SELLER CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of February 21, 2008 among PETERSEN ENERGÍA, S.A., as Borrower REPSOL YPF, S.A. as the Seller and THE BANK OF NEW YORK as Collateral Agent
Exhibit
99.5
EXECUTION
COPY
dated
as
of
February
21, 2008
among
XXXXXXXX
ENERGÍA, S.A.,
as
Borrower
REPSOL
YPF, S.A.
as
the
Seller
and
THE
BANK
OF NEW YORK
as
Collateral Agent
EXECUTION
COPY
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Page
|
|||
ARTICLE
I DEFINITIONS
|
1
|
||
SECTION
1.01.
|
Defined
Terms
|
1
|
|
SECTION
1.02.
|
Terms
Generally
|
15
|
|
SECTION
1.03.
|
Accounting
Terms; GAAP; Historical Financial Calculations
|
15
|
|
|
|||
ARTICLE
II THE CREDITS
|
16
|
||
|
|||
SECTION
2.01.
|
The
Commitment
|
16
|
|
SECTION
2.02.
|
Disbursement
of Loan
|
16
|
|
SECTION
2.03.
|
Repayment
of Loan; Evidence of Debt
|
16
|
|
SECTION
2.04.
|
Prepayment
of Loan
|
17
|
|
SECTION
2.05.
|
Fees
|
18
|
|
SECTION
2.06.
|
Interest
|
18
|
|
SECTION
2.07.
|
[Reserved]
|
19
|
|
SECTION
2.08.
|
[Reserved]
|
19
|
|
SECTION
2.09.
|
[Reserved]
|
19
|
|
SECTION
2.10.
|
Taxes
|
19
|
|
|
SECTION
2.11.
|
Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs
|
19
|
ARTICLE
III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
|
21
|
||
SECTION
3.01.
|
Organization;
Powers
|
21
|
|
SECTION
3.02.
|
Authorization;
Enforceability
|
21
|
|
SECTION
3.03.
|
Governmental
Approvals; No Conflicts
|
22
|
|
SECTION
3.04.
|
No
Material Adverse Change
|
22
|
|
SECTION
3.05.
|
Properties
|
22
|
|
SECTION
3.06.
|
Litigation
|
22
|
|
SECTION
3.07.
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
23
|
|
SECTION
3.08.
|
Compliance
with Agreements; No Default
|
23
|
|
SECTION
3.09.
|
[Reserved.]
|
23
|
|
SECTION
3.10.
|
Taxes
|
23
|
|
SECTION
3.11.
|
Disclosure
|
23
|
|
SECTION
3.12.
|
Security
Interests; Liens
|
23
|
|
SECTION
3.13.
|
Capitalization
|
24
|
|
SECTION
3.14.
|
Subsidiaries
and Investments
|
24
|
|
SECTION
3.15.
|
Solvency
|
24
|
|
ARTICLE
IV CONDITIONS
|
24
|
||
ARTICLE
V AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
|
26
|
||
SECTION
5.01.
|
Financial
Statements and Other Information
|
26
|
SECTION
5.02.
|
Notices
of Material Events
|
27
|
|
SECTION
5.03.
|
[Reserved]
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.04.
|
Existence;
Preservation of Rights; Conduct of Business
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.05.
|
Payment
of Obligations
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.06.
|
Books
and Records; Inspection Rights
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.07.
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.08.
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.09.
|
[Reserved]
|
28
|
|
SECTION
5.10.
|
Further
Assurances; Release of Shares from the Collateral
|
29
|
|
|
|||
ARTICLE
VI NEGATIVE COVENANTS
|
31
|
||
SECTION
6.01.
|
Indebtedness
|
31
|
|
SECTION
6.02.
|
Liens
|
31
|
|
SECTION
6.03.
|
Fundamental
Changes; Dispositions
|
32
|
|
SECTION
6.04.
|
Lines
of Business
|
32
|
|
SECTION
6.05.
|
Subsidiaries
and Investments
|
32
|
|
SECTION
6.06.
|
Restricted
Payments
|
32
|
|
SECTION
6.07.
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
33
|
|
SECTION
6.08.
|
Termination
or Modification of Certain Documents
|
34
|
|
SECTION
6.09.
|
Acquisitions
of Additional Shares
|
34
|
|
|
|||
ARTICLE
VII EVENTS OF DEFAULT
|
34
|
||
|
|||
ARTICLE
VIII THE COLLATERAL AGENT and LENDERS
|
38
|
||
ARTICLE
IX MISCELLANEOUS
|
42
|
||
SECTION
9.01.
|
Notices;
Electronic Communications
|
42
|
|
SECTION
9.02.
|
Waivers;
Amendments
|
43
|
|
SECTION
9.03.
|
Waiver
of Consequential Damages
|
45
|
|
SECTION
9.04.
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
45
|
|
SECTION
9.05.
|
Survival
|
47
|
|
SECTION
9.06.
|
Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness
|
47
|
|
SECTION
9.07.
|
Severability
|
47
|
|
SECTION
9.08.
|
Right
of Setoff
|
47
|
|
SECTION
9.09.
|
Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Etc
|
48
|
|
SECTION
9.10.
|
WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL
|
49
|
|
SECTION
9.11.
|
Waiver
of Immunity
|
49
|
|
SECTION
9.12.
|
Judgment
Currency
|
50
|
|
SECTION
9.13.
|
Headings
|
50
|
|
SECTION
9.14.
|
Confidentiality
|
51
|
EXECUTION
COPY
iii
SCHEDULE
I
|
–
|
Commitment
|
SCHEDULE
II
|
–
|
Lender’s
Account
|
EXHIBIT
A
|
–
|
Form
of Assignment and Assumption
|
EXHIBIT
B
|
–
|
Form
of Purchase Agreement
|
EXHIBIT
C
|
–
|
Form
of Shareholders Agreement
|
EXHIBIT
D
|
–
|
Form
of Senior Term Loan Agreement
|
EXHIBIT
E
|
–
|
Form
of Intercreditor Agreement
|
EXHIBIT
F
|
–
|
Form
of Security Agreement
|
EXHIBIT
G
|
–
|
Form
of Promissory Note
|
EXHIBIT
H
|
–
|
Form
of Process Agent Acceptance
|
SELLER
CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of February 21, 2008, among XXXXXXXX ENERGÍA,
S.A., a special purpose company incorporated under the law of the Kingdom
of Spain with Spanish Tax Number A-85.174.621 (the
“Borrower”),
REPSOL
YPF, S.A.
(the
“Seller”),
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Collateral Agent.
WHEREAS,
the Borrower has requested that the Senior Lenders (as defined below) make
a
loan to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding
$1,026,000,000, to permit the Borrower to, among other things, pay a portion
of
the purchase price in respect of the Acquisition (as defined below); and
WHEREAS,
concurrently with the closing of the financing provided to the Borrower by
the
Senior Lenders, the Seller is prepared to extend credit to the Borrower upon
the
terms and conditions hereof, and, accordingly, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION
1.01. Defined
Terms.
As used
in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified
below:
“2006
Dividend”
means
the dividend declared by the shareholders’ meeting of the Company on February 7,
2008 in an amount equal to 10.76 Argentine Pesos per share, to be paid on
February 29, 2008.
“Acquired
Shares”
means
58,603,606 Class D shares of the Company (and/or American Depositary Shares
representing such shares).
“Acquisition”
means
the acquisition by the Borrower of the Acquired Shares, together with the right
to receive certain dividends, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Additional
Seller Subordinated Debt”
means
Indebtedness of the Borrower (a) owing to the Seller or owing to any other
Person and fully guaranteed by the Seller, (b) subordinated to the Senior
Loans on terms substantially similar to the terms of this Agreement (except
that
no Collateral will be released by the Senior Lenders to be pledged to secure
such Indebtedness), (c) subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, (d) in
an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $250,000,000 and (e) the
proceeds of which are used to finance the purchase of additional Shares by
the
Borrower.
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under
common Control with the Person specified.
“Agents”
means
the Collateral Agent and any other agent for the Lenders appointed by the
Lenders (with the consent of the Borrower).
EXECUTION
COPY
“Annual
Collateral Coverage Ratio”
means,
for any fiscal year of the Company, the ratio of (a) (i) prior to the
date of the first initial public offering of the Class D shares of the Company
following the Closing Date, the Share Collateral Value as at the last day of
such fiscal year and (ii) after the date of the first initial public
offering of the Class D shares of the Company following the Closing Date, the
Share Collateral Value as at the sixth Business Day after the Company has made
publicly available its audited financial statements for such fiscal year to
(b) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Senior Loans (and any
Indebtedness under any Permitted Refinancing) on the sixth Business Day after
the Company has made publicly available its audited financial statements for
such fiscal year.
“Antitrust
Commission”
means
(i) the Comisión
Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia and
the
Secretaría de Comercio Interior
of
Argentina or the Secretaría
de Industria, Comercio y Minería
of
Argentina, (ii) the Tribunal
Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia
of
Argentina, in the event the latter is established, or (iii) any other
Governmental Authority that succeeds to the functions of any of the
foregoing.
“Argentina”
means
the Republic of Argentina.
“Argentine
GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in Argentina.
“Argentine
Pesos”
or
“AR$”
refers
to lawful money of Argentina.
“Asset
Taxes”
means
the aggregate amount payable by the shareholders of Holdings in respect of
personal asset taxes (or equivalent taxes) solely in connection with the
ownership of the Borrower and indirectly the Shares for any fiscal year of
such
shareholders, provided
that the
amount of such personal assets taxes (or equivalent taxes) for any fiscal year
that shall constitute “Asset Taxes” hereunder shall not exceed
(i) $2,500,000 for the fiscal year of such shareholders ending in 2008,
(ii) $5,000,000 for the fiscal year of such shareholders ending in 2009,
(iii) $6,500,000 for the fiscal year of such shareholders ending in 2010,
(iv) $8,500,000 for the fiscal year of such shareholders ending in 2011 and
(v) $11,000,000 for the fiscal year of such shareholders ending in
2012.
“Assigned
Dividend”
means
the right of the Borrower to receive payment of a portion of the 2006 Dividend
equal to the proportion that the Acquired Shares bears in relation to all of
the
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company multiplied
by the
2006 Dividend, which right the Borrower has assigned to the Seller as
consideration for a portion of the purchase price of the Acquired Shares
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Assignment
and Assumption”
means
an assignment and assumption agreement entered into by a Lender and an assignee
(with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04),
in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Lenders and the
Borrower.
“Australia”
means
the Commonwealth of Australia.
“Borrower”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in the recital of parties hereto.
EXECUTION
COPY
-
2
-
“Business
Day”
means
any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks
in
New York, New York, London, England, Madrid, Spain or Buenos Aires, Argentina
are authorized or required by law to remain closed and that is also a day on
which dealings in Dollar deposits are carried out in the London interbank
market.
“Capital
Lease Obligations”
of
any
Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under
any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal
property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be
classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person
under the applicable generally accepted accounting principles, and the amount
of
such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in
accordance with the applicable generally accepted accounting
principles.
“Cash
Equivalents”
means
any one or more of the following securities or obligations with a maturity
date
of no later than the Business Day prior to the Payment Date immediately
following the date of acquisition thereof: (a) direct obligations of, or
obligations fully guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest
by,
the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, the
French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, or
any
agency or instrumentality thereof, provided that at the time of investment
each
such obligation is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States,
the
United Kingdom, Spain, the French Republic, or the Federal Republic of Germany,
as applicable; or (b) readily marketable investments in mutual funds (including
funds for which an Agent or any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates
acts as investment adviser or manager), or other types of securities offering
full principal protection at maturity which seek to maintain a constant net
asset value and which are rated at the time of investment “AA” by S&P and
“Aa2” by Xxxxx’x (or, in each case, the equivalent thereof for mutual funds); or
(c) demand deposits, including interest bearing money market accounts, time
deposits, trust funds, trust accounts, overnight bank deposits, interest-bearing
deposits, and certificates of deposit or bankers acceptances of depository
institutions, including an Agent or any Lender or any of their respective
Affiliates, which are rated at the time of investment “AA” by S&P and “Aa2”
by Xxxxx’x (or, in each case, the equivalent thereof).
“Change
of Control”
means
(a) prior to the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date, the Eskenazi Family
and
Affiliates controlled by one or more of the Eskenazis shall fail to own,
directly or indirectly, 100% of the voting common stock of the Borrower (subject
to the applicable exceptions set forth in the Shareholders Agreement) and (b)
on
and after the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date, the Eskenazi Family and
Affiliates controlled by one or more of the Eskenazis shall fail to own,
directly or indirectly, 60% of the voting common stock of the Borrower.
“Closing
Date”
means
the date (which shall be a Business Day) on which the conditions specified
in
Article IV are satisfied (or waived in accordance with
Section 9.02).
“Collateral”
means
all property of the Borrower purported to be covered by the Security
Documents.
“Collateral
Agent”
means
The Bank of New York, in its capacity as collateral agent for the Lenders under
the Security Documents.
EXECUTION
COPY
-
3
-
“Collateral
Agent’s Account – Senior
Lenders”
means
the “Collateral Agent’s Account”, as such term is defined in the Senior Term
Loan Agreement.
“Collateral
Coverage Ratio”
means,
as at any date of determination, the ratio of (a) the Share Collateral
Value as at such date of determination to (b) the aggregate outstanding
principal amount of the Senior Loans on such date of determination.
“Commitment”
means
$1,015,000,000.
“Company”
means
YPF Sociedad Anónima, a sociedad
anónima
organized under the laws of Argentina.
“Control”
means
the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability
to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling”
and
“Controlled”
have
meanings correlative thereto.
“Corporate
Trust Office”
shall
mean, with respect to the Collateral Agent, its principal corporate trust office
at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0-Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, 00000 Attn: Global Trust
Services, (FAX No. (000) 000-0000 or 5803) or such other office as the
Collateral Agent may inform the other parties hereof from time to
time.
“Debt
Incurrence”
means
the incurrence by the Borrower after the Closing Date of any Indebtedness other
than Permitted Subordinated Debt and Additional Seller Subordinated
Debt.
“Debt
Service Reserve Account”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Senior Term Loan Agreement.
“Default”
means
any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which, with
the
giving of notice, or the passage of time or the making of any determination
(or
any combination of the foregoing) would, unless cured or waived, become an
Event
of Default.
“Disposition
of Shares”
means
any sale, transfer or other disposition (other than any release pursuant to
Section 5.10(b)) of, or any capital reduction in respect of, any
Shares.
“Dollars”
or
“$”
refers
to lawful money of the United States.
“EBITDAX”
means,
for any period, with respect to the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries
on
a consolidated basis, without duplication, the sum of (a) operating
revenues minus
(b) operating costs and expenses (including sales and administrative
expenses, taxes other than income tax (impuesto
a las ganancias))
plus
(c) amortization, depreciation, depletion and exploration expense (to the
extent included in operating expenses) plus
(d) income from long-term investments, in each case determined in
accordance with Argentine GAAP.
“ECF
Sweep Percentage”
means
(a) (i) prior to and including May 15, 2013, for any Measurement Period
other than the first Measurement Period, (x) 75%, with respect to any
amount of Excess Cash Flow up to $28,650,000 for such Measurement Period and
(y) 100%, with respect to any amount of Excess Cash Flow in excess of
$28,650,000 for such Measurement Period, (ii) for the Measurement Period
commencing on May 16, 2013 and ending on (and including) November 15, 2013,
65%,
and (iii) for any Measurement Period commencing on or following November 16,
2013, 50% of Excess Cash Flow, and (b) for the first Measurement Period
after the date hereof, (x) 75%, with respect to any amount of Excess Cash
Flow up to the product of $57,300,000 multiplied by
the
number of days in such Measurement Period divided by
365 and
(y) 100%, with respect to any amount of Excess Cash Flow in excess of the
product of $57,300,000 multiplied by
the
number of days in such Measurement Period divided by
365.
EXECUTION
COPY
-
4
-
“Equity
Contribution”
means
the contribution by Holdings to the Borrower as common equity made in connection
with the Acquisition of an aggregate amount of not less than $110,000,000 in
cash and/or cash equivalents.
“Equity
Issuance”
means
(a) any issuance or sale by the Borrower after the Closing Date of
(i) any of its capital stock, (ii) any warrants or options exercisable
in respect of its capital stock or (iii) any other security or instrument
representing an equity interest (or the right to obtain any equity interest)
in
the Borrower or (b) the receipt by the Borrower after the Closing Date of
any capital contribution (whether or not evidenced by any equity security issued
by the recipient of such contribution), including any Specified Equity
Contribution, provided
that the
term “Equity Issuance” shall not include any capital contribution made by
Holdings to the Borrower the proceeds of which are used by the Borrower to
acquire Excluded Shares or Pledged Shares.
“Equity
Rights”
means,
with respect to any Person, any subscriptions, options, warrants, commitments,
preemptive rights or agreements of any kind (including any shareholders’ or
voting trust agreements) for the issuance, sale, registration or voting of,
or
securities convertible into, any additional shares of capital stock of any
class, or partnership or other ownership interests of any type in, such
Person.
“Xxxxxxxx
Family”
means,
collectively, (a) the Eskenazis, (b) the spouse or any lineal
descendant (including adopted children) of any of the Eskenazis (collectively,
the “Spouses
and Descendants”),
(c) any trust solely for the benefit of any one or more of the Eskenazis or
any of the Spouses and Descendants, (d) any family trust, partnership or
limited liability company established solely for the benefit of any one or
more
of the Eskenazis or any of the Spouses and Descendants, or for estate planning
purposes, of any of the Eskenazis and (e) the heirs, executors,
administrators, guardian or conservator of an Xxxxxxxx or of a trust under
any
of an Xxxxxxxx’x will and following the death or disability of that
Eskenazi.
“Eskenazis”
means,
collectively, Xx. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Xx. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Xx. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx and Xx. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx.
“Event
of Default”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.
“Excess
Cash Flow”
means,
(1) for any Measurement Period prior to the Senior Debt Discharge
Date:
EXECUTION
COPY
-
5
-
(a) the
sum
of the following amounts, to the extent credited to the Collateral Agent’s
Account - Senior Lenders on or prior to 5:00 p.m., London time, on the Business
Day immediately preceding the last day of such Measurement Period: (i) the
aggregate amount of cash dividends and other cash distributions (other than
(x) distributions resulting from any capital reduction and (y) the
Assigned Dividend) received by the Borrower during such Measurement Period
in
respect of the Shares (including from Pledged Shares), plus
(ii) the aggregate amount of payments received by the Borrower under the
Interest Rate Cap Agreement during such Measurement Period plus
(iii) the aggregate amount of any earnings on amounts on deposit in the
Debt Service Reserve Account representing Excess Reserve Amount transferred
to
the Collateral Agent’s Account - Senior Lenders on the Business Day prior to the
last day of such Measurement Period pursuant to the first sentence of
Section 2.12(d)(ii) of the Senior Term Loan Agreement plus
(iv) the aggregate amount of earnings on amounts on deposit in the
Collateral Agent’s Account - Senior Lenders during such Measurement
Period
minus
(b) the
sum
of (i) the aggregate amount of cash interest payments and scheduled
principal payments in respect of the Senior Loans and Indebtedness under any
Permitted Refinancing, in each case paid by the Borrower during such Measurement
Period plus
(ii) the aggregate amount of payments (including Restricted Payments in
respect of Asset Taxes made by the Borrower during such Measurement Period
plus
(iii) the aggregate amount of Permitted Borrower Expenses for such
Measurement Period plus
(iv) the aggregate amount of fees, expenses and other amounts, in each case
paid or payable by the Borrower under the Transaction Documents (as defined
in
the Senior Term Loan Agreement, other than this Agreement) during such
Measurement Period (other than fees, expenses and other amounts paid on the
Closing Date); and
(2)
following the Senior Debt Discharge Date:
(a) the
sum
of the following amounts: (i) the aggregate amount of cash dividends and
other cash distributions (other than distributions resulting from any capital
reduction) received by the Borrower during such Measurement Period in respect
of
the Shares, plus
(ii) the aggregate amount of payments received by the Borrower under the
Interest Rate Cap Agreement during such Measurement Period
minus
(b) the
sum
of (i) the aggregate amount of cash interest payments and scheduled
principal payments in respect of the Loan, in each case paid by the Borrower
during such Measurement Period plus
(ii) the aggregate amount of payments (including Restricted Payments in
respect of Asset Taxes) made by the Borrower during such Measurement Period
plus
(iii) the aggregate amount Permitted Borrower Expenses for such Measurement
Period.
“Excess
Reserve Amount”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Senior Term Loan Agreement.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
6
-
“Excluded
Shares”
means
any Shares pledged, or permitted hereunder to be pledged, to secure
exclusively the Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Senior Term Loan
Agreement; provided
that,
for the avoidance of doubt, any Shares released from the collateral securing
the
Senior Loans pursuant to Section 5.10(b) of the Senior Term Loan Agreement
shall
not be deemed to be “Excluded Shares” and shall be deemed to be “Pledged
Shares”.
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in Spain.
“Governmental
Authority”
means
the government of any nation, or any political subdivision thereof, whether
state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body,
court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial,
taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to
government.
“Guarantee”
of
or
by any Person (the “guarantor”)
means
any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing any
Indebtedness, other obligation or the payment of dividends or other distribution
on the stock or equity interests of any other Person (the “primary
obligor”)
in any
manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the
guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply
funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation
or
to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security
for
the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or
services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other
obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity
capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary
obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other
obligation, (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or
letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation or
(e) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the holder
of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such holder against
loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part).
“Hedging
Agreement”
means
any interest rate protection agreement, foreign currency exchange protection
agreement, commodity price protection agreement or other interest or currency
exchange rate or commodity price hedging arrangement.
“Holdings”
means
Xxxxxxxx Energía Pty Ltd., a special purpose company incorporated under the laws
of Australia, or any other Person that shall succeed to the rights and
obligations of Xxxxxxxx Energía Pty Ltd. pursuant to Section 13 of the
Holdings Existing Shares Pledge Agreement, in which case the term “Holdings”
shall mean solely such other Person.
“Holdings
Existing Shares Pledge Agreement”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Senior Term Loan Agreement.
“Indebtedness”
of
any
Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for
borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all
obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar
instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or
other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person,
(d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase
price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred
in
the ordinary course of business), (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by
(or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent
or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such
Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed,
(f) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (g) all
Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) all obligations, contingent
or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit
and letters of guaranty and (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise,
of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of any
Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any
partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person
is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other
relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such
Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
7
-
“Intercreditor
Agreement”
means
the Intercreditor Agreement dated as of February 21, 2008 among the Borrower,
the Seller, the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent and the Intercreditor
Agent named therein, in the form of Exhibit E.
“Interest
Rate Cap Agreement”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Senior Term Loan Agreement.
“Investment”
means
any investment in any Person, whether by means of: (a) the acquisition
(whether for cash, property, services or securities or otherwise) of capital
stock, bonds, notes, debentures, partnership or other ownership interests or
other securities of any other Person or any agreement to make any such
acquisition (including any “short sale” or any sale of any securities at a time
when such securities are not owned by the Person entering into such sale);
(b) the making of any deposit with, or advance, loan or other extension of
credit to, any other Person (including the purchase of property from another
Person subject to an understanding or agreement, contingent or otherwise, to
resell such property to such Person); (c) the entering into of any
Guarantee of, or other contingent obligation with respect to, Indebtedness
or
other liability of any other Person and (without duplication) any amount
committed to be advanced, lent or extended to such Person; (d) the entering
into of any Hedging Agreement; (e) any purchase or other acquisition of
Indebtedness or the assets of such Person; (f) any capital contribution to
such Person; (g) any other direct or indirect investment in such Person,
including any acquisition by way of a merger or consolidation, and any
arrangement pursuant to which the investor incurs Indebtedness of the type
referred to in clause (f) of the definition of “Indebtedness” in respect of
such Person.
“Junior
Pledge Agreement”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Security Agreement.
“Lender’s
Account”
means
the account of each Lender set forth in Schedule II. Each Lender may update
from
time to time its account information set forth in Schedule II by providing
notice in writing to the Borrower.
“Lenders”
means
the Seller and any other Person that becomes a party hereto pursuant to an
Assignment and Assumption in accordance with Section 9.04, other than any such
Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and
Assumption.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
8
-
“Lien”
means,
with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge,
hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset,
(b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale
agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease
having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating
to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call
or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.
“Loan”
means
the term loan made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement;
provided however,
that in
the event that (i) the Assigned Dividend, when actually paid to the Seller
in
Dollars, is an amount greater than $201,150,000, then the Loan shall be deemed
to be reduced by an amount equal to the amount by which the Assigned Dividend
exceeds $201,150,000, or (ii) the Assigned Dividend, when actually paid to
the
Seller in Dollars, is an amount less than $201,150,000, then the Loan shall
be
deemed to be increased by an amount equal to the amount by which $201,150,000
exceeds the Assigned Dividend.
“Loan
Documents”
means,
collectively, this Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, the Security
Documents and each other agreement delivered to the Collateral Agent or any
Lender, acting in such capacities, in furtherance or pursuant to any of the
foregoing.
“Majority
Lenders”
means,
at any time, Lenders representing more than 50% of the aggregate outstanding
principal amount of the Loan at such time.
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
a
material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower, (b) the ability of the
Borrower or Holdings to perform any of their respective obligations under this
Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents to which it is a party,
(c) the rights of or remedies available to the Agents and the Lenders with
respect to the Collateral under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents
or
(d) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other
Loan Documents.
“Material
Indebtedness”
means
Indebtedness (other than the Loan) of the Borrower, or obligations in respect
of
one or more Hedging Agreements, in an aggregate principal amount exceeding
$10,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the
“principal
amount”
of
the
obligations of the Borrower in respect of any Hedging Agreement at any time
shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements)
that the Borrower would be required to pay if such Hedging Agreement were
terminated at such time.
“Maturity
Date”
means
February 21, 2018, provided
that, if
such date shall not be a Business Day, then the Maturity Date shall be the
immediately preceding Business Day.
“Measurement
Period”
means,
initially, the period commencing on (and including) the Closing Date and ending
on (and including) the Payment Date (as defined in the Senior Term Loan
Agreement) falling on or nearest to May 15, 2008 and thereafter, each six-month
period ending on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on (and
including) the day following the last day of the prior Measurement Period and
ending on (but excluding) the first day of the next Measurement Period occurring
thereafter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, until the Senior Debt Discharge
Date,
the Measurement Periods hereunder shall commence and end concurrently with
the
Measurement Periods under and as defined in the Senior Finance
Documents.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
9
-
“Xxxxx’x”
means
Xxxxx’x Investors Services, Inc.
“Net
Cash Proceeds”
means:
(a) in
the
case of any Disposition of Shares, the aggregate amount of all cash payments
received by the Borrower, directly or indirectly in connection with such
Disposition of Shares, net of (i) the amount of any legal expenses,
commissions and other fees and expenses paid by the Borrower in connection
with
such Disposition of Shares and (ii) any income or other taxes estimated to
be payable by the Borrower as a result of such Disposition of Shares (but only
to the extent that such estimated taxes are in fact paid to the relevant
Governmental Authority when due);
(b) in
the
case of any Debt Incurrence, the aggregate amount of all cash received by the
Borrower in respect of such Debt Incurrence, net of (i) any applicable
withholding taxes payable by the Borrower not later than the effective date
of
such Debt Incurrence and (ii) expenses (including any banking fees, costs
and other customary expenses) incurred by the Borrower in connection with
therewith; and
(c) in
the
case of any Equity Issuance, the aggregate amount of all cash received by the
Borrower in respect of such Equity Issuance, net of expenses incurred by the
Borrower in connection therewith.
“Payment
Date”
means
each of the dates falling, respectively, on May 15 and November 15 of each
year,
commencing on May 15, 2013, to and including the Maturity Date; provided
that, if
any such date shall not be a Business Day, the relevant Payment Date shall
be
the immediately following Business Day.
“Permitted
Borrower Expenses”
means,
for any Measurement Period, the amount of documented expenses incurred during
such Measurement Period, or estimated to be incurred in respect of the
immediately following Measurement Period, by the Borrower or Holdings not in
excess of $2,000,000 (or, in the case of the first Measurement Period,
$4,000,000 multiplied by
the
number of days in such Measurement Period divided by
365) in
the aggregate for the Borrower and Holdings, provided
that a
portion not in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate for the Borrower and Holdings
of the Permitted Borrower Expenses for any Measurement Period may be estimated
and advanced in respect of the immediately following Measurement
Period.
“Permitted
Encumbrances”
means
Liens imposed by law for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges that
are not yet due, payable or delinquent or are being contested in compliance
with
Section 5.05.
“Permitted
Excluded Shares Liens”
means
Liens in favor of the Senior Lenders and the Agents (as defined in the Senior
Term Loan Agreement) securing Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Senior
Term
Loan Agreement on Excluded Shares.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
10
-
“Permitted
Holdings Indebtedness”
means
Indebtedness of Holdings all of the proceeds of which are contributed to the
common equity of the Borrower and used by the Borrower to acquire Excluded
Shares or Pledged Shares.
“Permitted
Refinancing”
means
Indebtedness incurred to repay all of the outstanding Indebtedness under the
Senior Term Loan Agreement, provided that (i) the proceeds of such Indebtedness
shall be used exclusively to repay the outstanding Indebtedness under the Senior
Term Loan Agreement together with any interest accrued thereon and other amounts
due and payable thereunder, (ii) except upon the occurrence and continuation
of
a payment default of such Indebtedness (subject to the terms of the
Intercreditor Agreement), the Indebtedness under this Agreement shall be
entitled to receive scheduled cash payments of interest, principal and other
amounts from May 15, 2013 even if such refinancing Indebtedness remains
outstanding, (iii) immediately prior to the incurrence of such Indebtedness
no
Default shall have occurred and be continuing, nor would a Default result upon
or following the incurrence thereof, and (iv) such Indebtedness shall not
contain terms or conditions that are more onerous in any respect than the terms
and conditions under the Senior Term Loan Agreement and shall be on terms and
conditions reasonably acceptable to the Borrower and the Seller.
“Permitted
Refinancing Excluded Shares”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 5.10(c).
“Permitted
Shares Disposition”
means
a
“Permitted
Excluded Shares Disposition”
as
defined in the Senior Term Loan Agreement.
“Permitted
Subordinated Debt”
means
subordinated Indebtedness of the Borrower owing to Holdings which (a) does
not require or permit any payments (whether in cash or other property except
capitalization of interest) for so long as the Loan hereunder remains
outstanding (other than as permitted pursuant to Section 6.06(c)), (b) does
not mature and may not be repaid, redeemed or acquired prior one year and one
day (or, if later, any applicable preference period plus
one day)
following the repayment of the Loan hereunder, (c) may not be accelerated
for so long as the Loan hereunder remains outstanding, and (d) is subject to
the
terms of the Intercreditor Agreement.
“Person”
means
any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint
venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other
entity.
“Pledged
Shares”
means
any Shares (a) pledged, or required to be pledged, to secure exclusively
the Indebtedness of the Borrower under this Agreement and (b) pledged, or
required to be pledged, to secure exclusively the Indebtedness of the Borrower
under, and acquired with the proceeds of, any Additional Seller Subordinated
Debt owing to the Seller.
“Process
Agent”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 9.09(d).
“Process
Agent Acceptance”
means
a
letter from the Process Agent to the Seller, substantially in the form of
Exhibit H or any other form approved by the Seller.
“Purchase
Agreement”
means
the Contrato
de Compraventa de Acciones
dated
February 21, 2008 between the Borrower and the Seller, in the form of Exhibit
B.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
11
-
“Refinancing
Released Security”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 5.10(d).
“Regulation
U Bank”
means
a
bank, financial institution or other institutional lender that is formed under
the laws of, or operating through a branch in, the United States, any State
thereof, any possession thereof or the District of Columbia.
“Related
Parties”
means,
with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the
respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person
and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Release
Ratio Level”
means
(a) with respect to the fiscal year of the Company ending on December 31,
2008, 3.0 to 1.0, (b) with respect to the fiscal year of the Company ending
on December 31, 2009, 2.75 to 1.0, and (c) with respect to each fiscal
year of the Company ending thereafter, 2.5 to 1.0.
“Released
Shares”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 5.10(b).
“Required
Lenders”
means,
at any time, Lenders representing at least 66-2/3% of the aggregate outstanding
principal amount of the Loan at such time.
“Responsible
Officer”
shall
mean when used with respect to the Collateral Agent, any officer within the
corporate trust department of the Collateral Agent, including any director,
any
vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, trust officer
or
any other officer of the Collateral Agent who customarily performs functions
similar to those performed by the persons who at such time shall be such
officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred
because of such person's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular
subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the Collateral Agent's
duties hereunder.
“Restricted
Payment”
means
(a) any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or
other property) with respect to any shares of any class of capital stock of
the
Borrower, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property),
including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase,
redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such
shares of capital stock of the Borrower or any option, warrant or other right
to
acquire any such shares of capital stock of the Borrower and (b) any
payment made by the Borrower to purchase, repay, prepay, redeem, retire or
otherwise acquire for value, or set apart any money for a sinking, defeasance
or
other analogous fund for the purchase, repayment, prepayment, redemption,
retirement or other acquisition of, or make any prepayment of interest on,
or
any other amount owing in respect of, any Indebtedness under any Permitted
Subordinated Debt.
“S&P”
means
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a Division of The McGraw Hill Companies,
Inc.
“Security
Agreement”
means
the Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of February 21, 2008 between the
Borrower and the Collateral Agent, in the form of Exhibit F.
“Security
Documents”
means
the Security Agreement and, if and when executed and delivered, the Junior
Pledge Agreement.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
12
-
“Seller”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in the recital of parties hereto.
“Senior
Collateral Agent”
means
the “Collateral Agent” as such term is defined in the Senior Term Loan
Agreement.
“Senior
Debt Discharge Date”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement.
“Senior
Finance Documents”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement.
“Senior
Lenders”
means
the lenders from time to time party to the Senior Term Loan
Agreement.
“Senior
Loans”
means
the term loans made by the Senior Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to the Senior
Term Loan Agreement.
“Senior
Officer”
means,
with respect to any Person, such Person’s chief executive officer, chief
financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or
controller.
“Senior
Term Loan Agreement”
means
the $1,026,000,000 loan agreement dated as of February 21, 2008, between the
Borrower, the Senior Lenders, Credit Suisse, London Branch, as Administrative
Agent, and HSBC Bank plc, as Senior Collateral Agent, in the form of Exhibit
D
hereto.
“Share
Collateral Value”
means
(a) as
at any
date of determination occurring prior to or within five Business Days after
the
date of the first initial public offering of the Class D shares of the Company
after the Closing Date, the product of (i) the excess, if any, of
(x) the product of 4.37 multiplied by
the
EBITDAX of the Company for the period of four fiscal quarters ending on or
most
recently ended prior to such date of determination over
(y) the sum of (I) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness of the Company
as of the last day of such four-quarter period determined in accordance with
Argentine GAAP plus
(II) minority interest as reported in the Company’s consolidated balance
sheet as of the last day of such four-quarter period determined in accordance
with Argentine GAAP
minus
(III) the aggregate amount of all cash and cash equivalents held by the
Company as of the last day of such four-quarter period determined in accordance
with Argentine GAAP
plus
(IV) prior to the payment of the 2006 Dividend, the excess of the
amount of the 2006 Dividend as declared by the Company over
$836,000,000, multiplied by
(ii) the quotient of the number of Shares included in the collateral
securing the Indebtedness under the Senior Term Loan Agreement on such date
of
determination divided by
the
total number of shares of common stock of the Company outstanding on such date
of determination; and
(b) as
at any
date of determination occurring after five Business Days after the date of
the
first initial public offering of the Class D shares of the Company after
the Closing Date, the product of (i) the daily average of the closing
prices for the Class D shares (or American Depositary Shares representing
such shares) on the New York Stock Exchange for each day during the period
of
five consecutive Business Days immediately preceding such date of determination
multiplied by
(ii) the number of Shares included in the collateral securing the
Indebtedness under the Senior Term Loan Agreement on such date of
determination,
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
13
-
provided
that the
Share Collateral Value as at the Closing Date shall be deemed to be equal to
the
product of (A) the excess of $15,836,000,000 over
the
amount of the 2006 Dividend as declared by the Company multiplied by
(B) the quotient of the number of Shares included in the collateral
securing the Indebtedness under the Senior Term Loan Agreement on the Closing
Date divided by
the
total number of shares of common stock of the Company outstanding on the Closing
Date. For purposes of clause (a) above and the proviso to this definition,
the 2006 Dividend shall be deemed to have been declared in an amount equal
to $1,350,000,000.
“Shareholders
Agreement”
means
the Acuerdo
Entre Accionistas
dated
February 21, 2008 between the Borrower and the Seller, in the form of Exhibit
C.
“Shares”
means,
collectively, the Acquired Shares and any other equity interests in the Company
held by the Borrower, including American Depositary Shares representing such
Acquired Shares or other equity interests.
“Spain”
means
the Kingdom of Spain.
“Specified
Equity Contributions”
means
cash made available to the Borrower in the form of (a) common equity,
(b) preferred equity that does not require or permit any cash payments and
is not redeemable prior to the date that is one year and one day (or, if later,
any applicable preference period plus
one day)
following the repayment of the Loan hereunder and has subordination terms and
conditions reasonably satisfactory to the Required Lenders or (c) Permitted
Subordinated Debt, but in each case solely to the extent contributed (in the
case of clauses (a) and (b) above) or paid (in the case of
clause (c) above) to the Borrower within five Business Days after any
breach of Section 6.11 of the Senior Term Loan Agreement.
“Subsidiary”
means,
with respect to any Person (the “parent”)
at any
date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association
or
other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the
parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial
statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as
any
other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other
entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more
than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in
the
case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are,
as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such
date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the
parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent. When used
with respect to the Borrower, the term “Subsidiary” shall not include the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
“Taxes”
means
any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions,
charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
14
-
“Transaction
Documents”
means,
collectively, each of the Loan Documents, the Purchase Agreement, the
Shareholders Agreement and the Senior Finance Documents.
“Transactions”
means
(a) the execution, delivery and performance by (x) the Borrower of
this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the Borrower is
intended to be a party and (y) by Holdings of the Transaction Documents to
which it is a party, (b) the borrowing of the Loan hereunder and the use of
the proceeds thereof as permitted hereby, (c) the making of the Equity
Contribution, (d) the consummation of the Acquisition and the Borrower
being capable of exercising its rights as shareholder of the
Company.
“United
States”
means
the United States of America.
SECTION
1.02. Terms
Generally.
The
definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural
forms
of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words
“include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the
phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same
meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise
(a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other
document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument
or
other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified
(without limiting any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or
modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person
shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the
words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular
provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits
and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and
Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and
“property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer
to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash,
securities, accounts and contract rights.
SECTION
1.03. Accounting
Terms; GAAP;
Historical Financial Calculations.
Except
as
otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial
nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP or, if such terms relate
to
the Company, Argentine GAAP, in each case as in effect from time to time;
provided
that, if
the Borrower notifies the Lenders that the Borrower requests an amendment to
any
provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the
date
hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision,
regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change
in
GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted
on
the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall
have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such
provision amended in accordance herewith.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
15
-
ARTICLE
II
THE
CREDITS
SECTION
2.01. The
Commitment.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Seller agrees to make a Loan
to the Borrower on the Closing Date in a principal amount not exceeding its
Commitment. Amounts prepaid or repaid in respect of the Loan may not be
reborrowed.
(b) Unless
previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate at the earlier to occur
of the following: (i) 5:00 p.m., London time, on February 26, 2008; (ii)
the termination of the commitments of the Senior Lenders to make Senior Loans
pursuant to the terms of the Senior Term Loan Agreement other than as a result
of the disbursement of the Senior Loans; and (iii) the disbursement of the
Loan.
SECTION
2.02. Disbursement
of Loan.
The
Loan
shall represent credit provided by the Seller to the Borrower for use against
the purchase by the Borrower of the Acquired Shares from the Seller, in
accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement. The Loan shall be deemed
to
be made by the Seller on the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions of this Agreement. The Loan shall not be disbursed in cash. The
Borrower shall, on the Closing Date, acknowledge to the Seller in writing
application of the proceeds of the Loan in accordance with the terms of the
Purchase Agreement.
SECTION
2.03. Repayment
of Loan; Evidence of Debt.
(a) Repayment.
The
Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the Lenders the outstanding
principal amount of the Loan on each Payment Date set forth below in the
aggregate principal amount set forth opposite such Payment Date:
Payment
Date
|
Amount
|
|||
May
15, 2013
|
$
|
45,500,000
|
||
November
15, 2013
|
$
|
45,500,000
|
||
May
15, 2014
|
$
|
45,500,000
|
||
November
15, 2014
|
$
|
45,500,000
|
||
May
15, 2015
|
$
|
46,000,000
|
||
November
15, 2015
|
$
|
46,000,000
|
||
May
15, 2016
|
$
|
46,000,000
|
||
November
15, 2016
|
$
|
46,000,000
|
||
May
15, 2017
|
$
|
46,000,000
|
||
November
15, 2017
|
$
|
46,000,000
|
||
Maturity
Date
|
the aggregate
principal amount
of the Loan
outstanding on the
Maturity Date
|
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
16
-
provided
that any
partial prepayment of the Loan shall be applied to reduce ratably the subsequent
scheduled repayments of the Loan. To the extent not previously paid, the
outstanding principal amount of the Loan shall be due and payable on the
Maturity Date.
In
the
event the amount of the principal amount of the Loan is increased or reduced
(as
provided in the proviso to the definition of “Loan” hereunder), then the
principal installments detailed in this Section 2.3(a) shall be increased or
reduced (as applicable) in an amount that is proportional to such increase
or
reduction of the Loan.
(b) Maintenance
of Records by Lenders.
Each
Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice records evidencing
the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from the Loan made
by
such Lender, including the amounts of principal, interest and other amounts
payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c) Effect
of Entries.
The
entries made in the records maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) of this
Section shall, in the absence of manifest error, be prima facie evidence of
the
existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided
that the
failure of any Lender to maintain such records or any error therein shall not
in
any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loan in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement.
(d) Promissory
Notes.
Any
Lender may request that the Loan made by it be evidenced by a promissory note.
In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender
a
promissory note payable to such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to
such
Lender and its registered assigns) and in substantially the form of Exhibit
G.
SECTION
2.04. Prepayment
of Loan.
(a) Voluntary
Prepayments.
Subject
to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, and the occurrence of the Senior
Debt Discharge Date (except as otherwise permitted by the Senior Term Loan
Agreement), the Borrower shall have the right to prepay the Loan in whole or
in
part at any time or from time to time, without penalty or premium, provided
that
each partial prepayment pursuant to this paragraph (a) shall be in the
aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess
thereof.
(b) Mandatory
Prepayments.
Subject
to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, and the occurrence of the Senior
Debt Discharge Date (except as otherwise permitted by the Senior Term Loan
Agreement):
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
17
-
(i) Excess
Cash Flow.
Not
later than the tenth Business Day following the last day of each Measurement
Period, the Borrower shall prepay the Loan and pay accrued interest thereon
in
an aggregate amount equal to the ECF Sweep Percentage of the Excess Cash Flow
for such Measurement Period.
(ii) Dispositions
of Shares.
Upon
the occurrence of any Disposition of Shares (other than (x) with respect to
Excluded Shares and (y) a Permitted Shares Disposition), the Borrower shall
prepay the Loan and pay accrued interest thereon in an aggregate amount equal
to
100% of the Net Cash Proceeds thereof. Upon the occurrence of any Permitted
Shares Disposition, the Borrower shall prepay the Senior Loan and pay accrued
interest thereon in an aggregate amount equal to 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds
thereof remaining after the payment of any amount due on account of Additional
Seller Subordinated Debt incurred by the Borrower to purchase the Excluded
Shares so disposed.
(iii) Debt
Incurrence.
Upon
any Debt Incurrence (excluding any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to a Permitted
Refinancing), the Borrower shall prepay the Loan and pay accrued interest
thereon, in an aggregate amount equal to 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds of such
Debt Incurrence.
(iv) Equity
Issuance.
Upon
any Equity Issuance, the Borrower shall prepay the Loan and pay accrued interest
thereon, in an aggregate amount equal to 50% (or, to the extent that such Equity
Issuance consists of a Specified Equity Contribution, 100%) of the Net Cash
Proceeds of such Equity Issuance.
(c) Notices,
Etc.
The
Borrower shall notify the Seller by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any
prepayment hereunder not later than 5:00 p.m., London time, five Business
Days before the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and
shall specify the prepayment date, the principal amount of Loan to be prepaid
and, (i) in the case of a mandatory prepayment, a reasonably detailed
calculation of the amount of such prepayment and (ii) in the case of a
mandatory prepayment pursuant to Section 2.04(b)(i), a reasonably detailed
calculation of the amount of Excess Cash Flow for the applicable Measurement
Period. All prepayments pursuant to Section 2.04(a) shall be
accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by
Section 2.06.
SECTION
2.05. Fees.
The
Borrower agrees to pay to each Agent, for its own account, fees payable in
such
amounts and on such dates as shall have been separately agreed upon in writing
between the Borrower and such Agent.
SECTION
2.06. Interest.
(a) Interest
Rate.
The
Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum as follows:
(i) at
any
time prior to (and including) May 15, 2013 at a rate equal to 8.12% per annum;
and
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
18
-
(ii) thereafter,
at a rate equal to 7.0% per annum.
(b) Default
Interest.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence and during the continuance
of
any Default described in clause (a) or (b) of Article VII, the
principal of and, to the extent permitted by law, due, owing and unpaid interest
on the Loan and any other amounts due, owing and unpaid hereunder or under
the
other Loan Documents shall bear interest, in each case until such Default has
been cured or waived, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum
equal to the interest rate then applicable to the Loan plus
2% per
annum.
(c) Payment
of Interest.
Accrued
interest on the Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Payment Date;
provided
that (i)
so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, interest accrued
up
to (and including) May 15, 2013 shall be capitalized and added to the principal
amounts of the Loan on such date, (ii) subject to the provisions of the
Intercreditor Agreement, interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (b) of this
Section shall be payable on demand, and (iii) in the event of any repayment
or prepayment of the Loan, accrued interest on the principal amount repaid
or
prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or
prepayment.
(d) Computation.
All
interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, and
shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first
day
but excluding the last day).
SECTION
2.07. [Reserved].
SECTION
2.08. [Reserved].
SECTION
2.09. [Reserved].
SECTION
2.10. Taxes.
(a) Payment
of Taxes by the Borrower.
The
Borrower shall pay all Taxes to the applicable Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law. If the Borrower shall be required to withhold
or
deduct any Taxes from such payments, then (i) the Borrower shall make such
withholdings or deductions and (ii) the Borrower shall pay the full amount
withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with
applicable law.
(b) Evidence
of Payments.
As soon
as practicable after any payment of Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental
Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to each Lender in respect of which such
payment applies the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such
Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting
such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the
Lender in respect of which such payment applies.
SECTION
2.11. Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.
(a) Payments
by the Borrower; Limitations on Foreign Exchange.
The
Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether
of
principal, interest, or fees or otherwise) or under any other Loan Document
(except to the extent otherwise provided therein) prior to 1:00 p.m.,
London time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without
set-off or counterclaim except with respect to any withholding or deduction
required to be made pursuant to Section 2.10. Any amounts received after such
time on any date shall be deemed to have been received on the immediately
following Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
19
-
(b) If
any
payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date
for
payment shall be extended to the immediately following Business Day and no
interest shall accrue on such amount.
(c) All
payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document (except to the extent
otherwise provided therein) shall be made in Dollars. If access by the Company,
the Borrower or the Collateral Agent, as the case may be, to the foreign
exchange market for the acquisition of Dollars and its transfer outside of
Argentina is limited by virtue of any law, rule, regulation or interpretation
by
a Governmental Authority, any amount payable with respect to the Shares shall
(i) be deposited into an account of the Collateral Agent maintained in
Argentina or an account of any third party as instructed by the Collateral
Agent
and (ii) be converted by the Collateral Agent into free available Dollars,
through, upon instructions of the Seller (x) the purchase and sale of debt
securities issued by the federal government of the Republic of Argentina
denominated in Dollars or any other public or private bond or tradeable security
quoted in any other foreign currency outside of Argentina or (y) any
appropriate mechanism for the acquisition of Dollars in any exchange market.
The
Borrower shall be responsible for the costs (including any loss due to
unfavorable exchange rates) and expenses related to the export of such
securities or the proceeds from the sale of such securities from Argentina
and
the sale of such securities or such proceeds outside Argentina to obtain freely
available Dollars, in such amounts and on such dates as will permit the making
of payments due hereunder.
(d) Application
of Insufficient Payments.
Unless
otherwise provided herein, if at any time insufficient funds are received by
and
available to the Lenders to pay fully all amounts of principal, interest and
fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, to pay
interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto
in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties,
and (ii) second, to pay principal then due hereunder.
(e) Pro
Rata Treatment.
Except
to the extent otherwise provided herein: (i) each payment or prepayment by
the Borrower of principal of the Loan shall be made for account of the Lenders
pro rata
in
accordance with the respective unpaid principal amounts of the Loan held by
them; and (ii) each payment by the Borrower of interest on the Loan shall
be made for account of the Lenders pro rata
in
accordance with the amounts of interest on such Loan then due and payable to
the
respective Lenders.
(f) Sharing
of Payments by Lenders.
If any
Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise,
obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on its Loan resulting
in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount
of its Loan and accrued interest thereon then due than the proportion received
by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall
purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loan of other Lenders
to
the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared
by
the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of
and
accrued interest on the Loan held by such Lender; provided
that
(i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the
payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded
and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without
interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed
to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance
with
the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as
consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in its Loan
to
any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof
(as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). The Borrower
consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so
under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to
the
foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off
and
counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender
were
a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such
participation.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
20
-
ARTICLE
III
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
The
Borrower represents and warrants to the Seller, with respect to each of itself
and Holdings, that:
SECTION
3.01. Organization;
Powers.
Each
of
the Borrower and Holdings is duly organized and validly existing under the
laws
of its jurisdiction of organization, has all requisite power and authority
to
carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do
so,
individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result
in
a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction
where such qualification is required. The Borrower is duly registered within
the
Commercial Registry of Madrid at Tomo 24,588, Libro 0, Xxxxx 00, Xxxxxxx 0, Xxxx
X-000000 and all the resolutions passed by its Shareholders’ General Meeting
and/or Directors suitable for registration have been duly registered within
the
Commercial Registry.
SECTION
3.02. Authorization;
Enforceability.
The
Transactions are within the Borrower’s and Holdings’ respective power and
authority and have been duly authorized by all necessary action. This Agreement
has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes, and each
of the other Loan Documents to which it is a party when executed and delivered
by it will constitute, its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may
be
limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
similar laws of general applicability affecting the enforcement of creditors’
rights and (b) the application of principles of equity (regardless of
whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
The choice of New York law to govern this Agreement and the Security Agreement
is a legal, valid and binding choice of law under the laws of Spain and the
courts in Spain would recognize and enforce such choice of New York law. A
judgment obtained in a New York court in respect of this Agreement and the
Security Agreement will be recognized and enforced by the courts of Spain
without re-examination of the merits. Each of the Loan Documents to which the
Borrower is a party is, and (to the extent requested by any Lender pursuant
to
this Agreement) any promissory note when duly executed and delivered by the
Borrower will be, in proper legal form under the law of Spain for the
enforcement thereof against the Borrower under such law. All formalities
required in Spain and the United States for the validity and enforceability
of
each of the Loan Documents have been accomplished, and no taxes are required
to
be paid and no notarization is required, for the validity, enforceability and
admissibility in evidence thereof.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
21
-
SECTION
3.03. Governmental
Approvals; No Conflicts.
All
consents, approvals, registrations, filings and other actions required to enable
the Borrower and Holdings to enter into, exercise their respective rights and
comply with their respective obligations under each of the Transaction Documents
to which the Borrower or Holdings, as applicable, is a party, have been obtained
and are in full force and effect, except for (i) such as have been obtained
or made and are in full force and effect, (ii) filings and recordings in
respect of the Liens created pursuant to the Security Agreement,
(iii) approvals by the Antitrust Commission, (iv) filings with the
Argentine securities commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission,
and
(v) registrations after the Closing Date required pursuant to the second
sentence of Section 5.04, (b) will not violate any applicable law or
regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of either
the Borrower or Holdings or any order of any Governmental Authority,
(c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement
or other instrument binding upon either the Borrower or Holdings or their
respective assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment
to
be made by any such Person, and (d) except for the Liens created pursuant
to the Security Agreement and the Security Documents (as defined in the Senior
Term Loan Agreement), will not result in the creation or imposition of any
Lien
on any asset of either the Borrower or Holdings.
SECTION
3.04. No
Material Adverse Change.Since
December 21, 2007, no event, change or condition has occurred that has resulted
or could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the
ability of the Borrower or Holdings to perform any of their respective
obligations under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents to which
it
is a party, provided that no representation is made with respect to events,
changes or conditions relating to the Company.
SECTION
3.05. Properties.The
Borrower owns no real property or any interest therein. The Borrower has good
title to all its property (other than the Acquired Shares) material to its
business, in each case subject only to the Liens created pursuant to the
Security Agreement and the Security Documents (as defined in the Senior Term
Loan Agreement). Holdings has good title to the shares of common stock of the
Borrower subject only to the Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents
(as defined in the Senior Term Loan Agreement).
SECTION
3.06. Litigation. There
are
no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings by or before any arbitrator
or
Governmental Authority, or governmental investigations known to the Borrower,
now pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against
either the Borrower or Holdings (i) as to which there is a reasonable
possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined,
could
reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a
Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that involve any of the Loan Documents or
the Transactions, provided that no representation is made with respect to any
actions, suits or proceedings involving the Company, the Seller or any of its
Affiliates.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
22
-
SECTION
3.07. Compliance
with Laws.
The
Borrower is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any
Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except for any such
non-compliance that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
3.08. Compliance
with Agreements; No Default.
Each
of
the Borrower and Holdings is in compliance with all indentures, agreements
and
other instruments binding upon it or its property, except for any such
non-compliance that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and
is
continuing.
SECTION
3.09. [Reserved.].
SECTION
3.10. Taxes.
The
Borrower has timely filed or caused to be filed all tax returns and reports
required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required
to have been paid by it, except (x) Taxes that are being contested in good
faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower has set aside on
its
books adequate reserves to the extent required by GAAP or (y) to the extent
that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. There is no income, stamp or other tax, levy, assessment,
impost, deduction, charge or withholding of any kind imposed by Australia,
Argentina, the United States or the United Kingdom (or any province,
municipality or other political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or
therein that exercises de facto
or
de jure
power to
impose such tax, levy, assessment, impost, deduction, charge or withholding)
on
or by virtue of the execution or delivery of the Loan Documents.
SECTION
3.11. Disclosure.
The
Borrower has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate
or other restrictions to which it is subject, and all other matters known to
it
with respect to itself, its Affiliates and its and its Affiliates’ businesses
and properties, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, provided that no representation
is made with respect to any matters involving the Company and its
Affiliates.
SECTION
3.12. Security
Interests; Liens.The
Security Agreement provides the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Lenders
and the Collateral Agent with effective, valid, legally binding and enforceable
first priority Liens on all of the Collateral. The Collateral Agent’s security
interests described above will be, as of the Closing Date (and, with respect
to
all subsequently acquired Collateral will be when so acquired) superior and
prior to the rights of all third Persons now existing or hereafter arising
whether by way of Lien, assignment or otherwise. Other than the Liens created
pursuant to the Security Agreement and the Security Documents (as defined in
the
Senior Term Loan Agreement), no Lien exists on any property of the Borrower.
Other than the Liens created pursuant to the Senior Finance Documents, no Lien
exists on the shares of common stock of the Borrower.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
23
-
SECTION
3.13. Capitalization.
The
share
capital of the Borrower, after giving effect to the Equity Contribution,
consists of an aggregate of 75,280,000 shares consisting of 75,280,000 shares
of
common stock with a par value of €1.00 per share], each of which shares is fully
paid and nonassessable. The share capital of the Borrower is fully registered
in
the Commercial Registry of Madrid. As of the date hereof all of such issued
and
outstanding shares of common stock of the Borrower are owned beneficially and
of
record by Holdings. As of the date hereof, (x) there are no outstanding
Equity Rights with respect to the Borrower and (y) there are no outstanding
obligations of the Borrower to repurchase, redeem, or otherwise acquire any
shares of capital stock of the Borrower nor are there any outstanding
obligations of the Borrower to make payments to any Person, such as “phantom
stock” payments, where the amount thereof is calculated with reference to the
fair market value or equity value of the Borrower.
SECTION
3.14. Subsidiaries
and Investments.
(a) Subsidiaries.
The
Borrower has no Subsidiaries.
(b) Investments.
The
Borrower has no Investments other than the Accounts (as such term is defined
in
the Senior Term Loan Agreement), the Interest Rate Cap Agreement, the Acquired
Shares and Cash Equivalents.
SECTION
3.15. Solvency.
As
of the
date hereof, after giving effect on a pro forma basis to the extensions of
credit hereunder and to the other Transactions, (i) the aggregate value of
all properties of the Borrower at their present fair saleable value exceeds
the
amount of all the debts and liabilities (including contingent, subordinated,
unmatured and unliquidated liabilities) of the Borrower, (ii) the Borrower
will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct its business
operations as heretofore conducted and (iii) the Borrower is not affected
by any event of dissolution (causa
de disolución)
established in articles 260.1 and 260.2 of the Spanish Companies Act
(Ley
de Sociedades Anónimas),
and it
is not reasonably foreseeable that it will be affected by any of this events
of
dissolution during the term of this Agreement.
ARTICLE
IV
CONDITIONS
The
obligation of the Seller to make its Loan hereunder shall become effective
on
the Closing Date, subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions
precedent and the receipt by the Seller of each of the following documents,
each
of which documents, to the extent that a form therefor is not attached hereto
as
an Exhibit, shall be satisfactory to the Seller in form and substance (or such
condition shall have been waived in accordance with
Section 9.02):
(a) This
Agreement.
A
counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of each of the parties hereto
(other than the Seller).
(b) Purchase
Agreement.
A
counterpart of the Purchase Agreement signed on behalf of each of the parties
thereto (other than the Seller).
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
24
-
(c) Shareholders
Agreement.
A
counterpart of the Shareholders Agreement signed on behalf of each of the
parties thereto (other than the Seller).
(d) [Reserved].
(e) Senior
Finance Documents.
From
each party thereto (i) the Senior Finance Documents signed on behalf of the
parties thereto, and (ii) written evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Seller
that all conditions precedent to the disbursement of the Senior Loans have
been
satisfied or waived by the Senior Lenders.
(f) Intercreditor
Agreement.
From
each party thereto a counterpart of the Intercreditor Agreement signed on behalf
of such party.
(g) Acquisition.
The
Acquisition and the other Transactions shall be consummated simultaneously
with
the closing hereunder for a purchase price of $2,235,000,000 and otherwise
in
accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement.
(h) Corporate
Documents.
Such
documents and certificates as the Seller or its counsel may reasonably request
relating to the organization, existence of the Borrower and Holdings, the
authorization of the Transactions and incumbency of officers.
(i) Officer’s
Certificate.
A
certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by a Senior Officer of the
Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in
clauses (q) and (r) of this Article IV.
(j) Security
Agreement.
The
Security Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and
the
Collateral Agent. In addition, the Borrower shall have (A) included in the
Collateral 9,832,819 Acquired Shares, (B) delivered to the Collateral Agent
in New York the certificates representing such Acquired Shares indorsed to
the
Collateral Agent or in blank by an effective endorsement, and (C) taken
such other action as necessary, including as the Collateral Agent shall have
reasonably requested in order to perfect the security interests created pursuant
to the Security Agreement.
(k) Process
Agent Acceptance.
A
Process Agent Acceptance in respect of the Borrower, duly executed and delivered
by the Process Agent.
(l) Outstanding
Indebtedness and Capital Stock.
A
certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by a Senior Officer of the
Borrower, to the effect that, after giving effect to the Transactions,
(i) the Borrower shall have outstanding no Indebtedness or capital stock
other than (x) the Loan hereunder, (y) Indebtedness under the Senior
Term Loan Agreement and (z) the common stock evidenced by the Equity
Contribution and (ii) Holdings shall have outstanding no Indebtedness other
than Permitted Holdings Indebtedness.
(m) Pro
Forma Financial Statements of the Borrower.
A pro
forma consolidated balance sheet and related pro forma consolidated statements
of income and cash flows of the Borrower as of and for the twelve-month period
ending on December 31, 2007, prepared after giving effect to the Transactions
as
if the Transactions had occurred as of such date (in the case of such balance
sheet) or at the beginning of such period (in the case of such other financial
statements).
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
25
-
(n) [Reserved].
(o) [Reserved].
(p) No
Litigation.
A
certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by a Senior Officer of the
Borrower, to the effect that there shall be no litigation, governmental,
administrative or judicial action, actual or, to the knowledge of the Borrower,
threatened, or governmental investigations known to the Borrower, which is
reasonably likely to be adversely determined and, if so determined, is
reasonably likely to restrain, prevent or impose materially burdensome
conditions on the Transactions or the other transactions contemplated
hereby.
(q) True
Representations and Warranties.
The
representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing
Date
(unless any such representation or warranty expressly relates to an earlier
date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct
as
of such earlier date).
(r) No
Default.
At the
time of and immediately after giving effect to the Loan, no Default shall have
occurred and be continuing.
(s) Payment
of Fees.
The
Borrower shall no later than the Closing Date by wire payment in immediately
available funds pay the fees and expenses of Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP ,
counsel to the Collateral Agent.
The
obligations of the Seller to make its Loan shall not become effective unless
the
Closing Date shall have occurred on or prior to 5:00 p.m., London time, on
February 26, 2008.
ARTICLE
V
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
Until
the
principal of and interest on the Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall
have
been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders
that:
SECTION
5.01. Financial
Statements and Other Information.
The
Borrower will furnish to each Lender:
(a) within
90
days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, the audited balance
sheet and related statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of
the Borrower as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case
in
comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on
by
independent public accountants of recognized international standing (without
any
qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that
such financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial
condition and results of operations of the Borrower in accordance with GAAP
consistently applied;
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
26
-
(b) within
45
days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal
year of the Borrower, the balance sheet and related statements of income,
stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Borrower as of the end of and for
such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting
forth in each case in comparative form the figures for (or, in the case of
the
balance sheet, as of the end of) the corresponding period or periods of the
previous fiscal year, all certified by a Senior Officer of the Borrower as
presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results
of operations of the Borrower in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of
footnotes;
(c) concurrently
with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) of
this Section, a certificate of a Senior Officer of the Borrower
(i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has
occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to
be
taken with respect thereto and (ii) stating whether any change in GAAP or
in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial
statements referred to in Section 3.04(a) and, if any such change has
occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements
accompanying such certificate;
(d) copies
of
all certificates setting forth the Collateral Coverage Ratio, concurrently
with
their delivery to the Senior Lenders or their agents under the Senior Term
Loan
Agreement;
(e) copies
of
all certificates setting forth the Debt Service Coverage Ratio (as defined
in
the Senior Term Loan Agreement) for such Measurement Period, concurrently with
their delivery to the Senior Lenders or their agents under the Senior Term
Loan
Agreement; and
(f) promptly
following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations,
business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower (not including any
information with respect to the Company) or compliance with the terms of this
Agreement, the other Loan Documents, or the Senior Finance Documents, as any
Lender may reasonably request.
SECTION
5.02. Notices
of Material Events.
The
Borrower will furnish to each Lender and the Collateral Agent written notice
of
the following:
(a) the
occurrence of any Default; and
(b) the
filing or commencement of any action, suit, investigation or proceeding by
or
before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority (i) against the Borrower,
Holdings or any of their respective assets that, if adversely determined, could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) known
to the Borrower that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected
to
result in an adverse effect on the rights or remedies of the Collateral Agent,
any other Agent, or any Lender in respect of any of the Collateral under this
Agreement or the Security Documents.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
27
-
Each
notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of
a
Senior Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the
details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken
or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
SECTION
5.03. [Reserved].
SECTION
5.04. Existence;
Preservation of Rights; Conduct of Business.
The
Borrower will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew
and
keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses,
permits, registrations, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of
its
business and the performance of its obligations pursuant to the Loan Documents
to which it is a party. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event that the
Borrower ceases to hold the Shares owned by it in the form of American
Depositary Shares or as required by applicable law, the Borrower shall be
registered, and thereafter maintain such registration, with the Public Registry
of Commerce of the City of Buenos Aires under Section 123 of Law 19.550, as
amended, for purposes of acting as a shareholder of an Argentine
company.
SECTION
5.05. Payment
of Obligations.
The
Borrower will pay its obligations, including tax liabilities, that, if not
paid,
could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect before
the
same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity
or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings,
(b) the Borrower has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect
thereto if required by and in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to
make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result
in
a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
5.06. Books
and Records; Inspection Rights.
The
Borrower will keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and
correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its
business and activities. The Borrower will permit any representatives designated
by any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, reasonable access to visit and
inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records,
and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and
independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably
requested.
SECTION
5.07. Compliance
with Laws.
The
Borrower will comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any
Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the
failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
5.08. Use
of
Proceeds.
The
amount of the Loan will be credited to pay the purchase price of the Acquisition
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
SECTION
5.09. [Reserved].
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
28
-
SECTION
5.10. Further
Assurances; Release of Shares from the Collateral.
(a) The
Borrower will take such action from time to time (including executing and
delivering such assignments, security agreements, account control agreements
and
other instruments) as shall be reasonably requested by the Majority Lenders
to
create, in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Lenders and
the
Collateral Agent, perfected security interests and Liens in all of the Pledged
Shares.
(b) If,
after
the Closing Date, (i) the Annual Collateral Coverage Ratio for any fiscal
year of the Company is greater than the Release Ratio Level with respect to
such
fiscal year, (ii) no Default (as such term is defined in the Senior Term
Loan Agreement) shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom
and (iii) no material breach by the Seller of its obligations under the
Shareholders Agreement shall have occurred and be continuing, then, promptly
after the sixth Business Day after the Company has made publicly available
its
audited annual financial statements for such fiscal year, the Borrower shall
make all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the release of Excluded Shares
from the collateral securing the Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Senior
Term Loan Agreement (such released Shares, the “Released
Shares”),
and
the Borrower shall pledge such Released Shares to secure, pursuant to a first
ranking Lien, the Indebtedness of the Borrower under this Agreement pursuant
to
the Security Documents, in such amounts and in accordance with the terms of
the
Senior Term Loan Agreement. From time to time, upon release of such Released
Shares by the Senior Collateral Agent, the Borrower shall cause the delivery
of
such Released Shares to the Seller or its designee (which may be the Collateral
Agent) free and clear of all Liens, and the Borrower shall execute, and make
all
commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Agent (as such term is defined
in
the Senior Term Loan Agreement) to execute, and deliver to the Borrower such
documentation as shall be reasonably requested by Seller to effect the release
of the Released Shares and cause such Released Shares to be pledged pursuant
to
the Security Documents.
(c) Concurrently
with the repayment and discharge in full of the obligations of Borrower under
the Senior Term Loan Agreement:
(i)
all
of the Shares securing the Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Senior Term
Loan Agreement immediately prior to the repayment and discharge of the
obligations of Borrower under the Senior Term Loan Agreement shall, other than
Excluded Shares pledged or to be pledged in connection with a Permitted
Refinancing in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (“Permitted
Refinancing Excluded Shares”),
be
released from the collateral securing the Indebtedness of the Borrower under
the
Senior Term Loan Agreement and will be pledged to secure, pursuant to a first
ranking Lien, the Indebtedness of the Borrower under this Agreement pursuant
to
the Security Documents; and
(ii)
the
Borrower shall make all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the release
of
the Excluded Shares securing the Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Senior
Term Loan Agreement (other than Permitted Refinancing Excluded Shares) from
the
collateral securing the Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Senior Term
Loan
Agreement and upon release of such Excluded Shares by the Senior Collateral
Agent, to cause the delivery thereof to the Seller or its designee (which may
be
the Collateral Agent) free and clear of all Liens, and the Borrower shall
execute, and make all commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Agent (as
such term is defined in the Senior Term Loan Agreement) to execute, and deliver
to the Borrower such documentation as shall be reasonably requested by Seller
to
effect the release of such Excluded Shares and cause such Excluded Shares to
be
pledged pursuant to the Security Documents.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
29
-
(d) Concurrently
with the repayment and discharge in full of the obligations of Borrower under
any Permitted Refinancing:
(i)
the
Borrower shall make all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the release
of
the Permitted Refinancing Excluded Shares pledged by the Borrower pledged to
secure the Indebtedness of the Borrower under any Permitted Refinancing (the
“Refinancing
Released Security”);
and
(ii)
the
Borrower shall, upon release of such Refinancing Released Security, cause the
delivery of such Refinancing Released Security (and hereby irrevocably instructs
each Agent (as such term is defined in the Senior Term Loan Agreement) and
each
agent appointed pursuant to any Permitted Refinancing to deliver such
Refinancing Released Security), to the Seller or its designee (which may be
the
Collateral Agent) free and clear of all Liens, and the Borrower shall procure
the execution, and make all commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Agent
to execute, and deliver to the Borrower such documentation as shall be
reasonably requested by Seller to effect the release of such Refinancing
Released Security and cause such Refinancing Released Security to be pledged
to
secure, pursuant to a first ranking Lien, the Indebtedness of the Borrower
under
this Agreement pursuant to the Security Documents.
(e) (i) the
Borrower shall take all measures, perform all actions, grant all documents,
obtain all official or private seals, approvals, authorizations, stamps or
others and grant all documents necessary to ensure that this Agreement
(including any amendment, restatement, novation or related document) and/or
any
other Loan Document (including any amendment, restatement, novation or related
document) are raised in Spain to the status of Public Documents (elevación
a escritura pública o póliza)
in
compliance with Spanish law requirements on or before 5 Business Days after
the
date on which the Collateral Agent makes a requirement to the
Borrower,
(ii) the
Borrower acknowledges that the escritura
pública
will
expressly state that the Collateral Agent and/or any Lender is entitled to
claim
all amounts outstanding under the Loan Documents following any non-payment
of
principal by the Borrower. This does not prejudice the exercise of any other
right or remedy of the Collateral Agent and/or any Lender,
(iii) any
Person that assumes any obligation, responsibility or undertaking in the future
under this Agreement shall be obliged by this paragraph (c),
and
(iv) the
Borrower hereby expressly authorizes the Majority Lenders (and the Collateral
Agent, to the extent it is necessary) to request and obtain certificates issued
by the Notary Public who has raised this Agreement or any other Loan Document
into the status of a Spanish public document, in order to evidence its
compliance with the entries of his registry-book and the relevant entry date
for
the purpose of Article 517 of the Civil Procedural Law. The cost of such
certificate will be for the account of the Borrower.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
30
-
(f) If
this
Agreement or any other Loan Document is raised in Spain to public documents
status in accordance with paragraph (c) above, for the purpose of Article
571 et seq. of the Civil Procedural Law (Law 1/2000 of 7 January) (Ley
de Enjuiciamiento Civil),
then:
(i) the
amount due and payable under this Agreement and/or any Loan Document that may
be
claimed in any executive proceedings will be contained in a certificate supplied
by the Collateral Agent and/or a Lender and will be based on the accounts
maintained by the applicable Agent and/or such Lender in connection with this
Agreement and,
(ii) the
Collateral Agent may (at the cost of the Borrower) have the certificate
notarized,
(iii) the
Collateral Agent may start executive proceedings by presenting to the relevant
court (x) an original notarial copy of this Agreement or any other Loan
Documents, as applicable, and (y) a notarial document (acta
notarial)
incorporating the certificate of the applicable Agent or Lender referred to
in
subparagraph (i) above; provided
that the
Borrower must be notified of the details of such certificate at least 5 days
before the start of the executive proceedings.
ARTICLE
VI
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
Until
the
principal of and interest on the Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been
paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders
that:
SECTION
6.01. Indebtedness.
The
Borrower will not create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness,
except:
(a) Indebtedness
created hereunder;
(b) Indebtedness
outstanding under the Senior Term Loan Agreement;
(c) Indebtedness
outstanding under any Permitted Subordinated Debt;
(d) Indebtedness
outstanding under any Permitted Refinancing; and
(e) Indebtedness
outstanding under any Additional Seller Subordinated Debt.
SECTION
6.02. Liens.
The
Borrower will not create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any
property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell
any
income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of
any
thereof, except:
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
31
-
(a) Liens
created pursuant to the Security Documents;
(b) Permitted
Encumbrances;
(c) Liens
created pursuant to the Security Documents (as defined in the Senior Term Loan
Agreement);
(d) Liens
securing the Indebtedness under any Permitted Refinancing; and
(e) Liens
securing any Indebtedness under any Additional Seller Subordinated Debt not
provided by Seller.
SECTION
6.03. Fundamental
Changes;
Dispositions.
The
Borrower will not enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation or
amalgamation, or liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself, or voluntarily commence
any proceedings described in Article VII(j)(i). The Borrower will not
acquire any business or property from, or capital stock of, or be a party to
any
acquisition of, any Person, except as permitted by Section 6.05 or 6.09.
The Borrower will not convey, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of,
in
one transaction or a series of transactions, any part of its business or
property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired,
except
for (a) a Disposition of Shares included in the collateral securing the
Indebtedness under the Senior Term Loan Agreement or any Indebtedness under
any
Permitted Refinancing for cash or Cash Equivalents, in each case to be paid
to
the Borrower at the time of such Disposition of Shares, provided
that the
proceeds thereof are applied to prepay the Senior Loans or such Permitted
Refinancing, respectively, and to prepay the Loan pursuant to
Section 2.04(b)(ii), and (b) a Permitted Shares Disposition.
SECTION
6.04. Lines
of Business.
The
Borrower will not engage in any business other than its ownership of the Shares,
its consummation of the Transactions and activities and liabilities incidental
thereto.
SECTION
6.05. Subsidiaries
and Investments.
The
Borrower will not acquire or establish any Subsidiaries and, without limiting
the foregoing, the Borrower will not make or permit to remain outstanding any
Investments except:
(a) the
Accounts (as defined in the Senior Term Loan Agreement);
(b) Cash
Equivalents;
(c) the
Interest Rate Cap Agreement;
(d) the
Acquired Shares; and
(e) any
additional Shares acquired as permitted by Section 6.09.
SECTION
6.06. Restricted
Payments.
The
Borrower will not declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or
indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except:
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
32
-
(a) subject
to the delivery by the Borrower to the relevant agents under the Senior Term
Loan Agreement or this Agreement, as the case may be, of reasonable documentary
evidence thereof (and without duplication of any Asset Taxes paid pursuant
to
Section 6.07(c)), any Restricted Payments made for the purpose of allowing
the shareholders of Holdings to pay Asset Taxes;
(b) the
payment of dividends in any fiscal year of the Borrower in an aggregate amount
not exceeding the lesser of $14,325,000 and the aggregate amount of the portions
of Excess Cash Flow for such fiscal year not required to be used to prepay
the
Senior Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(b)(i) of the Senior Term Loan
Agreement,
the
terms of any Indebtedness under any Permitted Refinancing, and
the Loan pursuant Section 2.04(b)(i) (as such aggregate amount may be
reduced on a Dollar-for-Dollar basis by the amount of prepayments, redemptions
or repurchases of, and other payments in respect of, Indebtedness of the
Borrower under the Additional Seller Subordinated Debt and, after all Additional
Seller Subordinated Debt has been paid and discharged in full, any Permitted
Subordinated Debt, made pursuant to paragraph (c) below), provided
that
(i) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result
therefrom and (ii) no such dividend payment shall be permitted from any
such portion of Excess Cash Flow for any Measurement Period until after the
mandatory prepayment to be made for such Measurement Period required pursuant
to
Section 2.04(b)(i) of the Senior Term Loan Agreement,
the
terms of any Indebtedness under any Permitted Refinancing, and
Section 2.04(b)(i) shall have been made;
(c) prepayments,
redemptions or repurchases of, and other payments in respect of, Indebtedness
of
the Borrower under any Additional Seller Subordinated Debt and, after all
Additional Seller Subordinated Debt has been paid and discharged in full, any
Permitted Subordinated Debt, made with the amounts otherwise permitted to be
used for the payment of dividends pursuant to paragraph (b) above,
provided
that,
upon any such prepayment, redemption or repurchase, the amount otherwise
available for the payment of dividends under paragraph (b) above shall be
reduced on a Dollar-for-Dollar basis; and
(d) payments
of any amounts due on account of any Additional Seller Subordinated Debt made
by
the Borrower with the Net Cash Proceeds of a Permitted Shares
Disposition.
SECTION
6.07. Transactions
with Affiliates.
The
Borrower will not sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets
to,
or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or
otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates,
except:
(a) transactions
duly incurred and documented and in the ordinary course of business at prices
and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower than could be
reasonably obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties,
provided
that the
aggregate amount of payments to be made by the Borrower with respect to all
such
transactions shall not exceed $250,000 per fiscal year of the
Borrower;
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
33
-
(b) the
incurrence of Permitted Subordinated Debt;
(c) subject
to the delivery by the Borrower to the Agents of reasonable documentary evidence
thereof (and without duplication of any Restricted Payments made pursuant to
Section 6.06(a)), the payment of Asset Taxes on behalf of the shareholders
of Holdings;
(d) the
payment of Permitted Borrower Expenses; and
(e) the
payment of dividends otherwise permitted hereunder.
SECTION
6.08. Termination
or Modification of Certain Documents.
The
Borrower will not terminate or modify (whether in writing or otherwise) the
economic terms of, or modify (whether in writing or otherwise) in a manner
that
is adverse to the Lenders, any documentation governing the Indebtedness of
the
Borrower under any Additional Seller Subordinated Debt or any Permitted
Subordinated Debt, without in each case the prior written consent of the
Required Lenders. The Borrower will not terminate or modify (whether in writing
or otherwise) the economic terms of, or modify (whether in writing or otherwise)
in a manner that is materially adverse to the Lenders, any organizational
document of the Borrower (including any change (whether agreed or deemed
pursuant to applicable law) of domicile), without in each case the prior written
consent of the Required Lenders.
SECTION
6.09. Acquisitions
of Additional Shares.
The
Borrower will not acquire any additional Shares after the Closing Date if the
purchase price thereof, when aggregated with the purchase price of all
additional Shares previously acquired by the Borrower after the Closing Date,
would exceed $250,000,000.
ARTICLE
VII
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
If
any of
the following events (each, an “Event
of Default”)
shall
occur:
(a) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of the Loan when and as the same shall
become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed
for
prepayment thereof or otherwise;
(b) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on the Loan or any fee or any other
amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article)
payable under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document, when and as
the
same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied
for a period of three or more Business Days;
(c) any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower
in or, on and after the date hereof, in connection with this Agreement or any
other Loan Document or by or on behalf of Holdings in or, on and after the
date
hereof, in connection with any Loan Document to which it is a party, or, in
each
case, any amendment or modification hereof or thereof, or in any report,
certificate, financial statement or other document furnished by or on behalf
of
the Borrower or Holdings pursuant to or, on and after the date hereof, in
connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment
or
modification hereof or thereof, shall prove to have been incorrect in any
material respect when made or deemed made;
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
34
-
(d) (i) the
Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement
contained in Section 5.04 (with respect to the Borrower’s existence),
5.10(c) or in Article VI; (ii) the Borrower shall fail to observe or
perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 4.02 or
4.04(a) of the Security Agreement; (iii) the Borrower shall fail to observe
or
perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 4(b) of the
Junior Pledge Agreement; or (iv) the Borrower shall fail to observe or
perform the agreement contained in Section 7.3 of, or any other material
covenant, condition or agreement contained in, the Shareholders
Agreement;
(e) [Reserved].
(f) either
the Borrower or Holdings shall fail to observe or perform any covenant,
condition or agreement contained in any Loan Document to which it is a party
(other than those covenants, conditions or agreements specified above in this
Article) and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 or more
days after the earlier of (x) an officer of the Borrower obtaining knowledge
of
such failure and (y) notice thereof from any Lender to the
Borrower;
(g) the
Borrower shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and
regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as
the
same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue beyond any
applicable grace period set forth in the agreements or instruments evidencing
or
governing such Material Indebtedness;
(h) any
event
or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness incurred by the
Borrower becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits
(with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder
or
holders of any such Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or
their behalf to cause any such Material Indebtedness to become due, or to
require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior
to
its scheduled maturity;
(i) an
involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall
be
filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization, debt restructuring
(including any out of court restructuring agreement or acuerdo
preventivo extrajudicial),
winding up, administration or dissolution, including any disolución,
liquidación,
concurso,
or any
other similar proceedings, or other relief in respect of either the Borrower
or
Holdings or their respective debts, or of a substantial part of its assets,
under any federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or
similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a
receiver, administrative receiver, administrator, trustee, custodian,
sequestrator, conservator or similar official, including a liquidador,
administración
concursal
or any
other Person performing the same function of each of the foregoing, for either
the Borrower or Holdings or for a substantial part of their respective assets,
and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed
for a period of 60 or more days or an order or decree approving or ordering
any
of the foregoing shall be entered;
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
35
-
(j) either
the Borrower or Holdings shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or
file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization, debt restructuring
(including any out of court restructuring agreement or acuerdo
preventivo extrajudicial),
winding up, administration or dissolution, including any disolución,
liquidación,
concurso,
or any
other similar proceedings, or other relief under any federal, state or foreign
bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect,
(ii) consent to the institution of any proceeding or petition described in
clause (i) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the
appointment of a receiver, administrative receiver, administrator, trustee,
custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official, including a
liquidador,
administración
concursal
or any
other Person performing the same function of each of the foregoing, for either
of the Borrower or Holdings or for a substantial part of their respective
assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a
petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general
assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the
purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
(k) either
the Borrower or Holdings shall become unable, admit in writing its inability
or
fail generally to pay its debts as they become due, including that the Borrower
is in a state of insolvencia
or
concurso;
(l) one
or
more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of
$10,000,000 shall be rendered against either the Borrower or Holdings and the
same shall remain undischarged, unsatisfied, unstayed and unbonded for a period
of 30 consecutive days, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment
creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or Holdings, as
the
case may be, to enforce any such judgments;
(m) a
Change
of Control shall occur;
(n) the
Liens
created pursuant to the Security Documents shall at any time not constitute
a
valid and perfected Lien on the collateral intended to be covered thereby in
favor of the Collateral Agent, free and clear of all other Liens, or, except
for
expiration in accordance with its terms, any of the Security Documents shall
for
whatever reason be terminated or cease to be in full force and effect, or the
enforceability thereof shall be contested by the Borrower or
Holdings;
(o) [Reserved].
(p) [Reserved].
(q) [Reserved].
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
36
-
(r) Holdings
shall (i) terminate or modify (whether in writing or otherwise) the
economic terms of, or modify (whether in writing or otherwise) in a manner
that
is adverse to the Lenders, any documentation governing the Indebtedness of
the
Borrower under any Permitted Subordinated Debt, (ii) terminate or modify
(whether in writing or otherwise) in a manner that is materially adverse to
the
Lenders any of its or the Borrower’s organizational documents (including any
change (whether agreed or deemed pursuant to applicable law) of domicile),
other
than any such termination or modification resulting from the transactions
permitted under Section 13 of the Holdings Existing Shares Pledge Agreement,
without in each case the prior written consent of the Required Lenders,
(iii) engage at any time in any business or business activity other than
ownership and acquisition of equity interests in the Borrower and the extension
of Permitted Subordinated Debt to the Borrower, or any activities directly
related thereto, or any actions incidental to the consummation of the
Transactions and to maintenance and continuance by Holdings of the foregoing
activities, (iv) incur any Indebtedness other than Permitted Holdings
Indebtedness or (v) permit any Liens on the equity interests of the
Borrower other than Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents or the
Senior Finance Documents; or
(s) Holdings
shall fail to (i) do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve,
renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights,
licenses, permits, registrations, privileges and franchises material to the
conduct of its business and the performance of its obligations pursuant to
the
Security Documents (as defined in the Senior Term Loan Agreement) to which
it is
a party (without prejudice to the transactions permitted under Section 13
of the Holdings Existing Shares Pledge Agreement), (ii) pay its
obligations, including tax liabilities, that, if not paid, could reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become
delinquent or in default, except where (x) the validity or amount thereof
is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (y) Holdings
has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto if required
by
and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Australia
and
(z) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) keep proper books
of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all
dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities,
(iv) permit any representatives designated by any Lender, upon reasonable
prior notice, reasonable access to visit and inspect its properties, to examine
and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs,
finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at
such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested, (v) comply with
all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable
to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in
the
aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, or (vi) take all measures, perform all actions, grant all
documents, obtain all official or private seals, approvals, authorizations,
stamps or others and grant all documents required to be taken, performed,
granted or obtained by Holdings to ensure that the Senior Finance Documents
(including any amendment, restatement, novation or related document) are raised
in Spain to the status of Public Documents (elevación
a escritura pública o póliza)
in
compliance with Spanish law requirements on or before 5 Business Days after
the
date on which the Senior Collateral Agent makes a requirement to Holdings,
and
in each case under this paragraph (s) (other than clause (i) with
respect to the existence of Holdings) such failure shall continue unremedied
for
a period of 30 or more days after notice thereof from any Lender to the
Borrower;
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
37
-
then,
and
in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described
in clause (i) or (j) of this Article), and at any time thereafter
during the continuance of such event, the Majority Lenders may, by notice to
the
Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different
times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall
terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loan then outstanding to be due
and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared
to
be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and
thereupon the principal of the Loan so declared to be due and payable, together
with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower
accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without
presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are
hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event with respect to the
Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article, the
Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loan then
outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other
obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due
and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind,
all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.
ARTICLE
VIII
THE
COLLATERAL AGENT
AND
LENDERS
Each
of
the Lenders hereby irrevocably appoints the Collateral Agent as its agent under
the Loan Documents and authorizes the Collateral Agent to take such actions
on
its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to such Agent by the
applicable Loan Documents, together with such actions and powers as are
reasonably incidental thereto. The Collateral Agent acknowledges the
Intercreditor Agreement, with the understanding that the Collateral Agent
assumes no obligations under the Intercreditor Agreement and shall not be liable
thereunder.
Each
Person serving as an Agent shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity
as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were
not
an Agent, and such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend
money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or
any
Affiliate thereof as if it were not an Agent.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
38
-
No
Agent
shall have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein
and
in the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
(a) no Agent shall be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties,
regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) no
Agent shall have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any
discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly
contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents to which such Agent is a
party and that such Agent is required to exercise in writing by the Majority
Lenders, and (c) except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan
Documents, no Agent shall have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable
for
the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower that is
communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Agent or any of their
Affiliates in any capacity. No Agent shall be liable for any action taken or
not
taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Majority Lenders or in
the
absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. No Agent shall be
deemed to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof
is given to such Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and no Agent shall be
responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any
statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this
Agreement, any other Loan Document or the Information Memorandum dated December
26, 2007, approved by and relating to the Borrower, (ii) the contents of
any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder
or
in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of
any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein
or therein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness
of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument
or
document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in
Article IV or elsewhere herein or therein, other than to confirm receipt of
items expressly required to be delivered to such Agent.
The
Collateral Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any
liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent,
statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Collateral Agent
also
may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed
by it
to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying
thereon. The Collateral Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel
for the Borrower or Holdings), independent accountants and other experts
selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by
it
in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or
experts.
The
Collateral Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights
and
powers by or through any one or more sub-agents (including any branch, other
office, Affiliate or nominee of such Agent) appointed by such Agent. The
Collateral Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties
and
exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The
exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such
sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Agents and any such sub-agent,
and
shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication
of
the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Agent. The
Collateral Agent shall not be liable for negligence by an agent appointed with
due care.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
39
-
The
Collateral Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders and the
Borrower. Upon any such resignation, the Majority Lenders shall have the right
to appoint a successor that is not a Regulation U Bank and, except if an Event
of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such
resignation, that is reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower, provided
that, if
the Borrower shall fail to provide its consent to any successor proposed to
the
Borrower in writing by the Majority Lenders within ten days after receipt of
such proposal, such successor shall be deemed to be reasonably satisfactory
to
the Borrower. The Collateral Agent’s resignation shall not be effective until a
successor Collateral Agent shall have been appointed by the Majority Lenders
and
shall have accepted such appointment; provided
that, if
no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Majority Lenders and
shall
have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Collateral
Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Collateral Agent may
on
behalf of the Lenders appoint a successor Collateral Agent meeting the
qualifications set forth above, or petition a court of competent jurisdiction
to
appoint a successor. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as an Agent
hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested
with
all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired)
Agent, and the retiring Agent, shall be discharged from its duties and
obligations hereunder (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above
in
this paragraph). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Agent shall
be
the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between
the
Borrower and such successor. After an Agent’s resignation hereunder, the
provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for
its benefit in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while
it was acting as Agent.
Each
Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon either
Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it
has
deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into
this
Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without
reliance upon either Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents
and
information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make
its
own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement,
any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished
hereunder or thereunder.
Beyond
the exercise of reasonable care in the custody thereof, the Collateral Agent
shall have no duty as to any Collateral in its possession or control or in
the
possession or control of any agent or bailee or any income thereon or as to
preservation of rights against prior parties or any other rights pertaining
thereto. The Collateral Agent shall not be responsible for filing any financing
or continuation statements or recording any documents or instruments in any
public office at any time or times or otherwise perfecting or maintaining the
perfection of any security interest in the Collateral. The Collateral Agent
shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody of the
Collateral in its possession if the Collateral is accorded treatment
substantially equal to that which other collateral agents accord similar
property. The Collateral Agent shall not be liable or responsible for any loss
or diminution in the value of any of the Collateral, including by reason of
the
act or omission of any carrier, forwarding agency or other agent or bailee
selected by the Collateral Agent in good faith.
The
Collateral Agent shall not be responsible for: (i) the existence, genuineness
or
value of any of the Collateral, (ii) the validity, perfection, priority or
enforceability of the Liens in any of the Collateral, whether impaired by
operation of law or by reason of any action or omission to act on its part
hereunder, except to the extent such action or omission constitutes gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Collateral Agent,
(iii) the validity or sufficiency of the Collateral or any agreement or
assignment contained therein, (iv) the validity of the title of the Borrower
to
the Collateral, (v) insuring the Collateral, (vi) the payment of taxes, charges,
assessments or Liens upon the Collateral, (vii) filing of financing or
continuation statements or (viii) otherwise as to the maintenance of the
Collateral. The Collateral Agent shall have no duty to ascertain or inquire
as
to the performance or observance of any of the terms of this Agreement or the
Security Documents by other parties to this Agreement or related transaction
documents.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
40
-
The
Collateral Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted
to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized
or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this
Agreement.
The
Collateral Agent shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event
of
Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Collateral Agent has received
written notice of any event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default
at
the Corporate Trust Office, and such notice references this
Agreement.
The
rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Collateral
Agent, including its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be
enforceable by, the Collateral Agent in each of its capacities hereunder, and
each officer, director, employee, and agent, custodian and other Person employed
to act hereunder.
The
Collateral Agent may request that the Borrower deliver a certificate setting
forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such
time
to take specified actions pursuant to this Agreement.
Any
power
conferred on the Collateral Agent to enforce remedies is permissive and, unless
instructed by the Majority Lenders pursuant to the terms hereof, shall not
be
deemed to be a duty, rather than a right. The Collateral Agent shall not have
any duty to exercise any remedy if it has not been directed in writing to do
so
by the Majority Lenders and provided with an indemnity reasonably satisfactory
to it.
The
Collateral Agent shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights
or
powers vested in it by this Agreement at the request or direction of any of
the
Lenders pursuant to this Agreement, unless such Lenders shall have offered
to
the Collateral Agent security or indemnity satisfactory to the Collateral Agent
against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in
compliance with such request or direction.
In
no
event shall the Collateral Agent be responsible or liable for any failure or
delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused
by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without
limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil
or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of
God.
Nothing
herein shall require the Collateral Agent to expend or risk its own funds,
unless appropriate indemnities are provided hereunder. Each party agrees that
the Lenders may appoint other Agents with (so long as no Default shall have
occurred and be continuing) the prior written consent of the Borrower, not
to be
unreasonably withheld or delayed.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
41
-
ARTICLE
IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION
9.01. Notices;
Electronic Communications.
(a) Except
in
the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given
by
telephone, all notices and other communications provided for herein or in any
other Loan Document shall be in the English language (or accompanied by a
certified translation) and in writing and shall be delivered by hand or
overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by
telecopy, as follows:
(i) if
to the
Borrower, to it at:
Xxxxxxxx
Energía, S.A.
x/x
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
000, Xxxx 0
(X0000XXX)
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Attn:
Mauro Dacomo
Facsimile:
+ 54 11 45 555 0162
(ii) if
to the
Collateral Agent, to
it
at:
The
Bank
of New York
Global
Trust Services
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx 0X
Xxx
Xxxx,
XX 00000
Facsimile:
x0 (000) 000-0000
and
(iii) if
to the
Seller, to it at:
REPSOL
YPF, S.A.
Xxxxx
xx
xx Xxxxxxxxxx 000
00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Attn: Chief
Financial Officer
Facsimile:
x00 00 000 0000
Corporate
Director of Legal Services
Facsimile:
x00 00 000 0000
Corporate
Director of Tax and Finance
Facsimile:
x00 00 000 0000
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
42
-
With
a
copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxx
& Xxxxxxx LLP
Xxxxx
xx
Xxxxxx 0, 0xx
Xxxxx
00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Facimile:
+ 34 90 288 2228
Attn:
Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx
(iv) if
to any
other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) as provided to each
party hereto in accordance with this Section 9.01.
Any
party
hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other
communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices
and
other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions
of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt.
Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided
in
paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said
paragraph (b).
(b) Electronic
Communications.
Notices
and other communications to a Lender hereunder may be delivered or furnished
by
electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites)
pursuant to procedures approved by such Lender. Each Lender or the Borrower
may,
in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it
hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it,
provided
that
approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or
communications.
Unless
a
Lender or the Borrower otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other
communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received unless the
sender receives an automatic error message from the server of the intended
recipient indicating that the applicable notice or communication has not been
received by such intended recipient or delivery thereof is delayed for any
reason whatsoever, provided that if such notice or other communication is not
sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or
communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business
on
the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications
posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the
deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described
in
the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication
is available and identifying the website address therefor.
SECTION
9.02. Waivers;
Amendments.
(a) No
Deemed Waivers; Remedies Cumulative.
No
failure or delay by either an Agent or any Lender in exercising any right,
power
or remedy under any Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall
any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or remedy, or any
abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right, power or remedy,
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right, power or remedy. The rights, powers and remedies of any Agent and the
Lenders under the Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any
rights, powers or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any
provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower
therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted
by
paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be
effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan shall
not
be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether either an Agent
or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the
time.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
43
-
(b) Amendments.
Neither
this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified
except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the
Borrower and the Majority Lenders; provided
that no
such agreement shall:
(i) increase
any Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such
Lender,
(ii) reduce
the principal amount of the Loan or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or
reduce any fees payable to any Lender hereunder, without the written consent
of
each Lender affected thereby,
(iii) postpone
the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of the Loan or any
interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive
or excuse any such payment, without the written consent of each Lender affected
thereby,
(iv) alter
the
manner in which payments or prepayments of principal, interest or other amounts
hereunder shall be applied as among the Lenders or Loan, without the written
consent of each Lender,
(v) release
all or any material portion of the Collateral without the consent of each
Lender,
(vi) change
any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of the term “Majority
Lenders”, or “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the
number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights
hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without
the
written consent of each Lender, or
(vii) amend
Section 2.04(b) without the written consent of each Lender;
and
provided,
further,
that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights
or duties of the Collateral Agent or other Agent hereunder or under any other
Loan Document to which it is a party without the prior written consent of the
Collateral Agent or such Agent, as applicable.
(c) Security
Documents.
Without
the prior consent of each Lender, the Collateral Agent shall not (except as
permitted herein or in the Security Documents) release all or any material
portion of the Collateral or otherwise terminate all or any material portion
of
the Liens under any Security Document providing for collateral security, agree
to additional obligations being secured by all or any portion of the Collateral,
alter the relative priorities of the obligations entitled to the benefits of
the
Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents with respect to all or any
material portion of the Collateral, except that no such consent shall be
required, and the Collateral Agent is hereby authorized, to release any Lien
covering property that is the subject of either a disposition of property
permitted hereunder (including pursuant to Section 5.10(b)) or a
disposition to which the Majority Lenders have consented.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
44
-
SECTION
9.03. Waiver
of Consequential Damages.
To
the
extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and the
Borrower hereby waives, any claim against any Lender (other than the Seller),
the Collateral Agent, any other Agent, and each Related Party of any of the
foregoing Persons, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect,
consequential (including lucrum
cessans
(lucro
cesante))
or
punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in
connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or
instrument contemplated hereby, the Acquisition, the Transactions, the Loan
or
the use of the proceeds thereof.
SECTION
9.04. Successors
and Assigns.
(a) Assignments
Generally.
The
provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby,
except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights
or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and
any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall
be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be
construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their
respective successors and assigns permitted hereby and, to the extent expressly
contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of, the Collateral Agent,
any
other Agent, and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim
under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b) Assignments
by Lenders.
Any
Lender may assign to any Person all or a portion of its rights and obligations
under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the
Loan
at the time owing to it); provided
that
(i) The
assignee is not a Regulation U Bank and the assignee funds the purchase price
of
its assignment from, and from sources, outside the United States;
(ii) the
Borrower must be promptly notified of such assignment,
(iii) except
in
the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, the Borrower
must give its prior written consent to such assignment (which consent shall
not
be unreasonably withheld or delayed),
(iv) each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of
all
the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement,
(v) the
parties to each such assignment shall execute and deliver to the each Lender
an
Assignment and Assumption, and
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
45
-
(vi) the
assignee confirms the appointment and duties of the Collateral Agent and any
other Agent under Article VIII.
Upon
acceptance and recording pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section, from
and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the
assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest
assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations
of a
Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to
the
extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released
from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment
and
Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under
this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue
to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.09, 2.10 and 9.03 and
shall continue to be obligated pursuant to Section 9.14). Any assignment or
transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does
not
comply with this paragraph shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement
as a
sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in
accordance with paragraph (f) of this Section.
(c) [Reserved].
(d) Effectiveness
of Assignments.
Each
assignment shall become effective upon execution and delivery of a duly
completed Assignment and Assumption by an assigning Lender and an assignee,
receipt of any written consents to such assignment required by
paragraph (b) of this Section, and delivery of such Assignment and
Assumption the Borrower thereof in writing.
(e) [Reserved].
(f) Participations.
Any
Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, sell participations to any
Person (a “Participant”)
in all
or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and
the other Loan Documents (including all or a portion of its Commitment and
the
Loan owing to it); provided
that
(i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely
responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations,
(iii) the Borrower, the Collateral 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 and the other Loan
Documents and (iv) the Participant is not a Regulation U Bank and the
Participant funds the purchase price of its participation from, and from
sources, outside the United States. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to
which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall
retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and the other Loan Documents
and
to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided
that
such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without
the
consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver
described in clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (v) of the first proviso to
Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant.
(g) Certain
Pledges.
Any
Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any
portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender
and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security
interest; provided
that no
such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from
any
of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such assignee for such Lender
as
a party hereto.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
46
-
(h) No
Assignments to the Borrower or Affiliates.
Anything in this Section to the contrary notwithstanding, no Lender may assign
or participate any interest in its Loan to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates
without the prior consent of the Seller.
SECTION
9.05. Survival.
All
covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower
and
Holdings in the Loan Documents to which it is a party and in the certificates
or
other instruments delivered pursuant to or, on and after the date hereof, in
connection with, such Loan Documents shall be considered to have been relied
upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery
of
this Agreement and the making of the Loan, regardless of any investigation
made
by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Collateral
Agent, any other Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any
Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is
extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as
the
principal of or any accrued interest on the Loan or any fee or any other amount
payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid. The provisions of
Sections 9.03 and 9.14 and Article VIII shall survive and remain
in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loan or the termination of this
Agreement or any provision hereof.
SECTION
9.06. Counterparts;
Integration; Effectiveness.
This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto
on
different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all
of
which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement,
the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to
fees
payable to the Collateral Agent constitute the entire contract between and
among
the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all
previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject
matter hereof. Except as provided in Article IV, this Agreement shall
become effective when it shall have been executed by and delivered to each
of
the parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by
telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart
of
this Agreement.
SECTION
9.07. Severability.
Any
provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in
any
jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of
such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity,
legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the
invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not
invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION
9.08. Right
of Setoff.
Upon
the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, each Lender
is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general
or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at
any
time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by such Lender to or for
the
credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations
of
the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan
Document to such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have
made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although
such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent or unmatured or are owed
to a
branch or office of such Lender different from the branch or office holding
such
deposit or obligated on such indebtedness. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify
the Borrower after any such set-off and application, provided
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 are in addition to
other rights and remedies (including other rights of set-off) that such Lender
may have.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
47
-
SECTION
9.09. Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.
(a) Governing
Law.
This
Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of
the
State of New York.
(b) Submission
to Jurisdiction in U.S.
Each
party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and
its
property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State
of
New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court
of
the Southern District of New York in the Borough of Manhattan, and any appellate
court from any thereof, in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, or for
recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto
hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of
any
such suit, action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York
State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such federal court. Each of the
parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such suit, action or
proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by
suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this
Agreement shall affect any right that the Collateral Agent, any other Agent
or
any Lender may otherwise have to bring any suit, action or proceeding relating
to this Agreement against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any
jurisdiction.
(c) Enforcement
and Submission to Jurisdiction in Spain.
Without
prejudice of paragraph (b) above, the Collateral Agent and/or the Majority
Lenders may at their sole discretion and at any time decide to enforce this
Agreement or any other Loan Document in Spain. If this decision is taken, it
shall be understood that each party hereby has irrevocably and unconditionally
submitted for itself and its property to the nonexclusive jurisdiction
of:
(i) the
courts of the City of Madrid (Spain), or
(ii) if
the
Collateral Agent and/or the Majority of Lenders so decides, of the courts of
the
place in which the Borrower has from time to time its registered address in
accordance with the Commercial Registry (Registro
Mercantil),
in
any
suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or
any
other Loan Document, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgement, and
each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that
all claims in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding may be heard and
determined in such jurisdiction. Nothing herein shall require the Collateral
Agent to submit to the jurisdiction of a non-U.S. court.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
48
-
(d) Waiver
of Venue.
Each
party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest
extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now
or
hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising
out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents in
any
court referred to in the first sentence of paragraph (b) of this Section.
Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of
such suit, action or proceeding in any such court.
(e) Process
Agent.
The
Borrower irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System (the “Process
Agent”),
with
an office on the date hereof at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000,
as
its agent and true and lawful attorney-in-fact in its name, place and stead
to
accept on behalf of the Borrower and its property and revenues service of copies
of the summons and complaint and any other process which may be served in any
suit, action or proceeding brought in the State of New York arising out of
or
relating to this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and the Borrower
agrees that the failure of the Process Agent to give any notice of any such
service of process to the Borrower shall not impair or affect the validity
of
such service or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the enforcement
of
any judgment based thereon.
(f) Alternative
Process.
Nothing
in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve
process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION
9.10. WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL.
EACH
PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW,
ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OF THE OTHER LOAN
DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT,
TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO
REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY
OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION,
SEEK
TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER
PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION
9.11. Waiver
of Immunity.
To the
extent that the Borrower may be or become entitled to claim for itself or its
property or revenues any immunity on the ground of sovereignty or the like
from
suit, court jurisdiction, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of
execution of a judgment or execution of a judgment, and to the extent that
in
any such jurisdiction there may be attributed such an immunity (whether or
not
claimed), the Borrower hereby irrevocably agrees not to claim and hereby
irrevocably waives such immunity with respect to its obligations under this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
49
-
SECTION
9.12. Judgment
Currency.
This is
an international loan transaction in which the specification of Dollars and
payment in each Lender’s Account (or account of the Collateral Agent, as
notified to the Borrower in accordance with this Agreement), is of the essence,
and the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents to each Lender or any Agent (in this Section 9.12 called an
“Entitled
Person”)
to
make payment in Dollars shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender
or
recovery pursuant to any judgment expressed in or converted into any other
currency or in another place except to the extent that on the Business Day
following receipt of any sum adjudged to be so due in the judgment currency
such
Entitled Person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase,
and
transfer to each Lender’s Account (or account of the Collateral Agent, as
applicable), Dollars in the amount originally due to such Entitled Person with
the judgment currency. If for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court
it
is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder in Dollars into another currency
(in
this Section 9.12 called the “judgment
currency”),
the
rate of exchange that shall be applied shall be that at which in accordance
with
normal banking procedures the receiving Person could purchase such Dollars
at
each Lender’s Account (or account of the Collateral Agent, as applicable), with
the judgment currency on the Business Day immediately preceding the day on
which
such judgment is rendered. The Borrower hereby, as a separate obligation and
notwithstanding any such judgment, agrees to indemnify such Entitled Person
against, and to pay each Entitled Person on demand, in Dollars, the amount
(if
any) by which the sum originally due to such Entitled Person in Dollars
hereunder exceeds the amount of the Dollars purchased and transferred as
aforesaid.
SECTION
9.13. Headings.
Article
and Section headings and the Table of Contents appearing herein are included
solely for convenience of reference, are not part of this Agreement and shall
not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting,
this Agreement.
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
50
-
SECTION
9.14. Confidentiality.
Each of
the Collateral Agent, any other Agent, and the Lenders agrees to maintain the
confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information
may be disclosed (i) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers,
employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors
on
a need-to-know basis (it being understood that the Persons to whom such
disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such
Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (ii) to
the extent requested by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such
Person, (iii) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or
by any subpoena or similar legal process; provided
that the
Collateral Agent, such other Agent, or such Lender, unless prohibited by
applicable law, shall use reasonable efforts to notify the Borrower in advance
of any disclosure pursuant to this clause (iii) on the understanding
that none of the Collateral Agent, such other Agent or any Lender shall incur
any liability for failure to give such notice, (iv) to any other party to
this Agreement, (v) in connection with the exercise of any remedies
hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding
relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of
rights hereunder or thereunder, (vi) subject to an agreement containing
provisions substantially the same as those of this paragraph, to (A) any
assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant
in,
any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement, (B) any actual or
prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any Hedging Agreement, credit
default swap, total return swap or other derivative transaction relating to
the
Borrower and its obligations, or (C) any actual or prospective
counterparty (or its advisors) to any insurance agreement protecting against
political risk relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (vii) with the
prior written consent of the Borrower or (viii) to the extent such
Information (A) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a
breach of this paragraph or (B) becomes available to the Collateral Agent,
any other Agent, or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other
than the Borrower. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Information”
means
all information received from the Borrower or its accountants, in each case
relating to the Borrower or its business, other than (i) any such information
that is available to the Collateral Agent, any other Agent, or any Lender on
a
nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower, or (ii) with respect
to the Seller or any Lender who is an Affiliate thereof, any such information
as
relates to the Company or its business. Any Person required to maintain the
confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered
to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised
the
same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as
such
Person would accord to its own confidential information.
[SIGNATURE
PAGES FOLLOW]
Seller
Credit Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
-
51
-
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Credit Agreement to be
duly
executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first
above written.
THE
BORROWER
|
|
XXXXXXXX
ENERGÍA, S.A.
|
|
By
|
/s/ Mauro Dacomo |
Name: Mauro Dacomo
|
|
Title: Attorney
|
Credit
Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
THE
COLLATERAL AGENT
|
|
THE
BANK OF NEW YORK
|
|
as
Collateral Agent
|
|
By
|
|
Name:
|
|
Title:
|
Credit
Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
REPSOL
YPF, S.A.
|
|
By
|
|
Name:
|
|
Title:
|
|
By
|
|
Name:
|
|
Title:
|
Credit
Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
SCHEDULE
I
COMMITMENTS
Name of Lender
|
Commitment
|
|||
REPSOL
YPF, S.A.
|
$
|
1,015,000,000
|
||
TOTAL
|
$
|
1,015,000,000
|
Credit
Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY
SCHEDULE
II
LENDER’S
ACCOUNTS
[NOT
FILED]
Credit
Agreement
EXECUTION
COPY