TOP SHIPS INC.,
EXHIBIT 4.77
EXECUTION
VERSION
Dated as
of April 24, 0000
XXXXX
II SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED,
as
Borrower,
as
Guarantor,
THE
BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS NAMED HEREIN,
as
Lenders,
DVB
BANK AG,
as Swap
Bank,
and
DVB
BANK AMERICA N.V.,
as Agent
and Security Trustee
_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Relating
to a Senior Secured Term Loan Facility of up to $48,000,000
XXXXXX,
XXXXXX & XXXXXXXX (NEW YORK) LLP
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
INDEX
Clause
|
Page
|
1
|
INTERPRETATION
|
1
|
2
|
FACILITY
|
19
|
3
|
DRAWDOWN
|
19
|
4
|
INTEREST
|
21
|
5
|
INTEREST
PERIODS
|
22
|
6
|
DEFAULT
INTEREST
|
23
|
7
|
REPAYMENT
AND PREPAYMENT
|
24
|
8
|
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
|
27
|
9
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
00
|
00
|
XXXXXXXXX
|
00
|
00
|
GUARANTY
|
41
|
12
|
PAYMENTS
AND CALCULATIONS
|
43
|
13
|
APPLICATION
OF RECEIPTS
|
45
|
14
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
|
47
|
15
|
FEES
AND EXPENSES
|
50
|
16
|
INDEMNITIES
|
51
|
17
|
NO
SET-OFF OR TAX DEDUCTION
|
54
|
18
|
ILLEGALITY
|
55
|
19
|
ASSIGNMENTS
AND PARTICIPATIONS; CHANGES IN LENDING OFFICE
|
58
|
20
|
VARIATIONS,
WAIVERS, ETC.
|
59
|
21
|
NOTICES
|
60
|
22
|
SUBORDINATION
|
61
|
23
|
SUPPLEMENTAL
|
61
|
24
|
THE
AGENT AND THE SECURITY TRUSTEE
|
62
|
25
|
LAW
AND JURISDICTION
|
65
|
26
|
PATRIOT
ACT
|
66
|
27
|
WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL
|
67
|
SCHEDULE
1
|
INITIAL
LENDERS AND COMMITMENTS
|
SCHEDULE
2
|
IRREVOCABLE
DRAWDOWN NOTICE
|
SCHEDULE
3
|
CONDITION
PRECEDENT DOCUMENTS
|
i
APPENDIX
A
|
FORM
OF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
|
APPENDIX
B
|
FORM
OF EARNINGS ASSIGNMENT
|
APPENDIX
C
|
FORM
OF INSURANCE ASSIGNMENT
|
APPENDIX
D
|
FORM
OF CHARTER ASSIGNMENT
|
APPENDIX
E
|
FORM
OF MANAGER’S UNDERTAKING
|
APPENDIX
F
|
FORM
OF MORTGAGE
|
APPENDIX
G
|
FORM
OF NOTE
|
APPENDIX
H
|
FORM
OF ASSIGNMENT AND ACCEPTANCE
|
ii
THIS LOAN
AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of
April 24, 2008
AMONG
(1)
|
JAPAN
II SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED, a Liberian corporation (the “Borrower”);
|
(2) TOP
SHIPS INC., a Xxxxxxxx Islands corporation (the “Guarantor”);
(3)
|
THE
BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS LISTED ON THE SIGNATURE PAGES HEREOF
(each, an “Initial
Lender”);
|
(4)
|
DVB
BANK AG, acting through its office at Xxxxxxxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx 0-00, 00000
Xxxxxxxxx xx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx, as Swap Bank (together with its successors and
permitted assigns, the “Swap Bank”);
and
|
(5)
|
DVB
BANK AMERICA N.V., with offices at Zeelandia Office Park, Kaya W.F.G.
Xxxxxxx 14, X.X. Xxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx Antilles, as Agent
(together with its successors and permitted assigns, the “Agent”) and Security
Trustee (together with its successors and permitted assigns, the “Security
Trustee”).
|
WHEREAS, the Lenders have
agreed to make available to the Borrower on the terms and conditions set forth
herein a senior secured term loan facility in the aggregate principal amount of
up to $48,000,000 for the purpose of partially financing the purchase of the
Ship; and
WHEREAS, the Borrower may
request the Swap Bank to enter into swap agreements with the Borrower on the
2002 ISDA form, as amended, to hedge the Borrower’s exposure to interest rate
fluctuations under this Agreement.
IT IS AGREED as
follows:
1
|
INTERPRETATION
|
1.1
|
Definitions. Subject
to Clause 1.5, in this Agreement and the other Finance
Documents:
|
“Actual Drawdown Date” means,
in respect of the Advance of all of the Loan available under this Agreement, the
date on which that Advance is actually made;
“Advance” means the advance by
the Lenders of all of the Loan available under this Agreement;
“Affected Lender” has the
meaning given such term in Clause 4.5;
“Affiliate” means, as to any
person, any other person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled
by or is under common control with such person or is a director or officer of
such person, and for purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including the terms
“controlling”, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) of
a person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to vote 50% or
more of the voting stock of such person or to direct or cause direction of the
management and policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting
stock, by contract or otherwise;
1
“Agent” has the meaning given
such term in the introduction hereof;
“Agreement” has the meaning
given such term in the introduction hereof;
“Approved Charter” means
(a) any time charter entered into from time to time by the Borrower or any
charterer with respect to the Ship; provided that such time
charter does not have, and does not contain any extension or renewal provisions
enabling it to have, a duration of more than 13 months and is otherwise in form
and substance acceptable to the Agent; or (b) any bareboat charter entered
into from time to time by the Borrower or any charterer; provided that written consent
of the Majority Lenders is obtained prior to entering into such bareboat
charter; (c) the Initial Approved Charter; or (d) any Option B
Time Charter;
“Approved Charterer” means
(a) in the case of the charterer pursuant to the Initial Approved Charter,
Armada (Singapore) Pte Ltd., or (b) in each other case, any charterer or
subcharterer of the Ship, and each other person entitled to the possession or to
direct the use of the Ship and claiming by, through or under the Borrower or
other charterer of the Ship, that shall not be an Affiliate of either Obligor
and shall be otherwise acceptable to the Agent;
“Approved Flag” means Liberian
flag or such other flag acceptable to the Majority Lenders, such consent not to
be unreasonably withheld;
“Approved Manager” means any of
(a) Top Tanker Management Inc., but if Top Tanker Management shall
subcontract any management services in relation to the Ship to any person, such
person shall be an Approved Technical Submanager and such subcontract shall have
been approved by the Agent; (b) V.Ships Management Limited, (c) GI
Ship Management or (d) any other manager as the may be approved from time
to time in writing by the Agent;
“Approved Technical Submanager”
means any of (a) V.Ships Management Limited, (b) GI Ship Management
and (c) any other technical ship management company approved from time to
time by the Agent, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld;
“Assignment and Acceptance”
means an assignment and acceptance entered into by a Lender and an assignee of
such Lender, and accepted by the Agent, in substantially the form of
Appendix H;
“Availability Period” means the
period commencing on and including the Effective Date and ending on and
including May 15, 2008;
“Broker” means an experienced
independent sale and purchase broker selected by the Agent and acceptable to the
Majority Lenders for the purpose of valuing the Ship, at the expense of the
Borrower, and who shall act as an expert and not as arbitrator and whose
valuation shall be conclusive and binding on all parties to this
Agreement;
“Borrower” has the meaning
given such term in the introduction hereof;
“Business Day” means a day on
which dealings are carried out in the London Interbank Market and that is also a
day on which commercial banks are not authorized or required to close in Athens,
Greece; Piraeus, Greece; New York, New York; Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles; or
Frankfurt, Germany;
2
“Charter Assignment” means an
assignment of each charter with respect to the Ship in the form set out in
Appendix D;
“Classification Society” means
Bureau Veritas or such other classification society as may be approved from time
to time in writing by the Agent with the consent of the Majority Lenders, such
consent not to be unreasonably withheld;
“Collateral” means all property
(including any proceeds thereof) referred to in the Finance Documents that is or
is intended to be subject to any lien in favor of the Security Trustee, for the
benefit of the Lenders and the Swap Bank, securing the obligations of the
Borrower or the Guarantor under this Agreement or any other Finance
Documents;
“Commitment” means, with
respect to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on
Schedule 1 or, if such Lender has entered into an Assignment and
Acceptance, set forth for such Lender in the Register, in each case as such may
be reduced in accordance with this Agreement;
“Compliance Certificate” means
the certificate executed by the Guarantor’s chief financial officer in the form
set out in Appendix A;
“Confirmation” has the meaning
given such term in the Master Agreement;
“Consent and Agreement” means
each consent and agreement executed and delivered by a charterer pursuant to any
Charter Assignment;
“Contractual Currency” has the
meaning given such term in Clause 1.1;
“Credit Parties” means the
Lenders, the Agent, the Security Trustee and the Swap Bank;
“Designated Transaction” means
a Transaction which fulfills the following requirements:
|
(a)
|
it
is entered into by the Borrower and the Swap Bank pursuant to the Master
Agreement;
|
|
(b)
|
its
purpose is to hedge the Borrower’s exposure under this Agreement to
fluctuations in the interest rate arising from the funding of the Advance;
and
|
|
(c)
|
the
notional principal amount of such Transaction, together with all other
continuing Designated Transactions, does not and in the future (taking
into account the scheduled amortization thereof) will not exceed the
aggregate amount of the Loan scheduled to be outstanding from time to
time;
|
“Dollars” and “$” means the lawful currency
of the United States of America from time to time;
“Drawdown Notice” means a
notice in the form set out in Schedule 2 hereto (or in any other form which the
Agent approves or reasonably requires);
“Earnings” means all moneys
whatsoever that are now, or later become, payable (actually or contingently) to
the Borrower and that arise out of the use or operation of the Ship,
including:
3
|
(a)
|
all
freight, hire and passage moneys, compensation payable to the Borrower in
the event of requisition of the Ship for hire, remuneration for salvage
and towage services, demurrage and detention moneys and damages for breach
(or payments for variation or termination) of any charterparty or other
contract for the employment of the
Ship;
|
|
(b)
|
all
moneys that are at any time payable under Insurances in respect of loss of
earnings; and
|
|
(c)
|
if
and whenever the Ship is employed on terms whereby any moneys falling
within paragraph (a) or (b) above are pooled or shared with any other
person, that proportion of the net receipts of the relevant pooling or
sharing arrangement that is attributable to the
Ship;
|
“Earnings Assignment” means an
assignment of the Earnings and any Requisition Compensation in the form set out
in Appendix B;
“Effective Date” means the date
of this Agreement;
“Eligible Assignee”
means:
|
(a)
|
any
commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States, or any
State thereof, and having total assets in excess of
$1,000,000,000;
|
|
(b)
|
any
commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country that is a
member of the OECD or has concluded special lending arrangements with the
International Monetary Fund Associated with its General Arrangements to
Borrow, or a political subdivision of any such country, and having total
assets in excess of $1,000,000,000, so long as such bank is acting through
a branch or agency located in the United States or in the country in which
it is organized or another country that is described in this
paragraph (b);
|
(c) the
central bank of any country that is a member of the OECD;
|
(d)
|
any
finance company, insurance company or other financial institution or fund
(whether a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity) that (i) is
not affiliated with the Borrower, (ii) is engaged in making, purchasing or
otherwise investing in commercial loans in the ordinary course of its
business and (iii) has total assets in excess of $1,000,000,000;
and
|
|
(e)
|
any
other person (other than an Affiliate of the Borrower or the Guarantor)
approved by the Agent and the Borrower and having assets in excess of
$1,000,000,000, such approval not to be unreasonably
withheld;
|
“Environmental Law” means any
law relating to pollution or protection of the environment, to the carriage of
Environmentally Sensitive Material or to actual or threatened releases of
Environmentally Sensitive Material;
“Environmental Permit” means
any permit, approval, identification number, license or other authorization
required under any Environmental Law;
4
“Environmentally Sensitive
Material” means oil, oil products and any other substance (including any
chemical, gas or other hazardous or noxious substance) that is (or is capable of
being or becoming) polluting, toxic or hazardous;
“Estate” has the meaning given
such term in Clause 24.1;
“Event of Default” means any of
the events or circumstances described in Clause 14.1;
“Expected Drawdown Date” means,
in respect of the Advance, the date requested by the Borrower in the Drawdown
Notice for such Advance to be made, but in no event later than May 15,
2008;
“Fair Market Value” means the
market value of the Ship determined by the Broker, with or without a physical
inspection of the Ship, on the basis of a sale for prompt delivery, for cash, at
arm’s length, on normal commercial terms as between a willing seller and a
willing buyer and free of any charter or other contract of employment and with
no value to be given to any pooling arrangements;
“Finance Document” means each
of:
(a) this
Agreement;
(b) the
Notes;
(c) the
Master Agreement;
(d) the
Manager’s Undertakings;
(e) the
Consents and Agreements; and
(f) the
Security Documents;
“Financial Indebtedness” means,
in relation to any person, a liability of such person:
|
(a)
|
for
principal, interest or any other sum payable in respect of any moneys
borrowed or raised by such person;
|
|
(b)
|
under
any bond, note or other security issued by such
person;
|
|
(c)
|
under
any acceptance credit, guarantee or letter of credit facility made
available to such person;
|
|
(d)
|
under
a financial lease, a deferred purchase consideration arrangement or any
other agreement having the commercial effect of a borrowing or raising of
money by such person;
|
|
(e)
|
under
any interest or currency swap or any other kind of derivative transaction
entered into by such person or, if the agreement under which any such
transaction is entered into requires netting of mutual liabilities, the
liability of such person for the net amount;
or
|
5
|
(f)
|
under
a guarantee, indemnity or similar obligation entered into by such person
in respect of a liability of another person which would fall within any of
paragraphs (a) through (e) above, inclusive, if the references to such
person referred to such other
person;
|
“First Repayment Date” means
the date which is three months after the Actual Drawdown Date;
“Group” means, together, the
Guarantor and its subsidiaries and “member of the Group” means any
of them;
“Guaranteed Obligations” has
the meaning given such term in Clause 11.1;
“Guarantor” has the meaning
given such term in the introduction hereof;
“Guaranty” has the meaning
given such term in Clause 11.1;
“Initial Aggregate Commitment”
has the meaning given such term in Clause 2.1;
“Initial Approved Charter”
means the time charter party entered or to be entered into between the Borrower
and Armada (Singapore) Pte Ltd. with respect to the Vessel as described in the
recap dated March 14, 2008, having a term between eleven and fourteen
months and otherwise in form and substance acceptable to the Agent;
“Initial Lender” has the
meaning given such term in the introduction hereof;
“Insurances”
means:
|
(a)
|
all
policies and contracts of insurance, including entries of the Ship in any
protection and indemnity or war risks association, that are effected in
respect of the Ship, her Earnings or otherwise in relation to her;
and
|
|
(b)
|
all
rights and other assets relating to, or derived from, any of the
foregoing, including any rights to a return of a
premium;
|
“Insurance Assignment” means an
assignment of the Insurances in the form set out in Appendix C;
“Interest Period” means a
period determined in accordance with Clause 5;
“ISM Code” means in relation to
its application to the Borrower, the Approved Manager (technical), any Approved
Technical Submanager, the Ship and its operation:
|
(a)
|
the
International Safety Management Code (including the guidelines on its
implementation) adopted by the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) as
Resolution A.741(18) and Resolution A.913(22) (superseding
Resolution A.788(19)) (and the terms “safety management
system”, “Safety
Management Certificate” and “Document of Compliance”
have the same meanings as are given to them in the ISM Code);
and
|
6
|
(b)
|
all
further resolutions, circulars, codes, guidelines, regulations and
recommendations which are now or in the future issued by or on behalf of
the IMO or any other entity with responsibility for implementing the ISM
Code;
|
as the
same may be amended, supplemented or replaced from time to time;
“ISM Code Documentation”
includes:
|
(a)
|
the
Document of Compliance and Safety Management Certificate issued pursuant
to the ISM Code in relation to the Ship within the periods specified by
the ISM Code;
|
|
(b)
|
all
other documents and data that are relevant to the safety management system
and its implementation and verification that the Agent may require;
and
|
|
(c)
|
all
other documents that are prepared or that are otherwise relevant to
establish and maintain the Ship’s compliance or the compliance of the
Borrower, the Approved Manager (technical) or any Approved Technical
Submanager with the ISM Code that the Agent may
require;
|
“ISM Responsible Person”
means:
|
(a)
|
each
and every person who has assumed responsibility for the operation of the
Ship and has agreed to take over or is required to assume responsibility
for the performance or observance of the duties and responsibilities
imposed by the ISM Code; and
|
|
(b)
|
each
and every person ashore who is a ‘designated person’ for the purposes of
the ISM Code with direct access to the highest level of management of the
Ship’s owner or operator and who, in that capacity, has under the ISM Code
responsibility and authority which
includes:
|
|
(i)
|
monitoring
the safety and pollution prevention aspects of the operation of the Ship;
and
|
|
(ii)
|
ensuring
that adequate resources and shore based support are supplied, as required,
in each case, under the ISM Code;
|
“ISPS Code” means, in relation
to its application to the Borrower, the Approved Manager (technical), any
Approved Technical Submanager, the Ship and its operation, the International
Ship and Port Facility Security Code constituted pursuant to
resolution A.924(22) of the IMO adopted by a Diplomatic Conference of the
IMO on Maritime Security on 13 December 2002 and now set out in
Chapter XI-2 of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) 1974 (as
amended);
“Junior Amending and Restating
Agreement” means the Amending and Restating Agreement, dated
December 21, 2007, among (i) Jeke Shipping Company Limited, Noir
Shipping S.A., Amalfi Shipping Company Limited, as joint and several borrowers,
(ii) Top Ships Inc. and the Borrower, as security parties, (ii) the
lenders defined therein, and (iv) DVB Bank America N.V. as agent and Junior
Security Trustee.
7
“Junior Assignment” means a
second priority general assignment in form and substance acceptable to the Agent
and to be executed and delivered by the Borrower in favor of the Junior Security
Trustee to grant to the Junior Security Trustee, among other things, a
second-priority security interest in the earnings and insurances related to the
Ship as security for certain obligations related to the Junior Loan
Agreement;
“Junior Guarantee” means the
Guarantee, dated December 21, 2007, between the Borrower and the Junior
Security Trustee;
“Junior Loan Agreement” means
the Loan Agreement, dated November 8, 2007, as amended by letter agreements
dated November 9, 2007 and November 29, 2007, amended and restated
pursuant to the Junior Amending and Restating Agreement, among (i) Jeke
Shipping Company Limited, Noir Shipping Company S.A. and Amalfi Shipping Company
Limited, as joint and several borrowers, (ii) the lenders defined therein,
and (iii) DVB Bank America N.V. as agent and security trustee, pursuant to
which the lenders defined therein agreed to make available to Jeke Shipping
Company Limited, Noir Shipping Company S.A. and Amalfi Shipping Company Limited
a secured bridge loan facility in the principal amount of up to $35,000,000 for
the purpose of, among other things, assisting them with the financing the M/V’s
OCEAN SPIRIT and SALMAS;
“Junior Loan Document” means
each of the Junior Amending and Restating Agreement, the Junior Guarantee and
the Junior Security Documents;
“Junior MOA Assignment” means
the MOA Assignment, dated November 29, 2007, between the Borrower and the
Junior Security Trustee;
“Junior Mortgage” means a
second preferred Liberian mortgage in form and substance satisfactory to the
Agent to be granted by the Borrower to the Junior Security Trustee on the Ship
as security for certain obligations related to the Junior Loan
Agreement;
“Junior Security Trustee” means
the “Security Trustee” as such term is defined in the Junior Loan
Agreement;
“Junior Security Document”
means each of the Junior Assignment, the Junior MOA Assignment and the Junior
Mortgage;
“Lender” means each Initial
Lender and each person that shall become a party hereto pursuant to
Clause 19.2;
“Lending Office” means, with
respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its “Lending
Office” under its name on Schedule 1 or in the Assignment and Acceptance
pursuant to which it shall have become a Lender, or such other office of such
Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrower and the
Agent;
“LIBOR” means, for an Interest
Period:
|
(a)
|
the
rate per annum equal to the offered quotation for deposits in Dollars for
a period equal to, or as near as possible equal to, the relevant Interest
Period which appears on Reuters BBA Page LIBOR 01 at or about 11.00 a.m.
(London time) on the Quotation Date for that Interest Period (and, for the
purposes of this Agreement, “BBA Page
|
8
|
|
LIBOR
01” means that
Reuters’ page or such other page as may replace that page on that service
for the purpose of displaying rates comparable to that rate or on such
other service as may be nominated by the British Bankers’ Association as
the information vendor for the purpose of displaying British Bankers’
Association Interest Settlement Rates for Dollars) provided
that should there be a discrepancy between the rate
appearing on BBA Page LIBOR 01 mentioned above and the actual rate at
which deposits in Dollars are offered by leading banks in the London
Interbank Market the “actual” rate (determined in its absolute discretion,
acting reasonably) available to the Agent shall be the rate used in
determining LIBOR;
or
|
|
(b)
|
if
no rate is quoted on BBA Page LIBOR 01, the rate per annum determined by
the Agent to be the arithmetic mean (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the
nearest one-sixteenth of one percent) of the rates per annum notified to
the Agent by each Reference Bank as the rate at which deposits in Dollars
are offered to that Reference Bank by leading banks in the London
Interbank Market at that Reference Bank’s request at or about 11:00 a.m.
(London time) on the Quotation Date for that Interest Period for a period
equal to that Interest Period and for delivery on the first Business Day
of it;
|
“Loan” means the principal
amount for the time being outstanding under this Agreement;
“Major Casualty” means any
casualty to the Ship in respect of which the claim or the aggregate of the
claims against all insurers, before adjustment for any relevant franchise or
deductible, exceeds $750,000 or the equivalent in any other
currency;
“Majority Lenders” means, at
any time, Lenders holding at least 67% of the then aggregate outstanding
principal amount of the Loan or, if no such principal amount is then
outstanding, Lenders having at least 67% of the aggregate amount of the
Commitments then effect;
“Manager’s Undertaking” means
the letter executed or to be executed by the Approved Manager or the Approved
Technical Submanager, if any, of the Ship, in each case in the form set out in
Appendix E;
“Margin” means 1.75 percent per
annum for the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on, but not
including, the first anniversary of the Actual Drawdown Date, and 1.50 percent
per annum thereafter;
“Margin Stock” has the meaning
specified in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System and any successor regulations thereto as in effect from time to
time;
“Master Agreement” means the
Master Agreement (on the 2002 ISDA Master Agreement form) between the Borrower
and the Swap Bank, pursuant to which the Borrower may enter into certain
Transactions pursuant to separate Confirmations providing for, among other
things, the payment of certain amounts by the Borrower to the Swap Bank to hedge
the Borrower’s exposure to interest rate fluctuations under this
Agreement;
“Maturity Date” means the fifth
anniversary of the Actual Drawdown Date;
9
“Memorandum of Agreement” means
the Memorandum of Agreement, dated August 7, 2007, and Addendum No. 1
thereto dated August 14, 2007, Addendum No. 2 thereto dated
January 30, 2008, and Addendum No. 3 thereto, in each case among
Nisshin Shipping Co., Ltd. and Ratu Shipping Co., S.A., as sellers, and the
Borrower, as buyer, relating to the Ship;
“Mortgage” means the first
preferred mortgage on the Ship in the form set out in
Appendix F;
“Negotiation Period” has the
meaning given such term in Clause 4.7;
“Note” means, if requested by a
Lender, a promissory note of the Borrower, substantially in the form of
Appendix G, payable to the order of such Lender and evidencing the
aggregate indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender under this
Agreement;
“Obligor” means each of the
Borrower and the Guarantors;
“OFAC” has the meaning given
such term in Clause 9.16;
“Option B” has the meaning
given such term in Clause 7.1;
“Option B Time Charter” has the meaning given
such term in Clause 7.1;
“Outstanding Indebtedness”
means the aggregate of all sums of money at any time and from time to time owing
by the Borrower to the Lenders under or pursuant to this Agreement and the other
Finance Documents (or any of them), including any and all amounts owed under
Clause 15 of this Agreement;
“PATRIOT Act” has the meaning
given such term in Clause 8.1;
“Payment Currency” has the
meaning given such term in Clause 16.5;
“Pertinent Jurisdiction” means,
in relation to a company:
(a) the
country under the laws of which the company is incorporated or
formed;
|
(b)
|
a
country in which the company’s central management and control is or has
recently been exercised;
|
|
(c)
|
a
country in which the overall net income of the company is subject to
corporation tax, income tax or any similar
tax;
|
|
(d)
|
a
country in which assets of the company (other than securities issued by,
or loans to, related companies) having a substantial value are situated,
in which the company maintains a permanent place of business, or in which
a Security Interest created by the company must or should be registered to
ensure its validity or priority;
|
|
(e)
|
a
country the courts of which have jurisdiction to make a winding-up,
administration or similar order in relation to the company or would have
such jurisdiction if their assistance were requested by the courts of a
country referred to in paragraph (b) or (c) of this definition;
and
|
10
|
(f)
|
any
political subdivision of any of the
foregoing;
|
“Potential Event of Default”
means an event or circumstance that, with the giving of any notice, the lapse of
time, a determination of the Majority Lenders or the satisfaction of any other
condition, would constitute an Event of Default;
“Principal Subsidiary” means,
in respect of the Borrower and the Guarantor, a subsidiary of the Borrower or
the Guarantor, as the case may be, whose total assets represent not less than
10% of the consolidated total assets of the Borrower or the Guarantor, as the
case may be, as calculated by reference to the most recent audited annual
financial statements of each of such subsidiary and the Borrower or the
Guarantor, as the case may be;
“Quotation Date” means, in
relation to any Interest Period (or any other period for which an interest rate
is to be determined under any provision of a Finance Document), two Business
Days before the first day of that period, unless market practice differs in the
Relevant Interbank Market for the currency of the Loan, in which case the
Quotation Date for that currency will be determined by the Agent in accordance
with market practice in the Relevant Interbank Market (and if quotations would
normally be given by leading banks in the Relevant Interbank Market on more than
one day, the Quotation Date will be the last of those days);
“Ratable Portion” means, as to
any Lender at any time, a fraction (expressed as a percentage) the numerator of
which is the Commitment of such Lender at such time and the denominator of which
is the sum of all Commitments at such time; provided that if the Ratable
Portion of any Lender is to be determined after the total Commitment has been
terminated, then the percentages of the Lenders shall be determined immediately
prior (and without giving effect) to such termination;
“Reference Banks” means, for
purposes of LIBOR, the reference banks chosen from time to time by the British
Bankers’ Association;
“Register” has the meaning
given such term in Clause 19.2(c);
“Relevant Interbank Market”
means the London interbank market;
“Relevant Ships” has the
meaning given such term in the definition of “Total Market Value Adjusted
Assets” in Clause 1.2;
“Repayment Date” means a date
on which a repayment is required to be made under Clause 7 or
10.3;
“Required Fair Market Value”
means, at any time, the sum of:
(a) the
unpaid principal amount of the Loan outstanding at such time; and
|
(b)
|
the
amount that would be payable by the Borrower pursuant to
Section 6(e)(i) of the Master Agreement if an Early Termination Date
(as such term is defined in the Master Agreement) were deemed to have
occurred in relation to all Designated Transactions existing at such time
following an Event of Default by the
Borrower;
|
11
|
“Requisition
Compensation” includes all compensation or other moneys payable by
reason of any act or event such as is referred to in paragraph (b) of
the definition of “Total Loss”;
|
“Screen Rate” means, in
relation to LIBOR, the British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rate for
the relevant currency and period displayed on the appropriate page of the
Reuters screen; provided
that, if such page is
replaced or service ceases to be available, the Agent may specify another page
or service displaying the appropriate rate after consultation with the Borrower
and the Majority Lenders;
“Secured Liabilities” means all
liabilities which the Obligors or either of them have or shall have, at the date
of this Agreement or at any later time or times, under or by virtue of the
Finance Documents or any judgment relating to the Finance Documents, and for
this purpose, there shall be disregarded any total or partial discharge of these
liabilities, or variation of their terms, that is or shall be effected by, or in
connection with, any bankruptcy, liquidation, arrangement or other procedure
under the insolvency laws of any country;
“Security Trustee” has the
meaning given such term in the introduction hereof;
“Security Documents”
means:
(a) the
Mortgage;
(b) the
Earnings Assignment;
(c) the
Charter Assignment;
(d) the
Insurance Assignment; and
|
(e)
|
all
other documents (whether creating a Security Interest or not) that are
executed at any time by either Obligor or any other person as security
for, or to establish any form of subordination or priorities arrangement
in relation to, any amount payable to or for the benefit of a Lender, the
Swap Bank, the Agent or the Security Trustee under this Agreement or any
other Finance Document;
|
“Security Interest”
means:
|
(a)
|
a
mortgage, charge or pledge, any maritime or other lien or any other
security interest of any kind;
|
|
(b)
|
the
rights of the plaintiff under an action in rem in which the
vessel concerned has been arrested or a writ has been issued or similar
steps taken; and
|
|
(c)
|
any
arrangement entered into by a person, the effect of which is to place
another person in a position that is similar, in economic terms, to the
position in which such other person would have been had such other person
held a security interest over an asset of such person; but this paragraph
(c) shall not apply to a right of set-off or combination of accounts
conferred by the standard terms of business of a bank or financial
institution;
|
12
|
“Security Period” means
the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and ending on the date
on which the Agent notifies the Borrower
that:
|
|
(a)
|
all
amounts that have become due for payment by the Borrower under the Finance
Documents have been paid;
|
|
(b)
|
no
amount is owing or has accrued (without yet having become due for payment)
under any Finance Document;
|
|
(c)
|
no
Obligor has any future or contingent liability under Clause 16 or 17
or any other provision of this Agreement or any other Finance Document;
and
|
|
(d)
|
no
Credit Party believes that there is a significant risk that any payment or
transaction under a Finance Document would be set aside, or would have to
be reversed or adjusted, in any present or possible future bankruptcy of
an Obligor or in any present or possible future proceeding relating to a
Finance Document or any asset covered (or previously covered) by a
Security Interest created by a Finance
Document;
|
“Ship” means M/V ASTRALE (ex
BERGEN TRADER), a Liberian flag 75,933 dwt panamax size bulkcarrier, built in
2000 at Kanasashi Co. Ltd. shipyard in Japan, with Official Number 13718 and IMO
Number 9215749;
“Swap Bank” has the meaning
given such term in the introduction hereof;
“Total Loss”
means:
(a) actual,
constructive, compromised, agreed or arranged total loss of the
Ship;
|
(b)
|
any
expropriation, confiscation, requisition or acquisition of the Ship,
whether for full consideration, a consideration less than her proper
value, a nominal consideration or without any consideration, which is
effected by any government or official authority or by any person or
persons claiming to be or to represent a government or official authority,
excluding a requisition for hire for a fixed period not exceeding one year
without any right to an extension;
|
|
(c)
|
any
final and non-appealable condemnation of the Ship by any tribunal or by
any person or persons claiming to be a tribunal;
or
|
|
(d)
|
any
arrest, capture, seizure or detention of the Ship (including any hijacking
or theft) unless she is within 60 days redelivered to the full control of
the Borrower;
|
“Total Loss Date”
means:
|
(a)
|
in
the case of an actual loss of the Ship, the date on which it occurred or,
if that is unknown, the date when the Ship was last heard
from;
|
|
(b)
|
in
the case of a constructive, compromised, agreed or arranged total loss of
the Ship, the earliest of:
|
(i) the
date on which a notice of abandonment is given to the insurers; and
13
(ii) the
date of any compromise, arrangement or agreement made by or on behalf of the
Borrower with the Ship’s insurers in which the insurers agree to treat the Ship
as a total loss; and
|
(c)
|
in
the case of any other type of total loss of the Ship, the date (or the
most likely date) on which it appears to the Majority Lenders that the
event constituting such total loss
occurred;
|
“Transaction” has the meaning
given such term in the Master Agreement; and
“UCC” means the Uniform
Commercial Code as in effect, from time to time, in the State of New York; provided that, if perfection
or the effect of perfection or non perfection or the priority of any security
interest in any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in
effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of New York, “UCC” means the Uniform
Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in such other jurisdiction for
purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such perfection, effect of
perfection or non-perfection or priority.
1.2
|
Additional Financial
Terms. Subject to Clause 1.5, in this Agreement and
the other Finance Documents:
|
“Applicable Accounting
Principles” means accounting principles, bases and policies generally
adopted and accepted in the United States of America consistently
applied;
“Book Equity” means the
aggregate of the amounts paid-up or credited as paid-up on the Guarantor’s
issued share capital and the amount of the consolidated capital and revenue
reserves of the Group (including any share premium account, capital redemption
reserve fund and any credit balance on the consolidated profit and loss account
of the Group) all as shown by the latest audited consolidated balance sheet and
profit and loss account of the Group delivered under this Agreement but
after:
(a) deducting
any debit balance on such consolidated profit and loss account;
|
(b)
|
deducting
any amount shown in such consolidated balance sheet in respect of goodwill
(including goodwill arising on consolidation) and other intangible
assets;
|
|
(c)
|
deducting
(so far as not otherwise excluded as attributable to minority interests) a
sum equal to the aggregate of the amount of which the book value of any
fixed assets of any member of the Group has been written up after December
31, 2005 (or, in the case of a company becoming a subsidiary after that
date, the date on which that company became a subsidiary) by way of
revaluation and, for the purposes of this paragraph (c) any increase
in the book value of any fixed assets resulting from its transfer by one
member of the Group to another member of the Group shall be deemed to
result from a writing up of its book value by way of
revaluation;
|
|
(d)
|
excluding
amounts set aside for taxation as at the date of such balance sheet and
making such adjustments as may be appropriate in respect of any
significant additional taxation expected to result from transactions
carried out by any member of the Group after such date and not reflected
in that balance sheet;
|
14
|
(e)
|
deducting
all amounts attributable to minority interests in
subsidiaries;
|
|
(f)
|
making
such adjustments as may be appropriate in respect of any variation in the
amount of such paid up spare capital or any such reserves after the date
of the relevant balance sheet (but so that no such adjustment shall be
made in respect of any variation in profit and loss account except to the
extent of any profit or loss, calculated on a cumulative basis, recorded
in the consolidated profit and loss account of the Group delivered to the
Agent before the date of this Agreement, or under Clause 10.1(f) in
respect of any subsequent period);
|
|
(g)
|
making
such adjustments as may be appropriate in respect of any distribution
declared, recommended or made by any member of the Group (otherwise than
attributable directly or indirectly to the Guarantor) out of profits
earned up to and including the date of the latest audited balance sheet of
that member of the Group to the extent that such distribution is not
provided for in that balance sheet;
|
|
(h)
|
making
such adjustments as may be appropriate in respect of any variation in the
interests of the Guarantor in its subsidiaries since the date of the
latest published audited consolidated balance sheet of the Group;
and
|
|
(i)
|
if
the calculation is required for the purpose of or in connection with a
transaction under or in connection with when any company is to become or
cease to be a subsidiary of the Guarantor, making all such adjustments as
would be appropriate if that transaction has been carried into
effect;
|
“Finance Lease” means a lease
treated as a finance lease pursuant to the Applicable Accounting
Principles;
“Net Asset Value” means, at any
relevant time, the amount in Dollars resulting after deducting the Total Debt
from the Total Market Value Adjusted Assets, in either case at such
time;
“Total Debt” means the
aggregate principal amount (including any fixed or minimum premium payable on
final repayment) of:
(a) moneys
borrowed or raised by the Guarantor and its subsidiaries;
|
(b)
|
bonds,
notes, loan stock, debentures, commercial paper or other debt securities
issued by the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries not for the time being
beneficially owned by the Guarantor or any of its
subsidiaries;
|
|
(c)
|
sums
outstanding under acceptances by the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries
or by any bank or acceptable house under acceptance credits opened on
behalf of the Guarantor or any
subsidiary;
|
|
(d)
|
deferred
indebtedness of the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries for payment of
the acquisition or construction price for assets or services acquired or
constructed;
|
(e) rental
payments under Finance Leases;
15
(f) receivables
sold or discounted with a right of recourse to the Guarantor or any of its
subsidiaries;
|
(g)
|
the
nominal amount of any issued and paid up share capital (other than equity
share capital) of any subsidiary not beneficially owned by the Guarantor
or another subsidiary;
|
(h) preference
share capital redeemable prior to the last day of the Security
Period;
|
(i)
|
indebtedness
secured by any Security Interest over all or any part of the undertaking,
property, assets, rights or revenues of the Guarantor or any of its
subsidiaries irrespective of whether or not such indebtedness is supported
by a personal covenant on the part of the Guarantor or any of its
subsidiaries;
|
|
(j)
|
indebtedness
incurred in respect of swaps, forward exchange contracts, futures or other
derivatives;
|
|
(k)
|
any
other liability arising from a transaction having the commercial effect of
a borrowing or the raising of money;
and
|
|
(l)
|
obligations
under guarantees in respect of the obligations of any other person which,
if such person were the Guarantor or a subsidiary would fall within any of
paragraphs (a) through (k) above,
inclusive;
|
provided that, (i) moneys
owing by the Guarantor to a subsidiary or by a subsidiary to the Guarantor or to
another subsidiary shall not be taken into account and (ii) the principal amount
of Total Debt deemed to be outstanding in relation to Finance Leases or hire
purchase agreements shall be the present value of the minimum lease or hire
payments discounted at the interest rate implicit in the relevant lease or hire
purchase agreement; and
“Total Market Value Adjusted
Assets” means the aggregate of:
|
(a)
|
the
value (less depreciation computed in accordance with generally accepted
international accounting principles consistently applied) on a
consolidated basis of all tangible fixed assets of the Group, including
long-term cash receivables (seller’s credit), as stated in the relevant
consolidated financial statements of the Group, but excluding any ships at
the relevant time owned by members of the Group which, for the purposes of
such consolidated financial statements, are included in the consolidated
tangible fixed assets of the Group (the “Relevant Ships”);
and
|
|
(b)
|
the
aggregate of the market value of the Relevant Ships, as such market value
shall have been most recently determined (as of the date of the relevant
calculation) pursuant to Clause 10.1(v) by means of valuations
obtained by the Agent in accordance therewith (and not the value of the
Relevant Ships as stated in the relevant consolidated financial statements
of the Group).
|
All the
terms defined in this Clause 1.2 and used in this Agreement are to be
determined on a consolidated basis in respect of the Group and (except as items
are expressly included or excluded in the relevant definition or clause) are
used and shall be construed in accordance
16
with
Applicable Accounting Principles and as determined from the latest consolidated
financial statements of the Group delivered to the Agent pursuant to
Clause 10.1(f).
1.3
|
Construction of Certain
Terms. In this Agreement and the other Finance
Documents:
|
“approved” means, unless the
context otherwise requires, approved in writing by the Agent acting upon the
instructions of the Majority Lenders;
“asset” includes every kind of
property, asset, interest or right, including any present, future or contingent
right to any revenues or other payment;
“company” includes any
corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture,
unincorporated association, joint stock company and trust;
“consent” includes an
authorization, consent, approval, resolution, license, exemption, filing,
registration, notarization and legalization;
“contingent liability” means a
liability that is not certain to arise or the amount of which remains
unascertained;
“document” includes a deed;
also a letter, fax or telex;
“expense” means any kind of
cost, charge or expense (including all legal costs, charges and expenses) and
any applicable value added or other tax;
“law” includes any form of
delegated legislation, any order or decree, any treaty or international
convention and any regulation or resolution of the United States of America, any
state thereof, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the
United Nations or its Security Council or any other Pertinent
Jurisdiction;
“legal or administrative
action” means any legal proceeding or arbitration and any administrative
or regulatory action or investigation;
“liability” includes every kind
of debt or liability (present or future, certain or contingent), whether
incurred as principal or surety or otherwise;
“months” shall be construed in
accordance with Clause 1.4;
“parent company” has the
meaning given such term in Clause 1.5;
“person” includes natural
persons, any company; any state, political sub-division of a state and local or
municipal authority; and any international organization;
“regulation” includes any
regulation, rule, official directive, request or guideline whether or not having
the force of law of any governmental, intergovernmental or supranational body,
agency, department or regulatory, self-regulatory or other authority or
organization;
“subsidiary” has the meaning
given such term in Clause 1.5;
17
“successor” includes any person
who is entitled (by assignment, novation, merger or otherwise) to any other
person’s rights under this Agreement or any other Finance Document (or any
interest in those rights) or who, as administrator, liquidator or otherwise, is
entitled to exercise those rights; and in particular references to a successor
include a person to whom those rights (or any interest in those rights) are
transferred or pass as a result of a merger, division, reconstruction or other
reorganization of it or any other person; and
“tax” includes any present or
future tax, duty, impost, levy or charge of any kind that is imposed by any
state, any political sub-division of a state or any local or municipal authority
(including any such imposed in connection with exchange controls), and any
connected penalty, interest or fine.
1.4
|
Meaning of
“month”. A period of one or more “months” ends on the
day in the relevant calendar month numerically corresponding to the day of
the calendar month on which the period started (“the numerically corresponding
day”), but:
|
|
(a)
|
on
the Business Day following the numerically corresponding day if the
numerically corresponding day is not a Business Day or, if there is no
later Business Day in the same calendar month, on the last Business Day
preceding the numerically corresponding day;
or
|
|
(b)
|
on
the last Business Day in the relevant calendar month if the period started
on the last Business Day in a calendar month or if the last calendar month
of the period has no numerically corresponding
day;
|
and
“month” and “monthly” shall be construed
accordingly.
1.5
|
Meaning of
“subsidiary”. A company (S) is a subsidiary of another
company (P) (the “parent
company”) if:
|
|
(a)
|
a
majority of the issued equity in S (or a majority of the issued equity in
S that carries unlimited rights to capital and income distributions) is
directly owned by P or is indirectly attributable to P;
or
|
|
(b)
|
P
has direct or indirect control over a majority of the voting rights
attaching to the issued shares of S;
or
|
|
(c)
|
P
has the direct or indirect power to appoint or remove a majority of the
directors of S; or
|
|
(d)
|
P
otherwise has the direct or indirect power to ensure that the affairs of S
are conducted in accordance with the wishes of
P;
|
and any
company of which S is a subsidiary is a parent company of S.
1.6
|
General
Interpretation.
|
(a)
|
In
this Agreement and the other Finance
Documents:
|
18
(i)
|
references
to, or to a provision of, a Finance Document or any other document are
references to it as amended, restated or otherwise modified, whether
before the date of this Agreement or otherwise, except that any reference
to, or to a provision of, any Junior Loan Document shall include such
Junior Loan Document or provision, as the case may be, as amended,
restated or otherwise modified, but only with the prior written consent of
the Agent;
|
|
(ii)
|
references to, or to a provision of, any law include any amendment, extension, re-enactment or replacement, whether made before the date of this Agreement or otherwise; | |
(iii)
|
references to “including” shall mean including without limiting the generality of any description preceding such term; | |
(iv)
|
any
reference in any Finance Document to a clause, sub-clause, paragraph,
schedule, exhibit, annex or appendix shall be construed to mean a clause,
sub-clause or paragraph thereof, or a schedule, exhibit, annex or appendix
thereto, respectively;
|
|
(v)
|
words
denoting the singular number shall include the plural and vice versa;
and
|
|
(vi)
|
Clauses 1.1
through 1.5 and this paragraph (a) apply unless the contrary
intention appears;
|
|
(b)
|
References
in Clause 1.1 to a document being in the form of a particular
appendix, exhibit, schedule or annex include references to that form with
any modifications to that form that the Agent shall approve or reasonably
require; and
|
(c)
|
The
table of contents and the headings of the clauses, sub-clauses,
paragraphs, schedules, exhibits, annexes or appendices of this Agreement
or any other Finance Document shall not affect the interpretation of this
Agreement or any other Finance
Document.
|
2
|
FACILITY
|
2.1
|
Amount of
Facility. Subject to the other provisions of this
Agreement, the Lenders severally agree to make available to the Borrower a
loan facility in the aggregate principal amount of up to $48,000,000 (the
“Initial Aggregate
Commitment”).
|
2.2
|
Purpose of
Loan. The Borrower undertakes to use the Loan only for
the purposes stated in the recitals to this Agreement and in accordance
with Clause 3.2(b).
|
3
|
DRAWDOWN
|
3.1
|
Request for the
Advance. Subject to the following conditions, the
Borrower may request the Advance by delivering to the Agent a completed
Drawdown Notice in respect of the Advance not later than 11:00 a.m. (New
York time) three Business Days prior to the
|
19
|
Expected
Drawdown Date thereof. The Agent shall promptly notify the
Lenders that it has received the Drawdown Notice and shall inform each
Lender of:
|
(a)
|
the
amount of the requested Advance and the Expected Drawdown Date
thereof;
|
(b)
|
the
amount of each Lender’s Ratable Portion of the Advance;
and
|
(c)
|
the
duration of the first Interest Period applicable to the
Advance.
|
3.2
|
Conditions to
Availability. The conditions referred to in
Clause 3.1 are that:
|
(a)
|
the
Expected Drawdown Date shall be a Business Day during the Availability
Period;
|
(b)
|
the
Advance shall be applied as payment for the acquisition of the Ship by the
Borrower that shall not then own the Ship and shall not (i) exceed
the purchase price of the Ship as stated in the Memorandum of Agreement
for the Ship or (ii) exceed the lesser of the Initial Aggregate Commitment
and the sum of all Commitments;
|
(c)
|
there
shall be no more than one Advance;
and
|
(d)
|
the
applicable conditions precedent stated in Clause 8 shall have been
satisfied or waived as provided
therein.
|
3.3
|
Drawdown Notice
Irrevocable. The Drawdown Notice must be signed by an
officer or duly authorized attorney-in-fact of the Borrower; and once
served, the Drawdown Notice cannot be revoked without the prior consent of
the Agent, acting with the authority of the Majority
Lenders.
|
3.4
|
Disbursement of
Advance. Subject to the provisions of this
Agreement:
|
(a)
|
Each
Lender shall before 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) make its Ratable
Portion of the Advance available to the Agent, for the account of the
Borrower, on and with the value date of the Expected Drawdown Date for the
Advance. After the Agent’s receipt of such funds and upon
fulfillment or waiver of the applicable conditions set forth in
Clause 8, the Agent shall make such funds available to the Borrower
by paying such funds to such account or accounts that the Borrower
specifies in the Drawdown Notice. The payment by the Agent
under this Clause 3.4 to such account or accounts shall constitute
the making of the Advance to the Borrower and the Borrower shall thereupon
become indebted, as principal and direct obligor, to each Lender in an
amount equal to such Lender’s Ratable Portion of the
Advance.
|
(b)
|
Unless
the Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the Expected
Drawdown Date that such Lender will not make available to the Agent such
Lender’s Ratable Portion of the Advance, the Agent may assume, or at its
option request confirmation from such Lender, that such Lender has made
its Ratable Portion available to the Agent on such date in accordance with
Clause 3.4(a) and the Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption or
confirmation (as the case may be), make available to the Borrower on such
date a corresponding amount. If and to the extent that such
Lender shall not have so made such Ratable Portion available to the Agent,
such Lender and the Borrower (but without duplication) severally agree to
repay to
|
20
|
the
Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount, together with
interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is made available
to the Borrower by the Agent until the date such amount is repaid to the
Agent, at the LIBOR rate for overnight
or weekend deposits. If such Lender shall pay to the Agent such
corresponding amount, such amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s
Ratable Portion of the Advance for purposes of this
Agreement. Nothing in this Clause 3.4(b) shall be deemed
to relieve any Lender of its obligation to make the Advance to the extent
provided in this Agreement.
|
(c)
|
In
the event that the Borrower is required to repay all or a portion of the
Advance pursuant to Clause 3.4(b), as between the Borrower and the
defaulting Lender, the liability for any breakage costs as described in
Clause 16.2 shall be borne by the defaulting Lender, provided that if the
defaulting Lender has not paid any such breakage costs upon demand by the
Agent therefor, the Borrower shall pay such breakage costs upon demand by
the Agent and the Borrower shall be entitled to recover from the
defaulting Lender any such payment for breakage costs made by the
Borrower.
|
4
|
INTEREST
|
4.1
|
Payment of Normal
Interest. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement,
interest on the Advance or any part thereof in respect of each Interest
Period shall be paid by the Borrower on the last day of that Interest
Period.
|
4.2
|
Normal Rate of
Interest. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement,
the rate of interest on the Advance or any part thereof in respect of an
Interest Period shall be the sum of the Margin and LIBOR for that Interest
Period.
|
4.3
|
Payment of Accrued
Interest. Accrued interest shall be paid on the last day
of each month and on the last day of each Interest
Period.
|
4.4
|
Notification of Interest
Rate. The Agent shall notify the Borrower and each
Lender of the rate of interest as soon as it is
determined.
|
4.5
|
Notification of Market
Disruption. The Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower
if:
|
(a)
|
it
is unable to determine LIBOR; or
|
(b)
|
for
any reason any Lender (the “Affected Lender”) is
unable to obtain Dollars in the London Interbank Market to fund all or any
part of its Ratable Portion of the Advance during any Interest
Period,
|
in either
case stating the circumstances that have caused such notice to be
given.
4.6
|
Suspension of
Drawdown. If the Agent’s notice under Clause 4.5
shall be served before the Advance is made, then while the circumstances
referred to in the Agent’s notice
continue:
|
(a)
|
in
the case of Clause 4.5(a), each Lender’s obligation to make its
Ratable Portion of the Advance shall be suspended;
and
|
21
(b)
|
in
the case of Clause 4.5(b), the Affected Lender’s obligation to make
its Ratable Portion of the Advance shall be
suspended.
|
4.7
|
Negotiation of Alternative Rate
of Interest. If the Agent’s notice under Clause 4.5
is served after the Advance is made, the Borrower and the Agent shall use
reasonable endeavors to agree, within the 30 days after the date on which
the Agent serves its notice under Clause 4.5 (the “Negotiation Period”), an
alternative interest rate or (as the case may be) an alternative basis for
each Lender or (as the case may be) the Affected Lender to fund or
continue to fund its Ratable Portion of the Advance during the Interest
Period concerned.
|
4.8
|
Application of Agreed
Alternative Rate of Interest. Any alternative interest
rate or an alternative basis that is agreed during the Negotiation Period
shall take effect in accordance with the terms
agreed.
|
4.9
|
Alternative Rate of Interest in
Absence of Agreement. If an alternative interest rate or
alternative basis is not agreed within the Negotiation Period, and the
relevant circumstances are continuing at the end of the Negotiation
Period, then the Agent shall set an interest period and interest rate
representing the cost of funding of the Lenders or (as the case may be)
the Affected Lender in Dollars or in any available currency of their or
its Ratable Portion of the Advance plus the Margin and the procedure
provided for by this Clause 4.9 shall be repeated if the relevant
circumstances are continuing at the end of the interest period so set by
the Agent.
|
4.10
|
Notice of
Prepayment. If the Borrower does not agree with an
interest rate set by the Agent under Clause 4.9, the Borrower may
give the Agent not less than three Business Days’ notice of its intention
to prepay the Advance at the end of the interest period set by the
Agent.
|
4.11
|
Prepayment. A
notice under Clause 4.10 shall be irrevocable. The Agent
shall promptly notify the Lenders or (as the case may be) the Affected
Lender of the Borrower’s notice of intended prepayment
and:
|
(a)
|
on
the date on which the Agent so notifies the Lenders or (as the case may
be) the Affected Lender, the Commitments or (as the case may be) the
Commitment of the Affected Lender shall be cancelled;
and
|
(b)
|
on
the last Business Day of the interest period set by the Agent, the
Borrower shall prepay the Loan or (as the case may be) the Affected
Lender’s Ratable Portion thereof, together with accrued interest thereon
at the applicable rate plus the
Margin.
|
4.12
|
Application of
Prepayment. The provisions of Clause 7 shall apply
in relation to each prepayment pursuant to
Clause 4.11.
|
5
|
INTEREST
PERIODS
|
5.1
|
Duration of Normal Interest
Periods. Subject to Clauses 5.2 and 5.3, each
Interest Period shall be:
|
(a)
|
one,
three or six months, but no more than three one-month periods in any
one-year period and provided that no such period shall overrun the first
anniversary of the Actual Drawdown Date, in each case as notified by the
Borrower to the Agent not
|
22
|
later
than 11:00 a.m. (New York time) three Business Days before the
commencement of such Interest Period;
or
|
(b)
|
three
months or, if such Interest Period would overrun the first anniversary of
the Actual Drawdown Date, a shorter period ending on such anniversary, if
the Borrower fails to notify the Agent by the time specified in
paragraph (a) above; or
|
(c)
|
such
other period as the Majority Lenders may agree with the Borrower, provided that if the
Borrower desires an Interest Period longer than six months, the Borrower
must notify the Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (New York time) five
Business Days before the commencement of such Interest
Period.
|
Each
notice of an Interest Period delivered by the Borrower to the Agent in
accordance with this Clause 5.1 shall be irrevocable.
5.2
|
Duration of Interest Periods
Overrunning Repayment Date. If the Borrower has selected
an Interest Period that would overrun a Repayment Date or Repayment Dates,
then:
|
(a)
|
in
the case of the final Repayment Date, the Interest Period shall end on the
final Repayment Date; and
|
(b)
|
in
the case of any other Repayment Date, the Loan shall be divided so
that:
|
(i)
|
the
amount of each repayment installment falling due before the end of the
Interest Period selected shall have an Interest Period ending on the
Repayment Date on which it falls due;
and
|
(ii)
|
the
balance of the Loan from time to time outstanding during such Interest
Period shall have an Interest Period ascertained in accordance with the
provisions of Clause 5.1;
|
and for
this purpose alone may there be Interest Periods of different lengths in
relation to the Loan.
5.3
|
Duration of First Interest
Period.
|
(a)
|
The
first Interest Period of the Advance shall commence on the Expected
Drawdown Date and shall expire on the last day of the Interest Period
selected by the Borrower in the Drawdown
Notice.
|
(b)
|
Each
Interest Period following the first Interest Period under
Clause 5.3(a) shall commence on the expiry of the preceding Interest
Period and end on the last day of the Interest Period selected by the
Borrowers pursuant to the provisions of
Clause 5.1.
|
6
|
DEFAULT
INTEREST
|
6.1
|
Payment of Default Interest on
Overdue Amounts. The Borrower shall pay interest in
accordance with the following provisions of this Clause 6 on all
amounts payable by the Borrower under any Finance Document that the Agent,
the Security Trustee or a Lender, as
|
23
|
the
case may be, shall not receive on or before the date on which a Finance
Document provides that such amount is due for
payment.
|
6.2
|
Rate of Default
Interest. Overdue principal and, to the extent permitted
by applicable law, overdue interest in respect of the Advance and every
other overdue amount payable by either Obligor pursuant to Finance
Documents shall accrue interest from (and including) the date due until
the date of actual payment (as well after as before judgment) at the rate
per annum determined by the Agent to be two percent plus the Margin plus
LIBOR for a period of one month (determined by the Agent on the first
Business Day of each calendar
month).
|
6.3
|
Notification of Default Rates
of Interest. The Agent shall promptly notify the
Borrower of each interest rate determined by the Agent pursuant to
Clause 6.2, but such notice shall not be taken to imply that the
Borrower is obligated to pay such interest only with effect from the date
of such notice.
|
6.4
|
Payment of Accrued Default
Interest. Subject to the other provisions of this
Agreement, all interest accruing under this Clause 6 shall be due and
payable on demand.
|
7
|
REPAYMENT
AND PREPAYMENT
|
7.1
|
Amount of Repayment
Installments. The Borrower shall repay the Loan in the
following twenty consecutive quarterly
installments:
|
(a)
|
each
of the first three of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$3,500,000;
|
(b)
|
the
next one of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$9,500,000;
|
(c)
|
each
of the next four of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$2,500,000;
|
(d)
|
each
of the next eleven of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and $600,000;
and
|
(e)
|
the
last of which shall be payable on the Maturity Date in an amount equal to
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the
Loan,
|
provided that if (A) the
Borrower shall have delivered to the Agent not later than 270 days following the
Actual Drawdown Date an irrevocable notice of the Borrower’s election to modify
the amortization of the Loan in accordance with this proviso (“Option B”) and documentary
evidence satisfactory to the Agent showing that a time charter on the Ship shall
then be in full force and effect, provided that such time
charter (1) shall be for a minimum term of two years from the Actual
Drawdown Date and (x) if the term of such time charter shall be from and
including two years from the Actual Drawdown Date up to but not including three
years from the Actual Drawdown Date, the average net daily rate of such time
charter shall be not less than $52,000, or (y) if the term of such time
charter shall be for three years or more from the Actual Drawdown Date, the
average net daily rate of such time charter shall be not less than $47,000 for
the first three years of the time charter, and (2) shall be with an
Approved Charterer and be in form and substance acceptable to the Agent (an
“Option B
24
Time
Charter”) and (B) each of the
Borrower and the Guarantor shall have paid all fees due and payable by it
pursuant to this Agreement and the Finance Documents on or before 270th day,
then:
In the
event that the Acceptable Time Charter is for a term from and including two
years from the Actual Drawdown Date up to but not including three years from the
Actual Drawdown Date, the Borrower shall repay the Loan in the following twenty
consecutive quarterly installments:
|
(a)
|
each
of the first eight of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$3,500,000;
|
|
(b)
|
each
of the next four of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$1,100,000;
|
|
(c)
|
each
of the next seven of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and $600,000;
and
|
|
(d)
|
the
last of which shall be payable on the Maturity Date in an amount equal to
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan;
or
|
In the
event that the Acceptable Time Charter is for a term greater than and including
three years from the Actual Drawdown Date, the Borrower shall repay the Loan in
the following twenty consecutive quarterly installments:
|
(a)
|
each
of the first three of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal of the Loan and
$3,500,000;
|
|
(b)
|
the
next one of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$3,000,000;
|
|
(c)
|
each
of the next eight of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and
$2,550,000;
|
|
(d)
|
each
of the next seven of which shall be in an amount equal to the lesser of
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan and $600,000;
and
|
|
(e)
|
the
last of which shall be payable on the Maturity Date in an amount equal to
the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the
Loan.
|
7.2
|
Repayment
Dates. The first repayment installment shall be made on
the First Repayment Date. Each subsequent repayment installment
shall be repaid quarterly thereafter; provided that the last
repayment installment shall be repaid on the Maturity Date together with
all other sums then accrued or owing under the Finance
Documents.
|
7.3
|
Voluntary
Prepayment. The Borrower may prepay the whole or any
part of the Loan on the last day of an Interest Period, subject to the
following conditions:
|
(a)
|
each
partial prepayment shall be in an amount not less than $500,000 and
increments of an integral multiple of
$500,000;
|
25
(b)
|
the
Agent shall have received from the Borrower at least five Business Days’
prior written notice specifying the amount to be prepaid and the date on
which the prepayment is to be made;
and
|
(c)
|
the
Borrower shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Agent that any
consent required by the Borrower in connection with the prepayment shall
have been obtained and remains in force and that each regulation relevant
to this Agreement that affects the Borrower shall have been complied
with.
|
A
prepayment notice may not be withdrawn or amended without the consent of the
Agent, acting with the consent of the Majority Lenders, and the amount specified
in the prepayment notice shall become due and payable by the Borrower on the
date for prepayment specified in the prepayment notice.
7.4
|
Mandatory
Prepayment.
|
(a)
|
If
the Ship is sold or becomes a Total Loss, the Borrower shall prepay the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of the
Loan.
|
(b)
|
If
(i) the Borrower shall not have (A) elected Option B in
accordance with the first proviso to Clause 7.1 and
(B) delivered to the Agent, at least twenty Business Days prior to
the first anniversary of the Actual Drawdown Date, an irrevocable notice
of its election to continue the term of the Loan beyond such anniversary
and, on or before such anniversary, a written appraisal report prepared by
the Broker stating the Fair Market Value of the Ship as of such
anniversary, which Fair Market Value shall not be less than 140% of the
sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Loan, plus all
accrued and unpaid interest thereon, plus all other amounts due and
payable by the Borrower pursuant to the Finance Documents as of such
anniversary, and which report shall otherwise be in form and substance
satisfactory to the Agent, or (ii) either the Borrower or the
Guarantor shall not have paid all fees due and payable by it pursuant to
this Agreement and the Finance Documents on or before such anniversary,
the Borrower shall prepay the aggregate outstanding principal amount of
the Loan.
|
(c)
|
The
Borrower shall make each mandatory prepayment pursuant to this
Clause 7.4:
|
(i)
|
in
the case of the sale of the Ship requiring a prepayment pursuant to
Clause 7.4(a), on or before the date on which the sale is completed
by delivery of the Ship to the buyer;
or
|
(ii)
|
in
the case of a Total Loss of the Ship requiring a prepayment pursuant to
Clause 7.4(a), on the earlier of the date falling 180 days after the
Total Loss Date and the date of receipt by the Security Trustee or the
Borrower of the proceeds of insurance relating to such Total
Loss;
|
(iii)
|
in
the case of (A) the Borrower’s failure to elect Option B in
accordance with the first proviso to Clause 7.1 and to deliver the
irrevocable notice and the written appraisal report described in
Clause 7.4(b) or (B) the Borrower’s or the Guarantor’s failure to pay
the fees described in such Clause
|
26
|
7.4(b) requiring
a prepayment pursuant to Clause 7.4(b), on or before the first
anniversary of the Actual Drawdown
Date.
|
7.5
|
Amounts Payable on
Prepayment. Each prepayment pursuant to Clause 7.3
or 7.4 shall be made together with:
|
(a)
|
any
and all accrued interest (and any other amount payable under
Clause 16.1 or otherwise) in respect of the amount
prepaid;
|
(b)
|
if
the prepayment is not made on the last day of an Interest Period, any and
all sums payable under Clause 16.2;
and
|
(c)
|
any
and all additional amounts that may need to be paid for the Borrower to
remain in compliance with the requirements of
Clause 10.3.
|
7.6
|
Application of
Prepayments. Each prepayment pursuant to Clause 7.3
shall be applied pro-rata to the repayment installments (excluding the
balloon payment, if any due on the Maturity Date) of the Loan, and
promptly thereafter the Agent shall recalculate the remaining repayment
installments and advise the Borrower
accordingly.
|
7.7
|
No
Reborrowing. No amount repaid or prepaid may be
reborrowed.
|
7.8
|
Unwinding of Designated
Transactions. On or prior to any repayment or prepayment
under this Clause 7 or any other provision of this Agreement, the
Borrower shall wholly or partially reverse, offset, unwind or otherwise
terminate one or more of the continuing Designated Transactions to the
extent necessary to ensure that the aggregate notional principal amount of
the continuing Designated Transactions thereafter remaining does not and
will not in the future (taking into account the scheduled amortization
thereof) exceed the aggregate amount of the Loan scheduled to be
outstanding from time to time
hereunder.
|
7.9
|
Repayment of Swap
Benefit. If a Designated Transaction is terminated in
circumstances in which the Swap Bank would be obliged to pay an amount to
the Borrower under the Master agreement, the Borrower hereby agrees that
such payment shall be applied in prepayment of the Loan in accordance with
the terms of Clause 7.6 and hereby authorizes the Swap Bank to pay
such amount to the Agent for such
purpose.
|
8
|
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
|
8.1
|
Documents, Fees and No
Default. Each Lender’s obligation to make available its
Ratable Portion of the Advance is subject to the following conditions
precedent:
|
(a)
|
on
or before the delivery of the Drawdown Notice, the Agent shall have
received:
|
(i)
|
the
documents described in Part A of Schedule 3, each in form and
substance satisfactory to the Agent and its lawyers;
and
|
(ii)
|
such
documentation and other evidence as is reasonably requested by the Agent
or a Lender in order for each Lender to carry out and be satisfied with
the results of all necessary “know your customer” or other checks that it
is required to carry out in relation to the transactions contemplated by
this
|
27
|
Agreement
and the other Finance Documents, including obtaining, verifying and
recording certain information and documentation that will allow the Agent
and each Lender to identify the Borrower and the Guarantor in accordance
with the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of
Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “PATRIOT
Act”);
|
(b)
|
on
or before the Expected Drawdown Date, the Agent shall have received the
documents described in Part B of Schedule 3, each in form and
substance satisfactory to the Agent and its
lawyers;
|
(c)
|
the
Borrower shall have paid in full all fees and expenses referred to in
Clause 15 that are due, or demanded by the Agent, on or before the
date of the Advance;
|
(d)
|
on
the date of the Drawdown Notice, the Expected Drawdown Date and the Actual
Drawdown Date:
|
(i)
|
no
Event of Default or Potential Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing or would result from the borrowing of the Loan or any part
thereof;
|
(ii)
|
the
representations and warranties in Clause 9 and those of each Obligor
in any other Finance Document would be true and not misleading if repeated
on each of those dates with reference to the circumstances then
existing;
|
(iii)
|
there
has been no material change in the financial condition, assets, operations
or business prospects of either of the Obligors since the date on which
either Obligor provided information concerning those topics to the Agent
or any Lender; and
|
(iv)
|
none
of the circumstances described in Clause 4.5 shall have occurred and
be continuing;
|
(e)
|
if
the ratio set out in Clause 10.3 were applied immediately following
the making of the Advance, the Borrower would not be obliged to provide
additional security or prepay part of the Loan;
and
|
(f)
|
the
Agent shall have received and found acceptable any further opinions,
consents, agreements and documents in connection with the Finance
Documents that the Agent shall have requested by notice to the
Borrower.
|
8.2
|
Waiver of Conditions
Precedent. If the Agent, with the consent of the
Majority Lenders, permits the Advance to be borrowed before certain of the
conditions referred to in Clause 8.1 shall be satisfied, the Borrower
shall ensure that those conditions are satisfied within five Business Days
after the Actual Drawdown Date (or such longer period as the Agent may
specify).
|
9
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
Each
Obligor represents and warrants as follows:
28
9.1
|
Status.
Each Obligor
is:
|
(a)
|
a
corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under
the law of the Xxxxxxxx Islands (in the case of the Guarantor) or Liberia
(in the case of the Borrower); and
|
(b)
|
duly
qualified and in good standing as a foreign corporation in each other
jurisdiction in which it owns or leases property or in which the conduct
of its business requires it to so qualify or be
licensed.
|
9.2
|
Company Power;
Consents. Each Obligor has the corporate power and has
taken all action required, and no consent of any person is required,
for:
|
(a)
|
it
to own or lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as
now conducted and as proposed to be
conducted;
|
(b)
|
it
to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement, each
other Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement and each charter to
which it is or is to be a party, and to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby;
|
(c)
|
it
to borrow under this Agreement (in the case of the Borrower) and to make
all payments contemplated by, and to comply with the obligations of, the
Finance Documents to which it is or is to be a
party;
|
(d)
|
it
to grant the liens granted or to be granted by it pursuant to the Finance
Documents to which it is or is to be a
party;
|
(e)
|
to
perfect and maintain the perfection of the liens granted or to be granted
by it pursuant to the Security Documents (including the first-priority
nature thereof); and
|
(f)
|
the
exercise by the Agent, the Security Trustee, Lenders and the Swap Bank of
their rights under the Finance Documents and the remedies in respect of
the Collateral pursuant to the Finance
Documents;
|
except,
in the case of any consent, for such consents that have been duly obtained,
taken, given or made and that are in full force and effect.
9.3
|
Consents Not Capable of
Revocation. Nothing has occurred that makes any of the
consents referred to in Clause 9.2 capable of being revoked and each
Obligor is in compliance with all applicable
laws.
|
9.4
|
Legal Validity; Effective
Security Interests.
|
(a)
|
Each
of the Memorandum of Agreement and this Agreement constitutes, and each
other Finance Document to which either Obligor is to be a party will
constitute upon the execution and delivery thereof by such Obligor, the
legal, valid and binding obligations of each Obligor party hereto or
thereto, as the case may be, enforceable against such Obligor in
accordance with its terms.
|
29
(b)
|
Each
Security Document creates or, upon the execution and delivery thereof by
each Obligor party thereto, will
create:
|
(i)
|
in
the case of the Mortgage, a valid first preferred mortgage in favor of the
Security Trustee over the Collateral described therein, subject to the
registration of the Mortgage as described herein;
and
|
(ii)
|
in
the case of each other Security Document, a legal, valid, binding and
enforceable Security Interest in favor of the Security Trustee over all
the Collateral described therein that shall be duly perfected and have
first priority (A) in the case of the Earnings Assignment and Charter
Assignment, upon notice thereof being given each obligor referenced
therein and proper UCC financing statements describing such Collateral
being filed with the Washington, D.C., Recorder of Deeds, and (B) in
the case of the Insurance Assignment, notice thereof being given to
underwriters and protection and indemnity clubs and their consent being
obtained where policy provisions or club rules so
require.
|
9.5
|
No Conflicts; No
Liens. The execution, delivery and performance by each
Obligor of the Memorandum of Agreement, this Agreement and each other
Finance Document to which it is or is to be a party, the borrowing by the
Borrower of the Loan, and consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby do not and will
not:
|
(a)
|
violate
or contravene (i) any law or regulation or order, writ, judgment,
injunction, decree, determination or award; (ii) the organizational
documents of either Obligor; or (iii) any contractual or other
obligation or restriction that is binding on either Obligor or any of its
assets; and
|
(b)
|
except
for liens created by the Security Documents, result in or require the
creation or imposition of any lien upon or with respect to any of the
properties of either Obligor.
|
9.6
|
No Withholding Taxes; Tax
Returns.
|
(a)
|
Each
payment that an Obligor is required to make under the Finance Documents
may be made without deduction or withholding for or on account of any tax
payable under any law of any Pertinent
Jurisdiction.
|
(b)
|
Each
Obligor has filed or has caused to be filed all tax returns and other
reports that it is required by law or regulation to file in any Pertinent
Jurisdiction, and has paid or caused to be paid all taxes, assessments and
other similar charges that are due and payable in any Pertinent
Jurisdiction, other than taxes and charges that are (i) not yet
delinquent or (ii) being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been
established. The charges, accruals, and reserves on the books
of each Obligor respecting taxes are adequate in accordance with
Applicable Accounting Principles.
|
9.7
|
No
Default. No Event of Default or Potential Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing and there is no incipient or other
default under any other agreements of either
Obligor.
|
30
9.8
|
Compliance with
Laws. Each Obligor is in compliance with all laws,
orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or any of its
assets except to the extent such non-compliance could not reasonably be
expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition,
assets, operations or business prospects of either Obligor or to affect
adversely the legality, validity, binding effect of enforceability of this
Agreement, any Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any
Approved Charter;
|
9.9
|
Information. All
financial and other information that has been provided in writing by or on
behalf of each Obligor to any of the Credit Parties in connection with any
Finance Document was true and accurate at the time it was given, there are
no other facts or matters the omission of which would have made or make
any such information false or misleading and there has been no material
adverse change in the financial condition, assets, operations or business
prospects of either Obligor since the date on which such information was
provided.
|
9.10
|
No
Litigation. No legal or administrative action involving
either Obligor (including any action relating to any alleged or actual
breach of the ISM Code or ISPS Code or any Environmental Law) has been
commenced or taken or, to either Obligor’s knowledge is likely to be
commenced or taken, that could reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, operations or business
prospects of either Obligor or to affect adversely the legality, validity,
binding effect or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Finance
Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved
Charter.
|
9.11
|
ISM Code and ISPS Code
Compliance. The Borrower has obtained, or has caused the
Approved Manager (technical) and the Approved Technical Submanager, if
any, to obtain, all necessary ISM Code Documentation in connection with
the Ship and its operation and will be, and will cause the Ship, the
Approved Manager and the Approved Technical Submanager, if any, to be, in
full compliance with the ISM Code and the ISPS
Code.
|
9.12
|
Validity
and Completeness of Memorandum of Agreement and
Charters
|
(a)
|
The
Borrower has executed and delivered the Memorandum of Agreement and a
charter in respect of the Ship and such Memorandum of Agreement and
charter constitute the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the
parties thereto in accordance with their terms and is in full force and
effect. True and complete copies of the Memorandum of Agreement
and each Approved Charter, each agreement, instrument and other document
delivered in connection therewith, and each amendment thereto and waiver
thereof have been delivered to the Agent and the
Lenders.
|
(b)
|
There
is no default on the part of the Borrower or, to the best knowledge of the
Borrower, on the part of the relevant seller or charterer, with respect to
the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved Charter and no party to the
Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved Charter has any right to terminate
the Memorandum of Agreement or such Approved
Charter.
|
(c)
|
There
is no, nor shall there be, any agreement or understanding to allow or pay
any rebate, premium, commission, discount or other benefit or payment
(howsoever
|
31
|
described)
to the Borrower or any third party in connection with the purchase of the
Ship other than as disclosed to the Agent in
writing.
|
9.13
|
Margin
Stock. The Borrower is not engaged in the business of
extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock
and no proceeds of the Loan will be used to buy or carry any Margin Stock
or to extend credit to others for the purpose of buying or carrying any
Margin Stock.
|
9.14
|
Compliance with Environmental
Laws; Environmentally Sensitive Material. Except to the
extent the following could not reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, operations or business
prospects of either Obligor or that may affect adversely the legality,
validity, binding effect or enforceability of this Agreement, any other
Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved
Charter:
|
(a)
|
the
operations and assets of each Obligor comply with all Environmental Laws,
all necessary Environmental Permits have been obtained and are in full
force and effect for the operations and properties of each Obligor, and
each Obligor is in compliance in all material respects with all such
Environmental Permits; and
|
(b)
|
none
of the Obligors has been notified in writing by any person that it or any
of its subsidiaries or Affiliates is potentially liable for the remedial
or other costs with respect to treatment, storage, disposal, release,
arrangement for disposal or transportation of any Environmentally
Sensitive Material, except for costs incurred in the ordinary course of
business with respect to treatment, storage, disposal or transportation of
such Environmentally Sensitive
Material.
|
9.15
|
Subsidiaries; Ownership of
Borrower. The Borrower does not have any
subsidiaries. All of the outstanding equity of the Borrower has
been validly issued, is fully paid, non-assessable and free and clear of
all liens and is owned beneficially and of record by the
Guarantor.
|
9.16
|
Investment Company, Holding
Company, Etc. None of the Obligors is (a) an
“investment company,” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or
“principal underwriter” for, an “investment company,” as such terms are
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or (b) a
“holding company” or a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company” or an
affiliate of a “holding company” or of a “subsidiary company” of a
“holding company” or a “public utility” within the meaning of the Public
Utility Holding Company of 1935, as amended, or (c) a “public
utility” within the meaning of the Federal Power Act of 1920, as
amended.
|
9.17
|
Asset
Control. None of the Obligors is a “national” of any
“designated foreign country” within the meaning of the Foreign Assets
Control Regulations or the Cuban Asset Control Regulations of the U.S.
Treasury Department, 31 C.F.R., Subtitle B, Chapter V, as
amended, or a “specially designated national” listed by the Office of
Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, or any regulations or rulings issued
thereunder. Neither the making of the Advance nor the use of
the proceeds thereof nor the performance by the Borrower of its
obligations under any of the Finance Documents to which it is a party
violates any statute, regulation or executive order restricting loans to,
investments in, or the export of assets to, foreign countries or entities
doing business there.
|
32
9.18
|
ERISA. None
of the Obligors maintains, or has ever established or maintained, any
employee benefit plan subject to Title IV of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended.
|
9.19
|
Use of
Proceeds. The Borrower is using the proceeds of the Loan
only for the purposes stated in the recitals to this
Agreement.
|
9.20
|
Legal Name, Location and Place
of Business. The Borrower’s exact legal name, as defined
in Section 9-503(a) of the UCC, is correctly set forth on the
signature pages to this Agreement. The Borrower has not
previously changed its name, location, chief executive office, only place
of business, place where it maintains its agreements, type of organization
or jurisdiction of organization. The Borrower is located
(within the meaning of Section 9-307 of the UCC) in Washington, D.C.,
and has its chief executive office or only place of business and the
location at which it conducts its affairs and keeps its records at Vas.
Sofias 1 & Meg. Alexandrou, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx 000 00,
Xxxxxx.
|
9.21
|
Repetition. The
representations and warranties contained in this Clause 9.3 shall be
deemed to be repeated by each Obligor at the commencement of each Interest
Period until all of the Outstanding Indebtedness has been paid in
full.
|
10
|
COVENANTS
|
10.1
|
Affirmative
Covenants. From the date of this Agreement and
throughout the Security Period (unless otherwise
specified):
|
(a)
|
each
Obligor shall duly observe and perform its obligations under this
Agreement, the other Finance Documents, the Memorandum of Agreement and
the charters to which it is or will be a party, and each Obligor shall
promptly notify the Agent of (i) any material default by any party to
the Memorandum of Agreement or charter, and (ii) any significant
damage or injury caused by or to the
Ship;
|
(b)
|
each
Obligor shall notify the Agent, promptly upon becoming aware of the same,
of the occurrence of any Event of Default or Potential Event of Default or
any other event (including any litigation) that might adversely affect the
ability of any Obligor to perform its obligations under this Agreement,
any other Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved
Charter;
|
(c)
|
each
Obligor shall obtain, maintain in full force and effect and comply with
the conditions and restrictions (if any) imposed in connection with each
consent, and shall do all other acts and things, that may from time to
time be necessary or required for the continued due performance of all of
its obligations under this Agreement, the other Finance Documents, the
Memorandum of Agreement and the charters to which it is a party, and shall
deliver a copy of each such consent to the Agent promptly upon its
request;
|
(d)
|
each
Obligor shall comply with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign
laws, ordinances, rules, orders and regulations now in force or hereafter
enacted, including all Environmental Laws and regulations relating to
thereto, the failure to comply with which could reasonably be expected to
have a material adverse effect on the financial
|
33
condition,
assets, operations or business prospects of either Obligor or to affect
adversely the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of this
Agreement, any other Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any
Approved Charter;
|
(e)
|
each
Obligor shall keep proper books of record and account, in which full and
materially correct entries shall be made of all financial transactions and
the assets and business of such Obligor in accordance with Applicable
Accounting Principles acceptable to the Agent, and the Agent shall have
the right to examine the books and records of the Obligors wherever the
same may be kept from time to time as it sees fit, in its sole discretion,
or to cause an examination to be made by a firm of accountants selected by
it;
|
(f)
|
the
Guarantor shall prepare and deliver to the
Agent:
|
(i)
|
within
45 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of each of its
fiscal years, the consolidated unaudited financial results of the Group in
respect of such quarter (including balance sheet, profit and loss account
and quarterly management accounts), and as soon as practicable, but not
later than 120 days after the end of each of its fiscal years, the
consolidated annual audited financial statements of the Group in respect
of such fiscal year, together with reports of and updates on all
off-balance sheet financings and time charter hire commitments of the
Borrower, in each case (A) prepared in accordance with Applicable
Accounting Principles acceptable to the Agent (and in the case of the
consolidated annual financial statements, audited by a firm of independent
auditors reasonably acceptable to the Agent) and (B) certified as
true, complete and correct by the chief financial officer of the
Guarantor;
|
(ii)
|
together
with each financial statement that the Guarantor delivers in
Clause 10.1(f)(i), a Compliance Certificate;
and
|
(iii)
|
such
other financial statements, annual budgets and projections as may be
reasonably requested by the Agent, in each case in such form as the Agent
may reasonably request;
|
(g)
|
each
Obligor shall prepare and timely file all tax returns required to be filed
by it and pay and discharge all taxes imposed upon it or in respect of any
of its property and assets before the same shall become in default, as
well as all lawful claims (including claims for labor, materials and
supplies) that, if unpaid, might become a lien or charge upon the
Collateral or any part thereof, except in each case, such taxes (i) that
are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or (ii) the
failure of which to pay or discharge could not reasonably be expected to
have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, assets,
operations or business prospects of either Obligor or to affect adversely
the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of this
Agreement, any other Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any
Approved Charter;
|
34
(h)
|
each
Obligor shall permit each person designated by the Agent to visit and
inspect the Ship, at the risk and cost of the Obligors, at such times and
so often as the Agent may reasonably require, provided that no such
visit or inspection shall unduly interfere with the operation of the
Ship;
|
(i)
|
the
Borrower shall cause the Ship at all times to be (i) kept in a good
and safe condition and state of repair that is consistent with first class
ship ownership and management practice, (ii) in compliance with all
laws and regulations applicable to vessels registered under the law of the
Approved Flag in which the Ship is registered and trading to any
jurisdiction to which the Ship may trade from time to time,
(iii) managed by an Approved Manager, or an Approved Manager and an
Approved Technical Submanager, in accordance with vessel management
agreements and vessel technical submanagement agreements acceptable to the
Agent and that shall each have executed and delivered a Manager’s
Undertaking to the Agent, (iv) registered under the law of an
Approved Flag state, and (v) classed with the Classification Society
in the highest classification and rating for vessels of the same age and
type without any outstanding conditions or recommendations affecting class
(other than those for which the time prescribed for curing the condition
or recommendation has not passed);
|
(j)
|
the
Borrower shall (i) cause the operator of the Ship to comply, in all
material respects within the requisite applicable time limits for vessels
of the same type, size, age and flag as the Ship, with the ISM Code and,
in particular, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, as
and when required to do so by the ISM Code and at all times thereafter,
(ii) cause the operator of the Ship to hold a valid Document of
Compliance and Safety Management Certificate with respect to the Ship,
(iii) provide the Agent with copies of each such Document of
Compliance and Safety Management Certificate promptly following the
issuance thereof and after every renewal and (iv) cause to kept on board
the Ship a copy of such Document of Compliance and the original of such
Safety Management Certificate;
|
(k)
|
the
Borrower shall:
|
(i)
|
maintain
a valid International Ship Security Certificate with respect to the
Ship;
|
(ii)
|
cause
the Ship’s security system and associated security equipment to comply
with the applicable requirements of Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS and
Part A of the ISPS Code; and
|
(iii)
|
maintain
an approved ship security plan with respect to the
Ship;
|
(l)
|
each
Obligor shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and
keep in full force and effect its corporate
existence;
|
(m)
|
the
Borrower shall maintain insurance on the Ship as required by the terms of
the Mortgage;
|
35
(n)
|
each
Obligor shall maintain insurance on all of its properties other than the
Ship, payable in United States Dollars, with responsible companies, in
such amounts and against such risks as is usually carried by owners of
similar businesses and properties in the same general areas in which it
operates, and as shall be satisfactory to the Majority
Lenders;
|
(o)
|
except
as otherwise required by any Finance Document or to the extent the failure
to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
effect on the financial condition, assets, operations or business
prospects of any Obligor or to affect adversely the legality, validity,
binding effect or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Finance
Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved Charter, each
Obligor shall maintain and preserve all of its properties that are used or
useful in the conduct of its business in good working order and condition,
ordinary wear and tear excepted;
|
(p)
|
the
Borrower shall use the proceeds of the Loan solely for the purposes
referenced in Clause 2.2;
|
(q)
|
the
Borrower shall furnish to the Agent a true and complete copy of the
Memorandum of Agreement and each charter to which it becomes a party after
the date hereof and a true and complete copy of each material amendment or
other modification thereto promptly following the execution and delivery
thereof;
|
(r)
|
each
Obligor shall take, or cause to be taken, such actions as may be
reasonably required to mitigate potential liability to it arising out of
pollution incidents or as may be reasonably required to protect the
interests of the Credit Parties with respect
thereto;
|
(s)
|
the
Borrower shall cause all loans made by the Guarantor or any other
Affiliate to it and all sums and other obligations (financial or
otherwise) owed by it to any Approved Manager to be fully subordinated to
all Secured Liabilities of the
Borrower;
|
(t)
|
the
Borrower shall procure and deliver to the Agent, in each case at the
expense of the Borrower (i) on or before the thirtieth day following each
of the second and fourth anniversaries of the Effective Date, a written
appraisal report prepared by the Broker setting forth the Fair Market
Value of the Ship as of such anniversary, and (ii) promptly following
the Agent’s request therefor so long as an Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing, such other interim valuation reports that the
Agent may request in each case prepared by the Broker and setting forth
the Fair Market Value of the Ship as of any date requested by the Agent
and following such request;
|
(u)
|
the
Guarantor shall be the sole legal and beneficial shareholder of the
Borrower;
|
(v)
|
the
Guarantor shall:
|
(i)
|
maintain,
at all times until the end of the Security Period, a minimum amount of
$25,000,000 in bank accounts in its name or in the name of any of
a
|
36
|
member
of the Group and agreed by the Agent in writing from time to time, and for
the purposes of this Clause 10.1(v)(i) the expression “bank accounts”
shall exclude any bank accounts that shall be subject to any Security
Interest;
|
(ii)
|
cause
its Net Asset Value to exceed $125,000,000 at all times until the end of
the Security Period; and
|
(iii)
|
cause
its Book Equity to exceed $100,000,000 at all times until the end of the
Security Period;
|
provided
that (A) the compliance of the Guarantor with the covenants set out in this
Clause 10.1(v) shall be determined on the basis of calculations made by the
Agent at any time by reference to the latest consolidated financial statements
of the Group delivered to the Agent pursuant to Clause 10.1(f) and the
Agent shall be entitled to make such determinations and calculations at any time
when, and in relation to any period in relation to which, the Guarantor shall be
obliged to comply with each of the covenants put in this Clause 10.1(v)
without regard to when any such financial statements are due to be delivered or
have been actually delivered to the Agent; (B) for the purposes of this
Clause 10.1(v), no item shall be deducted or credited more than once in any
calculation; and any amount expressed in a currency other than Dollars shall be
converted into Dollars in accordance with Applicable Accounting Principles;
(C) each of the Relevant Ships shall, for the purposes of this
Clause 10.1(v) and the definitions relevant thereto be valued in Dollars as
and when the Agent shall require and each such valuation shall be made by an
independent firm of shipbrokers appointed by the Agent without, unless required
by the Agent, physical inspection, and on the basis of a sale for prompt
delivery for cash at arm’s length, on normal commercial terms as between a
willing buyer and a willing seller and without taking into account the benefit
of any charterparty or other employment of such Relevant Ship and the value of
each of the Relevant Ships determined in accordance with the provisions of this
Clause 10.1(v) shall be binding upon the parties hereto for the purposes of
calculating the Total Market Value Adjusted Assets until such time as any
further such valuations shall be calculated; (D) the Guarantor shall supply
to each of the Agent and such shipbrokers such information concerning any
Relevant Ship and its condition as the Agent or such shipbroker may reasonably
require for the purpose of making any such valuation; and (E) all costs in
connection with the Agent obtaining any valuation of each of the Relevant Ships
referred to in this Clause 10.1(v) shall be borne by the
Borrower;
(w)
|
the
Borrower shall (i) ensure that no person who owns a controlling
interest in or otherwise controls the Borrower or any subsidiary thereof
is or shall be listed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked
Person List or other similar lists maintained by OFAC or included in any
Executive Orders, (ii) comply, and cause each of its subsidiaries to
comply, with all applicable Bank Secrecy Act laws and regulations, as
amended, and (iii) not use or permit the use of the proceeds of the
Loan to violate any of the foreign asset control regulations of OFAC or
any enabling statute or Executive Order relating thereto;
and
|
(x)
|
from
time to time and at its expense, each Obligor shall duly execute and
deliver to the Agent such further documents and assurances as the Majority
Lenders or the Agent
may request to effectuate the purposes of this Agreement and the other
Finance Documents or to obtain the full benefit of any of the
Collateral.
|
37
10.2
|
Negative
Covenants. Without the prior written consent of the
Majority Lenders:
|
(a)
|
none
of the Obligors will create, assume or permit to exist any Security
Interest whatsoever upon any of its properties or assets, whether now
owned or hereafter acquired, except for (i) the Security Interests
created by the Finance Documents to which it is a party, (ii) the
Security Interests created by the Junior Security Documents to which it is
a party, but only so long as all Security Interests created by the Junior
Security Documents shall be subject and subordinate to the Security
Interests created by the Finance Documents, and (iii) liens that
arise by operation of law in the ordinary course of business, the failure
of which to pay or discharge could not reasonably be expected to have a
material adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, operations or
business prospects of any Obligor or to affect adversely the legality,
validity, binding effect or enforceability of this Agreement, any other
Finance Document, the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved
Charter;
|
(b)
|
none
of the Obligors shall sell, transfer or lease all of or a substantial
portion of its properties and assets, or enter into any transaction of
merger or consolidation or liquidate, windup or dissolve itself (or suffer
any liquidation or dissolution), except that, so long as no Event of
Default or Potential Event of Default shall have occurred or be continuing
or would occur or be continuing immediately after giving effect to such
transaction:
|
(i)
|
the
Borrower may sell the Ship, but only if the proceeds of the sale are
applied in accordance with Clause 7.4 and the sale of the Ship is
effected pursuant to an arm’s length transaction for fair market value;
and
|
(ii)
|
the
Borrower may charter or lease the Ship in accordance with
Clause 10.2(c);
|
(c)
|
the
Borrower shall not charter the Ship, or permit the Ship to be chartered or
sub-chartered, to any person, or permit any person to have possession or
the right to use or direct the use of the Ship, except that the Borrower
may:
|
(i)
|
charter
the Ship to an Approved Charterer pursuant to the terms of an Approved
Charter assigned as Collateral to the Security Trustee for the benefit of
the Credit Parties pursuant to a Charter
Assignment;
|
(ii)
|
permit
each charterer of the Ship to charter or sub-charter the Ship to an
Approved Charterer pursuant to the terms of a charter that is an Approved
Charter but is not an Option B Time Charter or the Initial Approved
Charter; and
|
(iii)
|
cause
or permit the Ship to be managed by an Approved Manager, or an Approved
Manager and an Approved Technical Submanager, pursuant to
|
38
vessel management and technical submanagement agreements acceptable to the Agent; |
(d)
|
neither
of the Obligors shall enter into any transaction or series of related
transactions, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, with any
Affiliate or subsidiary, other than on terms and conditions substantially
as favorable to such person as would be obtainable by such person at the
time in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a person other than an
Affiliate or subsidiary;
|
(e)
|
neither
of the Obligors shall make or permit any change in accounting policies
affecting (i) the presentation of financial statements or
(ii) reporting practices, except in either case except as required by
Applicable Accounting Principles or as may be acceptable to the Agent with
the consent of the Majority
Lenders;
|
(f)
|
the
Borrower shall not engage in any business other the execution, delivery
and performance of its obligations under this Agreement, the other Finance
Documents to which it is or will be a party, and the Junior Loan
Documents, the ownership of the Ship, and the execution, delivery and
performance of its obligations under the Memorandum of Agreement and each
charter and management agreement to which it is a party relating to the
Ship and permitted by the terms of this Agreement, the other Finance
Documents to which it is or will be a party, and the Junior Loan
Documents;
|
(g)
|
the
Borrower shall not transfer or change or permit the transfer or change of
the flag of the Ship from the Approved Flag in which the Ship is
registered on the Actual Drawdown Date or change the classification or the
Classification Society of the Ship except with the prior written consent
of the Majority Lenders, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, or
do or allow to be done anything as a result of which such registration or
classification might be imperiled or
cancelled;
|
(h)
|
the
Borrower shall not replace any Approved Manager or permit the appointment
or replacement of any Approved Technical Submanager for the Ship or agree
or consent to any material amendment or other modification of the terms of
any of technical or commercial management agreements relating to the Ship,
including any increase in the rate of compensation payable thereunder,
except with the prior written consent of the Majority Lenders, such
consent not to be unreasonably withheld; provided that, subject
to the requirements of Clause 10.1(i), the Borrower may at any time
and in its discretion replace the manager of the Ship with any Approved
Manager and may permit any Approved Manager to appoint any Approved
Technical Submanager with respect to the Ship or to replace any technical
submanager of the Ship with any Approved Technical
Submanager;
|
(i)
|
the
Borrower shall not permit any act, event or circumstance that would result
in the Guarantor holding directly less than 100% of the Borrower’s
equity;
|
(j)
|
the
Borrower shall not incur any Financial Indebtedness other than the Loan
and pursuant to pursuant to the Junior
Guarantee;
|
(k)
|
the
Borrower shall not declare or pay any dividends or return any capital to
its equity holders or authorize or make any other distribution, payment or
delivery of property
|
39
or cash to its equity holders, or redeem, retire, purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, for value, any share of any class of its capital stock or other form of equity interest (or require any rights, options or warrants relating thereto but not including convertible debt) now or hereafter outstanding, or repay any subordinated shareholder loans or set aside any funds for any of the foregoing purposes; |
(l)
|
the
Borrower shall not increase its capital by way of the creation of
preference securities, further common or ordinary securities or otherwise
howsoever, or create any new class of
equity;
|
(m)
|
the
Borrowers shall not permit any material amendment of or other modification
to the Memorandum of Agreement or any Approved Charter, which, in the case
of any Approved Charter, shall include any amendment or other modification
of the day rates, the allocation of expenses or any provision relating to
the term or termination of such Approved
Charter;
|
(n)
|
the
Borrower shall not make any loan or advance to, make any investment in, or
enter into any working capital maintenance or similar agreement with
respect to any person, whether by acquisition of stock or indebtedness, by
loan, guarantee or otherwise, except pursuant to the Junior
Guarantee;
|
(o)
|
the
Borrower shall not acquire any capital assets (including any vessel other
than the Ship) by purchase, charter or otherwise; provided that nothing in
this Clause 10.2(o) shall prevent or be deemed to prevent capital
improvements being made to the
Ship;
|
(p)
|
the
Borrower shall not enter into any arrangements, directly or indirectly,
with any person whereby it shall sell or transfer, or shall be obligated
to sell or transfer, any property, whether real or personal, and used or
useful in its business, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, if at the
time of such sale or disposition, the Borrower shall intend to lease or
otherwise acquire the right to use or possess (except by purchase) such
property or like property for a substantially similar
purpose;
|
(q)
|
the
Borrower shall not change the jurisdiction of its incorporation or amend
its organizational documents except in connection with a merger or
consolidation that is not prohibited by the terms of
Clause 10.2(b);
|
(r)
|
the
Borrower shall not change its name, type or jurisdiction of organization
or location from the name, type or jurisdiction of organization, or
location set forth on the signature pages to this Agreement or in
Clause 9.1(a) or 9.19, as the case may be, without first giving at
least 30 days’ prior written notice to the Agent and the Security Trustee
and taking all action required by the Agent or the Security Trustee for
the purpose of perfecting or protecting the security interest granted by
the Security Documents; and
|
(s)
|
the
Guarantor shall not permit the appointment of any chief executive officer
other than Xx. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx without the prior written consent of
the Majority Lenders.
|
40
10.3
|
Value
Maintenance.
|
(a)
|
If,
at any time during the first two years following the Effective Date, the
Fair Market Value of the Ship and any additional Collateral provided
pursuant to this Clause 10.3(a) shall be less than 140% of the
Required Fair Market Value as at such time, or if at any time thereafter,
the Fair Market Value of the Ship and any additional Collateral provided
pursuant to this Clause 10.3(a) shall be less than 130% of the Required
Fair Market Value as at such time, the Agent (acting upon the instruction
of the Majority Lenders) shall have the right to require the Borrower and
the Guarantor, within 30 Business Days of the date of the written demand
of the Agent therefor, either (i) to prepay the Loan in such amount as may
be necessary to cause such Fair Market Value of the Ship to equal or
exceed 140% or 130%, as the case may be, of the Required Fair Market Value
as at such time or (ii) to provide such additional Collateral as may be
acceptable to the Agent in its sole reasonable discretion (acting upon the
instruction of the Majority Lenders) so that Fair Market Value of the Ship
and additional Collateral provided pursuant to this Clause 10.3(a)
shall equal or exceed 140% or 130%, as the case may be, of the Required
Fair Market Value as at such time, and the Obligors shall comply with any
such written demand made by the
Agent.
|
(b)
|
Any
prepayment required by this Clause 10.3 shall be subject to the
requirements of Clauses 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8 and
7.9.
|
10.4
|
Clear
Market. Without the prior written consent of the Agent,
neither of the Obligors shall, and the Guarantor shall not permit any of
its Affiliates to, syndicate or issue, attempt to syndicate or issue,
announce or authorize the announcement of the syndication or issuance of,
or engage in discussions concerning the syndication or issuance of, any
debt facility or debt security (including any renewals thereof) for a
period of two months following the date
hereof.
|
10.5
|
Forward Freight
Agreements. Neither of the Obligors shall enter into any
forward freight agreements with counterparties other than DVB Bank AG or
its Affiliates without the prior written consent of the
Agent.
|
11
|
GUARANTY
|
11.1
|
Guaranty. To
induce the Lenders to make the Loan to the Borrower, and to induce the
Swap Bank to enter into Designated Transactions with the Borrower, the
Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees (this “Guaranty”), as a primary
obligor and not merely as a surety, the performance and punctual payment
when due, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, of all
Secured Liabilities of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this
Agreement and the other Finance Documents, whether for principal,
interest, fees, expenses or otherwise (collectively, the “Guaranteed Obligations”)
due or owing to the Credit Parties, and agrees to pay any and all expenses
(including counsel fees and expenses) incurred by each Credit Party in
enforcing any rights under this Guaranty. The obligations of
the Guarantor under this Guaranty are in addition to and shall not in any
way be prejudiced by any other guaranty or security now or subsequently
held by any Credit Party.
|
41
11.2
|
Obligations
Absolute. The Guarantor guarantees that the Guaranteed
Obligations will be performed and paid to the Credit Parties strictly in
accordance with the terms of any applicable agreement, express or implied,
of the Borrower, regardless of any law, regulation or order of any
jurisdiction affecting any term of any Guaranteed Obligation or the rights
of the Credit Parties with respect thereto, including any law, rule or
policy that is now or hereafter promulgated by any governmental authority
(including any central bank) or regulatory body any of which may adversely
affect the Borrower’s ability or obligation to make, or right of the
Credit Parties to receive, such payments, including any sovereign act or
circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense to, or a legal or
equitable discharge of, the
Borrower.
|
11.3
|
Guaranty
Unconditional. The liability of the Guarantor hereunder
shall be unconditional irrespective of, and the Guarantor hereby waives
any defenses it may have with respect
to:
|
(a)
|
any
lack of validity or enforceability of any Guaranteed Obligation or
agreement or instrument relating
thereto;
|
(b)
|
any
change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in any other term
of, any Guaranteed Obligation;
|
(c)
|
any
exchange, release or non-perfection of any other Collateral securing
payment of any Guaranteed
Obligation;
|
(d)
|
any
moratorium, bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law or any other law,
regulation or order of any jurisdiction affecting any term of any
Guaranteed Obligation or a Credit Party’s rights with respect thereto;
or
|
(e)
|
any
other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to,
or the discharge of, the Borrower or the
Guarantor.
|
11.4
|
Waiver of Subrogation;
Contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Guaranty, until payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations in cash
and the termination of the commitments of the Lenders and the Swap Bank
with respect thereto:
|
(a)
|
the
Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives any right to assert, enforce, or
otherwise exercise any right of subrogation to any of the rights, security
interests, claims, or liens that any Credit Party has or may have against
the Borrower in respect of the Guaranteed
Obligations;
|
(b)
|
the
Guarantor shall not have any right of recourse, reimbursements,
contribution, indemnification, or similar right (by contract or otherwise)
against the Borrower in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations;
and
|
(c)
|
the
Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives any and all of the foregoing rights
and also irrevocably waives the benefit of, and any right to participate
in, any Collateral or other security given to the Credit Parties to secure
payment of the Guaranteed
Obligations.
|
42
11.5
|
Reinstatement. This
Guaranty shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may
be, if at any time any payment of any of the Guaranteed Obligations is
rescinded or must otherwise be returned by any Credit
Party.
|
11.6
|
Waiver. The
Guarantor waives promptness, diligence and notices with respect to any
Guaranteed Obligation and this Guaranty and any requirement that a Credit
Party exhaust any right or take any action against the Borrower or any
other entity or any of its
property.
|
11.7
|
Payments; No
Reductions.
|
(a)
|
All
payments under this Guaranty shall be made in accordance with
Clauses 12, 16, and 17 of this
Agreement.
|
(b)
|
The
Guarantor agrees to pay any and all taxes that arise from any payment made
hereunder or from the execution, delivery or registration by such
Guarantor of, or otherwise with respect to, this
Agreement.
|
(c)
|
The
Guarantor shall indemnify each Credit Party in accordance with
Clause 16.
|
(d)
|
Within
30 days after the date of any payment of taxes, the Guarantor shall
furnish to each Credit Party at its address for notices, the original or a
certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof. If no
taxes are payable in respect of any payment, the Guarantor will furnish to
each Credit Party a certificate from each appropriate taxing authority, or
an opinion of counsel acceptable to each Credit Party, in either case
stating that such payment is exempt from or not subject to
taxes.
|
11.8
|
Continuing
Guarantee. This Guaranty (a) is a continuing
guaranty, (b) is joint and several with each other guarantee given in
respect of the Guaranteed Obligations, (c) shall, subject to
Clause 11.5, remain in full force and effect until the later of the
termination of the Commitments under this Agreement and the payment in
full of the Guaranteed Obligations and all other amounts payable pursuant
to the Finance Documents and (d) shall be binding upon the Guarantor,
its successors and permitted assigns. The obligations of the
Guarantor under this Guaranty shall rank pari passu with all other
unsecured obligations of the
Guarantor.
|
12
|
PAYMENTS
AND CALCULATIONS
|
12.1
|
Currency and Method of
Payments. All payments to be made by either Obligor
under the Finance Documents shall be made to the
Agent:
|
(a)
|
not
later than 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the due
date;
|
(b)
|
in
same-day Dollar funds settled through the New York Clearing House
Interbank Payments System (or in such other Dollar funds or settled in
such other manner as the Agent shall specify as being customary at the
time for the settlement of international transactions of the type
contemplated by this Agreement);
and
|
(c)
|
to
the account and in favor of the Agent at HSBC Bank USA, New York, New
York, ABA No. 000000000, SWIFT: XXXXXX00, for credit to 1700006231,
Reference:
|
43
Top Ships, or to such other account with such other bank as the Agent may from time to time notify to the Obligors. |
12.2
|
Payment on a Non-Business
Day. If any payment by either Obligor under a Finance
Document would otherwise fall due on a day that is not a Business
Day:
|
(a)
|
the
due date shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day;
or
|
(b)
|
if
the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next calendar month, the due
date shall be brought forward to the immediately preceding Business
Day;
|
and
interest shall be payable during any extension under Clause 12.2(a) at the
rate payable on the original due date.
12.3
|
Basis for Calculation of
Periodic Payments. All interest, commitment fees and any
other payments under any Finance Document that are of an annual or
periodic nature shall accrue from day to day and shall be calculated on
the basis of the actual number of days elapsed and a 360-day
year.
|
12.4
|
Distribution of Payments to
Credit Parties. Subject to Clauses 12.2, 12.6 and
12.7:
|
(a)
|
each
amount received by the Agent under a Finance Document for distribution or
remittance to a Lender shall be made available by the Agent to such Lender
by payment to such account indicated by notice from such Lender to the
Agent not less than five Business Days prior to the date on which such
payment is to be made; and
|
(b)
|
amounts
to be applied in satisfaction of amounts of a particular category that are
due to the Lenders generally shall be distributed by the Agent to each
Lender pro rata to the amount in that category that is due to
it.
|
12.5
|
Permitted Deductions by
Agent. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement or any other Finance Document to the contrary, the Agent may, to
the extent permitted by applicable law and before making an amount
available to a Lender, deduct and withhold from that amount any sum that
is then due and payable to the Agent from such Lender under any Finance
Document or any sum that the Agent is then entitled under any Finance
Document to require such Lender to pay on
demand.
|
12.6
|
Agent Only Obliged to Pay
Monies Received. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Agreement or any other Finance Document to the contrary, the Agent
shall not be obligated to make available to the Borrower or any Lender any
sum that the Agent is expecting to receive for remittance or distribution
to the Borrower or that Lender until the Agent has satisfied itself that
it has actually received that sum.
|
12.7
|
Refund to Agent of Monies Not
Received. Except as is otherwise provided in
Clause 3.4(b) of this Agreement, if and to the extent that the Agent
makes available a sum to the Borrower or a Lender without first having
received that sum, the Borrower or (as the case may be) the Lender
concerned shall, on demand:
|
(a)
|
refund
the sum in full to the Agent; and
|
44
(b)
|
pay
to the Agent the amount (as certified by the Agent) that will indemnify
the Agent against any funding or other loss, liability or expense incurred
by the Agent as a result of making the sum available before receiving
it.
|
12.8
|
Agent May Assume
Receipt. Clause 12.7 shall not affect any claim
that the Agent has under the law of restitution, and applies irrespective
of whether the Agent had any form of notice that it had not received the
sum that it made available (except an express notice from a Lender that it
will not fund its Ratable Portion of the
Advance).
|
12.9
|
Credit Party
Accounts. Each Credit Party shall maintain accounts
showing the amounts owing to it by the Borrower under the Finance
Documents and all payments in respect of those amounts made by the
Obligors.
|
12.10
|
Agent’s Memorandum
Account. The Agent shall maintain a memorandum account
showing the amounts advanced by the Lenders and all other sums owing to
the Agent, the Security Trustee and each Lender from the Obligors under
the Finance Documents and all payments in respect of those amounts made by
the Obligors.
|
12.11
|
Accounts Prima
Facie
Evidence. If the accounts maintained under
Clauses 12.9 and 12.10 show an amount to be owing by any Obligor to a
Credit Party, those accounts shall be prima facie evidence
that that amount is owing to that Credit
Party.
|
13
|
APPLICATION
OF RECEIPTS
|
13.1
|
Normal Order of
Application. Except as this Agreement or any other
Finance Document may otherwise provide, any sums that are received or
recovered by the Agent or the Security Trustee under or by virtue of any
Finance Document shall be paid to the account of the Agent identified in
Clause 12.1(c) and applied by the Agent in the following
manner:
|
|
FIRST:
|
in
or towards payment of all sums (other than principal of the Loan or
interest owing in respect thereof or amounts due under the Master
Agreement) that may be owing to any Credit Party under this Agreement and
the other Finance Documents (or any of them), including any amounts due
under Clause 16;
|
SECOND:
|
in
or towards payment of any accrued default interest due but unpaid under
Clause 6;
|
|
THIRD:
|
in
or towards payment of any accrued interest due but unpaid under
Clause 4;
|
FOURTH:
|
in
or towards payment, on a pro rata basis, of any amounts then due under the
Master Agreement and any principal due but unpaid under Clause 7,
provided that any
amounts in payment of any principal due under Clause 7 shall be
applied to the outstanding principal balance of the Loan as provided
therein;
|
|
FIFTH:
|
in
or towards payment of the balance (if any) of the Outstanding
Indebtedness; and
|
|
SIXTH:
|
any
surplus shall be paid to the Borrower as it
directs.
|
45
13.2
|
Application of Credit
Balances. Each Credit Party may, upon not less than
seven days’ prior notice to each Obligor or, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, without prior notice if an Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing:
|
(a)
|
apply
any balance (whether or not then due) that at any time shall be standing
to the credit of any account in the name of any Obligor at any office of
such Credit Party in any country in or towards satisfaction of any sum
then due from that Obligor to such Credit Party under any of the Finance
Documents; and
|
(b)
|
for
that purpose:
|
(i)
|
break,
or alter the maturity of, all or any part of a deposit of that
Obligor;
|
(ii)
|
convert
or translate all or any part of a deposit or other credit balance into
Dollars;
|
(iii)
|
enter
into any other transaction or make any entry with regard to the credit
balance that such Credit Party considers
appropriate.
|
Each
Credit Party (other than the Agent) shall promptly notify the Agent of each
amount applied pursuant to this Clause 13.2 in or towards satisfaction of
any sum then due from any Obligor to such Credit Party under any of the Finance
Documents.
13.3
|
Other Rights
Unaffected. A Credit Party shall not be obliged to
exercise any of its rights under Clause 13.2 and those rights shall
be without prejudice and in addition to any right of set-off, combination
of accounts, charge, lien or other right or remedy to which such Credit
Party is entitled (whether under the general law or any
document).
|
13.4
|
Payments in Excess of Ratable
Share. If any Lender shall obtain any payment (whether
voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of set-off,
counterclaim or otherwise) on account of its portion of the Loan and in
excess of its ratable share of payments on account of the Loan obtained by
all the Lenders, such Lender shall forthwith purchase from the other
Lenders such participation in their respective portions of the Loan as
shall be necessary to share the excess payment ratably with each of them;
provided that if
all or any portion of such excess payment shall be thereafter recovered by
any other Lender from the purchasing Lender, such purchase from such other
Lender shall be rescinded and such other Lender shall repay to the
purchasing Lender the purchase price to the extent of such recovery
together with an amount equal to such Lender’s ratable share (according to
the proportion of (a) the amount of such Lender’s required repayment
to (b) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Lender) of
any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Lender in
respect of the total amount so recovered. The Borrower agrees
that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender pursuant
to this Clause 13.4 may, to the fullest extent permitted by law,
exercise all of its rights of payment (including any right of set-off)
with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the
direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such
participation. Notwithstanding the preceding sentences of this
Clause 13.4, any Lender that shall have commenced or joined (as a
plaintiff) in an action or proceeding in any court to recover sums due to
it under this Agreement or any other Finance Document and pursuant to a
judgment obtained therein or a settlement or compromise of that
action or proceeding shall have received any amount, shall not be
|
46
required
to share any proportion of that amount with any Lender that shall have had
the legal right to, but shall not have joined such action or proceeding or
commenced and diligently prosecuted a separate action or proceeding to
enforce its rights in the same or another court. Each Lender
exercising or contemplating exercising any right giving rise to a receipt
or receiving any payment of the type referred to in this Clause 13.4
or instituting legal proceedings to recover sums owing to it under this
Agreement shall, as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, give notice
thereof to the Agent, which shall give notice thereof to the other
Lenders.
|
14
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
|
14.1
|
Events of
Default. There shall be an Event of Default
if:
|
(a)
|
any
sum payable under this Agreement or any of the other Finance Documents
shall not be paid when due; or
|
(b)
|
either
Obligor or any other party (other than a Credit Party) shall commit any
breach of or fail to perform any of its obligations, covenants or
undertakings in this Agreement or any other Finance Document (except as
provided in Clause 14.1(a)) or any event of default, or any event or
circumstance that with the giving of any notice, the lapse of time or both
would constitute an event of default, shall occur under any other Finance
Document; or
|
(c)
|
any
representation or warranty made by either Obligor or any other party
(other than a Credit Party) in or pursuant to this Agreement or any other
Finance Document shall prove to have been incorrect in any material
respect when made or deemed made or confirmed;
or
|
(d)
|
any
principal of or interest on any Financial Indebtedness of either Obligor
(other than the Financial Indebtedness payable pursuant to this Agreement
or any other Finance Document) shall not be paid when due, subject to any
agreed cure period but only so long as cure shall be made in accordance
with the terms thereof and in any event on or before the thirtieth day
after such principal or interest shall be due;
or
|
(e)
|
any
event of default, or any event or circumstance that, with the giving of
any notice, the lapse of time or both would constitute an event of
default, shall occur under any agreement (other than the Finance
Documents) to which either of the Obligors or a Principal Subsidiary is a
party, including any charter party or other contract of employment for the
Ship; or
|
(f)
|
any
of the consents referred to in Clause 9.3 shall be modified in a
manner that shall be unacceptable to the Majority Lenders, shall be
revoked or terminated, shall expire and not be renewed, or otherwise shall
cease to be in full force and effect;
or
|
(g)
|
either
Obligor shall suspend payment of its debts or shall be unable or shall
admit its inability to pay its debts as they fall due or any proceeding
shall be commenced by or against either Obligor for a composition or other
arrangement for the benefit of its creditors generally relating to
reconstruction or readjustment of it or its debts or any
|
47
similar process or proceeding shall be instituted by or against either Obligor under the laws of any relevant jurisdiction; or |
(h)
|
either
Obligor shall take any action or any legal proceedings shall be started or
other steps shall be taken for:
|
(i)
|
such
Obligor to be adjudicated or found bankrupt or
insolvent;
|
(ii)
|
the
winding-up or dissolution of such Obligor;
or
|
(iii)
|
the
appointment of a liquidator, trustee, receiver or similar officer of such
Obligor or of the whole or any part of its undertakings, assets, rights or
revenues or any similar process or proceeding shall be instituted under
the laws of any relevant jurisdiction;
or
|
(i)
|
either
Obligor ceases or threatens to cease to carry on its business except, with
respect to the Borrower, in the case of a sale or a proposed sale of the
Ship; or
|
(j)
|
all
or a material part of the undertakings, assets, rights or revenues of, or
shares or other ownership interest in, either Obligor shall be seized,
nationalized, expropriated or compulsorily acquired by or under authority
of any government; or
|
(k)
|
a
creditor shall attach or take possession of, or a distress, execution,
sequestration or process (each an “action”) shall be levied
or enforced upon or sued out against, a material part of the undertakings,
assets, rights or revenues of either Obligor in relation to a claim by
such creditor and such action shall not have been lifted, vacated,
released or expunged, or substitute security posted, within 10 Business
Days of such action having been instituted;
or
|
(l)
|
the
Guarantor shall cease to be the legal and beneficial owner of all of the
issued and outstanding shares of the Borrower;
or
|
(m)
|
the
Ship shall be a Total Loss and insurance proceeds with respect to such
Total Loss shall not be collected or received by the Security Trustee
within 150 days thereafter; or
|
(n)
|
any
provision of this Agreement shall cease to be valid and binding on or
enforceable against either Obligor or such Obligor shall so state in
writing, or any other Finance Document executed and delivered by either
Obligor shall for any reason cease to be valid and binding on or
enforceable against such Obligor or any such Obligor shall so state in
writing; or
|
(o)
|
any
Security Document shall cease for any reason (other than pursuant to the
terms thereof) after the execution and delivery thereof to create (i) in
the case of the Mortgage, a valid first priority preferred mortgage under
the laws of the Republic of Liberia on the Ship described therein or (ii)
in the case of the Earnings Assignment, Insurance Assignment or Charter
Assignment, a valid first-priority perfected lien on the Collateral
described therein; or
|
48
(p)
|
any
Approved Charter shall cease to be in full force and effect at any time
after such Approved Charter shall have been executed and delivered by the
parties thereto; or
|
(q)
|
it
shall be impossible or unlawful:
|
(i)
|
for
either Obligor or any other party (other than a Credit Party) to fulfill
any of the covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement or any
other Finance Document; or
|
(ii)
|
for
any Credit Party to exercise any of the rights vested in it under this
Agreement or any other Finance Documents;
or
|
(r)
|
in
the reasonable opinion of the Majority Lenders, a material adverse change
in the financial condition of either Obligor shall occur;
or
|
(s)
|
any
other event occurs or circumstance shall occur that, in the reasonable
opinion of the Majority Lenders, shall likely materially and adversely
affect:
|
(i)
|
the
ability of either Obligor or any other party (other than a Credit Party)
to perform all or any of its respective obligations under or otherwise to
perform its obligations under this Agreement or any other Finance
Document; or
|
(ii)
|
the
security created by any Collateral.
|
14.2
|
Actions Following an Event of
Default. If at any time an Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing, the Agent may and, if so instructed by the
Majority Lenders, shall:
|
(a)
|
serve
on the Borrower a notice stating that all obligations of the Lenders to
the Borrower under this Agreement are terminated at which time such
obligations shall immediately terminate without any further action by any
party hereto; provided that if any Event of Default described in either of
Clauses 14.1(g) and 14.1(h) shall have occurred and be continuing,
such obligations shall be deemed immediately terminated without notice
thereof or any other action by any party
hereto;
|
(b)
|
serve
on the Borrower a notice stating that the Loan, all accrued interest and
all other amounts accrued or owing under this Agreement are immediately
due and payable at which time the Loan, all accrued interest and all other
amounts accrued or owing by the Obligors under this Agreement and the
other Finance Documents shall become immediately due and payable, and the
Security Trustee shall be entitled to enforce the Security Interests
created by this Agreement and the other Finance Documents in any manner
available to it and in such sequence as the Security Trustee may, in its
absolute discretion, determine; provided that if any
Event of Default described in either of Clauses 14.1(g) and 14.1(h)
shall have occurred and be continuing, the Loan, all such accrued interest
and all such other amounts shall become immediately due and payable and
the Security Trustee shall be entitled to enforce the Security Interests
as provided herein, in each case without notice or demand therefor or any
other action by any party hereto;
and
|
49
(c)
|
take
such other actions that, as a result of such Event of Default or any
notice served pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above, a Credit Party
shall be entitled to take under any Finance Document or any applicable
law.
|
14.3
|
Multiple Notices; Action
without Notice. The Agent may serve notices pursuant to
Clauses 14.2(a) and 14.2(b) simultaneously or at different times and
may take any action referred to in either such Clause even if no such
notice is served or simultaneously with or at any time after the service
of both or either of such notices.
|
15
|
FEES
AND EXPENSES
|
15.1
|
Commitment
Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Agent for the account
of each Lender a commitment fee equal to 0.50% per annum of the undrawn
portion of the Commitment of such Lender from the Effective Date (in the
case of any Initial Lender) and from the effective date specified in the
Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender (in the
case of each other Lender) until the end of the Availability Period,
payable in arrears on the last day of the Availability
Period.
|
15.2
|
Other
Fees. The Guarantor shall pay to DVB Bank America N.V.
for its own account such fees as may from time to time be agreed by DVB
Bank America N.V. and the
Guarantor.
|
15.3
|
Costs of Negotiation,
Preparation, Etc. The Borrower shall pay to the Agent on
demand the amount of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Agent and
each other Credit Party in connection with the negotiation, preparation,
execution, registration and enforcement of each Finance Document and
related document and each transaction contemplated by any Finance Document
or related document, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of
each Credit Party’s legal counsel and any local counsel retained by
them.
|
15.4
|
Costs of Variations,
Amendments, Enforcement, Etc. The Borrower shall pay to
the Agent on demand the amount of all expenses incurred by the Credit
Parties (including the legal fees and disbursements of counsel to the
Credit Parties) in connection with:
|
(a)
|
each
amendment or supplement to any Finance Document, and each proposal for any
such amendment or supplement regardless of whether or not such amendment
or supplement shall become
effective;
|
(b)
|
each
consent or waiver by any Credit Party under or in connection with any
Finance Document, and each request for any such waiver or consent
regardless of whether or not such waiver or consent shall be
given;
|
(c)
|
the
valuation of or any other matter relating to the Collateral or the Ship;
and
|
(d)
|
each
action taken by a Credit Party for the protection, exercise or enforcement
of any right or Security Interest created by any Finance Document or for
any similar purpose.
|
15.5
|
Documentary
Taxes. The Borrower shall promptly pay any tax payable
on or by reference to any Finance Document, and shall, on demand, fully
indemnify any Credit Party against any liabilities and expenses resulting
from any failure or delay by the Borrower to pay such a
tax.
|
50
16
|
INDEMNITIES
|
16.1
|
Indemnities Regarding Borrowing
and Repayment of Loan. The Borrower shall indemnify each
Lender on demand for any and all expenses, liabilities and losses incurred
by such Lender as a result of or in connection
with:
|
(a)
|
the
Advance not being borrowed on the Expected Drawdown Date specified in the
Drawdown Notice for any reason other than a default by such
Lender;
|
(b)
|
the
receipt or recovery of all or any part of the Loan or an overdue sum other
than on the last day of an Interest Period or other relevant
period;
|
(c)
|
any
failure (for whatever reason) by the Borrower to make payment of any
amount due under any Finance Document on the due date (after giving credit
for any default interest paid by the Borrower on the amount
concerned);
|
(d)
|
the
occurrence and continuance of any Event of Default or Potential Event of
Default and the acceleration of repayment of the Loan or any other amounts
pursuant to Clause 14; and
|
(e)
|
any
tax (other than tax on its overall net income imposed by a taxing
jurisdiction in which such Lender is organized, holds or books the Loan or
has a principal place of business) for which such Lender is liable in any
jurisdiction directly in connection with any amount paid or payable to
such Credit Party under any Finance
Document.
|
16.2
|
Breakage
Costs. Without limiting its generality of
Clause 16.1, the expenses, liabilities and losses indemnified by the
Borrower pursuant to Clause 16.1 shall include those incurred by each
Lender:
|
(a)
|
in
liquidating or employing deposits from third parties acquired or arranged
to fund or maintain all or any part of the Loan or any overdue amount (or
any aggregate amount that includes the Loan or any overdue amount);
and
|
(b)
|
in
terminating, or otherwise in connection with, any interest or currency
swap or any other transaction entered into (whether with another legal
entity or with another office or department of such Lender) to hedge any
exposure arising under this Agreement or that part that such Lender
determines is fairly attributable to this Agreement of the amount of the
liabilities, expenses or losses incurred by it in terminating, or
otherwise in connection with, any number of transactions including those
contemplated by this Agreement.
|
16.3
|
Miscellaneous
Indemnities. The Borrower shall indemnify each Credit
Party for any and all claims, demands, proceedings, liabilities, taxes,
losses and expenses of every kind that may be made or brought against, or
incurred by, such Credit Party, in any country, in relation
to:
|
(a)
|
any
action taken, or omitted or neglected to be taken, under or in connection
with any Finance Document by such Credit Party or by any receiver
appointed under a Finance Document;
and
|
51
(b)
|
any
other event, matter or question that occurs or arises at any time during
the Security Period and that has any connection with any payment or other
transaction relating to any Finance Document or any asset covered (or
previously covered) by a Security Interest created (or intended to be
created) by any Finance Document;
|
other
than such claims, demands, proceedings, liabilities, taxes, losses and expenses
that are shown to have been caused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct
of such Credit Party’s own officers or employees.
16.4
|
Other
Indemnities. The Borrower shall indemnify each Credit
Party for any and all reasonable expenses, liabilities and losses incurred
by such Credit Party as a result of or in connection with the enforcement
(whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of the
Finance Documents and any other document to be delivered
hereunder.
|
16.5
|
Currency
Indemnity. If any amount payable by either Obligor to
any Credit Party pursuant to any Finance Document or pursuant to any order
or judgment relating to any Finance Document shall be converted from the
currency in which the Finance Documents require such amount to be paid
(the “Contractual
Currency”) into another currency (the “Payment Currency”) for
the purpose of:
|
(a)
|
making
or lodging any claim or proof against the Borrower, whether in
liquidation, bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise;
or
|
(b)
|
obtaining
an order or a judgment from any court or other tribunal;
or
|
(c)
|
enforcing
any such order or judgment,
|
the
Borrower shall indemnify such Credit Party on demand against any and all losses
arising when the amount of the payment actually received by such Credit Party is
converted at the available rate of exchange into the Contractual
Currency. In this Clause 16.5, the “available rate of exchange”
means the rate at which the Credit Party concerned shall be able at the opening
of business (London time) on the Business Day after it shall have received such
amount concerned to purchase the Contractual Currency with the Payment
Currency. This Clause 16.5 creates a separate liability of the
Borrower that is distinct from its other liabilities under the Finance Documents
and that shall not be merged in any judgment or order relating to those other
liabilities.
16.6
|
Increased
Costs.
|
(a)
|
If,
due to either
|
(i)
|
the
introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or
regulation; or
|
(ii)
|
the
compliance by any Lender with any guideline or request from any central
bank or other governmental authority after the date hereof (whether or not
having the force of law);
|
|
there
shall be
|
52
|
(x)
|
imposed,
modified or deemed applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar
requirement against assets held by, or deposits in or for the account of,
any Lender;
|
|
(y)
|
imposed
on any Lender any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this
Agreement or the Advance made by it, or any change in the basis of
taxation of payments to any Lender in respect thereof (except for taxes
indemnified pursuant to Clause 17);
or
|
|
(z)
|
imposed
on any Lender any other condition relating to this Agreement or the
Advance made by it;
|
and the
result of any event referred to in paragraph (x), (y) or (z) of this
Clause 16.6(a) shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of agreeing to
make or making, funding or maintaining the Advance or to reduce any amount
received or receivable by any Lender hereunder or under any Finance Document
(whether of principal, interest or any other amount), then the Borrower shall
from time to time, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the
Agent) made within 60 days after the first date on which such Lender has actual
knowledge that it is entitled to make demand for payment under this
Clause 16.6(a), pay to the Agent for the account of such Lender additional
amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increased cost; provided that:
|
(A)
|
if
such Lender fails to so notify the Borrower within such 60-day period,
such increased cost shall commence accruing on such later date on which
the Lender notifies the Borrower;
and
|
|
(B)
|
before
making any such demand, such Lender agrees to use reasonable efforts
(consistent with its internal policy and legal and regulatory
restrictions) to designate a different Lending Office if the making of
such a designation would avoid the need for, or reduce the amount of, such
increased cost and would not, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender,
be otherwise disadvantageous to such
Lender.
|
Each
Lender, upon determining that additional amounts needed to compensate it for
such increased cost are payable by the Borrower pursuant to this
Clause 16.6(a), shall give prompt written notice thereof to the Borrower
and the Agent, which notice shall include a certificate submitted to the
Borrower and the Agent by such Lender setting forth in reasonable detail the
basis for and the calculation of such increased cost (such certificate shall be
conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error), although the
failure to give any such notice shall not release or diminish any Borrower’s
obligations to pay such increased cost pursuant to this
Clause 16.6(a).
(b)
|
If
any Lender shall determine that compliance with any law or regulation or
any guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental or
monetary authority in regard to capital adequacy (whether or not having
the force of law) including any guideline contemplated by the report dated
July 1988 entitled “International Convergence of Capital Management and
Capital Standards” issued by the Bank Committee on Banking Regulations and
Supervisory Practices, in any case
|
53
in
which such law, regulation, guideline or request shall have become
effective or shall have been made after the date hereof, shall or would
have the effect of reducing the rate of return on the capital of, or
maintained by, such Lender or any person controlling such Lender as a
consequence of such Lender making its ratable portion of the Advance or
Commitment hereunder and other commitments of this type, by increasing the
amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or
any person controlling such Lender, to a level below that which such
Lender or any person controlling such Lender could have achieved but for
such adoption, effectiveness, change or compliance (taking into account
such Lender’s or such person’s policies with respect to capital adequacy),
then the Borrower shall, from time to time, pay such Lender, upon demand
by such Lender made within 60 days after the first date on which such
Lender has actual knowledge that it is entitled to make demand for payment
under this Clause 16.6(b) of such reduction in return, such
additional amount as may be specified by such Lender as being sufficient
to compensate such Lender for such reduction in return, to the extent that
such Lender reasonably determines such reduction to be attributable to the
existence of such Lender’s commitment to lend hereunder; provided that if such
Lender fails to so notify the Borrower within such 60 day period, such
amounts shall commence accruing on such later date on which such Lender
notifies the Borrower. A certificate as to such amounts
submitted to the Borrower by a Lender shall be conclusive and binding for
all purposes, absent manifest
error.
|
17
|
NO
SET-OFF OR TAX DEDUCTION
|
17.1
|
No
Deductions. All amounts due from either Obligor under
any Finance Document shall be paid:
|
(a)
|
without
any form of set-off, cross-claim or condition;
and
|
(b)
|
free
and clear of any tax deduction except a tax deduction that the Borrower is
required by law to make.
|
17.2
|
Grossing-Up for
Taxes. If either Obligor shall be required by law to
make a tax deduction from any
payment:
|
(a)
|
that
Obligor shall notify the Agent as soon as it becomes aware of the
requirement;
|
(b)
|
that
Obligor shall pay the tax deducted to the appropriate taxation authority
promptly, and in any event before any fine or penalty arises;
and
|
(c)
|
the
amount due in respect of the payment shall be increased by the amount
necessary to ensure that each Credit Party receives and retains (free from
any liability relating to the tax deduction) a net amount that, after the
tax deduction, is equal to the full amount that it would otherwise have
received.
|
17.3
|
Evidence of Payment of
Taxes. Within 30 days after making any tax deduction, an
Obligor shall deliver to the Agent documentary evidence satisfactory to
the Agent that the tax shall have been paid to the appropriate taxation
authority.
|
54
17.4
|
Exclusion of Tax on Overall Net
Income. In this Clause 17, “tax deduction” means any
deduction or withholding for or on account of any present or future tax
except tax on a Credit Party’s overall net income imposed by a taxing
jurisdiction in which such Credit Party is organized, holds or books the
Loan (as applicable) or has a principal place of
business.
|
18
|
ILLEGALITY
|
If any
Lender shall notify the Borrower that it shall have become, or shall with effect
from a specified date become:
(a)
|
unlawful
or prohibited as a result of the introduction of a new law, an amendment
to an existing law or a change in the manner in which an existing law is
or will be interpreted or applied;
or
|
(b)
|
contrary
to, or inconsistent with, any
regulation;
|
for such
Lender to maintain or give effect to any of its obligations under this Agreement
in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, such Lender’s obligation to make
available its Commitment shall terminate; and thereupon or, if later, on the
date specified in such Lender’s notice as the date on which the notified event
shall become effective, the Borrower shall prepay to such Lender that portion of
the Loan payable to such Lender plus all amounts otherwise payable under
Clause 7.
19
|
ASSIGNMENTS
AND PARTICIPATIONS; CHANGES IN LENDING
OFFICE
|
19.1
|
Assignment by
Borrower. Except as permitted by Clause 10.2(b), no
Obligor may, without the consent of the Majority
Lenders:
|
(a)
|
transfer
any of its rights or obligations under any Finance Document;
or
|
(b)
|
enter
into any merger, de-merger or other reorganization, or carry out any other
act, as a result of which any of its rights or liabilities would vest in,
or pass to, another person.
|
19.2
|
Assignments by Lenders;
Participations.
|
(a)
|
Each
Lender may at its own expense assign to a bank or other entity all or a
portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all
or a portion of its Commitment, the Advance owing to it and the Notes held
by it, if any), provided
that:
|
(i)
|
each
such assignment shall be of a uniform, and not a varying, percentage of
all rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Finance
Documents;
|
(ii)
|
except
in the case of an assignment of all of such Lender’s rights and
obligations under this Agreement or an assignment to a person that,
immediately prior to such assignment, shall also be a Lender, the amount
of the Commitment of the assigning Lender being assigned pursuant to each
such assignment (determined as of the date of the Assignment and
|
55
Acceptance with respect to such assignment) shall in no event be less than $5,000,000 and shall be an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; |
(iii)
|
each
such assignment shall be to (A) an Eligible Assignee acceptable to
the Borrower, which acceptance the Borrower shall not unreasonably
withhold, condition or delay, (B) another Lender or (C) an
Affiliate of the assigning Lender or an Eligible
Assignee;
|
(iv)
|
the
parties to each such assignment shall execute and deliver to the Agent,
for its acceptance and recording in the Register, an Assignment and
Acceptance, together with the Notes (if any) subject to such assignment
and a processing and recordation fee of $5,000 payable by the assigning
Lender; and
|
(v)
|
after
giving effect to each such assignment, there shall be no more than five
Lenders.
|
Upon such
execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from and after the effective date
specified in each Assignment and Acceptance, (x) the assignee thereunder
shall be a party hereto and, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder
have been assigned to it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, have the
rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder and (y) the assigning Lender
thereunder shall, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been
assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights
(other than its rights under Clauses 15, 16, and 17 to the extent any claim
thereunder relates to an event arising prior to or in connection with such
assignment) and be released from its further obligations under this Agreement
(and, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining
portion of an assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement,
such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto).
(b)
|
By
executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the assigning
Lender thereunder and the assignee thereunder confirm to and agree with
each other and the other parties hereto as
follows:
|
(i)
|
other
than as provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, such assigning Lender
makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with
respect to any statements, warranties or representations made in or in
connection with this Agreement or the execution, legality, validity,
enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement or any
other instrument or document furnished pursuant
hereto;
|
(ii)
|
such
assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no
responsibility with respect to the financial condition of either Obligor
or the performance or observance by either Obligor of any of its
obligations under this Agreement, any other Finance Document or any other
instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or
thereto;
|
(iii)
|
such
assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together
with copies of all financial statements referred to or delivered in
accordance with Clauses 9.9 and 10.1(f) and such other documents and
information as it
|
56
deems appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance; |
(iv)
|
such
assignee will, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the
Security Trustee, the Swap Bank, the assigning Lender or any other Lender
and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate
at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not
taking action under this Agreement;
|
(v)
|
such
assignee confirms that it is another Lender, an Affiliate of the assigning
Lender or an Eligible Assignee;
|
(vi)
|
such
assignee appoints and authorizes the Agent to take such action as agent on
its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement as are
delegated to the Agent by the terms hereof, together with such powers as
are reasonably incidental thereto;
|
(vii)
|
such
assignee agrees that it shall perform in accordance with their terms all
of the obligations which by the terms of this Agreement are required to be
performed by it as a Lender; and
|
(viii)
|
such
assigning Lender and such assignee represent and warrant that such
assignment is not in violation of any applicable law, including any
securities law.
|
(c)
|
The
Agent shall maintain at its address referred to in Clause 21.2 a copy
of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it and a
register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders and
the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Advance owing to, each
Lender from time to time (the “Register”). The
entries in the Register shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes,
absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Guarantor, the Agent, the
Security Trustee and the Lenders may treat each person whose name is
recorded in the Register as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this
Agreement and the Security Documents. The Register shall be
available for inspection by the Borrower or any Lender at any reasonable
time and from time to time upon reasonable prior
notice.
|
(d)
|
Upon
its receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning
Lender and an assignee, the Agent shall, if such Assignment and Acceptance
has been completed and is in substantially the form of Appendix H,
(i) accept such Assignment and Acceptance, (ii) record the
information contained therein in the Register and (iii) give prompt
notice thereof to the Borrower and the
Guarantor.
|
(e)
|
Each
Lender may, at is own expense, sell participations to one or more banks or
other entities in or to all or a portion of its rights and obligations
under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the
Advances owing to it); provided
that:
|
57
(i)
|
such
Lender’s obligations under this Agreement (including its Commitment to the
Borrower hereunder) shall remain
unchanged;
|
(ii)
|
such
Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the
performance of such obligations;
|
(iii)
|
such
Lender shall remain a Lender for all purposes of this
Agreement;
|
(iv)
|
the
Borrower, the Guarantor, the Agent, the Security Trustee and the other
Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in
connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement;
and
|
(v)
|
no
participant under any such participation shall have any right to approve
any amendment or waiver of any provision of any Finance Document, or any
consent to any departure by the Borrower
therefrom.
|
(f)
|
Notwithstanding
any other provision set forth in this Agreement, any Lender may, at its
own expense, at any time create a security interest in all or any portion
of its rights under this Agreement (including the Advance owing to it and
the Notes held by it) in favor of any Federal Reserve Bank in accordance
with Regulation A of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System.
|
19.3
|
Rights of
Assignee. In respect of any breach of a warranty,
undertaking, condition or other provision of a Finance Document, or any
misrepresentation made in or in connection with a Finance Document, a
direct or indirect assignee of any of a Lender’s rights or interests under
or by virtue of the Finance Documents shall be entitled to recover damages
by reference to the loss incurred by that assignee as a result of the
breach or misrepresentation irrespective of whether the Lender would have
incurred a loss of that kind or
amount.
|
19.4
|
Subrogation
Assignment. A Lender may assign, in any manner and on
terms agreed by it, all or any part of those rights to an insurer or
surety who has become subrogated to
them.
|
19.5
|
Disclosure of
Information. Any Lender may, in connection with any
assignment or participation or proposed assignment or participation
pursuant to this Clause 19.2, disclose
to
|
any
assignee or participant, or any proposed assignee or participant, any
information relating to the Obligors furnished to such Lender by or on behalf of
the Obligors or received in relation to the Obligors or their affairs under or
in connection with any Finance Document.
19.6
|
Change of Lending
Office. Subject to Clause 16.6, a Lender may change
its Lending Office by notice to the Borrower and such change shall become
effective on the later of:
|
(a) the
date on which such notice shall become effective; and
|
(b)
|
the
date, if any, specified in the notice as the date on which the change will
come into effect;
|
provided that such change in
Lending Office shall not result at the time of such change in an increase the
Borrower’s cost under this Agreement.
58
20
|
VARIATIONS, WAVIERS, ETC. |
20.1
|
Variations,
Waivers, Etc.
|
(a)
|
A
document shall be effective to vary, waive, suspend or limit any provision
of a Finance Document, or a Credit Party’s rights or remedies under such a
provision or the general law, only if the document is signed, or
specifically agreed to by fax, by the relevant Obligors and the relevant
Credit Parties.
|
(b)
|
Except
as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement or any term hereof
may be amended, modified, waived, discharged or terminated only by an
instrument in writing, signed by the Majority Lenders or by the Agent
acting with the consent of the Majority Lenders; provided that no
amendment, modification or waiver shall, unless by an instrument signed by
all the Lenders or by the Agent acting with the consent of all the Lenders
(so long as this Agreement remains in effect or there are any Designated
Transactions continuing):
|
(i)
|
increase
the Commitment of any Lender, or increase or extend the term, or extend
the time or waive any requirement for the reduction or termination, of the
Advance;
|
(ii)
|
extend
the date fixed for the payment of principal or interest on the
Loan;
|
(iii)
|
reduce
the amount of any payment of principal thereof or the rate at which
interest is payable thereon or any fee is payable
hereunder;
|
(iv)
|
alter
the terms of this Clause 20;
|
(v)
|
waive
any of the conditions precedent set forth in
Clause 8;
|
(vi)
|
release
any Collateral, except as contemplated by this Agreement or any other
Finance Document; or
|
(vii)
|
change
the definition of the term “Majority
Lenders”;
|
provided further that any
amendment of Clause 10.4 or 24 shall require the written consent of the
Agent and the Security Trustee.
20.2
|
Exclusion of Other or Implied
Variations. Except as expressly provided in any document
that satisfies the requirements of Clause 20.1, no document, and no
act, course of conduct, failure or neglect to act, delay or acquiescence
on the part of a Credit Party (or any person acting on its behalf) shall
result in such Credit Party (or any person acting on its behalf) being
taken to have varied, waived, suspended or limited, or being precluded
(permanently or temporarily) from enforcing, relying on or
exercising:
|
(a)
|
any
provision of this Agreement or any other Finance Document;
or
|
(b)
|
any
Event of Default or Potential Event of Default;
or
|
59
(c)
|
any
breach by an Obligor of an obligation under any Finance Document or
applicable law; or
|
(d)
|
any
right or remedy conferred by any Finance Document or applicable
law;
|
and there
shall not be implied into any Finance Document any term or condition requiring
any such provision to be enforced, or such right or remedy to be exercised,
within a certain or reasonable time. Without limiting the forgoing,
no single or partial exercise of any such right or remedy shall preclude any
other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or
remedy.
21
|
NOTICES
|
21.1
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General. Unless
otherwise specifically provided, each notice given pursuant to or in
connection with this Agreement or any other Finance Document shall be
given by registered or certified mail, by FedEx, DHL or similar courier,
by facsimile or by hand.
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21.2
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Addresses for Notices,
Etc. Each such notice shall be
sent:
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(a)
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if
to the Borrower, to:
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Japan
II Shipping Company Limited
c/o
Top Ships Inc.
Vas.
Sofias 1 & Meg. Alexandrou
Maroussi
-- Xxxxxx 000 00, XXXXXX
Facsimile: x00-000-000-0000;
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(b)
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if
to the Guarantor, to:
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Vas.
Sofias 1 & Meg. Alexandrou
Xxxxxxxx
-- Xxxxxx 000 00 XXXXXX
Facsimile: x00-000-000-0000;
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(c)
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if
to the Agent or the Security Trustee, to:
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DVB
Bank America N.V.
Zeelandia
Office Park
Kaya
X.X.X. Xxxxxxx 00
X.X.
Xxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
XXXXXXXXXXX ANTILLES
Attention: Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Facsimile: x000-0-000-0000;
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with
a copy to:
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DVB
Bank AG
Representative
Office -- Greece
00
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
000
00 Xxxxxxx, XXXXXX
Attention: Nikolas
Chontzopoulos
Facsimile:
x00-000-000-0000;
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60
(d)
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if
the Swap Bank, to:
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DVB
Bank XX
Xxxxxxxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx
0-00
X-00000
Xxxxxxxxx xx Xxxx
XXXXXXX;
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with
a copy to:
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DVB
Bank AG
Representative
Office -- Greece
00
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
000
00 Xxxxxxx, XXXXXX
Attention: Nikolas
Chontzopoulos
Facsimile:
x00-000-000-0000;
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(e)
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if
to any Initial Lender, to:
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the
address or facsimile number for such Lender listed on Schedule 1 hereto;
and
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(f)
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if
to any other Lender, to:
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the
address or facsimile number listed for notices to such Lender on the
Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it shall have become a
Lender;
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or to
such other address or facsimile number as such party may notify for itself to
the others.
21.3
|
Effective Date of
Notices. Subject to Clauses 21.4 and
21.5:
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(a)
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a
notice that is sent by post shall be deemed served and given, and shall
take effect, three days after the date of delivery to the
post;
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(b)
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a
notice that is sent by FedEx, DHL or similar courier shall be deemed
served and given, and shall take effect, two days after the date of
delivery to such courier;
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(c)
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a
notice that is sent by facsimile shall be deemed served and given, and
shall take effect, two hours after its successful transmission is
completed; and
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(d)
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a
notice that is delivered by hand shall deemed served and given, and shall
take effect, at the time that it is
delivered.
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21.4
|
Service Outside Business
Hours. However, if under Clause 21.3 a notice would
be deemed to be served:
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(a)
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on
a day that is not a Business Day in the place of receipt;
or
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(b)
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on
such a Business Day, but after 5:00 p.m. local time on such Business
Day;
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the
notice shall (subject to Clause 21.5) be deemed to be served, and shall
take effect, at 9:00 a.m. on the next day that is a Business Day.
21.5
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Illegible
Notices. Clauses 21.3 and 21.4 do not apply if the
recipient of a notice notifies the sender within one hour after the time
at which the notice would otherwise be deemed to be served that the notice
has been received in a form that is illegible in any material
respect.
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61
21.6
|
English Language. All notices given pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any other Finance Document shall be in the English language. |
21.7
|
Meaning of
“notice”. In this Clause 21, “notice” includes any
demand, consent, authorization, approval, instruction, waiver or other
communication.
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22
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SUBORDINATION
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22.1
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[intentionally
omitted]
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22.2
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[intentionally
omitted]
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22.3
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[intentionally
omitted]
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22.4
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Subordination. Subject
to Clause 22.5, during the Security Period, neither Obligor
shall:
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(a)
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claim
by way of any legal or administrative action any amount that may be due to
it from the other Obligor whether in respect of a payment made, or matter
arising out of, this Agreement or any other Finance Document, or any
matter unconnected with this Agreement or any other Finance Document;
or
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(b)
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take
or enforce any form of security from the other Obligor for such an amount,
or in any other way seek to have recourse in respect of such an amount
against any asset of the other Obligor;
or
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(c)
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set
off any such amount against any sum due from it to the other Obligor;
or
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(d)
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prove
or claim for such an amount in any liquidation, administration,
arrangement or similar procedure involving the other Obligor;
or
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(e)
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exercise
or assert any combination of the
foregoing.
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22.5
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Obligors’ Required
Action. If during the Security Period, the Agent, by
notice to either Obligor, requires such Obligor to take any action
referred to in paragraphs (a) through (d) of Clause 22.4, in
relation to the other Obligor, such Obligor shall take that action as soon
as practicable after receiving the Agent’s
notice.
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23
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SUPPLEMENTAL
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23.1
|
Rights Cumulative,
Non-Exclusive. The rights and remedies granted to the
Credit Parties pursuant to the Finance
Documents:
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(a)
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are
cumulative;
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(b)
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may
be exercised as often as appears expedient;
and
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(c)
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shall
not, unless a Finance Document explicitly and specifically states so, be
taken to exclude or limit any right or remedy conferred by applicable
law.
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62
23.2
|
Severability of
Provisions. If any provision of a Finance Document is or
subsequently becomes void, unenforceable or illegal, that shall not affect
the validity, enforceability or legality of the other provisions of that
Finance Document or of the provisions of any other Finance
Document.
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23.3
|
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 all of which taken together shall
constitute one and the same
agreement.
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23.4
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Binding
Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure
to the benefit of each of the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns, except that the Borrower shall not have the right
to assign its rights hereunder or any interest herein except as provided
in Clause 19.1.
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24
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THE
AGENT AND THE SECURITY TRUSTEE
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24.1
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Appointment and
Granting.
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(a)
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Each
of the Lenders and the Swap Bank hereby irrevocably appoints and
authorizes the Agent to act as its agent hereunder and under any of the
other Finance Documents with such powers as are specifically delegated to
the Agent by the terms of this Agreement and the other Finance Documents,
together with such other powers as are reasonably incidental
thereto.
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(b)
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The
Security Trustee.
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(i)
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Each
of the Lenders, the Swap Bank and the Agent hereby irrevocably appoints
and authorizes the Security Trustee to act as security trustee hereunder
and under the other Finance Documents (other than the Notes) with such
powers as are specifically delegated to the Security Trustee by the terms
of this Agreement and such other Finance Documents, together with such
other powers as are reasonably incidental
thereto.
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(ii)
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To
secure the payment of all sums of money from time to time owing to the
Lenders under this Agreement, the Notes and the other Finance Documents in
the maximum principal amount of $48,000,000 plus accrued interest thereon
and all other amounts owing to the Lenders, the Swap Bank, the Agent and
the Security Trustee pursuant to this Agreement, the Notes and the other
Finance Documents, and the performance of the covenants of the Borrower
and the other Obligor herein and therein contained, and in consideration
of the premises and of the covenants herein contained and of the
extensions of credit by the Lenders and the entry by the Swap Bank into
the Master Agreement, the Security Trustee does hereby declare that it
shall hold as such trustee in trust for the benefit of the Lenders, the
Swap Bank and the Agent, from and after the execution and delivery
thereof, all of its right, title and interest as mortgagee in, to and
under each Mortgage and its right, title and interest as assignee and
secured party under the other Finance Documents (the right, title and
interest of the Security Trustee in and to the property, rights
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63
and privileges described above, from and after the execution and delivery thereof, and all property hereafter specifically subjected to the lien of the indenture created hereby and by the Finance Documents by any amendment hereto or thereto are herein collectively called the “Estate”) TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the Estate unto the Security Trustee and its successors and assigns forever, BUT IN TRUST, NEVERTHELESS, for the equal and proportionate benefit and security of the Lenders, the Swap Bank and the Agent and their respective successors and assigns without any priority of any one over any other, UPON THE CONDITION that, unless and until an Event of Default under this Agreement shall have occurred and be continuing, the Borrower shall be permitted, to the exclusion of the Security Trustee, to possess and use the Ship. IT IS HEREBY COVENANTED, DECLARED AND AGREED that all property subject or to become subject hereto is to be held, subject to the further covenants, conditions, uses and trusts hereinafter set forth, and the Borrower, for itself and its respective successors and assigns, hereby covenants and agrees to and with the Security Trustee and its successors in said trust, for the equal and proportionate benefit and security of the Lenders, the Swap Bank and the Agent as hereinafter set forth. |
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(iii)
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The
Security Trustee hereby accepts the trusts imposed upon it as Security
Trustee by this Agreement, and the Security Trustee covenants and agrees
to perform the same as herein expressed and agrees to receive and disburse
all monies constituting part of the Estate in accordance with the terms
hereof.
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24.2
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Scope of
Duties. Neither the Agent nor the Security Trustee
(which terms as used in this sentence and in Clause 24.5 shall
include reference to their respective affiliates and their own respective
and their respective affiliates’ officers, directors, employees, agents
and attorneys-in-fact): (a) shall have any duties or responsibilities
except those expressly set forth in this Agreement and the other Finance
Documents, and shall not by reason of this Agreement or any of the other
Finance Documents be (except, with respect to the Security Trustee, as
specifically stated to the contrary in this Agreement) a trustee for a
Lender; (b) shall be responsible to any Credit Party for any
recitals, statements, representations or warranties contained in this
Agreement or in any of the Finance Documents, or in any certificate or
other document referred to or provided for in, or received by any of them
under, this Agreement or any of the other Finance Documents, or for the
value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency
of this Agreement or any of the other Finance Documents or any other
document referred to or provided for herein or therein or for any failure
by the Borrower, the Guarantor or any other person to perform any of its
obligations hereunder or thereunder or for the location, condition or
value of any property covered by any lien under any of the Finance
Documents or for the creation, perfection or priority of any such lien;
(c) shall be required to initiate or conduct any litigation or
collection proceedings hereunder or under any of the Finance Documents
unless expressly instructed to do so in writing by the Majority Lenders;
or (d) shall be responsible for any action taken or omitted to be
taken by it hereunder or under any of the Finance Documents or under any
other document or instrument referred to or provided for herein or therein
or in connection herewith or therewith, except for its own gross
negligence or willful misconduct. Each of the Agent and the
Security Trustee may employ agents and attorneys-in-fact and neither the
Agent nor the Security Trustee shall be responsible for the negligence or
misconduct of any such agents or attorneys-in-fact selected by it in good
faith. Each of the Agent and the Security Trustee may
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64
deem and treat the payee of a Note as the holder thereof for all purposes hereof unless and until a written notice of the assignment or transfer thereof shall have been filed with and accepted by the Agent in accordance herewith. |
24.3
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Reliance. Each
of the Agent and the Security Trustee shall be entitled to rely upon any
certification, notice or other communication (including any thereof by
telephone, telex, telefacsimile, telegram or cable) believed by it to be
genuine and correct and to have been signed or sent by or on behalf of the
proper person or persons, and upon advice and statements of legal counsel,
independent accountants and other experts selected by the Agent or the
Security Trustee, as the case may be. As to any matters not
expressly provided for by this Agreement or any of the other Finance
Documents, each of the Agent and the Security Trustee shall in all cases
be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, hereunder or
thereunder in accordance with instructions signed by the Majority Lenders,
and such instructions and any action taken or failure to act pursuant
thereto shall be binding on all of the Lenders and the Swap
Bank.
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24.4
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Knowledge. Neither
the Agent nor the Security Trustee shall be deemed to have knowledge or
notice of the occurrence of a Potential Event of Default or an Event of
Default (other than, in the case of the Agent, the non-payment of
principal of or interest on the Loan or the Advance) unless it shall have
received notice from a Lender or an Obligor specifying such Potential
Event of Default or Event of Default and stating that such notice is a
“Notice of Default.” If the Agent receives such a notice of the
occurrence of such Potential Event of Default or Event of Default, the
Agent shall give prompt notice thereof to the Security Trustee, the
Lenders and the Swap Bank (and shall give each of the Security Trustee,
the Lenders and the Swap Bank prompt notice of each such
non-payment). Subject to Clause 24.8, the Agent and the
Security Trustee shall take such action with respect to such Potential
Event of Default or Event of Default or other event as shall be directed
by the Majority Lenders, except that, unless and until the Agent and the
Security Trustee shall have received such directions, each of the Agent
and the Security Trustee may (but shall not be obligated to) take such
action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Potential
Event of Default or Event of Default or other event as it shall deem
advisable in the best interest of the Lenders and the Swap
Bank.
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24.5
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Agent and Security Trustee as
Lenders. Each of the Agent and the Security Trustee (and
any successor acting as Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be) in
its individual capacity as a Lender hereunder shall have the same rights
and powers hereunder as any other Lender and may exercise the same as
though it were not acting as the Agent or the Security Trustee, as the
case may be, and the term “Lender” and “Lenders” shall, unless the context
otherwise indicates, include each of the Agent and the Security Trustee in
its individual capacity. Each of the Agent and the Security
Trustee (and any successor acting as Agent or Security Trustee, as the
case may be) and their respective affiliates may (without having to
account therefor to any Lender or the Swap Bank) accept deposits from,
lend money to and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust or other
business with the Obligors and any of their respective subsidiaries or
affiliates as if it were not acting as the Agent or the Security Trustee,
as the case may be, and each of the Agent and the Security Trustee and
their respective affiliates may accept fees and other consideration from
the Borrower and the Guarantor for services in connection with this
Agreement or otherwise without having to account for the same to the
Lenders or the Swap Bank.
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65
24.6
|
Indemnification of the Agent and the Security
Trustee. The Lenders agree to
indemnify each of the Agent and the Security Trustee (to the extent not
reimbursed under other provisions of this Agreement, but without limiting
the obligations of either Obligor under said other provisions), ratably in
accordance with the aggregate principal amount of each Lender’s
participation in the Loan, for any and all liabilities, obligations,
losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or
disbursements of any kind and nature whatsoever that may be imposed on,
incurred by or asserted against the Agent or the Security Trustee in any
way relating to or arising out of this Agreement or any other Finance
Document or any other documents contemplated by or referred to herein or
therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (including the
costs and expenses that the Borrower is to pay hereunder, but excluding,
unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, normal
administrative costs and expenses incident to the performance of their
respective agency duties hereunder) or the enforcement of any of the terms
hereof or thereof or of any such other documents, except that no Lender
shall be liable for any of the foregoing to the extent they arise from the
gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party to be
indemnified.
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24.7
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Reliance on Agent or Security
Trustee. Each of the Lenders and the Swap Bank agrees
that it has, independently and without reliance on the Agent, the Security
Trustee or any other Credit Party, and based on such documents and
information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis of
the Borrower and the Guarantor and decision to enter into this Agreement
and that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the
Security Trustee or any other Credit Party, and based on such documents
and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make
its own analysis and decisions in taking or not taking action under this
Agreement or any of the Finance Documents. None of the Agent or
the Security Trustee shall be required to keep itself informed as to the
performance or observance by either of the Obligors of its obligations
under this Agreement or any other Finance Document or any other document
referred to or provided for herein or therein or to inspect the properties
or books of either Obligor. Except for notices, reports and
other documents and information expressly required to be furnished to the
Lenders and the Swap Bank by the Agent or the Security Trustee hereunder,
neither the Agent nor the Security Trustee shall have any duty or
responsibility to provide any Lender or the Swap Bank with any credit or
other information concerning the affairs, financial condition or business
of the Borrower or the Guarantor or any of their respective parents,
subsidiaries or Affiliates that may come into the possession of the Agent,
the Security Trustee or any of their respective
Affiliates.
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24.8
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Actions by Agent and Security
Trustee. Except for action expressly required of the
Agent or the Security Trustee hereunder and under the other Finance
Documents, each of the Agent and the Security Trustee shall in all cases
be fully justified in failing or refusing to act hereunder and thereunder
unless it shall receive further assurances to its satisfaction from the
Lenders of their indemnification obligations under Clause 24.6
against any and all liability and expense that may be incurred by it by
reason of taking or continuing to take any such
action.
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24.9
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Resignation and
Removal. Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a
successor Agent or Security Trustee (as the case may be) as provided
below, each of the Agent and the Security Trustee may resign at any time
by giving notice thereof to the Lenders, the Swap Bank and the Obligors,
and the Agent or the Security Trustee may be removed at any time
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66
with or without cause by the Majority Lenders. Upon any such resignation or removal, the Majority Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, which shall be a Lender, or a Lender with an Affiliate, that has an office in New York, New York. If no successor Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, shall have been so appointed by the Lenders or, if appointed, shall not have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Agent’s or Security Trustee’s, as the case may be, giving of notice of resignation or the Majority Lenders’ removal of the retiring Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, then the retiring Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, which shall be a Lender, or a Lender with an Affiliate, that has an office in New York, New York. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Agent or Security Trustee hereunder by a successor Agent or Security Trustee, such successor Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, and the retiring Agent or Security Trustee shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. After any retiring Agent’s or Security Trustee’s resignation or removal hereunder as Agent or Security Trustee, as the case may be, the provisions of this Clause 24 shall continue in effect for its benefit in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was acting as the Agent or the Security Trustee, as the case may be. |
24.10
|
Release of
Collateral. Without the prior written consent of all of
the Lenders and the Swap Bank, neither the Agent nor the Security Trustee
shall consent to any modification, supplement or waiver under any Finance
Document or release any Collateral or otherwise terminate any lien under
any Finance Document, except that no such consent shall be required, and
each of the Agent and the Security Trustee shall be authorized, to release
any lien covering property that is the subject of a disposition of
property permitted hereunder or to which the Lenders and the Swap Bank
have consented.
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25
|
LAW
AND JURISDICTION
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25.1
|
Governing
Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK.
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25.2
|
Consent to
Jurisdiction.
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(a)
|
Each
of parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and
its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any New York State court
or Federal court of the United States of America sitting in New York
County, and any appellate court thereof, in any action, suit or proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Finance Document
or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties
hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in
respect of any such action, suit or proceeding may be heard and determined
in such New York State Court or, to the extent permitted by law, in such
Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final
judgment in any such action, suit 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.
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67
(b)
|
Nothing
in this Clause 25.2 shall affect the right of any Credit Party to
bring any action or proceeding against an Obligor or its property in the
courts of any other jurisdiction where such action or proceeding may be
heard.
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(c)
|
Each
of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the
fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it
may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action, suit
or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other
Finance Document in any New York State or Federal court and the defense of
an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action, suit or
proceeding in any such court and any immunity from jurisdiction of any
court or from any legal process with respect to themselves or their
property.
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(d)
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Each
Obligor irrevocably appoints Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, with an office at
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 U.S.A., as its agent to
receive on its behalf service of copies of the summons and complaint and
any other process which may be served in any such action, suit or
proceeding. If the appointment of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP as
agent pursuant to the preceding sentence shall cease to be effective as to
any Obligor or Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP shall at any time cease to have an
office in New York County, each of the Obligors shall immediately appoint
another person having an office in New York County and otherwise
acceptable to the Agent to accept service on its behalf. If
Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP shall at any time change its name or shall move
its office in the County of New York from Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 U.S.A., each Obligor shall promptly notify the each
of the Lenders, the Swap Bank and the Agent of such new name or address,
as the case may be. Each Obligor hereby consents to service of
process in connection with the subject matter specified in the first
sentence of Clause 25.2(a) by registered or certified mail, FedEx,
DHL or similar courier at the address to which notices to it are to be
given, it being agreed that service in such manner shall constitute valid
service upon such party or its respective successors or assigns in
connection with any such action or proceeding only; provided, that nothing
in this Clause 25.2(d) shall affect the right of any party to serve
legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable
law.
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25.3
|
Rights
unaffected. Nothing in this Clause 25 shall exclude
or limit any right a Credit Party may have (whether under the law of any
country, an international convention or otherwise) with regard to the
bringing of proceedings, the service of process, the recognition or
enforcement of a judgment or any similar or related matter in any
jurisdiction.
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25.4
|
Meaning of
“proceedings”. In this Clause 25, “proceedings” means
proceedings of any kind, including an application for a provisional or
protective measure.
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26
|
PATRIOT
ACT
|
The Agent
hereby notifies the Obligors that pursuant to the requirements of the PATRIOT
Act and the Agent’s policies and practices, the Agent and each of the Lenders is
required to obtain, verify and record certain information and documentation that
identifies each of the Obligors, which information includes the name and address
of each of the Obligors and such other information that will allow the Agent and
each of the Lenders to identify each of the Obligors in accordance with the
PATRIOT Act.
68
27
|
WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL
|
THE
OBLIGORS AND THE CREDIT PARTIES MUTUALLY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVE ANY AND ALL
RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF
OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER FINANCE DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
67
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as
of the date first above written.
JAPAN
II SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED
By:
/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Title:
Attorney-in-Fact
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|
as
Guarantor
By:
/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Title:
Attorney-in-Fact
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|
DVB
BANK AG,
as
Swap Bank
By:
/ s/ Xxxx X.
Xxxxx, Xx.
Name:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx, Xx.
Title:
Attorney-in-Fact
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|
DVB
BANK AMERICA N.V.,
as
Agent and Security Trustee
By:
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx,
Xx.
Name:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx, Xx.
Title:
Attorney-in-Fact
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INITIAL
LENDER(S):
DVB
BANK AMERICA N.V.,
as
Initial Lender
By:
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx,
Xx.
Name:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx, Xx.
Title:
Attorney-in-Fact
|
SCHEDULE
1
LENDERS
AND COMMITMENTS
Lender
|
Commitment
|
|
DVB
BANK AMERICA N.V.
|
$48,000,000
|
|
Lending
Office:
|
DVB
Bank America N.V.
Zeelandia
Office Park
Kaya
X.X.X. Xxxxxxx 00
X.X.
Xxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
XXXXXXXXXXX ANTILLES
|
|
Address for
Notices:
|
DVB
Bank America N.V.
Zeelandia
Office Park
Kaya
X.X.X. Xxxxxxx 00
X.X.
Xxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
XXXXXXXXXXX ANTILLES
Attention: Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Facsimile: x000-0-000-0000;
|
|
with
a copy to:
|
||
DVB
Bank AG
Representative
Office – Greece
00
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
000
00 Xxxxxxx, XXXXXX
Attention: Nikolas
Chontzopoulos
Facsimile: x00-000-000-0000
|
||
SCHEDULE
2
IRREVOCABLE
DRAWDOWN NOTICE
To:
|
DVB
Bank America N.V., as Agent
Zeelandia
Office Park
Kaya
X.X.X. Xxxxxxx 00
X.X.
Xxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxx Antilles
Attention: Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Facsimile:
x000-0-000-0000
|
|
cc:
|
DVB
Bank AG
Representative
Office – Greece
00
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
000
00 Xxxxxxx, XXXXXX
Attention: Nikolas
Chonzopoulos
Facsimile:
x00-000000-0000
|
|
Date:
________, 2008
|
We refer
to the Loan Agreement dated as of April 24, 2008 (as such may be amended,
restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance
therewith, the “Loan
Agreement”) among ourselves, as Borrower, and the other parties named
therein in connection with a loan facility of up to
$48,000,000. Terms defined in the Loan Agreement have their defined
meanings when used in this Drawdown Notice.
We
request to borrow Advance as follows
Total
Amount: $_______________.
Expected
Drawdown Date: ___________, 2008
Duration
of the first Interest Period shall be__ months
Payment
instructions:
[_____________________]
[_____________________]
[_____________________]
We
represent and warrant that:
(a)
|
the
representations and warranties in Clause 9 of the Loan Agreement
would be true and not misleading if repeated on the date of this notice
with reference to the circumstances now
existing;
|
(b)
|
no
Event of Default or Potential Event of Default has occurred or will result
from the borrowing of the Loan.
|
This
notice cannot be revoked without your prior consent.
We
authorize you to deduct any balance of the accumulated commitment fee and any
other fees payable by us under the Loan Agreement and the other Finance
Documents on the Expected Drawdown Date from the amount of the Advance requested
herein.
JAPAN II
SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED,
as
Borrower
By:
|
___________________________
Name:
Title:
|
SCHEDULE
3
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT DOCUMENTS
PART
A
The
following are the documents referred to in Clause 8.1(a):
1.
|
An
original of each Finance Document (other than those Finance Documents to
be delivered in connection with the Ship pursuant to paragraph 2 of Part B
hereof) and each document required to be delivered by each such Finance
Document, each duly executed by each party
thereto;
|
2.
|
Copies
of the constitutional documents, and each amendment thereto, of each
Obligor, certified as of a date reasonably near the date of the relevant
Drawdown Notice by the president or the secretary (or equivalent officer)
of such party as being a true and correct copy
thereof;
|
3.
|
Copies
of certificates dated as of a date reasonably near the date of the
Drawdown Notice, certifying that each Obligor is duly incorporated and in
good standing under the laws of such party’s jurisdiction of
incorporation;
|
4.
|
Copies
of resolutions of the directors (or equivalent governing body) (and where
required, the shareholders or equivalent equity holders)
of:
|
|
(a)
|
each
Obligor authorizing the execution of each of the Finance Documents to
which such Obligor is or is to be a party (and additionally, in the case
of the Borrower, the Memorandum of Agreement) and authorizing named
officers or attorneys-in-fact to execute such documents and, in the case
of the Borrower, to give the Drawdown Notice and other notices required by
the Finance Documents; and
|
|
(b)
|
the
seller under the Memorandum of Agreement authorizing the execution of the
Memorandum of Agreement and authorizing named officers or
attorneys-in-fact to execute such documents and to give any notices
required thereunder,
|
in each
case certified as of a date reasonably near the date of the Drawdown Notice by
the president or the secretary (or equivalent officer) of such party as being a
true and correct copy thereof;
5.
|
The
original or a certified copy of any power of attorney under which any
Finance Document is to be executed on behalf of an
Obligor;
|
6.
|
Copies
of all consents that any of the Obligors requires to enter into, or make
any payment or perform any of its obligations under or in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Finance Documents,
each certified as of a date reasonably near the date of the relevant
Drawdown Notice by the president or the secretary (or equivalent officer)
of such party as being a true and correct copy thereof, or certification
by such president or secretary (or equivalent officer) that no such
consents are required;
|
7.
|
A
copy of the Memorandum of Agreement, to be in form and substance
acceptable to the Majority Lenders and certified as of a date reasonably
near the date of the relevant Drawdown Notice by the president or the
secretary (or equivalent officer) of the Borrower as being a true and
correct copy thereof and further
certifying;
|
|
(a)
|
such
document remains valid and in full force and effect as of the anticipated
delivery date of the Ship;
|
|
(b)
|
the
seller in respect of the Memorandum of Agreement is not in default under
the terms of such document; and
|
|
(c)
|
there
is no pending dispute or arbitration proceeding arising out of or in
connection with any such document;
and
|
8.
|
Documentary
evidence that Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP has accepted its appointment as
agent for service of process in respect of each
Obligor.
|
9.
|
All
know-your-customer information and information under applicable
anti-money laundering rules and regulations, in each case as requested by
any Lender in connection with its internal compliance regulations, under
the PATRIOT Act, applicable EU regulations or
otherwise.
|
PART
B
The
following are the documents referred to in Clause 8.1(b):
1.
|
A
certificate of each Obligor, signed on behalf of each such party by the
president or the secretary (or equivalent officer) of such party, dated as
of the Expected Drawdown Date (the statements made in such certificate
shall be true on and as of the Expected Drawdown Date), certifying as
to:
|
|
(a)
|
the
absence of any amendments to the constitutive documents of such party
since the date of the certificate referred to in paragraph 2 of
Part A above;
|
|
(b)
|
the
absence of any proceeding for the dissolution or liquidation of such
party;
|
|
(c)
|
the
veracity in all material respects of the representations and warranties
contained in this Agreement and the other Finance Documents as though made
on and as of the Expected Drawdown
Date;
|
|
(d)
|
the
absence of any material misstatement of fact in any information provided
by the Obligors to the Agent, the Security Trustee or any Lender and that
such information did not omit to state any material fact necessary to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading; and
|
|
(e)
|
the
absence of any event occurring and continuing, or that would result from
the making of the Advance, that constitutes or would constitute a
Potential Event of Default or an Event of
Default;
|
4
2.
|
A
duly executed original of the Mortgage, Insurance Assignment, Earnings
Assignment, Charter Assignment and Manager’s Undertakings (and of each
document required to be delivered thereby), duly executed by each party
thereto, and documentary evidence that the Security Interest created by
such Finance Documents have been duly
perfected;
|
3.
Documentary evidence that:
|
(a)
|
the
Ship has been unconditionally delivered by the seller to, and
unconditionally accepted by, the Borrower in accordance with all of the
terms and conditions of the Memorandum of Agreement, free and clear of all
liens and encumbrances, together with a copy, certified as of the relevant
Expected Drawdown Date by the president or the secretary (or equivalent
officer) of the Borrower as being a true and correct copy of the original,
of:
|
|
(i)
|
the
Protocol of Delivery and Acceptance for the Ship, duly executed by the
seller and the relevant Borrower;
|
|
(ii)
|
the
Xxxx of Sale delivered by the seller to the
Borrower;
|
|
(iii)
|
the
commercial invoice issued by the seller to the
Borrower;
|
|
(iv)
|
the
corporate authorities of the seller permitting such seller to sell the
Ship to the Borrower under the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement;
and
|
|
(v)
|
each
charter in effect with respect to the
Ship;
|
|
(b)
|
there
is no pending dispute or arbitration proceedings arising out of or in
connection with the Memorandum of Agreement, which may be established by a
certificate dated as of the relevant Expected Drawdown Date by the
president, the secretary or an equivalent officer of the
Borrower;
|
|
(c)
|
the
Ship is registered in the name of the Borrower under Liberian registry,
free of all recorded liens and encumbrances, save as contemplated by the
Finance Documents (which shall be established by a Certificate of
Ownership and Encumbrance issued by the appropriate Liberian authorities
stating that the Ship is owned by the Borrower and that there are on
record no other mortgages, liens or other encumbrances on the Ship except
the Mortgage);
|
|
(d)
|
the
Mortgage has been preliminarily registered against the Ship as a valid
first preferred ship mortgage in accordance with the laws of Liberia and
the Security Interest created by the Mortgage shall have been duly
perfected;
|
|
(e)
|
the
Ship is classed with the Classification Society in the highest
classification and rating for vessels of the same age and type without any
outstanding conditions or recommendations affecting class (other than
those for which the time prescribed for curing the condition or
recommendation has not passed), which shall be established by a
Confirmation of Class Certificate issued by the Classification Society of
the Ship and dated a date reasonably near the relevant Expected Drawdown
Date; a “Class Statement” or similar instrument shall not be acceptable
for purposes of this clause;
|
5
|
(f)
|
the
Ship:
|
|
(i)
|
is
insured in compliance with the terms of the Mortgage, including
mortgagee’s interest and loss of hire
insurance;
|
|
(ii)
|
is
or will be managed by the Approved Manager and the relevant Approved
Technical Submanager in accordance with management agreements acceptable
to the Agent; and
|
|
(iii)
|
has
been inspected and found to be in a satisfactory condition by an inspector
appointed by the Agent at the cost of the Borrower;
and
|
|
(g)
|
if
chartered to an Approved Charterer, the Ship has been unconditionally
delivered by the Borrower to, and unconditionally accepted by, such
Approved Charterer in accordance with all of the terms and conditions of
the relevant Approved Charter, together with a copy, certified as of the
Expected Drawdown Date by the president or the secretary (or equivalent
officer) of the Borrower as being a true and correct copy of the original,
of the Protocol of Delivery and Acceptance for the Ship, duly executed by
the Borrower and such Approved
Charterer;
|
4.
|
A
certificate by the president or the secretary (or equivalent officer) of
the Borrower, or a certificate of the Approved Manager, identifying and
giving the address and other communication details of the ISM Responsible
Person(s) for the Ship;
|
5.
|
Copies
of the Document of Compliance and Safety Management Certificate referred
to in paragraph (a) of the definition of the ISM Code Documentation
for the Ship, certified as true and in effect by the president or the
secretary (or equivalent officer) of the Borrower or the Approved Manager,
provided that the Borrower may deliver to the Agent on or before the
Expected Drawdown Date an undertaking, in form and substance satisfactory
to the Agent, to deliver a copy of the Safety Management Certificate to
the Agent within ten Business Days after the relevant Expected Drawdown
Date;
|
6.
|
Copies
of such other ISM Code Documentation as the Agent may have requested by
written notice to the Borrower not later than two days before the relevant
Expected Drawdown Date, certified as true and complete in all material
respects by the Borrower or the relevant Approved
Manager;
|
7.
Certification by the Borrower that:
|
(i)
|
the
Ship has and will maintain for the duration of the Security Period a valid
International Ship Security Certificate (and either a true copy of such
International Ship Security Certificate shall be attached to such
Borrower’s certification or the Borrower shall undertake to deliver a
certified copy of such certificate as soon as it becomes
available);
|
|
(ii)
|
the
security system of the relevant Ship and associated security equipment
complies with, and at all times during the Security Period will comply
with, the applicable requirements of Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS and Part A of
the ISPS Code; and
|
6
|
(iii)
|
an
approved ship security plan is in place and will be maintained at all
times during the Security Period.
|
8.
|
A
favorable opinion of Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx (New York) LLP, New
York, Xxxxxxxx Islands and Liberian counsel for the Credit Parties, in
form, scope and substance satisfactory to the Credit
Parties;
|
9.
|
A
favorable opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, New York, Xxxxxxxx Islands
and Liberian counsel for the Obligors, in form, scope and substance
satisfactory to the Credit Parties;
and
|
10.
|
Documentary
evidence that it has funds adequate to cover the acquisition cost of the
Ship five Business Days prior to the Ship’s expected delivery
date.
|
7
APPENDIX
A
FORM OF
COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
Financial
Statement Date: __________
COMPLIANCE
CERTIFICATE
To: DVB
Bank America N.V., as Agent
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Reference
is made to that certain Loan Agreement, dated as of April 24, 2008 (as such
may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time,
the “Loan Agreement”)
among (i) Japan II Shipping Company Limited, as the Borrower, (ii) Top
Ships Inc., as the Guarantor, (iii) the banks and financial institutions
defined therein as the Lenders, (iv) DVB Bank AG, as Swap Bank, and
(v) DVB Bank America N.V., as Agent and Security Trustee. Unless
otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement (as defined in the
recitals hereof) are used herein as therein defined and the rules of
construction and interpretation in Clause 1 of the Loan Agreement apply to
this certificate, including Schedule 2 hereto.
The
undersigned, _________________________hereby certifies on the date hereof that
he/she is the Chief Financial Officer of the Guarantor and that, as such, he/she
is authorized to execute and deliver this certificate to Agent on the behalf of
Guarantor, and that:
[Use
following paragraph 1 for fiscal year-end financial
statements]
1. Attached
hereto as Schedule 1 are the year-end audited financial statements required
by Clause 10.1(f)(i) of the Loan Agreement for the fiscal year of Guarantor
ended as of the above date, together with the report and opinion of an
independent certified public accountant required by such section.
[Use
following paragraph 1 for fiscal quarter-end financial
statements]
1. Attached
hereto as Schedule 1 are the unaudited financial statements required by
Clause 10.1(f)(i) of the Loan Agreement for the fiscal quarter of Guarantor
ended as of the above date. Such financial statements fairly present
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Guarantor and
its subsidiaries in accordance with Applicable Accounting Principles as at such
date and for such period, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and
the absence of footnotes.
2. The
undersigned has reviewed and is familiar with the terms of the Loan Agreement
and has made, or has caused to be made under his/her supervision, a detailed
review of the transactions and condition (financial or otherwise) of the
Guarantor during the accounting period covered by the attached financial
statements.
3. A
review of the activities of the Guarantor during such fiscal period has been
made under the supervision of the undersigned with a view to determining whether
during such fiscal period the Obligors performed and observed all their
obligations under the Finance Documents, and
1
[select
one:]
[to the
best knowledge of the undersigned during such fiscal period, each Obligor
performed and observed each covenant and condition of the Finance Documents
applicable to it.]
--or--
[the
following covenants or conditions have not been performed or observed and the
following is a list of each such Potential Default and Event of Default and its
nature and status:]
4. The
financial covenant analyses and information set forth on Schedule 2
attached hereto are true and accurate on and as of the date of this
certificate.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this certificate this ___ day of
_______, 20___.
TOP SHIPS INC. | ||
|
By:
|
_______________________________
Name:
Title: Chief Financial
Officer
|
2
For the
Quarter/Year ended
___________________(“Statement
Date”)
SCHEDULE
1
to the
Compliance Certificate
Financial
Statements
3
For the
Quarter/Year ended
___________________(“Statement
Date”)
SCHEDULE
2
to the
Compliance Certificate
Clause
10.1(v)(i): Cash in Bank Accounts:
|
|
Names
of members of the Group as of
the
Statement Date:
|
______________________________
|
Cash
in bank accounts in the name of
the
Guarantor or in the name of any of
a
member of the Group (excluding any
bank
accounts that shall be
subject
to any Security Interest)
|
$_____________
|
[itemize
by bank and Group
member]
|
Clause
10.1(v)(ii): Net Asset Value:
I.
|
Total
Debt:
|
||
(a)
|
moneys
borrowed or raised by the Guarantor and its subsidiaries
|
$_____________
|
|
|
|||
(b)
|
bonds,
notes, loan stock, debentures, commercial paper or other debt securities
issued by the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries not for the time being
beneficially owned by the Guarantor or any of its
subsidiaries
|
$_____________
|
|
|
|||
(c)
|
sums
outstanding under acceptances by the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries
or by any bank or acceptable house under acceptance credits opened on
behalf of the Guarantor or any subsidiary
|
$_____________
|
|
(d)
|
deferred
indebtedness of the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries for payment of
the acquisition or construction price for assets or services acquired or
constructed
|
$_____________
|
|
(e)
|
rental
payments under Finance Leases
|
$_____________
|
|
(f)
|
receivables
sold or discounted with a right of recourse to the Guarantor or any of its
subsidiaries
|
$_____________
|
|
4
(g)
|
the
nominal amount of any issued and paid up share capital (other than equity
share capital) of any subsidiary not beneficially owned by the Guarantor
or another subsidiary
|
$____________
|
|
(h)
|
preference
share capital redeemable prior to the last day of the Security
Period
|
$____________
|
|
(i)
|
over
all or any part of the undertaking, property, assets, rights or revenues
of the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries irrespective of whether or not
such indebtedness is supported by a personal covenant on the part of the
Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries
|
$____________
|
|
(j)
|
indebtedness
incurred in respect of swaps, forward exchange contracts, futures or other
derivatives
|
||
(k)
|
any
other liability arising from a transaction having the commercial effect of
a borrowing or the raising of money
|
$_____________
plus
|
|
(l)
|
obligations
under guarantees in respect of the obligations of any other person which,
if such person were the Guarantor or a subsidiary would fall within
paragraphs (a) to (k) above
|
$_____________
|
|
minus:
|
|||
moneys
owing by the Guarantor to a subsidiary or by a subsidiary to the Guarantor
or to another subsidiary
|
$_____________
equals
|
||
Total
Debt =
|
$_____________
|
||
The
principal amount of Total Debt deemed to be outstanding in relation to
Finance Leases or hire purchase agreements shall be the present value of
the minimum lease or hire payments discounted at the interest rate
implicit in the relevant lease or hire purchase
agreement
|
5
II.
Total Market Value Adjusted
Assets
|
|||
(a)
|
The
value (less depreciation computed in accordance with generally accepted
international accounting principles consistently applied) on a
consolidated basis of all tangible fixed assets of the Group, , including
long-term cash receivables (seller’s credit), as stated in the relevant
consolidated financial statements of the Group, but excluding any Relevant
Ships
|
$_____________
plus
|
|
(b)
|
the
aggregate of the market value of the Relevant Ships, as such
market value shall have been most recently determined (as of the date of
the relevant calculation) pursuant to Clause 10.1(v) by means of
valuations obtained by the Agent in accordance therewith (and not the
value of the Relevant Ships as stated in the relevant consolidated
financial statements of the Group)
|
$_____________
equals
|
|
Total
Market Value Adjusted Assets
|
|
$_____________. | |
Net
Asset Value (Total Debt minus Total
Market
Value Adjusted Assets) as of the Statement Date
|
|
$_____________
|
|
Clause 10.1(v)(iii): Book
Equity:
|
|||
Aggregate
of the amounts paid-up or credited as paid-up on the Guarantor’s issued
share capital and the amount of the consolidated capital and revenue
reserves of the Group (including any share premium account, capital
redemption reserve fund and any credit balance on the consolidated profit
and loss account of the Group) all as shown by the latest audited
consolidated balance sheet and profit and loss account of the Group
delivered under the Loan Agreement
|
|
$_____________ minus
|
|
(a)
|
any
debit balance on such consolidated profit and loss account
|
$_____________
|
|
(b)
|
any
amount shown in such consolidated balance sheet in respect of goodwill
(including goodwill arising on consolidation) and other intangible
assets
|
$_____________
|
6
(c)
|
so
far as not otherwise excluded as attributable to minority interests, a sum
equal to the aggregate of the amount of which the book value of any fixed
assets of any member of the Group has been written up after
December 31, 2005 (or, in the case of a company becoming a subsidiary
after that date, the date on which that company became a subsidiary) by
way of revaluation and, for the purposes of this paragraph (c) any
increase in the book value of any fixed assets resulting from its transfer
by one member of the Group to another member of the Group shall be deemed
to result from a writing up of its book value by way of
revaluation
|
$_____________
|
|
(d)
|
amounts
set aside for taxation as at the date of such balance sheet and making
such adjustments as may be appropriate in respect of any significant
additional taxation expected to result from transactions carried out by
any member of the Group after such date and not reflected in
that balance sheet
|
$_____________
|
|
(e)
|
all
amounts attributable to minority interests in subsidiaries
|
$_____________ and
plus/minus
|
|
(f)
|
adjustments
appropriate in respect of any variation in the amount of such paid up
spare capital or any such reserves after the of the attached financial
statements (but so that no such adjustment shall be made in respect of any
variation in profit and loss account except to the extent of any profit or
loss, calculated on a cumulative basis, recorded in the consolidated
profit and loss account of the Group delivered to the Agent before the
date of this Agreement, or under Clause 10.1(g) in respect of any
subsequent period)
|
$_____________ plus/minus
|
|
(g)
|
adjustments
appropriate in respect of any distribution declared, recommended or made
by any member of the Group (otherwise than attributable directly or
indirectly to the Guarantor) out of profits earned up to and including the
date of the latest audited balance sheet of that member of the Group to
the extent that such distribution is not provided for in that balance
sheet
|
$_____________
plus/minus
|
7
(h)
|
adjustments
appropriate in respect of any variation in the interests of the Guarantor
in its subsidiaries since the date of the latest published audited
consolidated balance sheet of the Group
|
$_____________
and plus/minus
|
|
(i)
|
if
the calculation is required for the purpose of or in connection with a
transaction under or in connection with when any company is to become or
cease to be a subsidiary of the Guarantor, adjustments appropriate if that
transaction has been carried into effect
|
$____________
equals
|
|
Book Equity as of the Statement Date |
$_______________
|
8
APPENDIX
B
FORM OF
EARNINGS ASSIGNMENT
9
APPENDIX
C
FORM OF
INSURANCE ASSIGNMENT
10
APPENDIX
D
FORM OF
CHARTER ASSIGNMENT
11
APPENDIX
E
FORM OF
MANAGER’S UNDERTAKING
12
APPENDIX
F
FORM OF
MORTGAGE
13
APPENDIX
G
FORM OF
NOTE
14
APPENDIX
H
FORM
OF
ASSIGNMENT
AND ACCEPTANCE
ASSIGNMENT
AND ACCEPTANCE
Dated as
of ___________
Reference
is made to the Loan Agreement dated as of April 24, 2008 (as such may have
been and may be further amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified
from time to time in accordance therewith, the “Loan Agreement”) among Japan
II Shipping Company Limited, as Borrower, Top Ships Inc., as Guarantor, the
banks and financial institutions described therein as Lenders, and DVB Bank AG
as Swap Bank, Agent and Security Trustee. Unless otherwise defined
herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement are used herein as therein defined
and the rules of construction and interpretation in Clause 1 of the Loan
Agreement apply hereto.
______________________
(the “Assignor”) and
________________________ (the “Assignee”) agree as
follows:
1. As
of the Effective Date (defined in Paragraph 4 below), the Assignor hereby
sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby purchases and assumes
from the Assignor, that interest in and to all of the Assignor’s rights and
obligations under the Loan Agreement that represents the Percentage Interest
specified in Section 1 of Annex 1 hereto in the Assignor’s Commitment
and the Advance owing to the Assignor. After giving effect to such
sale and assignment, the Assignee’s Commitment and the amount of the Advance
owing to the Assignee will be as set forth in Section 2 of
Annex 1.
2. The
Assignor (a) represents and warrants that it is the legal and beneficial
owner of the interest being assigned by it hereunder and that such interest is
free and clear of any adverse claim; and (b) makes no representation or
warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements,
warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Loan Agreement,
the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or
value of the Loan Agreement, or any other instrument or document furnished
pursuant thereto or (ii) the financial condition of the Obligors or the
performance or observance by the Obligors of any of their obligations under the
Loan Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant
thereto.
3. The
Assignee (a) confirms that it has received a copy of the Loan Agreement and
the other Finance Documents, together with copies of the financial statements
referred to in the Loan Agreement, and such other documents and information as
it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter
into this Assignment and Acceptance; (b) agrees that it will, independently
and without reliance upon the Agent, the Security Trustee, the Assignor or any
other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem
appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or
not taking action under the Loan Agreement and the other Finance Documents;
(c) appoints and authorizes each of the Agent and the Security Trustee to
take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under the
Loan Agreement and the other Finance Documents as are delegated to the Agent and
the Security Trustee by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are
reasonably incidental thereto; (d) agrees that it
will be bound by the Loan Agreement and perform in accordance with
its terms all of the obligations that by the terms of the Loan Agreement are
required to be performed by it as a Lender; and (e) specifies as its
address for notices the offices set forth beneath its name on the signature page
hereof.
4. The
effective date (the “Effective
Date”) for this Assignment and Acceptance shall be the date of acceptance
hereof by the Agent, unless a later date is specified in Annex 1 hereto,
provided that no Assignment and Acceptance shall be effective until and unless
the terms and conditions of Clause 19.2 of the Loan Agreement are complied
with. Following the execution of this Assignment and Acceptance, two
counterparts will be promptly delivered by the Assignee to the Agent, and the
Agent shall promptly forward a counterpart to the Borrower.
5. Upon
such acceptance and recording, as of the Effective Date, (a) the Assignee
shall be a party to the Loan Agreement and, to the extent provided in this
Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender; and
(b) the Assignor shall, to the extent provided in the Loan Agreement,
relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under the Loan
Agreement.
6. Upon
such acceptance and recording, from and after the Effective Date, the Agent
shall make all payments under the Loan Agreement in respect of the assignment
effected hereby (including all payments of principal, interest and commitment
fees with respect thereto) to the Assignee. The Assignor and Assignee
shall make all appropriate adjustments in payments under the Loan Agreement for
periods prior to the Effective Date directly between themselves.
7. This
Assignment and Acceptance shall be governed by, and shall be construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
[NAME
OF ASSIGNOR]
|
[NAME
OF ASSIGNEE]
|
By: _____________________________
|
By: _____________________________
|
Name:
|
Name:
|
Title:
|
Title:
|
Address
for Notices to the Assignee:
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
|
|
Address
of Assignee’s Lending Office:
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
|
2
Annex
1
to
Assignment
and Acceptance
Dated as
of _________
Section
1
Percentage
Interest:
Section
2
Assignee’s
Commitment: $
Aggregate
Outstanding Principal
Amount of
Advances owing to
the
Assignee: $
Section
3
Effective
Date:
NAME OF
ASSIGNOR
By:
|
_______________________
|
Name: | |
Title: |
SK 23116 0005
1007433