FIVE-YEAR REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of August 22, 2007, by and among BLACKROCK, INC., as Borrower, the Lenders referred to herein, WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Administrative Agent, Swingline Lender and Issuing Lender, and...
Exhibit
10.1
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|
Execution
Version
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Published
CUSIP Number: 00000XXX0
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Revolving
Credit CUSIP Number:
00000XXX0
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$2,500,000,000
FIVE-YEAR
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated
as of August 22, 2007,
by
and among
BLACKROCK,
INC.,
as
Borrower,
the
Lenders referred to herein,
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Administrative Agent,
Swingline
Lender and Issuing Lender,
and
SUMITOMO
MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION,
as
Japanese Yen Lender
WACHOVIA
CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
and
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS INC.,
as
Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers,
CITIBANK,
N.A.,
as
Syndication Agent,
and
HSBC
BANK USA, N.A., JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., and XXXXXX XXXXXXX
BANK,
as
Documentation Agents
ARTICLE
I DEFINITIONS
|
1
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SECTION
1.1
|
Definitions
|
1
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SECTION
1.2
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Other
Definitions and Provisions
|
22
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SECTION
1.3
|
Accounting
Terms
|
22
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SECTION
1.4
|
Rounding
|
23
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SECTION
1.5
|
References
to Agreement and Laws
|
23
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||
SECTION
1.6
|
Times
of Day
|
23
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||
SECTION
1.7
|
Letter
of Credit Amounts
|
23
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SECTION
1.8
|
Effectiveness
of Euro Provisions
|
23
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SECTION
1.9
|
Amount
of Obligations.
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23
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ARTICLE
II REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITY
|
23
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SECTION
2.1
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Revolving
Credit Loans
|
23
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SECTION
2.2
|
Japanese
Yen Loans.
|
24
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||
SECTION
2.3
|
Swingline
Loans
|
25
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||
SECTION
2.4
|
Procedure
for Advances of Revolving Credit Loans, Japanese Yen Loans and
Swingline
Loans
|
27
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||
SECTION
2.5
|
Repayment
and Prepayment of Revolving Credit, Japanese Yen and Swingline
Loans
|
28
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SECTION
2.6
|
Permanent
Reduction of the Commitment
|
31
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SECTION
2.7
|
Optional
Increase of the Aggregate Commitment
|
31
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SECTION
2.8
|
Termination
of Credit Facility
|
33
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ARTICLE
III LETTER OF CREDIT FACILITY
|
33
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SECTION
3.1
|
L/C
Commitment
|
33
|
||
SECTION
3.2
|
Procedure
for Issuance of Letters of Credit
|
33
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||
SECTION
3.3
|
Commissions
and Other Charges
|
34
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||
SECTION
3.4
|
L/C
Participations
|
35
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SECTION
3.5
|
Reimbursement
Obligation of the Borrower
|
35
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SECTION
3.6
|
Exchange
Indemnification and Increased Costs
|
36
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SECTION
3.7
|
Obligations
Absolute
|
36
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SECTION
3.8
|
Effect
of Letter of Credit Application
|
37
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ARTICLE
IV GENERAL LOAN PROVISIONS
|
37
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SECTION
4.1
|
Interest
|
37
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SECTION
4.2
|
Notice
and Manner of Conversion or Continuation of Revolving Credit
Loans
|
39
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||
SECTION
4.3
|
Fees
|
40
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SECTION
4.4
|
Manner
of Payment
|
40
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SECTION
4.5
|
Evidence
of Indebtedness
|
42
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||
SECTION
4.6
|
Adjustments
|
42
|
i
SECTION
4.7
|
Nature
of Obligations of Lenders Regarding Extensions of Credit; Assumption
by
the Administrative Agent
|
43
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||
SECTION
4.8
|
Redenomination
of Alternative Currency Loans
|
44
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||
SECTION
4.9
|
Regulatory
Limitation
|
45
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SECTION
4.10
|
Changed
Circumstances
|
45
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SECTION
4.11
|
Indemnity
|
46
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SECTION
4.12
|
Increased
Costs
|
46
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SECTION
4.13
|
Taxes
|
48
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SECTION
4.14
|
Mitigation
Obligations; Replacement of Lenders
|
51
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SECTION
4.15
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Rounding
and Other Consequential Changes
|
51
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ARTICLE
V CLOSING; CONDITIONS OF CLOSING AND BORROWING
|
52
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SECTION
5.1
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Closing
|
52
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SECTION
5.2
|
Conditions
to Closing and Initial Extensions of Credit
|
52
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SECTION
5.3
|
Conditions
to All Extensions of Credit
|
54
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ARTICLE
VI REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
BORROWER
|
55
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SECTION
6.1
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Representations
and Warranties
|
55
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SECTION
6.2
|
Survival
of Representations and Warranties, Etc
|
58
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ARTICLE
VII FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND NOTICES
|
58
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SECTION
7.1
|
Financial
Statements
|
58
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||
SECTION
7.2
|
Officer’s
Compliance Certificate
|
59
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||
SECTION
7.3
|
Other
Reports
|
59
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SECTION
7.4
|
Notice
of Litigation and Other Matters
|
59
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SECTION
7.5
|
Accuracy
of Information
|
60
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ARTICLE
VIII AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
|
60
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SECTION
8.1
|
Preservation
of Corporate Existence and Related Matters
|
60
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SECTION
8.2
|
Maintenance
of Property
|
60
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||
SECTION
8.3
|
Insurance
|
60
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||
SECTION
8.4
|
Accounting
Methods and Financial Records
|
61
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SECTION
8.5
|
Payment
of Taxes
|
61
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SECTION
8.6
|
Compliance
With Laws and Approvals
|
61
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SECTION
8.7
|
Visits
and Inspections
|
61
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SECTION
8.8
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
61
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ARTICLE
IX FINANCIAL COVENANTS
|
61
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SECTION
9.1
|
Leverage
Ratio
|
61
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ARTICLE
X NEGATIVE COVENANTS
|
62
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SECTION
10.1
|
Limitations
on Liens
|
62
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SECTION
10.2
|
Limitations
on Mergers and Liquidation
|
63
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SECTION
10.3
|
Sale
of All or Substantially All Assets
|
63
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SECTION
10.4
|
Nature
of Business
|
63
|
ii
ARTICLE
XI DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
|
64
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SECTION
11.1
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Events
of Default
|
64
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SECTION
11.2
|
Remedies
|
66
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||
SECTION
11.3
|
Rights
and Remedies Cumulative; Non-Waiver; etc
|
66
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SECTION
11.4
|
Judgment
Currency
|
67
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||
SECTION
11.5
|
Crediting
of Payments and Proceeds
|
67
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SECTION
11.6
|
Administrative
Agent May File Proofs of Claim
|
68
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ARTICLE
XII THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
|
68
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SECTION
12.1
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Appointment
and Authority
|
68
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SECTION
12.2
|
Rights
as a Lender
|
69
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||
SECTION
12.3
|
Exculpatory
Provisions
|
69
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||
SECTION
12.4
|
Reliance
by the Administrative Agent
|
70
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||
SECTION
12.5
|
Delegation
of Duties
|
70
|
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SECTION
12.6
|
Resignation
of Administrative Agent
|
70
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||
SECTION
12.7
|
Non-Reliance
on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders
|
71
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SECTION
12.8
|
No
Other Duties, etc
|
72
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SECTION
12.9
|
Resignation
of Japanese Yen Lender
|
72
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ARTICLE
XIII MISCELLANEOUS
|
72
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|||
SECTION
13.1
|
Notices
|
72
|
||
SECTION
13.2
|
Amendments,
Waivers and Consents
|
74
|
||
SECTION
13.3
|
Expenses;
Indemnity
|
75
|
||
SECTION
13.4
|
Right
of Setoff
|
77
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SECTION
13.5
|
Governing
Law
|
78
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SECTION
13.6
|
Waiver
of Jury Trial
|
79
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SECTION
13.7
|
Reversal
of Payments
|
79
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SECTION
13.8
|
Injunctive
Relief; Punitive Damages
|
79
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SECTION
13.9
|
Accounting
Matters
|
79
|
||
SECTION
13.10
|
Successors
and Assigns; Participations
|
80
|
||
SECTION
13.11
|
Confidentiality
|
82
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||
SECTION
13.12
|
Performance
of Duties
|
83
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SECTION
13.13
|
All
Powers Coupled with Interest
|
83
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SECTION
13.14
|
Survival
of Indemnities
|
83
|
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SECTION
13.15
|
Titles
and Captions
|
83
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||
SECTION
13.16
|
Severability
of Provisions
|
83
|
||
SECTION
13.17
|
Counterparts
|
83
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||
SECTION
13.18
|
Integration
|
84
|
||
SECTION
13.19
|
Term
of Agreement
|
84
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||
SECTION
13.20
|
Advice
of Counsel, No Strict Construction
|
84
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SECTION
13.21
|
USA
Patriot Act
|
84
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SECTION
13.22
|
Inconsistencies
with Other Documents; Independent Effect of Covenants
|
84
|
iii
EXHIBITS
Exhibit
A-1
|
-
|
Form
of Revolving Credit Note
|
Exhibit
A-2
|
-
|
Form
of Japanese Yen Note
|
Exhibit
A-3
|
-
|
Form
of Swingline Note
|
Exhibit
B
|
-
|
Form
of Notice of Borrowing
|
Exhibit
C
|
-
|
Form
of Notice of Account Designation
|
Exhibit
D
|
-
|
Form
of Notice of Prepayment
|
Exhibit
E
|
-
|
Form
of Notice of Conversion/Continuation
|
Exhibit
F
|
-
|
Form
of Officer’s Compliance Certificate
|
Exhibit
G
|
-
|
Form
of Assignment and Assumption
|
SCHEDULES
Schedule
1.1
|
-
|
Mandatory
Cost Rate
|
Schedule
6.1(f)
|
-
|
ERISA
Plans
|
Schedule
6.1(k)
|
-
|
Litigation
|
Schedule
10.1
|
-
|
Existing
Liens
|
iv
CREDIT
AGREEMENT, dated as of August 22, 2007, by and among BlackRock, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “Borrower”), the lenders who are or may become a party
to this Agreement (collectively, the “Lenders”) and WACHOVIA BANK,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as Administrative Agent
for the Lenders.
STATEMENT
OF PURPOSE
The
Borrower has requested, and the Lenders have agreed, to extend certain credit
facilities to the Borrower on the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of
which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, such parties hereby
agree
as follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION
1.1 Definitions. The
following terms when used in this Agreement shall have the meanings assigned
to
them below:
“Act”
has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.21.
“Administrative
Agent” means Wachovia, in its capacity as Administrative Agent hereunder,
and any successor thereto appointed pursuant to Section
12.6.
“Administrative
Agent’s
Correspondent” means Wachovia Bank, National Association, London Branch, or
any other financial institution designated by the Administrative Agent and
reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower to act as its correspondent hereunder
with respect to the distribution and payment of Alternative Currency
Loans.
“Administrative
Agent’s Office” means the office of the Administrative Agent specified in or
determined in accordance with the provisions of Section
13.1(c).
“Administrative
Questionnaire” means an administrative questionnaire in a form supplied by
the Administrative Agent.
“Affiliate”
means, with respect to any Person, any other Person (other than, with respect
to
the Borrower, a Subsidiary or Excluded Subsidiary of the Borrower) which
directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is
controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person or any
of its
Subsidiaries. As used in this definition, the term “control”
means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or
cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through
ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. For the
avoidance of doubt neither of the Existing Shareholders shall be treated
as an
Affiliate of the Borrower on the basis of its beneficial ownership of Capital
Stock of the Borrower so long as such Existing Shareholder is subject to
a
stockholders agreement with the Borrower on substantially the same terms
as the
stockholders agreement to which it is a party as of the date of this
Agreement.
“Agreement”
means this Five-Year Revolving Credit Agreement, as amended, restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Aggregate
Commitment” means the aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments
hereunder, as such amount may be increased, reduced or otherwise modified
at any
time pursuant to the terms hereof. On the Closing Date, the Aggregate
Commitment shall be Two Billion Five Hundred Million Dollars
($2,500,000,000.00).
“Alternative
Currency” means all
Permitted Currencies other than the Dollar.
“Alternative
Currency Amount”
means with respect to each Revolving Credit Loan made or continued (or
to be
made or continued) in an Alternative Currency, the amount of such Alternative
Currency which is equivalent to the principal amount in Dollars of such Loan
at
the most favorable spot exchange rate for the Borrower as determined by the
Administrative Agent’s Correspondent to be available to it at approximately
11:00 a.m. (time of the Administrative Agent’s Correspondent) two (2) Business
Days before such Loan is made or continued (or to be made or
continued). When used with respect to any other sum expressed in
Dollars, “Alternative Currency Amount” shall mean the amount of such Alternative
Currency which is equivalent to the amount so expressed in Dollars at the
most
favorable spot exchange rate for the Borrower as determined by the
Administrative Agent’s Correspondent to be available to it at the time of
determination.
“Alternative
Currency Loan”
means any Revolving Credit Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency
and
“Alternative Currency Loans” means all such Alternative Currency Loans
collectively.
“Alternative
Ratings Source” means either Xxxxx’x or a comparable rating agency in either
case that publishes a rating of the Borrower’s counterparty risk or similar
rating and which is mutually acceptable to the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent.
“Applicable
Law” means all applicable provisions of constitutions, laws, statutes,
ordinances, rules, treaties, regulations, permits, licenses, approvals,
interpretations and orders of courts or Governmental Authorities and all
orders
and decrees of all courts and arbitrators.
“Applicable
Percentage” means, for purposes of calculating (a) the applicable percentage
for each of the Base Rate, the Japanese Base Rate, the LIBOR Market Index
Rate
and the LIBOR Rate for purposes of Section 4.1(a) (provided, that
with respect to each LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency,
the
Applicable Percentage shall include the Mandatory Cost Rate), (b) the commitment
fee for purposes of Section 4.3(a) and (c) the utilization fee for
purposes of Section 4.3(b), the corresponding rate set forth below for
the applicable Debt Rating, as follows:
2
Debt
|
Applicable
Percentage Per Annum
|
||||
Level
|
Rating
|
LIBOR
Rate/ LIBOR Market Index Rate
|
Base
Rate/ Japanese Base Rate
|
Commitment
Fee
|
Utilization
Fee
|
I
|
>
AA-
|
0.150%
|
0.000%
|
0.040%
|
0.025%
|
II
|
>
A+
|
0.175%
|
0.000%
|
0.040%
|
0.025%
|
III
|
>
A
|
0.200%
|
0.000%
|
0.050%
|
0.050%
|
IV
|
>
A-
|
0.250%
|
0.000%
|
0.060%
|
0.050%
|
V
|
≤
BBB+
|
0.300%
|
0.000%
|
0.080%
|
0.050%
|
provided,
that if S&P or any Alternative Ratings Source, as applicable, shall not have
in effect a Debt Rating (other than by reason of the circumstances referred
to
in the last sentence of this definition), then such Debt Rating shall be
deemed
to be Level V. In the event that the Debt Ratings publicly announced
by S&P listed above and any corresponding Debt Rating of any Alternative
Ratings Source previously agreed to by the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent, if any, differ by (a) one Level, the Applicable Percentage shall be
that
Level which corresponds to the Debt Rating which is the higher of such announced
Debt Ratings, and (b) two or more Levels, the Applicable Percentage shall
be
that Level which corresponds to the Debt Rating which is one rating immediately
above the lowest of such announced Debt Ratings. Any change in the
Applicable Percentage shall be effective (a) as to any increase in the Debt
Rating, as of the Business Day on which the increase in the applicable Debt
Rating is announced or is made publicly available, and (b) as to any decrease
in
the applicable Debt Rating, as of the Business Day on which the decrease
in the
applicable Debt Rating is announced or is made publicly available. If
the rating systems of S&P or any other such Alternative Ratings Source shall
change, or if all of such rating agencies shall cease to be in the business
of
rating corporate debt obligations, the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate
in good faith to amend this definition to reflect such changed rating system
or
the unavailability of ratings from such rating agencies and, pending the
effectiveness of any such amendment, the Applicable Percentage shall be
determined by reference to the Debt Rating most recently in effect prior
to such
change or cessation.
“Assignment
and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender
and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is
required by Section 13.10), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in
substantially the form of Exhibit G or any other form
approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Attributable
Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any Capital Lease of any
Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet
of
such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in
respect
of any Synthetic Lease, the capitalized amount or principal amount of the
remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a
balance
sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if
such
lease were accounted for as a Capital Lease.
3
“Base
Rate” means, at any time, the higher of (a) the Prime Rate and (b) the
Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%; each change in the Base Rate shall
take effect simultaneously with the corresponding change or changes in the
Prime
Rate or the Federal Funds Rate.
“Base
Rate Loan” means any Loan bearing interest at a rate based upon the Base
Rate as provided in Section 4.1(a).
“Borrower”
has the meaning assigned thereto in the introductory paragraph
hereto.
“Business
Day” means any day
other than a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday on which banks in Charlotte,
North Carolina, and New York, New York, are open for the conduct of their
commercial banking business and:
(a) if
such day relates to any interest rate settings as to any LIBOR Rate Loan
denominated in Dollars, any funding, disbursements, settlements and payments
in
Dollars in respect of any LIBOR Rate Loan, or any other dealings in Dollars
to
be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such LIBOR Rate
Loan, means any such day on which dealings in deposits in Dollars are conducted
by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market;
(b) if
such day relates to any interest rate settings as to any LIBOR Rate Loan
denominated in euro, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments
in
euro in respect of any such LIBOR Rate Loan, or any other dealings in euro
to be
carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such LIBOR Rate
Loan,
means a TARGET Day;
(c) if
such day relates to any interest rate settings as to any LIBOR Rate Loan
denominated in a currency other than Dollars or euro, means any such day
on
which dealings in deposits in the relevant currency are conducted by and
between
banks in the London or other applicable offshore interbank market for such
currency;
(d) if
such day relates to any interest rate settings as to any Japanese Yen Loan,
any
fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in Japanese Yen in respect
of
any such Japanese Yen Loan, or any other dealings in Japanese Yen to be carried
out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Japanese Yen Loan,
means
any day on which banks are open for business in Tokyo, Japan; and
(e) if
such day relates to any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments
in a
currency other than Dollars or euro in respect of a LIBOR Rate Loan, or any
other dealings in any currency other than Dollars or euro to be carried out
pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such LIBOR Rate Loan (other
than
any interest rate settings), means any such day on which banks are open for
foreign exchange business in the principal financial center of the country
of
such currency.
4
“Capital
Lease” means any lease of any property by the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, as lessee, that should, in accordance with GAAP, be classified
and
accounted for as a capital lease on a Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries.
“Capital
Stock” means (a) in the case of a corporation, capital stock, (b) in the
case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests,
participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of capital
stock, (c) in the case of a partnership, partnership interests (whether general
or limited), (d) in the case of a limited liability company, membership
interests, (e) in the case of any other Person, any similar ownership interests
and (f) with respect to the foregoing items (a) through (e), any and all
warrants or options to purchase any of the foregoing.
“Change
in Control” means (a) an event or series of events by which (i) any Person
or group of Persons (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) other than the Existing Shareholders shall
obtain ownership or control in one or more series of transactions involving
the
Capital Stock of the Borrower representing more than fifty percent (50%)
of
Capital Stock of the Borrower ordinarily entitled to vote in the election
of
members of the board of directors of the Borrower or (ii) there shall have
occurred under any indenture or other instrument evidencing any Indebtedness
in
excess of $100,000,000 any “change in control” or a similar triggering event
under a provision (as set forth in the indenture, agreement or other evidence
of
such Indebtedness) obligating the Borrower to repurchase, redeem or repay
all or
any part of the Indebtedness or Capital Stock provided for therein for cash
or
(b) during any period of 25 consecutive calendar months, commencing on the
date
of this Agreement, the ceasing of those individuals (the “Continuing Directors”)
who (i) were directors of the Borrower on the first day of each such period
or
(ii) subsequently became directors of the Borrower and whose initial election
or
initial nomination for election subsequent to that date was approved by a
majority of the Continuing Directors then on the board of directors of the
Borrower, to constitute a majority of the board of Directors of the
Borrower.
“Change
in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of
the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation
or
treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the
administration, interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental
Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or directive
(whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental
Authority.
“Closing
Date” means the date of this Agreement or such later Business Day upon which
each condition described in Section 5.2 shall be satisfied or waived in
all respects in a manner acceptable to each of the Lenders in their sole
discretion.
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the rules and regulations
thereunder, each as amended or modified from time to time.
“Commitment”
means (a) as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Loans
(including, without limitation, to participate in Japanese Yen Loans and
Swingline Loans) and to issue or participate in Letters of Credit for the
account of the Borrower hereunder in an aggregate principal amount at any
time
outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on
the Register, as such amount may be reduced, increased or otherwise modified
at
5
any
time
or from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof and (b) as to all Lenders,
the
aggregate commitment of all Lenders to make Loans (including, without
limitation, to participate in Japanese Yen Loans and Swingline Loans) and
to
issue or participate in Letters of Credit for the account of the Borrower
hereunder, as such amount may be reduced, increased or otherwise modified
at any
time or from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof.
“Commitment
Percentage” means, as to any Lender at any time, the ratio of (a) the amount
of the Commitment of such Lender to (b) the Aggregate Commitment.
“Consolidated”
means, when used with reference to financial statements or financial statement
items of any Person, such statements or items on a consolidated basis in
accordance with, except as otherwise set forth herein, applicable principles
of
consolidation under GAAP.
“Consolidated
EBITDA” means, for any period, the sum of the following determined on
a Consolidated basis, without duplication, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
(other than Excluded Subsidiaries) in accordance with GAAP: (a)
Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (b) the sum of the following
to the extent deducted in determining Consolidated Net Income for such period:
(i) income and franchise taxes, (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense, (iii)
amortization, depreciation and other non-cash charges (except to the extent
that
such non-cash charges are reserved for cash charges to be taken in the future),
(iv) extraordinary, unusual or otherwise non-recurring charges and losses
(including from discontinued operations), (v) expenses under the Borrower’s and
its Subsidiaries’ retention and incentive plans or otherwise that
are actually, directly or indirectly, funded by any of the Existing
Shareholders, (vi) compensation and professional fees incurred in connection
with the SSR Acquisition and (vii) professional fees incurred in such period
relating to the Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Investment Managers Transactions, less (c)
extraordinary, unusual or otherwise non-recurring gains (including from
discontinued operations) ; provided, that Consolidated EBITDA
attributable to the Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Investment Managers Transactions shall
be
deemed to be equal to $284,000,000 for the fiscal quarter ended September
30,
2006. For purposes of this Agreement, Consolidated EBITDA shall be
adjusted on a pro forma basis, in a manner reasonably acceptable to the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent, to include, as of the first day of any applicable
period, any acquisition closed during such period, including, without
limitation, adjustments reflecting any non-recurring costs and any extraordinary
expenses of any acquisition closed during such period calculated on a basis
consistent with GAAP and Regulation S-X of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,
as amended, or as approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Consolidated
Interest Expense” means, with respect to the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for any period, the gross interest expense (including, without
limitation, interest expense attributable to Capital Leases and all net payment
obligations pursuant to Interest Rate Contracts) of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Subsidiaries), all determined for such
period
on a Consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with
GAAP.
“Consolidated
Net Income” means, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, for
any period of determination, the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and
its
Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Subsidiaries) for such period, including
the
net income (or loss) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a
Subsidiary of such Person or is merged into or consolidated with such Person
or
any of its Subsidiaries or that Person’s assets are acquired by such
6
Person
or any of its Subsidiaries except to the extent included pursuant to clauses
(a)
and (b) below, determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP;
provided that there shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income (a)
the net income (or loss) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary which shall
be
subject to clause (b) below), in which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
has a joint interest with a third party, except to the extent such net income
is
actually paid in cash to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries by dividend
or
other distribution during such period and (b) the net income (if positive)
of
any Material Subsidiary that is a Domestic Subsidiary to the extent that
the
declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary
to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of such net income is not during
the
entirety of any such period of determination permitted by operation of the
terms
of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute
rule or governmental regulation applicable to such Subsidiary.
“Consolidated
Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a)
Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness on such date to (b) Consolidated
EBITDA for the period of four (4) consecutive fiscal
quarters ending on or immediately prior to such date.
“Consolidated
Total Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination
with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than Excluded
Subsidiaries) on a Consolidated basis without duplication, the sum of the
following calculated, and only to the extent set forth on their consolidated
balance sheet as a liability, in accordance with GAAP:
(a) all
indebtedness for borrowed money including, but not limited to, obligations
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments of any
such
Person;
(b) all
obligations to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services of
any
such Person (including, without limitation, all obligations under
non-competition, earn-out or similar agreements to the extent the foregoing
are
characterized as indebtedness in accordance with GAAP), except trade payables
arising in the ordinary course of business;
(c) the
Attributable Indebtedness of such Person with respect to such Person’s
obligations in respect of Capital Leases and Synthetic Leases (regardless
of
whether accounted for as indebtedness under GAAP);
(d) all
Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness of any other Person secured by a Lien
on
any asset owned or being purchased by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
(including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention
agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by
the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or is limited in recourse;
(e) all
obligations of any such Person to redeem, repurchase, exchange or defease, with
cash, any Capital Stock of such Person;
(f) all
Guaranty Obligations of any such Person; and
(g) amounts
advanced or otherwise paid (without duplication) to the Borrower or any of
its
Material Subsidiaries in connection with any Permitted
Securitization;
7
less,
the aggregate amount of “Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness” described in
clauses (a) through (g) above of any Material Subsidiary that is a
Domestic Subsidiary whose net income is excluded from the calculation of
“Consolidated Net Income” of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries during any
applicable period of determination pursuant to clause (b) of the
definition of “Consolidated Net Income”;
less
the Unrestricted Cash as reflected on the Consolidated balance sheet of the
Borrower (determined in accordance with GAAP) as of the last day of any
applicable period of determination.
For
all purposes hereof, the Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness of any Person
shall include the Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness of any partnership
or
joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or
limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a
joint
venturer, unless such Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness is expressly
made
non-recourse to such Person or such Person’s sole material asset is its interest
in such partnership or joint venture. For the avoidance of doubt,
Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness shall not include any obligations
or
liabilities arising under or in connection with any annuities, insurance
policies, insurance contracts or any other similar agreements.
“Credit
Facility” means, collectively, the Revolving Credit Facility, the Swingline
Facility, the Japanese Yen Facility and the L/C Facility.
“Debt
Rating” means, as of any
date of determination, either the Borrower’s counterparty credit rating as
determined by S&P or any comparable rating as determined by any Alternative
Ratings Source.
“Default”
means any of the events specified in Section 11.1 which with the passage
of time, the giving of notice or any other condition required by Section
11.1, would constitute an Event of Default.
“Defaulting
Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed to fund any portion of the
Revolving Credit Loans, participations in L/C Obligations, participations
in
Japanese Yen Loans or participations in Swingline Loans required to be funded
by
it hereunder within one (1) Business Day of the date required to be funded
by it
hereunder, (b) has otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent
or
any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within
one
(1) Business Day of the date when due, unless such amount is the subject
of a
good faith dispute, or (c) has been deemed insolvent or become the subject
of a
bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.
“Dollar
Amount” means (a) with
respect to each Revolving Credit Loan made or continued (or to be made or
continued), or Letter of Credit issued or extended (or to be issued or
extended), in Dollars, the principal or face amount, as applicable, thereof,
(b)
with respect to each Revolving Credit Loan made or continued (or to be made
or
continued) or Letter of Credit issued or extended (or to be issued or extended)
in an Alternative Currency, the amount of Dollars which is equivalent to
the
principal amount of such Revolving Credit Loan, or face amount of such Letter
of
Credit, as applicable, at the most favorable spot exchange rate for the Borrower
as determined by the Administrative Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m. (the
time
of the Administrative Agent's Correspondent) two (2) Business
8
Days
before such Loan is made or continued (or to be made or continued) or Letter
of
Credit is issued or extended (or to be issued or extended) and (c) with respect
to each Japanese Yen Loan made or continued (or to be made or continued),
the
amount of Dollars which is equivalent to the principal amount of such Japanese
Yen Loan at the most favorable spot exchange rate for the Borrower as determined
by the Japanese Yen Lender at approximately 11:00 a.m. (Tokyo
time)
one (1) Business Day before such Japanese Yen Loan is made or continued (or
to
be made or continued). When used with respect to any other sum
expressed in an Alternative Currency, “Dollar Amount” shall mean the amount of
Dollars which is equivalent to the amount so expressed in such Alternative
Currency at the most favorable spot exchange rate for the Borrower as determined
by the Administrative Agent or Japanese Yen Lender, as applicable, to be
available to it at the relevant time.
“Dollars”
or “$” means, unless otherwise qualified, dollars in lawful currency of the
United States.
“Domestic
Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary organized under the laws of any political
subdivision of the United States.
“Eligible
Assignee” means (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender and (c) any other
Person (other than a natural person) approved by (i) the Administrative Agent,
the Swingline Lender and the Issuing Lender, and (ii) unless an Event of
Default
has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower (each such approval not to be
unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided that notwithstanding the
foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include the Borrower or any of the
Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries.
“Employee
Benefit Plan” means any employee benefit plan within the meaning of Section
3(3) of ERISA which (a) is established or maintained by the Borrower or any
Subsidiary or (b) with respect to any such plan that is subject to Section
412
of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, has at any time within the preceding six
(6)
years been established or maintained by the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any
current or former ERISA Affiliate.
“EMU”
means
economic and
monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.
“EMU
Legislation” means
legislative measures of the Council of European Union for the introduction
of,
change over to or operation of the euro.
“Environmental
Claims” means any and all administrative, regulatory or judicial actions,
suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, accusations, allegations,
notices
of noncompliance or violation, investigations (other than internal reports
prepared by any Person in the ordinary course of business and not in response
to
any third party action or request of any kind) or proceedings relating in
any
way to any actual or alleged violation of or liability under any Environmental
Law or relating to any permit issued, or any approval given, under any such
Environmental Law, including, without limitation, any and all claims by
Governmental Authorities for enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial
or other actions or damages, contribution, indemnification cost recovery,
compensation or injunctive relief resulting from Hazardous Materials or arising
from alleged injury or threat of injury to human health or the
environment.
9
“Environmental
Laws” means any and all federal, foreign, state, provincial and local laws,
statutes, ordinances, codes, rules, standards and regulations, permits,
licenses, approvals, interpretations and orders of courts or Governmental
Authorities, relating to the protection of human health or the environment,
including, but not limited to, requirements pertaining to the manufacture,
processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation,
handling, reporting, licensing, permitting, investigation or remediation
of
Hazardous Materials.
“ERISA”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the rules
and
regulations thereunder, each as amended or modified from time to
time.
“ERISA
Affiliate” means any Person who together with the Borrower is treated as a
single employer within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of
the
Code or Section 4001(b) of ERISA.
“euro”
means
the single currency
to which the Participating Member States of the European Union have
converted.
“Eurodollar
Reserve Percentage” means, for any day, with respect to any LIBOR Rate Loan
denominated in Dollars, the percentage (expressed as a decimal and rounded
upwards, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100th of 1%) which is in effect
for
such day as prescribed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(or any successor) for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including,
without limitation, any basic, supplemental or emergency reserves) in respect
of
eurocurrency liabilities or any similar category of liabilities for a member
bank of the Federal Reserve System in New York City.
“Event
of Default” means any of the events specified in Section 11.1;
provided that any requirement for passage of time, giving of
notice, or
any other condition required by Section 11.1, has been
satisfied.
“Excluded
Subsidiary” shall mean (i) any investment fund or other investment vehicle
which the Borrower or any of its Affiliates participates in as an investor
(including for warehousing, seeding or other purposes), or acts for as a
managing member, adviser, manager, co-manager or any comparable position,
or any
entity intended to be or becoming any of the foregoing (any such entity,
an
“Investment Fund”), (ii) any entity in which the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates invests excess cash and which is not intended to be or become
an
operating subsidiary (any such entity, an “Investment Entity”), (iii) any
Subsidiary of such Investment Fund or Investment Entity and (iv) any entity
whose primary purpose is to acquire investments of any nature whatsoever
pending
their transfer to an Investment Fund. For the avoidance of doubt,
each Excluded Subsidiary shall not be subject to any of the covenants contained
in Article X hereof.
“Excluded
Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any
other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation
of
the Borrower hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net
income or net profits (however denominated), and franchise taxes
10
imposed
on it (in lieu of income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political
subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized
or in
which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which
its applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed
by the United States or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction
in
which the Borrower is located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other
than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section
4.14(b)), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such
Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party hereto (or
designates a new Lending Office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s
failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply
with
Section 4.13(e) other than due to a change in law as provided in
Section 4.13(e).
“Existing
Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of December
19, 2006, by and among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and Wachovia
Bank, National Association as administrative agent, as amended, restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Existing
Shareholders” means The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
& Co., Inc. and their respective Affiliates.
“Extensions
of Credit” means, as to any Lender at any time, (a) an amount equal to the
sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Credit Loans made
by
such Lender then outstanding, (ii) such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of the
L/C Obligations then outstanding, (iii) such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of
the Japanese Yen Loans then outstanding and (iv) such Lender’s Commitment
Percentage of the Swingline Loans then outstanding, or (b) the making
of or participation in any Loan or participation in any Letter of
Credit by such Lender, as the context requires.
“FDIC”
means the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor
thereto.
“Federal
Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted
average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members
of the
Federal Reserve System arranged by federal funds brokers on such day (or,
if
such day is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day),
as
published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next
succeeding such day, provided that if such rate is not so published for any
day
which is a Business Day, the average of the quotation for such day on such
transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal Funds
brokers of recognized standing selected by the Administrative
Agent.
“Fee
Letter” means the separate fee letter agreement executed by the Borrower and
the Administrative Agent and/or certain of its affiliates dated August 2,
2007.
“Fiscal
Year” means the fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries ending on
December 31.
“Foreign
Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction
other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax
purposes. For purposes of this definition, the United States, each
State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute
a
single jurisdiction.
11
“GAAP”
means generally accepted accounting principles, as recognized by the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Accounting Standards
Board, as in effect from time to time.
“Governmental
Approvals” means all authorizations, consents, approvals, permits, licenses
and exemptions of, registrations and filings with, and reports to, all
Governmental Authorities.
“Governmental
Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or
of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency,
authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other
entity
exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including
any
supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central
Bank).
“Guaranty
Obligation” means, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries,
without duplication, any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of any such
Person
pursuant to which such Person has directly or indirectly guaranteed any
Indebtedness of any other Person and, without limiting the generality of
the
foregoing, any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise of
any
such Person entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner
the
obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee
against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part); provided, that the
term Guaranty Obligation shall not include endorsements for collection or
deposit in the ordinary course of business.
“Hazardous
Materials” means any substances or materials (a) which are or become defined
as hazardous wastes, hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, chemical
substances or mixtures or toxic substances under any Environmental Law,
(b) which are toxic, explosive, corrosive, flammable, infectious,
radioactive, carcinogenic, mutagenic or otherwise harmful to human health
or the
environment and are or become regulated by any Governmental Authority,
(c) the presence of which require investigation or remediation under any
Environmental Law or common law, (d) the discharge or emission or release
of
which requires a permit or license under any Environmental Law or other
Governmental Approval, (e) which are deemed to constitute a nuisance or a
trespass which pose a health or safety hazard to Persons or neighboring
properties, (f) which consist of underground or aboveground storage tanks,
whether empty, filled or partially filled with any substance, or (g) which
contain, without limitation, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, urea
formaldehyde foam insulation, petroleum hydrocarbons, petroleum derived
substances or waste, crude oil, nuclear fuel, natural gas or synthetic
gas.
“Hedging
Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any Interest Rate Contract,
forward rate agreement, commodity swap, forward foreign exchange agreement,
currency swap agreement, cross-currency rate swap agreement, currency option
agreement or other agreement or arrangement designed to alter the risks of
any
Person arising from fluctuations in interest rates, currency values or commodity
prices, all as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from
time
to time.
12
“Indebtedness”
means, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at any date and
without
duplication, the sum of the following calculated in accordance with
GAAP:
(a) all
liabilities, obligations and indebtedness for borrowed money including
obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments
of any such Person;
(b) all
obligations to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services of
any
such Person (including, without limitation, all obligations under
non-competition, earn-out or similar agreements to the extent the foregoing
are
characterized as indebtedness in accordance with GAAP), except trade payables
arising in the ordinary course of business;
(c) the
Attributable Indebtedness of such Person with respect to such Person’s
obligations in respect of Capital Leases and Synthetic Leases (regardless
of
whether accounted for as indebtedness under GAAP);
(d) all
Indebtedness of any other Person secured by a Lien on any asset owned or
being
purchased by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (including indebtedness
arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether
or
not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries or is limited in recourse;
(e) all
Guaranty Obligations of any such Person;
(f) all
obligations, contingent or otherwise, of any such Person relative to the
face
amount of letters of credit including, without limitation, any Reimbursement
Obligation, and banker’s acceptances issued for the account of any such Person,
other than such letters of credit, acceptances or similar extensions of credit
that (i) do not support obligations for borrowed money and (ii) are not drawn
upon (or, if drawn upon, are reimbursed within five (5) Business Days following
payment thereof);
(g) all
obligations of any such Person to redeem, repurchase, exchange or defease,
with
cash, any Capital Stock of such Person; and
(h) all
Net Hedging Obligations.
For
all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the
Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture
that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such
Person
is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly
made non-recourse to such Person or such Person’s sole material asset is its
interest in such partnership or joint venture. For the avoidance of
doubt, Indebtedness shall not include any obligations or liabilities arising
under or in connection with any annuities, insurance policies, insurance
contracts or any other similar agreements.
“Indemnified
Taxes” means Taxes and Other Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Indemnitee”
has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.3(b).
“Interest
Period” has the
meaning assigned thereto in Section 4.1(b).
13
“Interest
Rate Contract” means any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap
agreement, interest rate floor agreement, interest rate collar agreement,
interest rate option or any other agreement regarding the hedging of interest
rate risk exposure executed in connection with hedging the interest rate
exposure of any Person and any confirming letter executed pursuant to such
agreement, all as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from
time to time.
“ISP98”
means the International Standby Practices (1998 Revision, effective January
1,
1999), International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590.
“Issuing
Lender” means Wachovia, in its capacity as issuer of any Letter of Credit,
or any successor thereto.
“Japanese
Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the Japanese Prime
Rate for such day. Each change in the Japanese Base Rate shall become
effective automatically as of the opening of business on the date of such
change
in the Japanese Base Rate, without prior written notice to the Borrower or
the
Lenders.
“Japanese
Base Rate Loan” means any Japanese Yen Loan which bears interest at a rate
determined by reference to the Japanese Base Rate.
“Japanese
Prime Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the rate
of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced by the Japanese
Yen
Lender from time to time as its “short prime rate” in Japan (it being understood
that the same shall not necessarily be the best rate offered by the Japanese
Yen
Lender to customers).
“Japanese
Yen” means, at any
time of determination, the then official currency of Japan.
“Japanese
Yen Amount” means, with respect to each Japanese Yen Loan made or continued
(or to be made or continued) in Japanese Yen, the amount of such Japanese
Yen
which is equivalent to the principal amount in Dollars of such Japanese Yen
Loan
at the most favorable spot exchange rate for the Borrower as determined by
the
Japanese Yen Lender to be available to it at approximately 11:00 a.m. (Tokyo
time) two (2) Business Days before such Loan is made or continued (or to
be made
or continued). When used with respect to any other sum expressed in
Dollars, “Japanese Yen Amount” shall mean the amount of such Japanese Yen which
is equivalent to the amount so expressed in Dollars at the most favorable
spot
exchange rate for the Borrower as determined by the Japanese Yen Lender to
be
available to it at the relevant time.
“Japanese
Yen Commitment” means the lesser of (a) Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000)
and (b) the Aggregate Commitment.
“Japanese
Yen Facility” means the Japanese Yen facility established pursuant to
Section 2.2.
“Japanese
Yen Lender” means Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, in its capacity as
Japanese Yen Lender hereunder, or successor thereto in accordance with
Section 12.9.
14
“Japanese
Yen Loan” means any revolving credit loan made by the Japanese Yen Lender to
the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.2 and “Japanese Yen Loans” means all
such Japanese Yen Loans, collectively, as the context requires.
“Japanese
Yen Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of the
Japanese Yen Lender evidencing the Japanese Yen Loans made by the Japanese
Yen
Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit A-2, and
any amendments, supplements and modifications thereto, any substitutes therefor
and any replacements, restatements, renewals or extension thereof, in whole
or
in part.
“L/C
Commitment” means the lesser of (a) $250,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate
Commitment.
“L/C
Facility” means the letter of credit facility established pursuant to
Article III.
“L/C
Obligations” means at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the
aggregate undrawn and unexpired amount of the then outstanding Letters of
Credit
and (b) the aggregate amount of drawings under Letters of Credit which have
not
then been reimbursed pursuant to Section 3.5.
“L/C
Participants” means the collective reference to all the Revolving Credit
Lenders other than the Issuing Lender.
“Lender”
means each Person executing this Agreement as a Lender (including, without
limitation, the Japanese Yen Lender, the Issuing Lender and the Swingline
Lender
unless the context otherwise requires) set forth on the signature pages hereto
and each Person that hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement as a Lender
pursuant to Section 13.10.
“Lending
Office” means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender
maintaining such Lender’s Extensions of Credit.
“Letter
of Credit Application” means an application, in the form specified by the
Issuing Lender from time to time, requesting the Issuing Lender to issue
a
Letter of Credit.
“Letters
of Credit” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section
3.1.
“LIBOR”
means the rate of interest per annum determined on the basis of the rate
for
deposits in Dollars or the applicable Alternative Currency in minimum amounts
of
at least $5,000,000 or the applicable Alternative Currency Amount for a period
equal to the applicable Interest Period which appears on the Reuters Page
LIBOR01, or its successor page, at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time)
two
(2) Business Days prior to the first day of the applicable Interest Period
(rounded to the nearest 1/100th of
1%). If, for any reason, such rate does not appear on Reuters Page
LIBOR01, or its successor page, then “LIBOR” shall be determined by the
Administrative Agent to be the arithmetic average of the rate per annum at
which
deposits in Dollars in minimum amounts of at least $5,000,000 or the applicable
Alternative Currency Amount would be offered by first class banks in the
London
interbank market to the Administrative Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m.
(London
time) two (2) Business Days prior to the first day of the applicable Interest
Period for a period equal to such Interest Period. Each calculation
by the Administrative Agent of LIBOR shall be conclusive and binding for
all
purposes, absent manifest error.
15
“LIBOR
Market Index Rate” means for any day, the rate for one (1) month U.S. Dollar
deposits as reported on Reuters Page LIBOR01, or its successor page, as of
11:00
a.m., London time, on such day, or if such day is not a Business Day, then
the
immediately preceding Business Day (or if not so reported, then as determined
by
the Administrative Agent from another recognized source or interbank
quotation).
“LIBOR
Rate” means:
(a)
with respect to any LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in Dollars, a rate per annum
(rounded to the nearest 1/100th of 1%) determined by the Administrative Agent
pursuant to the following formula:
LIBOR
Rate =
|
LIBOR
|
||
1.00-Eurodollar
Reserve Percentage
|
and
(b)
with respect to any LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency,
a
rate per annum (rounded to the nearest 1/100th
of 1%) equal to
LIBOR:
“LIBOR
Rate Loan” means any Loan bearing interest at a rate based upon the LIBOR
Rate as provided in Section 4.1(a).
“Lien”
means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, leasehold mortgage, lien,
pledge, charge, security interest, hypothecation or encumbrance in the nature
of
security of any kind in respect of such asset. For the purposes of
this Agreement, a Person shall be deemed to own subject to a Lien any asset
which it has acquired or holds subject to the interest of a vendor or lessor
under any conditional sale agreement, Capital Lease or other title retention
agreement relating to such asset.
“Loan
Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, each Note and, subject to
Section 13.22, the Letter of Credit Applications, all as may be amended,
restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Loans”
means the collective reference to the Revolving Credit Loans, the Japanese
Yen
Loans and the Swingline Loans and “Loan” means any of such Loans.
“Mandatory
Cost Rate” means the
percentage rate per annum calculated by the Administrative Agent in accordance
with Schedule 1.1 hereto.
“Material
Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the
business, operations or financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
taken as a whole or (b) the ability of the Borrower to perform its obligations
under the Loan Documents.
16
“Material
Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that, as of any date of
determination, either (a) accounts for ten percent (10%) or more of the revenue
of the Borrower on a Consolidated basis or (b) owns assets with a fair market
value in excess of ten percent (10%) of the total assets of the Borrower
on a
Consolidated basis, in each case as determined by reference to the Borrower’s
most recently completed annual audited financial statements and on a consistent
basis with GAAP and Regulation S-X of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as
amended.
“Maturity
Date” means the earliest to occur of (a) August 22, 2012, (b) the date of
termination by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.6, or (c) the date of
termination pursuant to Section 11.2(a).
“Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Investment Managers Transactions” means (i) the transactions
contemplated by the Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Merger Agreement and (ii) the related
restructuring of the capitalization and alignment of the direct and indirect
Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
“Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Merger Agreement” means the Transaction Agreement and Plan of Merger,
dated as of February 15, 2006, by and among BlackRock, Inc. (formerly known
as
New Boise, Inc.), BlackRock Merger Sub., Inc. (formerly known as Boise Merger
Sub, Inc), BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. (formerly known as BlackRock, Inc.) and
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co., Inc.
“Xxxxx’x”
means Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.
“Multiemployer
Plan” means a “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA
to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is making, or is accruing an
obligation to make, or has accrued an obligation to make contributions within
the preceding six (6) years.
“Net
Hedging Obligations” means,
as of any date, in respect of any Hedging Agreement, the Termination Value
of
any such Hedging Agreement on such date.
“Notes”
means the collective reference to the Revolving Credit Notes, the Japanese
Yen
Note and the Swingline Note.
“Notice
of Account Designation” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section
2.4(e).
“Notice
of Borrowing” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section
2.4(a).
“Notice
of Conversion/Continuation” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section
4.2.
“Notice
of Prepayment” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section
2.5(c).
“Obligations”
means, in each case, whether now in existence or hereafter arising: (a) the
principal of and interest on (including interest accruing after the filing
of
any bankruptcy or similar petition) the Loans, (b) the L/C Obligations and
(c)
all other fees and commissions (including attorneys’ fees), charges,
indebtedness, loans, liabilities, financial accommodations, obligations,
covenants and duties owing by the Borrower to the Lenders or the Administrative
Agent, in each case under any Loan Document, with respect to any Loan or
Letter
of Credit of every kind, nature and description, direct or indirect, absolute
or
contingent, due or to become due, contractual or tortious, liquidated or
unliquidated, and whether or not evidenced by any note.
17
“OFAC”
means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the
Treasury.
“Officer’s
Compliance Certificate” means a certificate of the chief financial officer,
the head of business finance or the treasurer of the Borrower substantially
in
the form of Exhibit F.
“Operating
Lease” means, as to any Person as determined in accordance with GAAP, any
lease of property (whether real, personal or mixed) by such Person as lessee
which is not a Capital Lease.
“Other
Taxes” means all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other
excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment
made hereunder or under any other Loan Document or from the execution, delivery
or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other
Loan Document.
“Participant”
has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.10(d).
“Participating
Member State” means each state so described in any EMU
Legislation.
“PBGC”
means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any successor
agency.
“Pension
Plan” means any Employee Benefit Plan, other than a Multiemployer Plan,
which is subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of
the
Code and which (a) is maintained for the employees of Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliates or (b) has at any time within the preceding six (6) years been
maintained for the employees of Borrower or any of its current or former
ERISA
Affiliates.
“Permitted
Currency” means (a) Dollars, (b) Japanese Yen, (c) Pounds Sterling, (d)
euros, and (e) any other currency agreed upon by the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent and all of the Lenders.
“Permitted
Liens” means the Liens permitted pursuant to Section
10.1.
“Permitted
Securitization” shall mean any sales or other transfers from time to time by
the Borrower or its Material Subsidiaries of all or any portion of its
receivables in one or more securitization transactions.
“Person”
means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust,
joint
venture, association, company, partnership, governmental authority or other
entity.
“Pounds
Sterling” means, at any
time of determination, the then official currency of the United Kingdom of
Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.
“Prime
Rate” means, at any time, the rate of interest per annum publicly announced
from time to time by Wachovia as its prime rate. Each change in the
Prime Rate shall be effective as of the opening of business on the day such
change in such prime rate occurs. The parties hereto acknowledge that
the rate announced publicly by Wachovia as its prime rate is an index or
base
rate and shall not necessarily be its lowest or best rate charged to its
customers or other banks.
18
“Register”
has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.10(c).
“Reimbursement
Obligation” means the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the Issuing
Lender pursuant to Section 3.5 for amounts drawn under Letters of
Credit.
“Related
Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the
directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of
such
Person’s Affiliates.
“Required
Lenders” means, at any date, any combination of Lenders who hold in
aggregate more than fifty percent (50%) of the Aggregate Commitment or, if
the
Credit Facility has been terminated pursuant to Section 11.2, any
combination of Lenders holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate
Extensions of Credit (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk
participation in Japanese Yen Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations
being
deemed to be “held” by such Lender for the purposes of this definition);
provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Extensions of
Credit, as applicable, held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall
be
excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required
Lenders.
“Responsible
Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial
officer, chief accounting officer, head of business finance or treasurer
of the
Borrower or any other officer of the Borrower proposed by the Borrower and
reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent. Any document
delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower
shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary
corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of the Borrower and
such
Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf
of
the Borrower.
“Revolving
Credit Facility” means the revolving credit facility established pursuant to
Article II.
“Revolving
Credit Lender” means any Lender with a Commitment to make Revolving Credit
Loans hereunder.
“Revolving
Credit Loans” means any revolving loan made to the Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.1, and all such revolving loans collectively as the context
requires.
“Revolving
Credit Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a
Lender evidencing the Revolving Credit Loans made by such Lender, substantially
in the form of Exhibit A-1, and any amendments,
supplements and modifications thereto, any substitutes therefor, and any
replacements, restatements, renewals or extension thereof, in whole or in
part.
“S&P”
means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx
Companies, Inc. and any successor thereto.
19
“Sanctioned
Entity” means (i) a country or a government of a country, (ii) an agency of
the government of a country, (iii) an organization directly or indirectly
controlled by a country or its government, or (iv) a person or entity resident
in or determined to be resident in a country that is subject to a country
sanctions program administered and enforced by OFAC described or referenced
at
xxxx://xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxx/xxxxxxxxx/xxxxx.xxxx, or
as otherwise published from time to time as such program may be applicable
to
such agency, organization or person.
“Sanctioned
Person” means a person named on the list of Specially Designated Nationals
or Blocked Persons maintained by OFAC available at or through
xxxx://xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxx/.xxxx, or as otherwise
published from time to time.
“SEC”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority
succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“SSR
Acquisition” means the transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase
Agreement, dated as of August 25, 2004, among MetLife, Inc., Metropolitan
Life
Insurance Company, SSRM Holdings, Inc., BlackRock, Inc. and BlackRock Financial
Management, Inc.
“Subsidiary”
means as to any Person, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company
or other entity of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding
Capital Stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board
of
directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership, limited liability
company or other entity is at the time owned by or the management is otherwise
controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person (irrespective of whether,
at
the time, Capital Stock of any other class or classes of such corporation,
partnership, limited liability company or other entity shall have or might
have
voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency); provided, however,
that a Subsidiary shall not include any Excluded Subsidiary. Unless
otherwise qualified, references to “Subsidiary” or “Subsidiaries” herein shall
refer to those of the Borrower.
“Swingline
Commitment” means the
lesser of (a) $250,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitment.
“Swingline
Facility” means the swingline facility established pursuant to Section
2.3.
“Swingline
Lender” means Wachovia in its capacity as swingline lender hereunder or any
successor thereto.
“Swingline
Loan” means any swingline loan made by the Swingline Lender to the Borrower
pursuant to Section 2.3, and “Swingline Loans” means all such swingline
loans collectively as the context requires.
“Swingline
Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of the Swingline
Lender evidencing the Swingline Loans made by the Swingline Lender,
substantially in the form of Exhibit A-2, and any
amendments, supplements and modifications thereto, any substitutes therefor,
and
any replacements, restatements, renewals or extension thereof, in whole or
in
part.
20
“Swingline
Termination Date” means the first to occur of (a) the resignation of
Wachovia as Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 12.6 (solely
to the extent any successor Administrative Agent does not agree to assume
the
duties and responsibilities of the Swingline Lender herein) and (b) the Maturity
Date.
“Synthetic
Lease” means any synthetic lease, tax retention operating lease, off-balance
sheet loan or similar off-balance sheet financing product where such transaction
is considered borrowed money indebtedness for tax purposes but is classified
as
an Operating Lease in accordance with GAAP.
“TARGET”
shall
mean
Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer payment
system (or, if such system ceases to be operative, such other payment system
(if
any) determined by the Administrative Agent to be a suitable replacement
and
approved by the Borrower (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or
delayed)).
“TARGET
Day” means any day on
which TARGET is open for the settlement of payments in euro.
“Taxes”
means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions,
withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental
Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable
thereto.
“Termination
Event” means except for any such event or condition that could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (a) a “Reportable
Event” described in Section 4043 of ERISA for which the notice requirement has
not been waived by the PBGC, or (b) the withdrawal of Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliate from a Pension Plan during a plan year in which it was a “substantial
employer” as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA, or (c) the termination of a
Pension Plan, the filing of a notice of intent to terminate a Pension Plan
or
the treatment of a Pension Plan amendment as a termination, under Section
4041
of ERISA, if the plan assets are not sufficient to pay all plan liabilities,
or
(d) the institution of proceedings to terminate, or the appointment of a
trustee
with respect to, any Pension Plan by the PBGC, or (e) any other event or
condition which would constitute grounds under Section 4042(a) of ERISA for
the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension
Plan,
or (f) the imposition of a Lien pursuant to Section 412 of the Code or Section
302 of ERISA, or (g) the partial or complete withdrawal of Borrower or any
ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan if withdrawal liability is asserted
by
such plan, or (h) any event or condition which results in the
reorganization or insolvency of a Multiemployer Plan under Sections 4241
or 4245
of ERISA, or (i) any event or condition which results in the termination
of a
Multiemployer Plan under Section 4041A of ERISA or the institution by PBGC
of
proceedings to terminate a Multiemployer Plan under Section 4042 of
ERISA.
“Termination
Value” means, in respect of any one or more Hedging Agreements, after taking
into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating
to
such Hedging Agreements, (a) for any date on or after the date such Hedging
Agreements have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in
accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior
to
the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the
xxxx-to-market value(s) for such Hedging Agreements, as determined based
upon
one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by
any
recognized dealer in such Hedging Agreements (which may include a Lender
or any
Affiliate of a Lender).
21
“Treaty
on European Union” means the Treaty of Rome of March 25, 1957, as amended by
the Single European Act of 1986 and the Maastricht Treaty (signed February
7,
1992), as amended from time to time.
“United
States” means the United States of America.
“Unrestricted
Cash” means all cash of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Domestic
Subsidiaries (i) that is not subject to a Lien (other than banker’s or similar
liens) or (ii) the use of such cash by the Borrower or any such Subsidiary
is
not restricted by Applicable Law.
“Wachovia”
means Wachovia Bank, National Association, a national banking association,
and
its successors.
SECTION
1.2 Other Definitions and
Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan
Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan
Document: (a) the definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to
the singular and plural forms of the terms defined, (b) whenever the context
may
require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine
and
neuter forms, (c) the words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be
deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”, (d) the word “will”
shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”,
(e) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other
document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument
or
other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified
(subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications
set forth herein), (f) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed
to
include such Person’s permitted successors and assigns, (g) 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, (h) 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, (i) 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, (j) the term “documents” includes any and
all instruments, documents, agreements, certificates, notices, reports,
financial statements and other writings, however evidenced, whether in physical
or electronic form, (k) in the computation of periods of time from a specified
date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the
words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through”
means “to and including”, and (l) section headings herein and in the other Loan
Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect
the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
SECTION
1.3 Accounting Terms. All
accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be
construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial
ratios
and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this
Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP, except as otherwise
specifically prescribed herein.
22
SECTION
1.4 Rounding. Any financial
ratios required to be maintained by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement
shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other
component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places
by
which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to
the
nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).
SECTION
1.5 References to Agreement and
Laws. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, (a) references
to formation documents, governing documents, agreements (including the Loan
Documents) and other contractual instruments shall be deemed to include all
subsequent amendments, restatements, extensions, supplements and other
modifications thereto, but only to the extent that such amendments,
restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications are not prohibited
by any Loan Document; and (b) references to any Applicable Law shall include
all
statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing,
supplementing or interpreting such Applicable Law.
SECTION
1.6 Times of Day. Unless
otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references
to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
SECTION
1.7 Letter of Credit
Amounts. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to the
amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to mean the maximum
stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all increases
thereof contemplated by such Letter of Credit or the Letter of Credit
Application therefor, whether or not such maximum face amount is in effect
at
such time.
SECTION
1.8 Effectiveness of Euro
Provisions. With respect to any state (or the currency of such
state) that is not a Participating Member State on the date of this Agreement,
the provisions of Sections 4.1(f), 4.8(b), 4.8(c),
4.8(d) and 4.15 shall become effective in relation
to such state
(and the currency of such state) at and from the date on which such state
becomes a Participating Member State.
SECTION
1.9 Amount of
Obligations. Unless otherwise specified, for purposes of this
Agreement, any determination of the amount of any outstanding Revolving Credit
Loans, Japanese Yen Loans, Swingline Loans, L/C Obligations or other Obligations
shall be based upon the Dollar Amount of such outstanding
Obligations.
ARTICLE
II
REVOLVING
CREDIT FACILITY
SECTION
2.1 Revolving Credit
Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
each Revolving Credit Lender severally agrees to make Revolving Credit Loans
in
a Permitted Currency to the Borrower from time to time from the Closing Date
through, but not including, the Maturity Date as requested by the Borrower
in
accordance with the terms of Section 2.4; provided, that, (a) the
aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Revolving Credit Loans (after
giving effect to any amount requested and the use thereof) shall not exceed
an
amount equal to the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all outstanding
Japanese
23
Yen
Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations and (b) the principal amount of
outstanding Revolving Credit Loans from any Revolving Credit Lender to the
Borrower shall not at any time exceed such Revolving Credit Lender’s Commitment
less such Revolving Credit Lender’s Commitment Percentage of all
outstanding Japanese Yen Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C
Obligations. Each Revolving Credit Loan by a Revolving Credit Lender
shall be in a principal amount equal to such Revolving Credit Lender’s
Commitment Percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Revolving Credit
Loans requested on such occasion. Revolving Credit Loans to be made
in an Alternative Currency shall be funded in an amount equal to the Alternative
Currency Amount of such Revolving Credit Loan. Subject to the terms
and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow Revolving
Credit Loans hereunder until the Maturity Date.
SECTION
2.2 Japanese Yen
Loans.
(a) Availability. Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Japanese Yen Lender agrees
to
make Japanese Yen Loans to the Borrower at the direction of the Administrative
Agent, from time to time from the Closing Date through, but not including,
the
Maturity Date as requested by the Borrower, in accordance with the terms
of
Section 2.4; provided that the aggregate principal amount of all
outstanding Japanese Yen Loans (after giving effect to any amount requested)
shall not exceed the lesser of (i) the Aggregate Commitment less the sum
of all outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations
and (ii) the Japanese Yen Commitment. Subject to the terms and
conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow Japanese Yen
Loans hereunder until the Maturity Date.
(b) Refunding
of Japanese Yen Loans.
(i) Upon
the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Japanese
Yen Loan may, at the discretion of the Japanese Yen Lender, be converted
immediately to a Base Rate Loan funded in Dollars by the Revolving Credit
Lenders in an amount equal to the Dollar Amount of such Japanese Yen Loan;
provided that the Borrower shall pay to the Japanese Yen Lender any and
all reasonable out-of pocket costs, fees and other expenses incurred by the
Japanese Yen Lender in effecting such conversion. Such Base Rate Loan
shall thereafter be reflected as a Revolving Credit Loan of the Revolving
Credit
Lenders to the Borrower on the books and records of the Administrative
Agent. Each Revolving Credit Lender shall fund its respective
Commitment Percentage of such Revolving Credit Loan as required to repay
Japanese Yen Loans outstanding to the Japanese Yen Lender upon such demand
by
the Japanese Yen Lender in no event later than 1:00 p.m. (Charlotte time)
on the
next succeeding Business Day after such demand is made. No Revolving
Credit Lender’s obligation to fund its respective Commitment Percentage of any
Revolving Credit Loan required to repay such Japanese Yen Loan shall be affected
by any other Revolving Credit Lender’s failure to fund its Commitment Percentage
of such Revolving Credit Loan, nor shall any Revolving Credit Lender’s
Commitment Percentage be increased as a result of any such failure of any
other
Revolving Credit Lender to fund its Commitment Percentage of such Revolving
Credit Loan.
24
(ii) The
Borrower shall pay to the Japanese Yen Lender on demand the amount of such
Japanese Yen Loans to the extent that the Revolving Credit Lenders fail to
refund in full the outstanding Japanese Yen Loans requested or required to
be
refunded. In addition, the Borrower hereby authorizes the
Administrative Agent to charge any account maintained by the Borrower with
the
Japanese Yen Lender or any Affiliate thereof (up to the
amount available therein) upon one (1) Business Day’s notice to the Borrower in
order to immediately pay the Japanese Yen Lender the amount of such Japanese
Yen
Loans to the extent amounts received from the Revolving Credit Lenders are
not
sufficient to repay in full the outstanding Japanese Yen Loans requested
or
required to be refunded. If any portion of any such amount paid to
the Japanese Yen Lender shall be recovered by or on behalf of the Borrower
from
the Japanese Yen Lender in bankruptcy or otherwise, the loss of the amount
so
recovered shall be ratably shared among all the Revolving Credit Lenders
in
accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages (unless the amounts
so
recovered by or on behalf of the Borrower pertain to a Japanese Yen Loan
extended after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default
of which the Japanese Yen Lender has received notice and which such Event
of
Default has not been waived in accordance with Section
13.2).
(iii) Each
Revolving Credit Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to refund
Japanese Yen Loans in accordance with the terms of this Section is absolute
and
unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever,
including, without limitation, non-satisfaction of the conditions set forth
in
Article V. Further, each Revolving Credit Lender acknowledges
and agrees that if prior to the refunding of any outstanding Japanese Yen
Loans
pursuant to this Section, one of the events described in Sections 11.1(i)
and (j) shall have occurred, each Revolving Credit Lender will, on the
date the applicable Revolving Credit Loan would have been made to refund
such
Japanese Yen Loans, purchase an undivided participating interest in such
Japanese Yen Loans in an amount equal to its Commitment Percentage of the
aggregate amount of such Japanese Yen Loans. Each Revolving Credit
Lender will immediately transfer to the Administrative Agent, for the account
of
the Japanese Yen Lender, in immediately available funds in Japanese Yen,
the
amount of its participation and upon receipt thereof the Japanese Yen Lender
will deliver to such Revolving Credit Lender a certificate evidencing such
participation dated the date of receipt of such funds and for such
amount. Whenever, at any time after the Japanese Yen Lender has
received from any Revolving Credit Lender such Revolving Credit Lender’s
participating interest in the refunded Japanese Yen Loans, the Japanese Yen
Lender receives any payment on account thereof, the Japanese Yen Lender will
distribute to such Revolving Credit Lender its participating interest in
such
amount (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect
the
period of time during which such Revolving Credit Lender’s participating
interest was outstanding and funded).
SECTION
2.3 Swingline
Loans.
(a) Availability. Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Swingline Lender agrees
to
make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time from the Closing Date
through, but not including, the Swingline Termination Date; provided,
that (i) all Swingline Loans shall be denominated in Dollars and (ii) the
aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Swingline Loans (after giving
effect to any amount requested and the use thereof), shall not exceed the
lesser
of (A) the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all outstanding Revolving
Credit Loans, Japanese Yen Loans and the L/C Obligations and (B) the Swingline
Commitment.
25
(b) Refunding.
(i) Swingline
Loans shall be refunded by the Revolving Credit Lenders on demand by the
Swingline Lender. Such refundings shall be made by the Revolving
Credit Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages
and
shall upon such refunding be immediately treated as Revolving Credit Loans
hereunder and promptly thereafter be reflected as Revolving Credit Loans
of the
Revolving Credit Lenders on the Register. Each Revolving Credit
Lender shall fund its respective Commitment Percentage of Revolving Credit
Loans
as required to repay Swingline Loans outstanding to the Swingline Lender
upon
demand by the Swingline Lender but in no event later than 1:00 p.m. on the
next
succeeding Business Day after such demand is made. All such Revolving
Credit Loans shall be made as Base Rate Loans. No Revolving Credit Lender’s
obligation to fund its respective Commitment Percentage of a Swingline Loan
shall be affected by any other Revolving Credit Lender’s failure to fund its
Commitment Percentage of a Swingline Loan, nor shall any Revolving Credit
Lender’s Commitment Percentage be increased as a result of any such failure of
any other Revolving Credit Lender to fund its Commitment Percentage of a
Swingline Loan.
(ii) The
Borrower shall pay to the Swingline Lender on demand the amount of such
Swingline Loans to the extent amounts received from the Revolving Credit
Lenders
are not sufficient to repay in full the outstanding Swingline Loans requested
or
required to be refunded. In addition, the Borrower hereby authorizes
the Administrative Agent to charge any account maintained by the Borrower
with
the Swingline Lender (up to the amount available therein) upon one (1) Business
Day’s notice to Borrower in order to immediately pay the Swingline Lender the
amount of such Swingline Loans to the extent amounts received from the Revolving
Credit Lenders are not sufficient to repay in full the outstanding Swingline
Loans requested or required to be refunded. If any portion of any
such amount paid to the Swingline Lender shall be recovered by or on behalf
of
the Borrower from the Swingline Lender in bankruptcy or otherwise, the loss
of
the amount so recovered shall be ratably shared among all the Revolving Credit
Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages (unless
the
amounts so recovered by or on behalf of the Borrower pertain to a Swingline
Loan
extended after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default
of which the Administrative Agent has received notice in the manner required
pursuant to Section 12.3 and which such Event of Default has not been
waived in accordance with Section 13.2).
(iii) Each
Revolving Credit Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to refund
Swingline Loans in accordance with the terms of this Section is absolute
and
unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever,
including, without limitation, non-satisfaction of the conditions set forth
in
Article V. Further, each Revolving Credit Lender agrees and
acknowledges that if prior to the refunding of any outstanding Swingline
Loans
pursuant to this Section, one of the events described in Section 11.1(j)
or (k) shall have occurred, each Revolving Credit Lender will, on the
date the applicable Revolving Credit Loan would have been made, purchase
an
undivided participating interest in the Swingline Loan to be refunded in
an
amount equal to its Commitment Percentage of the aggregate amount of such
Swingline Loan. Each Revolving Credit Lender will immediately
transfer to the Swingline Lender, in immediately available funds,
the
26
amount
of its participation and upon receipt thereof the Swingline Lender will deliver
to such Revolving Credit Lender a certificate evidencing such participation
dated the date of receipt of such funds and for such
amount. Whenever, at any time after the Swingline Lender has received
from any Revolving Credit Lender such Revolving Credit Lender’s participating
interest in a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender receives any payment on
account thereof, the Swingline Lender will distribute to such Revolving Credit
Lender its participating interest in such amount (appropriately adjusted,
in the
case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such
Revolving Credit Lender’s participating interest was outstanding and
funded).
|
SECTION
2.4
|
Procedure
for Advances of Revolving Credit Loans, Japanese Yen Loans and
Swingline
Loans.
|
(a) Requests
for Borrowing. The Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent
irrevocable prior written notice substantially in the form of
Exhibit B (a “Notice of Borrowing”) or
telephonic notice (followed by prompt delivery of such Notice of Borrowing)
not
later than 11:00 a.m. Charlotte time in the case of a Base Rate Loan, Swingline
Loan or LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in Dollars, 5:00 p.m. London time in
the
case of a LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency or 1:00
p.m.
Charlotte time in the case of a Japanese Yen Loan, as applicable (i) on the
same
Business Day as each Base Rate Loan and each Swingline Loan, (ii) on or prior
to
the second Business Day before each Japanese Base Rate Loan, (iii) on or
prior
to the third (3rd) Business
Day
before each LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in Dollars and (iv) on or prior to
the
fourth (4th)
Business Day before each LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency,
of its intention to borrow, specifying (A) the date of such borrowing, which
shall be a Business Day, (B) whether such Loan is to be a Revolving Credit
Loan,
a Swingline Loan or a Japanese Yen Loan, (C) the applicable Permitted Currency,
(D) if such Loan is denominated in Dollars, whether such Loan shall be a
LIBOR
Rate Loan or a Base Rate Loan, (E) the amount of such borrowing, which shall
be
in an amount equal to the amount of the Aggregate Commitment, the Swingline
Commitment or the Yen Loan Commitment, as applicable, then available to the
Borrower, or if less, (1) with respect to Base Rate Loans in an aggregate
principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess
thereof, (2) with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Dollars in an
aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000
in
excess thereof, (3) with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in a Permitted
Currency (other than Dollars) in an aggregate principal Alternative Currency
Amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof,
(4)
with respect to Japanese Yen Loans in an aggregate principal Japanese Yen
Amount
of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof and (5) with
respect to Swingline Loans in an aggregate principal amount of $500,000 or
a
whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof and (F) in the case of a LIBOR
Rate
Loan, the duration of the Interest Period applicable thereto. A
Notice of Borrowing received after the time set forth above shall be deemed
received on the next Business Day. The Administrative Agent shall
promptly notify the applicable Lenders of each Notice of Borrowing, including,
in the instance of a Japanese Yen Loan, instructions for the advancement
of such
loans.
(b) Disbursement
of Revolving Credit Loans Denominated in Dollars and Swingline
Loans. Not later than 1:00 p.m. (Charlotte time) on the proposed
borrowing date for any Revolving Credit Loan denominated in Dollars and any
Swingline Loan, (i) each Revolving Credit Lender will make available to the
Administrative Agent, for the account of the Borrower, at the Administrative
Agent’s Office in funds in Dollars immediately available to the Administrative
Agent, such Revolving Credit Lender’s Commitment Percentage of the Revolving
Credit Loans to be made on such borrowing date and (ii) the Swingline Lender
will make available to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
Borrower, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in funds in Dollars immediately
available to the Administrative Agent, the Swingline Loans to be made on
such
borrowing date.
27
(c) Disbursement
of Revolving Credit Loans Denominated in an Alternative
Currency. Not later than 1:00 p.m. (the time of the
Administrative Agent’s Correspondent) on or before the proposed borrowing date
for any Revolving Credit Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency, each
Revolving Credit Lender will make available to the Administrative Agent,
for the
account of the Borrower, at the office of the Administrative Agent’s
Correspondent in the requested Alternative Currency in funds immediately
available to the Administrative Agent, such Revolving Credit Lender’s Commitment
Percentage of the Alternative Currency Amount of the Revolving Credit Loan
to be
made on such borrowing date.
(d) Disbursement
of Japanese Yen Loans. Not later than 1:00 p.m. (Tokyo time) on
the proposed borrowing date for any Japanese Yen Loan, the Japanese Yen Lender
will make funds immediately available to the Borrower, on the direction of
the
Administrative Agent. Each such Japanese Yen Loan will be made on the
borrowing date at a rate determined by the Japanese Yen Lender in accordance
with the definition of the Japanese Base Rate. The instructions
regarding the Japanese Yen Loans may be modified from time to time with the
agreement of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Japanese Yen
Lender,
with notice thereof to the Lenders.
(e) Account
Designation. The Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes the
Administrative Agent to disburse the proceeds of each borrowing requested
pursuant to this Section in immediately available funds by crediting or wiring
such proceeds to the deposit account of the Borrower identified in the most
recent notice substantially in the form of Exhibit C
(a “Notice of Account Designation”) delivered by the Borrower to the
Administrative Agent or as may be otherwise agreed upon by the Borrower and
the
Administrative Agent from time to time. Subject to Section 4.7
hereof, the Administrative Agent shall not be obligated to disburse the portion
of the proceeds of any Revolving Credit Loan requested pursuant to this Section
to the extent that any Revolving Credit Lender has not made available to
the
Administrative Agent its Commitment Percentage of such Revolving Credit
Loan. Revolving Credit Loans to be made for the purpose
of (A) refunding Japanese Yen Loans shall be made by the Revolving
Credit Lenders as provided in Section 2.2(b) and (B) refunding Swingline
Loans shall be made by the Revolving Credit Lenders as provided in Section
2.3(b).
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SECTION
2.5
|
Repayment
and Prepayment of Revolving Credit, Japanese Yen and Swingline
Loans.
|
(a) Repayment
on Maturity Date. The Borrower hereby agrees to repay the
outstanding principal amount of (i) all Revolving Credit Loans in full in
the
currency in which each Revolving Credit Loan was initially funded on the
Maturity Date, (ii) all Japanese Yen Loans in Japanese Yen in accordance
with
Section 2.2(b) (but, in any event, on the Maturity Date) and (iii) all
Swingline Loans in Dollars in accordance with Section 2.3(b) (but, in any
event, on the Maturity Date), together, in each case, with all accrued but
unpaid interest thereon.
28
(b) Mandatory
Prepayments.
(i) Aggregate
Commitment. If at any time after giving effect to any repayment
of any Loan or cash collateralization of any undrawn or unexpired Letter
of
Credit (as determined by the Administrative Agent under Section
2.5(b)(iv)), (A) solely because of currency fluctuation, the
outstanding principal amount of all Revolving Credit Loans exceeds one hundred
and five percent (105%) of the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all
outstanding Japanese Yen Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations or (B)
for
any other reason, the outstanding principal amount of all Revolving Credit
Loans
exceeds the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all outstanding Japanese
Yen Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations, then, in each such case,
the
Borrower shall within four (4) Business Days of receipt of a notice of such
excess from the Administrative Agent (I) first, if (and to the extent) necessary
to eliminate such excess, repay outstanding Swingline Loans (and/or reduce
any
pending request for such Loans on such day by the Dollar Amount of such excess),
(II) second, if (and to the extent) necessary to eliminate such excess,
repay outstanding Revolving Credit Loans which are Base Rate Loans by the
Dollar
Amount of such excess (and/or reduce any pending request for such Loans on
such
day by the Dollar Amount of such excess), (III) third, if (and to the
extent) necessary to eliminate such excess, repay Japanese Yen Loans (and/or
reduce any pending requests for such Loans on such day by the Dollar Amount
of
such excess), (IV) fourth, if (and to the extent) necessary to eliminate
such excess, repay LIBOR Rate Loans (and/or reduce any pending requests for
a
borrowing or continuation or conversion of such Loans submitted in respect
of
such Loans on such day be the Dollar Amount of such excess), and (V)
fifth, with respect to any Letters of Credit then outstanding, make a
payment of cash collateral into a cash collateral account opened by the
Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Lenders in an amount equal to
the
aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount of such Letters of Credit (such
cash
collateral to be applied in accordance with Section 11.2(b));
provided that so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred
and
is continuing, the Lenders shall release any such cash collateral held to
the
extent it exceeds 105% of any excess from time to time under this Section
2.5(b).
(ii) Japanese
Yen Commitment. If at any time after giving effect to any
repayment of any Loan or cash collateralization of any undrawn or unexpired
Letter of Credit (as determined by the Administrative Agent under Section
2.5(b)(iv)), (A) solely because of currency fluctuation, the outstanding
principal amount of all Japanese Yen Loans exceeds the lesser of (1) one
hundred
and five percent (105%) of the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all
outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations and
(2)
one hundred and five percent (105%) of the Japanese Yen Commitment or (B)
for
any other reason, the outstanding principal amount of all Japanese Yen Loans
exceeds the lesser of (1) the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all
outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations and
(2)
the Japanese Yen Commitment, then, in each such case, such
excess shall be repaid within four (4) Business Days of receipt of a
notice of non-compliance with this Section 2.5(b)(ii) from the
Administrative Agent, in Japanese Yen, by the Borrower to the Administrative
Agent for the account of the Japanese Yen Lender.
29
(iii) Excess
L/C Obligations. If at any time after giving effect to any
repayment of any Loan (as determined by the Administrative Agent under
Section 2.5(b)(iv)), (A) solely because of currency fluctuation, the
outstanding amount of all L/C Obligations exceeds the lesser of (1) one hundred
and five percent (105%) of the Aggregate Commitment less the sum of all
outstanding Loans, and (2) one hundred and five percent (105%) of the L/C
Commitment or (B) for any other reason the outstanding amount of all L/C
Obligations exceeds the lesser of (1) the Aggregate Commitment less the
sum of the amount of all outstanding Loans and (2) the L/C Commitment, then,
in
each such case, the Borrower shall within four (4) Business Days of receipt
of a
notice of such excess from the Administrative Agent make a payment of cash
collateral into a cash collateral account opened by the Administrative Agent
for
the benefit of the Revolving Credit Lenders in an amount equal to the aggregate
then undrawn and unexpired amount of such Letters of Credit (such cash
collateral to be applied in accordance with Section
11.2(b)).
(iv) Compliance
and Payments. The Borrower’s compliance with this Section
2.5(b) shall be tested from time to time by the Administrative Agent at its
sole discretion. Each such repayment pursuant to this Section
2.5(b) shall be accompanied by any amount required to be paid pursuant to
Section 4.11 hereof.
(c) Optional
Prepayments. The Borrower may at any time and from time to time
prepay Revolving Credit Loans, Japanese Yen Loans and Swingline Loans, in
whole
or in part, with irrevocable prior written notice to the Administrative Agent
substantially in the form of Exhibit D (a
“Notice of Prepayment”) or telephonic notice (followed by prompt
delivery
of such Notice of Prepayment) given not later than 11:00 a.m. Charlotte time
in
the case of Base Rate Loans, Swingline Loans and LIBOR Rate Loans denominated
in
Dollars or 5:00 p.m. London time in the case of LIBOR Rate Loans denominated
in
an Alternative Currency or 11:00 a.m. Tokyo time, in the case of Japanese
Yen
Loans, as applicable, (i) on the same Business Day as each repayment of a
Base Rate Loan and each repayment of a Swingline Loan, (ii) on the Business
Day
prior to each repayment of a Japanese Yen Loan, (iii) on the third (3rd) Business
Day
before each repayment of a LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in Dollars and (iv)
on the fourth (4th) Business
Day
before each repayment of a LIBOR Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative
Currency, specifying (A) the date of prepayment, (B) the amount of prepayment,
(C) whether the prepayment is of Revolving Credit Loans, Swingline Loans,
Japanese Yen Loans, or a combination thereof, and, if of a combination thereof,
the amount allocable to each, (D) the applicable Permitted Currency in which
such prepayment is denominated, and (E) whether the prepayment is of LIBOR
Rate
Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, LIBOR Rate Loans denominated
in
Dollars, Base Rate Loans, Japanese Base Rate Loans or a combination thereof,
and, if of a combination thereof, the amount allocable to each. Upon
receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each
applicable Lender. If any such notice is given, the amount specified
in such notice shall be due and payable on the date set forth in such
notice. Partial prepayments shall be in an aggregate amount of
$5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof with respect
to
Base Rate Loans (other than Swingline Loans), $5,000,000 or a whole multiple
of
$1,000,000 in excess thereof with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated
in
Dollars, $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof with
respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, $100,000
or
a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof with respect to Japanese Yen
Loans, and $100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof with
respect to Swingline Loans. A Notice of Prepayment received after the
applicable time stated above shall be deemed received on the next Business
Day. Each such prepayment shall be accompanied by any amount required
to be paid pursuant to Section 4.11 hereof.
30
(d) Limitation
on Prepayment of LIBOR Rate Loans. The Borrower may not prepay
any LIBOR Rate Loan on any day other than on the last day of the Interest
Period
applicable thereto unless such prepayment is accompanied by any amount required
to be paid pursuant to Section 4.11 hereof.
(e) Hedging
Agreements. No repayment or prepayment pursuant to this
Section 2.5 shall affect any of the Borrower’s obligations under any
Hedging Agreement.
SECTION
2.6 Permanent Reduction of the
Commitment.
(a) Voluntary
Reduction. The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from
time to time, upon at least three (3) Business Days prior written notice
to the
Administrative Agent, to, without premium or penalty, permanently (i) terminate
the entire Aggregate Commitment at any time or (ii) reduce portions of the
Aggregate Commitment, from time to time, in an aggregate principal amount
not
less than $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess
thereof. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitment shall be applied
to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Commitment
Percentage. All commitment fees accrued until the effective date of
any termination of the Aggregate Commitment shall be paid on the effective
date
of such termination.
(b) Corresponding
Payment. Each permanent reduction permitted pursuant to this
Section shall be accompanied by a payment of principal sufficient to reduce
the
aggregate Dollar Amount of all outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, Japanese
Yen
Loans, Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations, as applicable, after such reduction
to the Aggregate Commitment as so reduced and the Commitment as so reduced
are
less than the aggregate amount of all outstanding, undrawn and unexpired
Letters
of Credit, the Borrower shall be required to deposit cash collateral in a
cash
collateral account opened by the Administrative Agent in an amount equal
to the
aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount of such Letters of
Credit. Such cash collateral shall be applied in accordance with
Section 11.2(b). Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitment to
zero shall be accompanied by payment of all outstanding Revolving Credit
Loans,
Japanese Yen Loans, Swingline Loans and Reimbursement Obligations (and
furnishing of cash collateral satisfactory to the Administrative Agent for
all
L/C Obligations) and shall result in the termination of the Aggregate
Commitment, the Japanese Yen Commitment, the Swingline Commitment, and the
Credit Facility. Such cash collateral shall be applied in accordance
with Section 11.2(b). If the reduction of the Aggregate
Commitment requires the repayment of any LIBOR Rate Loan, such repayment
shall
be accompanied by any amount required to be paid pursuant to Section
4.11(c) hereof.
SECTION
2.7 Optional Increase of the Aggregate
Commitment. At any time following the Closing Date, the Borrower
shall have the right, in consultation with the Administrative Agent, from
time
to time and upon not less than thirty (30) days prior written notice to the
Administrative Agent, to request an increase in the Aggregate Commitment;
provided, that:
31
(a) no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would
result from any such requested increase or Extension of Credit made on the
date
of such increase;
(b) the
Borrower shall provide the Administrative Agent with an Officer’s Compliance
Certificate dated as of the date of such increase in form and substance
substantially similar to the certificate delivered under Section 7.2
demonstrating pro forma compliance (solely, for purposes of the numerator
of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio, after giving effect to any increase or
decrease in outstanding Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness) with the
covenant contained in Article IX in respect of the most recently ended
fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant
to
Section 7.1 and after giving effect to any Extensions of Credit made on
the date of such increase;
(c) each
increase in Aggregate Commitment shall be in an aggregate principal amount
of at
least $50,000,000 or an integral of $5,000,000 in excess thereof, or in each
case if less, the remaining principal amount of increases to the Aggregate
Commitment that are available under this Section 2.7 (after giving effect
to all prior increases pursuant to this Section 2.7);
(d) the
aggregate amount of all Aggregate Commitment increases made pursuant to this
Section 2.7 shall not exceed $500,000,000;
(e) increases
in the Aggregate Commitment pursuant to this Section 2.7 shall not
increase or otherwise affect the Japanese Yen Commitment, L/C Commitment
or the
Swingline Commitment;
(f) the
Commitment of any Lender shall not be increased without the approval of such
Lender as determined in the sole and absolute discretion of such
Lender;
(g) in
connection with each proposed increase, the Borrower may but is not required
to
solicit commitments from (i) any Lender (provided that no Lender shall
have an obligation to commit to all or a portion of the proposed increase)
or
(ii) any third party financial institutions that are Eligible Assignees that
are
reasonably acceptable to both the Administrative Agent and the
Borrower;
(h) the
Loans made or Letters of Credit issued in respect of any increase in the
Aggregate Commitment pursuant to this Section 2.7 (i) will rank pari
passu in right of payment and security with the other Loans made and Letters
of Credit issued hereunder and shall constitute and be part of the “Obligations”
arising under this Agreement, and (ii) shall have the same pricing and tenor
as
the other Loans and Letters of Credit hereunder; and
(i) in
the event that any existing Lender or any new lender commits to such requested
increase, (i) any new lender will execute an accession agreement to this
Agreement, (ii) the Commitment of any existing Lender which has committed
to
provide any of the requested increase shall be increased, (iii) the Commitment
Percentages of the Lenders shall be adjusted, (and the Lenders agree to make
all
payments and adjustments necessary to effect such reallocation and the Borrower
shall pay any and all costs required pursuant to Section 4.11 in
connection with such reallocation as if such reallocation were a repayment)
and
(iv) other changes shall be made to the Loan Documents as may be necessary
to
reflect the aggregate amount, if any, by which the Lenders have agreed to
increase their respective Commitments or new lenders have agreed to or make
new
commitments in response to the Borrower’s request for an increase pursuant to
this Section 2.7, and which other changes do not adversely affect the
rights of those Lenders not participating in any such
increase.
32
SECTION
2.8 Termination of Credit
Facility. The Credit Facility shall terminate on the Maturity
Date.
ARTICLE
III
LETTER
OF CREDIT FACILITY
SECTION
3.1 L/C
Commitment. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the
Issuing Lender, in reliance on the agreements of the L/C Participants set
forth
in Section 3.4(a), agrees to issue standby letters of credit (“Letters
of Credit”) for the account of the Borrower on any Business Day from and
after the Closing Date in such form as may be approved from time to time
by the
Issuing Lender; provided, that the Issuing Lender shall have no
obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if, after giving effect to such
issuance, (a) the L/C Obligations would exceed the L/C Commitment or (b)
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, plus
the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Japanese Yen Loans plus the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans, plus the
aggregate amount of L/C Obligations would exceed an amount equal to the
Aggregate Commitment. Each Letter of Credit shall (i) be denominated
in a Permitted Currency in a minimum amount acceptable to the Issuing Lender,
(ii) be a standby letter of credit issued to support obligations of the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries, contingent or otherwise, incurred in the ordinary
course of business, (iii) expire on a date agreed upon by the Borrower and
the
Issuing Lender, which date shall be no later than the fifth (5th) Business
Day prior
to the Maturity Date and (iv) be subject to ISP98, as set forth in the Letter
of
Credit Application or as determined by the Issuing Lender and, to the extent
not
inconsistent therewith, the laws of the State of New York. The
Issuing Lender shall not at any time be obligated to issue any Letter of
Credit
hereunder if such issuance would conflict with, or cause the Issuing Lender
or
any L/C Participant to exceed any limits imposed by, any Applicable
Law. References herein to “issue” and derivations thereof with
respect to Letters of Credit shall also include extensions or modifications
of
any outstanding Letters of Credit, unless the context otherwise
requires.
SECTION
3.2 Procedure
for Issuance of Letters of Credit. The Borrower may from time to
time request that the Issuing Lender issue a Letter of Credit by delivering
to
the Issuing Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office a Letter of Credit
Application therefor, completed to the satisfaction of the Issuing Lender,
and
such other certificates, documents and other papers and information as the
Issuing Lender may reasonably request (which such information shall include
the
Permitted Currency in which such Letter of Credit shall be
denominated). Upon receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the
Issuing Lender shall process such Letter of Credit Application and the
certificates, documents and other papers and information delivered to it
in
connection therewith in accordance with its customary procedures and shall,
subject to Section 3.1 and Article V, promptly issue the Letter of
Credit requested thereby (but in no event shall the Issuing Lender be required
to issue any Letter of Credit earlier than three (3) Business Days after
its
receipt of the Letter of Credit Application therefor and all such
other
33
certificates,
documents and other papers and information relating thereto) by issuing the
original of such Letter of Credit to the beneficiary thereof or as otherwise
may
be agreed by the Issuing Lender and the Borrower. The Issuing Lender
shall promptly furnish to the Borrower a copy of such Letter of Credit and
promptly notify each L/C Participant of the issuance and upon request by
any L/C
Participant, furnish to such L/C Participant a copy of such Letter of Credit
and
the amount of such L/C Participant’s participation therein.
SECTION
3.3 Commissions and Other
Charges.
(a) Letter
of Credit Commissions. The Borrower shall pay to the
Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Lender and the L/C
Participants, a letter of credit commission with respect to the undrawn Dollar
Amount of each Letter of Credit at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable
Percentage with respect to Loans that are LIBOR Rate Loans (determined on
a per
annum basis). For the purposes of computing the amount to be drawn
under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be
determined in accordance with Section 1.7. Such commission
shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar
quarter, on the Maturity Date and thereafter on demand of the Administrative
Agent. The Administrative Agent shall, promptly following its receipt
thereof, distribute to the Issuing Lender and the L/C Participants all
commissions received pursuant to this Section in accordance with their
respective Commitment Percentages.
(b) Issuance
Fee. In addition to the foregoing commission, the Borrower shall
pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Lender, an
issuance fee with respect to the Dollar Amount equal to the undrawn face
amount
of each Letter of Credit at a rate of one-eighth of one percent (.125%) per
annum. Such issuance fee shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the
last Business Day of each calendar quarter commencing with the first such
date
to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Maturity Date
and
thereafter on demand of the Administrative Agent.
(c) Other
Costs. In addition to the foregoing fees and commissions, the
Borrower shall pay or reimburse the Issuing Lender for such normal and customary
costs and expenses as are reasonably incurred or charged by the Issuing Lender
in issuing, effecting payment under, amending or otherwise administering
any
Letter of Credit.
(d) Payments. The
commissions, fees, charges, costs and expenses payable pursuant to this
Section 3.3 shall be payable in Dollars.
34
SECTION
3.4 L/C
Participations.
(a) The
Issuing Lender irrevocably agrees to grant and hereby grants to each L/C
Participant, and, to induce the Issuing Lender to issue Letters of Credit
hereunder, each L/C Participant irrevocably agrees to accept and purchase
and
hereby accepts and purchases from the Issuing Lender, on the terms and
conditions hereinafter stated, for such L/C Participant’s own account and risk
an undivided interest equal to such L/C Participant’s Commitment Percentage in
the Issuing Lender’s obligations and rights under and in respect of each Letter
of Credit issued hereunder and the amount of each draft paid by the Issuing
Lender thereunder. Each L/C Participant unconditionally and
irrevocably agrees with the Issuing Lender that, if a draft is paid under
any
Letter of Credit for which the Issuing Lender is not reimbursed in full by
the
Borrower through a Revolving Credit Loan or otherwise in accordance with
the
terms of this Agreement, such L/C Participant shall pay to the Issuing Lender
in
the applicable Permitted Currency upon demand at the Issuing Lender’s address
for notices specified herein an amount equal to such L/C Participant’s
Commitment Percentage of the amount of such draft, or any part thereof, which
is
not so reimbursed.
(b) Upon
becoming aware of any amount required to be paid by any L/C Participant to
the
Issuing Lender pursuant to Section 3.4(a) in respect of any
unreimbursed portion of any payment made by the Issuing Lender under any
Letter
of Credit, the Issuing Lender shall notify each L/C Participant of the amount
and due date of such required payment and such L/C Participant shall pay
to the
Issuing Lender in the applicable Permitted Currency the amount specified
on the
applicable due date. If any such amount is paid to the Issuing Lender
after the date such payment is due, such L/C Participant shall pay to the
Issuing Lender in the applicable Permitted Currency on demand, in
addition to such amount, the product of (i) such amount, times (ii) the
daily average Federal Funds Rate as determined by the Administrative Agent
during the period from and including the date such payment is due to the
date on
which such payment is immediately available to the Issuing Lender, times
(iii) a fraction the numerator of which is the number of days that elapse
during
such period and the denominator of which is 360. A certificate of the
Issuing Lender with respect to any amounts owing under this Section shall
be
conclusive in the absence of manifest error. With respect to payment
to the Issuing Lender of the unreimbursed amounts described in this Section,
if
the L/C Participants receive notice that any such payment is due (A) prior
to
1:00 p.m. on any Business Day, such payment shall be due that Business Day,
and
(B) after 1:00 p.m. on any Business Day, such payment shall be due on the
following Business Day.
(c) Whenever,
at any time after the Issuing Lender has made payment under any Letter of
Credit
and has received from any L/C Participant its Commitment Percentage of such
payment in accordance with this Section, the Issuing Lender receives any
payment
related to such Letter of Credit (whether directly from the Borrower or
otherwise), or any payment of interest on account thereof, the Issuing Lender
will distribute to such L/C Participant its pro rata share thereof;
provided, that in the event that any such payment received by the
Issuing
Lender shall be required to be returned by the Issuing Lender, such L/C
Participant shall return to the Issuing Lender the portion thereof previously
distributed by the Issuing Lender to it.
SECTION
3.5 Reimbursement Obligation of the
Borrower. In the event of any drawing under any Letter of Credit,
the Borrower agrees to reimburse (either with the proceeds of a Revolving
Credit
Loan as provided for in this Section or with funds from other sources), in
same
day funds in the applicable Permitted
35
Currency
in which the Letter of Credit was denominated, the Issuing Lender on each
date
on which the Issuing Lender notifies the Borrower of the date and amount
of a
draft paid under any Letter of Credit for the amount of the sum of (a)
such
draft so paid and (b) any amounts referred to in Section 3.3(c) incurred
by the Issuing Lender in connection with such payment. Unless the
Borrower shall immediately notify the Issuing Lender (and in any event
within
one (1) Business Day of the date the Borrower received notice from the
Issuing
Lender) that the Borrower intends to reimburse the Issuing Lender for such
drawing from other sources or funds, the Borrower shall be deemed to have
timely
given a Notice of Borrowing to the Administrative Agent requesting that
the
Lenders make a Revolving Credit Loan bearing interest at the Base Rate
on such
date in a Dollar Amount equal to the amount of (a) such draft so paid and
(b)
any amounts referred to in Section 3.3(c) incurred by the Issuing Lender
in connection with such payment (including, without limitation, any and
all
costs, fees and other expenses incurred by the Issuing Lender in effecting
the
payment of any Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency),
and the
Revolving Credit Lenders shall make a Revolving Credit Loan bearing interest
at
the Base Rate in such amount, the proceeds of which shall be applied to
reimburse the Issuing Lender for the amount of the related drawing and
costs and
expenses. Each Revolving Credit Lender acknowledges and agrees that
its obligation to fund a Revolving Credit Loan in accordance with this
Section
to reimburse the Issuing Lender for any draft paid under a Letter of Credit
is
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance
whatsoever, including, without limitation, non-satisfaction of the conditions
set forth in Section 2.4(a) or Article V. If the
Borrower has elected to pay the amount of such drawing with funds from
other
sources and shall fail to reimburse the Issuing Lender as provided above,
the
unreimbursed amount of such drawing shall bear interest at the rate which
would
be payable on any outstanding Revolving Credit Loans which are Base Rate
Loans
which were then overdue from the date such amounts become payable (whether
at
stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) until payment in
full.
SECTION
3.6 Exchange Indemnification and Increased
Costs. The Borrower shall, upon demand from any Issuing Lender or
L/C Participant, pay to such Issuing Lender or such L/C Participant, the
amount
of (i) any loss, expense or cost incurred by such Issuing Lender or such
L/C
Participant and (ii) any currency exchange loss, in each case that such Issuing
Lender or such L/C Participant sustains as a result of the Borrower’s repayment
in any Permitted Currency other than the Permitted Currency in which the
applicable Letter of Credit was initially denominated. A certificate
of such Issuing Lender or such L/C Participant setting forth in reasonable
detail the basis for determining such additional amount or amounts necessary
to
compensate such Issuing Lender or such L/C Participant shall be conclusively
presumed to be correct save for manifest error.
SECTION
3.7 Obligations
Absolute. The Borrower’s obligations under this Article
III (including, without limitation, the Reimbursement Obligation) shall
be
absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances and irrespective
of
any set-off, counterclaim or defense to payment which the Borrower may have
or
have had against the Issuing Lender or any beneficiary of a Letter of Credit
or
any other Person. The Borrower also agrees that the Issuing Lender
and the L/C Participants shall not be responsible for, and the Borrower’s
Reimbursement Obligation under Section 3.5 shall not be affected by,
among other things, the validity or genuineness of documents or of any
endorsements thereon, even though such documents shall in fact prove to be
invalid, fraudulent or forged, or any dispute
36
between
or among the Borrower and any beneficiary of any Letter of Credit or any
other
party to which such Letter of Credit may be transferred or any claims whatsoever
of the Borrower against any beneficiary of such Letter of Credit or any
such
transferee. The Issuing Lender shall not be liable for any error,
omission, interruption or delay in transmission, dispatch or delivery of
any
message or advice, however transmitted, in connection with any Letter of
Credit,
except for errors or omissions caused by the Issuing Lender’s gross negligence
or willful misconduct, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction
by
final nonappealable judgment. The Borrower agrees that any action
taken or omitted by the Issuing Lender under or in connection with any
Letter of
Credit or the related drafts or documents, if done in the absence of gross
negligence or willful misconduct shall be binding on the Borrower and shall
not
result in any liability of the Issuing Lender or any L/C Participant to
the
Borrower. The responsibility of the Issuing Lender to the Borrower in
connection with any draft presented for payment under any Letter of Credit
shall, in addition to any payment obligation expressly provided for in
such
Letter of Credit, be limited to determining that the documents (including
each
draft) delivered under such Letter of Credit in connection with such presentment
are in conformity with such Letter of Credit.
SECTION
3.8 Effect of Letter of Credit
Application. To the extent that any provision of any
Letter of Credit Application related to any Letter of Credit is inconsistent
with the provisions of this Article III, the provisions of this
Article III shall apply.
ARTICLE
IV
GENERAL
LOAN PROVISIONS
SECTION
4.1 Interest.
(a) Interest
Rate Options. Subject to the provisions of this Section, at the
election of the Borrower, (i) Revolving Credit Loans denominated in Dollars
shall bear interest at (A) the Base Rate plus the Applicable Percentage
or (B) the LIBOR Rate plus the Applicable Percentage, (ii) Revolving
Credit Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency shall bear interest at
the
LIBOR Rate plus the Applicable Percentage, (iii) the Japanese Yen Loans
shall bear interest at (A) the Japanese Base Rate plus the Applicable
Percentage and (iv) any Swingline Loan shall bear interest at the LIBOR Market
Index Rate plus the Applicable Percentage (provided that the LIBOR
Rate shall not be available until three (3) Business Days after the Closing
Date
unless the Borrower has delivered to the Administrative Agent a letter in
form
and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent indemnifying the Lenders
against any loss or expense which may arise or be attributable to such Lender’s
obtaining, liquidating or employing deposits or other funds acquired to effect,
fund or maintain any Loan due to any failure of the Borrower to borrow on
the
date specified therefore in the initial Notice of Borrowing). The
Borrower shall select the rate of interest and Interest Period, if any,
applicable to any Revolving Credit Loan at the time a Notice of Borrowing
is
given or at the time a Notice of Conversion/Continuation is given pursuant
to
Section 4.2. Any Revolving Credit Loan denominated in Dollars
or any portion thereof as to which the Borrower has not duly specified an
interest rate as provided herein shall be deemed a Base Rate Loan and any
Revolving Credit Loan or any portion thereof as to which the Borrower has
not
duly specified the applicable Permitted Currency (x) in its Notice of Borrowing
as provided herein shall be deemed a request for a Revolving Credit Loan
denominated in Dollars and (y) in its Notice of
37
Conversion/Continuation as
provided herein shall be deemed to be a request for a Revolving Credit
Loan
denominated in the same Permitted Currency as the Revolving Credit Loan
to be
converted or continued.
(b) Interest
Periods. In connection with each LIBOR Rate Loan, the Borrower,
by giving notice at the times described in Section 2.4 or 4.2, as
applicable, shall elect an interest period (each, an “Interest Period”)
to be applicable to such Loan, which Interest Period shall be a period of
one
(1), two (2), three (3) or six (6) months, or, if agreed to by all Lenders,
a
period of less than thirty (30) days, or a period of nine (9) or twelve (12)
months; provided that:
(i) the
Interest Period shall commence on the date of advance of or conversion to
any
LIBOR Rate Loan and, in the case of immediately successive Interest Periods,
each successive Interest Period shall commence on the date on which the
immediately preceding Interest Period expires;
(ii) if
any Interest Period would otherwise expire on a day that is not a Business
Day,
such Interest Period shall expire on the next succeeding Business Day;
provided, that if any Interest Period with respect to a LIBOR Rate Loan
would otherwise expire on a day that is not a Business Day but is a day of
the
month after which no further Business Day occurs in such month, such Interest
Period shall expire on the immediately preceding Business Day;
(iii) any
Interest Period with respect to a LIBOR Rate Loan that begins on the last
Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically
corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period)
shall end on the last Business Day of the relevant calendar month at the
end of
such Interest Period; and
(iv) there
shall be no more than ten (10) Interest Periods in effect at any
time.
(c) Default
Rate. Subject to Section 11.3, as directed by the Required
Lenders, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default
under Section 11.1(a) or (b), (i) the Borrower shall no longer
have the option to request Letters of Credit, LIBOR Rate Loans, Japanese
Yen
Loans or Swingline Loans, (ii) the principal amount of all past due LIBOR
Rate
Loans shall bear interest at a rate per annum two percent (2%) in excess
of the
rate then applicable to LIBOR Rate Loans until the end of the applicable
Interest Period and thereafter at a rate equal to two percent (2%) in excess
of
the rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans, and (iii) all past due Base
Rate
Loans and other Obligations arising hereunder or under any other Loan Document
shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to two percent (2%) in excess
of
the rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans or such other Obligations arising
hereunder or under any other Loan Document. Interest shall continue
to accrue on the Obligations after the filing by or against the Borrower
of any
petition seeking any relief in bankruptcy or under any act or law pertaining
to
insolvency or debtor relief, whether state, federal, or foreign.
(d) Interest
Payment and Computation. Interest on each Base Rate Loan,
Japanese Yen Loan and Swingline Loan shall be due and payable in arrears
on the
last Business Day of each calendar quarter commencing September 30, 2007;
and
interest on each LIBOR Rate Loan shall be due and payable on the last day
of
each Interest Period applicable thereto, and if such Interest Period extends
over three (3) months, at the end of each three (3) month interval during
such
Interest Period. Interest on LIBOR Rate Loans (except for Alternative
Currency Loans denominated in Pounds Sterling), Base Rate Loans based on
the
Federal Funds Rate, Swingline Loans and all fees payable hereunder shall
be
computed on the basis of a 360-day year and assessed for the actual number
of
days elapsed and interest on Base Rate Loans based on the Prime Rate, Japanese
Yen Loans and Alternative Currency Loans denominated in Pounds Sterling shall
be
computed on the basis of a 365/366-day year and assessed for the actual number
of days elapsed.
38
(e) Maximum
Rate. In no contingency or event whatsoever shall the aggregate
of all amounts deemed interest under this Agreement charged or collected
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement exceed the highest rate permissible
under any Applicable Law which a court of competent jurisdiction shall, in
a
final determination, deem applicable hereto. In the event that such a
court determines that the Lenders have charged or received interest hereunder
or
under any other Loan Document in excess of the highest applicable rate, the
rate
in effect hereunder shall automatically be reduced to the maximum rate permitted
by Applicable Law and the Lenders shall at the Administrative Agent’s option (i)
promptly refund to the Borrower any interest received by the Lenders in excess
of the maximum lawful rate or (ii) apply such excess to the principal balance
of
the Obligations on a pro rata basis. It is the intent hereof
that the Borrower not pay or contract to pay, and that neither the
Administrative Agent nor any Lender receive or contract to receive, directly
or
indirectly in any manner whatsoever, interest in excess of that which may
be
paid by the Borrower under Applicable Law.
(f) Basis
of Accrual. Subject to Section 1.8 hereof, if the basis of
accrual of interest or fees expressed in this Agreement with respect to the
currency of any state that becomes a Participating Member State, in judgment
of
the Administrative Agent, shall not be available because interest rate quotes
for the applicable national currency unit are no longer provided, or shall
be
inconsistent with any convention or practice in the London interbank market
for
the basis of accrual of interest or fees in respect of the euro, such convention
or practice shall replace such expressed basis effective as of and from the
date
on which such state becomes a Participating Member State; provided that
if any Revolving Credit Loan in the currency of such state is outstanding
immediately prior to such date, such replacement shall take effect, with
respect
to such Revolving Credit Loan, at the end of the then current Interest
Period.
SECTION
4.2 Notice and Manner of Conversion or
Continuation of Revolving Credit Loans. Provided that no Event of
Default has occurred and is then continuing, the Borrower shall have the
option
to (a) convert at any time following the third Business Day after the Closing
Date all or any portion of any outstanding Base Rate Loans in a principal
amount
equal to $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof
into
one or more LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Dollars and (b) upon the expiration
of any Interest Period, (i) convert all or any part of its outstanding LIBOR
Rate Loans denominated in Dollars in a principal amount equal to $5,000,000
or a
whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof into Base Rate Loans or (ii)
continue any LIBOR Rate Loans as LIBOR Rate Loans of the same
currency. Whenever the Borrower desires to convert or continue
Revolving Credit Loans as provided above, the Borrower shall give the
Administrative Agent irrevocable prior written notice in the form attached
as
Exhibit E (a “Notice of
Conversion/Continuation”) or telephonic notice (followed by prompt delivery
of such Notice of Conversion/Continuation) not later than 11:00 a.m. (time
of
Administrative Agent’s Correspondent) four (4)
39
Business
Days (with respect to any Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency)
and 11:00
a.m. (Charlotte time) three (3) Business Days (with respect to any Loan
denominated in Dollars) before the day on which a proposed conversion or
continuation of such Loan is to be effective specifying (A) the Revolving
Credit
Loans to be converted or continued, and, in the case of any LIBOR Rate
Loan to
be converted or continued, the last day of the Interest Period therefor,
(B) the
currency in which such Revolving Credit Loan is denominated, (C) the effective
date of such conversion or continuation (which shall be a Business Day),
(D) the
principal amount of such Revolving Credit Loans to be converted or continued,
and (E) the Interest Period to be applicable to such converted or continued
LIBOR Rate Loan. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the
Revolving Credit Lenders of such Notice of
Conversion/Continuation.
SECTION
4.3 Fees.
(a) Commitment
Fee. Commencing on the Closing Date, the Borrower shall pay to
the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Revolving Credit Lenders,
a
non-refundable commitment fee at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable
Percentage on the average daily unused portion of the Commitments;
provided, that the amount of outstanding Swingline Loans and Japanese Yen
Loans shall not be considered usage of the Commitments for the purpose of
calculating such commitment fee. The commitment fee shall be payable
in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter during the term
of
this Agreement commencing September 30, 2007 and on the Maturity
Date. Such commitment fee shall be distributed by the Administrative
Agent to the Revolving Credit Lenders pro rata in accordance with the
Revolving Credit Lenders’ respective Commitment Percentages.
(b) Utilization
Fee. Commencing on the Closing Date, the Borrower shall pay to
the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Revolving Credit Lenders,
a
non-refundable utilization fee at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable
Percentage on the total amount outstanding under the Credit Facility (including,
without limitation, the amount of all outstanding Swingline Loans, Japanese
Yen
Loans and L/C Obligations) on each day that the total amount outstanding
under
the Credit Facility exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the Aggregate Commitment
(whether or not available due to a Default or Event of Default). The
utilization fee shall be payable in arrears on the last Business Day of each
calendar quarter during the term of this Agreement commencing September 30,
2007
and on the Maturity Date. Such utilization fee shall be distributed
by the Administrative Agent to the Revolving Credit Lenders pro rata in
accordance with the Revolving Credit Lenders’ respective Commitment
Percentages.
(c) Administrative
Agent’s and Other Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay any fees set
forth in the Fee Letter.
SECTION
4.4 Manner of
Payment.
(a) Revolving
Credit Loans and Swingline Loans Denominated in Dollars. Each
payment by the Borrower on account of the principal of or interest on the
Loans
denominated in Dollars or of any fee, commission or other amounts payable
to the
applicable Lenders under this Agreement shall be made in Dollars not later
than
1:00 p.m. (Charlotte time) on the date specified for payment under this
Agreement to the Administrative Agent at the Administrative Agent’s Office for
40
the
account of the applicable Lenders (other than as set forth below) pro
rata in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages (except as
specified below), in Dollars, in immediately available funds and shall be
made
without any setoff, counterclaim or deduction whatsoever. Any payment
received after such time but before 2:00 p.m. (Charlotte time) on such day
shall
be deemed a payment on such date for the purposes of Section 11.1, but
for all other purposes shall be deemed to have been made on the next succeeding
Business Day. Any payment received after 2:00 p.m. (Charlotte time)
shall be deemed to have been made on the next succeeding Business Day for
all
purposes.
(b) Revolving
Credit Loans Denominated in Alternative Currencies. Each payment
by the Borrower on account of the principal of or interest on the Revolving
Credit Loans denominated in any Alternative Currency shall be made in such
Alternative Currency not later than 1:00 p.m. (the time of the Administrative
Agent’s Correspondent) on the date specified for payment under this Agreement to
the Administrative Agent’s account with the Administrative Agent’s Correspondent
for the account of the Revolving Credit Lenders (other than as set forth
below)
pro rata in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages
(except as set forth below) in immediately available funds, and shall be
made
without any set-off, counterclaim or deduction whatsoever. Any
payment received after such time but before 2:00 p.m. (the time of the
Administrative Agent’s Correspondent) on such day shall be deemed a payment on
such date for the purposes of Section 11.1, but for all other purposes
shall be deemed to have been made on the next succeeding Business Day. Any
payment received after 2:00 p.m. (the time of the Administrative Agent’s
Correspondent) shall be deemed to have been made on the next succeeding Business
Day for all purposes.
(c) Japanese
Yen Loans. Each payment by the Borrower on account of the
principal of or interest on the Japanese Yen Loans shall be made in Japanese
Yen
not later than 1:00 p.m. (Tokyo time) on the date specified for payment under
this Agreement to the Administrative Agent at the Administrative Agent’s Office
for the account of the Japanese Yen Lender (other than as set forth below)
in
immediately available funds and shall be made without any setoff, counterclaim
or deduction whatsoever. Any payment received after such time but
before 2:00 p.m. (Tokyo time) on such day shall be deemed a payment on such
date
for the purposes of Section 11.1, but for all other purposes shall be
deemed to have been made on the next succeeding Business Day. Any
payment received after 2:00 p.m. (Tokyo time) shall be deemed to have been
made
on the next succeeding Business Day for all purposes.
(d) Pro
Rata Treatment. Upon receipt by the Administrative Agent (or the
applicable Administrative Agent’s Correspondent) of each such payment, the
Administrative Agent (or the applicable Administrative Agent’s Correspondent)
shall distribute to each Lender at its address for notices set forth herein
its
pro rata share of such payment in accordance with such Lender’s
Commitment Percentage, (except as specified below) and shall wire advice
of the
amount of such credit to each such Lender. Each payment to the
Administrative Agent of the Issuing Lender’s fees or L/C Participants’
commissions shall be made in like manner, but for the account of the Issuing
Lender or the L/C Participants, as the case may be. Each payment to
the Administrative Agent of the Administrative Agent’s fees or expenses shall be
made for the account of the Administrative Agent and any amount payable to
any
Lender under Section 4.11, 4.12, 4.13 or 13.3 shall
be paid
41
to
the Administrative Agent for the account of the applicable
Lender. Each payment to the Administrative Agent (or the applicable
Administrative Agent’s Correspondent) with respect to Swingline Loans
(including, without limitation, the Swingline Lender’s fees or expenses) shall
be made for the account of the Swingline Lender. Each payment to the
Administrative Agent (or the applicable Administrative Agent’s Correspondent)
with respect to the Japanese Yen Loans (including, without limitation,
the
Japanese Yen Lender’s fees or expenses) shall be made for the account of the
Japanese Yen Lender. Subject to Section 4.1(b)(ii) if any
payment under this Agreement shall be specified to be made upon a day which
is
not a Business Day, it shall be made on the next succeeding day which is
a
Business Day and such extension of time shall in such case be included
in
computing any interest if payable along with such payment.
SECTION
4.5 Evidence of Indebtedness.
(a) Extensions
of Credit. The Extensions of Credit made by each Lender shall be
evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and
by
the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business. The
accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender
shall
be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Extensions of Credit
made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments
thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not,
however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder
to
pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of
any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and
the
accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters,
the
accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence
of
manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through the
Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender
(through the Administrative Agent) a Revolving Credit Note, Japanese Yen
Note
and/or Swingline Note, as applicable, which shall evidence such Lender’s
Revolving Credit Loans, Japanese Yen Loans and/or Swingline Loan, as applicable,
in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach
schedules to its Notes and endorse thereon the date, amount and maturity
of its
Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b) Participations. In
addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a), each
Lender
and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual
practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender
of participations in Japanese Yen Loans, Letters of Credit and Swingline
Loans. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records
maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any
Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the
Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest
error.
SECTION
4.6 Adjustments. If any
Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise,
obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Loans
or
other obligations hereunder resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a
proportion of the aggregate amount of its Loans and accrued interest thereon
or
other such obligations (other than pursuant to Section 4.11, 4.12,
4.13 or 13.3 hereof) greater than its pro rata share
thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion
shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase
(for
cash at face value) participations in the Loans and such other obligations
of
the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable,
so that
the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in
accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest
on
their respective Loans and other amounts owing them; provided
that:
42
(a) 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
(b) the
provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment
made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms
of
this Agreement or (y) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for
the
assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations
in Japanese Yen Loans, Swingline Loans and Letters of Credit to any assignee
or
participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary 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
setoff
and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender
were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such
participation.
SECTION
4.7 Nature of Obligations of Lenders
Regarding Extensions of Credit; Assumption by the Administrative
Agent. The obligations of the Lenders under this Agreement to
make the Loans and issue or participate in Letters of Credit are several
and are
not joint or joint and several. Unless the Administrative Agent shall
have received notice from a Lender prior to a proposed borrowing date or
as of a
proposed borrowing time, as applicable, that such Lender will not make available
to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s ratable portion of the amount to be
borrowed on such date or time (which notice shall not release such Lender
of its
obligations hereunder), the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender
has
made such portion available to the Administrative Agent on such proposed
borrowing date or as of such proposed borrowing time in accordance with
Section 2.4(b), and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such
assumption, make available to the Borrower on such date or time a corresponding
amount. If such amount is made available to the Administrative Agent
on a date or time after such borrowing date or time, as applicable, such
Lender
shall pay to the Administrative Agent on demand an amount, until paid, equal
to
(a) with respect to any Loan denominated in Dollars, the product of (i) the
amount not made available by such Lender in accordance with the terms hereof,
times (ii) the daily average Federal Funds Rate during such period as
determined by the Administrative Agent, times (iii) a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of days that elapse from and including such
borrowing date or time to the date on which such amount not made available
by
such Lender in accordance with the terms hereof shall have become immediately
available to the Administrative Agent and the denominator of which is 360
and
(b) with respect to any Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency, the
amount
not made available by such Lender in accordance with the terms hereof and
interest thereon at a rate per annum equal to the Administrative Agent’s
aggregate marginal cost (including the cost of maintaining any required reserves
or deposit insurance and of any fees, penalties, overdraft charges or other
costs or expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent as a result of the
failure to deliver funds hereunder) of carrying such amount. A
certificate of the Administrative Agent with respect to any amounts owing
under
this Section shall be conclusive, absent manifest error. If such
Lender’s Commitment
43
Percentage
of such borrowing is not made available to the Administrative Agent by
such
Lender within three (3) Business Days after such borrowing date or time,
the
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to recover such amount made available
by
the Administrative Agent with interest thereon at the rate per annum applicable
to Base Rate Loans hereunder, on demand, from the Borrower. The
failure of any Lender to make available its Commitment Percentage of any
Loan
requested by the Borrower shall not relieve it or any other Lender of its
obligation, if any, hereunder to make its Commitment Percentage of such
Loan
available on the borrowing date or as of such borrowing time, as applicable,
but
no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make
its
Commitment Percentage of such Loan available on the borrowing date or as
of such
borrowing time, as applicable. Notwithstanding anything set forth
herein to the contrary, any Lender that is a Defaulting Lender shall not
(a)
have any voting or consent rights under or with respect to any Loan Document,
except that the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender may not be increased
or
decreased without the consent of such Defaulting Lender, or (b) constitute
a
“Lender” (or be included in the calculation of Required Lenders hereunder) for
any voting or consent rights under or with respect to any Loan
Document.
SECTION
4.8 Redenomination of Alternative
Currency Loans.
. (a) Conversion
to the Base Rate. If any Alternative Currency Loan is required to
bear interest based at the Base Rate rather than the LIBOR Rate, pursuant
to
Section 4.1(c), Section 4.10 or any other applicable provision
hereof, such Loan shall be deemed funded in Dollars in an amount equal to
the
Dollar Amount of such Alternative Currency Loan, all subject to the provisions
of Section 2.4(b). The Borrower shall reimburse the Lenders
upon any such conversion for any amounts required to be paid under Section
4.11 and Section 4.12(d).
(b) Redenomination
of Loans. Subject to Section 1.8 hereof, any Revolving
Credit Loan to be denominated in the currency of the applicable Participating
Member State shall be made in the euro.
(c) Redenomination
of Obligations. Subject to Section 1.8 hereof, any
obligation of any party under this Agreement or any other Loan Document which
has been denominated in the currency of a Participating Member State shall
be
redenominated into the euro.
(d) Further
Assurances. The terms and provisions of this Agreement will be
subject to such reasonable changes of construction as determined by the
Administrative Agent to reflect the implementation of the EMU in any
Participating Member State or any market conventions relating to the fixing
and/or calculation of interest being changed or replaced and to reflect market
practice at that time, and subject thereto, to put the Administrative Agent,
the
Revolving Credit Lenders and the Borrower in the same position, so far as
possible, that they would have been if such implementation had not
occurred. In connection therewith, the Borrower agrees, at the
request of the Administrative Agent, at the time of or at any time following
the
implementation of the EMU in any Participating Member State or any market
conventions relating to the fixing and/or calculation of interest being changed
or replaced, to enter into an agreement amending this Agreement in a mutually
satisfactory manner.
44
SECTION
4.9 Regulatory
Limitation. In the event, as a result of increases in the value
of Alternative Currencies against the Dollar or for any other reason, the
obligation of any of the Lenders to make Loans (taking into account the Dollar
Amount of the Obligations and all other indebtedness required to be aggregated
under 12 U.S.C.A. §84, as amended, the regulations promulgated thereunder and
any other Applicable Law) is determined by such Lender to exceed its then
applicable legal lending limit under 12 U.S.C.A. §84, as amended, and the
regulations promulgated thereunder, or any other Applicable Law, the amount
of
additional Extensions of Credit such Lender shall be obligated to make or
issue
or participate in hereunder shall immediately be reduced to the maximum amount
which such Lender may legally advance (as determined by such Lender), the
obligation of each of the remaining Lenders hereunder shall be proportionately
reduced, based on their applicable Commitment Percentages and, to the extent
necessary under such laws and regulations (as determined by each of the Lenders,
with respect to the applicability of such laws and regulations to itself),
and
the Borrower shall reduce, or cause to be reduced, complying to the extent
practicable with the remaining provisions hereof, the Obligations outstanding
hereunder by an amount sufficient to comply with such maximum
amounts.
SECTION
4.10 Changed Circumstances.
(a) Circumstances
Affecting LIBOR Rate and Alternative Currency Availability. If
with respect to any Interest Period the Administrative Agent or any Lender
(after consultation with the Administrative Agent) shall determine that (i)
by
reason of circumstances affecting the foreign exchange and interbank markets
generally, deposits in eurodollars or an Alternative Currency in the applicable
amounts are not being quoted via the Reuters Page LIBOR01, or its successor
page, or offered to the Administrative Agent or such Lender for such Interest
Period, (ii) a fundamental change has occurred in the foreign exchange or
interbank markets with respect to any Alternative Currency (including, without
limitation, changes in national or international financial, political, or
economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls) or (iii)
it
has become otherwise materially impractical for the Administrative Agent,
the
Japanese Yen Lender or the Lenders to make such Loan in an Alternative Currency,
then the Administrative Agent shall forthwith give notice thereof to the
Borrower. Thereafter, until the Administrative Agent notifies the
Borrower that such circumstances no longer exist, the obligation of the Lenders
to make LIBOR Rate Loans, Alternative Currency Loans, or Japanese Yen Loans,
as
applicable, and the right of the Borrower to convert any Loan to or continue
any
Loan as a LIBOR Rate Loan or an Alternative Currency Loan, as applicable,
shall
be suspended, and the Borrower shall repay in full (or cause to be repaid
in
full) the then outstanding principal amount of each such LIBOR Rate Loan,
Alternative Currency Loan, or Japanese Yen Loan, as applicable, together
with
accrued interest thereon, (A) with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans or Alternative
Currency Loans, on the last day of the then current Interest Period, if
applicable, to such LIBOR Rate Loan or Alternative Currency Loan or convert
to
LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Dollars, if available, as applicable, or
(B)
with respect to Japanese Base Rate Loans, immediately upon the request of
the
Japanese Yen Lender, or (C) with respect to any LIBOR Rate Loans, convert
the
then outstanding principal amount of each such LIBOR Rate Loan or Alternative
Currency Loan, as applicable, to a Base Rate Loan as of the last day of such
Interest Period.
45
(b) Laws
Affecting LIBOR Rate and Alternative Currency Availability. If,
after the date hereof, the introduction of, or any change in, any Applicable
Law
or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any
Governmental Authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the
interpretation or administration thereof, or compliance by any of the Lenders
(or any of their respective Lending Offices) with any request or directive
(whether or not having the force of law) of any such Governmental Authority,
central bank or comparable agency, shall make it unlawful or impossible for
any
of the Lenders (or any of their respective Lending Offices) to honor its
obligations hereunder to make or maintain any LIBOR Rate Loan, any Alternative
Currency Loan, or any Japanese Yen Loan, such Lender shall promptly give
notice
thereof to the Administrative Agent and the Administrative Agent shall promptly
give notice to the Borrower and the other Lenders. Thereafter, until
the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that such circumstances no
longer
exist, (i) the obligations of the Lenders to make LIBOR Rate Loans, Alternative
Currency Loans, or Japanese Yen Loans, as applicable, and the right of the
Borrower to convert any Revolving Credit Loan or continue any Revolving Credit
Loan as a LIBOR Rate Loan or Alternative Currency Loan, as applicable, shall
be
suspended and thereafter the Borrower may select Base Rate Loans or convert
to
LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Dollars, if available hereunder, and (ii)
if any
of the Lenders may not lawfully continue to maintain a LIBOR Rate Loan or
Alternative Currency Loan or convert to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Dollars,
as applicable, to the end of the then current Interest Period applicable
thereto
as a LIBOR Rate Loan or Alternative Currency Loan or convert to LIBOR Rate
Loans
denominated in Dollars, if available, as applicable, the applicable LIBOR
Rate
Loan or Alternative Currency Loan, as applicable, shall immediately be converted
to a Base Rate Loan for the remainder of such Interest Period; provided
that if the Borrower elects to make such conversion, the Borrower shall pay
to
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders any and all costs, fees and other
expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in effecting
such
conversion.
SECTION
4.11 Indemnity. (a) The
Borrower hereby indemnifies each of the Lenders against any loss or expense
(including, without limitation, any foreign exchange costs, and excluding
loss
of profits or anticipated profits) which may arise or be attributable to
each
Lender’s obtaining, liquidating or employing deposits or other funds acquired to
effect, fund or maintain any Loan (a) as a consequence of any failure by
the
Borrower to make any payment when due of any amount due hereunder in connection
with a LIBOR Rate Loan or an Alternative Currency Loan (b) due to any failure
of
the Borrower to borrow, continue or convert on a date specified therefor
in a
Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion/Continuation or (c) due to any
payment, prepayment or conversion of any LIBOR Rate Loan or any Alternative
Currency Loan on a date other than the last day of the Interest Period
therefor. The amount of such loss or expense shall be determined, in
the applicable Lender’s sole discretion, based upon the assumption that such
Lender funded its Commitment Percentage of the LIBOR Rate Loans in the London
interbank market and using any reasonable attribution or averaging methods
which
such Lender deems appropriate and practical. A certificate of such
Lender setting forth the basis for determining such amount or amounts necessary
to compensate such Lender shall be forwarded to the Borrower through the
Administrative Agent and shall be conclusively presumed to be correct save
for
manifest error.
SECTION
4.12 Increased Costs.
(a) Increased
Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:
46
(i) impose,
modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan,
insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with
or for
the account of, or advances, loans or other credit extended or participated
in
by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement reflected in the LIBOR Rate),
the
Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender;
(ii) subject
any Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender to any tax of any
kind
whatsoever with respect to this Agreement, any Japanese Yen Loan, any Letter
of
Credit, any participation in a Japanese Yen Loan or a Letter of Credit or
any
LIBOR Rate Loan made by it, or change the basis of taxation of payments to
such
Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender in respect thereof
(except
for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes covered by Section 4.13 and the
imposition of, or any change in the rate of any Excluded Tax payable by such
Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender); or
(iii) impose
on any Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender or the London
interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement,
LIBOR Rate Loans or Japanese Yen Loans made by such Lender or any Letter
of
Credit, or participation therein;
and
the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such
Lender
of making, converting into or maintaining any LIBOR Rate Loan or any Japanese
Yen Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to
increase the cost to such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing
Lender
of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Japanese Yen Loan or Letter
of
Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in any Japanese Yen
Loan
or to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the
amount
of any sum received or receivable by such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender
or the
Issuing Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount)
then, upon written request of such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the
Issuing Lender, the Borrower shall promptly pay to any such Lender, the Japanese
Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender, as the case may be, such additional amount
or
amounts as will compensate such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing
Lender, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction
suffered.
(b) Capital
Requirements. If any Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the
Issuing Lender determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender, the
Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender or any lending office of such Lender,
the Japanese Yen Lender or such Lender’s, the Japanese Yen Lender’s or the
Issuing Lender’s holding company, if any, regarding capital requirements has or
would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s, the
Japanese Yen Lender’s or the Issuing Lender’s capital or on the capital of such
Lender’s, the Japanese Yen Lender’s or the Issuing Lender’s holding company, if
any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender,
the
Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender or the Loans made by, or
participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, the Japanese Yen
Lender or the Issuing Lender or the Letters of Credit issued by the Issuing
Lender, to a level below that which such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender
or the
Issuing Lender or such Lender’s, the Japanese Yen Lender’s or the Issuing
Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking
into consideration such Lender’s, the Japanese Yen Lender’s or the Issuing
Lender’s policies and the policies of
47
such
Lender’s, the Japanese Yen Lender’s or the Issuing Lender’s holding company with
respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time upon written request
of
such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or such Issuing Lender, the Borrower
shall
promptly pay to such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender,
as
the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such
Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender or such Lender’s, the
Japanese Yen Lender’s or the Issuing Lender’s holding company for any such
reduction suffered.
(c) Certificates
for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender, the Japanese Yen
Lender or the Issuing Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary
to
compensate such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender or
its
holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b)
of
this Section and delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest
error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or the Issuing Lender, as
the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within thirty
(30) days after receipt thereof.
(d) Exchange
Indemnification and Increased Costs. The Borrower shall, upon
demand from the Administrative Agent, pay to the Administrative Agent or
any
applicable Lender, the amount of (i) any loss, expense or cost incurred by
the
Administrative Agent or any applicable Lender, (ii) any interest or any other
return, including principal, foregone by the Administrative Agent or any
applicable Lender as a result of the introduction of, change over to or
operation of the euro, or (iii) any currency exchange loss, that the
Administrative Agent or any Lender sustains as a result of any payment being
made by the Borrower in a currency other than that originally extended to
the
Borrower or as a result of any other currency exchange loss incurred by the
Administrative Agent or any applicable Lender under this Agreement. A
certificate of the Administrative Agent setting forth the basis for determining
such additional amount or amounts necessary to compensate the Administrative
Agent or the applicable Lender shall be conclusively presumed to be correct
save
for manifest error.
(e) Delay
in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender, the
Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender to demand compensation pursuant
to
this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s, the Japanese Yen
Lender’s or the Issuing Lender’s right to demand such compensation;
provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender,
the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender pursuant to this Section for
any
increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine (9) months
prior
to the date that such Lender, the Japanese Yen Lender or the Issuing Lender,
as
the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to
such
increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s, the Japanese Yen Lender’s or
the Issuing Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if
the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is
retroactive, then the nine-month period referred to above shall be extended
to
include the period of retroactive effect thereof).
SECTION
4.13 Taxes.
(a) Payments
Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any
obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall
be
made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Indemnified
Taxes; provided that if the Borrower shall be required by
48
Applicable
Law to deduct any Indemnified Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum
payable
shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions
(including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this
Section)
the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Lender, as the case may be,
receives
an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions
been
made, (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (iii) the Borrower
shall
timely pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority
in
accordance with Applicable Law.
(b) Payment
of Other Taxes by the Borrower. Without limiting the provisions of paragraph
(a) above, the Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant
Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law.
(c) Indemnification
by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each
Lender and the Issuing Lender, within ten (10) days after demand therefor,
for
the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed
or
asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) paid by
the
Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Lender, as the case may
be, and
any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with
respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or
legally
imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority; provided that
if the Borrower reasonably believes that such Indemnified Taxes were not
correctly or legally asserted, the Administrative Agent, Issuing Lender or
such
Lender, as the case may be, will use reasonable efforts to cooperate with
the
Borrower (at the Borrower's expense) to obtain a refund of such Indemnified
Taxes (in cash or as a credit against another existing tax liability), the
benefit of which refund shall be returned to the Borrower to the extent provided
in Section 4.13(f). A certificate as to the amount of such
payment or liability (along with a copy of any applicable documents from
the
Internal Revenue Service or other Governmental Authority that asserts such
claim
as to Indemnified Taxes) delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or the Issuing
Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative
Agent
on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the Issuing Lender, shall be
conclusive absent manifest error.
(d) Evidence
of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes
by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to
the
Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent.
(e) Status
of Lenders. Each Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or
reduction of withholding tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which the
Borrower is resident for tax purposes, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction
is a party, with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document
shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent),
at the
time or times prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by the
Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed
documentation prescribed by Applicable Law as will permit such payments under
this Agreement to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of
withholding. In addition, any Lender, if requested by the Borrower or
the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed
by
Applicable Law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative
Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine
whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information
reporting requirements. Without
49
limiting
the generality of the foregoing, each Foreign Lender shall deliver to the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall
be
requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign
Lender
becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter
upon the
request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign
Lender is legally entitled to do so):
(i) duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility
for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party,
or
(ii) duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or
(iii) in
the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for
portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to
the
effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of
section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower
within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled
foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, and
(iv) any
other form prescribed by Applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption
from
or a reduction in United States Federal withholding tax duly completed together
with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by Applicable
Law to
permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to
be
made.
(f) Treatment
of Certain Refunds. If the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the
Issuing Lender reasonably determines, in its sole discretion, that it has
received a refund of, or a credit with respect to, any Taxes as to which
it has
been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has
paid
additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to the Borrower
an
amount equal to such refund or credit (only to the extent such credit is
realized) (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional
amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section with respect to the Taxes
giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the
Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Lender, as the case may
be, and
without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental
Authority with respect to such refund or credit); provided that the
Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the
Issuing Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus
any
penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental
Authority) to the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Lender
in the
event the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Lender is required
to
repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This paragraph
shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or
the
Issuing Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information
relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any
other
Person.
(g) Survival. Without
prejudice to the survival of any other agreement of the Borrower hereunder,
the
agreements and obligations of the Borrower contained in this Section shall
survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of the
Commitments.
50
SECTION
4.14 Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of
Lenders.
(a) Designation
of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under
Section 4.12, or requires the Borrower to pay any additional amount to
any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant
to Section 4.13, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to
designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder
or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices,
branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation
or
assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section
4.12 or Section 4.13, as the case may be, in the future and (ii)
would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would
not
otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to
pay
all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with
any
such designation or assignment.
(b) Replacement
of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section
4.12, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any
Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant
to
Section 4.13, or if any Lender defaults in its obligation to fund Loans
hereunder, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice
to
such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and
delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions
contained in, and consents required by, Section 13.10), all of its
interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan
Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee
may
be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided
that
(i) the
Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee
specified in Section 13.10,
(ii) such
Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding
principal of its Loans and participations in Letters of Credit, accrued interest
thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under
the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 4.13) from
the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest
and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts),
(iii) in
the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under
Section 4.12 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section
4.13, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or
payments thereafter, and
(iv) such
assignment does not conflict with Applicable Law.
A
Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if,
prior
thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances
entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to
apply.
SECTION
4.15 Rounding and Other Consequential
Changes. Subject to Section 1.8 hereof, without prejudice
and in addition to any method of conversion or rounding prescribed by any
EMU
Legislation and without prejudice to the respective obligations of the Borrower
to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and the Administrative Agent
and the
Lenders to the Borrower under or pursuant to this Agreement, except as expressly
provided in this Agreement, each
51
provision
of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right to
combine currencies to effect a set-off, shall be subject to such
reasonable changes of interpretation as the Administrative Agent may from
time
to time specify to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the introduction
of or
change over to the euro in Participating Member States.
ARTICLE
V
CLOSING;
CONDITIONS OF CLOSING AND BORROWING
SECTION
5.1 Closing. The
closing shall take place at the offices of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx &
Xxxxxxx, L.L.P. in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 10:00 a.m. on August 22,
2007
or on such other place, date and time as the parties hereto shall mutually
agree.
SECTION
5.2 Conditions to Closing and
Initial Extensions of Credit. The
obligation of the Lenders to close this Agreement and to make the initial
Loans
or issue or participate in the initial Letter of Credit, if any, is subject
to
the satisfaction of each of the following conditions:
(a) Executed
Loan Documents. This Agreement, a Revolving Credit Note in favor
of each Revolving Credit Lender requesting a Revolving Credit Note, a Japanese
Yen Note in favor of the Japanese Yen Lender (if requested thereby) and a
Swingline Note in favor of the Swingline Lender (if requested thereby) shall
have been duly authorized, executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent
by
the parties thereto, shall be in full force and effect and no Default or
Event
of Default shall exist hereunder or thereunder.
(b) Closing
Certificates; Etc. The Administrative Agent shall have received
each of the following in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent:
(i) Officer’s
Certificate of the Borrower. A certificate from a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower to the effect that all representations and warranties
of
the Borrower contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are
true,
correct and complete in all material respects as if made on such
date, except to the extent that any such representation or warranty relates
to
an earlier specific date in which case such representation and warranty shall
be
true and correct as of such earlier date; that the Borrower is not in violation
of any of the covenants contained in this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents; that, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by
this
Agreement, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
and
that the Borrower has satisfied each of the conditions set forth in Section
5.2 and Section 5.3.
(ii) Certificate
of Secretary of the Borrower. A certificate of a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower certifying as to the incumbency and genuineness of
the
signature of each officer of the Borrower executing Loan Documents to which
it
is a party and certifying that attached thereto is a true, correct and complete
copy of (A) the articles of incorporation of the Borrower and all amendments
thereto, certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State of the State
of
Delaware, (B) the bylaws of the Borrower as in effect on the Closing Date,
(C)
resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors of the Borrower authorizing
the transactions contemplated hereunder and the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is
a
party, and (D) each certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section
5.2(b)(iii).
52
(iii) Certificates
of Good Standing. Certificates as of a recent date of the good
standing of the Borrower under the laws of the State of Delaware and, to
the
extent requested by the Administrative Agent, each other jurisdiction where
the
Borrower is qualified to do business and, to the extent available, a certificate
of the relevant taxing authorities of such jurisdictions certifying that
the
Borrower has filed required tax returns and owes no delinquent taxes except
for
those being contested in good faith pursuant to Section
6.1(e).
(iv) Opinions
of Counsel. Favorable opinions of counsel to the Borrower
addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders with respect to the
Borrower, the Loan Documents and such other matters as the Lenders shall
reasonably request.
(v) Tax
Forms. Copies of the United States Internal Revenue Service forms
required by Section 4.13(e).
(c) Consents;
Defaults.
(i) Governmental
and Third Party Approvals. The Borrower shall have received all
material governmental, shareholder and third party consents and approvals
necessary (or any other material consents as determined in the reasonable
discretion of the Administrative Agent) in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and the other
transactions contemplated hereby and all applicable waiting periods shall
have
expired without any action being taken by any Person that could reasonably
be
expected to restrain, prevent or impose any material adverse conditions on
the
Borrower or the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or that could
seek or threaten any of the foregoing, and no law or regulation shall be
applicable which in the reasonable judgment of the Administrative Agent could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) No
Injunction, Etc. Except for the Disclosed Litigation Matters (as
defined in Section 6.1), no action, proceeding, investigation, regulation
or legislation shall have been instituted, threatened or proposed before
any
Governmental Authority to enjoin, restrain, or prohibit, or to obtain
substantial damages in respect of, or which is related to or arises out of
this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby, which could reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect.
(d) Financial
Matters.
(i) Financial
Statements. The Lenders shall have received the most recent
audited Consolidated financial statements, and the unaudited Consolidated
financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2007, in each case of
the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries prepared in accordance with GAAP.
53
(ii) Payment
at Closing; Fee Letters. The Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders the accrued and unpaid fees due and set forth or
referenced in Section 4.3 and any other accrued and unpaid fees or
commissions due hereunder (including, without limitation, legal fees and
expenses) and to any other Person such amount as may be due thereto in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including all taxes,
fees
and other charges in connection with the execution, delivery, recording,
filing
and registration of any of the Loan Documents.
(e) Miscellaneous.
(i) Notice
of Borrowing. The Administrative Agent shall have received a
Notice of Borrowing from the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.4(a)
with respect to any amounts to be borrowed on the Closing Date, and a Notice
of
Account Designation specifying the account or accounts to which the proceeds
of
any Loans made after the Closing Date are to be disbursed.
(ii) Other
Documents. All opinions, certificates and other instruments and
all proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall have received
copies of all other documents, certificates and instruments reasonably requested
thereby, with respect to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(iii) Termination
of Existing Credit Agreement. Concurrent with the closing of the
Agreement, the Existing Credit Agreement shall have been terminated, together
with the commitments thereunder, and all amounts owing in respect of the
Existing Credit Agreement shall have been repaid in full.
SECTION
5.3 Conditions to All
Extensions of Credit. The
obligations of the Lenders to make any Extensions of Credit (including the
initial Extension of Credit) and/or the Issuing Lender to issue or extend
any
Letter of Credit are subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions
precedent on the relevant borrowing, issuance or extension date:
(a) Continuation
of Representations and Warranties. The representations and
warranties contained in Article VI shall be true and correct in all
material respects on and as of such borrowing, issuance or extension date
with
the same effect as if made on and as of such date, except for any representation
and warranty made as of an earlier date, which representation and warranty
shall
remain true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date,
and
except for the representations and warranties contained in Section
6.1(e), 6.1(f), 6.1(j) and 6.1(k).
(b) No
Existing Default. No Default or Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing (i) on the borrowing date with respect to such
Loan
or after giving effect to the Loans to be made on such date or (ii) on the
issuance or extension date with respect to such Letter of Credit or after
giving
effect to the issuance or extension of such Letter of Credit on such
date.
(c) Notices. The
Administrative Agent shall have received a Notice of Borrowing from the Borrower
in accordance with Section 2.4(a).
54
ARTICLE
VI
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE BORROWER
SECTION
6.1 Representations and
Warranties. To induce the Administrative Agent and Lenders to
enter into this Agreement and to induce the Lenders to make Extensions of
Credit, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative
Agent
and Lenders that:
(a) Organization;
Power; Qualification. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of
the
jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, has the power and authority
to
own its properties and to carry on its business as now being and hereafter
proposed to be conducted and is duly qualified and authorized to do business
in
each jurisdiction in which the character of its properties or the nature
of its
business requires such qualification and authorization, except where the
failure
to be so qualified or in good standing or the failure of any such Subsidiary
to
be so organized or existing could not reasonably be expected to result in
a
Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Authorization
of Agreement, Loan Documents and Borrowing. The Borrower has the
right, power and authority and has taken all necessary corporate and other
action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
and each of the other Loan Documents in accordance with their respective
terms. This Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents have been
duly executed and delivered by the duly authorized officers of the Borrower,
and
each such document constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of
the
Borrower, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such
enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or similar state or federal debtor relief laws from time to time
in
effect which affect the enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and the
availability of equitable remedies.
(c) Compliance
of Agreement, Loan Documents and Borrowing with Laws, Etc. The
execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of the Loan Documents,
in
accordance with their respective terms, the Extensions of Credit hereunder
and
the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not, by the passage
of
time, the giving of notice or otherwise, (i) require any Governmental Approval
relating to the Borrower where the failure to obtain such Governmental Approval
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) violate
any
Applicable Law relating to the Borrower except where such violation could
not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Averse Effect, (iii) conflict with,
result in a breach of or constitute a default under the articles of
incorporation or bylaws of the Borrower, (iv) conflict with, result in a
breach
of or constitute a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument
to
which the Borrower is a party or by which any of its properties may be bound
or
any Governmental Approval relating to the Borrower, which could reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (v) result in or require the
creation or imposition of any Lien upon or with respect to any property now
owned or hereafter acquired by the Borrower or (vi) require any consent or
authorization of, filing with, or other act in respect of, an arbitrator
or
Governmental Authority and no consent of any other Person is required in
connection with the execution, delivery, performance, validity or enforceability
of this Agreement other than consents, authorizations, filings or other acts
or
consents which have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect
or
for which the failure to obtain or make could not reasonably be expected
to have
a Material Adverse Effect.
55
(d) Compliance
with Law; Governmental Approvals. Each of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries (i) has all Governmental Approvals required by any Applicable
Law
for it to conduct its business, each of which is in full force and effect,
is
final and not subject to review on appeal and is not the subject of any pending
or, to the best of its knowledge, threatened attack by direct or collateral
proceeding, (ii) is in compliance with each Governmental Approval applicable
to
it and in compliance with all other Applicable Laws (including, without
limitation, all Environmental Laws and the Act) relating to it or any of
its
respective properties and (iii) has timely filed all material reports, documents
and other materials required to be filed by it under all Applicable Laws
with
any Governmental Authority and has retained all material records and documents
required to be retained by it under Applicable Law except in each case under
this subsection (d) where the failure to have, comply, file or retain could
not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(e) Tax
Returns and Payments. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
has duly filed or caused to be filed all federal, state, local and other
tax
returns required by Applicable Law to be filed, and has paid, or made adequate
provision for the payment of, all federal, state, local and other taxes,
assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it and its property,
income,
profits and assets which are due and payable except for (i) those that are
being
diligently contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which
the
Borrower or the relevant Subsidiary shall have set aside on its books adequate
reserves in accordance with GAAP and (ii) filings, taxes and charges as to
which
the failure to make or pay could not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(f) ERISA.
(i) Except
as set forth on Schedule 6.1(f) or as could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Employee Benefit Plan is in material
compliance with all applicable provisions of ERISA and the regulations and
published interpretations thereunder except for any required amendments for
which the remedial amendment period as defined in Section 401(b) or other
applicable provision of the Code has not yet expired and except where a failure
to so comply could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(ii) As
of the Closing Date, no Pension Plan has been terminated that could reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, nor has any accumulated
funding deficiency (as defined in Section 412 of the Code) been incurred
(without regard to any waiver granted under Section 412 of the Code), nor
has
any funding waiver from the Internal Revenue Service been received or requested
with respect to any Pension Plan, nor has there been any event requiring
any
disclosure under Section 4041(c)(3)(C) or 4063(a) of ERISA with respect to
any
Pension Plan; and
(iii) Except
where the failure of any of the following representations to be correct in
all
material respects could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect, neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has: (A) engaged
in a nonexempt prohibited transaction described in Section 406 of the ERISA
or
Section 4975 of the Code, (B) incurred any liability to the PBGC which remains
outstanding other than the payment of premiums and there are no premium payments
which are due and unpaid, (C) failed to make a required contribution or payment
to a Multiemployer Plan, or (D) failed to make a required installment or
other
required payment under Section 412 of the Code.
56
(g) Margin
Stock. The Borrower is not engaged principally or as one of its
activities in the business of extending credit for the purpose of “purchasing”
or “carrying” any “margin stock” (as each such term is defined or used, directly
or indirectly, in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System). No part of the proceeds of any of the Loans or Letters of
Credit will be used in a manner which violates the provisions of Regulation
T, U
or X of such Board of Governors.
(h) Government
Regulation. The Borrower is not an “investment company” or a
company “controlled” by an “investment company” (as each such term is defined or
used in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) and the Borrower
is not,
nor after giving effect to any Extension of Credit will be, subject to
regulation under the Interstate Commerce Act, as amended, or any other
Applicable Law which limits its ability to incur the indebtedness or consummate
the transactions contemplated hereby.
(i) Financial
Statements. The (i) audited financial statements delivered
pursuant to Section 5.2(d) and (ii) unaudited financial statements
delivered pursuant to Section 5.2(d), are complete and correct in
all material respects and fairly present in all material respects on a
Consolidated basis the assets, liabilities and financial position of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at such dates, and the results of the
operations and changes of financial position for the periods then ended (other
than customary year-end adjustments for unaudited financial
statements). All such financial statements, including the related
schedules and notes thereto, have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP. Such financial statements show all material indebtedness and
other material liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including material liabilities for taxes
and material commitments, in each case, to the extent required to be disclosed
under GAAP.
(j) No
Material Adverse Change. Since December 31, 2006, there has been
no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has
had
or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except
as
disclosed in any filings made with the SEC or as otherwise disclosed to the
Administrative Agent or its Affiliates or each Lender, in each case prior
to the
date hereof.
(k) Litigation.
Except for matters existing on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule
6.1(k) or disclosed in any filings made with the SEC prior to the Closing
Date (collectively with Schedule 6.1(k), the “Disclosed Litigation
Matters”), there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending nor, to the
knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or in any other way relating
adversely to or affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof or any of
their
respective properties in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or
before or by any Governmental Authority that has had or could reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
57
(l) Absence
of Defaults. No event has occurred or is continuing which
constitutes a Default or an Event of Default.
(m) OFAC. None
of the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Affiliate of the Borrower
is in violation of and shall not violate any of the country or list based
economic and trade sanctions administered and enforced by OFAC that are
described or referenced at
xxxx://xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxx/ or as otherwise
published from time to time. The proceeds of any Loan will not be
used and have not been used to fund any operations in, finance any investments
or activities in, or make any payments to, a Sanctioned Person or a Sanctioned
Entity.
(n) Disclosure. No
financial statement, material report, material certificate or other material
information furnished (whether in writing or orally), taken together as a
whole
with all SEC filings made from time to time by the Borrower, by or on behalf
of
any of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Administrative Agent
in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation
of this
Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other
information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits
to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the
light
of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided
that, with respect to projected financial information, pro forma financial
information, estimated financial information and other projected or estimated
information, the Borrower only represents that such information was prepared
in
good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the
time.
SECTION
6.2 Survival of
Representations and Warranties, Etc. All representations and
warranties set forth in this Article VI and all representations and
warranties contained in any certificate delivered by the Borrower pursuant
hereto, or any of the Loan Documents (including, but not limited to, any
such
representation or warranty made in or in connection with any amendment thereto)
shall constitute representations and warranties made under this
Agreement. All representations and warranties made under this
Agreement shall be made or deemed to be made at and as of the Closing Date
(except those that are expressly made as of a specific date), shall survive
the
Closing Date and shall not be waived by the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, any investigation made by or on behalf of the Lenders or any
borrowing hereunder.
ARTICLE
VII
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION AND NOTICES
Until
all the Loans and accrued Obligations have been paid and satisfied in full
and
the Commitments terminated, unless consent has been obtained in the manner
set
forth in Section 13.2, the Borrower will furnish or cause to be furnished
to the Administrative Agent (and the Administrative Agent shall
promptly furnish or cause to be furnished to the Lenders) at the Administrative
Agent’s Office at the address set forth in Section 13.1, or such other
office as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to
time:
SECTION
7.1 Financial
Statements.
(a) Quarterly
Financial Statements. As soon as practicable and in any event
within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal quarter
of
each Fiscal Year, an unaudited Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries as of the close of such fiscal quarter and unaudited
Consolidated
58
statements
of income, retained earnings and cash flows and a report containing management’s
discussion and analysis of such financial statements for the fiscal quarter
then
ended and that portion of the Fiscal Year then ended, including the notes
thereto, all in reasonable detail setting forth in comparative form the
corresponding figures as of the end of and for the corresponding period
in the
preceding Fiscal Year and prepared by the Borrower in accordance with GAAP
and,
if applicable, containing disclosure of the effect on the financial position
or
results of operations of any change in the application of accounting principles
and practices during the period, and certified by the chief financial officer
of
the Borrower to present fairly in all material respects the financial condition
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis as of their
respective dates and the results of operations of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for the respective periods then ended, subject to normal year
end
adjustments. Delivery by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders of the Borrower’s quarterly report to the SEC on Form 10-Q with
respect to any fiscal quarter, or the availability of such report on XXXXX
Online, within the period specified above shall be deemed to be compliance
by
the Borrower with this Section 7.1(a).
(b) Annual
Financial Statements. As soon as practicable and in any event
within one hundred fifty (150) days after the end of each Fiscal Year, an
audited Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as
of
the close of such Fiscal Year and audited Consolidated statements of income,
retained earnings and cash flows and a report containing management’s discussion
and analysis of such financial statements for the Fiscal Year then ended,
including the notes thereto, all in reasonable detail setting forth in
comparative form the corresponding figures as of the end of and for the
preceding Fiscal Year and prepared in accordance with GAAP and, if applicable,
containing disclosure of the effect on the financial position or results
of
operations of any change in the application of accounting principles and
practices during the year. Such annual financial statements shall be
audited by an independent certified public accounting firm, and accompanied
by a
report thereon by such certified public accountants that is not qualified
with
respect to scope limitations imposed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
or with respect to accounting principles followed by the Borrower or any
of its
Subsidiaries not in accordance with GAAP. Delivery by the Borrower to
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of the Borrower’s annual report to the
SEC on Form 10-K with respect to any fiscal year, or the availability of
such
report on XXXXX Online, within the period specified above shall be deemed
to be
compliance by the Borrower with this Section 7.1(b).
SECTION
7.2 Officer’s Compliance
Certificate. At each time financial statements are delivered
pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or (b), an Officer’s Compliance
Certificate.
SECTION
7.3 Other Reports.
Promptly upon request, such other information regarding the operations, business
affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
as
the Administrative Agent or any Lender (through the Administrative Agent)
may
reasonably request.
SECTION
7.4 Notice of Litigation and
Other Matters. Promptly after a Responsible Officer of the
Borrower obtains knowledge thereof, written notice of:
59
(a) the
occurrence of any Default;
(b) the
commencement of all proceedings and investigations by or before any Governmental
Authority and all actions and proceedings in any court or before any arbitrator
against or involving the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof or any of their
respective properties, assets or businesses that could reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(c) any
announcement by S&P or any Alternative Ratings Source of any change in a
Debt Rating.
SECTION
7.5 Accuracy of
Information. All written information, reports, statements and
other papers and data furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the
Administrative Agent or any Lender whether pursuant to this Article VII
or any other provision of this Agreement, shall, at the time the same is
so
furnished and when taken together as a whole with all SEC filings made from
time
to time by the Borrower, comply with the representations and warranties set
forth in Section 6.1(n).
ARTICLE
VIII
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
Until
all of the Loans and accrued Obligations have been paid and satisfied in
full
and the Commitments terminated, unless consent has been obtained in the manner
provided for in Section 13.2, the Borrower will, and will cause each of
its Subsidiaries to:
SECTION
8.1 Preservation of Corporate
Existence and Related Matters. Except as permitted by Section
10.2, preserve and maintain its separate existence and all rights,
franchises, licenses and privileges necessary to the conduct of its business,
and qualify and remain authorized to do business in each jurisdiction in
which
it is required to do so, except, in each case (other than the existence of
the
Borrower), where the failure to comply with the foregoing could not reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
8.2 Maintenance of
Property. Protect and preserve all properties necessary in and
material to its business, including copyrights, patents, trade names, service
marks and trademarks; maintain in good working order and condition, ordinary
wear and tear excepted, all buildings, equipment and other tangible real
and
personal property; and from time to time make or cause to be made all repairs,
renewals and replacements thereof and additions to such property necessary
for
the conduct of its business, so that the business carried on in connection
therewith may be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner, except, in
each
case, for such failures that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
SECTION
8.3 Insurance. Maintain
insurance with financially sound and reputable insurance companies or, if
the
Borrower deems it consistent with prudent business practices, maintain
self-insurance, in either case, against such risks and in such amounts as
are
customarily maintained by similar businesses and as may be required by
Applicable Law (including, without limitation, hazard and business interruption
insurance), and from time to time deliver to the Administrative Agent upon
its
request information in reasonable detail as to the insurance then in effect,
stating the names of the insurance provider, the amounts and rates of the
insurance, the dates of the expiration thereof and the properties and risks
covered thereby.
60
SECTION
8.4 Accounting Methods and
Financial Records. Maintain a system of accounting, and keep
proper books, records and accounts (which shall be true and complete in all
material respects) as may be required or as may be necessary to permit the
preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and in compliance
with the regulations of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over
it
or any of its properties.
SECTION
8.5 Payment of
Taxes. Pay and perform all Taxes, assessments and other
governmental charges that may be levied or assessed upon it or any of its
property to the extent the failure to pay any such item (either individually
or
together with all other such unpaid items) could reasonably be expected to
have
a Material Adverse Effect; provided, that the Borrower or such Subsidiary
may contest any such item in good faith so long as adequate reserves are
maintained with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP.
SECTION
8.6 Compliance With Laws and
Approvals. Observe and remain in compliance in all material
respects with all Applicable Laws (including without limitation, all
Environmental Laws, ERISA and the Act) and maintain in full force and effect
all
Governmental Approvals, in each case applicable to the conduct of its business
except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
8.7 Visits and
Inspections. Permit representatives of the Administrative Agent
or, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default,
any
Lender, from time to time upon prior reasonable notice and at such times
during
normal business hours, to visit and inspect its properties; and inspect,
audit
and make extracts from its books, records and files, including, but not limited
to, management letters prepared by independent accountants; provided,
that, unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (a)
any
inspection shall be at the Administrative Agent's own expense and (b) such
inspections, visitations and/or examinations shall be limited to once during
any
calendar year.
SECTION
8.8 Use of
Proceeds. The Borrower shall use the proceeds of the Extensions
of Credit to refinance the Existing Credit Agreement and for working capital
and
general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including
the
payment of certain fees and expenses incurred in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby or by the Loan Documents.
ARTICLE
IX
FINANCIAL
COVENANTS
Until
all of the Loans and accrued Obligations have been paid and satisfied in
full
and the Commitments terminated, unless consent has been obtained in the manner
set forth in Section 13.2, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a
Consolidated basis will not:
SECTION
9.1 Leverage
Ratio. As of any fiscal quarter end, permit the Consolidated
Leverage Ratio to be greater than 3.00 to 1.00.
61
ARTICLE
X
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
Until
all of the Loans and accrued Obligations have been paid and satisfied in
full
and the Commitments terminated, unless consent has been obtained in the manner
set forth in Section 13.2, the Borrower has not and will
not:
SECTION
10.1 Limitations on
Liens. Permit the Borrower or any Material Subsidiary to create,
incur, assume or suffer to exist, any Lien on or with respect to any of its
assets or properties (including, without limitation, shares of Capital Stock
of
any other Person), real or personal, whether now owned or hereafter acquired,
as
security for Indebtedness, except:
(a) Liens
existing on any asset of any Person at the time such Person becomes a Material
Subsidiary or is merged or consolidated with or into a Material Subsidiary
which
(i) were not created in contemplation of or in connection with such event
and (ii) do not extend to or cover any other property or assets of Borrower
or
any Subsidiary;
(b) (x)
Liens not otherwise permitted by this Section and in existence on the Closing
Date and described on Schedule 10.1 and (y) other Liens existing on the
Closing Date that secure Indebtedness existing on the date hereof the aggregate
outstanding principal amount of which does not exceed $50,000,000;
(c) Liens
securing Indebtedness (a) of any Material Subsidiary owed to the Borrower,
any
Subsidiary or any Excluded Subsidiary or (b) incurred or assumed to finance
the
acquisition, construction or improvement of any asset, including, without
limitation, purchase money Liens and Liens evidencing equipment financings
and
equipment leases;
(d) cash
deposits and securities securing obligations in respect of Hedging
Agreements;
(e) any
extension, renewal or replacement of any Lien permitted by clauses (a) through
(d); provided that (i) the Liens permitted under this clause shall not (A)
secure any Indebtedness other than the Indebtedness that was secured by the
Lien
being extended, renewed or replaced (or Indebtedness extending, renewing
or
replacing such Indebtedness as permitted hereunder) and (B) be extended to
cover
any property that was not encumbered by the Lien being extended, renewed
or
replaced; and (ii) the principal amount of Indebtedness secured by the Lien
permitted by this clause shall not be increased over the principal amount
of
such Indebtedness immediately prior to such extension, renewal or
replacement;
(f) Liens
securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting an Event of
Default
under Section 11.1(m) or securing appeal or other surety bonds related to
such judgments;
(g) Liens
on assets of any Material Subsidiary that is not a Domestic
Subsidiary;
(h) Liens
or rights of set-off in favor of a bank or financial institution in respect
of a
bank account maintained with such bank or financial institution;
62
(i) Liens
granted in respect of any Permitted Securitization; and
(j) Liens
not otherwise permitted hereunder securing outstanding Indebtedness not at
any
time exceeding in the aggregate $300,000,000.
SECTION
10.2 Limitations on Mergers and
Liquidation. Merge, consolidate or enter into any similar
combination with any other Person or liquidate, wind-up or dissolve itself
(or
suffer any liquidation or dissolution) except:
(a) any
Subsidiary of the Borrower may be merged or consolidated or enter into any
similar combination with or into the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower
(provided that the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person
of any such merger, consolidation or similar combination to which it is a
party);
(b) any
Subsidiary may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of
its
assets in respect of a liquidation to the Borrower or any
Subsidiary;
(c) the
Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge, consolidate or enter
into
any similar combination with or into another Person (other than the Borrower)
in
connection with an acquisition so long as the survivor of such merger,
consolidation or similar combination is the Borrower or any such Subsidiary
thereof;
(d) any
Subsidiary of the Borrower may wind-up into the Borrower or any Subsidiary
of
the Borrower; and
(e) mergers,
consolidations or similar combinations of a Subsidiary of the Borrower with
a
third-party as part of a sale or other disposition of all or any part of
such
Subsidiary not prohibited by Section 10.3 hereof.
SECTION
10.3 Sale of All or Substantially All
Assets. Sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or
substantially all of its assets, in each case for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, unless any such sale, lease, transfer or other
disposition is made on an arms-length basis for fair consideration (as
reasonably determined by the Borrower).
SECTION
10.4 Nature of
Business. Engage, together with its Subsidiaries, in any business
as their principal lines of business, taken as a whole, other than the principal
lines of business engaged in by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken
as a
whole, on the date hereof and similar or related businesses.
63
ARTICLE
XI
DEFAULT
AND REMEDIES
SECTION
11.1 Events of
Default. Each of the following shall constitute an Event of
Default, whatever the reason for such event and whether it shall be voluntary
or
involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment
or
order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any Governmental
Authority or otherwise:
(a) Default
in Payment of Principal of Loans. The Borrower shall default in
any payment of principal of any Loan when and as due (whether at maturity,
by
reason of acceleration or otherwise).
(b) Other
Payment Default. The Borrower shall default in the payment when
and as due (whether at maturity, by reason of acceleration or otherwise)
of any
Reimbursement Obligation or interest on any Loan or Reimbursement Obligation
or
the payment of any other Obligation, and such default shall continue for
a
period of three (3) Business Days.
(c) Misrepresentation. Any
representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed
made
by or on behalf of the Borrower herein, in any other Loan Document, or in
any
document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect
or
misleading in any material respect when made or deemed made.
(d) Default
in Performance of Certain Covenants. The Borrower shall default
in the performance or observance of any covenant or agreement contained in
Section 7.1, 7.2, 7.4(a) or Article IX, and, in the
case of a default in the performance or observance of any covenant or agreement
contained in Article X, such default shall continue for a period of ten
(10) Business Days.
(e) Default
in Performance of Other Covenants and Conditions. The Borrower
shall default in the performance or observance of any term, covenant, condition
or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than as specifically provided
for otherwise in this Section) or any other Loan Document and such default
shall
continue for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice thereof has
been
given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent.
(f) Hedging
Agreement. The Borrower shall default in the performance or
observance of any terms, covenant, condition or agreement (after giving effect
to any applicable grace or cure period) under any Hedging Agreement and such
default causes the termination of such Hedging Agreement and the Termination
Value owed by the Borrower as a result thereof exceeds
$100,000,000.
(g) Indebtedness
Cross-Default; Indebtedness Cross-Acceleration. The Borrower
shall (i) fail to pay any principal or interest, regardless of
amount, due in respect of any Indebtedness (other than the Loans or any
Reimbursement Obligations) the aggregate outstanding amount of which is in
excess of $100,000,000 and such failure to pay shall continue for a period
beyond the greater of (x) any period of grace provided with respect thereto
and
(y) a period of three (3) Business Days or (ii) default in the observance
or
performance of any agreement or condition relating to any Indebtedness (other
than the Loans or any Reimbursement Obligation) the aggregate outstanding
amount
of which Indebtedness is in excess of $100,000,000 or
contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating
thereto or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of
which
default or other event or condition is to cause such Indebtedness to become
due
prior to its stated maturity (any applicable grace period having
expired).
64
(h) Change
in Control. Any Change in Control shall occur.
(i) Voluntary
Bankruptcy Proceeding. The Borrower or any Material Subsidiary
thereof shall (i) commence a voluntary case under the federal bankruptcy
laws
(as now or hereafter in effect), (ii) file a petition seeking to take advantage
of any other laws, domestic or foreign, relating to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, winding up or composition for adjustment of debts, (iii)
consent
to or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner any petition filed
against it in an involuntary case under such bankruptcy laws or other laws,
(iv)
apply for or consent to, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner,
the appointment of, or the taking of possession by, a receiver, custodian,
trustee, or liquidator of itself or of a substantial part of its property,
domestic or foreign, (v) admit in writing its inability to pay its debts
as they
become due, (vi) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors,
or
(vii) take any corporate action for the purpose of authorizing any of the
foregoing.
(j) Involuntary
Bankruptcy Proceeding. A case or other proceeding shall be
commenced against the Borrower or any Material Subsidiary thereof in any
court
of competent jurisdiction seeking (i) relief under the federal bankruptcy
laws
(as now or hereafter in effect) or under any other laws, domestic or foreign,
relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, winding up or adjustment
of
debts, or (ii) the appointment of a trustee, receiver, custodian, liquidator
or
the like for the Borrower or any Material Subsidiary thereof or for all or
any
substantial part of their respective assets, domestic or foreign, and such
case
or proceeding shall continue without dismissal or stay for a period of sixty
(60) consecutive days, or an order granting the relief requested in such
case or
proceeding (including, but not limited to, an order for relief under such
federal bankruptcy laws) shall be entered.
(k) Failure
of Agreements. Any provision of this Agreement or any provision
of any other Loan Document shall for any reason cease to be valid and binding
on
the Borrower party thereto or any such Person shall so state in
writing.
(l) Termination
Event. The occurrence of any of the following
events: (i) an accumulated funding deficiency in excess of
$100,000,000 occurs or exists, whether or not waived, with respect to any
Pension Plan, (ii) a Termination Event or (iii) Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate
as employers under one or more Multiemployer Plans makes a complete or partial
withdrawal from any such Multiemployer Plan and the plan sponsor of such
Multiemployer Plans notifies such withdrawing employer that such employer
has
incurred a withdrawal liability requiring payments in an amount exceeding
$100,000,000.
(m) Judgment. A
judgment or order for the payment of money which causes the aggregate amount,
not covered by any indemnifications under the Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Merger Agreement
or
insurance (which such coverage has not been denied in writing), of all such
judgments to exceed $100,000,000 in any Fiscal Year shall be entered against
the
Borrower by any court and such judgment or order shall continue without having
been discharged, vacated or stayed for a period of forty-five (45) consecutive
days after the entry thereof.
65
SECTION
11.2 Remedies. Upon the
occurrence of an Event of Default, with the consent of the Required Lenders,
the
Administrative Agent may, or upon the request of the Required Lenders, the
Administrative Agent shall, by notice to the Borrower:
(a) Acceleration;
Termination of Facilities. Terminate the Commitments and declare
the principal of and interest on the Loans and the Reimbursement Obligations
at
the time outstanding, and all other amounts owed to the Lenders and to the
Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents
(including, without limitation, all L/C Obligations, whether or not the
beneficiaries of the then outstanding Letters of Credit shall have presented
or
shall be entitled to present the documents required thereunder) and all other
Obligations, to be forthwith due and payable, whereupon the same shall
immediately become due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or
other
notice of any kind, all of which are expressly waived by the Borrower, anything
in this Agreement or the other Loan Documents to the contrary notwithstanding,
and terminate the Credit Facility and any right of the Borrower to request
borrowings or Letters of Credit thereunder; provided, that upon the
occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 11.1(i) or
(j), the Credit Facility shall be automatically terminated and
all
Obligations shall automatically become due and payable without presentment,
demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are expressly waived
by Borrower, anything in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document to
the
contrary notwithstanding.
(b) Letters
of Credit. With respect to all Letters of Credit with respect to
which all or a portion of the face amount remains undrawn and outstanding
at the
time of an acceleration pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the Borrower
shall
at such time deposit in a cash collateral account opened by the Administrative
Agent an amount equal to the aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount
of such
Letters of Credit. Amounts held in such cash collateral account shall
be applied by the Administrative Agent to the payment of drafts drawn under
such
Letters of Credit, and the unused portion thereof after all such Letters
of
Credit shall have expired or been fully drawn upon, if any, shall be applied
to
repay the other Obligations on a pro rata basis. After all
such Letters of Credit shall have expired or been fully drawn upon, the
Reimbursement Obligation shall have been satisfied and all other Obligations
shall have been paid in full, the balance, if any, in such cash collateral
account shall be returned to the Borrower.
(c) Rights
of Collection. Exercise on behalf of the Lenders all of its other
rights and remedies under this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and
Applicable Law, in order to satisfy all of the Borrower’s
Obligations.
SECTION
11.3 Rights and Remedies Cumulative;
Non-Waiver; etc. The enumeration of the rights and remedies of
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders set forth in this Agreement is not
intended to be exhaustive and the exercise by the Administrative Agent and
the
Lenders of any right or remedy shall not preclude the exercise of any other
rights or remedies, all of which shall be cumulative, and shall be in addition
to any other right or remedy given hereunder or under the other Loan Documents
or that may now or hereafter exist at law or in equity or by suit or
otherwise. No delay or failure to take action on the part of the
66
Administrative
Agent or any Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege shall operate
as
a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such
right,
power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the
exercise of any other right, power or privilege or shall be construed to
be a
waiver of any Event of Default. No course of dealing between
the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders or their
respective agents or employees shall be effective to change, modify or
discharge
any provision of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or to
constitute a waiver of any Event of Default.
SECTION
11.4 Judgment Currency. The
obligation of the Borrower to make payments of the principal of and interest
on
the Loans and the obligation of the Borrower to make payments of any other
amounts payable hereunder or pursuant to any other Loan Document in the currency
specified for such payment shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender,
or any recovery pursuant to any judgment, which is expressed in or converted
into any other currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery
shall
result in the actual receipt by each of the Administrative Agent and Lenders
of
the full amount of the particular currency expressed to be payable pursuant
to
the applicable Loan Document. The Administrative Agent shall, using
all amounts obtained or received from the Borrower pursuant to any such tender
or recovery in payment of principal of and interest on the Obligations, promptly
purchase the applicable currency at the most favorable spot exchange rate
for
the Borrower as determined by the Administrative Agent to be available to
it. The obligation of the Borrower to make payments in the applicable
currency shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action
solely for the purpose of recovering in the applicable currency the amount,
if
any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of
the
currency expressed to be payable pursuant to the applicable Loan
Document.
SECTION
11.5 Crediting of Payments and
Proceeds. In the event that the Borrower shall fail to pay any of
the Obligations when due and the Obligations have been accelerated pursuant
to
Section 11.2, all payments received by the Lenders upon the Obligations
and all net proceeds from the enforcement of the Obligations shall be
applied:
First,
to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities,
expenses and other amounts, including attorney fees, payable to the
Administrative Agent in its capacity as such and the Issuing Lender in its
capacity as such (ratably among the Administrative Agent and the Issuing
Lender
in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause First
payable to them);
Second,
to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities
and
other amounts (other than principal, interest and letter of credit commissions
payable under Section 3.3(a)) payable to the Lenders, including attorney
fees (ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts
described in this clause Second payable to them);
67
Third,
to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid
interest on the Loans, letter of credit commissions payable under Section
3.3(a) and Reimbursement Obligations (ratably among the Lenders in
proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third
payable to them);
Fourth,
to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal
of
the Loans and Reimbursement Obligations (ratably among the Lenders in proportion
to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by
them);
Fifth,
to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Issuing Lender, to cash
collateralize any L/C Obligations then outstanding; and
Last,
the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly
paid in
full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Applicable Law.
SECTION
11.6 Administrative Agent May File Proofs of
Claim. In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency,
liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition
or
other judicial proceeding relative to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent
(irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall
then
be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and
irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand
on
the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such
proceeding or otherwise:
(a) to
file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest
owing
and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations
that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary
or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative
Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and
their
respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the
Administrative Agent under Sections 3.3, 4.3 and 13.3) allowed in
such judicial proceeding; and
(b) to
collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on
any
such claims and to distribute the same;
and
any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other
similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by
each
Lender to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event
that
the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly
to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due
the
Administrative Agent under Sections 4.3 and 13.3.
Nothing
contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan
of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations
or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote
in
respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.
ARTICLE
XII
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
SECTION
12.1 Appointment and
Authority. Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Lender hereby
irrevocably appoints Wachovia to act on its behalf as the Administrative
Agent
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative
Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise
68
such
powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof
or
thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental
thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of
the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuing Lender, and neither
the
Borrower nor any Subsidiary thereof shall have rights as a third party
beneficiary of any of such provisions.
SECTION
12.2 Rights as a
Lender. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder
shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any
other
Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative
Agent
and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated
or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the
Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such
Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as
the
financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage
in
any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate
thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and
without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.
SECTION
12.3 Exculpatory
Provisions. The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or
obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan
Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Administrative Agent:
(a) shall
not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether
a
Default has occurred and is continuing;
(b) shall
not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary
powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby
or
by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to
exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number
or
percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in
the
other Loan Documents), provided that the Administrative Agent shall not
be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its
counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary
to
any Loan Document or Applicable Law; and
(c) shall
not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents,
have
any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose,
any
information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is
communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent
or
any of its Affiliates in any capacity.
The
Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken
by it
(i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such
other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the
Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under
the
circumstances as provided in Section 11.2 and Section 13.2)
or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final nonappealable
judgment. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have
knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default
is
given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or the Issuing
Lender.
69
The
Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain
or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in
connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the
contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder
or
thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or
observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions
set
forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the
validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement,
any
other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or
(v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article V or
elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required
to
be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
SECTION
12.4 Reliance by the Administrative
Agent. The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon,
and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request,
certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing
(including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or
other
distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent
or
otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative
Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone
and
believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur
any
liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any
condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter
of
Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender
or
the Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition
is
satisfactory to such Lender or the Issuing Lender unless the Administrative
Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the
Issuing
Lender prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of
Credit. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who
may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts
selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken
by it
in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or
experts.
SECTION
12.5 Delegation of
Duties. The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its
duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan
Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent
may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers
by or
through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions
of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties
of
the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their
respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative
Agent.
SECTION
12.6 Resignation of Administrative
Agent.
(a) The
Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the
Lenders, the Issuing Lender and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any
such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in
consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a
bank
with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with
an
office in the United States, that, in any such case (except when an Event
of
Default has occurred and is continuing) is reasonably satisfactory to the
Borrower. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the
Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30)
days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation,
then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the
70
Lenders
and the Issuing Lender, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting
the
qualifications (including the Borrower’s reasonable satisfaction, except when an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing) set forth above; provided
that
if the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that
no
qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation
shall
nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice and (i) the
retiring
Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (ii) all payments,
communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through
the
Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the
Issuing
Lender directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor
Administrative Agent as provided for above in this paragraph. Upon
the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder,
such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights,
powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative
Agent,
and the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent shall be discharged
from all
of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents
(if
not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this
paragraph). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor
Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor
unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such
successor. After the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and
Section 13.3 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring
Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties
in
respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while
the
retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative
Agent.
(b) Any
resignation by Wachovia as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section
shall
also constitute its resignation as Issuing Lender and Swingline
Lender. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as
Administrative Agent hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become
vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring
Issuing Lender and Swingline Lender, (b) the retiring Issuing Lender and
Swingline Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties
and
obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents and (c) the successor
Issuing Lender shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters
of
Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other
arrangement satisfactory to the retiring Issuing Lender to effectively assume
the obligations of the retiring Issuing Lender with respect to such Letters
of
Credit.
SECTION
12.7 Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent
and Other Lenders. Each Lender and the Issuing Lender
acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties
and
based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made
its
own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each
Lender and the Issuing Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently
and
without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any
of
their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall
from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in
taking
or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document
or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or
thereunder.
71
SECTION
12.8 No Other Duties,
etc. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the
syndication agents, documentation agents, co-agents, book manager, lead manager,
arranger, lead arranger or co-arranger listed on the cover page or signature
pages hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this
Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as
applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the Issuing Lender
hereunder.
SECTION
12.9 Resignation of Japanese Yen
Lender. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
herein, the Japanese Yen Lender may, upon thirty (30) days’ notice to the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent, resign as the Japanese Yen Lender
hereunder. In the event of any such resignation, the Borrower shall
be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders (or an Eligible Assignee) a
successor Japanese Yen Lender hereunder; provided that no failure by the
Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of the
Japanese Yen Lender. The resigning Japanese Yen Lender shall retain
all the rights of the Japanese Yen Lender provided for hereunder with respect
to
Japanese Yen Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of
such
resignation, including the right to require the Revolving Credit Lenders
to make
Revolving Credit Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Japanese
Yen
Loans pursuant to Section 2.2(b); provided that (A) no Revolving
Credit Lender shall be required to accept such appointment as successor Japanese
Yen Lender; (B) any successor Japanese Yen Lender shall be approved by the
Administrative Agent (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);
and (C) until a Revolving Credit Lender or Eligible Assignee shall have notified
the Administrative Agent and the current Japanese Yen Lender in writing that
it
has agreed to act as a successor Japanese Yen Lender, the current Japanese
Yen
Lender shall continue as Japanese Yen Lender hereunder. Upon the
acceptance of any appointment as Japanese Yen Lender hereunder by a successor,
such successor Japanese Yen Lender shall thereupon succeed to and become
vested
with all rights, powers, privileges and duties of the Japanese Yen Lender,
and
the current Japanese Yen Lender shall be discharged from its duties and
obligations in its capacity as Japanese Yen Lender without any other or further
act or deed on the part of the current Japanese Yen Lender or any other
Lender.
ARTICLE
XIII
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION
13.1 Notices.
(a) Method
of Communication. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement,
all notices and communications hereunder shall be in writing (for purposes
hereof, the term “writing” shall include information in electronic format such
as electronic mail and internet web pages). Any notice shall be
effective if delivered by hand delivery or sent via electronic mail, posting
on
an internet web page, telecopy, recognized overnight courier service or
certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall be presumed to be received
by a party hereto (i) on the date of delivery if delivered by hand or sent
by
electronic mail, posting on an internet web page, telecopy, (ii) on the next
Business Day if sent by recognized overnight courier service and (iii) on
the
third Business Day following the date sent by
72
certified
mail, return receipt requested; provided, that any notice given pursuant
to Article XI shall be effective only if delivered by hand or sent via
telecopy, recognized overnight courier service or certified mail, return
receipt
requested. A telephonic notice to the Administrative Agent as
understood by the Administrative Agent will be deemed to be the controlling
and
proper notice in the event of a discrepancy with or failure to receive
a
confirming written notice.
(b) Addresses
for Notices. Notices to any party shall be sent to it at the
following addresses, or any other address as to which all the other parties
are
notified in writing.
If
to the Borrower:
|
BlackRock,
Inc.
00
Xxxx 00xx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Managing Director and Head of Business Finance
Telephone
No.: (000) 000-0000
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
|
|
With
copies to:
|
BlackRock,
Inc.
00
Xxxx 00xx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esquire, General Counsel
Telephone
No.: (000) 000-0000
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
|
|
BlackRock,
Inc.
00
Xxxx 00xx
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Director and Treasurer
Telephone
No.: (000) 000-0000
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
|
||
73
If
to Wachovia as
Administrative
Agent:
|
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx, XX-0
000
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Syndication
Agency Services
Telephone
No.: (000) 000-0000
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
|
|
With
copies to:
|
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
000
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Will Xxxxx
Telephone
No.: (000) 000-0000
Telecopy
No.: (000) 000-0000
|
|
If
to any Lender:
|
To
the address set forth on the
Register
|
(c) Administrative
Agent’s Office. The Administrative Agent hereby designates its
office located at the address set forth above, or any subsequent office which
shall have been specified for such purpose by written notice to the Borrower
and
Lenders, as the Administrative Agent’s Office referred to herein, to which
payments due are to be made and at which Loans will be disbursed and Letters
of
Credit requested.
SECTION
13.2 Amendments, Waivers and
Consents. Except as set forth below or as specifically provided
in any Loan Document, any term, covenant, agreement or condition of this
Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents may be amended or waived by
the
Lenders, and any consent given by the Lenders, if, but only if, such amendment,
waiver or consent is in writing signed by the Required Lenders (or by the
Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) and delivered
to
the Administrative Agent and, in the case of an amendment, signed by the
Borrower; provided, that no amendment, waiver or consent
shall:
(a) extend
or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated
pursuant to Section 11.2) or the amount of Loans of any Lender without
the written consent of such Lender;
(b) postpone
any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment
of
principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of
them)
hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of
each
Lender directly affected thereby;
(c) reduce
the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or
Reimbursement Obligation, or (subject to clause (v) of the second proviso
to
this Section) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other
Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected
thereby; provided that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be
necessary to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest at the
rate
set forth in Section 4.1(c) during the continuance of an Event of
Default;
74
(d) permit
the Issuing Lender to issue any Letter of Credit that expires on a date later
than the fifth (5th) Business
Day prior
to the Maturity Date without the written consent of each Revolving Credit
Lender, unless cash-collateralized in a manner reasonably acceptable to the
Issuing Lender;
(e) change
Section 4.4, 4.6 or 11.5 in a manner that would alter the
pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without
the written consent
of each Lender;
(f) change
any provision of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any
other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required
to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any
determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent
of
each Lender; or
(h) change
the definitions of Alternative Currency or Permitted Currency without the
written consent of each Revolving Credit Lender;
provided
further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing
and signed by the Issuing Lender in addition to the Lenders required above,
affect the rights or duties of the Issuing Lender under this Agreement or
any
Letter of Credit Application relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to
be
issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing
and
signed by the Swingline Lender in addition to the Lenders required above,
affect
the rights or duties of the Swingline Lender under this Agreement; (iii)
no
amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Japanese
Yen Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or
duties of the Japanese Yen Lender under this Agreement; (iv) no amendment,
waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative
Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties
of
the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document;
and
(v) the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived,
in
a writing executed only by the parties thereto. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right
to
approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder, except
that
the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the
consent of such Lender.
In
addition, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, each
Lender
hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent on its behalf, and without its
further consent, to enter into amendments to this Agreement and the other
Loan
Documents as the Administrative Agent may reasonably deem appropriate in
order
to effectuate any increase in the Aggregate Commitment pursuant to Section
2.7, including, without limitation, amendments to permit such increases
in
the Aggregate Commitment to share ratably in the benefits of this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents and to include appropriately any Lenders under such
increases in the Aggregate Commitment in any determination of the Required
Lenders; provided that no such amendment shall adversely affect in any
material respect the rights of any Lender, in each case, without the written
consent of such Lender.
SECTION
13.3 Expenses; Indemnity.
(a) Costs
and Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates
(including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for
the
Administrative Agent) in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided
75
for
herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration
of
this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications
or
waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Issuing Lender in connection with
the
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any
demand
for payment thereunder and (iii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
incurred
by the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Lender (including the fees,
charges
and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent or the Issuing
Lender) in connection with the enforcement or protection of the rights
of the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and/or the other Lenders (A) in
connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including
their
respective rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans
made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or
negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b) Indemnification
by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative
Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the Issuing Lender, and
each
Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called
an
“Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all
losses, claims (including, without limitation, any Environmental Claims or
civil
penalties or fines assessed by OFAC), damages, liabilities and related
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees, charges
and
disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee) incurred by any Indemnitee
or
asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrower arising
out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery
of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument
contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of
their
respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of
Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any
refusal by the Issuing Lender to honor a demand for payment under a Letter
of
Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly
comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or
prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any
of
the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether
brought by a third party or by the Borrower, and regardless of whether any
Indemnitee is a party thereto, or (iv) any claim (including, without limitation,
any Environmental Claims or civil penalties or fines assessed by OFAC),
investigation, litigation or other proceeding (whether or not the Administrative
Agent or any Lender is a party thereto) and the prosecution and defense thereof,
arising out of or in any way connected with the Loans, this Agreement, any
other
Loan Document, or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or
therein
or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, including without
limitation, reasonable attorneys’ and consultants’ fees, provided that
such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent
that
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable
judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct
of
such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by the Borrower against
an Indemnitee for breach of such Indemnitee's obligations hereunder or under
any
other Loan Document, if the Borrower has obtained a final and nonappealable
judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction.
76
(c) Reimbursement
by Lenders. To the extent that the Borrower for any reason fails
to indefeasibly pay any amount required under clause (a) or (b) of this
Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof),
the Issuing Lender or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender
severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent),
the
Issuing Lender or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s
Commitment Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable
unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount,
provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim,
damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by
or
asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or the
Issuing
Lender in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the
foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or
Issuing
Lender in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the
Lenders under this clause (c) are subject to the provisions of
Section 4.7.
(d) Waiver
of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by
Applicable Law, each party hereto agrees that it shall not assert, and hereby
waives, any claim against any other party hereto, on any theory of liability,
for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct
or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of,
this
Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated
hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter
of
Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to
in clause (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use
by
unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by
it
through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission
systems
in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
(e) Payments. All
amounts due under this Section shall be payable promptly after demand
therefor.
SECTION
13.4 Right of Setoff.
(a) If
an Event of Default under Section 11.1(a), (b), (i) or
(j) shall have occurred and be continuing, each
Lender and each of their
respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time,
to
the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, to set off and apply any
and all
deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever
currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at
any
time owing by such Lender or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the
account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower
now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document
to
such Lender, 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. The rights of each Lender
and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other
rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender or
their
respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender agrees to notify the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and
application; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not
affect the validity of such setoff and application.
77
(b) Any
amount to be set-off pursuant to Section 13.4(a) shall be denominated in
Dollars and any amount denominated in an Alternative Currency shall be in
an
amount equal to the Dollar Amount of such amount at the most favorable spot
exchange rate for the Borrower as determined by the Administrative Agent
to be
available to it; provided that if at the time of any such determination no
such
spot exchange rate can reasonably be determined, the Administrative Agent
may
use any reasonable method as it deems applicable to determine such rate,
any
such determination to be conclusive absent manifest error.
(c) Each
Lender and any assignee of such Lender in accordance with Section 13.10
are hereby authorized by the Borrower to combine currencies, as deemed necessary
by such Person, in order to effect any set-off pursuant to Section
13.4(a).
SECTION
13.5 Governing Law.
(a) Governing
Law. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents, unless
expressly set forth therein, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the law of the State of New York, including Section 5-1401 and 5-1402
of
the General Obligation Law of the State of New York, without reference to
any
other conflicts or choice of law principles thereof.
(b) Submission
to Jurisdiction. The Borrower irrevocably and unconditionally
submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of
the
courts of the State of New York sitting in New York, New York and of the
United
States District Court sitting in New York, and any appellate court from any
thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for recognition or enforcement of
any
judgment, and each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally
agrees
that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard
and
determined in such New York State court or, to the fullest extent permitted
by
Applicable Law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto
agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be
conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment
or
in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement or in
any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent,
any Lender or the Issuing Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or
proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document against
the
Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(c) Waiver
of Venue. The Borrower irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to
the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, any objection that it may
now or
hereafter have to the laying of venue of any action or proceeding arising
out of
or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred
to in paragraph (b) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto
hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable
Law,
the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or
proceeding in any such court.
78
(d) Service
of Process. Each party hereto irrevocably consents to service of
process in the manner provided for notices in Section
13.1. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any
party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by Applicable
Law.
SECTION
13.6 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH
PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY
APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY
OTHER
LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER
BASED
ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO
(A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON
HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT,
IN
THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND
(B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO
ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION
13.7 Reversal of
Payments. To the extent the Borrower makes any payment to the
Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lenders or the
Administrative Agent receives any payment which payment or any part thereof
is
subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set
aside
and/or required to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party under
any
bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause, then,
to
the extent of such payment repaid, the Obligations or part thereof intended
to
be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if
such
payment had not been received by the Administrative Agent.
SECTION
13.8 Injunctive Relief; Punitive
Damages.
(a) The
Borrower recognizes that, in the event the Borrower fails to perform, observe
or
discharge any of its obligations or liabilities under this Agreement, any
remedy
of law may prove to be inadequate relief to the Lenders. Therefore, the Borrower
agrees that the Lenders, at the Lenders’ option, shall be entitled to temporary
and permanent injunctive relief in any such case without the necessity of
proving actual damages.
(b) The
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower hereby agree that no such
Person shall have a remedy of special, indirect, punitive or consequential
damages against any other party to a Loan Document and each such Person hereby
waives any right or claim to special, indirect, punitive or consequential
damages that they may now have or may arise in the future in connection with
any
Dispute, whether such Dispute is resolved through arbitration or
judicially.
SECTION
13.9 Accounting Matters. If
at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial
ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Borrower
or
the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders
and
the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement
to
preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject
to
the approval of the Required
79
Lenders);
provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall
continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein
and
(ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement
or as
reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between
calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving
effect to
such change in GAAP.
SECTION
13.10 Successors and Assigns;
Participations.
(a) Successors
and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not
assign
or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without
the
prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no
Lender
may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder
except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of
paragraph (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance
with
the provisions of paragraph (d) of this Section or (iii) by way of pledge
or
assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of paragraph
(f)
of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party
hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed
or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the
parties
hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants
to the extent provided in paragraph (d) of this Section and, to the extent
expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative
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 at any time assign to one or more
Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this
Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at
the
time owing to it); provided that
(i) except
in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning
Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an
assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, the aggregate amount
of the
Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder)
or, if
the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of
the
Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined
as of
the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is
delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the
Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date) shall not be less than
$5,000,000, unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event
of
Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consent (each
such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);
(ii) each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part
of all
the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect
to the Loans or the Commitment assigned;
(iii) any
assignment must be approved (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld)
by
the Administrative Agent, the Swingline Lender and the Issuing Lender unless
the
Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender with a Commitment
or an
Affiliate thereof (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify
as an Eligible Assignee); and
80
(iv) the
parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative
Agent
an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation
fee of
$3,500 for each assignment, and the Eligible Assignee, if it shall not be
a
Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative
Questionnaire.
Subject
to the acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant
to
paragraph (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified
in
each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be
a
party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such
Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under
this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent
of the
interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its
obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and
Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under
this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue
to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 4.10, 4.11,
4.12, 4.13 and 13.3 with respect to facts and circumstances
occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment. 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 (d) of this Section.
(c) Register. The
Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the
Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices in Charlotte, North Carolina
(or
such other office notified to the Lenders and the Borrower), a copy of each
Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation
of
the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal
amounts of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from
time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register
shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to
the
terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement,
notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be
available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender at any reasonable
time
and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(d) Participations. Any
Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower
or
the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a
natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or
Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such
Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a
portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing to it); provided that
(i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii)
such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for
the
performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative
Agent
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.
81
Any
agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation
shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this
Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision
of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide
that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree
to any
amendment, modification or waiver or modification described in the first
proviso
to Section 13.2 that directly affects such
Participant. Subject to paragraph (e) of this Section, the Borrower
agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections
4.10, 4.11, 4.12 and 4.13 to the same extent as if it
were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph
(b) of this Section. No Participant shall be entitled to the benefits
of Section 13.4.
(e) Limitations
upon Participant Rights. A Participant shall not be entitled to
receive any greater payment under Sections 4.12 and
4.13 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled
to
receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless
the
sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior
written consent. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it
were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 4.13
unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant
and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with
Section 4.13(e) as though it were a Lender.
(f) Certain
Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security
interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure
obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or
assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that
no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its
obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such
Lender
as a party hereto.
SECTION
13.11 Confidentiality. Each of the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality
of
the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed
(a)
to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective directors, officers,
employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors
(it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will
be
informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to
keep
such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by, or required
to
be disclosed to, any rating agency, or regulatory or similar authority
(including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association
of
Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by Applicable Laws or
regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other
party
hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies under this Agreement
or under any other Loan Document (or any Hedging Agreement with a Lender
or the
Administrative Agent) or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement
or
any other Loan Document (or any Hedging Agreement with a Lender or the
Administrative Agent) or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder,
(f)
subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those
of
this Section, to any purchasing Lender, proposed purchasing Lender, Participant
or proposed Participant, (g) with the consent of the Borrower, (h) to Gold
Sheets and other similar bank trade publications, such information to
consist of deal terms and other information customarily found in such
publications, or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly
available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes
available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential
basis
from a source other than the Borrower or
82
(j)
to governmental regulatory authorities in connection with any regulatory
examination of the Administrative Agent or any Lender or in accordance
with the
Administrative Agent’s or any Lender’s regulatory compliance policy if the
Administrative Agent or such Lender deems necessary for the mitigation
of claims
by those authorities against the Administrative Agent or such Lender or
any of
its subsidiaries or affiliates. For purposes of this Section,
“Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating
to the Borrower, its Subsidiaries, the Excluded Subsidiaries, the Existing
Shareholders or any of their respective Affiliates or any of their respective
businesses, other than any such information that is available to the
Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to
disclosure by the Borrower. 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.
SECTION
13.12 Performance of Duties. The
Borrower’s obligations under this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents
shall be performed by the Borrower at its sole cost and expense.
SECTION
13.13 All Powers Coupled with
Interest. All powers of attorney and other authorizations granted
to the Lenders, the Administrative Agent and any Persons designated by the
Administrative Agent or any Lender pursuant to any provisions of this Agreement
or any of the other Loan Documents shall be deemed coupled with an interest
and
shall be irrevocable so long as any of the Obligations remain unpaid or
unsatisfied, any of the Commitments remain in effect or the Credit Facility
has
not been terminated.
SECTION
13.14 Survival of
Indemnities. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement,
the indemnities to which the Administrative Agent and the Lenders are entitled
under the provisions of this Article XIII and any other provision of this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall continue in full force and effect
and shall protect the Administrative Agent and the Lenders against events
arising after such termination as well as before.
SECTION
13.15 Titles and Captions. Titles and
captions of Articles, Sections and subsections in, and the table of contents
of,
this Agreement are for convenience only, and neither limit nor amplify the
provisions of this Agreement.
SECTION
13.16 Severability of Provisions. Any
provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document which is prohibited
or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective
only to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating
the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions hereof or thereof
or
affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other
jurisdiction.
SECTION
13.17 Counterparts. This Agreement may
be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in
separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to
be an
original and shall be binding upon all parties, their successors and assigns,
and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
agreement.
83
SECTION
13.18 Integration. This Agreement,
together with the other Loan Documents, comprises the complete and integrated
agreement of the parties on the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes
all prior agreements, written or oral, on such subject matter. In the
event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and those
of any
other Loan Document, the provisions of this Agreement shall control;
provided that the inclusion of supplemental rights or remedies in favor
of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in any other Loan Document shall
not
be deemed a conflict with this Agreement. Each Loan Document was
drafted with the joint participation of the respective parties thereto and
shall
be construed neither against nor in favor of any party, but rather in accordance
with the fair meaning thereof.
SECTION
13.19 Term of Agreement. This Agreement
shall remain in effect from the Closing Date through and including the date
upon
which all Obligations arising hereunder or under any other Loan Document
shall
have been indefeasibly and irrevocably paid and satisfied in full and all
Commitments have been terminated. No termination of this Agreement
shall affect the rights and obligations of the parties hereto arising prior
to
such termination or in respect of any provision of this Agreement which survives
such termination.
SECTION
13.20 Advice of Counsel, No Strict
Construction. Each of the parties represents to each other party
hereto that it has discussed this Agreement with its counsel. The
parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting
of this
Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or
interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly
by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring
or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of
this
Agreement.
SECTION
13.21 USA Patriot Act. The
Administrative Agent and each Lender hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant
to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed
into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify
and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes
the name and address of each Borrower and other information that will allow
such
Lender to identify such Borrower in accordance with the Act.
SECTION
13.22 Inconsistencies with Other Documents;
Independent Effect of Covenants.
(a) In
the event there is a conflict or inconsistency between this Agreement and
any
other Loan Document, the terms of this Agreement shall control; provided
that, other than for purposes of Article XI, any provision of the other
Loan Documents which imposes additional burdens on the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries or further restricts the rights of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries
or gives the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or the Lenders additional
rights shall not be deemed to be in conflict or inconsistent with this Agreement
and shall be given full force and effect.
(b) The
Borrower expressly acknowledges and agrees that each covenant contained in
Article VIII, IX, or X hereof shall be given independent
effect. Accordingly, the Borrower shall not engage in any transaction
or other act otherwise permitted under any covenant contained in Article
VIII, IX, or X if, before or after giving effect to such
transaction or act, the Borrower shall or would be in breach of any other
covenant contained in Article VIII, IX, or X.
[Signature
pages to follow]
84
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
under seal by their duly authorized officers, all as of the day and year
first
written above.
BLACKROCK,
INC., as Borrower
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Title:
|
Managing Director and Head of Business Finance |
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Administrative Agent, Swingline Lender, Issuing Lender and
Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Title:
|
Director |
CITIBANK,
N.A., as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx Xxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxx Xxxx | ||
Title:
|
Managing Director |
SUMITOMO
MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION, as Japanese Yen
Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxx X. Xxxx | ||
Title:
|
Senior Vice President |
HSBC
BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Senior Vice President |
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Vice President |
XXXXXX
XXXXXXX BANK, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Authorized Signatory |
UBS
LOAN FINANCE LLC, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Associate Director Banking Product Services, US |
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Associate Director Banking Product Services, US |
ABN
AMRO BANK N.V., as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx XxXxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx
XxXxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Vice President |
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Managing Director |
BANK
OF AMERICA N.A., as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Vice President |
CREDIT
SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Director |
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Assistant Vice President |
DEUTSCHE
BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Director |
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx Campitos | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx
Campitos
|
||
Title:
|
Vice President |
XXXXXX
COMMERICIAL PAPER INC., as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Authorized Signatory |
GREENWICH
CAPITAL MARKETS, INC., as agent for THE ROYAL BANK OF
SCOTLAND plc, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Vice President |
STREET
STATE BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Vice President |
SUMITOMO
MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION, as Lender
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx | ||
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
|
||
Title:
|
Senior Vice President |