3.01.Β Organization;
Powers.Β Β Each of the Loan Parties is duly organized, validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as
now conducted and is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in,
every jurisdiction where such qualification is required, except, in each case,
where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not result
in a Material Adverse Effect.
Β
SECTION
3.02.Β Authorization;
Enforceability.Β Β The Transactions to be entered into by each
Loan Party are within such Loan Partyβs corporate powers and have been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, stockholder
action.Β Β This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each
of Holdings, the Parent Borrower and Purchasing and constitutes, and each other
Loan Document to which any Loan Party is to be a party, when executed and
delivered by such Loan Party, will constitute, a legal, valid and binding
obligation of Holdings, the Parent Borrower, Purchasing or such Loan Party (as
the case may be), enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent
transfer or other laws affecting creditorsβ rights generally and subject to
general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding
in equity or at law.
Β
SECTION
3.03.Β Governmental Approvals; No
Conflicts.Β Β The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or
approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any
Governmental Authority, except (i) such as have been obtained or made and are in
full force and effect or as to which the failure to be made or obtained and to
be in full force and effect would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii)
filings necessary to perfect Liens created under the Collateral Agreement and
(iii) filings of periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
(b) will not violate any applicable law or material regulation or the charter,
by-laws or other organizational documents of Holdings or any Subsidiary or any
material order of any Governmental Authority, (c) will not violate or result in
a default under any material provision of any indenture, agreement or other
instrument binding upon Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries or its assets, or
give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by Holdings or
any Subsidiary, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any
Lien on any asset of Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries, except Liens created
under the Collateral Agreement.
Β
SECTION
3.04. Financial Condition; No
Material Adverse Change.Β Β (a)Β Β Holdings has
heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and
statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows as of and for the
fiscal year ended January 31, 2009, reported on by KPMG LLP, independent public
accountants.Β Β Such financial statements present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash
flows of Holdings and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for
such periods in accordance with GAAP.
Β
51
(b)
Since
January 31, 2009, there has been no material adverse change in the business,
assets, operations or condition of Holdings and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole.
Β
SECTION
3.05.Β Properties.Β Β (a)Β Β Each
of Holdings and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests
in, all its real and personal property material to the business of Holdings and
its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole), except for minor defects in title and
leases being contested, in each case, that do not materially interfere with its
ability to conduct its business as currently conducted or to utilize such
properties for their intended purposes.
Β
(b)Β Each
of Holdings and its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks,
tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to its
business, and the use thereof by Holdings and its Subsidiaries does not infringe
upon the rights of any other Person, except for any defects in ownership or
licenses and any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate,
would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
Β
SECTION
3.06.Β Litigation and Environmental
Matters.Β Β (a)Β Β There are no actions, suits or
proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending
against or, to the knowledge of Holdings, the Parent Borrower or Purchasing,
threatened against or affecting Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries (i)Β as
to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that,
if adversely determined, would, individually or in the aggregate, result in a
Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (ii)Β that
involve any of the Loan Documents or the Transactions.
Β
(b)Β Except
for the Disclosed Matters and except with respect to any other matters that,
individually or in the aggregate, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect,
neither Holdings nor any of its Subsidiaries (i)Β has failed to comply with
any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license
or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii)Β has become
subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii)Β has received notice of any
claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis for
any Environmental Liability.
Β
(c)Β Since
the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the
Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or
materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.
Β
SECTION
3.07.Β Compliance with Laws and
Agreements.Β Β Each of Holdings and its Subsidiaries is in
compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority
applicable to it or its property and all indentures, material agreements and
other material instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the
failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not result in a
Material Adverse Effect.Β Β No Default has occurred and is
continuing.
Β
SECTION
3.08.Β Investment Company
Status.Β Β No Loan Party is an βinvestment companyβ as defined
in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of
1940.
Β
SECTION
3.09.Β Taxes.Β Β Each
of Holdings and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax
returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused
to
be paid all Taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns, except
(a)Β Taxes that are being
Β
52
contested
in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which Holdings or such
Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or
(b)Β to the extent that the failure to do so would not result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
Β
SECTION
3.10.Β ERISA.Β Β (a)Β Β No
ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken
together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably
expected to occur, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
Β
(b)Β The
present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on
the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No.Β 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements
reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of such Plan
by a material amount, and the present value of all accumulated benefit
obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes
of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.Β 87) did not, as of the
date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the
fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans by a material
amount.
Β
SECTION
3.11.Β Disclosure.Β Β Neither
the Information Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements,
certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of any Loan Party to
the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in connection with the
negotiation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or delivered hereunder
(as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished and taken as a
whole with such other information) 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, Holdings, the Parent Borrower and
Purchasing represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based
upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
Β
SECTION
3.12.Β Material
Subsidiaries.Β Β ScheduleΒ 3.12 sets forth the name and
jurisdiction of organization of each Subsidiary of Holdings that is a Material
Subsidiary as of the Effective Date.
Β
ARTICLE
IV
Β
Conditions
Β
SECTION
4.01.Β Effective
Date.Β Β The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of each
Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective
until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived
in accordance with Section 9.02):
Β
(a)Β The
Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto
either (i)Β a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party
or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may
include telecopy or electronicΒ transmission
of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a
counterpart of this Agreement.
Β
53
(b)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed
to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders and dated the
Effective Date) of each of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, special New York counsel
for the Loan Parties, and Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, General Counsel of Holdings,
substantially in the form of Exhibits B-1 and B-2, and covering such other
matters relating to the Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or the Transactions as
the Required Lenders shall reasonably request.Β Β Each of Holdings, the
Parent Borrower and Purchasing hereby requests such counsel to deliver such
opinions.
Β
(c)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the
Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the
organization, existence and good standing of each Loan Party, the authorization
of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Loan Parties,
the Loan Documents or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory
to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
Β
(d)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date
and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the
Parent Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in
paragraphsΒ (a) and (b) of SectionΒ 4.02.
Β
(e)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and
payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced at
least two Business Days prior to the Effective Date, reimbursement or payment of
all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by any Loan Party
hereunder.
Β
(f)Β The
Collateral and Guarantee Requirement shall have been satisfied and the
Administrative Agent shall have received a completed Perfection Certificate
dated the Effective Date and signed by an executive officer or Financial Officer
of the Parent Borrower, together with all attachments contemplated thereby, and
the Administrative Agent shall have received the results of a search of the
Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent) filings made with respect to the Loan
Parties in the jurisdictions contemplated by the Perfection Certificate and
copies of the financing statements (or similar documents) disclosed by such
search and evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that the
Liens indicated by such financing statements (or similar documents) are
permitted by Section 6.02 or have been released.
Β
(g)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that the insurance required by
the Collateral Agreement is in effect.
Β
(h)Β Prior
to or concurrently with the effectiveness of the Commitments, the commitments
under the Existing Credit Agreement shall be terminated and all loans and other
amounts accrued or owing thereunder shall be paid.
Β
(i)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received an initial Asset Coverage Certificate
calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio as of the last day of the most recent
fiscal month ended at least 10 days prior to the Effective Date, giving pro forma effect to any
Loans being made or Letters of Credit being issued (or, in the case of Existing
Letters of Credit, outstanding) on
the Effective Date as if such Loans were made or such Letters of Credit were
issued on the last day of such calendar month.
Β
54
(j)Β The
Lenders shall have received all documentation and other information required by
regulatory authorities under applicable βknow your customerβ and anti-money
laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act.
Β
The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Parent Borrower and the Lenders of the
Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and
binding.Β Β Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the
Lenders to make Loans and of each Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit
hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is
satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New
York City time, on April 30, 2009 (and, in the event such conditions are not so
satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).
Β
SECTION
4.02.Β Each Credit
Event.Β Β The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the
occasion of any Borrowing, and of each Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or
extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following
conditions:
Β
(a)Β The
representations and warranties of the Loan Parties set forth in the Loan
Documents (except (i) in the case of Borrowings made solely to refinance
maturing commercial paper issued by any of the Borrowers, the representations
and warranties made under SectionsΒ 3.04(b), 3.06(a)(i) and 3.06(c) and (ii)
in the case of any issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Trade Letter
of Credit, the representations and warranties made under Section 3.10(b)) shall
be true and correct on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as
applicable.
Β
(b)Β At
the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as
applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
Β
Each
Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of
Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by Holdings
and the relevant Borrower or the relevant Account Party, as applicable, on the
date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this
Section.
Β
SECTION
4.03.Β Borrowing
Subsidiaries.Β Β The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on
the occasion of the first Borrowing by a Borrowing Subsidiary is subject to
receipt by the Administrative Agent of a Subsidiary Borrower Election with
respect to such Borrowing Subsidiary in accordance with SectionΒ 2.20 and to
the satisfaction of the following further conditions:
Β
(a)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received one or more favorable written opinions
of counsel for such Borrowing Subsidiary reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent, with respect to (i) the organization and existence of such
Borrowing Subsidiary, (ii) the due authorization, execution and delivery of the
Subsidiary Borrower Election, (iii) the legality, validity and binding effect on
such BorrowingΒ Subsidiary
of the Subsidiary Borrower Election and this Agreement and (iv) such other
Β
55
matters
relating to such Borrowing Subsidiary as the Administrative Agent shall
reasonably request.
Β
(b)Β The
Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the
Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the
organization, existence and good standing of such Borrowing Subsidiary and its
authorization to be a Borrower, all in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
Β
(c)Β The
Lenders shall have received all documentation and other information required by
regulatory authorities under applicable βknow your customerβ and anti-money
laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act, with respect to
such Borrowing Subsidiary.
Β
The
Administrative Agent shall promptly provide to each Lender any documentation
with respect to any Borrowing Subsidiary that was delivered to the
Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section.
Β
ARTICLE
V
Β
Affirmative
Covenants
Β
Until
the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and
interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in
full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated and all LC
Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, each of Holdings, the Parent Borrower
and Purchasing covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
Β
SECTION
5.01.Β Financial Statements;
Ratings Change and Other Information.Β Β The Parent Borrower will
furnish to the Administrative Agent for distribution to each
Lender:
Β
(a)Β as
soon as available and, in any event, within 90Β days after the end of each
fiscal year of Holdings, its audited consolidated balance sheets and related
statements of operations, stockholdersβ equity and cash flows as of the end of
and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures
for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by KPMG LLP or other independent
public accountants of recognized national standing (without a βgoing concernβ or
like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to
the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial
statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and
results of operations of Holdings and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;
Β
(b)Β as
soon as available and, in any event, within 45Β days after the end of each
of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of Holdings, its
consolidated balance sheets and related statements of operations, stockholdersβ
equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then
elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative
form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of
(or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal
year, all
Β
56
certified
by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects
the financial condition and results of operations of Holdings and its
consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP
consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the
absence of footnotes;
Β
(c)Β concurrently
with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a)Β or
(b)Β above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of Holdings or the Parent
Borrower (i)Β certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a
Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or
proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii)Β setting forth reasonably
detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with SectionsΒ 6.09 and 6.10
and (iii)Β stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof
has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in
SectionΒ 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of
such change on the financial statements accompanying such
certificate;
Β
(d)Β within
30 days after the end of each fiscal year, an annual financial forecast (in a
form consistent with forecasts previously provided) for Holdings and its
Subsidiaries for the subsequent fiscal year (including a consolidated balance
sheet of Holdings and its Subsidiaries as of the end of the prior fiscal year
and consolidated statements of income and cash flows of Holdings and its
Subsidiaries for such fiscal year);
Β
(e)Β promptly
after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other
reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by Holdings or any
Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental
Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with
any national securities exchange, or distributed by Holdings to its shareholders
generally, as the case may be;
Β
(f)Β promptly
after (i) Xxxxxβx or S&P shall have announced a change in the Credit Rating
established or deemed to have been established by such rating agency, written
notice of such Credit Rating change and (ii) Xxxxxβx, S&P or Fitch shall
have announced a change in the credit rating established by such rating agent
with respect to this facility, written notice of such rating
change;
Β
(g)Β within
20 days after the end of each fiscal month, an Asset Coverage Certificate
(together with any other supplemental reporting and supporting documentation
reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent) calculating the Asset Coverage
Ratio as of the last day of such fiscal month; and
Β
(h)Β promptly
following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations,
business affairs and financial condition of Holdings or any Subsidiary, or
compliance with the terms of any Loan Document, as the Administrative Agent or
any Lender may reasonably request.
Β
SECTION
5.02.Β Notices of Material
Events.Β Β The Parent Borrower will furnish to the Administrative
Agent for distribution to each Lender prompt written notice of the
following:
Β
57
(a)Β the
occurrence of any Default;
Β
(b)Β the
filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any
arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting Holdings, the Parent
Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof that, if adversely determined, would result
in a Material Adverse Effect;
Β
(c)Β the
occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA
Events that have occurred, would result in liability of Holdings and its
Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $100,000,000; and
Β
(d)Β any
other development that results in, or would reasonably be expected to result in,
a Material Adverse Effect.
Β
Each
notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a
Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Parent Borrower setting
forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any
action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
Β
SECTION
5.03.Β Information Regarding
Collateral.Β Β (a)Β Β The Parent Borrower will furnish to
the Administrative Agent prompt written notice of any change (i) in the legal
name of any Loan Party, (ii) in the identity or type of organization or
corporate structure of any Loan Party, (iii) in the Federal Taxpayer
Identification Number or other identification number of any Loan Party, (iv) in
the jurisdiction of organization of any Loan Party or (v) in the address set
forth in the Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filed with respect to
any Loan Party.Β Β Holdings and the Parent Borrower agree not to effect
or permit any change referred to in the preceding sentence unless all filings
have been made under the Uniform Commercial Code or otherwise that are required
in order for the Administrative Agent to continue at all times following such
change to have a valid, legal and perfected security interest in all the
Collateral.Β Β The Parent Borrower also agrees promptly to notify the
Administrative Agent if any material portion of the Collateral is damaged or
destroyed.
Β
(b)Β Each
year, at the time of delivery of annual financial statements with respect to the
preceding fiscal year pursuant to clause (a) of Section 5.01, the Parent
Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a Financial
Officer and the chief legal officer of the Parent Borrower (i) setting forth the
information required pursuant to the Perfection Certificate or confirming that
there has been no change in such information since the date of the Perfection
Certificate delivered on the Effective Date or the date of the most recent
certificate delivered pursuant to this Section and (ii) certifying that all
Uniform Commercial Code financing statements or other appropriate filings,
recordings or registrations, including all refilings, rerecordings and
reregistrations, containing a description of the Collateral have been filed of
record (or delivered to the Administrative Agent for filing or recording) in
each governmental, municipal or other appropriate office in each jurisdiction
identified pursuant to clause (i) aboveΒ to
the extent necessary to protect and perfect the security interests under the
Collateral Agreement for a period of not less than 18 months after the date of
such certificate (except as noted therein with respect to any continuation
statements to be filed within such period).
Β
58
(c)Β At
any time during a Release Period, the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this Section 5.03 shall not apply.
Β
SECTION
5.04.Β Existence; Conduct of
Business.Β Β Each of Holdings and the Parent Borrower will, and
will cause each of its Material Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal
existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material
to the conduct of the business of Holdings and its Subsidiaries (taken as a
whole); provided that the
foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation, transfer of
assets or dissolution permitted under SectionΒ 6.03.
Β
SECTION
5.05.Β Payment of
Obligations.Β Β Each of Holdings and the Parent Borrower will,
and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax
liabilities, that, if not paid, would result in a Material Adverse Effect before
the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or
amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b)
Holdings, the Parent Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books
adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the
failure to make payment pending such contest would not result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
Β
SECTION
5.06.Β Maintenance of
Properties.Β Β Each of Holdings and the Parent Borrower will, and
will cause each of its Subsidiaries to,Β keep and maintain all property
material to the conduct of the business of Holdings and its Subsidiaries (taken
as a whole) in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear
excepted; providedΒ that
nothing in this Section shall prevent Holdings or any Subsidiary from
discontinuing the operations or maintenance of any of its properties no longer
deemed by Holdings or such Subsidiary, as applicable, to be useful in the
conduct of its business.
Β
SECTION
5.07.Β Insurance.Β Β Each
of Holdings and the Parent Borrower will, and will cause each of its Material
Subsidiaries to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance
companies (a) insurance in such amounts (with no greater risk retention) and
against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies of established
repute engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or
similar locations and (b) all insurance required to be maintained pursuant to
the Collateral Agreement.Β Β The Parent Borrower will furnish to the
Lenders, upon request of the Administrative Agent, information in reasonable
detail as to the insurance so maintained.
Β
SECTION
5.08.Β Books and Records;
Inspection Rights; Inventory Audits.Β Β Each of Holdings and the
Parent Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper
books of record and account in accordance with GAAP.Β Β Each of Holdings
and the Parent Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit
any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon
reasonable prior notice and without disruption of
the normal and ordinary conduct of the business of Holdings, the Parent Borrower
or any such Subsidiary, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make
extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and
condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable
times and as often as reasonably requested.Β Β Each of Holdings and the
Parent Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit the
Β
59
Administrative
Agent or any auditor that is satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, at any
time upon reasonable prior notice (but, unless an Event of Default has occurred
and is continuing, no more than once during any calendar year), to perform
audits of, conduct independent appraisals of and/or monitor the inventory of
Holdings and its Subsidiaries, provided that at any
time that at least two of Xxxxxβx, S&P and Fitch issue ratings with respect
to this facility, of Ba2, BB and BB, respectively, or worse, then (x) the
Administrative Agent or any auditor satisfactory to the Administrative Agent
will be permitted to (i) perform audits and conduct independent appraisals of
the inventory of Holdings and its Subsidiaries but, except as provided in clause
(ii), not more frequently than once in any 365-day period, and (ii) for so long
as the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposures are more than 50% of the total
Commitments, perform ongoing audits, conduct ongoing appraisals and/or
continuously monitor the inventory of Holdings and its Subsidiaries and (y)
Holdings will furnish to the Administrative Agent for distribution to each
Lender within 20 days after the end of each fiscal month, a consolidated report
of accounts payable for Holdings and its Subsidiaries (including aging details)
as of the last day of such fiscal month and other information reasonably
requested by the Administrative Agent in form and substance satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent.
Β
SECTION
5.09.Β Compliance with
Laws.Β Β Each of Holdings and the Parent Borrower will, and will
cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and
orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except
where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not result
in a Material Adverse Effect.
Β
SECTION
5.10.Β Use of Proceeds and Letters
of Credit.Β Β The proceeds of the Loans will be used only for
general corporate purposes, including working capital requirements, liquidity
and the repayment of maturing commercial paper and other Indebtedness of the
Parent Borrower and Purchasing (including Indebtedness under the Existing Credit
Agreement).Β Β No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether
directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the
Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T,Β U and
X.Β Β Letters of Credit will be issued to support obligations of the
Account Parties in respect of purchases of inventory in the ordinary course of
business, as well as other obligations of Holdings and its Subsidiaries incurred
without violation of this Agreement.
Β
SECTION
5.11.Β Additional Guarantee
Parties.Β Β (a)Β Β If any Subsidiary (other than any
Foreign Subsidiary) becomes a Material Subsidiary or otherwise becomes a
Guarantee Party after the Effective Date, Holdings and the Parent Borrower
shall, within three Business Days after such Subsidiary becomes a Material
Subsidiary or a Guarantee Party (as applicable), notify the Administrative Agent
and the Lenders thereof and cause the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to be
satisfied with respect to such Subsidiary; provided that the
requirements of this paragraph shall not apply during a Release
Period.
Β
(b)Β If
a Release Period commences, Holdings and the Parent Borrower agree that at any
time thereafter, if either rating agency shall then have a Credit Rating in
effect that is worse
than Baa2 or BBB, as applicable, then Holdings and the Parent Borrower will
promptly, but in no event later than five Business Days thereafter, cause the
Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to be satisfied.
Β
60
SECTION
5.12.Β Further
Assurances.Β Β Each of Holdings and the Parent Borrower will, and
will cause each Guarantee Party and each Additional Grantor to, execute any and
all further documents, financing statements, agreements and instruments, and
take all such further actions, which may be required under any applicable law,
or which the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders may reasonably
request, to cause the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to be and remain
satisfied, all at the expense of the Guarantee Parties and the Additional
Grantors.Β Β At any time other than during a Release Period, Holdings
and the Parent Borrower also agree to provide to the Administrative Agent, from
time to time upon request, evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent as to the perfection and priority of the Liens created or
intended to be created by the Collateral Agreement.
Β
SECTION
5.13.Β Maintenance of
Ratings.Β Β Holdings will use commercially reasonable efforts to
maintain continuously in effect (i) a Credit Rating from each of Xxxxxβx and
S&P in respect of Holdings and (ii) a credit rating of this facility from
each of Xxxxxβx, S&P and Fitch.
Β
SECTION
5.14.Β Prepayment
Avoidance.Β Β Holdings and the Parent Borrower will, and will
cause each Subsidiary to, either repay or prepay Loans, or make investments in
assets to be used in their businesses, in each case as necessary to avoid any
mandatory redemption, repurchase or prepayment referred to in the proviso to
clause (c) of the definition of βDisqualified Equity Interestβ or the proviso to
clause (h) of Section 6.01.
Β
ARTICLE
VI
Β
Negative
Covenants
Β
Until
the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on
each Loan and all feesΒ Β Β payable hereunder have been paid in full
and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements
shall have been reimbursed, each of Holdings, the Parent Borrower and Purchasing
covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
Β
SECTION
6.01.Β Indebtedness.Β Β Neither
Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to,
create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
Β
(a)Β Indebtedness
created under the Loan Documents;
Β
(b)Β Indebtedness
existing on the date hereof and set forth in ScheduleΒ 6.01 and extensions,
renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the
outstanding principal amount thereof (other than in respect of any premium or
fee payable in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement) or result
in an earlier maturity date or decreased weighted average life thereof; provided that
Indebtedness in respect of which the holders thereof have the unconditional
right to require the issuer thereof to effect a redemption of such Indebtedness
for cash prior to the stated maturityΒ date
of such Indebtedness shall be treated as maturing on the nearest such redemption
date for purposes of the foregoing calculations;
Β
61
(c)Β Indebtedness
of Holdings to any Subsidiary and of any Subsidiary to Holdings or any other
Subsidiary;
Β
(d)Β Guarantees
by Holdings of Indebtedness of any Subsidiary and by any Subsidiary of
Indebtedness of (i) so long as such Subsidiary also guarantees the Obligations
on a pari passuΒ basis, any
Loan Party or (ii) any other Subsidiary;
Β
(e)Β Indebtedness
of Holdings or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction
or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including Capital Lease
Obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of
any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition
thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that
do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; provided that (i)
such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition
or the completion of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate
principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (e) shall not exceed
$500,000,000 at any time outstanding;
Β
(f)Β Indebtedness
of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof; provided that (i)
such Indebtedness exists at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary and is not
created in contemplation of or in connection with such Person becoming a
Subsidiary and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by
this clause (f) shall not exceed $150,000,000 at any time
outstanding;
Β
(g)Β Permitted
Long-Term Indebtedness;
Β
(h)Β Indebtedness
in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $750,000,000 and extensions,
renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the
outstanding principal amount thereof (other than in respect of any premium or
fee payable in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement), provided that such
Indebtedness (i) shall be secured on a second-priority basis only by Collateral
of the Loan Parties and shall be subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, (ii)
shall not mature on or prior to the Specified Date, (iii) shall not have terms
more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those set forth in this Agreement and
(iv) shall be subject only to mandatory prepayments, if any, that can be avoided
through repayment or prepayment of Loans or through investments by Holdings and
its consolidated Subsidiaries in assets to be used in their businesses, provided, further, that no such
Indebtedness may be incurred, extended, renewed or replaced at any time during a
Release Period; and
Β
(i)Β other
unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding
$150,000,000 at any time outstanding.
Β
SECTION
6.02.Β Liens.Β Β Neither
Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to,
create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now
owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues
(including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof,
except:
Β
(a)Β Liens
created under the Loan Documents;
Β
62
(b)Β Permitted
Encumbrances;
Β
(c)Β any
Lien on any property or asset of Holdings or any Subsidiary existing on the date
hereof and set forth in ScheduleΒ 6.02; provided that (i)
such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of Holdings or any
Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it
secures on the date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof
that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof, other than in
respect of any premium or fee payable in connection with such extension, renewal
or replacement;
Β
(d)Β any
Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by
Holdings or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person
that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person
becomes a Subsidiary; provided that
(i)Β such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such
acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, as the case may be,
(ii)Β such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of Holdings
or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which
it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a
Subsidiary, as the case may be and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof
that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof, other than in
respect of any premium or fee payable in connection with such extension, renewal
or replacement;
Β
(e)Β Liens
on fixed or capital assets acquired, constructed or improved by Holdings or any
Subsidiary; provided that
(i)Β such security interests secure Indebtedness permitted by
clauseΒ (e) of SectionΒ 6.01, (ii)Β such security interests and the
Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within 90Β days after
such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement,
(iii)Β the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of
acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and
(iv)Β such security interests shall not apply to any other property or
assets of Holdings or any Subsidiaries;
Β
(f)Β Liens
in respect of leases or subleases granted to other Persons in the ordinary
course of business and not materially interfering with the conduct of business
of Holdings and its Subsidiaries;
Β
(g)Β Liens
arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment (including βsale
or returnβ arrangements) or similar arrangements for the sale of goods entered
into by the Parent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of
business in accordance with the past practices of the Parent Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, provided that the
aggregate amount of such goods shall not exceed $200,000,000;
Β
(h)Β Liens
in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law securing
payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of
goods;
Β
(i)Β Liens
on accounts receivable of the Parent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that
arise from the securitization of such accounts receivable;
Β
63
(j)Β Liens
(other than Liens on any inventory constituting Collateral) securing
Indebtedness of a Subsidiary to the Parent Borrower;
Β
(k)Β second-priority
Liens on the Collateral securing Indebtedness permitted pursuant to Section
6.01(h), provided that such
second-priority Liens shall not be permitted during a Release Period;
and
Β
(l)Β other
Liens (other than Liens on any inventory constituting Collateral) securing
monetary obligations, provided that (i) the
sum of the aggregate amount of all monetary obligations secured by Liens
pursuant to this clause (l), plus the aggregate amount of all cash consideration
received on or after the Effective Date in respect of sale leaseback
transactions made in reliance on clause (b) of Section 6.06, shall not exceed
7.50% of Net Tangible Assets at any time and (ii) the aggregate book value of
all assets subject to Liens pursuant to this clause (l) shall not at any time
exceed $225,000,000.
Β
SECTION
6.03.Β Fundamental
Changes.Β Β (a)Β Β Neither Holdings nor the Parent
Borrower will, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate
with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate
with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or
in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the assets of the
Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or liquidate or
dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving
effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i)Β any
Person may merge into the Parent Borrower in a transaction in which the Parent
Borrower is the surviving corporation, (ii)Β any Person may merge into or
consolidate with any Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity
is a Subsidiary and (if any party to such merger or consolidation is a Loan
Party) is a Loan Party and (iii) any Subsidiary (other than a Loan Party) may
liquidate or dissolve if the Parent Borrower determines in good faith that such
liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of the Parent Borrower and
is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders; provided that any
such merger involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately
prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by
SectionΒ 6.04.
Β
(b)Β Holdings
will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any extent
material to Holdings and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) in any business
other than businesses of the type conducted by Holdings and its Subsidiaries on
the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related,
ancillary or complementary to the business or businesses of Holdings or any
Subsidiary.
Β
SECTION
6.04.Β Investments, Loans,
Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions.Β Β Neither Holdings nor
the Parent Borrower will, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to, purchase, hold
or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person that was not a
wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any Equity Interests, evidences of
Indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right
to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or hold any loans or advances to,
Guarantee any obligations of, or make or hold any investment or any other
interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one
transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any other Person
constituting a business unit, except:
Β
(a)Β Permitted
Investments;
Β
64
(b)Β investments
existing on the date hereof and set forth on Schedule 6.04;
Β
(c)Β investments
by Holdings and its Subsidiaries in Equity Interests in their respective
Subsidiaries;
Β
(d)Β loans
or advances made by Holdings to any Subsidiary and made by any Subsidiary to
Holdings or any other Subsidiary;
Β
(e)Β Guarantees,
subject to the limitations of Section 6.01 in the case of Indebtedness of
Subsidiaries that are not Guarantee Parties;
Β
(f)Β investments
received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of, or settlement
of delinquent accounts and disputes with, customers and suppliers, in each case
in the ordinary course of business; and
Β
(g)Β other
investments; provided that at the
time of and after giving effect to any such investment, (i)Β Holdings and
the Parent Borrower will be in compliance on a pro forma basis with (A)
the covenants contained in SectionsΒ 6.09 and 6.10, recomputed as of the
last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter of the Parent Borrower for
which financial statements are available and (B) the covenant contained in
Section 6.11, recomputed as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal
month of the Parent Borrower, as if such investment and all other investments
made in reliance on this clauseΒ (g) had occurred on the first day of each
relevant period for testing such compliance and (ii)Β no Default shall have
occurred and be continuing.
Β
SECTION
6.05.Β Asset
Sales.Β Β Neither Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will, nor will
they permit any Subsidiary to, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of any
asset, including any Equity Interest owned by it, nor will Holdings and the
Parent Borrower permit any Subsidiary to issue any additional Equity Interest in
such Subsidiary, except:
Β
(a)Β sales
of inventory, used or surplus equipment and Permitted Investments, in each case
in the ordinary course of business;
Β
(b)Β disposals
of inventory pursuant to promotional or similar activities in the ordinary
course of business;
Β
(c)Β sales,
transfers and dispositions to the Parent Borrower or a Subsidiary;
Β
(d)Β transfers
and dispositions of interests in real property (including leasehold interests)
in exchange for consideration that constitutes interests in real property
(including leasehold interests) to the extent that any such transfer or
disposition qualifies as a βlike-kindβ exchange under Section 1031 of the
Code;
Β
(e)Β sales
of fixed or capital assets pursuant to Section 6.06(a); and
Β
(f)Β sales,
transfers and other dispositions of assets (other than Equity Interests in a
Subsidiary) that are not permitted by any other clause of this Section, provided that (i)
Holdings and the Parent Borrower will be in compliance on a pro forma basis with
the
Β
65
covenants
contained in SectionsΒ 6.09, 6.10 and 6.11, recomputed as of the last day of
the most recently ended fiscal quarter of the Parent Borrower for which
financial statements are available as if such sale, transfer or disposition and
all other sales, transfers or dispositions made in reliance on this
clauseΒ (f) had occurred on the first day of each relevant period for
testing such compliance and (ii)Β no Default shall have occurred and be
continuing;
Β
provided that all
sales, transfers, leases and other dispositions permitted hereby (other than
those permitted by clauses (b) and (c) above) shall be made for fair
value.Β Β This Section shall not be construed to prohibit transfers of
cash by Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries that are not prohibited by any other
provision of this Agreement.
Β
SECTION
6.06.Β Sale and Leaseback
Transactions.Β Β Neither Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will,
nor will they permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement, directly or
indirectly, whereby it shall sell or transfer any property (real or personal)
used or useful in its business, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, and
thereafter rent or lease such property, or other property that it intends to use
for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property sold or
transferred, except for any such sale of fixed or capital assets that
(a)Β is made for cash consideration in an amount not less than the cost of
such fixed or capital asset and is consummated within 90 days after Holdings,
the Parent Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, acquires or completes the
construction of such fixed or capital asset or (b)Β is made for cash
consideration in an amount not less than the fair value of such fixed or capital
asset; provided
that (i) any such sale or transfer made in reliance on clause (b) is permitted
by Section 6.05(f) and (ii) the sum of the aggregate amount of all cash
consideration received on or after the Effective Date in respect of all sale and
leaseback transactions made in reliance on clauseΒ (b), plus the aggregate
amount of all monetary obligations secured by Liens pursuant to clauseΒ (l)
of SectionΒ 6.02, shall not exceed 7.50% of Net Tangible Assets at any
time.
Β
SECTION
6.07.Β Restricted
Payments.Β Β Neither Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will, nor
will they permit any Subsidiary to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make,
directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except:
Β
(a)Β any
wholly-owned Subsidiary may distribute any cash, property or assets to Holdings,
the Parent Borrower or any other Subsidiary that is its direct or indirect
parent;
Β
(b)Β any
Subsidiary may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to its Equity
Interests;
Β
(c)Β Holdings
may make Restricted Payments in cash in an aggregate amount not to exceed
$250,000,000 during any fiscal year; provided that, at the
time of declaration (in the case of a dividend) or payment (in all other cases)
and after giving effect thereto, (i) no Default has occurred and is continuing
and (ii) Holdings would be in compliance with Sections 6.09 and 6.11 after
giving effect to such Restricted Payment and any Indebtedness being incurred in
connection therewith; and
Β
(d)Β Holdings
may make any additional Restricted Payment in cash; provided that (i) the
amount of such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all
other
Β
66
Restricted
Payments made by Holdings after the Effective Date (other than those made
pursuant to clause (c) above), does not exceed the sum, without duplication, of
(A) 50% of Consolidated Net Income for the period (taken as one accounting
period) from the beginning of the first fiscal quarter ending after the
Effective Date to the end of Holdingsβ most recently ended fiscal quarter for
which financial statements are publicly available at the time of such Restricted
Payment (or, if such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, minus
100% of such deficit); plus (B) 100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds received
by Holdings, during the period from the Effective Date to the date of such
Restricted Payment, from the issuance by Holdings of additional Equity Interests
(other than Disqualified Equity Interests or Equity Interests issued to a
Subsidiary or to an employee stock ownership plan or trust), and (ii) at the
time of declaration (in the case of a dividend) or payment (in all other cases)
and after giving effect thereto, (i) no Default has occurred and is continuing
and (ii) Holdings would be in compliance with Sections 6.09 and 6.11 after
giving effect to such Restricted Payment and any Indebtedness being incurred in
connection therewith.
Β
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this
Section 6.07 shall not apply at any time that (i)Β if both rating agencies
shall then have a Credit Rating in effect, the Credit Ratings are Baa2 and BBB,
respectively, with stable outlook or better or (ii)Β if only one rating
agency shall then have a Credit Rating in effect, such Credit Rating is Baa2 or
BBB, as applicable, with stable outlook or better.
Β
SECTION
6.08.Β Restrictive
Agreements.Β Β Neither Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will, nor
will they permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or
permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or
imposes any condition upon the ability of Holdings or any Subsidiary to create,
incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets to secure
the Obligations (or any Indebtedness incurred to refinance or replace the
Obligations); provided that (a) the
foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by
any Loan Document, (b) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and
conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.08 or to any
refinancing, extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification of, any
Indebtedness or other agreement existing on the date hereof containing any such
restriction or condition (but without expanding the scope of any such
restriction or condition), (c) the foregoing shall not apply to customary
restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a
Subsidiary pending such sale, provided that such
restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and
such sale is permitted hereunder, (d) the foregoing shall not apply to
restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured
Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions
apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness and (e) the
foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts
restricting the assignment, pledge or mortgage thereof.
Β
SECTION
6.09.Β Leverage
Ratio.Β Β The Leverage Ratio as of the last day of any fiscal
quarter ending during any period set forth below shall not exceed the ratio set
forth below opposite such period:
Β
67
Β
Period
|
Ratio
|
Effective
Date through and including the
last
day of the fiscal quarter ending on or
about
January 30, 2010
Β
|
4.00
to 1.00
Β
|
Thereafter
through and including the last
day
of the fiscal quarter ending on or
about
October 30, 2010
Β
|
3.50
to 1.00
Β
|
Thereafter
|
3.00
to 1.00
|
Β
SECTION
6.10.Β Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio.Β Β The Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for any period of four
consecutive fiscal quarters of Holdings ending during any period set forth below
shall not be less than the ratio set forth below opposite such
period:
Β
Periods
Ending
|
Ratio
|
Effective
Date through and including the
last
day of the fiscal quarter ending on or
about
October 30, 2010
Β
|
2.25
to 1.00
Β
|
Thereafter
through and including the
last
day of the fiscal quarter ending on or
about
October 29, 2011
Β
|
2.50
to 1.00
Β
|
Thereafter
|
3.00
to 1.00
|
Β
SECTION
6.11.Β Asset Coverage
Ratio.Β Β The Asset Coverage Ratio as of any date shall not be
less than 3.00 to 1.00.
Β
SECTION
6.12.Β Restriction on Non-Material
Subsidiaries.Β Β Neither Holdings nor the Parent Borrower will
permit, at any time, the Non-Material Subsidiaries that have not satisfied the
Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to have, in the aggregate, Net Tangible
Assets representing in excess of 5% of the total Net Tangible Assets of Holdings
and its Subsidiaries.
Β
ARTICLE
VII
Β
Events of
Default
Β
SECTION
7.01.Β Events of
Default.Β Β If any of the following events (βEvents of Defaultβ)
shall occur:
Β
68
(a)Β any
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan of such Borrower or any
Account Party shall fail to reimburse any LC Disbursement made in respect of a
Letter of Credit issued for the account of such Account Party, in each case when
and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or
at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;
Β
(b)Β any
Borrower or any Account Party shall fail to pay any interest or any fee or any
other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a)Β of this
Article) payable by it under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, when and
as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue
unremedied for a period of five days;
Β
(c)Β any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of any Loan Party
in or pursuant to any Loan Document or any amendment or modification thereof or
waiver thereunder, or any material representation or warranty in any report,
certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in
connection with any Loan Document or any amendment or modification thereof or
waiver thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect
when made or deemed made;
Β
(d)Β Holdings,
the Parent Borrower or Purchasing shall fail to observe or perform any covenant,
condition or agreement contained in SectionΒ 5.02, 5.04 (with respect to the
existence of Holdings, the Parent Borrower or Purchasing) or 5.10 or in
ArticleΒ VI;
Β
(e)Β any
Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement
contained in any Loan Document (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or
(d) of this Article), and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of
30Β days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Parent
Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);
Β
(f)Β Holdings
or any Subsidiary shallΒ fail to make any payment (whether of principal or
interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when
and as the same shall become due and payable;
Β
(g)Β any
event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due
prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the
giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any
Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause
any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment,
repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity;
provided that
this clauseΒ (g) shall not apply to (i) secured Indebtedness that becomes
due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets
securing such Indebtedness and (ii) Indebtedness in respect of which the holders
thereof have the unconditional right to require the issuer thereof to effect a
redemption of such Indebtedness prior to the stated maturity of such
Indebtedness, solely as a result of the exercise by such holders of such
right;
Β
69
(h)Β subject
to Section 7.02, an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary
petition shall be filed seeking (i)Β liquidation, reorganization or other
relief in respect of Holdings or any Subsidiary or its debts, or of a
substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or
(ii)Β the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator,
conservator or similar official for Holdings or any Subsidiary or for a
substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or
petition shall continue undismissed for 60Β days or an order or decree
approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;
Β
(i)Β subject
to Section 7.02, Holdings or any Subsidiary shall (i)Β voluntarily commence
any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other
relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership
or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii)Β consent to the institution
of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or
petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii)Β apply for or
consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator,
conservator or similar official for Holdings or any Subsidiary or for a
substantial part of its assets, (iv)Β file an answer admitting the material
allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v)Β make
a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi)Β take any action
for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
Β
(j)Β subject
to Section 7.02, Holdings or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in
writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become
due;
Β
(k)Β one
or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of
$100,000,000 (to the extent not covered by independent third party insurance as
to which the insurer is rated at least βAβ by A.M. Best Company, has been
notified of the potential claim and does not dispute coverage) shall be rendered
against Holdings, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall
remain undischarged for a period of 30Β consecutive days during which
execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken
by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of Holdings or any
Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;
Β
(l)Β an
ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders,
when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, would result
in a Material Adverse Effect;
Β
(m)Β at
any time other than during a Release Period, any Lien purported to be created
under the Collateral Agreement shall cease to be, or shall be asserted by any
Loan Party not to be, a valid and perfected Lien on any Collateral having an
aggregate fair value of $10,000,000 or more, with the priority required by the
Collateral Agreement, exceptΒ as a result of the sale or other disposition
of the applicable Collateral in a transaction not prohibited under the Loan
Documents; or
Β
(n)Β a
Change in Control shall occur;
Β
70
then,
and in every such event (other than an event with respect to Holdings, a
Borrower or an Account Party described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article),
and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the
Administrative Agent may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, and shall,
at the request of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Parent Borrower, take
either or both of the following actions, at the same or different
times:Β Β (i)Β terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the
Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii)Β declare the Loans then
outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any
principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be
due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due
and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other
obligations of the Borrowers and the Account Parties accrued hereunder, shall
become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or
other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each Borrower and
each Account Party; and in case of any event with respect to Holdings, a
Borrower or an Account Party described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article, the
Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then
outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other
obligations of the Borrowers and the Account Parties accrued hereunder, shall
automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or
other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each Borrower and
each Account Party.
Β
SECTION
7.02.Β Exclusion of Immaterial
Subsidiaries.Β Β At any time during a Release Period, solely for
purposes of determining whether a Default has occurred under clauseΒ (h),
(i) or (j) of SectionΒ 7.01, any reference in any such clause to any
βSubsidiaryβ shall be deemed to exclude any Subsidiary that is not a Material
Subsidiary affected by any event or circumstance referred to in any such clause;
provided, that
if it is necessary to exclude more than one Subsidiary from clauseΒ (h), (i)
or (j) of SectionΒ 7.01 pursuant to this Section in order to avoid a Default
thereunder, all excluded Subsidiaries shall be considered to be a single
consolidated Subsidiary for purposes of determining whether any excluded
Subsidiary is a Material Subsidiary.
Β
ARTICLE
VIII
Β
The Administrative
Agent
Β
Each
of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereby irrevocably appoints the
Administrative Agent as its agent 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 of the Loan Documents, together with such
actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
Β
The
bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights
and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the
same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its
Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any
kind of business with Holdings, the Parent Borrower or any other Subsidiary or
Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent
hereunder.
Β
71
The
Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those
expressly set forth in the Loan Documents.Β Β Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, (a)Β the Administrative Agent shall not be
subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a
Default has occurred and is continuing, (b)Β the Administrative Agent shall
not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary
powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated by the
Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing
as directed by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the
Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section
9.02), and (c) except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the
Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be
liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to Holdings or any
of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as
Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.Β Β The
Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it
with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number
or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as
provided in SectionΒ 9.02) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or
willful misconduct.Β Β The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to
have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given
to the Administrative Agent by Holdings, the Parent Borrower, Purchasing or a
Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any
duty to ascertain or inquire into (i)Β any statement, warranty or
representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii)Β the
contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in
connection therewith, (iii)Β the performance or observance of any of the
covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan
Document, (iv)Β the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness
of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or
(v)Β the satisfaction of any condition set forth in ArticleΒ IV or
elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly
required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
Β
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 believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person.Β Β The
Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by
telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not
incur any liability for relying thereon.Β Β The Administrative Agent may
consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Parent 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.
Β
The
Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights
and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the
Administrative Agent.Β Β The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent
may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through
their respective Related Parties.Β Β The exculpatory provisions of the
preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related
Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to
their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative
Agent.
Β
72
Subject
to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as
provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by
notifying the Lenders, each Issuing Bank and the Parent
Borrower.Β Β Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have
the right, with the consent of the Parent Borrower, to appoint a successor
(provided, that
such Parent Borrower consent (i) shall not be unreasonably withheld and (ii)
shall not be required if, at the time of such appointment, an Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing).Β Β If no successor shall have been so
appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment
within 30Β days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its
resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the
Lenders and the Issuing Banks, appoint a successor Administrative Agent which
shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any
such bank.Β Β Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative
Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become
vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring
Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged
from its duties and obligations hereunder.Β Β The fees payable by the
Parent Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those
payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Parent Borrower
and such successor.Β Β After the Administrative Agentβs resignation
hereunder, the provisions of this Article and SectionΒ 9.03 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 it was acting as Administrative
Agent.
Β
Each
Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and
information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and
decision to enter into this Agreement.Β Β Each Lender also acknowledges
that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent
or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from
time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or
not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or
related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or
thereunder.Β Β The Joint Bookrunners, Co-Lead Arrangers and Syndication
Agent (each as identified on the cover page of this Agreement), in their
capacities as such, shall have no rights, powers, duties, liabilities, fiduciary
relationships or obligations under this Agreement or any other documents related
thereto.
Β
Each
of the Lenders hereby (a)Β authorizes and instructs the Administrative Agent
to enter into an Intercreditor Agreement if Indebtedness is incurred that is
secured by Liens contemplated by clause (k) of Section 6.02 and (b)Β agrees
that it will be bound by and will take no actions contrary to the provisions of
such Intercreditor Agreement.
Β
ARTICLE
IX
Β
Miscellaneous
Β
SECTION
9.01.Β Notices.Β Β (a)Β Β Except
in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given
by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other
communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be
Β
73
delivered
by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or
sent by telecopy, as follows:
Β
(i)Β if
to Holdings, the Parent Borrower or Purchasing, to it at X. X. Xxxxxx
Corporation, Inc., 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Mail Code 1304, Xxxxx, XX 00000, Attention
of the Treasurer (Telecopy No.Β (000) 000-0000), with a copy to the General
Counsel of the Parent Borrower;
Β
(ii)Β if
to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency
Services Group, 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000-0000,
Attention of Xxxx Xxxx, Loan & Agency Services (Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention of Xxxxx Xxxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000); and
Β
(iii)Β if
to any other Lender, any Issuing Bank or any Swingline Lender, to it at its
address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative
Questionnaire.
Β
(b)Β Notices
and other communications to the Issuing Banks and Lenders hereunder may be
delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures
approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the
foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise
agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Issuing Bank or
Lender.Β Β The Administrative Agent, Holdings, the Parent Borrower or
Purchasing may, 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.
Β
(c)Β Any
party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other
communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.Β Β All
notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date
of receipt.
Β
SECTION
9.02.Β Waivers;
Amendments.Β Β (a)Β Β No failure or delay by the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or
power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver
thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or
any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power,
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right or power.Β Β The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent,
each Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents
are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would
otherwise have.Β Β No waiver of any provision of any Loan Document or
consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom shall in any event be
effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraphΒ (b) of this
Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific
instance and for the purpose for which given.Β Β Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of
Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether
the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or
knowledge of such Default at the time.
Β
74
(b)Β Except
with respect to any amendment to this Agreement contemplated by the definition
of βPermitted Holding Company Reorganizationβ (which amendment shall be
permitted if entered into by the parties referred to therein), neither this
Agreement nor any other Loan Document nor any provision hereof or thereof may be
waived, amended or modified except, in the case of this Agreement, pursuant to
an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by Holdings, the Borrowers,
the Account Parties and the Required Lenders or, in the case of any other Loan
Document, pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the
Administrative Agent and the Loan Party or Loan Parties that are parties
thereto, in each case with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such
agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written
consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC
Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable
hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii)
postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC
Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce
the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date
of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender
affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.17(b) or (c) in a manner that would
alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written
consent of each Lender, (v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the
definition of βRequired Lendersβ or any other provision of any Loan Document
specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or
modify any rights thereunder or make any determination or grant any consent
thereunder, without the written consent of each Lender, (vi) release all or
substantially all of the Loan Parties from their Guarantees under the Collateral
Agreement (except as expressly provided in the Collateral Agreement), or limit
their liability in respect of such Guarantees, without the written consent of
each Lender, (vii) release all or substantially all of the Collateral from the
Liens of the Collateral Agreement (except as expressly provided in Section
6.15(d) of the Collateral Agreement) without the written consent of each Lender
or (viii) change Section 2.05(k)(i) in a manner that would alter the
participation obligation of any Lender, without the written consent of such
Lender; provided
further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect
the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any
Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the
Administrative Agent, such Issuing Bank or such Swingline Lender, as the case
may be.
Β
SECTION
9.03.Β Expenses; Indemnity; Damage
Waiver.Β Β (a)Β Β The Parent Borrower and the other Loan
Parties, jointly and severally, shall pay (i) all reasonable 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 and administration of the Loan Documents or any
amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions thereof (whether or not
the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by each Issuing Bank in connection
with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or
any demand for payment thereunder, (iii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, including
the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the
enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with the Loan Documents,
including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or
Letters
of Credit issued hereunder, including all such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
incurred
Β
75
during
any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters
of Credit and (iv) all fees associated with, and all reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent in connection with, any inventory
audit performed by the Administrative Agent or any auditor that is satisfactory
to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Administrative Agent, as well as
any such expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent in connection with the
monitoring and independent appraisals of such inventory, in each case as
contemplated by Section 5.08.
Β
(b)Β The
Parent Borrower and the other Account Parties, jointly and severally, shall
indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Lender, and each
Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an
βIndemniteeβ)
against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the reasonable fees,
charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or
asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a
result of (i)Β the execution or delivery of any Loan Document or any other
agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the performance by the parties to
the Loan Documents of their respective obligations thereunder or the
consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby,
(ii)Β any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom
(including any refusal by an Issuing Bank 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), or (iii) any
actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to
any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and
regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such
indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) arise in connection
with any judgment rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction in favor of any
Borrower or Account Party against such Indemnitee, (y) result from the gross
negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee (as finally determined by a
court of competent jurisdiction) or (z) result from any dispute among the
Lenders and the Administrative Agent, or any of them, other than disputes
resulting from the fault of any Loan Party.Β Β This Section 9.03(b)
shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses
or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.
Β
(c)Β To
the extent that the Parent Borrower or any other Account Party fails to pay any
amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank
or any Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender
severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, the applicable Issuing Bank
or the applicable Swingline Lender, as the case may be, such Lenderβs 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, the applicable Issuing Bank or the applicable Swingline
Lender in its capacity as such.
Β
(d)Β To
the extent permitted by applicable law, neither Holdings, any Borrower nor any
Account Party shall assert, and each 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 or
Β
76
any
agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or
Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.
Β
(e)Β All
amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than 30 days after
written demand therefor.
Β
SECTION
9.04.Β Successors and
Assigns.Β Β (a)Β Β 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 (including any Affiliate of
any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) neither
Holdings, any Borrower nor any Account Party may assign or otherwise transfer
any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of
each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by Holdings, any Borrower
or any Account Party without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no
Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder
except in accordance with this Section.Β Β 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
(including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit),
Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to
the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or equitable
right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
Β
(b)Β (i)Β Β Subject
to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to
one or more assignees (other than Holdings or any Subsidiary or Affiliate
thereof) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement
(including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to
it); with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld) of:
Β
(A)Β the
Parent Borrower, provided that no
consent of the Parent Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender,
an Affiliate of a Lender or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, any other assignee; and
Β
(B)Β the
Administrative Agent, provided that no
consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment to an
assignee that is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender immediately prior to
giving effect to such assignment.
Β
(ii)Β Assignments
shall be subject to the following conditions:
Β
(A)Β except
in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an
assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lenderβs Commitment,
the amount of the Commitment of the assigning Lender subject to each such
assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect
to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less
than $5,000,000 unless each of the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent
otherwise consent, provided that no such
consent of the Parent Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default under
clause (a), (b), (h) or (i) of Section 7.01 has occurred and is
continuing;
Β
77
(B)Β each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all
the assigning Lenderβs rights and obligations under this Agreement;
Β
(C)Β the
parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent
an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of
$3,500; provided that such
fee shall not apply to any assignment made by a Lender to an Affiliate of such
Lender;
Β
(D)Β the
assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent
an Administrative Questionnaire; and
Β
(E)Β any
Person that is a Fee Receiver but not a Permitted Fee Receiver shall not be an
assignee without the written consent of the Administrative Agent (whether or not
an Event of Default has occurred) (which consent may be withheld in the
Administrative Agentβs sole discretion).
Β
(iii)Β Subject
to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraphΒ (b)(iv) of this
Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and
Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto 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 Lenderβs
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
SectionsΒ 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03).Β Β Any assignment or transfer
by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply
with this Section 9.04 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 paragraph (c) of this Section.
Β
(iv)Β The
Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers and
the Account Parties, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each
Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of
the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal
amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the
terms hereof from time to time (the βRegisterβ).Β Β The
entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and Holdings, the Borrowers, the
Account Parties, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders may
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.Β Β The Register shall be available for
inspection by the Parent Borrower, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any
reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
Β
(v)Β Upon
its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an
assigning Lender and an assignee, the assigneeβs completed Administrative
Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the
processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and
any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this
Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and
Β
78
Assumption
and record the information contained therein in the Register.Β Β No
assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been
recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.
Β
(vi)Β In
the case of any assignment for which the Parent Borrowerβs consent is not
required, the Administrative Agent shall provide the Parent Borrower with notice
promptly upon receipt of an Assignment and Assumption with respect to such
assignment.
Β
(c)Β (i)Β Β Any
Lender may, without the consent of Holdings, any Borrower, any Account Party,
the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Swingline Lender, sell
participations to one or more banks or other entities (other than any bank or
entity that would be a Fee Receiver but not a Permitted Fee Receiver, unless
such Fee Receiver receives written consent of the Administrative Agent (which
consent may be withheld in the Administrative Agentβs sole discretion)) (a
βParticipantβ)
in all or a portion of such Lenderβs rights and obligations under this Agreement
(including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that
(A)Β such Lenderβs obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged,
(B)Β such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto
for the performance of such obligations and (C)Β Holdings, the Borrowers,
the Account Parties, the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the other
Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in
connection with such Lenderβs rights and obligations under this
Agreement.Β Β For any avoidance of doubt, such Lender shall be
responsible for the indemnity under Section 2.16(d) with respect to any payments
made to such Participant.Β Β 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 the Loan Documents and to approve any
amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of the Loan Documents; provided that such
agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the
consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver
described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such
Participant.Β Β Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section, Holdings,
the Borrowers and the Account Parties agree that each Participant shall be
entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.14, 2.15 and 2.16 to the same extent as
if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to
paragraph (b) of this Section.Β Β To the extent permitted by law, each
Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of SectionΒ 9.08 as
though it were a Lender, provided that such
Participant agrees to be subject to Sections 2.17(c) and 2.18 as though it were
a Lender.Β Β Each Lender that sells a participation, acting for this
purpose as an agent of the Borrowers and the Account Parties, shall maintain a
register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the
principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participantβs interest in the
Loans or other obligations under this Agreement (the βParticipant
Registerβ).Β Β 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.
Β
(ii)Β A
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section
2.14 or 2.16 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with
respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the
participation to such Participant is made with the prior written consent of the
Parent Borrower (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), provided that the
Participant shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 2.17(c) and
2.18.
Β
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(d)Β Any
Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any
portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender,
including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve
Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a
security interest; provided that no such
pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of
its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such
Lender as a party hereto.
Β
SECTION
9.05.Β Survival.Β Β All
covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties
in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in
connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall
be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall
survive the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of any
Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation
made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or
knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any
credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as
long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any
other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any
Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired
or terminated.Β Β The provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03
and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the
Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the
Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision
hereof.
Β
SECTION
9.06.Β Counterparts; Integration;
Effectiveness.Β Β This Agreement may be executed in counterparts
(and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall
constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a
single contract.Β Β This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any
separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative
Agent 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.Β Β 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 which, when taken together, bear the
signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding
upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns.Β Β Delivery of an executed counterpart of a
signature page of this Agreement by telecopy or electronic transmission shall be
effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this
Agreement.
Β
SECTION
9.07.Β Severability.Β Β Any
provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any
jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of
such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity,
legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the
invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not
invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
Β
SECTION
9.08.Β Right of
Setoff.Β Β If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, each Issuing Bank and Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby
authorized at
Β
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any
time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off
and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional
or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such
Issuing Bank or Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any
Borrower or any Account Party against any of and all the obligations of such
Borrower or such Account Party (as the case may be) now or hereafter existing
under this Agreement held by such Issuing Bank or Lender, irrespective of
whether or not such Issuing Bank or Lender shall have made any demand under this
Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured.Β Β The rights
of each Issuing Bank and Lender under this Section are in addition to other
rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Issuing Bank
or Lender may have.Β Β Any Lender or Issuing Bank exercising its rights
under this Section shall give notice thereof to the relevant Borrower and the
relevant Account Party on or prior to the day of the exercise of such
rights.
Β
SECTION
9.09.Β Governing Law; Jurisdiction;
Consent to Service of Process.Β Β (a)Β Β This Agreement
shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of
New York.
Β
(b)Β Each
of Holdings, the Borrowers and the Account Parties hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York
County and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New
York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding
arising out of or relating to any Loan Document, or for recognition or
enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably
and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or
proceeding may be heard and determined in such NewΒ York State or, to the
extent permitted by law, in such Federal court.Β Β Each of the parties
hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be
conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or
in any other manner provided by law.Β Β Nothing in this Agreement or any
other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, any
Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding
relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document against Holdings, a
Borrower or an Account Party or any of their respective properties in the courts
of any jurisdiction.
Β
(c)Β Each
of Holdings, the Borrowers and the Account Parties hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do
so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of
any suit, 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.Β Β Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the
maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
Β
(d)Β Each
party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner
provided for notices in SectionΒ 9.01.Β Β Nothing in this Agreement
or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement
to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
Β
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SECTION
9.10.Β WAIVER OF JURY
TRIAL.Β Β EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY
INΒ Β ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER
THEORY).Β Β EACH PARTY HERETO (A)Β CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE,
AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE,
THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE
FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B)Β ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO
HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE
MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
Β
SECTION
9.11.Β Headings.Β Β Article
and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience
of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the
construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this
Agreement.
Β
SECTION
9.12.Β Confidentiality.Β Β (a)
Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders agrees to
maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that
Information may be disclosed (i)Β to its and its Affiliatesβ directors,
officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other
advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made
will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed
to keep such Information confidential), (ii)Β to the extent requested by any
regulatory authority, (iii)Β to the extentΒ Β required by applicable
laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (iv) to any
other party to this Agreement, (v) in connection with the exercise of any
remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement
or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder,
(vi) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as
those of this Section, to (A) any assignee of or Participant in, or any
prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations
under this Agreement or (B) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its
advisors) to any Swap Agreement relating to the Loan Parties and their
Obligations, (vii) with the consent of the Parent Borrower or (viii)Β to the
extent such Information (A)Β becomes publicly available other than as a
result of a breach of this Section or (B)Β becomes available to the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis
from a source other than Holdings, a Borrower or an Account
Party.Β Β For the purposes of this Section, βInformationβ means
all information received from Holdings, any Borrower or any Account Party
relating to Holdings, any Borrower, any Account Party or their respective
business, other than any such information that is available to the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis
prior to disclosure by Holdings, any Borrower or any Account
Party.Β Β 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.
Β
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(b)
Each
Lender acknowledges that Information as defined in Section 9.12(a) furnished to
it pursuant to this Agreement may include material non-public Information
concerning the Loan Parties and their securities, and confirms that it has
developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public
Information and that it will handle such material non-public Information in
accordance with those procedures, applicable law, including Federal and state
securities laws, and the terms hereof.
Β
(c)Β All
information, including waivers and amendments, furnished by the Loan Parties,
their representatives or the Administrative Agent pursuant to, or in the course
of administering, this Agreement will be syndicate-level information, which may
contain material non-public Information about the Loan Parties and their
securities.Β Β Accordingly, each Lender represents to Holdings (on
behalf of the Loan Parties) and the Administrative Agent that it has identified
in its Administrative Questionnaire a credit contact who may receive Information
that may contain material non-public Information in accordance with its
compliance procedures, applicable law and the terms hereof.
Β
SECTION
9.13.Β Interest Rate
Limitation.Β Β Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees,
charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under
applicable law (collectively the βChargesβ), shall
exceed the maximum lawful rate (the βMaximum Rateβ) which
may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender
holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest
payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in
respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful,
the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan
but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be
cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of
other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate
therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the
Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received
by such Lender.
Β
SECTION
9.14.Β USA Patriot
Act.Β Β Each Lender hereby notifies each of the Loan Parties that
pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain,
verify and record information that identifies Loan Parties, which information
includes the name and address of such Loan Parties and other information that
will allow such Lender to identify such Loan Parties in accordance with the
Patriot Act.
Β
SECTION
9.15.Β Waiver Under Existing Credit
Agreement.Β Β Each of the Lenders party hereto that is a βLenderβ
under the Existing Credit Agreement hereby waives advance notice of the
termination of the commitments and prepayment of the loans under the Existing
Credit Agreement; provided that notice
thereof is provided on the Effective Date.
Β
[The
remainder of this page has been left blank intentionally.]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first
above written.
Β
Β
X.
X. XXXXXX COMPANY, INC.,
Β
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by:Β /s/ X. X. XxxxxxxxxΒ Β Β Β
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Title:
Executive Vice President and
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X. X. PENNEY CORPORATION, INC.,
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by:Β /s/ M. D. XxxxxxΒ Β Β Β
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Title:
Vice President,
Treasurer
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Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
X. X. XXXXXX PURCHASING CORPORATION,
Β
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by:Β /s/ M. D. XxxxxxΒ Β Β Β
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Title:
Vice President, Treasurer of
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Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., individually
and as Administrative
Agent,Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
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