AMENDED AND RESTATED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of June 29, 2006 among BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP, TEXAS GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC and GULF SOUTH PIPELINE COMPANY, LP, as Borrowers BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP, The Several Lenders and Issuers...
EXHIBIT
10.1 Published
CUSIP Number: 00000XXX0
$400,000,000
AMENDED
AND RESTATED REVOLVING CREDIT
AGREEMENT
Dated
as of June 29, 2006
among
BOARDWALK
PIPELINES, LP,
TEXAS
GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC
and
GULF
SOUTH PIPELINE COMPANY, LP,
as
Borrowers
The
Several Lenders and Issuers from time to time party
hereto,
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Administrative Agent
CITIBANK,
N.A.,
as
Syndication Agent
and
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
DEUTSCHE
BANK SECURITIES INC.,
and
UNION
BANK OF CALIFORNIA,
N.A.,
as
Co-Documentation Agents
*
* *
WACHOVIA
CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
and
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS INC.,
as
Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers
Weil,
Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
AMENDED
AND RESTATED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of June 29, 2006, among
BOARDWALK
PIPELINES, LP,
a
Delaware limited partnership (the “Parent
Borrower”),
TEXAS
GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Texas
Gas”),
and
GULF SOUTH PIPELINE COMPANY, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Gulf
South”
and,
together with the Parent Borrower and Texas Gas, the “Borrowers”),
severally as Borrowers, BOARDWALK
PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP,
a
Delaware limited partnership (the “MLP”),
the
several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time
party to this Agreement as lenders (the “Lenders”),
the
Issuers from time to time party to this Agreement, WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, as administrative agent for the Lenders and the Issuers (in such
capacity, the “Administrative
Agent”),
CITIBANK, N.A., as syndication agent (in such capacity, the “Syndication
Agent”),
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
DEUTSCHE
BANK SECURITIES INC.
and
UNION
BANK OF CALIFORNIA, N.A.,
as
co-documentation agents (in such capacity, the “Co-Documentation
Agents”),
and
WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS LLC and CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC., as joint lead
arrangers and joint book managers (each an “Arranger”
and
collectively, the “Arrangers”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS,
the Parent Borrower, the MLP, the lenders and issuers party thereto, Citibank,
N.A., as the administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Existing
Administrative Agent”),
Wachovia (as defined below), as syndication agent, and certain other parties
thereto entered into the Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of November 15,
2005 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time prior
to
the date hereof, the “Existing
Credit Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
the Parent Borrower has requested that the Lenders and the other parties hereto
amend and restate the Existing Credit Agreement in its entirety to, among other
things, increase the revolving credit commitments to $400,000,000 and add Texas
Gas and Gulf South as additional borrowers;
WHEREAS,
in connection with the amendment and restatement of the Existing Credit
Agreement, Wachovia has agreed to serve as the administrative agent for the
Lenders and the Issuers; and
WHEREAS,
the Lenders and the other parties hereto are willing to amend and restate the
Existing Credit Agreement upon and subject to the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the agreements hereinafter
set
forth, the parties hereto hereby agree to amend and restate the Existing Credit
Agreement in its entirety as follows:
SECTION
1.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Defined
Terms.
As used
in this Agreement, the terms listed in this Section
1.1
shall
have the respective meanings set forth in this Section
1.1.
“Administrative
Agent”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Affected
Lender”:
as
defined in Section
2.16(a).
“Affiliate”:
as to
any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, is in control of,
is
controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. For purposes of
this definition, “control” of a Person means the power, directly or indirectly,
either to (a) vote 25% or more of the securities having ordinary voting power
for the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of
such
Person or (b) direct or cause the direction of the management and policies
of
such Person, whether by contract or otherwise.
“Agent
Affiliate”:
as
defined in Section
9.3(c) (Posting
of Approved Electronic Communications).
“Agents”:
the
collective reference to the Administrative Agent, the Syndication Agent and
the
Co-Documentation Agents.
“Agreement”:
this
Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement, as amended, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“Applicable
Facility Fee Rate”:
at any
date of determination, with respect to each Borrower, the rate per annum
corresponding to such Borrower’s Credit Rating on such date, as set forth
below:
Level
|
Credit
Rating
|
Applicable
Facility Fee Rate
|
1
|
at
least A- by S&P or A3 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.05%
|
2
|
less
than Level 1 but at least BBB+ by S&P or Baa1 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.07%
|
3
|
less
than Level 2 but at least BBB by S&P or Baa2 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.09%
|
4
|
less
than Level 3 but at least BBB- by S&P or Baa3 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.11%
|
5
|
less
than Level 4 or unrated by both S&P and Xxxxx’x
|
0.125%
|
provided,
however,
that if
at any time there is a split Credit Rating, then the Applicable Facility Fee
Rate at such time will be determined by the higher of the two Credit Ratings,
except that in the event that the lower of such Credit Ratings is more than
one
Level below the higher of such Credit Ratings, the Applicable Facility Fee
Rate
will be determined based on the Level that is one Level lower than the higher
of
such ratings; provided,
further,
that if
such Borrower is unrated by one of S&P or Xxxxx’x (other than by reason of
the circumstances referred to in the definition of “Credit Rating”), then the
Applicable Facility Fee Rate shall be based on the Credit Rating established
by
the other rating agency.
“Applicable
Lending Office”:
with
respect to each Lender, its Domestic Lending Office in the case of a Base Rate
Loan, and its Eurodollar Lending Office in the case of a Eurodollar Rate
Loan.
“Applicable
Margin”:
at any
date of determination, with respect to each Borrower and each Type of Loan,
the
rate per annum corresponding to such Borrower’s Credit Rating on such date, as
set forth below:
Level
|
Credit
Rating
|
Eurodollar
Rate and LIBOR Market Index Rate Margin
|
Base
Rate Margin
|
Term
Out Premium
|
1
|
at
least A- by S&P or A3 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.20%
|
0.0%
|
0.25%
|
2
|
less
than Level 1 but at least BBB+ by S&P or Baa1 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.23%
|
0.0%
|
0.25%
|
3
|
less
than Level 2 but at least BBB by S&P or Baa2 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.31%
|
0.0%
|
0.25%
|
4
|
less
than Level 3 but at least BBB- by S&P or Baa3 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.44%
|
0.0%
|
0.25%
|
5
|
less
than Level 4 or unrated by both S&P and Xxxxx’x
|
0.575%
|
0.0%
|
0.25%
|
provided,
however,
that if
at any time there is a split Credit Rating, then the Applicable Margin at such
time will be determined by the higher of the two Credit Ratings, except that
in
the event that the lower of such Credit Ratings is more than one Level below
the
higher of such Credit Ratings, the Applicable Margin will be determined based
on
the Level that is one Level lower than the higher of such ratings; provided,
further,
that if
such Borrower is unrated by one of S&P or Xxxxx’x (other than by reason of
the circumstances referred to in the definition of “Credit Rating”), then the
Applicable Margin shall be based on the Credit Rating established by the other
rating agency. In the event that the Revolving Loans are converted to Term
Loans
pursuant to Section 2.18 hereof, the Applicable Margin with respect to Base
Rate
Loans and Eurodollar Rate Loans shall automatically increase by the Term Out
Premium set forth above.
“Applicable
Percentage”:
with
respect to any Borrower, the percentage obtained by dividing (a) the Revolving
Credit Sublimit of such Borrower by (b) the aggregate Revolving Credit
Commitments (or, at any time after the Revolving Credit Termination Date, the
percentage obtained by dividing the aggregate outstanding principal balance
of
the Revolving Credit Outstandings owing by such Borrower by the aggregate
outstanding principal balance of the Revolving Credit Outstandings owing by
all
Borrowers).
“Approved
Electronic Communications”:
each
notice, demand, communication, information, document and other material that
any
Loan Party is obligated to, or otherwise chooses to, provide to the
Administrative Agent pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions
contemplated therein, including (a) any written Contractual Obligation delivered
or required to be delivered in respect of any Loan Document or the transactions
contemplated therein and (b) any financial statement, financial and other
report, notice, request, certificate and other information material;
provided,
however,
that,
“Approved
Electronic Communication”
shall
exclude (i) any Notice of Borrowing, Letter of Credit Request, Swingline Loan
Request, Notice of Conversion or Continuation, and any other notice, demand,
communication, information, document and other material relating to a request
for a new, or a conversion of an existing, Borrowing, (ii) any notice pursuant
to Section
2.7 (Optional Prepayments)
and any
other notice relating to the payment of any principal or other amount due under
any Loan Document prior to the scheduled date therefor, (iii) all notices of
any
Default or Event of Default and (iv) any notice, demand, communication,
information, document and other material required to be delivered to satisfy
any
of the conditions set forth in Section
4 (Conditions Precedent)
or
Section
2.3(a) (Letters of Credit) or
any
other condition to any Borrowing or other extension of credit hereunder or
any
other condition precedent to the effectiveness of this Agreement.
“Approved
Electronic Platform”:
as
defined in Section
9.3 (Posting of Approved Electronic Communications).
“Approved
Fund”:
any
Fund that is advised or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender
or
(c) an entity or Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a
Lender.
“Arrangers”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Assignment
and Acceptance”:
any
assignment and acceptance entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee,
and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit
D (Form of Assignment and Acceptance).
“Available
Cash”:
with
respect to any Fiscal Quarter of the Parent Borrower ending prior to the
Liquidation Date (as defined in the MLP Partnership Agreement as in effect
on
the date hereof): (a) the sum of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Parent
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on hand at the end of such Fiscal Quarter, and
(ii) all additional cash and cash equivalents of the Parent Borrower and its
Subsidiaries on hand on the date of determination of Available Cash with respect
to such Fiscal Quarter resulting from borrowings used solely for working capital
purposes or to pay distributions to the MLP made pursuant to a credit facility,
commercial paper facility or similar financing or other arrangement;
provided,
that
when incurred it is the intent of the Parent Borrower or such Subsidiary, as
applicable, to repay such borrowings within 12 months from other than additional
borrowings under such facility, less (b) the amount of any cash reserves
established by the Parent Borrower to (i) provide for the proper conduct of
the
business of the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including reserves for
future capital expenditures, for anticipated future credit needs of the Parent
Borrower and its Subsidiaries and for refunds of collected rates reasonably
likely to be refunded as a result of a settlement or hearing relating to FERC
rate proceedings) subsequent to such Fiscal Quarter, (ii) comply with applicable
law or any loan agreement, security agreement, mortgage, debt instrument or
other agreement or obligation to which the Parent Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which it is bound or its assets are subject or
(iii) provide funds for distributions under Section 6.4 or 6.5 of the MLP
Partnership Agreement as in effect on the date hereof in respect of any one
or
more of the next four Fiscal Quarters; provided,
however,
that
disbursements made by the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries or cash reserves
established, increased or reduced after the end of such Fiscal Quarter but
on or
before the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such Fiscal
Quarter shall be deemed to have been made, established, increased or reduced,
for purposes of determining Available Cash, within such Fiscal Quarter if the
Parent Borrower so determines. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Available Cash”
with respect to the Fiscal Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs and
any
subsequent Fiscal Quarter shall equal zero.
“Available
Credit”:
at any
time, (a) the then effective Revolving Credit Commitments minus
(b) the
aggregate Revolving Credit Outstandings at such time.
“Base
Rate”:
for
any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum as shall be in effect from
time to time, which rate per annum shall be equal at all times to the higher
of
the following: (a) the rate of interest announced publicly by Wachovia at its
principal office in Charlotte, North Carolina, from time to time, as Wachovia’s
prime rate; and (b) 0.5% per annum plus the Federal Funds Rate.
“Base
Rate Loans”:
Loans
for which the applicable rate of interest is based upon the Base
Rate.
“BGL”:
Boardwalk GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Board
of Directors”:
with
respect to any Person, either the Board of Directors (or equivalent governing
body) of such Person or any committee of such Board duly authorized to act
on
its behalf.
“Borrowers”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Borrower
Affiliate”:
each
of the MLP, the General Partner, the BGL, each Subsidiary of the MLP and each
Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower.
“Borrowing”:
a
borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made on the same day by the Lenders
ratably according to their respective Revolving Credit Commitments.
“Business
Day”:
(a)
for all purposes other than as covered by clause
(b)
below, a
day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in
New
York City are authorized or required by law to close and (b) with respect to
all
notices and determinations in connection with, and payments of principal and
interest on, Eurodollar Rate Loans, any day which is a Business Day described
in
clause
(a)
and
which is also a day for trading by and between banks in Dollar deposits in
the
interbank eurodollar market.
“Capital
Lease”:
with
respect to any Person, any lease of, or other arrangement conveying the right
to
use, property by such Person as lessee that would be accounted for as a capital
lease on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in conformity with
GAAP.
“Capital
Lease Obligations”:
with
respect to any Person, 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, for the purposes of this Agreement, the amount
of such obligations at any time shall be the capitalized amount thereof at
such
time determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Capital
Stock”:
any
and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however
designated) of capital stock of a corporation, any and all equivalent ownership
interests in a Person (other than a corporation) and any and all warrants,
rights or options to purchase any of the foregoing.
“Cash
Collateral Account”:
any
deposit account or securities account that is (a) established by the
Administrative Agent from time to time in its sole discretion to receive cash
and cash equivalents (or purchase cash or cash equivalents with funds received)
from the Loan Parties or Persons acting on their behalf pursuant to the Loan
Documents, (b) with such depositaries and securities intermediaries as the
Administrative Agent may determine in its sole discretion, (c) in the name
of
the Administrative Agent (although such account may also have words referring
to
the Borrower and the account’s purpose), (d) under the control of the
Administrative Agent and (e) in the case of a securities account, with respect
to which the Administrative Agent shall be the entitlement holder (as defined
in
the UCC) and the only Person authorized to give entitlement orders (as defined
in the UCC) with respect thereto.
“Change
of Control”:
the
occurrence of any of the following events:
(a) prior
to
a Public Offering, (i) any Person (or syndicate or group of Persons which are
deemed a “person”
for
the
purposes of Section 13(d) and Section 14(d)(2) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than the Permitted Investor, acquires
more than 30% of the outstanding Voting Stock of the General Partner, or (ii)
the Permitted Investor shall cease to own and control, of record and
beneficially, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the outstanding Voting
Stock of the General Partner;
(b) upon
and
following a Public Offering, the Permitted Investor shall cease to own and
control, of record and beneficially, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of
the
outstanding Voting Stock of the General Partner;
(c) during
any period of twelve successive months a majority of the Persons who were
directors of the General Partner at the beginning of such period or who were
nominated for election by a majority of the persons who were directors of the
General Partner at the beginning of such period cease (other than as a result
of
death or disability) to be directors of the General Partner;
(d) the
Permitted Investor shall cease to own and control, of record and beneficially,
directly or indirectly, 100% of the Capital Stock of the BGL;
(e) the
BGL
ceases to be the sole general partner of the General Partner;
(f) the
General Partner ceases to be the sole general partner of the MLP; or
(g) the
MLP
shall cease to own and control, of record and beneficially, directly or
indirectly, free of all Liens, 100% of the Capital Stock of the Parent Borrower,
Texas Gas or Gulf South.
“Code”:
the
United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time.
“Co-Documentation
Agents”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Commonly
Controlled Entity”:
an
entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the
Parent Borrower within the meaning of Section 4001 of ERISA or is part of a
group that includes the Parent Borrower and that is treated as a single employer
under Section 414 of the Code.
“Consenting
Lenders”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(c).
“Consolidated
Assets”:
at the
date of any determination thereof, the total assets of the Parent Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries as set forth on a consolidated balance sheet of the Parent
Borrower and its Subsidiaries for their most recently completed Fiscal Quarter,
prepared in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated
EBITDA”:
of any
Person for any period, Consolidated Net Income of such Person and its
Subsidiaries for such period plus, without duplication and to the extent
reflected as a charge in the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for
such
period, the sum of (a) income tax expense, (b) consolidated interest expense,
amortization or write-off of debt discount and debt issuance costs and
commissions, discounts and other fees and charges associated with Indebtedness,
(c) depreciation and amortization expense, (d) amortization of intangibles
(including, but not limited to, goodwill) and organization costs, (e) any
extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring expenses or losses (including, whether
or not otherwise includable as a separate item in the statement of such
Consolidated Net Income for such period, losses on sales of assets outside
of
the ordinary course of business) and (f) any other non-cash charges, and
minus,
to the
extent included in the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for such
period, the sum of (a) interest income (except to the extent deducted in
determining consolidated interest expense), (b) any extraordinary, unusual
or
non-recurring income or gains (including, whether or not otherwise includable
as
a separate item in the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for such
period, gains on the sales of assets outside of the ordinary course of business)
and (c) any other non-cash income, all as determined on a consolidated basis;
provided,
however,
that for
purposes of calculating Consolidated EBITDA of the MLP or any Borrower for
any
period, (i) the Consolidated EBITDA of any Person acquired by the MLP or such
Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries during such period shall be
included on a pro forma basis for such period (assuming the consummation of
such
acquisition and the incurrence or assumption of any Indebtedness in connection
therewith occurred on the first day of such period) if the consolidated balance
sheet of such acquired Person and its consolidated Subsidiaries as at the end
of
the period preceding the acquisition of such Person and the related consolidated
statements of income and stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for the period
in respect of which Consolidated EBITDA is to be calculated (x) have been
previously provided to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and (y) either
(1) have been reported on without a qualification arising out of the scope
of
the audit by independent certified public accountants of nationally recognized
standing or (2) have been found acceptable by the Administrative Agent and
(ii)
the Consolidated EBITDA of any Person disposed of by the MLP or such Borrower
or
any of their respective Subsidiaries during such period shall be excluded for
such period (assuming the consummation of such disposition and the repayment
of
any Indebtedness in connection therewith occurred on the first day of such
period); provided,
further,
that
for purposes of calculating compliance with the covenant contained in
Section
5,
with
respect to any Material Project of any Borrower or any of their respective
Subsidiaries, an amount equal to the ratable portion of Consolidated EBITDA
projected for the first 12 months of operations of such Material Project shall
be added to actual Consolidated EBITDA of such Borrower at the end of each
Fiscal Quarter in proportion to the total expected capital costs of such
Material Project that have been incurred at the end of such Fiscal Quarter
(provided,
however,
that
the Administrative Agent shall have received Consolidated EBITDA projections
and
such supporting documentation requested by it for each Material Project, in
each
case reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent); provided,
further,
that
for purposes of calculating compliance with the covenant contained in
Section
5
for the
Fiscal Quarter ending June 30, 2006, Consolidated EBITDA of the MLP for the
relevant period shall be deemed to equal Consolidated EBITDA of the MLP for
the
three consecutive Fiscal Quarters ended June 30, 2006 plus
Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Borrower for the Fiscal Quarter ended
September 30, 2005.
“Consolidated
Leverage Ratio”:
with
respect to any Person as of any date, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Total Debt
of such Person and its Subsidiaries on such date to (b) Consolidated EBITDA
of
such Person and its Subsidiaries for the last four Fiscal Quarter period ending
on or before such date; provided,
however, that
Consolidated Total Debt shall exclude (i) any Subordinated Loans made by the
Permitted Investor or any Subsidiary thereof to the MLP or any Borrower;
provided,
that
the aggregate principal amount of such excluded Subordinated Loans pursuant
to
this clause (i) outstanding at any time shall not exceed $100,000,000, (ii)
any
Subordinated Loans made by the MLP or any Borrower to any Borrower; provided,
that
the aggregate principal amount of such excluded Subordinated Loans pursuant
to
this clause (ii) outstanding at any time shall not exceed $100,000,000, and
(iii) obligations of the Parent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries under any
Hybrid Securities.
“Consolidated
Net Income”:
of any
Person for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) of such Person
and
its Subsidiaries for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP; provided,
that in
calculating Consolidated Net Income of the MLP or any Borrower for any period,
there shall be excluded (a) the income (or deficit) of any Person accrued prior
to the date it becomes a Subsidiary of the MLP or such Borrower or is merged
into or consolidated with the MLP or such Borrower or any of their respective
Subsidiaries, (b) the income (or deficit) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the MLP or such Borrower) in which the MLP or such Borrower or any of their
respective Subsidiaries has an ownership interest, except to the extent that
any
such income is actually received by the MLP, such Borrower or such Subsidiary
in
the form of dividends or similar distributions and (c) the undistributed
earnings of any Subsidiary of the MLP or such Borrower to the extent that the
declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary
is not at the time permitted by the terms of any Contractual Obligation (other
than under any Loan Document) or Requirement of Law applicable to such
Subsidiary.
“Consolidated
Net Tangible Assets”:
at the
date of any determination thereof, the Consolidated Assets of the Parent
Borrower and its Subsidiaries after deducting therefrom: (a) all current
liabilities, excluding (i) any current liabilities that by their terms are
extendable or renewable at the option of the obligor thereon to a time more
than
12 months after the time as of which the amount thereof is being computed,
and
(ii) current maturities of long-term debt; and (b) the value, net of any
applicable reserves, of all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents and
other
like intangible assets, all as set forth, or on a pro
forma
basis
would be set forth, on a consolidated balance sheet of the Parent Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries for their most recently completed Fiscal Quarter, prepared
in
accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated
Total Debt”:
of any
Person at any date, the aggregate principal amount of all Indebtedness of such
Person at such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP.
“Constituent
Documents”:
with
respect to any Person, (a) the articles of incorporation, certificate of
incorporation, constitution, certificate of formation or certificate of limited
partnership (or the equivalent organizational documents) of such Person, (b)
the
by-laws, operating agreement or limited partnership agreement (or the equivalent
governing documents) of such Person and (c) any document setting forth the
manner of election or duties of the directors, managing members or general
partner of such Person (if any) and the designation, amount or relative rights,
limitations and preferences of any class or series of such Person’s Capital
Stock.
“Contractual
Obligation”:
as to
any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any
agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party
or by
which it or any of its Property is bound.
“Credit
Rating”:
as of
any date, with respect to each Borrower, the credit rating by either Xxxxx’x or
S&P, as the case may be, for the long-term senior unsecured non-credit
enhanced debt of such Borrower. For purposes of the foregoing, (a) if any credit
rating established by Xxxxx’x or S&P shall be changed, such change shall be
effective as of the date on which such change is announced publicly by the
rating agency making such change, (b) if Xxxxx’x or S&P shall change the
basis on which credit ratings are established by it, each reference to the
Credit Rating announced by Xxxxx’x or S&P shall refer to the then equivalent
credit rating by Xxxxx’x or S&P, as the case may be and (c) if either
Xxxxx’x or S&P shall cease to be in the business of rating corporate debt
obligations, the Borrowers and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to
amend this Agreement to reflect the unavailability of credit ratings from such
rating agency and, pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the Credit
Rating shall be determined by reference to the credit rating most recently
in
effect prior to such cessation.
“Default”:
any of
the events specified in Section
8.1,
whether
or not any requirement for the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both,
has
been satisfied.
“Dollars”
and
“$”:
lawful
currency of the United States of America.
“Domestic
Lending Office”:
with
respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its “Domestic
Lending Office”
opposite its name on Schedule
II (Applicable Lending Offices) or
on the
Assignment and Acceptance by which it became a Lender or such other office
of
such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Parent Borrower
and the Administrative Agent.
“Domestic
Person”:
any
“United
States person”
under
and as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“Effective
Date”:
the
date on which the conditions precedent set forth in Section
4.1
shall
have been satisfied, which date is June 29, 2006.
“Eligible
Assignee”:
(a) a
Lender or an Affiliate or Approved Fund of any Lender, (b) a commercial bank
having total assets in excess of $5,000,000,000, (c) a finance company,
insurance company or any other financial institution or Fund, in each case
reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and regularly engaged in
making, purchasing or investing in loans and having a net worth, determined
in
accordance with GAAP, in excess of $250,000,000 (or, to the extent net worth
is
less than such amount, a finance company, insurance company, other financial
institution or Fund, reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and
the
Parent Borrower) or (d) a savings and loan association or savings bank organized
under the laws of the United States or any State thereof having a net worth,
determined in accordance with GAAP, in excess of $250,000,000.
“Environmental
Laws”:
any
and all laws, rules, orders, regulations, statutes, ordinances, guidelines,
codes, decrees, or other legally enforceable requirements (including, without
limitation, common law) of any international authority, foreign government,
the
United States, or any state, local, municipal or other governmental authority,
regulating, relating to or imposing liability or standards of conduct concerning
protection of the environment or of human health, or employee health and safety,
as has been, is now, or may at any time hereafter be, in effect.
“Environmental
Permits”:
any
and all permits, licenses, approvals, registrations, notifications, exemptions
and other authorizations required under any Environmental Law.
“ERISA”:
the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to
time.
“Eurocurrency
Reserve Requirements”:
for
any day, the aggregate (without duplication) of the maximum rates (expressed
as
a decimal fraction) of reserve requirements in effect on such day (including,
without limitation, basic, supplemental, marginal and emergency reserves) under
any regulations of the Federal Reserve Board or other Governmental Authority
having jurisdiction with respect thereto dealing with reserve requirements
prescribed for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency
Liabilities”
in
Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board) maintained by a member bank of the
Federal Reserve System.
“Eurodollar
Base Rate”:
with
respect to any Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate determined
by the Administrative Agent to be the offered rate for deposits in Dollars
for
the applicable Interest Period appearing on the Dow Xxxxx Markets Telerate
Page
3750 as of 11:00 a.m., London time, on the second full Business Day next
preceding the first day of each Interest Period. In the event that such rate
does not appear on the Dow Xxxxx Markets Telerate Page 3750 (or otherwise on
the
Dow Xxxxx Markets screen), the Eurodollar Base Rate for the purposes of this
definition shall be determined by reference to such other comparable publicly
available service for displaying eurodollar rates as may be selected by the
Administrative Agent.
“Eurodollar
Lending Office”:
means,
with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its
“Eurodollar
Lending Office” opposite
its name on
Schedule II (Applicable Lending Offices) or
on the
Assignment and Acceptance by which it became a Lender (or, if no such office
is
specified, its Domestic Lending Office) or such other office of such Lender
as
such Lender may from time to time specify to the Parent Borrower and the
Administrative Agent.
“Eurodollar
Rate”:
with
respect to any Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate Loan, an interest rate
per annum equal to the rate per annum obtained by dividing (a) the Eurodollar
Base Rate by (b)(i) a percentage equal to 100% minus
(ii) the
reserve percentage applicable two Business Days before the first day of such
Interest Period under regulations issued from time to time by the Federal
Reserve Board for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any
emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) for a member
bank
of the Federal Reserve System in New York City with respect to liabilities
or
assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency Reserve Requirements (or with
respect to any other category of liabilities that includes deposits by reference
to which the Eurodollar Rate is determined) having a term equal to such Interest
Period.
“Eurodollar
Rate Loans”:
Loans
for which the applicable rate of interest is based upon the Eurodollar
Rate.
“Event
of Default”:
any of
the events specified in Section
8.1,
provided that any requirement for the giving of notice, the lapse of time,
or
both, has been satisfied.
“Existing
Administrative Agent”:
as
defined in the recitals hereto.
“Existing
Credit Agreement”:
as
defined in the recitals hereto.
“Existing
Lenders”:
the
“Lenders” under and as defined in the Existing Credit Agreement.
“Existing
Maturity Date”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(a).
“Existing
Revolving Credit Commitments”:
the
“Revolving Credit Commitments” under and as defined in the Existing Credit
Agreement.
“Existing
Revolving Loans”:
the
“Revolving Loans” under and as defined in the Existing Credit
Agreement.
“Extended
Maturity Date”:
as at
any date, the date to which the Scheduled Maturity Date has then most recently
been extended pursuant to Section
2.17.
“Facility”:
the
Revolving Credit Commitments, the Loans made hereunder and the provisions herein
related to the Letters of Credit.
“Facility
Fee”:
as
defined in Section 2.11(a).
“Federal
Funds Rate”:
for
any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum equal for each day during
such
period to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal
funds brokers, as published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business
Day,
for the next preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the
average of the quotations for such day on such transactions received by the
Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing
selected by it.
“Federal
Reserve Board”:
the
Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve System, or any successor
thereto.
“Fee
Letters”:
(a)
the letter dated June 8, 2006 addressed to the Parent Borrower from Wachovia
Capital Markets, LLC (“WCM”)
and
Wachovia and accepted by the Parent Borrower on June 8, 2006, with respect
to
certain fees to be paid from time to time to WCM and Wachovia and (b) the letter
dated June 8, 2006 addressed to the Parent Borrower from Citigroup Global
Markets Inc. (“CGMI”)
and
accepted by the Parent Borrower on June 8, 2006, with respect to certain fees
to
be paid from time to time to CGMI.
“FERC”:
the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto.
“Final
Maturity Date”:
if the
Revolving Loans are converted to Term Loans pursuant to Section 2.18, then
with
respect to any Term Loan, the date that is one year from the then current
Scheduled Maturity Date as of the time of such conversion.
“First
Extension Option”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(a).
“Fiscal
Quarter”:
each
of the three month periods ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 and
December 31.
“Fiscal
Year”:
the
twelve month period ending on December 31.
“Fund”:
any
Person (other than a natural Person) that is or will be engaged in making,
purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar
extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.
“GAAP”:
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as
in
effect from time to time.
“General
Partner”:
Boardwalk GP, LP, a Delaware limited partnership.
“Governmental
Authority”:
any
nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof and
any
entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative
functions of or pertaining to government.
“Guarantee
Obligation”:
as to
any Person (the “guaranteeing
person”),
any
obligation of (a) the guaranteeing person or (b) another Person (including,
without limitation, any bank under any letter of credit), if to induce the
creation of such obligation of such other Person the guaranteeing person has
issued a reimbursement, counterindemnity or similar obligation, in either case
guaranteeing or in effect guaranteeing any Indebtedness, leases, dividends
or
other obligations (the “primary
obligations”)
of any
other third Person (the “primary
obligor”)
in any
manner, whether directly or indirectly, including, without limitation, any
obligation of the guaranteeing person, whether or not contingent, (i) to
purchase any such primary obligation or any Property constituting direct or
indirect security therefor, (ii) to advance or supply funds (1) for the purchase
or payment of any such primary obligation or (2) to maintain working capital
or
equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the net worth
or
solvency of the primary obligor, (iii) to purchase Property, securities or
services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary
obligation of the ability of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary
obligation or (iv) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the owner of any such
primary obligation against loss in respect thereof; provided,
however,
that
the term Guarantee Obligation shall not include endorsements of instruments
for
deposit or collection in the ordinary course of business. The amount of any
Guarantee Obligation of any guaranteeing person shall be deemed to be the lower
of (a) an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the primary
obligation in respect of which such Guarantee Obligation is made and (b) the
maximum amount for which such guaranteeing person may be liable pursuant to
the
terms of the instrument embodying such Guarantee Obligation, unless such primary
obligation and the maximum amount for which such guaranteeing person may be
liable are not stated or determinable, in which case the amount of such
Guarantee Obligation shall be such guaranteeing person’s maximum reasonably
anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the Parent Borrower
in
good faith.
“Guaranty”:
the
amended and restated guaranty, in substantially the form of Exhibit
G (Form of Guaranty),
executed by the MLP.
“Gulf
South”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Hedge
Agreements”:
all
interest rate or currency swaps, caps or collar agreements, foreign exchange
agreements, commodity contracts or similar arrangements entered into by the
Parent Borrower or its Subsidiaries providing for protection against
fluctuations in interest rates, currency exchange rates, commodity prices or
the
exchange of nominal interest obligations, either generally or under specific
contingencies.
“Hybrid
Security”:
any
hybrid preferred securities consisting of trust preferred securities or
deferrable interest subordinated debt securities with maturities of at least
20
years issued by wholly owned special purpose entities that are Subsidiaries
of
the Parent Borrower.
“Incremental
Credit Extension Date”:
as
defined in Section 2.1(b)
(Incremental Credit Extensions).
“Indebtedness”:
of any
Person at any date, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such Person
for
borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person for the deferred purchase
price of Property or services (other than trade payables incurred in the
ordinary course of such Person’s business), (c) all obligations of such Person
evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments, (d) all
indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement with respect to Property acquired by such Person (even
though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement
in
the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such Property),
(e)
all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (f) all obligations of such
Person, contingent or otherwise, as an account party or applicant under
acceptance, letter of credit or similar facilities, (g) all obligations of
such
Person, contingent or otherwise, to purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise
acquire for value any Capital Stock of such Person, (h) all Guarantee
Obligations of such Person in respect of obligations of the kind referred to
in
clauses
(a)
through
(g)
above;
(i) all obligations of the kind referred to in clauses
(a)
through
(h)
above
secured by (or for which the holder of such obligation has an existing right,
contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on Property (including,
without limitation, accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, whether
or not such Person has assumed or become liable for the payment of such
obligation and (j) for the purposes of Section
8.1(e)
only,
all obligations of such Person in respect of Hedge Agreements.
“Indemnified
Matter”:
as
defined in Section
10.4 (Indemnities).
“Indemnitee”:
as
defined in Section
10.4 (Indemnities).
“Insolvency”:
with
respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that such Plan is insolvent
within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA, and in such context “Insolvent”
shall
have a correlative meaning.
“Interest
Period”:
as to
any Eurodollar Rate Loan, (a) initially, the period commencing on the borrowing
or conversion date, as the case may be, with respect to such Eurodollar Rate
Loan and ending one, two, three or six months thereafter, as selected by the
applicable Borrower in its Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion or
Continuation, as the case may be, given with respect thereto; and (b)
thereafter, each period commencing on the last day of the next preceding
Interest Period applicable to such Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending one, two,
three or six months thereafter, as selected by the applicable Borrower in its
Notice of Conversion or Continuation given to the Administrative Agent not
less
than three Business Days prior to the last day of the then current Interest
Period with respect thereto; provided
that,
all of the foregoing provisions relating to Interest Periods are subject to
the
following:
(i) if
any
Interest Period would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day, such
Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless
the
result of such extension would be to carry such Interest Period into another
calendar month in which event such Interest Period shall end on the immediately
preceding Business Day;
(ii) any
Interest Period that would otherwise extend beyond the date final payment is
due
on the Loans, shall end on such due date, as applicable;
(iii) any
Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or
on
a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month
at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the
calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and
(iv) there
shall be outstanding at any one time no more than five Interest Periods in
the
aggregate.
“Investment”:
with
respect to any Person, (a) any purchase or other acquisition by such Person
of
(i) any Security issued by, (ii) a beneficial interest in any Security issued
by, or (iii) any other equity ownership interest in, any other Person, (b)
any
loan, advance (other than deposits with financial institutions available for
withdrawal on demand, prepaid expenses, accounts receivable and similar items
made or incurred in the ordinary course of business as presently conducted)
or
capital contribution by such Person to any other Person, including all
Indebtedness of any other Person to such Person arising from a sale of property
by such Person other than in the ordinary course of its business and (c) any
Guarantee Obligation incurred by such Person in respect of Indebtedness of
any
other Person.
“Issue”:
with
respect to any Letter of Credit, to issue, extend the expiry of, renew or
increase the maximum face amount (including by deleting or reducing any
scheduled decrease in such maximum face amount) of, such Letter of Credit.
The
terms “Issued”
and
“Issuance”
shall
have a corresponding meaning.
“Issuer”:
Wachovia and each other Lender or Affiliate of a Lender that (a) is listed
on
the signature pages hereof as an “Issuer”
or
(b)
hereafter becomes an Issuer with the approval of the Administrative Agent and
the Parent Borrower by agreeing pursuant to an agreement with and in form and
substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Parent Borrower
to be
bound by the terms hereof applicable to Issuers.
“Joint
Venture”:
any
Person, other than an individual or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Parent
Borrower, in which the Parent Borrower or a Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower
holds or acquires an ownership interest (whether by way of capital stock,
partnership or limited liability company interest, or other evidence of
ownership).
“Lenders”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto. Unless the context otherwise requires, the
term
“Lenders”
includes the Swingline Lender.
“Letter
of Credit”:
any
letter of credit Issued pursuant to Section
2.3 (Letters of Credit).
“Letter
of Credit Obligations”:
with
respect to each Borrower at any time, the aggregate of all liabilities at such
time of such Borrower to all Issuers with respect to Letters of Credit Issued
for the account of such Borrower, whether or not any such liability is
contingent, including, without duplication, the sum of (a) such Borrower’s
Reimbursement Obligations at such time and (b) such Borrower’s Letter of Credit
Undrawn Amounts at such time.
“Letter
of Credit Reimbursement Agreement”
as
defined in Section
2.3(a)(vi) (Letters of Credit).
“Letter
of Credit Request”:
as
defined in Section
2.3(c) (Letters of Credit).
“Letter
of Credit Undrawn Amounts”:
with
respect to each Borrower at any time, the aggregate undrawn face amount of
all
Letters of Credit Issued for the account of such Borrower and outstanding at
such time.
“LIBOR
Market Index Rate”:
for
any day, the rate for one month deposits in Dollars appearing on the Dow Xxxxx
Markets Telerate Page 3750 as of 11:00 a.m., London time, for such day or,
if
such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day. In
the
event that such rate does not appear on the Dow Xxxxx Markets Telerate Page
3750
(or otherwise on the Dow Xxxxx Markets screen), the LIBOR Market Index Rate
for
the purposes of this definition shall be determined by reference to such other
comparable publicly available service for displaying eurodollar rates as may
be
selected by the Administrative Agent.
“Lien”:
any
mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance,
lien (statutory or other), charge or other security interest or any preference,
priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind
or
nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other
title retention agreement and any capital lease having substantially the same
economic effect as any of the foregoing).
“LMIR
Loan”:
Swingline Loans for which the applicable rate of interest is based upon the
LIBOR Market Index Rate.
“Loan”:
any
loan (including Revolving Loans, Swingline Loans and Term Loans, if any) made
by
any Lender pursuant to this Agreement.
“Loan
Documents”:
this
Agreement, the Revolving Credit Notes, the Guaranty, the Fee Letters, each
Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement and each other agreement, document,
instrument or certificate executed by any Borrower or any other Loan Party
in
connection with any of the foregoing which the Administrative Agent and the
Parent Borrower designate as a “Loan
Document”.
“Loan
Parties”:
each
of the Borrowers and the MLP.
“Material
Adverse Effect”:
a
material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, liabilities, operations
or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the MLP and its Subsidiaries taken as
a
whole, (b) the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, or (c) the ability of the Administrative
Agent, the Lenders or the Issuers to enforce this Agreement or any other Loan
Document.
“Material
Project”:
any
capital expansion project of any Borrower or any of their respective
Subsidiaries in connection with which multi-year customer contracts reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent have been entered into prior to the
commencement of construction and the aggregate capital cost of which exceeds
$20,000,000.
“MLP”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“MLP
Partnership Agreement”:
the
First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Boardwalk
Pipeline Partners, LP, dated as of November 15, 2005, by and between the General
Partner, as the general partner, and Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp., as
the
organizational limited partner, together with any other Persons who become
parties thereto as provided therein.
“Moody’s”:
Xxxxx’x Investors Services, Inc.
“Multiemployer
Plan”:
a Plan
that is a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of
ERISA.
“Nominee”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(e).
“Non-Consenting
Lender”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(c).
“Non-Funding
Lender”:
as
defined in Section 2.2(d).
“Non-U.S.
Lender”:
each
Lender or Issuer (or the Administrative Agent) that is a Non-U.S.
Person.
“Non-U.S.
Person”:
any
Person that is not a Domestic Person.
“Notice
of Borrowing”:
as
defined in Section
2.2(a).
“Notice
of Conversion or Continuation”:
as
defined in Section
2.10(a).
“Notice
of Extension”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(a).
“Obligations”:
the
unpaid principal of and interest on (including, without limitation, interest
accruing after the maturity of the Loans and the Letter of Credit Obligations
and interest accruing after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy, or the
commencement of any insolvency, reorganization or like proceeding, relating
to
any Borrower, whether or not a claim for post-filing or post-petition interest
is allowed in such proceeding) the Loans, the Letter of Credit Obligations
and
all other obligations and liabilities of the Borrowers to the Administrative
Agent, to any Issuer or to any Lender, whether direct or indirect, absolute
or
contingent, due or to become due, or now existing or hereafter incurred, which
may arise under, out of, or in connection with, this Agreement, any other Loan
Document, or any other document made, delivered or given in connection herewith
or therewith, whether on account of principal, interest, reimbursement
obligations, fees, indemnities, costs, expenses (including, without limitation,
all fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent,
to
any Issuer or to any Lender that are required to be paid by the Borrowers
pursuant hereto) or otherwise, and all obligations of the Borrowers under any
Loan Document to provide cash collateral for any Letter of Credit Obligation.
Unless otherwise specified in any Loan Document, the Obligations shall be
several but not joint obligations of each Borrower.
“Other
Taxes”:
as
defined in Section 2.15(b).
“Parent Borrower”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Patriot
Act”:
the USA
Patriot Act of 2001 (31 U.S.C. 5318 et
seq.).
“PBGC”:
the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation established pursuant to Subtitle A of
Title
IV of ERISA (or any successor).
“Permitted
Investor”:
Loews
Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its Wholly Owned
Subsidiaries.
“Person”:
an
individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust,
joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture,
Governmental Authority or other entity of whatever nature.
“Plan”:
at a
particular time, any employee benefit plan that is covered by Title IV of ERISA
or Section 412 of the Code and in respect of which the Parent Borrower or a
Commonly Controlled Entity is (or, if such plan were terminated at such time,
would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in
Section 3(5) of ERISA.
“Property”:
any
right or interest in or to property of any kind whatsoever, whether real,
personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, including, without
limitation, Capital Stock.
“Public
Offering”:
the
first underwritten public offering by the General Partner of its Capital Stock
after the Effective Date pursuant to a registration statement filed with the
SEC
in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, with gross
proceeds in excess of $50,000,000.
“Purchasing
Lender”:
as
defined in Section
10.7 (Sharing of Payments, Etc.).
“Qualified
Acquisition”:
any
acquisition by the Parent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of all or
substantially all of the assets or Capital Stock of any Person or any operating
division thereof, or the merger of any Person with or into the Parent Borrower
or any Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower (and, in the case of a merger with
any
Borrower, with such Borrower being the surviving corporation), subject to the
satisfaction of each of the following conditions:
(a) the
Administrative Agent shall have received at least 10 days’ prior written notice
of such proposed acquisition, which notice shall include, without limitation,
a
reasonably detailed description of such proposed acquisition;
(b) such
proposed acquisition shall only involve those assets of a business of the type
engaged in by the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the Effective
Date
and reasonable extensions thereof;
(c) such
proposed acquisition shall be consensual and shall have been approved by such
Person’s Board of Directors;
(d) the
aggregate purchase price for such proposed acquisition, together with all other
acquisitions in any rolling 12-month period that satisfies the requirements
of a
“Qualified Acquisition” (other than this clause
(d)),
shall
be not less than $100,000,000;
(e) on
or
prior to the date of such proposed acquisition, the Administrative Agent shall
have received copies of the acquisition agreement, related Contractual
Obligations and instruments and such other financial information, financial
analysis, documentation or other information relating to such proposed
acquisition as the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall reasonably
request;
(f) at
the
time of such proposed acquisition and after giving effect thereto, (i) no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (ii) the
MLP
and each Borrower shall be in pro
forma compliance
with the financial covenant contained in Section
5
(after
giving effect to the proviso
in
Section
5),
in
each case determined as of the last day of the most recently ended Fiscal
Quarter of the MLP and such Borrower for which financial statements have been
delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Sections
6.1(a) or
(b),
as
applicable, and (iii) all representations and warranties contained in
Section
3
and in
the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects;
and
(g) the
Parent Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent a certificate
of a Responsible Officer certifying compliance with each of the foregoing and
containing all supporting information necessary for determining such
compliance.
“Ratable
Portion”
or
(other than in the expression “equally
and ratably”) “ratably”:
with
respect to any Lender, the percentage obtained by dividing (a) the Revolving
Credit Commitment of such Lender by (b) the aggregate Revolving Credit
Commitments of all Lenders (or, at any time after the Revolving Credit
Termination Date, the percentage obtained by dividing the aggregate outstanding
principal balance of the Revolving Credit Outstandings owing to such Lender
by
the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the Revolving Credit Outstandings
owing to all Lenders).
“Register”:
as
defined in Section
2.6(b).
“Reimbursement
Date”:
as
defined in Section
2.3(h) (Letters of Credit).
“Reimbursement
Obligations”:
with
respect to each Borrower, as and when matured, the obligation of such Borrower
to pay, on the date payment is made or scheduled to be made to the beneficiary
under each Letter of Credit (or at such other date as may be specified herein
or
in the applicable Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement), and in Dollars,
all
amounts of each draft and other request for payments drawn under Letters of
Credit Issued for the account of such Borrower, and all other matured
reimbursement or repayment obligations of such Borrower to any Issuer with
respect to amounts drawn under Letters of Credit Issued for the account of
such
Borrower.
“Reorganization”:
with
respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that such plan is in
reorganization within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA.
“Reportable
Event”:
any of
the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than those events as
to
which the thirty day notice period is waived under subsections .27, .28, .29,
.30, .31, .32, .34 or .35 of PBGC Reg. § 4043.
“Required
Lenders”:
at any
time, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate amount of the Revolving
Credit Commitments or, after the Revolving Credit Termination Date, more than
50% of the aggregate Revolving Credit Outstandings; provided,
that at
any time during the Term Out Period the term “Required
Lenders”
shall
mean Lenders holding more than 50% of the aggregate unpaid principal amount
of
the outstanding Term Loans. A Non-Funding Lender shall not be included in the
calculation of “Required
Lenders.”
“Requirement
of Law”:
as to
any Person, the Constituent Documents of such Person, and any law, treaty,
rule
or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental
Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of
its
Property or to which such Person or any of its Property is subject.
“Responsible
Officer”:
the
chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer or other principal
executive officer of any Borrower or the MLP (or of their respective general
partners), as applicable, but in any event, with respect to financial matters,
the chief financial officer of any Borrower or the MLP (or of their respective
general partners), as applicable.
“Restricted
Payment”:
any
dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property)
with respect to any Capital Stock in the Parent Borrower or any Subsidiary,
or
any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any
sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption,
retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such equity
interests in the Parent Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any option, warrant
or
other right to acquire any such equity interests in the Parent Borrower or
any
Subsidiary.
“Revolving
Credit Commitment”:
with
respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans
and acquire interests in other Revolving Credit Outstandings in the aggregate
principal amount outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such
Lender’s name on Schedule
I (Revolving Credit Commitments) under
the
caption “Revolving
Credit Commitment,” as
amended to reflect each Assignment and Acceptance executed by such Lender and
as
such amount may be increased by any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase or
reduced pursuant to this Agreement. The aggregate amount of Revolving Credit
Commitments on the Effective Date is $400,000,000.
“Revolving
Credit Commitment Increase”:
as
defined in Section 2.1(b)
(Incremental Credit Extensions).
“Revolving
Credit Note”:
a
promissory note of the Borrowers payable to the order of any Lender in a
principal amount equal to the amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit
Commitment evidencing the aggregate Indebtedness of the Borrowers to such Lender
resulting from the Revolving Loans owing to such Lender.
“Revolving
Credit Outstandings”:
with
respect to each Borrower, (a) at any particular time prior to the Term Out
Period, the sum of (i) the principal amount of the Revolving Loans made to
such
Borrower outstanding at such time, (ii) such Borrower’s Letter of Credit
Obligations outstanding at such time and (iii) the principal amount of the
Swingline Loans made to such Borrower outstanding at such time and (b) at any
time during the Term Out Period, the principal amount of the Term Loans made
to
or converted by such Borrower outstanding at such time.
“Revolving
Credit Sublimit”:
initially, with respect to each Borrower, the amount set forth opposite such
Borrower’s name below:
Borrower
|
Revolving
Credit Sublimit
|
Parent
Borrower
|
$50,000,000
|
Texas
Gas
|
$50,000,000
|
Gulf
South
|
$300,000,000
|
The
Parent Borrower may adjust the Revolving Credit Sublimit for each Borrower
from
time to time upon 3 Business Days’ prior written notice to the Administrative
Agent; provided,
however,
that,
except as otherwise provided in the following proviso in connection with a
Revolving Credit Commitment Increase, (a) the Parent Borrower’s Revolving Credit
Sublimit shall not exceed $150,000,000, (b) Texas Gas’ Revolving Credit Sublimit
shall not exceed $400,000,000, (c) Gulf South’s Revolving Credit Sublimit shall
not exceed $400,000,000 and (d) the aggregate Revolving Credit Sublimits for
all
Borrowers shall not exceed the then effective Revolving Credit Commitments;
provided,
further,
that
each Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall increase the maximum Revolving
Credit Sublimit for each Borrower in the preceding proviso ratably in accordance
with their respective maximum Revolving Credit Sublimits immediately prior
to
such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase.
“Revolving
Credit Termination Date”:
the
earliest of (a) the Scheduled Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of
all
of the Revolving Credit Commitments pursuant to Section 2.5(a) (Reduction
and Termination of the Revolving Credit Commitments; Repayment of
Loans)
and (c)
the date on which the Obligations become due and payable pursuant to
Section
8.1.
“Revolving
Loan”:
as
defined in Section 2.1(a)
(The Revolving Credit Commitments).
“Scheduled
Maturity Date”:
the
later of (a) June 29, 2011 and (b) the then current Extended Maturity Date,
if
applicable.
“SEC”:
the
Securities and Exchange Commission (or successors thereto or an analogous
Governmental Authority).
“Second
Extension Option”:
as
defined in Section 2.17(a).
“Security”:
any
Capital Stock, voting trust certificate, bond, debenture, note or other evidence
of Indebtedness, whether secured, unsecured, convertible or subordinated, or
any
certificate of interest, share or participation in, any temporary or interim
certificate for the purchase or acquisition of, or any right to subscribe to,
purchase or acquire, any of the foregoing, but shall not include any evidence
of
the Obligations.
“Selling
Lender”:
as
defined in Section
10.7 (Sharing of Payments, Etc.).
“Single
Employer Plan”:
any
Plan that is covered by Title IV of ERISA, but which is not a Multiemployer
Plan.
“Solvent”:
with
respect to any Person, as of any date of determination, (a) the amount of the
“present
fair saleable value”
of
the
assets of such Person will, as of such date, exceed the amount of all
“liabilities
of such Person, contingent or otherwise”,
as of
such date, as such quoted terms are determined in accordance with applicable
federal and state laws governing determinations of the insolvency of debtors,
(b) the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person will, as of
such date, be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the liability
of such Person on its debts as such debts become absolute and matured, (c)
such
Person will not have, as of such date, an unreasonably small amount of capital
with which to conduct its business, and (d) such Person will be able to pay
its
debts as they mature. For purposes of this definition, (i) “debt”
means
liability on a “claim”,
and
(ii) “claim”
means
any (x) right to payment, whether or not such a right is reduced to judgment,
liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed,
undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured or (y) right to an equitable
remedy for breach of performance if such breach gives rise to a right to
payment, whether or not such right to an equitable remedy is reduced to
judgment, fixed, contingent, matured or unmatured, disputed, undisputed, secured
or unsecured.
“Special
Purpose Vehicle”:
any
special purpose funding vehicle identified as such in writing by any Lender
to
the Administrative Agent.
“S&P”:
Standard & Poor’s Rating Services.
“Standby
Letter of Credit”:
any
letter of credit issued to support an obligation of a Person and which may
be
drawn on only upon the failure of such Person to perform such obligation or
other contingency.
“Subordinated
Loans”:
any
Indebtedness that is subordinated to the payment in full of the Obligations
on
terms and conditions satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
“Subsidiary”:
as to
any Person, a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other
entity of which shares of stock or other ownership interests having ordinary
voting power (other than stock or such other ownership interests having such
power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority
of
the Board of Directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership or
other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is otherwise
controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both,
by such Person. Unless otherwise qualified, all references to a “Subsidiary”
or
to
“Subsidiaries”
in
this
Agreement shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Parent
Borrower.
“Subsidiary
Borrowers”:
Texas
Gas and Gulf South.
“Substitute
Institution”:
as
defined in Section
2.16(a).
“Substitution
Notice”:
as
defined in Section
2.16(a).
“Swingline
Lender”:
Wachovia Bank, National Association, in its capacity as the lender of Swingline
Loans hereunder.
“Swingline
Loan”:
a Loan
made pursuant to Section
2.4.
“Swingline
Loan Request”:
as
defined in Section
2.4(b).
“Swingline
Loan Sublimit”:
$40,000,000.
“Syndication
Agent”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Taxes”:
as
defined in Section 2.15(a).
“Term
Out Period”:
as
defined in Section 2.18(a).
“Texas
Gas”:
as
defined in the preamble hereto.
“Type”:
as to
any Loan, its nature as a Base Rate Loan, a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a LMIR
Loan.
“UCC”:
the
Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New
York.
“U.S.
Lender”:
each
Lender or Issuer (or the Administrative Agent) that is a Domestic Person.
“Utilization
Fee”:
as
defined in Section
2.11(b).
“Utilization
Fee Rate”:
at any
date of determination, with respect to each Borrower, the rate per annum
corresponding to such Borrower’s Credit Rating on such date, as set forth
below:
Level
|
Credit
Rating
|
Utilization
Fee Rate
|
1
|
at
least A- by S&P or A3 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.05%
|
2
|
less
than Level 1 but at least BBB+ by S&P or Baa1 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.05%
|
3
|
less
than Level 2 but at least BBB by S&P or Baa2 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.05%
|
4
|
less
than Level 3 but at least BBB- by S&P or Baa3 by Xxxxx’x
|
0.10%
|
5
|
less
than Level 4 or unrated by both S&P and Xxxxx’x
|
0.10%
|
provided,
however,
that if
at any time there is a split Credit Rating, then the Utilization Fee Rate at
such time will be determined by the higher of the two Credit Ratings, except
that in the event that the lower of such Credit Ratings is more than one Level
below the higher of such Credit Ratings, the Utilization Fee Rate will be
determined based on the Level that is one Level lower than the higher of such
ratings; provided,
further,
that if
such Borrower is unrated by one of S&P or Xxxxx’x (other than by reason of
the circumstances referred to in the definition of “Credit Rating”), then the
Utilization Fee Rate shall be based on the Credit Rating established by the
other rating agency.
“Voting
Stock”:
Capital Stock of any Person having ordinary power to vote in the election of
members of the Board of Directors, managers, trustees or other controlling
Persons, of such Person, or its managing member or general partner (or managing
general partner if there is more than one general partner) (irrespective of
whether, at the time, Capital Stock of any other class or classes of such entity
shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any
contingency).
“Wachovia”:
Wachovia Bank, National Association, a national banking
association.
“Wholly
Owned Subsidiary”:
as to
any Person, any other Person all of the Capital Stock of which (other than
directors’ qualifying shares required by law) is owned by such Person directly
and/or through other Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.
1.2 Other
Definitional Provisions.
(a) Unless
otherwise specified therein, all terms defined in this Agreement shall have
the
defined meanings when used in the other Loan Documents or any certificate or
other document made or delivered pursuant hereto or thereto.
(b) The
words
“hereof”,
“herein”
and
“hereunder”
and
words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall refer to this
Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement,
and
Section, Schedule and Exhibit references are to this Agreement unless otherwise
specified.
(c) The
meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both
the
singular and plural forms of such terms.
(d) All
calculations of financial ratios set forth in Section
5
shall be
calculated to the same number of decimal places as the relevant ratios are
expressed in and shall be rounded upward if the number in the decimal place
immediately following the last calculated decimal place is five or
greater.
(e) The
terms
“Lender”, “Issuer” and “Administrative Agent” shall include, without limitation,
their respective successors.
(f) Upon
the
appointment of any successor Administrative Agent pursuant to Section
9.7,
references to Wachovia in Section
9.4
and to
Wachovia in the definitions of Base Rate and Eurodollar Base Rate shall be
deemed to refer to the financial institution then acting as the Administrative
Agent or one of its Affiliates if it so designates.
1.3 Accounting
Terms and Principles.
(a) Except
as
set forth below, all accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall
be
construed in conformity with GAAP and all accounting determinations required
to
be made pursuant hereto (including for purpose of measuring compliance with
Section
5)
shall,
unless expressly otherwise provided herein, be made in conformity with
GAAP.
(b) If
any
change in the accounting principles used in the preparation of the most recent
financial statements referred to in Section
6.1
is
hereafter required or permitted by the rules, regulations, pronouncements and
opinions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants (or any successors thereto) and such change
is
adopted by the Parent Borrower with the agreement of the Parent Borrower’s
independent certified public accountants and results in a change in any of
the
calculations required by Sections
5
or
7
that
would not have resulted had such accounting change not occurred, the parties
hereto agree to enter into negotiations in order to amend such provisions so
as
to equitably reflect such change such that the criteria for evaluating
compliance with such covenants by the Parent Borrower shall be the same after
such change as if such change had not been made; provided,
however,
that no
change in GAAP that would affect a calculation that measures compliance with
any
covenant contained in Sections
5 or
7
shall be
given effect until such provisions are amended to reflect such changes in
GAAP.
SECTION
2.
AMOUNT
AND TERMS OF COMMITMENTS
2.1 The
Commitments.
(a) The
Revolving Credit Commitments.
On the
terms and subject to the conditions contained in this Agreement, each Lender
severally agrees (i) to make loans in Dollars (each a “Revolving
Loan”)
to the
Borrowers from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the
Effective Date until the Revolving Credit Termination Date in an aggregate
principal amount at any time outstanding for all such loans by such Lender
not
to exceed such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment; provided,
however,
that at
no time shall any Lender be obligated to make a Revolving Loan in excess of
such
Lender’s Ratable Portion of the Available Credit; provided,
further,
that
after giving effect to such Revolving Loan, (A) each Borrower’s Revolving Credit
Outstandings shall not exceed its Revolving Credit Sublimit and (B) the
aggregate Revolving Credit Outstandings shall not exceed the then effective
Revolving Credit Commitments, and (ii) at the election of the Parent Borrower,
to convert the principal amount of any Revolving Loans remaining outstanding
on
the Scheduled Maturity Date to Term Loans pursuant to Section
2.18.
Within
the limits of the Revolving Credit Commitment of each Lender, amounts of
Revolving Loans repaid may be reborrowed under this Section 2.1.
(b) Incremental
Credit Extensions.
(i)
The
Borrowers may from time to time after the Effective Date request one or more
increases in the Revolving Credit Commitments (each, a “Revolving
Credit Commitment Increase”);
provided,
however,
that
(A) the aggregate amount of all Revolving Credit Commitment Increases shall
not
exceed $300,000,000 and (B) each Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall
be
in an amount not less than $20,000,000. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to obligate the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, any Arranger
or
any Lender to negotiate for (whether or not in good faith), solicit, provide
or
commit to provide any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase. The Administrative
Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of each proposed Revolving Credit
Commitment Increase. Each such Lender (and each of their Affiliates and Approved
Funds) may, in its sole discretion, commit to participate in such Revolving
Credit Commitment Increase by forwarding its commitment therefor to the
Administrative Agent in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent. The Administrative Agent shall, after consultation with the Parent
Borrower, allocate, but in amounts not to exceed for each such Lender the
commitment received from such Lender, Affiliate or Approved Fund, the Revolving
Credit Commitment Increase commitments to be made as part of such Revolving
Credit Commitment Increase to the Lenders from which it has received such
written commitments. If the Administrative Agent does not receive enough
commitments from existing Lenders or their Affiliates or Approved Funds, it
may,
after consultation with the Parent Borrower, allocate to Eligible Assignees
any
excess of the proposed amount of such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase
agreed with the Parent Borrower over the aggregate amounts of the commitments
received from existing Lenders or their Affiliates or Approved Funds. Each
Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall become effective on a date agreed
by
the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent (each, an “Incremental
Credit Extension Date”),
which
shall be in any case on or after the date of satisfaction of the conditions
precedent set forth in Section
4.4.
The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders and the Parent Borrower, on or
before 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Business Day following an
Incremental Credit Extension Date of the effectiveness of a Revolving Credit
Commitment Increase and shall record in the Register all applicable additional
information in respect of such Revolving Credit Commitment
Increase.
(ii) (A)
The
commitments under each Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall be deemed
for
all purposes part of the Revolving Credit Commitments, (B) each Lender or
Eligible Assignee participating in such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase
shall become a Lender with respect to the Revolving Credit Commitments and
all
matters relating thereto and (C) the commitments under each Revolving Credit
Commitment Increase shall have the same terms and conditions as the Revolving
Credit Commitments. On the Incremental Credit Extension Date for any Revolving
Credit Commitment Increase, each Lender or Eligible Assignee participating
in
such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall purchase and assume from each
existing Lender having Revolving Loans outstanding on such Incremental Credit
Extension Date, without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and
participation, to the extent of such Lender’s Ratable Portion of the new
Revolving Credit Commitments (after giving effect to such Revolving Credit
Commitment Increase), in the aggregate outstanding Revolving Loans, so as to
ensure that, on the Incremental Credit Extension Date after giving effect to
such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase, each Revolving Lender is owed only
its Ratable Portion of the Revolving Loans on such Incremental Credit Extension
Date.
2.2 Borrowing
Procedures.
(a) Each
Borrowing shall be made on notice given by the applicable Borrower to the
Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (New York time) (i) on the
Business Day of the proposed Borrowing, in the case of a Borrowing of Base
Rate
Loans and (ii) three Business Days prior to the date of the proposed Borrowing,
in the case of a Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans. Each such notice shall
be
in substantially the form of Exhibit
A (Form of Notice of Borrowing)
(a
“Notice
of Borrowing”),
specifying (A) the date of such proposed Borrowing, (B) the aggregate
amount of such proposed Borrowing, (C) whether any portion of the proposed
Borrowing will be of Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans and (D) for each
Eurodollar Rate Loan, the initial Interest Period or periods thereof. Loans
shall be made as Base Rate Loans unless, subject to Section 2.13
(Special
Provisions Governing Eurodollar Rate Loans),
the
Notice of Borrowing specifies that all or a portion thereof shall be Eurodollar
Rate Loans. Each Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount of not less than
$5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof.
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall give to each Lender prompt notice of the
Administrative Agent’s receipt of a Notice of Borrowing and, if Eurodollar Rate
Loans are properly requested in such Notice of Borrowing, the applicable
interest rate determined pursuant to 2.13(a) (Determination
of Interest Rate).
Each
Lender shall, (x) before 2:00 p.m. (New York time) on the date of the proposed
Borrowing of Base Rate Loans and (y) before 11:00 a.m. (New York time) on the
date of the proposed Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans, make available to
the
Administrative Agent at its address referred to in Section
10.8 (Notices,
Etc.),
in
immediately available funds, such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such proposed
Borrowing. Upon fulfillment (or due waiver in accordance with Section
10.1)
(i) on
the Effective Date, of the applicable conditions set forth in Section
4.1 (Conditions to Effectiveness)
and (ii)
at any time (including the Effective Date), of the applicable conditions set
forth in Section
4.2 (Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit),
and
after the Administrative Agent’s receipt of such funds, the Administrative Agent
shall make such funds available to the applicable Borrower.
(c) Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to
the
date (in the case of a Eurodollar Rate Loan) or no later than 12:00 p.m. (New
York time) on the date (in the case of a Base Rate Loan) of any proposed
Borrowing, that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent
such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such Borrowing (or any portion thereof), the
Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such Ratable Portion
available to the Administrative Agent on the date of such Borrowing in
accordance with this
Section 2.2
and the
Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available
to
the applicable Borrower on such date a corresponding amount. If and to the
extent that such Lender shall not have so made such Ratable Portion available
to
the Administrative Agent, such Lender and such Borrower severally agree to
repay
to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount
together with interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is made
available to such Borrower until the date such amount is repaid to the
Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Borrower, the interest rate
applicable at the time to the Loans comprising such Borrowing and (ii) in the
case of such Lender, the Federal Funds Rate for the first Business Day and
thereafter at the interest rate applicable at the time to the Loans comprising
such Borrowing. If such Lender shall repay to the Administrative Agent such
corresponding amount, such corresponding amount so repaid shall constitute
such
Lender’s Loan as part of such Borrowing for purposes of this Agreement. If such
Borrower shall repay to the Administrative Agent such corresponding amount,
such
payment shall not relieve such Lender of any obligation it may have hereunder
to
the Borrowers.
(d) The
failure of any Lender to make on the date specified any Loan or any payment
required by it (such Lender being a “Non-Funding
Lender”),
including any payment in respect of its participation in Swingline Loans and
Letter of Credit Obligations, shall not relieve any other Lender of its
obligations to make such Loan or payment on such date but no such other Lender
shall be responsible for the failure of any Non-Funding Lender to make a Loan
or
payment required under this Agreement.
2.3 Letters
of Credit.
(a) On
the
terms and subject to the conditions contained in this Agreement, each Issuer
agrees to Issue at the request of each Borrower and for the account of such
Borrower one or more Letters of Credit from time to time on any Business Day
during the period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the earlier
of
the Revolving Credit Termination Date and 30 days prior to the Scheduled
Maturity Date; provided,
however,
that no
Issuer shall be under any obligation to Issue (and, upon the occurrence of
any
of the events described in clauses
(ii),
(iii),
(iv),
(v)
and
(vi)(A)
below,
shall not Issue) any Letter of Credit upon the occurrence of any of the
following:
(i) any
order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall
purport by its terms to enjoin or restrain such Issuer from Issuing such Letter
of Credit or any Requirement of Law applicable to such Issuer or any request
or
directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental
Authority with jurisdiction over such Issuer shall prohibit, or request that
such Issuer refrain from, the Issuance of letters of credit generally or such
Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon such Issuer with respect
to
such Letter of Credit any restriction or reserve or capital requirement (for
which such Issuer is not otherwise compensated) not in effect on the date of
this Agreement or result in any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense that was
not
applicable, in effect or known to such Issuer as of the date of this Agreement
and that such Issuer in good xxxxx xxxxx material to it;
(ii) such
Issuer shall have received any written notice of the type described in
clause
(d) below;
(iii) after
giving effect to the Issuance of such Letter of Credit, the aggregate Revolving
Credit Outstandings would exceed the aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments
at
such time;
(iv) after
giving effect to the Issuance of such Letter of Credit, the applicable
Borrower’s Revolving Credit Outstandings would exceed its Revolving Credit
Sublimit;
(v) such
Letter of Credit is requested to be denominated in any currency other than
Dollars;
(vi) (A)
any
fees due in connection with a requested Issuance have not been paid, (B) such
Letter of Credit is requested to be Issued in a form that is not acceptable
to
such Issuer or (C) the Issuer for such Letter of Credit shall not have received,
in form and substance reasonably acceptable to it and, if applicable, duly
executed by the applicable Borrower, applications, agreements and other
documentation (collectively, a “Letter
of Credit Reimbursement Agreement”)
such
Issuer generally employs in the ordinary course of its business for the Issuance
of letters of credit of the type of such Letter of Credit; or
(vii) such
Letter of Credit is not a Standby Letter of Credit.
None
of
the Lenders (other than the Issuers in their capacity as such) shall have any
obligation to Issue any Letter of Credit.
(b) In
no
event shall the expiration date of any Letter of Credit (i) be more than one
year after the date of issuance thereof or (ii) be less than five days prior
to
the Scheduled Maturity Date; provided,
however,
that
any Letter of Credit with a term less than or equal to one year may provide
for
the renewal thereof for additional periods less than or equal to one year,
as
long as (x) on or before the expiration of each such term and each such period,
the applicable Borrower and the Issuer of such Letter or Credit shall have
the
option to prevent such renewal and (y) neither the Issuer of such Letter of
Credit nor the applicable Borrower shall permit any such renewal to extend
the
expiration date of any Letter of Credit beyond the date set forth in
clause
(ii) above.
(c) In
connection with the Issuance of each Letter of Credit, the applicable Borrower
shall give the relevant Issuer and the Administrative Agent at least two
Business Days’ prior written notice, in substantially the form of Exhibit
H (Form of Letter of Credit Request)
(or in
such other written or electronic form as is acceptable to the Issuer), of the
requested Issuance of such Letter of Credit (a “Letter
of Credit Request”).
Such
notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify (i) the Issuer of such Letter
of
Credit, (ii) the face amount of the Letter of Credit requested (which shall
not
be less than $1,000,000), (iii) the date of Issuance of such requested Letter
of
Credit (which date shall be a Business Day), (iv) the date on which such Letter
of Credit is to expire (which date shall be a Business Day), and (v) in the
case
of an issuance, the Person for whose benefit the requested Letter of Credit
is
to be issued. Such notice, to be effective, must be received by the relevant
Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (New York time)
on
the second Business Day prior to the requested Issuance of such Letter of
Credit.
(d) Subject
to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Section
2.3,
the
relevant Issuer shall, on the requested date, Issue a Letter of Credit on behalf
of the applicable Borrower in accordance with such Issuer’s usual and customary
business practices. No Issuer shall Issue any Letter of Credit in the period
commencing on the first Business Day after it receives written notice from
any
Lender that one or more of the conditions precedent contained in Section
4.2 (Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit)
or
clause (a)
above
(other than those conditions set forth in clauses
(a)(i),
(a)(vi)(B)
and
(C)
above
and, to the extent such clause relates to fees owing to the Issuer of such
Letter of Credit and its Affiliates, clause
(a)(vi)(A) above)
are not on such date satisfied or duly waived and ending when such conditions
are satisfied or duly waived. No Issuer shall otherwise be required to determine
that, or take notice whether, the conditions precedent set forth in Section
4.2 (Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit) have
been
satisfied in connection with the Issuance of any Letter of Credit.
(e) Each
Borrower agrees that, if requested by the Issuer of any Letter of Credit, it
shall execute a Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement in respect to any
Letter of Credit Issued hereunder. In the event of any conflict between the
terms of any Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement and this Agreement or
to
the extent any Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement purports to add defaults
or events of default or provide for the grant of security not contemplated
by
this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.
(f) Each
Issuer shall comply with the following:
(i) give
the
Administrative Agent written notice (or telephonic notice confirmed promptly
thereafter in writing), which writing may be a telecopy, of the Issuance of
any
Letter of Credit Issued by it, of all drawings under any Letter of Credit Issued
by it and of the payment (or the failure to pay when due) by the applicable
Borrower of any Reimbursement Obligation when due (which notice the
Administrative Agent shall promptly transmit to each Lender);
(ii) upon
the
request of any Lender, furnish to such Lender copies of any Letter of Credit
Reimbursement Agreement to which such Issuer is a party and such other
documentation as may reasonably be requested by such Lender; and
(iii) no
later
than 10 Business Days following the last day of each calendar month, provide
to
the Administrative Agent (and the Administrative Agent shall provide a copy
to
each Lender requesting the same) and the Parent Borrower a schedule of Letters
of Credit issued by it, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent, setting forth the aggregate Letter of Credit Obligations,
in each case outstanding at the end of each month, and any information requested
by the Parent Borrower or the Administrative Agent relating
thereto.
(g) Immediately
upon the issuance by an Issuer of a Letter of Credit in accordance with the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, such Issuer shall be deemed to have
sold
and transferred to each Lender, and each Lender shall be deemed irrevocably
and
unconditionally to have purchased and received from such Issuer, without
recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation, to the extent
of
such Lender’s Ratable Portion, in such Letter of Credit and the obligations of
the applicable Borrower with respect thereto (including all Letter of Credit
Obligations with respect thereto) and any security therefor and guaranty
pertaining thereto.
(h) Each
Borrower agrees to pay to the Issuer of any Letter of Credit the amount of
all
Reimbursement Obligations owing to such Issuer under any Letter of Credit issued
for its account no later than the date that is the next succeeding Business
Day
after such Borrower receives written notice from such Issuer that payment has
been made under such Letter of Credit (the “Reimbursement
Date”),
irrespective of any claim, set-off, defense or other right that such Borrower
may have at any time against such Issuer or any other Person. In the event
that
any Issuer makes any payment under any Letter of Credit and the applicable
Borrower shall not have repaid such amount to such Issuer pursuant to this
clause
(h) or
any
such payment by such Borrower is rescinded or set aside for any reason, such
Reimbursement Obligation shall be payable on demand with interest thereon
computed (i) from the date on which such Reimbursement Obligation arose to
the
Reimbursement Date, at the rate of interest applicable during such period to
Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans and (ii) from the Reimbursement Date
until the date of repayment in full, at the rate of interest applicable during
such period to past due Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans, and such
Issuer shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent, which shall promptly
notify each Lender of such failure, and each Lender shall promptly and
unconditionally pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Issuer
the amount of such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such payment in immediately
available Dollars. If the Administrative Agent so notifies such Lender prior
to
11:00 a.m. (New York time) on any Business Day, such Lender shall make available
to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Issuer its Ratable Portion
of the amount of such payment on such Business Day in immediately available
funds. Upon such payment by a Lender, such Lender shall, except during the
continuance of a Default or Event of Default under Section
8.1(f) (Events of Default) and
notwithstanding whether or not the conditions precedent set forth in
Section
4.2 (Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit) shall
have been satisfied (which conditions precedent the Lenders hereby irrevocably
waive), be deemed to have made a Revolving Loan to the applicable Borrower
in
the principal amount of such payment. Whenever any Issuer receives from the
applicable Borrower a payment of a Reimbursement Obligation as to which the
Administrative Agent has received for the account of such Issuer any payment
from a Lender pursuant to this clause
(h),
such
Issuer shall pay over to the Administrative Agent any amount received in respect
of such Reimbursement Obligation and, upon receipt of such amount, the
Administrative Agent shall promptly pay over to each Lender, in immediately
available funds, an amount equal to such Revolving Credit Lender’s Ratable
Portion of the amount of such payment adjusted, if necessary, to reflect the
respective amounts the Revolving Credit Lenders have paid in respect of such
Reimbursement Obligation.
(i) If
and to
the extent such Lender shall not have so made its Ratable Portion of the amount
of the payment required by clause
(h) above
available to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Issuer, such
Lender agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Issuer
forthwith on demand any such unpaid amount together with interest thereon,
for
the first Business Day after payment was first due at the Federal Funds Rate
and, thereafter, until such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent for
the
account of such Issuer, at a rate per annum equal to the rate applicable to
Base
Rate Loans under the Facility.
(j) Each
Borrower’s obligation to pay each Reimbursement Obligation and the obligations
of the Lenders to make payments to the Administrative Agent for the account
of
the Issuers with respect to Letters of Credit 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, including the
occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, and irrespective of any of the
following:
(i) any
lack
of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or any Loan Document,
or
any term or provision therein;
(ii) any
amendment or waiver of or any consent to departure from all or any of the
provisions of any Letter of Credit or any Loan Document;
(iii) the
existence of any claim, set off, defense or other right that such Borrower,
any
other Loan Party, any other party guaranteeing, or otherwise obligated with,
such Borrower, any Subsidiary of a Loan Party or other Affiliate thereof or
any
other Person may at any time have against the beneficiary under any Letter
of
Credit, any Issuer, the Administrative Agent or any Lender or any other Person,
whether in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other
related or unrelated agreement or transaction;
(iv) any
draft
or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged,
fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein
being untrue or inaccurate in any respect;
(v) payment
by the Issuer 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;
and
(vi) any
other
act or omission to act or delay of any kind of the Issuer, the Lenders, the
Administrative Agent or any other Person or any other event or circumstance
whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but
for
the provisions of this Section
2.3,
constitute a legal or equitable discharge of such Borrower’s obligations
hereunder.
Any
action taken or omitted to be taken by the relevant Issuer under or in
connection with any Letter of Credit, if taken or omitted in the absence of
gross negligence or willful misconduct, shall not result in any liability of
such Issuer to any Borrower or any Lender. In determining whether drafts and
other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms
thereof, the Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in
order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any
notice or information to the contrary and, in making any payment under any
Letter of Credit, the Issuer may rely exclusively on the documents presented
to
it under such Letter of Credit as to any and all matters set forth therein,
including reliance on the amount of any draft presented under such Letter of
Credit, whether or not the amount due to the beneficiary thereunder equals
the
amount of such draft and whether or not any document presented pursuant to
such
Letter of Credit proves to be insufficient in any respect, if such document
on
its face appears to be in order, and whether or not any other statement or
any
other document presented pursuant to such Letter of Credit proves to be forged
or invalid or any statement therein proves to be inaccurate or untrue in any
respect whatsoever, and any noncompliance in any immaterial respect of the
documents presented under such Letter of Credit with the terms thereof shall,
in
each case, be deemed not to constitute willful misconduct or gross negligence
of
the Issuer.
2.4 Swingline
Loans.
(a) On
the
terms and subject to the conditions contained in this Agreement, the Swingline
Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans to the Borrowers from time to time on
any
Business Day during the period from the Effective Date until the Revolving
Credit Termination Date, in an aggregate principal amount at any time
outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Swingline Loans for all Borrowers exceeding the Swingline Loan
Sublimit, (ii) any Borrower’s Revolving Credit Outstandings exceeding its
Revolving Credit Sublimit and (iii) the aggregate Revolving Credit Outstandings
exceeding the then effective Revolving Credit Commitments; provided,
that
the Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance
an outstanding Swingline Loan. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the
terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and
reborrow Swingline Loans.
(b) To
request a Swingline Loan, the applicable Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy),
not
later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the day of a proposed Swingline
Loan. Each such notice shall be substantially the form of Exhibit
I (Form of Swingline Loan Request) (a
“Swingline
Loan Request”),
be
irrevocable and shall specify (i) the requested date (which shall be a Business
Day) of the Swingline Loan, (ii) the amount of the requested Swingline Loan
and
(iii) whether such Swingline Loan is to be a Base Rate Loan or a LMIR Loan.
If
no election as to the Type of Swingline Loan is specified, then the requested
Swingline Loan shall be a Base Rate Loan. Each Swingline Loan shall be in an
amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 and not less than $100,000.
The
Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such
notice received from such Borrower. The Swingline Lender shall make each
Swingline Loan available to the applicable Borrower by means of a credit or
wire
transfer of funds, as applicable, to an account of such Borrower designated
by
such Borrower in writing to the Swingline Lender (or, in the case of a Swingline
Loan made to finance the reimbursement of a Reimbursement Obligation to the
extent permitted by Section 2.12(h), by remittance to the applicable Issuer)
by
3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline
Loan.
(c) The
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
the Swingline Loans outstanding. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount
of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt
of
such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender,
specifying in such notice such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such Swingline Loan
or Loans. 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 Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such Swingline Loan or
Loans. 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 an Event of Default
or
any reduction or termination of the Revolving Credit Commitments, and that
each
such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or
reduction whatsoever. Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this
paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Administrative
Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender
the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall
notify the Parent Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired
pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline
Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender.
Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from any Borrower (or other party
on behalf of any Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by
the
Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall
be
promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent, and any such amounts received
by
the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent
to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph
and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided,
that
any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to
the
Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is
required to be refunded to any Borrower for any reason. The purchase of
participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve
any Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.
2.5 Reduction
and Termination of the Revolving Credit Commitments; Repayment of
Loans.
(a) The
Parent Borrower may, upon at least three Business Days’ prior notice to the
Administrative Agent, terminate in whole or reduce in part ratably the unused
portions of the respective Revolving Credit Commitments of the Lenders;
provided,
however,
that
each partial reduction shall be (i) in an aggregate amount of not less than
$5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof and (ii)
permanent and irrevocable. Each partial reduction shall reduce the Revolving
Credit Sublimit of each Borrower ratably. In addition, all outstanding Revolving
Credit Commitments shall terminate on the Revolving Credit Termination
Date.
(b) Each
Borrower promises to repay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account
of
each Lender the entire unpaid principal amount of the Revolving Loans made
to
such Borrower on the Scheduled Maturity Date, or earlier if otherwise required
by the terms hereof (unless the Revolving Loans are converted to Term Loans
pursuant to Section 2.18, in which event subclause (iii) of this Section 2.5(b)
shall apply), (ii) to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount
of
each Swingline Loan made to such Borrower on the earlier of (A) the Scheduled
Maturity Date and (B) 14 days following the date such Swingline Loan is made,
or
earlier if otherwise required by the terms hereof and (iii) to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the entire unpaid principal
amount of the Term Loans made to or converted by such Borrower on the Final
Maturity Date.
2.6 Evidence
of Debt.
(a) Each
Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or
accounts evidencing Indebtedness of the Borrowers to such Lender resulting
from
each Loan of such Lender from time to time, including the amounts of principal
and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time under this
Agreement.
(b) (i)The
Administrative Agent, acting as agent of the Borrowers solely for this purpose
and for tax purposes, shall establish and maintain at its address referred
to in
Section 10.8
(Notices,
Etc.)
a
record of ownership (the “Register”)
in
which the Administrative Agent agrees to register by book entry the
Administrative Agent’s, each Lender’s and each Issuer’s interest in each Loan,
each Letter of Credit and each Reimbursement Obligation and in the right to
receive any payments hereunder and any assignment of any such interest or
rights. In addition, the Administrative Agent, acting as agent of the Borrowers
solely for this purpose and for tax purposes, shall establish and maintain
accounts in the Register in accordance with its usual practice in which it
shall
record (A) the names and addresses of the Lenders, (B) the Revolving Credit
Commitments of each Lender from time to time, (C) the amount of each Loan made
and, if a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Interest Period applicable thereto, (D)
the
amount of any drawn Letters of Credit, (E) the amount of any principal or
interest due and payable, and paid, by the Borrowers to, or for the account
of,
each Lender hereunder, (F) the amount that is due and payable, and paid, by
the
Borrowers to, or for the account of, each Issuer, including the amount of Letter
Credit Obligations (specifying the amount of any Reimbursement Obligations)
due
and payable to an Issuer, and (G) the amount of any sum received by the
Administrative Agent hereunder from the Borrowers, whether such sum constitutes
principal or interest (and the type of Loan to which it applies), fees, expenses
or other amounts due under the Loan Documents and each Lender’s and Issuer’s, as
the case may be, share thereof, if applicable.
(ii) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Loans (including
the
Revolving Credit Notes evidencing such Loans) and the drawn Letters of Credit
are registered obligations and the right, title, and interest of the Lenders
and
the Issuers and their assignees in and to such Loans or drawn Letters of Credit,
as the case may be, shall be transferable only upon notation of such transfer
in
the Register. A Revolving Credit Note shall only evidence the Lender’s or a
registered assignee’s right, title and interest in and to the related Loan, and
in no event is any such Revolving Credit Note to be considered a bearer
instrument or obligation. This
Section 2.6(b) and
Section
10.2 (Assignments and Participations) shall
be
construed so that the Loans and drawn Letters of Credit are at all times
maintained in “registered
form”
within
the meaning of Sections 163(f), 871(h)(2) and 881(c)(2) of the Code and any
related regulations (or any successor provisions of the Code or such
regulations).
(c) The
entries made in the Register and in the accounts therein maintained pursuant
to
clauses
(a)
and
(b) above
shall,
to the extent permitted by applicable law, be prima
facie
evidence
of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided,
however,
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 obligations of the
Borrowers to repay the Loans in accordance with their terms. In addition, the
Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuers shall treat
each Person whose name is recorded in the Register as a Lender for all purposes
of this Agreement. Information contained in the Register with respect to any
Lender or Issuer shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers, the
Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuer at any reasonable time and
from
time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(d) Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Agreement, in the event that any Lender requests
that
the Borrowers execute and deliver a promissory note or notes payable to such
Lender in order to evidence the Indebtedness owing to such Lender by the
Borrowers hereunder, the Borrowers shall promptly execute and deliver a
Revolving Credit Note or Revolving Credit Notes to such Lender evidencing any
Revolving Loans of such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit
E (Form of Revolving Credit Note).
2.7 Optional
Prepayments.
Each
Borrower may prepay the outstanding principal amount of the Loans made to such
Borrower in whole or in part at any time; provided,
however,
that if
any
prepayment of any Eurodollar Rate Loan is made by such Borrower other than
on
the last day of an Interest Period for such Loan, such Borrower shall also
pay
any amount owing pursuant to Section 2.13(e)
(Breakage
Costs).
Partial
prepayments of Loans (other than Swingline Loans) shall be in an aggregate
principal amount of not less than $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of
$1,000,000 in excess thereof.
2.8 Mandatory
Prepayments.
(a) If
at any
time, the aggregate principal amount of any Borrower’s Revolving Credit
Outstandings exceeds such Borrower’s Revolving Credit Sublimit at such time,
such Borrower shall forthwith prepay first, the Swingline Loans and then the
Revolving Loans made to such Borrower then outstanding in an aggregate amount
equal to such excess. If
any
such excess remains after repayment in full of the aggregate outstanding
Swingline Loans and Revolving Loans made to such Borrower, such Borrower shall
provide cash collateral for its then outstanding Letter of Credit Obligations
in
the manner set forth in Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit) in
an
amount equal to 105% of such excess.
(b) If
at any
time, the aggregate principal amount of Revolving Credit Outstandings exceeds
the aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments at such time, each Borrower shall
forthwith prepay first, the Swingline Loans and then the Revolving Loans made
to
such Borrower then outstanding in an aggregate amount equal to (i) the
percentage obtained by dividing the aggregate outstanding principal balance
of
the Revolving Credit Outstandings owing by such Borrower by the aggregate
outstanding principal balance of the Revolving Credit Outstandings owing by
all
Borrowers multiplied by (ii) the aggregate amount of such excess. If any such
excess remains after repayment in full of the aggregate outstanding Swingline
Loans and Revolving Loans, each Borrower shall provide cash collateral for
its
then outstanding Letter of Credit Obligations in the manner set forth in
Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit) in
an
amount equal to 105% of (A) the percentage obtained by dividing the aggregate
outstanding amount of the Letter of Credit Obligations owing by such Borrower
by
the aggregate outstanding amount of the Letter of Credit Obligations owing
by
all Borrowers multiplied by (B) the aggregate amount of such
excess.
2.9 Interest.
(a) Rate
of Interest.
All
Loans and the outstanding amount of all other Obligations shall bear interest,
in the case of Loans, on the unpaid principal amount thereof from the date
such
Loans are made and, in the case of such other Obligations, from the date such
other Obligations are due and payable until, in all cases, paid in full, except
as otherwise provided in
clause (c) below,
as
follows:
(i) if
a Base
Rate Loan or such other Obligation, at a rate per annum equal to the sum of
(A)
the Base Rate as in effect from time to time and (B) the Applicable Margin
for
Loans that are Base Rate Loans;
(ii) if
a
Eurodollar Rate Loan, at a rate per annum equal to the sum of (A) the Eurodollar
Rate determined for the applicable Interest Period and (B) the Applicable Margin
in effect from time to time during such Eurodollar Interest Period;
and
(iii) if
a LMIR
Loan, at a rate per annum equal to the sum of (A) the LIBOR Market Index Rate
as
in effect from time to time and (B) the Applicable Margin for Loans that are
LMIR Loans.
(b) Interest
Payments.
(i)
Interest accrued on each Base Rate Loan (other than Swingline Loans) shall
be
payable in arrears (A) on the first Business Day of each calendar quarter,
commencing on the first such day following the making of such Base Rate Loan,
and (B) if not previously paid in full, at maturity (whether by acceleration
or
otherwise) of such Base Rate Loan, (ii) interest accrued on each Eurodollar
Rate Loan shall be payable in arrears (A) on the last day of each Interest
Period applicable to such Loan (and, if such Interest Period has a duration
of
more than three months, on each date during such Interest Period occurring
every
three months from the first day of such Interest Period), (B) upon the payment
or prepayment thereof in full or in part and (C) if not previously paid in
full,
at maturity (whether by acceleration or otherwise) of such Eurodollar Rate
Loan,
(iii) interest accrued on each Swingline Loan shall be payable in arrears on
the
first Business Day of the immediately succeeding calendar quarter and (iv)
interest accrued on the amount of all other Obligations shall be payable on
demand from and after the time such Obligation becomes due and payable (whether
by acceleration or otherwise).
(c) Default
Interest.
Notwithstanding the rates of interest specified in clause (a) above
or
elsewhere herein, effective immediately upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default specified in Section
8.1(a) and
for
as long thereafter as such Event of Default shall be continuing, the principal
balance of all Loans and the amount of all other Obligations then due and
payable shall bear interest at a rate that is 2% per annum in excess of the
rate
of interest applicable to such Loans or other Obligations from time to time.
Such interest shall be payable on the date that would otherwise be applicable
to
such interest pursuant to clause
(b) above
or
otherwise on demand.
2.10 Conversion/Continuation
Option.
(a) Each
Borrower may elect (i) (A) at any time on any Business Day to convert Base
Rate
Loans (other than Swingline Loans) or any portion thereof to Eurodollar Rate
Loans and (B) at the end of any applicable Interest Period, to convert
Eurodollar Rate Loans or any portion thereof into Base Rate Loans or to continue
such Eurodollar Rate Loans or any portion thereof for an additional Interest
Period; provided,
however,
that
the aggregate amount of the Eurodollar Loans for each Interest Period must
be in
the amount of at least $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in
excess thereof, and (ii) (A) at any time on any Business Day to convert
Swingline Loans that are Base Rate Loans or any portion thereof to LMIR Loans
and (B) to convert LMIR Rate Loans or any portion thereof into Base Rate Loans;
provided,
however,
that
the aggregate amount of the LMIR Loans must be in the amount of at least
$100,000 or an integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each conversion
or continuation shall be allocated among the Loans of each Lender in accordance
with such Lender’s Ratable Portion. Each such election shall be in substantially
the form of Exhibit
F
(a
“Notice
of Conversion or Continuation”)
and
shall be made by the Parent Borrower giving the Administrative Agent at least
three Business Days’ prior written notice specifying (w) whether the Parent
Borrower is requesting such conversion or continuation on behalf of itself
or
for another Borrower (and if on behalf of another Borrower, the identity of
such
Borrower), (x) the amount and type of Loan being converted or continued, (y)
in
the case of a conversion to or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, the
applicable Interest Period and (z) in the case of a conversion, the date of
such
conversion.
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of a
Notice of Conversion or Continuation and of the options selected therein.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no conversion in whole or in part of Base Rate
Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans and no continuation in whole or in part of
Eurodollar Rate Loans upon the expiration of any applicable Interest Period
shall be permitted at any time at which (A) a Default or an Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing or (B) the continuation of, or conversion
into, a Eurodollar Rate Loan would violate any provision of 2.13
(Special
Provisions Governing Eurodollar Rate Loans).
If,
within the time period required under the terms of this
Section 2.10,
the
Administrative Agent does not receive a Notice of Conversion or Continuation
from the Parent Borrower containing a permitted election to continue any
Eurodollar Rate Loans for an additional Interest Period or to convert any such
Loans, then, upon the expiration of the applicable Interest Period, such Loans
shall be automatically converted to Base Rate Loans. Each Notice of Conversion
or Continuation shall be irrevocable.
2.11 Fees.
(a) Facility
Fee.
Each
Borrower agrees to pay in immediately available Dollars to the Administrative
Agent for the account of each Lender a fee (the “Facility
Fee”)
on
such Borrower’s Applicable Percentage of the daily amount of such Lender’s
Revolving Credit Commitment, whether used or unused, and when the Revolving
Credit Commitment has been terminated, on the Revolving Credit Outstandings
of
such Lender, at the Applicable Facility Fee Rate from the date hereof through
the later of (i) the Revolving Credit Termination Date and (ii) the date on
which all outstanding Loans are paid in full and all Letter of Credit
Obligations have been cash collateralized in an amount equal to 105% of such
Letter of Credit Obligations in the manner set forth in Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit).
In
addition, each Borrower agrees to pay in immediately available Dollars to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the Facility Fee on such
Lender’s Ratable Portion of such Borrower’s outstanding Term Loans at the
Applicable Facility Fee Rate for each day during the Term Out Period. All
Facility Fees shall be payable in arrears (w) on the first Business Day of
each
calendar quarter, commencing on the first such Business Day following the
Effective Date, (x) on the Revolving Credit Termination Date, (y) on the date
on
which all outstanding Loans are paid in full and all Letter of Credit
Obligations have been cash collateralized in an amount equal to 105% of such
Letter of Credit Obligations in the manner set forth in Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit)
and (z)
on the Final Maturity Date.
(b) Utilization
Fee.
Each
Borrower agrees to pay in immediately available Dollars to the Administrative
Agent for the account of each Lender a fee (the “Utilization
Fee”)
on
such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such Borrower’s Revolving Credit Outstandings
at the Utilization Fee Rate for each day on which the aggregate Revolving Credit
Outstandings exceeds 50% of the aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments, during
the period from the date hereof through the later of (i) the Revolving Credit
Termination Date and (ii) the date on which all outstanding Loans are paid
in
full and all Letter of Credit Obligations have been cash collateralized in
an
amount equal to 105% of such Letter of Credit Obligations in the manner set
forth in Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit).
In
addition, each Borrower agrees to pay in immediately available Dollars to the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the Utilization Fee on
such
Lender’s Ratable Portion of such Borrower’s outstanding Term Loans at the
Utilization Fee Rate for each day during the Term Out Period. All Utilization
Fees shall be payable in arrears (w) on the first Business Day of each calendar
quarter, commencing on the first such Business Day following the Effective
Date,
(x) on the Revolving Credit Termination Date, (y) on the date on which all
outstanding Loans are paid in full and all Letter of Credit Obligations have
been cash collateralized in an amount equal to 105% of such Letter of Credit
Obligations in the manner set forth in Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit)
and (z)
on the Final Maturity Date.
(c) Letter
of Credit Fees.
Each
Borrower agrees to pay the following amounts with respect to Letters of Credit
issued by any Issuer for the account of such Borrower:
(i) to
the
Administrative Agent for the account of each Issuer of a Letter of Credit,
with
respect to each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuer, an issuance fee equal
to
0.10% per
annum
of the
maximum undrawn face amount of such Letter of Credit, payable in arrears (A)
on
the first Business Day of each calendar quarter, commencing on the first such
Business Day following the issuance of such Letter of Credit and (B) on the
Revolving Credit Termination Date;
(ii) to
the
Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, with respect to
each Letter of Credit, a fee accruing in Dollars at a rate per annum equal
to
the Applicable Margin for Revolving Loans that are Eurodollar Rate Loans on
the
maximum undrawn face amount of such Letter of Credit, payable in arrears (A)
on
the first Business Day of each calendar quarter, commencing on the first such
Business Day following the issuance of such Letter of Credit and (B) on the
Revolving Credit Termination Date; provided,
however,
that
during the continuance of an Event of Default, such fee shall be increased
by
two percent per annum (instead of, and not in addition to, any increase pursuant
to Section
2.9(c) (Default Interest))
and
shall be payable on demand; and
(iii) to
the
Issuer of any Letter of Credit, with respect to the issuance, amendment or
transfer of each Letter of Credit and each drawing made thereunder, documentary
and processing charges in accordance with such Issuer’s standard schedule for
such charges in effect at the time of issuance, amendment, transfer or drawing,
as the case may be.
(d) Additional
Fees.
The
Parent Borrower has agreed to pay to the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers
additional fees, the amount and dates of payment of which are embodied in the
Fee Letters.
2.12 Payments
and Computations.
(a) Each
Borrower shall make each payment hereunder (including fees and expenses) not
later than 11:00 a.m. (New York time) on the day when due, in Dollars, to the
Administrative Agent at its address referred to in Section
10.8 (Notices, Etc.) in
immediately available funds without set-off or counterclaim. The Administrative
Agent shall promptly thereafter cause to be distributed in immediately available
funds relating to the payment of principal, interest or fees to the Lenders,
in
accordance with the application of payments set forth in clause
(f)
for the
account of their respective Applicable Lending Offices; provided,
however,
that
amounts payable pursuant to
Sections 2.14
(Capital
Adequacy),
2.15
(Taxes)
or
2.13(c)
or
(d) (Special
Provisions Governing Eurodollar Rate Loans)
shall
be
paid only to the affected Lender or Lenders and amounts payable with respect
to
Swingline Loans shall be paid only to the Swingline Lender. Payments received
by
the Administrative Agent after 11:00 a.m. (New York time) shall be deemed to
be
received on the next Business Day.
(b) All
computations of interest in respect of interest at the Base Rate shall be made
by the Administrative Agent on the basis of a 365/366-day year and actual days
elapsed; all other computations of interest and of fees shall be made by the
Administrative Agent on the basis of a year of 360 days, in each case for the
actual number of days (including the first day but excluding the last day)
occurring in the period for which such interest and fees are payable. Each
determination by the Administrative Agent of a rate of interest hereunder shall
be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
(c) Each
payment by the Borrowers of any Loan, Reimbursement Obligation (including
interest or fees in respect thereof) and each reimbursement of various costs,
expenses or other Obligation shall be made in Dollars.
(d) Whenever
any payment hereunder shall be stated to be due on a day other than a Business
Day, the due date for such payment shall be extended to the next succeeding
Business Day, and such extension of time shall in such case be included in
the
computation of payment of interest or fees, as the case may be; provided,
however,
that if
such extension would cause payment of interest on or principal of any Eurodollar
Rate Loan to be made in the next calendar month, such payment shall be made
on
the immediately preceding Business Day. All repayments of any Loans shall be
applied as follows: first,
to
repay such Loans outstanding as Base Rate Loans and then,
to
repay such Loans outstanding as Eurodollar Rate Loans, with those Eurodollar
Rate Loans having earlier expiring Eurodollar Interest Periods being repaid
prior to those having later expiring Eurodollar Interest Periods.
(e) Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the applicable Borrower
to the Lenders prior to the date on which any payment is due hereunder that
such
Borrower will not make such payment in full, the Administrative Agent may assume
that such Borrower has made such payment in full to the Administrative Agent
on
such date and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption,
cause to be distributed to each Lender on such due date an amount equal to
the
amount then due such Lender. If and to the extent that such Borrower shall
not
have made such payment in full to the Administrative Agent, each Lender shall
repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such amount distributed
to
such Lender together with interest thereon (at the Federal Funds Rate for the
first Business Day and thereafter, at the rate applicable to Base Rate Loans)
for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender until
the
date such Lender repays such amount to the Administrative Agent.
(f) Except
for payments and other amounts received by the Administrative Agent and applied
in accordance with the provisions of clause
(g)
below,
all payments and any other amounts received by the Administrative Agent from
or
for the benefit of each Borrower shall be applied as follows: first,
to pay
principal of, and interest on, any portion of the Loans the Administrative
Agent
may have advanced to such Borrower pursuant to the express provisions of this
Agreement on behalf of any Lender, for which the Administrative Agent has not
then been reimbursed by such Lender or such Borrower, second,
to pay
all other Obligations of such Borrower then due and payable and third,
as such
Borrower so designates. Payments in respect of Swingline Loans received by
the
Administrative Agent shall be distributed to the Swingline Lender, payments
in
respect of Revolving Loans received by the Administrative Agent shall be
distributed to each Lender in accordance with such Lender’s Ratable Portion of
the Revolving Credit Commitments and all payments of fees and all other payments
in respect of any other Obligation shall be allocated among such of the Lenders
as are entitled thereto and, for such payments allocated to the Lenders, in
proportion to their respective Ratable Portions.
(g) Each
Borrower hereby irrevocably waives the right to direct the application of any
and all payments in respect of the Obligations after the occurrence and during
the continuance of an Event of Default and agrees that, notwithstanding the
provisions of clause
(f)
above,
the Administrative Agent may, and, upon either (A) the written direction of
the
Required Lenders or (B) the acceleration of the Obligations pursuant to
Section
8.1,
shall,
apply all payments in respect of any Obligations of such Borrower in the
following order:
(i) first,
to pay
interest on and then principal of any portion of the Loans that the
Administrative Agent may have advanced on behalf of any Lender for which the
Administrative Agent has not then been reimbursed by such Lender or such
Borrower;
(ii) second,
to pay
Obligations in respect of any expense reimbursements or indemnities then due
to
the Administrative Agent;
(iii) third,
to pay
Obligations in respect of any expense reimbursements or indemnities then due
to
the Lenders and the Issuers;
(iv) fourth,
to pay
Obligations in respect of any fees then due to the Administrative Agent, the
Lenders and the Issuers;
(v) fifth,
to pay
interest then due and payable in respect of the Loans and Reimbursement
Obligations;
(vi) sixth,
to pay
or prepay principal amounts on the Swingline Loans;
(vii) seventh,
to pay
or prepay principal amounts on all other Loans and Reimbursement Obligations
and
to provide cash collateral for outstanding Letter of Credit Undrawn Amounts
in
the manner described in Section
8.2 (Actions in Respect of Letters of Credit),
ratably
to the aggregate principal amount of such Loans, Reimbursement Obligations
and
Letter of Credit Undrawn Amounts; and
(viii) eighth,
to the
ratable payment of all other Obligations;
provided,
however,
that if
sufficient funds are not available to fund all payments to be made in respect
of
any Obligation described in any of clauses
(i) through
(viii)
above,
the available funds being applied with respect to any such Obligation (unless
otherwise specified in such clause) shall be allocated to the payment of such
Obligation ratably, based on the proportion of the Administrative Agent’s and
each Lender’s or Issuer’s interest in the aggregate outstanding Obligations
described in such clauses. The order of priority set forth in clauses
(i) through
(viii)
above
may
at any time and from time to time be changed by the agreement of the Required
Lenders without necessity of notice to or consent of or approval by the
Borrowers or by any other Person that is not a Lender or Issuer. The order
of
priority set forth in clauses
(i) through
(iv)
above
may be changed only with the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent
in addition to that of the Required Lenders. The order of priority set forth
in
clauses
(i) through
(vi)
above
may be changed only with the prior written consent of the Swingline Lender
in
addition to that of the Required Lenders.
(h) At
the
option of the Administrative Agent, Reimbursement Obligations, interest, fees,
expenses and other sums due and payable in respect of the Revolving Loans may
be
paid from the proceeds of Swingline Loans or Revolving Loans. Each Borrower
hereby authorizes the Swingline Lender to make such Swingline Loans pursuant
to
Section
2.4 (Swingline Loans)
and the
Lenders to make such Revolving Loans pursuant to Section
2.2(a) (Borrowing Procedures) from
time
to time in the amounts of any and all Reimbursement Obligations, interest,
fees,
expenses and other sums payable by it in respect of the Revolving Loans, and
further authorizes the Administrative Agent to give the Lenders notice of any
Borrowing with respect to such Swing Loans and Revolving Loans and to distribute
the proceeds of such Swing Loans and Revolving Loans to pay such amounts. Each
Borrower agrees that all such Swing Loans and Revolving Loans so made shall
be
deemed to have been requested by it (irrespective of the satisfaction of the
conditions in Section
4.2 (Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit),
which
conditions the Lenders irrevocably waive) and directs that all proceeds thereof
shall be used to pay such amounts.
2.13 Special
Provisions Governing Eurodollar Rate Loans.
(a) Determination
of Interest Rate.
The
Eurodollar Rate for each Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be
determined by the Administrative Agent pursuant to the procedures set forth
in
the definition of “Eurodollar
Rate.”
The
Administrative Agent’s determination shall be presumed to be correct absent
manifest error and shall be binding on the Borrowers.
(b) Interest
Rate Unascertainable, Inadequate or Unfair.
In the
event that (i) the Administrative Agent determines that adequate and fair means
do not exist for ascertaining the applicable interest rates by reference to
which the Eurodollar Rate then being determined is to be fixed or (ii) the
Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent that the Eurodollar Rate for
any Interest Period will not adequately reflect the cost to the Lenders of
making or maintaining such Loans for such Interest Period, the Administrative
Agent shall forthwith so notify the Borrowers and the Lenders, whereupon each
Eurodollar Loan shall automatically, on the last day of the current Interest
Period for such Loan, convert into a Base Rate Loan and the obligations of
the
Lenders to make Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans into
Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent shall
notify the Borrowers that the Required Lenders have determined that the
circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.
(c) Increased
Costs.
If at
any time any Lender determines that the introduction of, or any change in or
in
the interpretation of, any law, treaty or governmental rule, regulation or
order
occurring after the date hereof (other than any change by way of imposition
or
increase of reserve requirements included in determining the Eurodollar Rate)
or
the compliance by such Lender with any guideline, request or directive from
any
central bank or other Governmental Authority issued after the date hereof
(whether or not having the force of law), shall have the effect of increasing
the cost to such Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining
any Eurodollar Rate Loans, then the Borrowers shall from time to time, upon
demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent),
pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender additional
amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increased cost. A
certificate as to the amount of such increased cost, submitted to the Parent
Borrower and the Administrative Agent by such Lender, shall be conclusive and
binding for all purposes, absent manifest error. The Borrowers shall not be
required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section
2.13(c) for
any
increased costs incurred more than 90 days prior to the date that such Lender
notifies the Parent Borrower of the change in law giving rise to such increased
costs and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor;
provided,
however,
that if
the change in law giving rise to such increased costs is retroactive, then
the
90-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of
retroactive effect thereof (to the extent that such period of retroactive effect
is not already included in such 90-day period).
(d) Illegality.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any Lender determines
that the introduction of, or any change in or in the interpretation of, any
law,
treaty or governmental rule, regulation or order after the date of this
Agreement shall make it unlawful, or any central bank or other Governmental
Authority shall assert that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its Eurodollar
Lending Office to make Eurodollar Rate Loans or to continue to fund or maintain
Eurodollar Rate Loans, then, on notice thereof and demand therefor by such
Lender to the Parent Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) the
obligation of such Lender to make or to continue Eurodollar Rate Loans and
to
convert Base Rate Loans into Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended, and
each
such Lender shall make a Base Rate Loan as part of any requested Borrowing
of
Eurodollar Rate Loans and (ii) if the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans are then
outstanding, each Borrower shall immediately convert each such Loan into a
Base
Rate Loan. If, at any time after a Lender gives notice under this clause
(d),
such
Lender determines that it may lawfully make Eurodollar Rate Loans, such Lender
shall promptly give notice of that determination to the Parent Borrower and
the
Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly transmit
the
notice to each other Lender. The Borrowers’ right to request, and such Lender’s
obligation, if any, to make Eurodollar Rate Loans shall thereupon be
restored.
(e) Breakage
Costs.
In
addition to all amounts required to be paid by the Borrowers pursuant
to
Section 2.9
(Interest),
each
Borrower shall compensate each Lender, upon demand, for all losses, expenses
and
liabilities (including any loss or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation
or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender to fund
or
maintain such Lender’s Eurodollar Rate Loans to such Borrower but excluding any
loss of the Applicable Margin on the relevant Loans) that such Lender may
sustain (i) if for any reason (other than solely by reason of such Lender being
a Non-Funding Lender) a proposed Borrowing, conversion into or continuation
of
Eurodollar Rate Loans does not occur on a date specified therefor in a Notice
of
Borrowing or a Notice of Conversion or Continuation given by or on behalf of
such Borrower or in a telephonic request by or on behalf of it for borrowing
or
conversion or continuation or a successive Interest Period does not commence
after notice therefor is given pursuant to Section
2.10 (Conversion/Continuation Option),
(ii) if
for any reason any Eurodollar Rate Loan is prepaid (including mandatorily
pursuant to Section
2.8)
on a
date that is not the last day of the applicable Interest Period, (iii) as a
consequence of a required conversion of a Eurodollar Rate Loan to a Base Rate
Loan as a result of any of the events indicated in clause
(d) above
or (iv)
as a consequence of any failure by such Borrower to repay Eurodollar Rate Loans
when required by the terms hereof. The Lender making demand for such
compensation shall deliver to the Parent Borrower concurrently with such demand
a written statement as to such losses, expenses and liabilities, and this
statement shall be prima
facie evidence
as to the amount of compensation due to such Lender, absent manifest
error.
2.14 Capital
Adequacy.
If at
any time any Lender determines that (a) the adoption of, or any change in or
in
the interpretation of, any law, treaty or governmental rule, regulation or
order
after the date of this Agreement regarding capital adequacy, (b) compliance
with
any such law, treaty, rule, regulation or order or (c) compliance with any
guideline or request or directive from any central bank or other Governmental
Authority issued after the date hereof (whether or not having the force of
law)
shall have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s (or any
corporation controlling such Lender’s) capital as a consequence of its
obligations hereunder or under or in respect of any Letter of Credit to a level
below that which such Lender or such corporation could have achieved but for
such adoption, change, compliance or interpretation, then, upon demand from
time
to time by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent),
the Borrowers shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such
Lender, from time to time as specified by such Lender, additional amounts
sufficient to compensate such Lender for such reduction. A certificate as to
such amounts submitted to the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent
by
such Lender shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes absent manifest
error. The Borrowers shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant
to
this Section
2.14 for
any
reduced rate of return incurred more than 90 days prior to the date that such
Lender notifies the Parent Borrower of the change in law giving rise to such
reduced rate of return and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation
therefor; provided,
however,
that if
the change in law giving rise to such reduction is retroactive, then the 90-day
period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive
effect thereof (to the extent that such period of retroactive effect is not
already included in such 90-day period).
2.15 Taxes.
(a) Except
as
otherwise provided in this
Section 2.15,
any and
all payments by any Loan Party under each Loan Document shall be made free
and
clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future taxes, levies,
imposts, deductions, charges or withholdings, and all liabilities with respect
thereto, excluding (i) in the case of each Lender, each Issuer and the
Administrative Agent (A) taxes measured by its net income, and franchise taxes
imposed on it, and similar taxes imposed by the jurisdiction (or any political
subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such Lender, such Issuer or the
Administrative Agent (as the case may be) is organized or in which its principal
office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its Applicable Lending
Office is located and (B) any U.S. withholding taxes payable with respect to
payments under the Loan Documents under laws (including any statute, treaty
or
regulation) in effect on the Effective Date (or, in the case of (x) an Eligible
Assignee, the date of the Assignment and Acceptance, (y) a successor
Administrative Agent, the date of the appointment of such Administrative Agent,
and (z) a successor Issuer, the date such Issuer becomes an Issuer) applicable
to such Lender, such Issuer or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be,
or
is attributable to such Non-U.S. Lender’s failure to comply with Section
2.15(f),
but not
excluding any U.S. withholding taxes payable as a result of any change in such
laws occurring after the Effective Date (or the date of such Assignment and
Acceptance or the date of such appointment of such Administrative Agent or
the
date such Issuer becomes an Issuer) and (ii) in the case of each Lender or
each
Issuer, taxes measured by its net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it
as a
result of a present or former connection between such Lender or such Issuer
(as
the case may be) and the jurisdiction of the Governmental Authority imposing
such tax or any taxing authority thereof or therein (all such non-excluded
taxes, levies, imposts, deductions, charges, withholdings and liabilities being
hereinafter referred to as “Taxes”).
If
any Taxes shall be required by law to be deducted from or in respect of any
sum
payable under any Loan Document to any Lender, any Issuer or the Administrative
Agent (w) the sum payable shall be increased as may be necessary so that, after
making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional
sums payable under this
Section 2.15,
such
Lender, such Issuer or the Administrative Agent (as the case may be) receives
an
amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been
made,
(x) the relevant Loan Party shall make such deductions, (y) the relevant Loan
Party shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxing authority or
other authority in accordance with applicable law and (z) the relevant Loan
Party shall deliver to the Administrative Agent evidence of such
payment.
(b) In
addition, each Loan Party agrees to pay any present or future stamp or
documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar
levies of the United States or any political subdivision thereof or any
applicable foreign jurisdiction, and all liabilities with respect thereto,
in
each case arising from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the
execution, delivery or registration of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan
Document (collectively, “Other
Taxes”).
(c) Each
Loan
Party shall, jointly and severally, indemnify each Lender, each Issuer and
the
Administrative Agent for the full amount of Taxes and Other Taxes (including
any
Taxes and Other Taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on amounts payable under
this
Section 2.15)
paid by
such Lender, such Issuer or the Administrative Agent (as the case may be) and
any liability (including for penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom
or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly
or legally asserted. This indemnification shall be made within 30 days from
the
date such Lender, such Issuer or the Administrative Agent (as the case may
be)
makes written demand therefor.
(d) Within
30
days after the date of any payment of Taxes or Other Taxes by any Loan Party,
the Parent Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent, at its address
referred to in Section
10.8 (Notices, Etc.),
the
original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment
thereof.
(e) Without
prejudice to the survival of any other agreement of any Loan Party hereunder
or
under the Guaranty, the agreements and obligations of such Loan Party contained
in this
Section 2.15
shall
survive the payment in full of the Obligations.
(f) Each
Non-U.S. Lender that is entitled to an exemption from U.S. withholding tax,
or that is subject to such tax at a reduced rate under an applicable tax treaty,
shall (v) on or prior to the Effective Date in the case of each Non-U.S. Lender
that is a signatory hereto, (w) on or prior to the date of the Assignment and
Acceptance pursuant to which such Non-U.S. Lender becomes a Lender, on or prior
to the date a successor Issuer becomes an Issuer or the date a successor
Administrative Agent becomes the Administrative Agent hereunder, (x) on or
prior to the date on which any such form or certification expires or becomes
obsolete, (y) after the occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most
recent form or certification previously delivered by it to the Parent Borrower
and the Administrative Agent, and (z) from time to time thereafter if requested
by the Parent Borrower or the Administrative Agent, provide the Administrative
Agent and the Parent Borrower with two completed originals of each of the
following, as applicable:
(i) (A)
Form
W-8ECI (claiming exemption from U.S. withholding tax because the income is
effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business) or any successor form,
(B)
Form W-8BEN (claiming exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. withholding tax
under an income tax treaty) or any successor form, (C) in the case of a Non-U.S.
Lender claiming exemption under Sections 871(h) or 881(c) of the Code, a Form
W-8BEN (claiming exemption from U.S. withholding tax under the portfolio
interest exemption) or any successor form or (D) any other applicable form,
certificate or document prescribed by the IRS certifying as to such Non-U.S.
Lender’s entitlement to such exemption from U.S. withholding tax or reduced rate
with respect to all payments to be made to such Non-U.S. Lender under the Loan
Documents. Unless the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent have received
forms or other documents satisfactory to them indicating that payments under
any
Loan Document to or for a Non-U.S. Lender are not subject to U.S. withholding
tax or are subject to such tax at a rate reduced by an applicable tax treaty,
the Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent shall withhold amounts required
to
be withheld by applicable Requirements of Law from such payments at the
applicable statutory rate.
(ii) Each
U.S.
Lender shall (v) on or prior to the Effective Date in the case of each U.S.
Lender that is a signatory hereto, (w) on or prior to the date of the
Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which such U.S. Lender becomes a Lender
or
an Issuer or on or prior to the date a successor Administrative Agent becomes
the Administrative Agent hereunder, (x) on or prior to the date on which any
such form or certification expires or becomes obsolete, (y) after the occurrence
of any event requiring a change in the most recent form or certification
previously delivered by it to the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent,
and (z) from time to time if requested by the Parent Borrower or the
Administrative Agent, provide the Administrative Agent and the Parent Borrower
with two completed originals of Form W-9 (certifying that such U.S. Lender
is
entitled to an exemption from U.S. backup withholding tax) or any successor
form. Solely for purposes of this Section 2.15(f),
a U.S.
Lender shall not include a Lender, an Issuer or an Administrative Agent that
may
be treated as an exempt recipient based on the indicators described in Treasury
Regulation section 1.6049-4(c)(1)(ii).
(g) Any
Lender claiming any additional amounts payable pursuant to this
Section 2.15
shall
use its reasonable efforts (consistent with its internal policies and
Requirements of Law) to change the jurisdiction of its Applicable Lending Office
if the making of such a change would avoid the need for, or reduce the amount
of, any such additional amounts that would be payable or may thereafter accrue
and would not, in the sole determination of such Lender, be otherwise
disadvantageous to such Lender.
(h) If
any
Lender, Issuer or the Administrative Agent, as determined in its reasonable
discretion, ever receives any refund of or credit with respect to any Taxes
or
Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party, or with
respect to which any Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this
Section
2.15,
it
shall pay over to such Loan Party an amount equal to such refund or credit
(but
only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid,
by
any Loan Party under this Section
2.15
with
respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund or credit),
net
of all out-of-pocket expenses of such Lender, Issuer or the Administrative
Agent
and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental
Authority with respect to such refund or credit); provided
that
such Loan Party, upon the request of such Lender, Issuer or the Administrative
Agent, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Loan Party, to such Lender,
Issuer or the Administrative Agent in the event the Lender, Issuer or the
Administrative Agent is required to repay such refund or credit to such
Governmental Authority. This paragraph shall not be construed to require the
Lender, Issuer or the Administrative Agent to make available its tax returns
(or
any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to
any
Loan Party or any other Person.
2.16 Substitution
of Lenders.
(a) In
the
event that (i)(A) any Lender makes a claim under
Sections 2.13(c)
(Increased
Costs)
or 2.14
(Capital
Adequacy),
(B) it
becomes illegal for any Lender to continue to fund or make any Eurodollar Rate
Loan and such Lender notifies the Parent Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.13(d)
(Illegality),
(C) any
Loan Party is required to make any payment pursuant to Section
2.15
(Taxes)
that is
attributable to a particular Lender or (D) any Lender becomes a Non-Funding
Lender, (ii) in the case of clause
(i)(A) above,
as
a consequence of increased costs in respect of which such claim is made, the
effective rate of interest payable to such Lender under this Agreement with
respect to its Loans materially exceeds the effective average annual rate of
interest payable to the Required Lenders under this Agreement and (iii) in
the
case of clause
(i)(A),(B) and
(C)
above,
Lenders holding at least 75% of the Commitments are not subject to such
increased costs or illegality, payment or proceedings (any such Lender, an
“Affected
Lender”),
the
Parent Borrower may substitute any Lender and, if reasonably acceptable to
the
Administrative Agent, any other Eligible Assignee (a “Substitute
Institution”)
for
such Affected Lender hereunder, after delivery of a written notice (a
“Substitution
Notice”)
by the
Parent Borrower to the Administrative Agent and the Affected Lender within
a
reasonable time (in any case not to exceed 90 days) following the occurrence
of
any of the events described in
clause (i) above
that the Parent Borrower intends to make such substitution; provided,
however,
that,
if more than one Lender claims increased costs, illegality or right to payment
arising from the same act or condition and such claims are received by the
Parent Borrower within 30 days of each other, then the Parent Borrower may
substitute all, but not (except to the extent the Parent Borrower has already
substituted one of such Affected Lenders before the Parent Borrower’s receipt of
the other Affected Lenders’ claim) less than all, Lenders making such
claims.
(b) If
the
Substitution Notice was properly issued under this
Section 2.16,
the
Affected Lender shall sell, and the Substitute Institution shall purchase,
all
rights and claims of such Affected Lender under the Loan Documents and the
Substitute Institution shall assume, and the Affected Lender shall be relieved
of, the Affected Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitments and all other prior
unperformed obligations of the Affected Lender under the Loan Documents (other
than in respect of any damages (which pursuant to Section
10.5 (Limitation of Liability),
do not
include exemplary or punitive damages, to the extent permitted by applicable
law) in respect of any such unperformed obligations). Such purchase and sale
(and the corresponding assignment of all rights and claims hereunder) shall
be
recorded in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent and shall be
effective on (and not earlier than) the later of (i) the receipt by the Affected
Lender of its Ratable Portion of the Revolving Credit Outstandings, together
with any other Obligations owing to it, (ii) the receipt by the Administrative
Agent of an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Parent
Borrower whereby the Substitute Institution shall agree to be bound by the
terms
hereof and (iii) the payment in full to the Affected Lender in cash of all
fees,
unreimbursed costs and expenses and indemnities accrued and unpaid through
such
effective date. Upon the effectiveness of such sale, purchase and assumption,
the Substitute Institution shall become a “Lender”
hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement having a Revolving Credit
Commitment in the amount of such Affected Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment
assumed by it and such Revolving Credit Commitment of the Affected Lender shall
be terminated; provided,
however,
that
all indemnities under the Loan Documents shall continue in favor of such
Affected Lender.
(c) Each
Lender agrees that, if it becomes an Affected Lender and its rights and claims
are assigned hereunder to a Substitute Institution pursuant to this
Section 2.16,
it
shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and
Acceptance to evidence such assignment, together with any Revolving Credit
Note
(if such Loans are evidenced by a Revolving Credit Note) evidencing the Loans
subject to such Assignment and Acceptance; provided,
however,
that
the failure of any Affected Lender to execute an Assignment and Acceptance
shall
not render such assignment invalid.
2.17 Extensions
of Scheduled Maturity Date; Removal of Lenders.
(a) Subject
to the terms and provisions of this Section
2.17,
the
Parent Borrower shall have two successive options to extend the Scheduled
Maturity Date for a period of one year each (the first of which extension
options shall be referred to herein as the “First
Extension Option”
and
the
second of which extension options shall be referred to herein as the
“Second
Extension Option”);
provided,
that in
no event shall the Parent Borrower have such option(s) to extend the Scheduled
Maturity Date during the Term Out Period and any unexercised options to extend
the Scheduled Maturity Date as of the commencement of the Term Out Period shall
be deemed waived. In connection with the First Extension Option, the Parent
Borrower may, by written notice to the Administrative Agent (a “Notice
of Extension”)
given
not earlier than 60 days prior to the first anniversary of the Effective Date
nor later than 45 days prior to the then effective Scheduled Maturity Date,
advise the Lenders that it requests an extension of the then effective Scheduled
Maturity Date (such then effective Scheduled Maturity Date being the
“Existing
Maturity Date”)
by one
year, effective on the Existing Maturity Date. In the event the First Extension
Option is exercised and the Existing Maturity Date is extended pursuant to
the
terms of this Section
2.17,
the
Parent Borrower may, by Notice of Extension given not earlier than 364 days
following the date of delivery of the Notice of Extension provided in connection
with the First Extension Option nor later than 45 days prior to the Existing
Maturity Date, advise the Lenders that it has elected to exercise the Second
Extension Option and request to extend the Existing Maturity Date by one year,
effective on said Existing Maturity Date. The Administrative Agent will
promptly, and in any event within five Business Days of the receipt of any
such
Notice of Extension, notify the Lenders of the contents of each such Notice
of
Extension.
(b) Each
Notice of Extension shall (i) be irrevocable, (ii) constitute a representation
by the Parent Borrower that (A) no Event of Default or Default has occurred
and
is continuing on and as of the date the Parent Borrower provides such Notice
of
Extension, and (B) the representations and warranties contained in Section
3
are true
and correct in all material respects on and as of the date the Parent Borrower
provides such Notice of Extension, as though made on and as of such date (unless
any representation and warranty expressly relates to an earlier date, in which
case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material
respects as of such earlier date) and (iii) be subject to the satisfaction
of
the conditions precedent set forth in this Section
2.17.
(c) In
the
event a Notice of Extension is given to the Administrative Agent as provided
in
Section
2.17(a) and
the
Administrative Agent notifies a Lender of the contents thereof, such Lender
shall, on or before the day that is 20 days following the date of Administrative
Agent’s receipt of such Notice of Extension, advise the Administrative Agent in
writing whether or not such Lender consents to the extension requested thereby,
and if any Lender fails so to advise the Administrative Agent, such Lender
shall
be deemed to have not consented to such extension. If the Required Lenders
so
consent (the “Consenting
Lenders”)
to
such extension, which consent may be withheld in their sole and absolute
discretion, and any and all Lenders who have not consented (the “Non-Consenting
Lenders”)
are
replaced pursuant to paragraph (d) or (e) of this Section
2.17 or
repaid
pursuant to paragraph (f) of this
Section 2.17,
the
Scheduled Maturity Date, and the Revolving Credit Commitments of the Consenting
Lenders and the Nominees (as defined below) shall be automatically extended
one
year from the Existing Maturity Date, effective on the Existing Maturity
Date.
(d) In
the
event the Consenting Lenders hold less than 100% of the sum of the aggregate
Revolving Credit Outstandings and unused Revolving Credit Commitments, the
Consenting Lenders, or any of them, shall have the right (but not the
obligation) to assume all or any portion of the Non-Consenting Lenders’
Revolving Credit Commitments by giving written notice to the Parent Borrower
and
the Administrative Agent of their election to do so on or before the day that
is
25 days following the date of Administrative Agent’s receipt of the Notice of
Extension, which notice shall be irrevocable and shall constitute an undertaking
to (i) assume, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Existing Maturity
Date, all or such portion of the Revolving Credit Commitments of the
Non-Consenting Lenders, as the case may be, as may be specified in such written
notice, and (ii) purchase (without recourse) from the Non-Consenting Lenders,
at
5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Existing Maturity Date, the Revolving
Credit Outstandings outstanding on the Existing Maturity Date that correspond
to
the portion of the Revolving Credit Commitments to be so assumed at a price
equal to the sum of (A) the unpaid principal amount of all Loans so purchased,
plus (B) the aggregate amount, if any, previously funded by the transferor of
any participations so purchased, plus (C) all accrued and unpaid interest and
fees thereon. Such Revolving Credit Commitments and Revolving Credit
Outstandings, or portion thereof, to be assumed and purchased by Consenting
Lenders shall be allocated by the Administrative Agent among those Consenting
Lenders who have so elected to assume the same, such allocation to be on a
pro
rata basis in accordance with the respective Revolving Credit Commitments of
such Consenting Lenders as of the Existing Maturity Date or on such other basis
as such Consenting Lenders shall agree; provided,
however,
in no
event shall a Consenting Lender be required to assume and purchase an amount
or
portion of the Revolving Credit Commitments and Revolving Credit Outstandings
of
the Non-Consenting Lenders in excess of the amount which such Consenting Lender
agreed to assume and purchase pursuant to the immediately preceding
sentence.
(e) In
the
event that the Consenting Lenders shall not elect as provided in Section
2.17(d) to
assume
and purchase all of the Non-Consenting Lenders’ Revolving Credit Commitments and
Revolving Credit Outstandings, the Parent Borrower may designate, by written
notice to the Administrative Agent and the Consenting Lenders given on or before
the day that is 30 days following the date of Administrative Agent’s receipt of
the Notice of Extension, one or more Eligible Assignees not a party to this
Agreement and reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent (individually,
a
“Nominee”
and
collectively, the “Nominees”)
to
assume all or any portion of the Non-Consenting Lenders’ Revolving Credit
Commitments not to be assumed by the Consenting Lenders and to purchase (without
recourse) from the Non-Consenting Lenders all Revolving Credit Outstandings
outstanding at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Existing Maturity Date
that
corresponds to the portion of the Revolving Credit Commitments so to be assumed
at the price specified in Section
2.17(d).
Each
assumption and purchase under this Section
2.17(e) shall
be
effective as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Existing Maturity Date
when each of the following conditions has been satisfied in a manner
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:
(i) each
Nominee and Non-Consenting Lender has executed an Assignment and Acceptance
pursuant to which such Nominee shall (A) assume in writing its share of the
obligations of the Non-Consenting Lenders hereunder, including its share of
the
Revolving Credit Commitments of the Non-Consenting Lenders and (B) agree to
be
bound as a Lender by the terms of this Agreement; and
(ii) the
assignment shall otherwise comply with Section
10.2.
(f) If
all of
the Revolving Credit Commitments of the Non-Consenting Lenders are not replaced
on or before the Existing Maturity Date, then, at the Parent Borrower’s option,
either (i) all Revolving Credit Commitments shall terminate on the Existing
Maturity Date or (ii) the Parent Borrower shall give prompt notice of
termination on the Existing Maturity Date of the Revolving Credit Commitments
of
each Non-Consenting Lender not so replaced to the Administrative Agent, and
shall fully repay on the Existing Maturity Date the Loans (and all accrued
and
unpaid interest and fees thereon), if any, of such Non-Consenting Lenders,
which
shall reduce the aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments accordingly (to the
extent not assumed), and the Existing Maturity Date shall be extended in
accordance with this Section
2.17 for
the
remaining Revolving Credit Commitments of the Consenting Lenders; provided,
however,
that
the Required Lenders have consented to such extension pursuant to Section
2.17(c).
Following the Existing Maturity Date, the Non-Consenting Lenders shall have
no
further obligations under this Agreement.
2.18 Conversion
to Term Loans.
(a) At
the
option of the Parent Borrower and subject to the terms and provisions of this
Section
2.18,
upon
written notice delivered to the Administrative Agent no earlier than 60 days
and
no later than 30 days prior to the Scheduled Maturity Date, the aggregate
principal amount of all, but not less than all, of the Revolving Loans remaining
outstanding at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Scheduled Maturity Date
shall automatically convert to Term Loans with a maturity of one year from
the
Scheduled Maturity Date (the “Term
Out Period”)
and
shall be considered a “Borrowing” for all purposes under this Agreement. Any
portion of each Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment not utilized on or before
the Scheduled Maturity Date shall be permanently cancelled. Any Term Loans
that
are prepaid may not be reborrowed, and each Borrower shall pay all unpaid
principal and all accrued and unpaid interest on such Borrower’s Term Loans on
or prior to the Final Maturity Date. The Term Loans shall be Base Rate Loans
or
Eurodollar Rate Loans, at each Borrower’s election, and each Borrower shall have
the right to continue or convert the Type of Term Loan Borrowing and, as
applicable, elect different Interest Periods applicable thereto in the same
manner as the Revolving Loan Borrowings.
(b) The
Parent Borrower’s notice to the Administrative Agent to convert the outstanding
Revolving Loans to Term Loans pursuant to this Section
2.18
shall
(i) be irrevocable, (ii) constitute a representation by the Parent Borrower
that
(A) no Event of Default or Default has occurred and is continuing on and as
of
the date the Parent Borrower provides such notice and on the Scheduled Maturity
Date, and (B) the representations and warranties contained in Section
3
are true
and correct in all material respects on and as of the date the Parent Borrower
provides such notice and on the Scheduled Maturity Date (unless any
representation and warranty expressly relates to an earlier date, in which
case
such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material
respects as of such earlier date), (iii) be subject to the satisfaction of
the
conditions precedent set forth in this Section
2.18
and (iv)
be subject to the Borrowers entering into such amendments to this Agreement
as
the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request to implement the terms and
conditions of such conversion.
2.19 The
Administrative Borrower.
Each
Subsidiary Borrower hereby appoints the Parent Borrower as the administrative
Borrower hereunder, and the Parent Borrower shall act under this Agreement
as
the agent, attorney-in-fact and legal representative of such Subsidiary Borrower
for all purposes, including receiving account statements and other notices
and
communications to such Subsidiary Borrower from the Administrative Agent or
any
Lender. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders may rely, and shall be fully
protected in relying, on any certificate, report, information or any notice
or
communication made or given by the Parent Borrower, whether in its own name
or
on behalf of a Subsidiary Borrower, and neither the Administrative Agent nor
any
Lender shall have any obligation to make any inquiry or request any confirmation
from or on behalf of any Subsidiary Borrower as to the binding effect on it
of
any such notice or request.
SECTION
3.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
To
induce
the Agents, the Lenders and the Issuers to enter into this Agreement and to
make
the Loans and Issue or participate in the Letters of Credit, the MLP and each
Borrower hereby represent and warrant to each Agent, each Lender and each Issuer
that:
3.1 Financial
Condition.
The
audited consolidated balance sheets of (a) the Parent Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, (b) Texas Gas and (c) Gulf South, each as at December 31, 2005,
and the related audited consolidated statements of income and of cash flows
for
the period ended on such date, reported on by and accompanied by an unqualified
report from Deloitte & Touche LLP, present fairly the consolidated financial
condition of the Parent Borrower, Texas Gas and Gulf South, respectively, as
at
such date, and the consolidated results of its operations and its consolidated
cash flows for the period then ended. The unaudited consolidated balance sheets
of (x) the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries, (y) Texas Gas and (z) Gulf
South, each as at March 31, 2006, and the related unaudited consolidated
statements of income and cash flows for the three-month period ended on such
date, present fairly the consolidated financial condition of the Parent
Borrower, Texas Gas and Gulf South, respectively, as at such date, and the
consolidated results of its operations and its consolidated cash flows for
the
three-month period then ended (subject to normal year-end audit adjustments
and
the absence of notes). All such financial statements, including the related
schedules and notes thereto, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP applied
consistently throughout the periods involved (except as approved by the
aforementioned firm of accountants and disclosed therein).
3.2 No
Change.
Since
December 31, 2005 there has been no development or event that has had or could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.3 Corporate
Existence; Compliance with Law.
Each of
the MLP, the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries (a) is duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of
its
organization, (b) has the limited partnership, limited liability company,
corporate or other power and authority, and the legal right, to own and operate
its Property, to lease the Property it operates as lessee and to conduct the
business in which it is currently engaged, (c) is duly qualified as a foreign
limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other
organization and in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction where
its
ownership, lease or operation of Property or the conduct of its business
requires such qualification and (d) is in compliance with all Requirements
of
Law except, in the case of clauses
(c) and
(d),
to the
extent that the failure to comply therewith could not, in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.4 Limited
Partnership Power; Authorization; Enforceable Obligations.
Each of
the Loan Parties has the limited partnership (or equivalent) power and
authority, and the legal right, to make, deliver and perform the Loan Documents
to which it is a party and, with respect to the Borrowers, to borrow hereunder.
Each of the Loan Parties has taken all necessary limited partnership (or
equivalent) or other necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery
and
performance of the Loan Documents to which it is a party and, with respect
to
the Borrowers, to authorize the borrowings on the terms and conditions of this
Agreement. No consent or authorization of, filing with, notice to or other
act
by or in respect of, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is required
in connection with the borrowings hereunder or the execution, delivery, validity
or enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except
consents, authorizations, filings and notices described in Schedule
3.4,
which
consents, authorizations, filings and notices have been obtained or made and
are
in full force and effect. No consent or authorization of, filing with, notice
to
or other act by or in respect of, any Governmental Authority or any other Person
is required in connection with the performance of this Agreement or any of
the
other Loan Documents, except routine consents, authorizations, filings and
notices required to be made in the ordinary course of business. This Agreement
has been, and, upon execution, each Loan Document shall have been, duly executed
and delivered on behalf of each Loan Party that is a party thereto. This
Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document that is an agreement or
instrument upon execution will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation
of each Loan Party that is a party thereto, enforceable against such Loan Party
in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws
affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general
equitable principles (whether enforcement is sought by proceedings in equity
or
at law).
3.5 No
Legal Bar.
The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents, the borrowings hereunder and the use of the proceeds thereof will
not
violate any Requirement of Law or any material Contractual Obligation of the
MLP, the Borrowers or their respective Subsidiaries and will not result in,
or
require, the creation or imposition of any Lien on any of their respective
properties or revenues pursuant to any Requirement of Law or any such
Contractual Obligation.
3.6 No
Material Litigation.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
3.6,
no
litigation, investigation or proceeding of or before any arbitrator or
Governmental Authority is pending or, to the knowledge of any Borrower,
threatened by or against any Borrower or any Borrower Affiliate, or against
any
of its or their respective properties or revenues (a) with respect to any of
the
Loan Documents or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or
(b)
that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
3.7 No
Default.
No
Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
3.8 Ownership
of Property; Liens.
Each of
the MLP, the Borrowers and each of their respective Subsidiaries has title
in
fee simple to, or a valid leasehold interest in, or a right of way or easement
in all real property used or necessary for, and material to, the conduct of
its
business, and good title to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all its other
Property used or necessary for, and material to, the conduct of its business,
and none of such Property is subject to any Lien except as permitted by
Section
7.2.
3.9 Taxes.
Each of
the MLP, the Borrowers and each of their respective Subsidiaries has filed
or
caused to be filed all Federal, state and other material tax returns that are
required to be filed and has paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on
said
returns or on any assessments made against it or any of its Property and all
other taxes, fees or other charges imposed on it or any of its Property by
any
Governmental Authority (other than any the amount or validity of which are
currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with
respect to which reserves in conformity with GAAP have been provided on the
books of the MLP, the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries or any amount
the failure to pay could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect); and no tax Lien has been filed, and, to the knowledge of any Borrower,
no claim is being asserted, with respect to any such tax, fee or other
charge.
3.10 ERISA.
Neither
a Reportable Event nor an “accumulated funding deficiency” (within the meaning
of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA) has occurred during the
five
year period prior to the date on which this representation is made or deemed
made with respect to any Plan, and each Plan has complied in all respects with
the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code, except any such failures to
comply that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
No termination of a Single Employer Plan has occurred under Section 4041(c)
or
Section 4042 of ERISA, and no Lien in favor of the PBGC or a Plan has arisen,
during such five-year period. The present value of all accrued benefits under
each Single Employer Plan (based on those assumptions used to fund such Plans)
did not, as of the last annual valuation date prior to the date on which this
representation is made or deemed made, exceed the value of the assets of such
Plan allocable to such accrued benefits by an amount that could reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Parent Borrower nor
any
Commonly Controlled Entity has had a complete or partial withdrawal from any
Multiemployer Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result
in a material liability under ERISA, and neither the Parent Borrower nor any
Commonly Controlled Entity would become subject to any liability that could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect if the Parent Borrower
or any such Commonly Controlled Entity were to withdraw completely from all
Multiemployer Plans as of the valuation date most closely preceding the date
on
which this representation is made or deemed made. No such Multiemployer Plan
is
in Reorganization or Insolvent.
3.11 Use
of
Proceeds.
The
proceeds of the Loans shall be used solely (a) to refinance all Indebtedness
and
other obligations (if any) outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement,
(b)
for the payment of transaction costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection
with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and (c) for general
partnership (or equivalent) purposes. The proceeds of the Letters of Credit
shall be used solely for general partnership (or equivalent)
purposes.
3.12 Environmental
Matters.
Other
than exceptions to any of the following that could not, individually or in
the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect:
(a) Each
of
the MLP, the Borrowers and each of their respective Subsidiaries: (i) is, and
within the period of all applicable statutes of limitation has been, in
compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws; (ii) holds all Environmental
Permits (each of which is in full force and effect) required for any of its
current or intended operations or for any property owned, leased, or otherwise
operated by it; and (iii) is, and within the period of all applicable statutes
of limitation has been, in compliance with all of its Environmental
Permits.
(b) There
is
no judicial, administrative, or arbitral proceeding (including any notice of
violation or alleged violation) under or relating to any Environmental Law
to
which the MLP, the Borrowers or any of their respective Subsidiaries is, or
to
the knowledge of any Borrower will be, named as a party that is pending or,
to
the knowledge of any Borrower, threatened.
3.13 Accuracy
of Information, etc.
No
statement or information (other than the projections and pro
forma financial
information referred to in the following sentence) contained in this Agreement,
any other Loan Document or any other material document or certificate furnished
to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders or any of them, by or on behalf
of
the MLP, any Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries for use in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the other
Loan Documents (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished
on
or before the time this representation is made or deemed made with respect
thereto), contained as of the date such statement, information, document or
certificate was so furnished, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained
herein or therein not misleading. The projections and pro
forma
financial information contained in the materials referenced above are based
upon
good faith estimates and assumptions believed by management of the Parent
Borrower to be reasonable at the time made, it being recognized by the Lenders
that such financial information as it relates to future events is not to be
viewed as fact and that actual results during the period or periods covered
by
such financial information may differ from the projected results set forth
therein by a material amount.
3.14 Solvency.
Both
before and after giving effect to (a) the Loans and Letter of Credit Obligations
to be made or extended on the Effective Date or such other date as Loans and
Letter of Credit Obligations requested hereunder are made or extended, (b)
the
disbursement of the proceeds of such Loans pursuant to the instructions of
the
applicable Borrower, and (c) the payment and accrual of all transaction costs
in
connection with the foregoing, each Loan Party is Solvent.
3.15 Subsidiaries;
Borrower Information.
(a)
Set
forth on Schedule
3.15(a)
is a
complete and accurate list showing, as of the Effective Date, all Subsidiaries
of the MLP and the Parent Borrower. Schedule
3.15(a)
sets
forth as of the Effective Date the name and jurisdiction of organization of
each
such Subsidiary, and as to each such Subsidiary, the percentage of each class
of
Capital Stock owned by each Loan Party. As of the Effective Date, there are
no
outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, rights or other agreements
or commitments (other than stock options granted to employees or directors
and
directors’ qualifying shares) of any nature relating to any Capital Stock of the
MLP, the Borrowers or any of their respective Subsidiaries, except as disclosed
on Schedule
3.15(a).
(b) Schedule
3.15(b) sets
forth as of the Effective Date the name, address of principal place of business
and tax identification number of each Borrower.
3.16 Margin
Regulations.
The
Borrowers are not engaged in the business of extending credit for the purpose
of
purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of
the
Federal Reserve Board), and no proceeds of any Loan will be used to purchase
or
carry any such margin stock or to extend credit to others for the purpose of
purchasing or carrying any such margin stock in contravention of Regulation
T, U
or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
3.17 Investment
Company Act.
None of
the MLP, any Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries is an
“investment
company”
or
an
“affiliated
person”
of,
or
“promoter”
or
“principal
underwriter”
for,
an
“investment
company,”
as
such
terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
3.18 Insurance.
All
policies of insurance of any kind or nature of the Parent Borrower or any of
its
Subsidiaries, including policies of life, fire, theft, product liability, public
liability, property damage, other casualty, employee fidelity, workers’
compensation and employee health and welfare insurance, are in full force and
effect and are of a nature and provide such coverage as is customarily carried
by businesses of the size and character of such Person.
3.19 Foreign
Assets Control Regulations, Etc.
(a) No
proceeds of the Loans will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of
the
Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, or any of the foreign assets control
regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B,
Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating
thereto.
(b) None
of
the MLP, any Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries (i) is, or will
become, a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals
and Blocked Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in Executive
Order No. 13224 on Terrorist Financing, effective September 23, 2001, or (ii)
engages or will engage in any dealings or transactions, or is or will be
otherwise associated, with any such Person. The MLP, the Borrowers and their
respective Subsidiaries are in compliance, in all material respects, with the
Patriot Act and, to the extent requested by any Lender, have provided such
information to the Lenders as required by Section
10.19 (Patriot Act Notice).
(c) No
proceeds of the Loans will be used, directly or indirectly, for any payments
to
any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political
party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official
capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper
advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
of
1977, as amended, assuming in all cases that such Act applies to the MLP, the
Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries.
SECTION
4.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
4.1 Conditions
to Effectiveness.
The
effectiveness of this Agreement is subject to the satisfaction (or due waiver
in
accordance with Section
10.1 (Amendments, Waivers, Etc.)),
prior
to or concurrently with the Effective Date, of the following conditions
precedent:
(a) Loan
Documents.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received (i) this Agreement, executed and
delivered by a duly authorized officer of the MLP, the Borrowers and the
Lenders, (ii) for the account of each Lender requesting the same, a Revolving
Credit Note of the Borrowers conforming to the requirements set forth herein
and
(iii) the Guaranty, executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of
the
MLP.
(b) Fees.
The
Lenders, the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers shall have received all
fees
required to be paid, and all expenses for which invoices have been presented
(including reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the
Administrative Agent), on or before the Effective Date.
(c) Closing
Certificate.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of each Loan Party dated
the Effective Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit
B (Form of Closing Certificate),
with
(i) a copy of the certificate of limited partnership (or equivalent) of such
Loan Party, certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State of the
State
of Delaware, together with a certificate of such official attesting to the
good
standing of such Loan Party, (ii) a certification by the Secretary or Assistant
Secretary of such Loan Party (or general partner thereof) of the names and
true
signatures of each officer of such Loan Party (or general partner thereof)
that
has been authorized to execute and deliver any Loan Document or other document
required hereunder to be executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Loan
Party, (iii) the limited partnership agreement (or equivalent) of such Loan
Party as in effect on the date of such certification, (iv) the resolutions
and
consent of such Loan Party’s (or general partner thereof’s) Board of Directors
approving and authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is respectively a party
and
(v) a certification that there has been no change to the certificate of limited
partnership (or equivalent) of such Loan Party delivered pursuant to
clause
(i)
above.
(d) Secretary’s
Certificate.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received a secretary’s certificate of each of
the BGL and the General Partner dated the Effective Date, with certified copies
of (i) the certificate of formation or certificate of limited partnership (or
equivalent) of such Person, certified as of a recent date by the Secretary
of
State of the state of organization of such Person, and (ii) the limited
liability company agreement or limited partnership agreement (or equivalent)
of
such Person as in effect on the date of such certification.
(e) Solvency
Certificate.
The
Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received a certification given
by the chief financial officer of each Borrower in his capacity as such (and
not
in his individual capacity), dated the Effective Date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, attesting to the solvency of the
Borrowers and the MLP after giving effect to the transactions contemplated
hereby.
(f) Legal
Opinions.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received the legal opinions of (i) Xxxxxx &
Xxxxxx LLP, counsel to the Loan Parties, substantially in the form of
Exhibit
C-1 (Form of Legal Opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP) and
(ii)
Xxxxxxx XxXxxxx, Esq., General Counsel of the BGL and GS Pipeline Company,
LLC,
substantially in the form of Exhibit
C-2 (Form of Legal Opinion of General Counsel).
(g) Financial
Statements.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received copies of (i) the audited consolidated
balance sheets of (A) the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries, (B) Texas Gas
and (C) Gulf South, each as at the end of the year ended December 31, 2005
and
the related audited consolidated statements of income and of cash flows for
such
year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures as of the
end
of and for the previous year, reported on without a “going
concern”
or
like
qualification or exception, or qualification arising out of the scope of the
audit, by independent certified public accountants of nationally recognized
standing, and (ii) the unaudited consolidated balance sheets of each of (A)
the
Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries, (B) Texas Gas and (C) Gulf South, each
as
at March 31, 2006, and the related unaudited consolidated statements of income
and cash flows for the three-month period ended on such date, reported on
without a “going
concern”
or
like
qualification or exception, or qualification arising out of the scope of the
audit, by independent certified public accountants of nationally recognized
standing (all such financial statements to be complete and correct in all
material respects and to be prepared in reasonable detail and in accordance
with
GAAP applied consistently throughout the periods reflected therein and with
prior periods (except as approved by such accountants or officer, as the case
may be, and disclosed therein)).
(h) Officer’s
Certificate.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer
of the Parent Borrower to the effect that the condition set forth in
Section
4.2(b) (Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit)
has been
satisfied.
(i) Approvals.
All
governmental and third party approvals necessary in connection with this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained
and
be in full force and effect.
(j) Refinancing
of Existing Credit Agreement.
All
Existing Revolving Loans and all accrued and unpaid interest, fees, expenses
and
other obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement shall have been paid
in
full.
4.2 Conditions
Precedent to Each Extension of Credit.
The
obligation of each Lender on any date (including the Effective Date) to make
any
Loan and of each Issuer on any date (including the Effective Date) to Issue
any
Letter of Credit is subject to the satisfaction (or due waiver in accordance
with Section
10.1 (Amendments, Waivers, Etc.))
of each
of the following conditions precedent:
(a) Request
for Borrowing or Issuance of Letter of Credit.
With
respect to any Revolving Loan, the Administrative Agent shall have received
a
duly executed Notice of Borrowing, with respect to any Swingline Loan, the
Administrative Agent shall have received a duly executed Swingline Loan Request,
and, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Administrative Agent and the
Issuer shall have received a duly executed Letter of Credit
Request.
(b) Representations
and Warranties; No Defaults.
The
following statements shall be true on the date of such Loan or Issuance, both
before and after giving effect thereto and, in the case of any Loan, to the
application of the proceeds thereof:
(i) the
representations and warranties set forth in Section
3 (Representations and Warranties)
and in
the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects
on
and as of any such date with the same effect as though made on and as of such
date, except (A) to the extent such representations and warranties expressly
relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties
shall have been true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier
date and (B) the representations and warranties set forth in Sections
3.2 and
3.6
shall
be
made on and as of the Effective Date only;
(ii) no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
and
(iii) each
Borrower’s Revolving Credit Outstandings shall not exceed such Borrower’s
Revolving Credit Sublimit and the aggregate Revolving Credit Outstandings shall
not exceed the then effective Revolving Credit Commitments.
(c) No
Legal Impediments.
The
making of the Loans or the Issuance of such Letter of Credit on such date does
not violate any Requirement of Law on the date of or immediately following
such
Loan or Issuance of such Letter of Credit and is not enjoined, temporarily,
preliminarily or permanently.
Each
submission by the applicable Borrower to the Administrative Agent of a Notice
of
Borrowing or a Swingline Loan Request and the acceptance by such Borrower of
the
proceeds of each Loan requested therein, and each submission by the applicable
Borrower to an Issuer of a Letter of Credit Request, and the Issuance of each
Letter of Credit requested therein, shall be deemed to constitute a
representation and warranty by such Borrower as to the matters specified in
clause
(b)
above on
the
date of the making of such Loan or the Issuance of such Letter of
Credit.
4.3 Determinations
of Initial Borrowing Conditions.
For
purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section
4.1 (Conditions to Effectiveness), each
Lender shall be deemed to have consented to, approved, accepted or be satisfied
with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to
or
approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to the Lenders unless an officer
of
the Administrative Agent responsible for the transactions contemplated by the
Loan Documents shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the initial
Borrowing specifying its objection thereto and such Lender shall not have made
available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s Ratable Portion of such
Borrowing.
4.4 Conditions
Precedent to Each Incremental Credit Extension Date.
Each
Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall not become effective until the
satisfaction of all of the following conditions precedent:
(a) The
Administrative Agent shall have received on or prior to the Incremental Credit
Extension Date each of the following, each dated as of such Incremental Credit
Extension Date unless otherwise indicated or agreed to by the Administrative
Agent and each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent:
(i) written
commitments duly executed by existing Lenders (or their Affiliates or Approved
Funds) or Eligible Assignees in an aggregate amount equal to the amount of
the
proposed Revolving Credit Commitment Increase (as agreed between the Parent
Borrower and the Administrative Agent but in any case not to exceed, in the
aggregate, the maximum amount set forth in Section
2.1(b))
and, in
the case of each such Eligible Assignee that is not an existing Lender, an
assumption agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent and duly executed by the Parent Borrower, the Administrative Agent and
such Eligible Assignee;
(ii) an
amendment to this Agreement (including to Schedule
I),
effective as of such Incremental Credit Extension Date and executed by the
Borrowers and the Administrative Agent, to the extent necessary to implement
the
terms and conditions of such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase as agreed
by
the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent;
(iii) certified
copies of resolutions of the Board of Directors of each Loan Party approving
the
consummation of such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase and the execution,
delivery and performance of the corresponding amendments to this Agreement
and
the other documents to be executed in connection therewith;
(iv) a
favorable opinion of counsel for each Loan Party, addressed to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders and in form and substance and from counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and
(v) such
other documents as any Lender participating in such Revolving Credit Commitment
Increase may require as a condition to its commitment therein.
(b) There
shall have been paid to the Administrative Agent, for the account of itself
and
the Lenders, as applicable, all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees
and
expenses of counsel) due and payable on or before such Incremental Credit
Extension Date.
(c) The
conditions precedent set forth in Section
4.2(b) shall
have been satisfied both before and after giving effect to such Revolving Credit
Commitment Increase.
(d) Such
Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall have been made on the terms and
conditions set forth in Section
2.1(b).
SECTION
5.
FINANCIAL COVENANT
Each
of
the MLP and the Borrowers hereby agrees that so long as the Revolving Credit
Commitments remain in effect, any Letter of Credit remains outstanding or any
Loan or other amount is owing to any Lender, any Issuer or the Administrative
Agent hereunder, each of the MLP and the Borrowers shall respectively maintain
on the last day of each Fiscal Quarter a Consolidated Leverage Ratio of not
more
than 5.00 to 1.00; provided,
however,
that
each of the MLP and the Borrowers shall be permitted to respectively maintain
a
Consolidated Leverage Ratio of not more than 5.50 to 1.00 for a period of three
consecutive Fiscal Quarters immediately following the consummation of a
Qualified Acquisition by it or its Subsidiaries.
SECTION
6.
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
Each
of
the MLP and the Borrowers hereby agrees that so long as the Revolving Credit
Commitments remain in effect, any Letter of Credit remains outstanding or any
Loan or other amount is owing to any Lender, any Issuer or the Administrative
Agent hereunder, the MLP and the Borrowers shall and shall cause each of their
respective Subsidiaries to:
6.1 Financial
Statements.
Furnish
to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) as
soon
as available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each Fiscal
Year
of each of the MLP and the Borrowers, a copy of the audited consolidated balance
sheet of (i) the MLP and its consolidated Subsidiaries and (ii) each Borrower
and its consolidated Subsidiaries, each as at the end of such year and the
related audited consolidated statements of income and of cash flows for such
year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures as of the
end
of and for the previous year, reported on without a “going concern” or like
qualification or exception, or qualification arising out of the scope of the
audit, by Deloitte & Touche LLP or other independent certified public
accountants of nationally recognized standing; and
(b) as
soon
as available, but in any event not later than 45 days after the end of each
of
the first three quarterly periods of each Fiscal Year of each of the MLP and
the
Borrowers, the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of (i) the MLP and its
consolidated Subsidiaries and (ii) each Borrower and its consolidated
Subsidiaries, each as at the end of such quarter and the related unaudited
consolidated statements of income and of cash flows for such quarter and the
portion of the Fiscal Year through the end of such quarter, setting forth in
each case in comparative form the figures as of the end of and for the
corresponding period in the previous year, certified by a Responsible Officer
of
the MLP and the Borrowers, as applicable, as being fairly stated in all material
respects (subject to normal year end audit adjustments and the absence of
footnotes);
all
such
financial statements to be complete and correct in all material respects and
to
be prepared in reasonable detail and in accordance with GAAP applied
consistently throughout the periods reflected therein and with prior periods
(except as approved by such accountants or officer, as the case may be, and
disclosed therein).
6.2 Certificates;
Other Information.
Furnish
to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, or, in the case of clause
(f) below,
to
the relevant Lender:
(a) concurrently
with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section
6.1(a),
a
certificate of the independent certified public accountants reporting on such
financial statements stating that in making the examination necessary therefor
no knowledge was obtained of any Default or Event of Default, except as
specified in such certificate (it being understood that such certificate shall
be limited to the items that independent certified public accountants are
permitted to cover in such certificates pursuant to their professional standards
and customs of the profession);
(b) concurrently
with the delivery of any financial statements pursuant to Section
6.1,
(i) a
certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Parent Borrower stating that such
Responsible Officer has obtained no knowledge of any Default or Event of Default
except as specified in such certificate and (ii) a compliance certificate of
a
Responsible Officer of the Parent Borrower containing all information and
calculations necessary for determining compliance by the MLP and each Borrower
with Section
5 of
this
Agreement as of the last day of the Fiscal Quarter or Fiscal Year of the MLP
or
such Borrower, as the case may be;
(c) within
five days after the same are sent, copies of all financial statements and
reports that the MLP, any Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries
sends
to the holders of any class of its debt securities or public equity securities
and, within five days after the same are filed, copies of all financial
statements and reports that the MLP, any Borrower or any of their respective
Subsidiaries may make to, or file with, the SEC;
(d) as
soon
as possible and in any event within ten days of obtaining knowledge thereof,
notice of any development, event, or condition that, individually or in the
aggregate with other developments, events or conditions, could reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and
(e) promptly,
such additional financial and other information as any Lender may from time
to
time reasonably request.
6.3 Payment
of Obligations.
Pay,
discharge or otherwise satisfy at or before maturity or before they become
delinquent, as the case may be, all its material obligations of whatever nature,
except where the amount or validity thereof is currently being contested in
good
faith by appropriate proceedings and reserves in conformity with GAAP with
respect thereto have been provided on the books of the Parent Borrower or its
Subsidiaries, as the case may be, or the failure to pay, discharge or otherwise
satisfy could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
6.4 Conduct
of Business and Maintenance of Existence, etc.
(a) (i)
Preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its corporate or other
existence and (ii) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges
and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business,
except, in each case, as otherwise permitted by Section
7.5
and
except, in the case of clause
(ii)
above,
to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect; and (b) comply with all Contractual Obligations and
Requirements of Law, except to the extent that failure to comply therewith
could
not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
6.5 Maintenance
of Property; Insurance.
(a) Keep
all Property and systems useful and necessary in its business in good working
order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted and (b) maintain with
financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all its
Property in at least such amounts (subject to customary deductibles) and against
at least such risks (but including in any event public liability and business
interruption) as are usually insured against in the same general area by
companies of similar size engaged in the same or a similar
business.
6.6 Inspection
of Property; Books and Records; Discussions.
(a) Keep
proper books of records and account in which full, true and correct entries
in
conformity in all material respects with GAAP and all Requirements of Law shall
be made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and
activities and (b) upon reasonable prior notice, permit representatives of
any
Lender to visit and inspect any of its properties and examine and make abstracts
from any of its books and records, at the Borrowers’ expense and at any
reasonable time and as often as may reasonably be desired and to discuss the
business, operations, properties and financial and other condition of the MLP,
the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries with officers and employees
of
the MLP, the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries and with their
independent certified public accountants.
6.7 Notices.
Promptly give notice to the Administrative Agent and each Lender
of:
(a) the
occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, as soon as possible and in any
event, within 5 Business Days after any Borrower knows or has reason to know
thereof;
(b) any
(i)
default or event of default under any Contractual Obligation of the MLP, any
Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries or (ii) litigation,
investigation or proceeding which may exist at any time between the MLP, any
Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries and any Governmental Authority,
that, in either case, if not cured, could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect; and
(c) the
following events, as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after
any
Borrower knows or has reason to know thereof: (i) the occurrence of any
Reportable Event with respect to any Plan, a failure to make any required
contribution to a Plan, the creation of any Lien in favor of the PBGC or a
Plan
or any withdrawal from, or the termination, Reorganization or Insolvency of,
any
Multiemployer Plan or (ii) the institution of proceedings or the taking of
any
other action by the PBGC or the Parent Borrower or any Commonly Controlled
Entity or any Multiemployer Plan with respect to the withdrawal from, or the
termination, Reorganization or Insolvency of, any Plan.
Each
notice pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a
Responsible Officer of the Parent Borrower setting forth details of the
occurrence referred to therein and stating what action the MLP, the relevant
Borrower or the relevant Subsidiary proposes to take with respect
thereto.
6.8 Environmental
Laws.
Comply
with all applicable Environmental Laws, and obtain and comply with any and
all
licenses, approvals, notifications, registrations or permits required by
applicable Environmental Laws, except where the failure to so comply could
not,
in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
6.9 Payment
of Taxes, Etc.
Pay and
discharge before the same shall become delinquent, all lawful governmental
claims, taxes, assessments, charges and levies, except where contested in good
faith, by proper proceedings and adequate reserves therefor have been
established on the books of the Parent Borrower or the appropriate Subsidiary
in
conformity with GAAP or where the failure to pay could not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.10 Use
of
Proceeds.
Use the
entire amount of the proceeds of the Loans and Letters of Credit as provided
in
Section
3.11 (Use of Proceeds).
SECTION
7.
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
Each
of
the MLP and the Borrowers hereby agrees that, so long as the Revolving Credit
Commitments remain in effect, any Letter of Credit remains outstanding or any
Loan or any other amount is owing to any Lender, any Issuer or the
Administrative Agent hereunder, the MLP and the Borrowers shall not, and shall
not permit any of their respective Subsidiaries to, directly or
indirectly:
7.1 Limitations
on Indebtedness
.
Permit
the Parent Borrower or any of the Parent Borrower’s Subsidiaries to create,
incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except for the
following:
(a) Indebtedness
of the Parent Borrower and the Parent Borrower’s Subsidiaries outstanding on the
date hereof and listed on Schedule
7.1;
(b) Indebtedness
arising from intercompany loans among the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries;
provided,
however,
that,
in the case of intercompany loans to Subsidiaries, the Investment in such
intercompany loan to such Subsidiary is permitted under Section
7.3 (Limitation on Investments);
and
(c) additional
Indebtedness of any Borrower if, at the time of incurring such Indebtedness
and
after giving effect thereto, (i) such Borrower shall be in pro
forma compliance
with the financial covenant in Section 5, in each case determined as of the
last
day of the most recently ended Fiscal Quarter of such Borrower for which
financial statements have been delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant
to
Sections
6.1(a) or
(b),
as
applicable, and (ii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and
be
continuing.
7.2 Limitations
upon Liens.
Create,
incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any its Property, whether now
owned or hereafter acquired, except for the following:
(a) Liens
with respect to the payment of taxes, assessments or governmental charges in
each case that are not yet due or that are being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings and, if being contested, with respect to which adequate
reserves or other appropriate provisions are being maintained to the extent
required by GAAP;
(b) Liens
of
landlords arising by statute and liens of suppliers, mechanics, carriers,
materialmen, warehousemen or workmen and other similar Liens, in each case
(i)
imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) for amounts
not yet due or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings
and (iii) if being contested, with respect to which adequate reserves or other
appropriate provisions are being maintained to the extent required by
GAAP;
(c) deposits
made in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’
compensation, unemployment insurance or other types of social security benefits
or to secure the performance of bids, tenders, sales, contracts (other than
for
the repayment of borrowed money) and surety, appeal, customs or performance
bonds;
(d) encumbrances
arising by reason of zoning restrictions, easements, licenses, reservations,
covenants, rights-of-way (including for pipeline purposes), utility easements,
building restrictions and other similar encumbrances on the use of real property
not materially detracting from the value of such real property or not materially
interfering with the ordinary conduct of the business conducted and proposed
to
be conducted at such real property;
(e) encumbrances
arising under leases or subleases of real property that do not, in the
aggregate, materially detract from the value of such real property or interfere
with the ordinary conduct of the business conducted and proposed to be conducted
at such real property;
(f) financing
statements with respect to a lessor’s rights in and to personal property leased
to such Person in the ordinary course of such Person’s business other than
through a Capital Lease;
(g) Liens
arising out of judgments and decrees not resulting in an Event of Default under
Section
8.1(h);
and
(h) any
other
Lien if, at the time of, and after giving effect to, the creation or assumption
of such Lien, the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness of the MLP, the Parent
Borrower and their respective Subsidiaries secured by all such Liens do not
exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Parent Borrower and
its Subsidiaries.
7.3 Limitation
on Investments.
Make or
maintain, directly or indirectly, any Investment in any Subsidiary that is
not a
Wholly Owned Subsidiary or any Joint Venture if any such Subsidiary or Joint
Venture is subject to any Contractual Obligation restricting or limiting (other
than any such restriction or limitation contained in the Constituent Documents
of any such Person that subjects the payment of dividends or the making of
other
distributions to the discretion of the Board of Directors of such Person or
permits dividends or distributions only to the extent of available cash (as
defined in such Constituent Document)) the payment of dividends or the making
of
other distributions to the Parent Borrower, except (a) Investments in any such
Subsidiary or Joint Venture in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100,000,000
and (b) Investments in any Joint Venture with a credit rating for such Joint
Venture’s long-term senior unsecured non-credit enhanced debt of at least BBB-
by S&P or Baa3 by Xxxxx’x or an equivalent rating from Fitch Ratings
Ltd.
7.4 Limitation
on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions.
Enter
into any arrangement with any Person providing for the leasing by the Parent
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of real or personal property which has
been
or is to be sold or transferred by the Parent Borrower or such Subsidiary to
such Person or to any other Person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced
by such Person on the security of such property or rental obligations of the
Parent Borrower or such Subsidiary (each a “Sale
and Lease-Back Transactions”),
except the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries may enter into, create, assume
and suffer to exist Sale and Lease-Back Transactions if at the time of, and
after giving effect to, such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, the aggregate
fair
market value of all properties covered by Sale and Lease-Back Transactions
does
not exceed $100,000,000.
7.5 Fundamental
Changes.
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
its assets, or all or substantially all of the stock of any of its Subsidiaries
(in each case, whether now owned or hereafter acquired), 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) any Person
may merge into the Parent Borrower or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Parent
Borrower in a transaction in which the Parent Borrower or such Wholly Owned
Subsidiary, as applicable, is the surviving entity, (ii) any Subsidiary may
merge into any Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is
a
Subsidiary; provided,
however,
that if
such merger involves a Subsidiary Borrower, such Subsidiary Borrower shall
be
the surviving entity, (iii) any Subsidiary (other than a Subsidiary Borrower)
may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to the Parent
Borrower or to another Subsidiary and (iv) any Subsidiary (other than a
Subsidiary Borrower) 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.
7.6 Restricted
Payments.
Declare
or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted
Payment, except for the following:
(a) with
respect to any Fiscal Quarter of the Parent Borrower, the Parent Borrower may
declare and pay dividends to the MLP within 60 days following the end of such
Fiscal Quarter in an amount not to exceed the Available Cash for such Fiscal
Quarter;
(b) the
Parent Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its equity
interests payable solely in additional shares of its Capital Stock (other than
any Capital Stock with preferential rights or a stated liquidation or similar
amount);
(c) the
Parent Borrower may repurchase Capital Stock issued after the Effective Date
funded with proceeds from the issuance of additional Capital Stock or the
incurrence of Indebtedness permitted hereunder;
(d) the
Parent Borrower’s Subsidiaries may make Restricted Payments to the Parent
Borrower and to Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of the Parent Borrower;
and
(e) the
Parent Borrower may make other Restricted Payments not to exceed $100,000,000
in
the aggregate;
provided,
however,
that
the Restricted Payments described in clauses
(a),
(b),
(c)
or
(e)
above
shall not be permitted if either (i) an Event of Default or Default shall have
occurred and be continuing at the date of declaration or payment thereof or
would result therefrom or (ii) such Restricted Payment is prohibited under
the
terms of any Indebtedness (other than the Obligations) of, or Requirement of
Law
applicable to, the Parent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
7.7 Limitation
on Restrictions on Subsidiary Distributions.
Enter
into or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or
restriction on the ability of any Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower to (a)
make
Restricted Payments in respect of any Capital Stock of such Subsidiary held
by,
or pay any Indebtedness owed to, the Parent Borrower or any other Subsidiary
of
the Parent Borrower, (b) make Investments in the Parent Borrower or any other
Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower or (c) transfer any of its assets to the
Parent Borrower or any other Subsidiary, except for (i) such encumbrances or
restrictions existing under or by reason of any restrictions existing under
the
Loan Documents and (ii) encumbrances or restrictions contained in, or existing
by reasons of, any agreement or instrument (A) relating to property existing
at
the time of the acquisition thereof, so long as the encumbrance or restriction
relates only to the property so acquired, (B) relating to any Indebtedness
of
any Subsidiary at the time such Subsidiary was merged or consolidated with
or
into, or acquired by, the Parent Borrower or a Subsidiary or became a
Subsidiary, which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person,
or
any properties or assets of any Person, other than such Subsidiary or the
properties or assets of such Subsidiary and is not created in contemplation
thereof, (C) effecting a renewal, extension, or refinancing (or successive
extensions, renewals or refinancings) of Indebtedness issued under an agreement
referred to in clauses
(A) or
(B)
above,
so long as the encumbrances or restrictions contained in any such renewal,
extension, or refinancing agreement are not materially more restrictive than
the
encumbrances or restrictions contained in the original agreement, (D)
constituting restrictions on the sale or other disposition of any property
as a
result of a Lien on such property permitted hereunder, (E) with respect to
clause
(c) above
only, constituting provisions contained in agreements or instruments relating
to
Indebtedness permitted hereunder that prohibit the transfer of all or
substantially all of the assets of the obligor under that agreement or
instrument unless the transferee assumes the obligations of the obligor under
such agreement or instrument or such assets may be transferred subject to such
prohibition, (F) constituting any encumbrance or restriction with respect to
property under an agreement that has been entered into for the disposition
of
such property, provided that such disposition is otherwise permitted hereunder
and (G) constituting any encumbrance or restriction contained in the Constituent
Documents of any Subsidiary that subjects the payment of dividends or the making
of other distributions to the discretion of the Board of Directors of such
Subsidiary or permits dividends or distributions only to the extent of available
cash (as defined in such Constituent Document).
7.8 Limitation
on Transactions with Affiliates.
Enter
into any transaction, including, without limitation, any purchase, sale, lease
or exchange of Property, the rendering of any service or the payment of any
management, advisory or similar fees, with any Affiliate (other than the Parent
Borrower or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Parent Borrower), except for the
following:
(a) any
transaction that is (i) otherwise permitted under this Agreement, (ii) in
the ordinary course of business of the Parent Borrower or such Subsidiary,
and
(iii) upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Parent
Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, than it would obtain in a
comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person that is not an
Affiliate;
(b) Restricted
Payments permitted by Section
7.6;
(c) the
payment of dividends and distributions by the MLP to the General Partner
pursuant to the MLP Partnership Agreement as in effect on the date hereof;
(d) payments
or reimbursements to the General Partner made pursuant to Section 7.4(b) of
the
MLP Partnership Agreement as in effect on the date hereof;
(e) indemnification
payments to the General Partner made pursuant to Section 7.7 of the MLP
Partnership Agreement as in effect on the date hereof;
(f) the
payment of dividends and distributions by the MLP to any Affiliate of the MLP
that holds limited partnership interests in the MLP; and
(g) the
transactions set forth on Schedule 7.8.
7.9 Limitation
on Lines of Business.
Enter
into any business, either directly or through any Subsidiary of the Parent
Borrower, except for those businesses in which the Parent Borrower and its
Subsidiaries are engaged on the Effective Date and reasonable extensions
thereof.
7.10 Accounting
Changes; Fiscal Year.
Change
its (a) accounting treatment and reporting practices or tax reporting treatment,
except as required by GAAP or any Requirement of Law and disclosed to the
Lenders and the Administrative Agent or (b) Fiscal Year or Fiscal Quarters,
except with the consent of the Administrative Agent; provided,
however,
that
the Borrowers shall enter into such amendments to this Agreement as the
Administrative Agent shall request to reflect such change in its Fiscal Year
or
Fiscal Quarters, as applicable, such that the applicable provisions of this
Agreement affected by such change shall have the same effect (or, in any case,
be substantively no less favorable to the Lenders, in the determination of
the
Administrative Agent) after giving effect thereto as if such change were not
made.
7.11 Limitation
on Modification of Constituent Documents.
Not
modify or amend its Constituent Documents, except for modifications and
amendments that (a) could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect and (b) do not materially affect the interests of the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders under the Loan Documents.
SECTION
8.
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
8.1 Events
of Default.
If any
of the following events shall occur and be continuing:
(a) Any
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any Reimbursement
Obligation when due in accordance with the terms hereof; or any Borrower shall
fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any Reimbursement Obligation, or any
other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document, within three
Business Days after any such interest or other amount becomes due in accordance
with the terms hereof or thereof; or
(b) Any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by any Loan Party herein or
in
any other Loan Document or that is contained in any certificate, document or
financial or other statement furnished by it at any time under or in connection
with this Agreement or any such other Loan Document shall prove to have been
inaccurate in any material respect on or as of the date made or deemed made
or
furnished; or
(c) Any
Loan
Party shall default in the observance or performance of any agreement contained
in Section
5, Section
6.4(a)
(with
respect to the MLP’s and each Borrower’s existence only), Section
6.7(a),
Section
6.10 or
Section
7;
or
(d) Any
Loan
Party shall default in the observance or performance of any other agreement
contained in this Agreement to be performed by it or any other Loan Document
(other than as provided in clauses
(a)
through
(c)
of this
Section
8.1),
and
such default shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after the earlier
of (i) the date on which a Responsible Officer of the MLP or any Borrower
becomes aware of such failure and (ii) the date on which written notice thereof
shall have been given to the Parent Borrower by the Administrative Agent or
any
Lender; or
(e) (i)
Any
Borrower or any Borrower Affiliate shall fail to make any payment on any
Indebtedness of such Borrower or any such Borrower Affiliate (other than the
Obligations) or any Guarantee Obligation in respect of Indebtedness of any
other
Person, and, in each case, such failure relates to Indebtedness having a
principal amount of $25,000,000 or more, when the same becomes due and payable
(whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or
otherwise) and such failure continues beyond any period of grace provided with
respect thereto, (ii) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist
under
any agreement or instrument relating to any such Indebtedness, if the effect
of
such event or condition is to accelerate the maturity of such Indebtedness,
(iii) any other event shall occur (other than default in the observance of
reporting and notice covenants) or condition shall exist under any agreement
or
instrument relating to any such Indebtedness, if the effect of such event or
condition is to permit the acceleration of the maturity of such Indebtedness
or
(iv) any such Indebtedness shall become or be declared to be due and payable,
or
be required to be prepaid or repurchased (other than by a regularly scheduled
required prepayment), prior to the stated maturity thereof; or
(f) (i)
Any
Borrower or any Borrower Affiliate shall commence any case, proceeding or other
action (A) under any existing or future law of any jurisdiction, domestic or
foreign, relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or relief of
debtors, seeking to have an order for relief entered with respect to it, or
seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking reorganization,
arrangement, adjustment, winding up, liquidation, dissolution, composition
or
other relief with respect to it or its debts, or (B) seeking appointment of
a
receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator or other similar official for it
or
for all or any substantial part of its assets, or any Borrower or any Borrower
Affiliate shall make a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
or
(ii) there shall be commenced against any Borrower or any Borrower Affiliate
any
case, proceeding or other action of a nature referred to in clause
(i)
above
that (A) results in the entry of an order for relief or any such adjudication
or
appointment or (B) remains undismissed, undischarged or unbonded for a period
of
sixty (60) days; or (iii) there shall be commenced against any Borrower or
any
Borrower Affiliate any case, proceeding or other action seeking issuance of
a
warrant of attachment, execution, distraint or similar process against all
or
any substantial part of its assets that results in the entry of an order for
any
such relief that shall not have been vacated, discharged, or stayed or bonded
pending appeal within sixty (60) days from the entry thereof; or (iv) any
Borrower or any Borrower Affiliate shall take any action in furtherance of,
or
indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any of the acts
set
forth in clause
(i),
(ii),
or
(iii)
above;
or (v) any Borrower or any Borrower Affiliate shall generally not, or shall
be
unable to, or shall admit in writing its inability to, pay its debts as they
become due; or
(g) (i)
Any
Person shall engage in any “prohibited
transaction”
(as
defined in Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) involving any
Plan
which has not been corrected within the taxable period as defined in §4975 of
the Code, (ii) any “accumulated
funding deficiency”
(as
defined in Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived, shall exist with
respect to any Plan, or any Lien in favor of the PBGC or a Plan shall arise
on
the assets of the Parent Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity, (iii)
a
Reportable Event shall occur with respect to, or proceedings shall commence
to
have a trustee appointed, or a trustee shall be appointed, to administer or
to
terminate, any Single Employer Plan, which Reportable Event or commencement
of
proceedings or appointment of a trustee is, in the reasonable opinion of the
Required Lenders, likely to result in the termination of such Plan for purposes
of Title IV of ERISA, (iv) any Single Employer Plan shall terminate for purposes
of Title IV of ERISA, (v) the Parent Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity
shall, or in the reasonable opinion of the Required Lenders shall be likely
to,
incur any liability in connection with a withdrawal from, or the Insolvency
or
Reorganization of, a Multiemployer Plan or (vi) any other event or condition
shall occur or exist with respect to a Plan; and in each case in clauses
(i)
through
(vi)
above,
such event or condition, together with all other such events or conditions,
if
any, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
or
(h) One
or
more judgments or decrees shall be entered against any Borrower or any Borrower
Affiliate involving for the Borrowers and the Borrower Affiliates taken as
a
whole a liability (not paid or fully covered by insurance as to which the
relevant insurance company has acknowledged coverage) of $25,000,000 or more
(or
in the case of a non-monetary judgment, having a Material Adverse Effect),
and
all such judgments or decrees shall not have been vacated, discharged, stayed
or
bonded pending appeal within 30 days from the entry thereof; or
(i) Any
Change of Control shall occur; or
(j) Any
material provision of any Loan Document after delivery thereof shall for any
reason fail or cease to be valid and binding on, or enforceable against, any
Loan Party party thereto, or any Loan Party shall so state in
writing;
then,
and
in any such event, (A) if such event is an Event of Default specified in
clause
(i)
or
(ii)
of
paragraph
(f) above,
automatically the Revolving Credit Commitments shall immediately terminate
and
the Loans (with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts owing under
this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including, without limitation, all
amounts of Letter of Credit Obligations, whether or not the beneficiaries of
the
then outstanding Letters of Credit shall have presented the documents required
thereunder) shall immediately become due and payable, and (B) if such event
is
any other Event of Default, either or both of the following actions may be
taken: (i) with the consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent
may, or upon the request of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent
shall, by notice to the Parent Borrower declare the Revolving Credit Commitments
to be terminated forthwith, whereupon the Revolving Credit Commitments shall
immediately terminate, and (ii) with the consent of the Required Lenders, the
Administrative Agent may, or upon the request of the Required Lenders, the
Administrative Agent shall, by notice to the Parent Borrower, declare the Loans
hereunder (with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts owing under
this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including, without limitation, all
amounts of Letter of Credit Obligations, whether or not the beneficiaries of
the
then outstanding Letters of Credit shall have presented the documents required
thereunder) to be due and payable forthwith, whereupon the same shall
immediately become due and payable.
8.2 Actions
in Respect of Letters of Credit.
At any
time (i) upon the Revolving Credit Termination Date, (ii) after the Revolving
Credit Termination Date when the aggregate funds on deposit in the Cash
Collateral Account shall be less than 105% of the Letter of Credit Obligations,
(iii) as may be required by Section
2.8 (Mandatory Prepayments),
and
(iv) upon the commencement of a Term Out Period, each Borrower shall pay to
the
Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative
Agent’s office referred to in Section
10.8 (Notices, Etc.),
for
deposit in the Cash Collateral Account, the amount required that, after such
payment, the aggregate funds on deposit in the Cash Collateral Account equals
or
exceeds 105% of the sum of all of such Borrower’s outstanding Letter of Credit
Obligations. The Administrative Agent may, from time to time after funds are
deposited in the Cash Collateral Account, apply funds then held in the Cash
Collateral Account to the payment of any amounts, in accordance with
Section
2.12(f) (Payments and Computations),
as
shall have become or shall become due and payable by such Borrower to the
Issuers or Lenders in respect of such Borrower’s Letter of Credit Obligations.
The Administrative Agent shall promptly give written notice of any such
application; provided,
however,
that
the failure to give such written notice shall not invalidate any such
application.
SECTION
9.
THE
AGENTS
9.1 Authorization
and Action.
(a) Each
Lender and each Issuer hereby appoints Wachovia as the Administrative Agent
hereunder and each Lender and each Issuer authorizes the Administrative Agent
to
take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative
Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably
incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender and each Issuer
hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to
perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the
Administrative Agent is a party, to exercise all rights, powers and remedies
that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b) As
to any
matters not expressly provided for by this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall
not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be
required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in
so
acting or refraining from acting) upon the instructions of the Required Lenders,
and such instructions shall be binding upon all Lenders and all Issuers;
provided,
however,
that
the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i)
the
Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to personal liability
unless the Administrative Agent receives an indemnification satisfactory to
it
from the Lenders and the Issuers with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary
to this Agreement or applicable law. The Administrative Agent agrees to give
to
each Lender and each Issuer prompt notice of each notice given to it by any
Loan
Party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan
Documents.
(c) In
performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan
Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders
and the Issuers except to the limited extent provided in 2.6(b),
and its
duties are entirely administrative in nature. The Administrative Agent does
not
assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation other than as
expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents or any other
relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender, Issuer
or
holder of any other Obligation. The Administrative Agent may perform any of
its
duties under any Loan Document by or through its agents or
employees.
9.2 Administrative
Agent’s Reliance, Etc.
None of
the Administrative Agent, any of its Affiliates or any of their respective
directors, officers, agents or employees shall be liable for any action taken
or
omitted to be taken by it, him, her or them under or in connection with this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents, except for its, his, her or their own
gross negligence or willful misconduct. Without limiting the foregoing, the
Administrative Agent (a) may treat the payee of any Revolving Credit Note as
its
holder until such Revolving Credit Note has been assigned in accordance with
Section 10.2
(Assignments and Participations),
(b) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 2.6
(Evidence of Debt),
(c) may
consult with legal counsel (including counsel to the Borrowers or any other
Loan
Party), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it and
shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith
by
it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (d)
makes no warranty or representation to any Lender or Issuer and shall not be
responsible to any Lender or Issuer for any statements, warranties or
representations made by or on behalf of the MLP, the Borrowers or any of the
Borrowers’ Subsidiaries in or in connection with this Agreement or any other
Loan Document, (e) shall not have any duty to ascertain or to inquire either
as
to the performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, as to the financial condition of any
Loan
Party or as to the existence or possible existence of any Default or Event
of
Default, (f) shall not be responsible to any Lender or Issuer for the due
execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or
value
of, or the attachment, perfection or priority of any Lien created or purported
to be created under or in connection with, this Agreement, any other Loan
Document or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or
thereto and (g) shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement
or any other Loan Document by acting upon any notice, consent, certificate
or
other instrument or writing (which writing may be a telecopy or electronic
mail)
or any telephone message believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent by
the
proper party or parties.
9.3 Posting
of Approved Electronic Communications.
(a) Each
of
the Lenders, the Issuers, the Borrowers and the MLP agree that the
Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make the Approved
Electronic Communications available to the Lenders and the Issuers by posting
such Approved Electronic Communications on SyndTrak Online or a substantially
similar electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its
electronic transmission system (the “Approved
Electronic Platform”).
(b) Although
the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with
generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified
by
the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Effective
Date,
a dual firewall and a User ID/Password Authorization System) and the Approved
Electronic Platform is secured through a single-user-per-deal authorization
method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on
a
deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders, the Issuer, the Borrowers and the
MLP
acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic
medium is not necessarily secure and that there are confidentiality and other
risks associated with such distribution. In consideration for the convenience
and other benefits afforded by such distribution and for the other consideration
provided hereunder, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged,
each of the Lenders, the Issuers, the Borrowers and the MLP hereby approves
distribution of the Approved Electronic Communications through the Approved
Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such
distribution.
(C) THE
APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ARE
PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. NONE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT OR ANY OF
ITS AFFILIATES OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES,
AGENTS, ADVISORS OR REPRESENTATIVES (THE “AGENT
AFFILIATES”)
WARRANT THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EACH EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS
LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE
APPROVED ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED
OR
STATUTORY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR
FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY THE AGENT AFFILIATES
IN
CONNECTION WITH THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS.
(d) Each
of
the Lenders, the Issuers, the Borrowers and the MLP agree that the
Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law)
shall not be obligated to, store the Approved Electronic Communications on
the
Approved Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s
generally-applicable document retention procedures and policies.
9.4 The
Administrative Agent Individually.
With
respect to its Ratable Portion, Wachovia shall have and may exercise the same
rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and
liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender. The
terms “Lenders”,
“Required
Lenders”
and
any
similar terms shall, unless the context clearly otherwise indicates, include,
without limitation, the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as
a
Lender or as one of the Required Lenders. Wachovia and its Affiliates may accept
deposits from, lend money to, and generally engage in any kind of banking,
trust
or other business with, any Loan Party as if Wachovia were not acting as the
Administrative Agent.
9.5 Lender
Credit Decision.
Each
Lender and each Issuer acknowledges that it shall, independently and without
reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, conduct its own
independent investigation of the financial condition and affairs of the
Borrowers and each other Loan Party in connection with the making and
continuance of the Loans and with the issuance of the Letters of Credit. Each
Lender and each Issuer also acknowledges that it shall, independently and
without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based
on
such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time,
continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under
this Agreement and other Loan Documents. Except for documents expressly required
by any Loan Document to be transmitted by the Administrative Agent to the
Lenders or the Issuers, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty or
responsibility to provide any Lender or any Issuer with any credit or other
information concerning the business, prospects, operations, property, financial
and other condition or creditworthiness of any Loan Party or any Affiliate
of
any Loan Party that may come into the possession of the Administrative Agent
or
any Affiliate thereof or any employee or agent of any of the
foregoing.
9.6 Indemnification.
Each
Lender agrees to indemnify the Administrative Agent and each of its Affiliates,
and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors
(to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrowers), from and against such Lender’s
aggregate Ratable Portion of any and all liabilities, obligations, losses,
damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses and disbursements
(including fees, expenses and disbursements of financial and legal advisors)
of
any kind or nature whatsoever that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted
against, the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates, directors, officers,
employees, agents and advisors in any way relating to or arising out of this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any action taken or omitted by the
Administrative Agent under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents;
provided,
however,
that no
Lender shall be liable for any portion of such liabilities, obligations, losses,
damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements
resulting from the Administrative Agent’s or such Affiliate’s gross negligence
or willful misconduct. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender agrees to
reimburse the Administrative Agent promptly upon demand for its ratable share
of
any out-of-pocket expenses (including fees, expenses and disbursements of
financial and legal advisors) incurred by the Administrative Agent in connection
with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification,
amendment or enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or
otherwise) of, or legal advice in respect of its rights or responsibilities
under, this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, to the extent that the
Administrative Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by the Borrowers or
another Loan Party.
9.7 Successor
Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof
to
the Lenders and the Parent Borrower. Upon any such resignation, the Required
Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Administrative Agent. If
no
successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required
Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within 30 days after the
retiring Administrative Agent’s giving of notice of resignation, then the
retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor
Administrative Agent, selected from among the Lenders. In either case, such
appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Parent
Borrower (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be
required upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default).
Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor
Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent 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 under this Agreement and the other
Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation
hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall
take
such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor
Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan
Documents. After such resignation, the retiring Administrative Agent shall
continue to have the benefit of this Section
9
as to
any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was Administrative
Agent
under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. On the Effective Date, the
Existing Administrative Agent shall be deemed to have resigned as the
administrative agent under the Existing Credit Agreement and Wachovia shall
be
appointed as the successor Administrative Agent hereunder. On and after the
Effective Date, the Existing Administrative Agent shall continue to have the
benefit of this Section
9
as to
any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was administrative
agent
under the Existing Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents (as defined
in
the Existing Credit Agreement).
9.8 The
Arrangers; the Syndication Agent; the Co-Documentation Agents.
None of
the Arrangers, the Syndication Agent or the Co-Documentation Agents, in their
respective capacities as such, shall have any duties or responsibilities, and
shall incur no liability, under this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents.
SECTION
10.
MISCELLANEOUS
10.1 Amendments,
Waivers, Etc.
(a) No
amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document nor consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom shall in
any
event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and (x) in the case
of
any such waiver or consent, signed by the Required Lenders (or by the
Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) and (y) in the
case of any other amendment, by the Required Lenders (or by the Administrative
Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) and the Borrowers, and then
any
such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and
for
the specific purpose for which given; provided,
however,
that no
amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by each Lender
directly affected thereby, in addition to the Required Lenders (or the
Administrative Agent with the consent thereof), do any of the
following:
(i) waive
any
condition specified in Section
4.1 (Conditions to Effectiveness) or
Section 4.2
(Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit),
except
with respect to a condition based upon another provision hereof, the waiver
of
which requires only the concurrence of the Required Lenders and, in the case
of
the conditions specified in Section
4.1 (Conditions to Effectiveness),
subject
to the provisions of Section
4.3 (Determination of Initial Borrowing Conditions);
(ii) increase
the Revolving Credit Commitment of such Lender or subject such Lender to any
additional obligation;
(iii) extend
the scheduled final maturity of any Loan owing to such Lender or the Revolving
Credit Termination Date or the Final Maturity Date, or waive, reduce or postpone
any scheduled date fixed for the payment or reduction of principal or interest
of any such Loan or fees owing to such Lender (it being understood that
Section
2.8 (Mandatory Prepayments)
does not
provide for scheduled dates fixed for payment) or for the reduction of such
Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment, except as provided in Section
2.18;
(iv) reduce,
or release any Borrower from its obligations to repay, the principal amount
of
any Loan or Reimbursement Obligation owing to such Lender (other than by the
payment or prepayment thereof);
(v) reduce
the rate of interest on any Loan or Reimbursement Obligation outstanding and
owing to such Lender or any fee payable hereunder to such Lender;
(vi) postpone
any scheduled date fixed for payment of interest or fees owing to such Lender
or
waive any such payment;
(vii) change
the aggregate Ratable Portions of Lenders required for any or all Lenders to
take any action hereunder;
(viii) release
any Borrower from its payment obligation to such Lender under this Agreement
or
the Revolving Credit Notes owing to such Lender (if any) or release the MLP
from
its obligations under the Guaranty; or
(ix) amend
Section
10.7 (Sharing of Payments, Etc.),
this
Section 10.1
or
either definition of the terms “Required
Lenders”
or
“Ratable
Portion”;
and
provided,
further,
that
(w) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by
any
Special Purpose Vehicle that has been granted an option pursuant to Section
10.2(e) (Assignments
and Participations),
affect
the grant or nature of such option or the right or duties of such Special
Purpose Vehicle hereunder, (x) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless
in
writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders
required above to take such action, affect the rights or duties of the
Administrative Agent under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, (y)
no
amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Issuer
in addition to the Lenders required above to take such action, affect the rights
or duties of the Issuer under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents and
(z)
no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the
Swingline Lender in addition to the Lenders required above to take such action,
affect the rights or duties of the Swingline Lender under this Agreement or
the
other Loan Documents; and provided,
further,
that the
Administrative Agent may, with the consent of the Parent Borrower, amend, modify
or supplement this Agreement to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or
inconsistency, so long as such amendment, modification or supplement does not
adversely affect the rights of any Lender or Issuer; and provided,
further,
that
the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent may enter into any amendment
necessary to implement the terms of a Revolving Credit Commitment Increase
or a
conversion of Revolving Loans to Term Loans in accordance with the terms of
this
Agreement without the consent of any Lender; and provided,
further,
that
the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent may enter into any amendment
contemplated by Section
7.10
without
the consent of any Lender.
(b) The
Administrative Agent may, but shall have no obligation to, with the written
concurrence of any Lender, execute amendments, modifications, waivers or
consents on behalf of such Lender. Any waiver or consent shall be effective
only
in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which it was given.
No
notice to or demand on the Borrowers in any case shall entitle the Borrowers
to
any other or further notice or demand in similar or other
circumstances.
10.2 Assignments
and Participations.
(a) Each
Lender may sell, transfer, negotiate or assign to one or more Eligible Assignees
all or a portion of its rights and obligations hereunder (including all of
its
rights and obligations with respect to the Loans and the Letters of Credit);
provided,
however,
that
(i) if any such assignment shall be of the assigning Lender’s Revolving Credit
Outstandings and Revolving Credit Commitments, such assignment shall cover
the
same percentage of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Outstandings and Revolving
Credit Commitments, (ii) if any such assignment shall be of the assigning
Lender’s Revolving Credit Outstandings, such assignment shall cover a ratable
amount of each Borrower’s Revolving Credit Outstandings, (iii) the aggregate
amount being assigned pursuant to each such assignment (determined as of the
date of the Assignment and Acceptance with respect to such assignment) shall
in
no event (if less than the assignor’s entire interest) be less than $5,000,000
or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, except, in either
case,
(A) with the consent of the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent or
(B)
if such assignment is being made to a Lender or an Affiliate or Approved Fund
of
such Lender, and (iv) if such Eligible Assignee is not, prior to the date of
such assignment, a Lender or an Affiliate or Approved Fund of a Lender, such
assignment shall be subject to the prior consent of the Administrative Agent
and
the Parent Borrower (which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed); and provided,
further,
that,
notwithstanding any other provision of this Section
10.2,
the
consent of the Parent Borrower shall not be required for any assignment
occurring when any Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing.
(b) The
parties to each such assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative
Agent, for its acceptance and recording in the Register, an Assignment and
Acceptance, together with any Revolving Credit Note (if the assigning Lender’s
Revolving Loans are evidenced by a Revolving Credit Note) subject to such
assignment. Upon the execution, delivery, acceptance and recording in the
Register of any Assignment and Acceptance and, other than in respect of
assignments made pursuant to
Section 2.16 (Substitution of Lenders),
the
receipt by the Administrative Agent from the assignee of an assignment fee
in
the amount of $3,500 from and after the effective date specified in such
Assignment and Acceptance, (i) the assignee thereunder shall become a party
hereto and, to the extent that rights and obligations under the Loan Documents
have been assigned to such assignee pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance,
have the rights and obligations of a Lender and, if such Lender were an Issuer,
of such Issuer hereunder and thereunder, and (ii) the Revolving Credit Notes
(if
any) corresponding to the Loans assigned thereby shall be transferred to such
assignee by notation in the Register and (iii) the assignor thereunder
shall, to the extent that rights and obligations under this Agreement have
been
assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights
(except for those surviving the payment in full of the Obligations) and be
released from its obligations under the Loan Documents, other than those
relating to events or circumstances occurring prior to such assignment (and,
in
the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion
of an assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under the Loan Documents, such
Lender shall cease to be a party hereto).
(c) The
Administrative Agent shall maintain at its address referred to in Section
10.8 (Notices, Etc.) a
copy of
each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it and shall record
in the Register the names and addresses of the Lenders and Issuers and the
principal amount of the Loans or Reimbursement Obligation owing to each Lender
from time to time and the Revolving Credit Commitments of each Lender. Any
assignment pursuant to this
Section 10.2
shall
not be effective until such assignment is recorded in the Register.
(d) Upon
its
receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning Lender and
an
assignee, the Administrative Agent shall, if such Assignment and Acceptance
has
been completed, (i) accept such Assignment and Acceptance, (ii) record or cause
to be recorded the information contained therein in the Register and (iii)
give
prompt notice thereof to the Parent Borrower. Within five Business Days after
the Parent Borrower’s receipt of such notice, the Borrowers, at their own
expense, shall, if requested by such assignee, execute and deliver to the
Administrative Agent new Revolving Credit Notes to the order of such assignee
in
an amount equal to the Revolving Credit Commitments and Revolving Loans assumed
by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance and, if the assigning Lender
has surrendered any Revolving Credit Note for exchange in connection with the
assignment and has retained Commitments or Revolving Loans hereunder, new
Revolving Credit Notes to the order of the assigning Lender in an amount equal
to the Revolving Credit Commitments and Revolving Loans retained by it
hereunder. Such new Revolving Credit Notes shall be dated the same date as
the
surrendered Revolving Credit Notes and be in substantially the form of
Exhibit
E (Form of Revolving Credit Note).
(e) In
addition to the other assignment rights provided in this Section 10.2,
each
Lender may do each of the following:
(i) grant
to
a Special Purpose Vehicle the option to make all or any part of any Loan that
such Lender would otherwise be required to make hereunder and the exercise
of
such option by any such Special Purpose Vehicle and the making of Loans pursuant
thereto shall satisfy (once and to the extent that such Loans are made) the
obligation of such Lender to make such Loans thereunder; provided,
however,
that
(x) nothing herein shall constitute a commitment or an offer to commit by
such a Special Purpose Vehicle to make Loans hereunder and no such Special
Purpose Vehicle shall be liable for any indemnity or other Obligation (other
than the making of Loans for which such Special Purpose Vehicle shall have
exercised an option, and then only in accordance with the relevant option
agreement) and (y) such Lender’s obligations under the Loan Documents shall
remain unchanged, such Lender shall remain responsible to the other parties
for
the performance of its obligations under the terms of this Agreement and shall
remain the holder of the Obligations for all purposes hereunder;
and
(ii) assign,
as collateral or otherwise, any of its rights under this Agreement, whether
now
owned or hereafter acquired (including rights to payments of principal or
interest on the Loans), to (A) without notice to or consent of the
Administrative Agent or the Borrowers, any Federal Reserve Bank (pursuant to
Regulation A of the Federal Reserve Board) and (B) without consent of the
Administrative Agent or the Borrowers, (1) any holder of, or trustee for the
benefit of, the holders of such Lender’s Securities and (2) any Special Purpose
Vehicle to which such Lender has granted an option pursuant to clause
(i) above;
provided,
however,
that no
such assignment or grant shall release such Lender from any of its obligations
hereunder except as expressly provided in clause
(i) above.
Each
party hereto acknowledges and agrees that, prior to the date that is one year
and one day after the payment in full of all outstanding commercial paper or
other senior debt of any such Special Purpose Vehicle, such party shall not
institute against, or join any other Person in instituting against, any Special
Purpose Vehicle that has been granted an option pursuant to this clause
(e)
any
bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency or liquidation proceeding (such agreement
shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations). The terms of the
designation of, or assignment to, such Special Purpose Vehicle shall not
restrict such Lender’s ability to, or grant such Special Purpose Vehicle the
right to, consent to any amendment or waiver to this Agreement or any other
Loan
Document or to the departure by the Borrowers from any provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document without the consent of such Special Purpose
Vehicle except, as long as the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuers
shall continue to, and shall be entitled to continue to, deal solely and
directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s obligations under
this Agreement, to the extent any such consent would reduce the principal amount
of, or the rate of interest on, any Obligations, amend this clause
(e)
or
postpone any scheduled date of payment of such principal or interest. Each
Special Purpose Vehicle shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections
2.14
(Capital
Adequacy)
and
2.15
(Taxes)
as if it
were such Lender; provided,
however,
that
anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no Borrower shall, at any
time,
be obligated to make under 2.14
(Capital
Adequacy)
or
2.15
(Taxes)
to any
such Special Purpose Vehicle and any such Lender any payment in excess of the
amount such Borrower would have been obligated to pay to such Lender in respect
of such interest if such Special Purpose Vehicle had not been assigned the
rights of such Lender hereunder; and provided,
further,
that
such Special Purpose Vehicle shall have no direct right to enforce any of the
terms of this Agreement against the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent or
the
other Lenders.
(f) Each
Lender may sell participations to one or more Persons in or to all or a portion
of its rights and obligations under the Loan Documents (including all its rights
and obligations with respect to the Loans and Letters of Credit). The terms
of
such participation shall not, in any event, require the participant’s consent to
any amendments, waivers or other modifications of any provision of any Loan
Documents, the consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, or to
the
exercising or refraining from exercising any powers or rights such Lender may
have under or in respect of the Loan Documents (including the right to enforce
the obligations of the Loan Parties), except if any such amendment, waiver
or
other modification or consent would reduce the amount, or postpone any date
fixed for, any amount (whether of principal, interest or fees) payable to such
participant under the Loan Documents, to which such participant would otherwise
be entitled under such participation. In the event of the sale of any
participation by any Lender, (w) such Lender’s obligations under the Loan
Documents shall remain unchanged, (x) such Lender shall remain solely
responsible to the other parties for the performance of such obligations, (y)
such Lender shall remain the holder of such Obligations for all purposes of
this
Agreement and (z) the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the other Lenders
shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with
such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Each participant
shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections
2.14
(Capital
Adequacy)
and
2.15
(Taxes)
as if it
were a Lender; provided,
however,
that
anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no Borrower shall, at any
time,
be obligated to make under 2.14
(Capital
Adequacy)
or
2.15
(Taxes)
to
the
participants in the rights and obligations of any Lender (together with such
Lender) any payment in excess of the amount such Borrower would have been
obligated to pay to such Lender in respect of such interest had such
participation not been sold and provided,
further,
that
such participant in the rights and obligations of such Lender shall have no
direct right to enforce any of the terms of this Agreement against the
Borrowers, the Administrative Agent or the other Lenders.
(g) Any
Issuer may at any time assign its rights and obligations hereunder to any other
Lender by an instrument in form and substance satisfactory to the Parent
Borrower, the Administrative Agent, such Issuer and such Lender, subject to
the
provisions of Section
2.6(c) (Evidence of Debt)
relating
to notations of transfer in the Register; provided,
however,
that
each such assignment shall be subject to the prior consent of the Parent
Borrower (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed); and
provided,
further,
that,
notwithstanding the foregoing, the consent of the Parent Borrower shall not
be
required for any assignment occurring when any Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing. If any Issuer ceases to be a Lender hereunder by
virtue of any assignment made pursuant to this Section
10.2,
then,
as of the effective date of such cessation, such Issuer’s obligations to Issue
Letters of Credit pursuant to Section
2.3 (Letters of Credit) shall
terminate and such Issuer shall be an Issuer hereunder only with respect to
outstanding Letters of Credit issued prior to such date.
10.3 Costs
and Expenses.
(a) Each
Borrower agrees, jointly and severally, upon demand to pay, or reimburse the
Administrative Agent for, all of the Administrative Agent’s reasonable internal
and external audit, legal, appraisal, valuation, filing, document duplication
and reproduction and investigation expenses and for all other reasonable
out-of-pocket costs and expenses of every type and nature (including the
reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of the Administrative Agent’s
counsel, Weil, Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP, local legal counsel, auditors,
accountants, appraisers, printers, insurance and environmental advisors, and
other consultants and agents) incurred by the Administrative Agent in connection
with any of the following: (i) the Administrative Agent’s audit and
investigation of the Parent Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with
the
preparation, negotiation or execution of any Loan Document or the Administrative
Agent’s periodic audits of the Parent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, as
the case may be, (ii) the preparation, negotiation, execution or interpretation
of this Agreement (including, without limitation, the satisfaction or attempted
satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section
4 (Conditions Precedent)),
any
Loan Document or any proposal letter or commitment letter issued in connection
therewith, or the making of the Loans hereunder, (iii) the ongoing
administration of this Agreement and the Loans, including consultation with
attorneys in connection therewith and with respect to the Administrative Agent’s
rights and responsibilities hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (iv)
the protection, collection or enforcement of any Obligation or the enforcement
of any Loan Document, (v) the commencement, defense or intervention in any
court
proceeding relating in any way to the Obligations, any Loan Party, any of the
Parent Borrower’s Subsidiaries, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (vi)
the response to, and preparation for, any subpoena or request for document
production with which the Administrative Agent is served or deposition or other
proceeding in which the Administrative Agent is called to testify, in each
case,
relating in any way to the Obligations, any Loan Party, any of the Parent
Borrower’s Subsidiaries, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or (vii) any
amendment, consent, waiver, assignment, restatement, or supplement to any Loan
Document or the preparation, negotiation and execution of the same; provided,
however,
that
the Borrowers shall not have any liability under subclauses
(v) and
(vi)
of
this
Section 10.3(a)
with
respect to any costs and expenses that has resulted from the gross negligence
or
willful misconduct of the Administrative Agent or the breach by the
Administrative Agent of its obligations under this Agreement, as determined
by a
court of competent jurisdiction in a final non-appealable judgment or
order.
(b) Each
Borrower further agrees, jointly and severally, to pay or reimburse the
Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders and Issuers upon demand for all
out-of-pocket costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees
(including allocated costs of internal counsel and costs of settlement),
incurred by the Administrative Agent, such Lenders or such Issuers in connection
with any of the following: (i) in enforcing any Loan Document or Obligation
or
exercising or enforcing any other right or remedy available by reason of an
Event of Default, (ii) in connection with any refinancing or restructuring
of
the credit arrangements provided hereunder in the nature of a “work-out”
or
in
any insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding, (iii) in commencing, defending or
intervening in any litigation or in filing a petition, complaint, answer, motion
or other pleadings in any legal proceeding relating to the Obligations, any
Loan
Party, any of the Parent Borrower’s Subsidiaries and related to or arising out
of the transactions contemplated hereby or by any other Loan Document or (iv)
in
taking any other action in or with respect to any suit or proceeding (bankruptcy
or otherwise) described in clause (i),
(ii)
or
(iii)
above;
provided,
however,
that
the Borrowers shall not have any liability under clause
(iii) of
this
Section 10.3(b)
to the
Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuer with respect to any costs and
expenses that has resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct
of
the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuer, as applicable, or the
breach by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuer, as applicable,
of its obligations under this Agreement, as determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction in a final non-appealable judgment or order.
10.4 Indemnities.
(a) Each
Borrower agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each
Agent, each Arranger, each Lender, each Issuer and each of their respective
Affiliates, and each of the directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees,
representatives, attorneys, consultants and advisors of or to any of the
foregoing (including those retained in connection with the satisfaction or
attempted satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section
4 (Conditions Precedent)) (each
such Person being an “Indemnitee”)
from
and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, obligations, losses,
penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, disbursements and expenses, joint
or several, of any kind or nature (including fees, disbursements and expenses
of
financial and legal advisors to any such Indemnitee) that may be imposed on,
incurred by or asserted against any such Indemnitee in connection with or
arising out of any investigation, litigation or proceeding, whether or not
such
investigation, litigation or proceeding is brought by any such Indemnitee or
any
of its directors, security holders or creditors or any such Indemnitee,
director, security holder or creditor is a party thereto, whether direct,
indirect, or consequential and whether based on any federal, state or local
law
or other statutory regulation, securities or commercial law or regulation,
or
under common law or in equity, or on contract, tort or otherwise, in any manner
relating to or arising out of this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any
Obligation, any Letter of Credit, or any act, event or transaction related
or
attendant to any thereof, or the use or intended use of the proceeds of the
Loans or Letters of Credit or in connection with any investigation of any
potential matter covered hereby (collectively, the “Indemnified
Matters”);
provided,
however,
that
the Borrowers shall not have any liability under this Section 10.4
to
an
Indemnitee with respect to any Indemnified Matter that has resulted from the
gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or the breach by
such
Indemnitee of its obligations under this Agreement, as determined by a court
of
competent jurisdiction in a final non-appealable judgment or order.
(b) Each
Borrower shall jointly and severally indemnify each Agent, each Arranger, each
Lender and each Issuer for, and hold the Agents, the Arrangers, the Lenders
and
the Issuers harmless from and against, any and all claims for brokerage
commissions, fees and other compensation made against the Agents, the Arrangers,
the Lenders and the Issuers for any broker, finder or consultant with respect
to
any agreement, arrangement or understanding made by or on behalf of any Loan
Party or any of the Parent Borrower’s Subsidiaries in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(c) Each
Borrower, at the request of any Indemnitee, shall have the obligation to defend
against any investigation, litigation or proceeding, in each case contemplated
in clause
(a) above,
and
each Borrower, in any event, may participate in the defense thereof with legal
counsel of such Borrower’s choice. In the event that such indemnitee requests
such Borrower to defend against such investigation, litigation or proceeding,
such Borrower shall promptly do so and such Indemnitee shall have the right
to
have legal counsel of its choice participate in such defense. No action taken
by
legal counsel chosen by such Indemnitee in defending against any such
investigation, litigation or proceeding shall vitiate or in any way impair
the
Borrowers’ obligation and duty hereunder to indemnify and hold harmless such
Indemnitee.
(d) Each
Borrower agrees that any indemnification or other protection provided to any
Indemnitee pursuant to this Agreement (including pursuant to this
Section 10.4)
or any
other Loan Document shall (i) survive payment in full of the Obligations and
(ii) inure to the benefit of any Person that was at any time an Indemnitee
under
this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
10.5 Limitation
of Liability.
(a) Each
Borrower agrees that no Indemnitee shall have any liability (whether in
contract, tort or otherwise) to any Loan Party or any of their respective
Subsidiaries or any of their respective equity holders or creditors for or
in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and in the other Loan
Documents, except to the extent such liability is determined in a final
non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted
from such Indemnitee’s gross negligence or willful misconduct or the breach by
such Indemnitee of its obligations under this Agreement. In no event, however,
shall any Indemnitee be liable on any theory of liability for any special,
indirect, consequential or punitive damages (including, without limitation,
any
loss of profits, business or anticipated savings). Each of the MLP and the
Borrowers hereby waives, releases and agrees (each for itself and on behalf
of
its Subsidiaries) not to xxx upon any such claim for any special, indirect,
consequential or punitive damages, whether or not accrued and whether or not
known or suspected to exist in its favor.
(b) IN
NO
EVENT SHALL ANY AGENT AFFILIATE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY LOAN PARTY, LENDER,
ISSUER OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR
INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES
(WHETHER IN TORT OR CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF ANY LOAN PARTY OR
ANY
AGENT AFFILIATE’S TRANSMISSION OF APPROVED ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE
INTERNET OR ANY USE OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT
SUCH LIABILITY OF ANY AGENT AFFILIATE IS FOUND IN A FINAL NON-APPEALABLE
JUDGMENT BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO HAVE RESULTED PRIMARILY FORM
SUCH AGENT AFFILIATE’S GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT.
10.6 Right
of Set-off.
Upon
the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default each Lender
and each Affiliate of a Lender is hereby authorized at any time and from time
to
time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and
all
deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any
time
held and other Indebtedness at any time owing by such Lender or its Affiliates
to or for the credit or the account of any Borrower against any and all of
the
Obligations now or hereafter existing whether or not such Lender shall have
made
any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and even though
such
Obligations may be unmatured. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify the Parent
Borrower after any such set-off and application made by such Lender or its
Affiliates; provided,
however,
that
the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off
and application. The rights of each Lender under this
Section 10.6
are in
addition to the other rights and remedies (including other rights of set-off)
that such Lender may have.
10.7 Sharing
of Payments, Etc.
(a) If
any
Lender (directly or through an Affiliate thereof) obtains any payment (whether
voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of set-off (including
pursuant to Section
10.6 (Right of Set-off)) or
otherwise) of the Loans owing to it, any interest thereon, fees in respect
thereof or amounts due pursuant to
Section 10.3 (Costs and Expenses) or
10.4
Indemnities) (other
than payments pursuant to Section 2.13
(Special
Provisions Governing Eurodollar Rate Loans),
2.14
(Capital
Adequacy)
or
2.15
(Taxes)
(in each
case, whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of
set-off (including pursuant to Section
10.6 (Right of Set-off))
or
otherwise) in excess of its Ratable Portion of all payments of such Obligations
obtained by all the Lenders, such Lender (a “Purchasing
Lender”)
shall
forthwith purchase from the other Lenders (each, a “Selling
Lender”)
such
participations in their Loans or other Obligations as shall be necessary to
cause such Purchasing Lender to share the excess payment ratably with each
of
them.
(b) If
all or
any portion of any payment received by a Purchasing Lender is thereafter
recovered from such Purchasing Lender, such purchase from each Selling Lender
shall be rescinded and such Selling Lender shall repay to the Purchasing Lender
the purchase price to the extent of such recovery together with an amount equal
to such Selling Lender’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the
amount of such Selling Lender’s required repayment in relation to (ii) the total
amount so recovered from the Purchasing Lender) of any interest or other amount
paid or payable by the Purchasing Lender in respect of the total amount so
recovered.
(c) Each
Borrower agrees that any Purchasing Lender so purchasing a participation from
a
Selling Lender pursuant to this Section
10.7
may, to
the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment
(including the right of set-off) with respect to such participation as fully
as
if such Lender were the direct creditor of such Borrower in the amount of such
participation.
10.8 Notices,
Etc.
(a) Addresses
for Notices.
All
notices, demands, requests, consents and other communications provided for
in
this Agreement shall be given in writing, and addressed to the party to be
notified as follows:
(i) if
to the
Borrowers or the MLP:
c/o
Boardwalk Pipelines, LP
0000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Chief Financial Officer
Telecopy
no: (000) 000-0000
with
a
copy to:
Loews
Corporation
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention:
Corporate Secretary
Telecopy
no: (000) 000-0000
and
a
further copy to:
Xxxxxx
& Xxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx XxXxx
Telecopy
no: (000) 000-0000
(ii) if
to any
Lender, at its Domestic Lending Office specified opposite its name on
Schedule
II (Applicable Lending Offices) or
on the
signature page of any applicable Assignment and Acceptance;
(iii) if
to any
Issuer, at the address set forth under its name on Schedule
II (Applicable Lending Offices) or
on the
signature page of any applicable Assignment and Acceptance; and
(iv) if
to the
Swingline Lender:
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
c/o
Wachovia Securities
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Agency Services
Telecopy
no.: (000) 000-0000
(v) if
to the
Administrative Agent:
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
c/o
Wachovia Securities
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Agency Services
Telecopy
no.: (000) 000-0000
with
a
copy to:
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
c/o
Wachovia Securities
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Telecopy
no.: (000) 000-0000
and
with
a further copy to:
Weil,
Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Telecopy
no: (000) 000-0000
or
at
such other address as shall be notified in writing (x) in the case of the
Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the Swingline Lender, to the other
parties and (y) in the case of all other parties, to the Borrowers and the
Administrative Agent.
(b) Effectiveness
of Notices.
All
notices, demands, requests, consents and other communications described in
Section
10.8(a) above
shall be
effective (i) if delivered by hand, including any overnight courier service,
upon personal delivery, (ii) if delivered by mail, when deposited in the mails,
and (iii) if delivered by posting to an Approved Electronic Platform (to the
extent permitted by Section
9.3
to be
delivered thereunder), an Internet website or a similar telecommunication device
requiring a user prior access to such Approved Electronic Platform, website
or
other device (to the extent permitted by Section
9.3
to be
delivered thereunder), when such notice, demand, request, consent and other
communication shall have been made generally available on such Approved
Electronic Platform, Internet website or similar device to the class of Person
being notified (regardless of whether any such Person must accomplish, and
whether or not any such Person shall have accomplished, any action prior to
obtaining access to such items, including registration, disclosure of contact
information, compliance with a standard user agreement or undertaking a duty
of
confidentiality) and such Person has been notified that such communication
has
been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform; provided,
however,
that
notices and communications to the Administrative Agent pursuant to
Section 2 (Amount and Terms of Commitments) or
Section
9 (The Agents)
shall
not be effective until received by the Administrative Agent.
(c) Use
of Electronic Platform.
Notwithstanding Sections
10.8(a) and
(b) above
(unless
the Administrative Agent requests that the provisions of Sections
10.8(a) and
(b) above
be
followed) and any other provision in this Agreement or any other Loan Document
providing for the delivery of any Approved Electronic Communication by any
other
means the Loan Parties shall deliver all Approved Electronic Communications
to
the Administrative Agent by properly transmitting such Approved Electronic
Communications in an electronic/soft medium in a format acceptable to the
Administrative Agent to such electronic mail address (or similar means of
electronic delivery) as the Administrative Agent may notify the Parent Borrower.
Nothing in this clause
(c)
shall
prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuer to
deliver any Approved Electronic Communication to any Loan Party in any manner
authorized in this Agreement or to request that the Borrowers effect delivery
in
such manner.
10.9 No
Waiver; Remedies.
No
failure on the part of any Lender, any Issuer or the Administrative Agent to
exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as
a
waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right. The remedies herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any
remedies provided by law.
10.10 Binding
Effect.
This
Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the
Borrowers, the MLP and the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative
Agent shall have been notified by each Lender and Issuer that such Lender or
Issuer has executed it and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure solely
to
the benefit of the Borrowers, the MLP, the Administrative Agent and each Lender
and Issuer and, in each case, their respective successors and assigns;
provided,
however,
that
the Borrowers and the MLP shall not have the right to assign their rights
hereunder or any interest herein without the prior written consent of the
Lenders.
10.11 Governing
Law.
This
Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed
by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the law of the State
of
New York.
10.12 Submission
to Jurisdiction; Service of Process.
(a) Any
legal
action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement or any other Loan Document
may be brought in the courts of the State of New York located in the City of
New
York or of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York,
and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, each of the MLP and the
Borrowers hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally
and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts. The parties
hereto hereby irrevocably waive any objection, including any objection to the
laying of venue or based on the grounds of forum
non conveniens,
that
any of them may now or hereafter have to the bringing of any such action or
proceeding in such respective jurisdictions.
(b) Each
of
the MLP and the Borrowers hereby irrevocably consents to the service of any
and
all process in any such action or proceeding by the mailing (by registered
or
certified mail, postage prepaid) of copies of such process to the MLP or such
Borrower at its address specified in
Section 10.8 (Notices, Etc.).
Each of
the MLP and the Borrowers 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.
(c) Nothing
contained in this
Section 10.12 shall
affect the right of the Administrative Agent or any Lender to serve process
in
any other manner permitted by law or commence legal proceedings or otherwise
proceed against the any Borrower or any other Loan Party in any other
jurisdiction.
(d) If
for
the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert
a sum
due hereunder in Dollars into another currency, the parties hereto agree, to
the
fullest extent that they may effectively do so, that the rate of exchange used
shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the
Administrative Agent could purchase Dollars with such other currency at the
spot
rate of exchange quoted by the Administrative Agent at 11:00 a.m. (New York
time) on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given,
for
the purchase of Dollars, for delivery two Business Days thereafter.
10.13 Waiver
of Jury Trial.
EACH
OF
THE AGENTS, THE LENDERS, THE ISSUERS, THE BORROWERS AND THE MLP IRREVOCABLY
WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT
OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT.
10.14 Marshaling;
Payments Set Aside.
None of
the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuer shall be under any obligation
to marshal any assets in favor of the MLP, any Borrower or any other party
or
against or in payment of any or all of the Obligations.
10.15 Section
Titles.
The
section titles contained in this Agreement are and shall be without substantive
meaning or content of any kind whatsoever and are not a part of the agreement
between the parties hereto, except when used to reference a section. Any
reference to the number of a clause, sub-clause or subsection hereof immediately
followed by a reference in parenthesis to the title of the Section containing
such clause, sub-clause or subsection is a reference to such clause, sub-clause
or subsection and not to the entire Section; provided,
however,
that,
in case of direct conflict between the reference to the title and the reference
to the number of such Section, the reference to the title shall govern absent
manifest error. If any reference to the number of a Section (but not to any
clause, sub-clause or subsection thereof) is followed immediately by a reference
in parenthesis to the title of a Section, the title reference shall govern
in
case of direct conflict absent manifest error.
10.16 Execution
in Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties
in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to
be
an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
agreement. Signature pages may be detached from multiple separate counterparts
and attached to a single counterpart so that all signature pages are attached
to
the same document. Delivery of an executed signature page of this Agreement
by
facsimile transmission, electronic mail or by posting on the Approved Electronic
Platform shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart
hereof. A set of the copies of this Agreement signed by all parties shall be
lodged with the Parent Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
10.17 Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement, together with all of the other Loan Documents and all certificates
and documents delivered hereunder or thereunder, embodies the entire agreement
of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating
to the subject matter hereof. In the event of any conflict between the terms
of
this Agreement and any other Loan Document, the terms of this Agreement shall
govern.
10.18 Confidentiality.
Each
Lender, each Issuer and the Administrative Agent agree to use all reasonable
efforts to keep information obtained by it pursuant hereto and the other Loan
Documents confidential in accordance with such Lender’s, such Issuer’s or the
Administrative Agent’s, as the case may be, customary practices and agrees that
it shall only use such information in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and not disclose any such information other
than
(a) to such Lender’s, such Issuer’s or the Administrative Agent’s, as the case
may be, employees, Affiliates, representatives and agents, including
accountants, legal counsel and other advisors, that are or are expected to
be
involved in the evaluation of such information in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and are advised of the confidential
nature of such information, (b) to the extent such information presently is
or
hereafter becomes available to such Lender, such Issuer or the Administrative
Agent, as the case may be, on a non-confidential basis from a source other
than
the Parent Borrower or any other Loan Party, (c) to the extent disclosure is
required by law, regulation or judicial order or requested or required by
regulatory, governmental or administrative authority (including bank regulators)
or auditors or self-regulatory body, (d) to the other parties hereto, (e) 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 or (f) to current or prospective
assignees, participants and Special Purpose Vehicle grantees of any option
described in
Section 10.2(f) (Assignments and Participations),
and to
their respective legal or financial advisors, in each case and to the extent
such assignees, participants, grantees or counterparties agree to be bound
by,
and to cause their advisors to comply with, the provisions of this Section
10.18.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the Administrative Agent
hereby agrees that the Borrowers (and each of their officers, directors,
employees, accountants, attorneys and other advisors) may disclose to any and
all persons, without limitation of any kind, the U.S. tax treatment and U.S.
tax
structure of the Facility and the transactions contemplated hereby and all
materials of any kind (including opinions and other tax analyses) that are
provided to it relating to such U.S. tax treatment and U.S. tax
structure.
10.19 Patriot
Act Notice.
Each
Lender subject to the Patriot Act hereby notifies the Borrowers that, pursuant
to Section 326 of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record
information that identifies the Borrowers, including the name and address of
the
Borrowers and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the
Borrowers in accordance with the Patriot Act.
10.20 Amendment
and Restatement.
(a) On
the
Effective Date, (i) the Existing Revolving Credit Commitment of any Existing
Lender that is not a Lender under this Agreement shall be terminated (and any
notice with respect thereto is hereby waived) and (ii) the Existing Revolving
Credit Commitment of any Existing Lender that is a Lender under this Agreement
shall be amended to the amount set forth on Schedule I.
(b) On
the
Effective Date, the Existing Credit Agreement shall be amended and restated
in
its entirety by this Agreement, and the Existing Credit Agreement shall
thereafter be of no further force and effect, except to evidence (i) the
incurrence by the Parent Borrower of the “Obligations” under and as defined in
the Existing Credit Agreement (whether or not such “Obligations” are contingent
as of the Effective Date), (ii) the representations and warranties made by
the
Parent Borrower prior to the Effective Date and (iii) any action or omission
performed or required to be performed pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement
prior to the Effective Date (including any failure, prior to the Effective
Date,
to comply with the covenants contained in the Existing Credit Agreement). The
amendments and restatements set forth herein shall not cure any breach thereof
or any “Default” or “Event of Default” under and as defined in the Existing
Credit Agreement (if any) existing prior to the Effective Date. This Agreement
is not in any way intended to constitute a novation of the obligations and
liabilities existing under the Existing Credit Agreement or evidence payment
of
all or any portion of such obligations and liabilities.
(c) This
amendment and restatement is limited as written and is not a consent to any
other amendment, restatement or waiver, whether or not similar and, except
as
expressly provided herein or in any other Loan Document, all terms and
conditions of the Loan Documents remain in full force and effect unless
otherwise specifically amended hereby or by any other Loan Document.
[Signature
Pages Follow]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed and delivered by their proper and duly authorized officers as of the
day and year first above written.
BOARDWALK
PIPELINES, LP,
as
Borrower
By:
Boardwalk
Operating GP, LLC,
its
general partner
its
managing member
By:
Boardwalk
GP, LP,
its
general partner
By:
Boardwalk
GP, LLC,
its
general partner
By: _____________________________
Name:
Title:
TEXAS
GAS
TRANSMISSION, LLC,
as
Borrower
By:
______________________________
Name:
Title:
GULF
SOUTH PIPELINE COMPANY, LP,
as
Borrower
By:
GS
PIPELINE COMPANY, LLC,
its
general partner
By:
_________________________________
Name:
Title:
By:
Boardwalk GP, LP,
its
general partner
By:
Boardwalk
GP, LLC,
its
general partner
By: ____________________________________
Name:
Title:
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Administrative Agent, Issuer and a Lender
By:
___________________________________
Name:
Title:
CITIBANK,
N.A.,
as
Syndication Agent and a Lender
By:_______________________________
Name:
Title:
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Co-Documentation Agent and a Lender
By:__________________________________
Name:
Title:
DEUTSCHE
BANK SECURITIES INC.,
as
Co-Documentation Agent
By:________________________________
Name:
Title:
By:____________________________________
Name:
Title:
DEUTSCHE
BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH,
as
a
Lender
By:________________________________
Name:
Title:
By:_______________________________
Name:
Title:
UNION
BANK OF CALIFORNIA, N.A.
as
Co-Documentation Agent and a Lender
By:_______________________________
Name:
Title:
_______________________________,
as
a
Lender
By:____________________________
Name:
Title:
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
1.1
Defined
Terms
1.2
Other
Definitional Provisions
1.3
Accounting
Terms and Principles
SECTION
2. AMOUNT
AND TERMS OF COMMITMENTS
2.1
The
Commitments
2.2
Borrowing
Procedures
2.3
Letters
of Credit
2.4
Swingline
Loans
2.5
Reduction
and Termination of the Revolving Credit Commitments; Repayment of
Loans
2.6
Evidence
of Debt
2.7
Optional
Prepayments
2.8
Mandatory
Prepayments
2.9
Interest
2.10 Conversion/Continuation
Option
2.11
Fees
2.12
Payments
and Computations
2.13
Special
Provisions Governing Eurodollar Rate Loans
2.14
Capital
Adequacy
2.15
Taxes
2.16
Substitution
of Lenders
2.17
Extensions
of Scheduled Maturity Date; Removal of Lenders
2.18
Conversion
to Term Loans
2.19
The
Administrative Borrower
SECTION
3. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
3.1
Financial
Condition
3.2
No
Change
3.3
Corporate
Existence; Compliance with Law
3.4
Limited
Partnership Power; Authorization; Enforceable Obligations
3.5
No
Legal
Bar
3.6
No
Material Litigation
3.7
No
Default
3.8
Ownership
of Property; Liens
3.9
Taxes
3.10
ERISA
3.11
Use
of
Proceeds
3.12
Environmental
Matters
3.13
Accuracy
of Information, etc
3.14
Solvency
3.15
Subsidiaries;
Borrower Information
3.16
Margin
Regulations
3.17
Investment
Company Act
3.18
Insurance
3.19
Foreign
Assets Control Regulations, Etc
SECTION
4. CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
4.1
Conditions
to Effectiveness
4.2
Conditions
Precedent to Each Extension of Credit
4.3
Determinations
of Initial Borrowing Conditions
4.4
Conditions
Precedent to Each Incremental Credit Extension Date
SECTION
5. FINANCIAL
COVENANT
SECTION
6. AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
6.1
Financial
Statements
6.2
Certificates;
Other Information
6.3
Payment
of Obligations
6.4
Conduct
of Business and Maintenance of Existence, etc
6.5
Maintenance
of Property; Insurance
6.6
Inspection
of Property; Books and Records; Discussions
6.7
Notices
6.8
Environmental
Laws
6.9
Payment
of Taxes, Etc
6.10
Use
of
Proceeds
SECTION
7. NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
7.1
Limitations
on Indebtedness
7.2
Limitations
upon Liens
7.3
Limitation
on Investments
7.4
Limitation
on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions
7.5
Fundamental
Changes
7.6
Restricted
Payments
7.7
Limitation
on Restrictions on Subsidiary Distributions
7.8
Limitation
on Transactions with Affiliates
7.9
Limitation
on Lines of Business
7.10
Accounting
Changes; Fiscal Year
7.11
Limitation
on Modification of Constituent Documents
SECTION
8. EVENTS
OF
DEFAULT
8.1
Events
of
Default
8.2
Actions
in Respect of Letters of Credit
SECTION
9. THE
AGENTS
9.1
Authorization
and Action
9.2
Administrative
Agent’s Reliance, Etc
9.3
Posting
of Approved Electronic Communications
9.4
The
Administrative Agent Individually
9.5
Lender
Credit Decision
9.6
Indemnification
9.7
Successor
Administrative Agent
9.8
The
Arrangers; the Syndication Agent; the Co-Documentation Agents
SECTION
10. MISCELLANEOUS
10.1
Amendments,
Waivers, Etc
10.2
Assignments
and Participations
10.3
Costs
and
Expenses
10.4
Indemnities
10.5
Limitation
of Liability
10.6
Right
of
Set-off
10.7
Sharing
of Payments, Etc
10.8
Notices,
Etc
10.9
No
Waiver; Remedies
10.10
Binding
Effect
10.11
Governing
Law
10.12
Submission
to Jurisdiction; Service of Process
10.13
Waiver
of
Jury Trial
10.14
Marshaling;
Payments Set Aside
10.15
Section
Titles
10.16
Execution
in Counterparts
10.17
Entire
Agreement
10.18
Confidentiality
10.19
Patriot
Act Notice
10.20
Amendment
and Restatement
SCHEDULES:
I Revolving
Credit Commitments
II Applicable
Lending Offices
3.4
Consents,
Authorizations, Filings and Notices
3.6
Litigation
3.15(a)
Subsidiaries
3.15(b)
Borrower
Information
7.1
Indebtedness
7.8
Affiliate
Transactions
EXHIBITS:
A Form
of
Notice of Borrowing
B
Form
of
Closing Certificate
C-1 Form
of
Legal Opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP
C-2
Form
of
Legal Opinion of General Counsel
D
Form
of
Assignment and Acceptance
E
Form
of
Revolving Credit Note
F
Form
of
Notice of Conversion or Continuation
G
Form
of
Guaranty
H
Form
of
Letter of Credit Request
I
Form
of
Swingline Loan Request