AMENDED AND RESTATED LOAN AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT by and among COLLECTIVE BRANDS FINANCE, INC. as Borrower, THE GUARANTORS SIGNATORY HERETO, as Credit Parties, THE LENDERS THAT ARE SIGNATORIES HERETO as the Lenders, and WELLS FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC...
Execution
Copy
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
by
and among
COLLECTIVE
BRANDS FINANCE, INC.
as
Borrower,
THE
GUARANTORS SIGNATORY
HERETO,
as
Credit Parties,
THE
LENDERS THAT ARE SIGNATORIES HERETO
as
the Lenders,
and
XXXXX
FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC
as
Joint Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Administrative
Agent
and
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
as
Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner
Dated
as of August 17, 2007
AMENDED
AND RESTATED LOAN AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT
THIS
AMENDED AND RESTATED LOAN AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT
(this
“Agreement”),
is
entered into as of August 17, 2007, by and among, on the one hand, the lenders
identified on the signature pages hereof (such lenders, together with their
respective successors and permitted assigns, are referred to hereinafter each
individually as a “Lender”
and
collectively as the “Lenders”)
and
XXXXX
FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, as joint lead arranger, joint bookrunner
and
administrative agent for the Lenders (“Agent”)
and
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS INC.,
as
joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner and, on the other hand, COLLECTIVE
BRANDS FINANCE, INC., a
Nevada
corporation (formerly known as Payless ShoeSource Finance, Inc.) (“Borrower”)
and
the Guarantors identified on the signature pages hereof (together with Borrower,
the “Credit
Parties”
and
each individually as a “Credit
Party”).
WHEREAS,
Borrower (then known as “Payless
ShoeSource Finance, Inc.”),
Agent
and certain financial institutions (such financial institutions, the
“Existing
Lenders”)
are
party to a Loan, Guaranty and Security Agreement dated as of January 15, 2004
(as amended through the date hereof, the “Prior
Loan Agreement”);
and
WHEREAS,
Borrower, Agent and the Existing Lenders have agreed to amend and restate the
Prior Loan Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein,
to,
among other things, (i) cause the Guarantors to continue to guarantee the
Obligations, (ii) finance in part the acquisition on the Closing Date of
substantially all of the assets of The Stride Rite Corporation (“Target”)
(the
“Merger”),
and
(iii) provide working capital for Borrower and to provide funds for other
general corporate purposes of Borrower;
NOW,
THEREFORE,
in
consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein contained, and
for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which
are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree that the Prior Credit
Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
1.
|
DEFINITIONS
AND CONSTRUCTION.
|
1.1 Definitions.
As used
in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
definitions:
“Account”
means
an account (as that term is defined in the Code), and any and all supporting
obligations in respect thereof.
“Account
Debtor”
means
any Person obligated on an Account and any Credit Card Processor.
-1-
“Acquisition
Subsidiary”
means
San Xxxx Acquisition Corp., a Massachusetts corporation and a Wholly-Owned
Subsidiary of the Parent.
“Additional
Documents”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
4.3(b).
“Advance
Rates”
means
the percentage rates set forth in the definition of “Borrowing Base”, as such
percentage rates may be modified pursuant to Section
2.1(b).
“Advances”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.1(a).
“Affiliate”
” means,
with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling
or that is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, each
officer, director, general partner or joint-venturer of such Person, and each
Person that is the beneficial owner of 15% or more of any class of Voting Stock
of such Person; provided,
however,
“Affiliate” shall not include any holder of a minority interest in any
Subsidiary of the Parent. For the purposes of this definition, “control” means
the
possession of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management
and
policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities,
by
contract or otherwise.
“Agent”
means
WFRF, in its capacity as arranger and administrative agent hereunder, and any
successor thereto.
“Agent
Advances”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.3(e)(i).
“Agent-Related
Persons”
means
Agent, together with its Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys,
and agents.
“Agent’s
Account”
means
the Deposit Account of Agent identified on Schedule
A-1.
“Agent’s
Liens”
means
the Liens granted by the Credit Parties to Agent under this Agreement or the
other Loan Documents.
“Aggregate
Payments”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.2.
“Agreement”
has
the
meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Applicable
Amount”
shall mean, at any time (the “Reference
Time”),
an
amount
equal to (a) the sum, without duplication, of:
(i) an
amount
equal to the greater of (x) zero and (y) 50% of cumulative Consolidated Net
Income for the period from the Closing Date until the last day of the then
most
recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been delivered to
the
Agent pursuant to Section 6.3;
provided that,
the amount in this clause (i) shall
only be available if the Parent would be in compliance with the Consolidated
Coverage Test for the most recently ended Test Period, determined on a Pro
Forma
Basis after giving effect to any Investment or Restricted Payment actually
made
pursuant to Sections 7.10(j)(ii) and 7.8(c)(ii) hereof; and
-2-
(ii) the
amount of any capital contributions (other than any such contribution consisting
of Disqualified Stock) made in cash to the Parent (and contributed as common
equity to the Borrower) from and including the Closing Date through and
including the Reference Time,
minus
(b) the
sum, without duplication, of:
(i) the
aggregate amount of Investments made pursuant to Sections
7.10(j)(ii) following
the Closing Date and prior to the Reference Time; and
(ii) the
aggregate amount of Restricted Payments pursuant to Section 7.8(c)(ii)
following
the Closing Date and prior to the Reference Time.
“Applicable
Margin”
means
initially, the rates for Base Rate Loans and LIBOR Rate Loans set forth in
Level
I below and thereafter means the rates for Base Rate Loans and LIBOR Rate Loans
set forth in the grid below based upon Average Utilization:
Level
|
Average
Utilization
|
Base
Rate
Loans
|
LIBOR
Rate
Loans
|
Documentary
Letters
of
Credit
|
Standby
Letters
of
Credit
|
I
|
Up
to and including $65,000,000
|
(0.25)%
|
0.875%
|
0.375%
|
0.875%
|
II
|
Greater
than $65,000,000 but less than or equal to $150,000,000
|
(0.25)%
|
1.0%
|
0.50%
|
1.0%
|
III
|
Greater
than $150,000,000 but less than or equal to $250,000,000
|
0.0%
|
1.25%
|
0.75%
|
1.25%
|
IV
|
Greater
than $250,000,000
|
0.0%
|
1.50%
|
1.0%
|
1.50%
|
-3-
The
Applicable Margin shall be adjusted quarterly as of the first day of each
calendar quarter, based upon the Average Utilization for the immediately
preceding calendar quarter.
“Anti-Terrorism
Laws”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
5.23.
“Arrangers”
means,
collectively, WFRF and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., each in its capacity
as
joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner.
“Asset
Sale”
means a sale,
conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of any of its respective assets
or any interest therein by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
(including the sale or factoring at maturity or collection of any accounts)
to
any Person, or a permitting or sufferance of any other Person to acquire any
interest in any of the respective assets of the Borrower or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries or, except in the case of the Borrower, the issuance
or
sale of any shares of Stock or any Stock Equivalent,
other than (i) the
sale
or disposition of Cash Equivalents, Inventory or other assets, in each case
in
the ordinary course of business,
(ii) the
sale
or disposition of equipment that has become obsolete, damaged, surplus or
otherwise no longer used or useful in the ordinary course of business or is
replaced in the ordinary course of business,
(iii) any
Recovery Event (without giving effect to the limitations in the definition
thereof),
(iv) sales
or
other dispositions without recourse and in the ordinary course of business
of
overdue accounts receivable in connection with the compromise or collection
thereof,
(v) the
licensing, sublicensing or other similar ordinary course transfers (but not
sales) of intellectual property rights (on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis)
to the extent that the foregoing occurs on an arms-length basis, (vi) the
settlement, release or surrender of tort or other litigation claims, (vii)
asset
contributions for no cash consideration (or its equivalent) to the extent
constituting an Investment permitted under clause (d) of the definition of
“Permitted
Investments,”
(viii) Assets
Sales among Credit Parties, (xi) a true lease or sublease of Real Property
not
constituting Indebtedness and not constituting a Sale-Leaseback,
(x) dispositions
of property pursuant to a Permitted Sale-Leaseback, (xi) as long as no Default
or Event of Default is continuing or would result therefrom, any other Asset
Sale for fair market value, 75% of which shall be payable in cash upon such
sale, provided,
however,
that
with respect to any such Asset Sale pursuant to this clause (xi), the total
Dollar amount of the aggregate consideration received during any fiscal year
for
all such Asset Sales shall not exceed 2.0% of the Consolidated Net Tangible
Assets of Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole at any
time
outstanding, (xii) any other sale or transfer or series of related sales or
transfers that result in cash consideration of less than $1,000,000, (xiii)
transfers to insurers as part of insurance settlements for losses to
governmental authority for condemned property, (xiv) Store Closings within
the
Store Closing Basket and (xv) dispositions listed on Schedule
7.3.
“Assignee”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
14.1(a).
-4-
“Assignment
and Acceptance”
means
an Assignment and Acceptance Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit
A-1.
“Authorized
Person”
means
those individuals identified on Schedule
A-2,
as such
schedule may be modified by written notice from Borrower to Agent from time
to
time.
“Availability”
means,
as of any date of determination, the amount that Borrower is entitled to borrow
as Advances hereunder (after giving effect to all then outstanding Obligations
and all sublimits and Reserves then applicable hereunder).
“Average
Utilization”
means
for any calendar quarter an amount equal to the sum of the Daily Balance of
Revolver Usage for each day of such calendar quarter divided by the actual
number of days in such calendar quarter, as determined by Agent, which
determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
"Banking
Services"
means
each and any of the following bank services provided to any Credit Party by
any
Lender: (a) commercial credit cards, (b) stored value cards and (c) treasury
management services (including, without limitation, controlled disbursement,
automated clearinghouse transactions, returned items, overdrafts and interstate
depository network services).
"Banking
Services Obligations"
means
any and all obligations of the Credit Parties, whether absolute or contingent
and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including
all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefore),
in connection with Banking Services.
“Bankruptcy
Code”
means
title 11 of the United States Code, as in effect from time to time.
“Base
LIBOR Rate”
means
the rate per annum, determined by Agent in accordance with its customary
procedures, and utilizing such electronic or other quotation sources as it
considers appropriate (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100%),
to be
the rate at which Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of the
requested Interest Period) are offered to major banks in the London interbank
market at approximately 11 a.m. (London time) 2 Business Days prior to the
commencement of the requested Interest Period, for a term and in an amount
comparable to the Interest Period and the amount of the LIBOR Rate Loan
requested (whether as an initial LIBOR Rate Loan or as a continuation of an
extant LIBOR Rate Loan or as a conversion of a Base Rate Loan to a LIBOR Rate
Loan) by Borrower in accordance with this Agreement, which determination shall
be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.
“Base
Rate”
means,
the rate of interest announced, from time to time, within Xxxxx Fargo at its
principal office in San Francisco as its “prime rate”, with the understanding
that the “prime rate” is one of Xxxxx Fargo’s base rates (not necessarily the
lowest of such rates) and serves as the basis upon which effective rates of
interest are calculated for those loans making reference thereto and is
evidenced by the recording thereof after its announcement in such internal
publications as Xxxxx Fargo may designate.
-5-
“Base
Rate Loan”
means
the portion of the Advances that bears interest at a rate determined by
reference to the Base Rate.
“Benefit
Plan”
means
a
“defined benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(35)
of
ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA for which any Credit Party or ERISA
Affiliate of any Credit Party has been an “employer” (as defined in
Section 3(5) of ERISA) within the past six years.
“Board
of Directors”
means
the board of directors (or comparable managers) of Parent or any committee
thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of the board of directors (or
comparable managers).
“Books”
means
each Credit Party’s now owned or hereafter acquired books and records (including
all of its Records indicating, summarizing, or evidencing its assets (including
the Collateral) or liabilities, all of the Records of each Credit Party relating
to its business operations or financial condition, and all of its goods related
to such information).
“Borrower”
has
the
meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Borrowing”
means
a
borrowing hereunder consisting of Advances made on the same day by the Lenders
(or Agent on behalf thereof), or by Swing Lender in the case of a Swing Loan,
or
by Agent in the case of an Agent Advance.
“Borrowing
Base”
means,
as of any date of determination, the result of:
(a) 85%
of
Eligible Accounts, plus
(b) 90%
of
Eligible Credit Card Accounts, plus
(c) 90%
times
the then
extant Net Liquidation Percentage times
Eligible
Inventory, minus
(d) the
aggregate amount of Permitted Reserves, if any, established by the
Agent.
“Borrowing
Base Certificate”
has
the
meaning set forth in Schedule
6.2.
“Business
Day”
means
any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which banks are
authorized or required to close in the states of California, Kansas,
Massachusetts or New York, except that, if a determination of a Business Day
shall relate to a LIBOR Rate Loan, the term “Business Day” also shall exclude
any day on which banks are closed for dealings in Dollar deposits in the London
interbank market.
-6-
“Capital
Lease”
means
a
lease that is required to be capitalized for financial reporting purposes in
accordance with GAAP.
“Capitalized
Lease Obligation”
means
that portion of the obligations under a Capital Lease that is required to be
capitalized in accordance with GAAP.
“Cash
Equivalents”
means,
as of any date of determination, (i) marketable securities (a) issued or
directly and unconditionally guaranteed as to interest and principal by the
United States Government or (b) issued by any agency of the United States in
each case maturing within thirteen months after such date; (ii) marketable
direct obligations issued by any state of the United States of America or any
political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof,
in each case maturing within thirteen months after such date and having, at
the
time of the acquisition thereof, a rating of at least A-1 from Standard
&Poor’s Rating Group (“S&P”) or at least P-1 from Xxxxx’x Investors
Service Inc. (“Moody’s”); (iii) (a) commercial paper maturing no more than
thirteen months from the date of creation thereof and having, at the time of
the
acquisition thereof, a rating of at least A-1 from S&P or at least P-1 from
Moody’s and (b) other corporate obligations maturing no more than thirteen
months from the acquisition thereof and having, at the time of the acquisition
thereof, a rating of at least AA from S&P or at least Aa2 from Moody’s; (iv)
variable rate demand notes and auction rate securities maturing no more than
thirteen months from the date of creation thereof; (v) certificates of deposit
or bankers’ acceptances maturing within thirteen months after such date and
issued or accepted by any Lender or by any commercial bank organized under
the
laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of
Columbia that (a) is at least “adequately capitalized” (as defined in the
regulations of its primary Federal banking regulator) and (b) has Tier 1 capital
(as defined in such regulations) of not less than $100,000,000; and (vi) shares
of any money market mutual fund that (a) has substantially all of its assets
invested continuously in the types of investments referred to in clauses (i)
and
(ii) above, (b) has net assets of not less than $500,000,000 and (c) has the
highest rating obtainable from either S&P or Moody’s.
“Cash
Management Account”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(a).
“Cash
Management Agreements”
means
those certain cash management agreements, in form and substance satisfactory
to
Agent, each of which is among the applicable Credit Party, Agent, and one of
the
Cash Management Banks.
“Cash
Management Bank”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(a).
“Change
of Control”
means
any
event or circumstance after which (a) any person or group of persons (within
the
meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) shall have acquired
beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1934, as amended) of more than
50% of the voting stock of the Parent, (b) a majority of the board of directors
of the Parent shall not be Continuing Directors or (c)
Borrower shall cease to be a direct Wholly Owned Domestic Subsidiary of the
Parent.
-7-
“Closing
Date”
means
the date of the making of the initial Advance (or other extension of credit)
hereunder or the date on which Agent sends Borrower a written notice that each
of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 3.1 either have been satisfied
or have been waived.
“Closing
Date Business Plan”
means
the set of Projections of Parent and its Subsidiaries and the Target and its
subsidiaries (on a combined basis) through the 2014 fiscal year, prepared on
a
quarterly basis through the end of 2007 (and annually thereafter).
“Code”
means
the New York Uniform Commercial Code, as in effect from time to
time.
“Collateral”
means
all property and interests in property and proceeds thereof now owned or
hereafter acquired by any Credit Party in or upon which a Lien is granted under
any Collateral Document.
“Collateral
Documents”
means
the Pledge and Security Agreement, other pledge or security agreements
(including those in respect of Intellectual Property), the Mortgages, the
Deposit Account Control Agreements, the Securities Account Control Agreements
and any other document executed and delivered by a Credit Party granting a
Lien
on any of its property to secure payment of the Secured
Obligations.
“Collateral
Access Agreement”
means
a
landlord waiver, bailee letter, or acknowledgement agreement of any lessor,
warehouseman, processor, consignee, or other Person in possession of, having
a
Lien upon, or having rights or interests in any Credit Party’s Inventory or
Books relating to the Collateral, in each case, in form and substance
satisfactory to Agent.
“Collections”
means
all
cash,
checks, notes, instruments, and other items of payment relating to the
Collateral.
“Commitment”
means,
with respect to each Lender, its Revolver Commitment and, with respect to all
Lenders, their Revolver Commitments, as such Dollar amounts are set forth beside
such Lender’s name under the applicable heading on Schedule
C-1
or in
the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which such Lender became a Lender
hereunder in accordance with the provisions of Section
14.1
or
pursuant to Section
2.2.
“Compliance
Certificate”
means
a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit
C-1
delivered by the chief financial officer of Borrower to Agent.
-8-
“Concentration
Accounts”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(a).
“Consignee/Bailee
Location”
means
real property owned or leased by a Person constituting a “bailee” or “consignee”
for purposes of the Code with respect to Inventory of the Credit Parties, other
than in-transit Inventory, in excess of $2,500,000 in the aggregate for all
such
Consignee/Bailee Locations and $1,000,000 in respect of any particular Person
constituting a “bailee” or “consignee”; provided that no Pool Location shall be
considered a Consignee/Bailee Location for purposes of this
Agreement.
“Consolidated”
means,
when used to modify a financial term, test, statement, or report of a Person,
the application or preparation of such term, test, statement or report (as
applicable) based upon the consolidation, in accordance with GAAP, of the
financial condition or operating results of such Person and its
Subsidiaries.
"Consolidated
Coverage Test"
means
the maintenance by Borrower, on the last day of each fiscal quarter set forth
below, of a Total Leverage Ratio of not more than the maximum ratio set forth
below opposite such fiscal quarter:
FISCAL
QUARTER ENDING ON OR ABOUT
|
MAXIMUM
LEVERAGE RATIO
|
October
31, 2007, January 31, 2008, April 30, 2008, July 31, 2008, October
31,
2008 and January 31, 2009
|
4.7
to 1
|
April
30, 2009, July 31, 2009, October 31, 2009 and January 31,
2010
|
4.2
to 1
|
April
30, 2010 and each fiscal quarter thereafter
|
4.0
to 1
|
“Consolidated
EBITDA”
means
Consolidated EBITDAR minus
the
amount, if any, of rental expense added to Consolidated Net Income in
calculating Consolidated EBITDAR.
“Consolidated
EBITDAR”
means,
with respect to any Person for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such
Person and its Subsidiaries for such period, plus (a) the sum of the following,
without duplication and, in each case, to the extent deducted in determining
such Consolidated Net Income: (i) any provision for income taxes, (ii) all
interest expense (net of interest income), (iii) depreciation, amortization
and
rental expense, (iv) extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring charges, expenses
or losses (including, whether or not otherwise includable as a separate item
in
the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for such period, losses on the
sales of assets outside of the ordinary course of business), (v) losses or
charges resulting from hedging activities, including but not limited to any
decrease in the fair value of interest rate swap agreements and any losses
on
foreign currency contracts not entered into for speculative purposes, (vi)
the
amount of all non-cash charges for such period (including any impairment or
writeoff of goodwill or other intangible assets but excluding any such non-cash
charge, expense or loss to the extent that it represents an accrual of or
reserve for cash expenses in any future period or an amortization of a prepaid
cash expense that was paid in a prior period), (vii) the amortization of any
financing costs or fees or original issue discount incurred in connection with
any Indebtedness, (viii) any non-cash expenses due to purchase accounting
associated with the Transactions and any future Permitted Acquisitions, (ix)
any
non-cash compensation charge or expense arising from any grant of stock, stock
options or other equity based awards and (x) to the extent non-recurring and
not
capitalized, costs, fees, charges and expenses (including legal and consulting
fees) incurred in connection with or written off as a result of (1) the Loans,
the Merger or the other Transactions, (2) Permitted Acquisitions and other
investments permitted under the Loan Documents, (3) issuances of Stock or Stock
Equivalents, and (4) disposition, incurrence or refinancing of any Indebtedness,
including in each case, all deferred financing costs written off and premiums
paid or other expenses incurred directly in connection with any early
extinguishment of Indebtedness and any net loss from any write-off or
forgiveness of Indebtedness; less
(b) the
sum of the following to the extent included in determining Consolidated Net
Income (i) income tax benefits for such period, (ii) any extraordinary, unusual
or non-recurring income or gains for such period (including, whether or not
otherwise includable as a separate item in the statement of such Consolidated
Net Income for such period, gains on the sales of assets outside of the ordinary
course of business and any net gain from any write-off or forgiveness of
Indebtedness), (iii) other non-cash income or gains (other than the accrual
of
revenue in the ordinary course), and (iv) gains resulting from hedging
activities, including but not limited to any increase in the fair value of
interest rate swap agreements and any gains on foreign currency contracts not
entered into for speculative purpose.
-9-
“Consolidated
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio”
means,
at any date of determination, the ratio of (a) (i) Consolidated EBITDA for
such
period minus
(ii)
Capital Expenditures to (b) the sum of (i) Debt Service Charges plus
(ii) the
aggregate amount of all Restricted Payments, plus
(iii)
the aggregate amount of Federal, state, local and foreign income taxes paid
in
cash, in each case, of or by the Parent and its Restricted Subsidiaries for
the
most recently completed period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated
Funded Indebtedness”
means,
as of any date of determination, the sum (without duplication) of (a) the
aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of the Parent and the Restricted
Subsidiaries outstanding as of such date, in the amount that would be reflected
on a balance sheet prepared as of such date on a Consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP, and (b) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness
outstanding as of such date of Persons other than the Parent or a Restricted
Subsidiary, in the amount that would be reflected on a balance sheet of any
such
Person prepared as of such date on a Consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP,
to the extent such Indebtedness is guaranteed by the Parent or a Restricted
Subsidiary. For
purposes of determining the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio and the Total Leverage
Ratio for any Test Period, Consolidated Funded Indebtedness in respect of
Indebtedness outstanding under this Agreement shall be the average outstanding
amount of such Indebtedness during such Test Period.
-10-
“Consolidated
Interest Charges”
means,
for any period, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount,
fees, charges and related expenses in connection with borrowed money (including
capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of
assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP,
including, without limitation, all commissions, discounts and other fees and
charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing
and net costs under Swap Contracts, but excluding (i) any non-cash or deferred
interest financing costs and (ii) interest expenses treated as such pursuant
solely to Fin 48, (b) all interest paid or payable with respect to discontinued
operations and (c) the portion of rent expense with respect to such period
under
Capital Lease Obligations that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP,
in each case of or by the Parent and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the most
recently completed period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated
Net Income”
means,
with respect to any Person and its Subsidiaries, for any period, the net income
(or loss) of such Person and its Subsidiaries for such period, determined on
a
Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided
that
there shall be excluded from the calculation of Consolidated Net Income (a)
except as otherwise provided in the credit documentation with respect to
calculations to be made on a pro forma basis, the net income (or loss) of any
other Person accrued prior to the date it became a Subsidiary of, or was merged
or consolidated into, such Person or any of such Person’s Subsidiaries, (b) the
net income (or loss) of any Person that is an Unrestricted Subsidiary or in
which such Person has a minority ownership interest, except to the extent any
such income has actually been received by such Person in the form of cash
dividends or distributions, and (c) the cumulative effect of a change in
accounting principles.
“Consolidated
Net Tangible Assets”
means,
at any date of determination, (i) the consolidated net book value of all assets
of Parent and its Subsidiaries, minus (ii) the consolidated total net book
value
of all assets of Parent and its Subsidiaries which would be treated as
intangibles under GAAP, including goodwill and trademarks, all as determined
on
a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated
Store Deposit Accounts”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(a).
“Continuing
Director”
means
the directors of the Parent on the Closing Date and each other director of
the
Parent, if, in each case, such other director’s nomination for election to the
board of directors of the Parent is recommended by at least 51% of the then
Continuing Directors.
-11-
“Contractual
Obligation”
of
any
Person means any obligation, agreement, undertaking or similar provision of
any
security issued by such Person or of any agreement, undertaking, contract,
lease, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other instrument (excluding a
Loan
Document) to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property
is bound or to which any of its property is subject.
“Contributing
Guarantors”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.2.
“Control
Exercise Notice”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(f).
“Credit
Card Agreements”
means
those certain credit card receipts agreements, each in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to Agent, and each of which is among Agent, the
applicable Credit Party, and one of such Credit Party’s Credit Card Processors,
whereby, among other things, such Credit Card Processor is irrevocably directed
and agrees to transfer all proceeds of credit card charges for sales by such
Credit Party received by it (or other amounts payable by such Credit Card
Processor) into a designated Concentration Account on a daily basis or such
other periodic basis as Agent may otherwise direct.
“Credit
Card Processor”
means
any Person (including an issuer of a credit card) that acts as a credit card
clearinghouse or remits payments due to any Credit Party with respect to credit
card charges accepted by such Credit Party.
“Credit
Card Receivables”
means,
on any date of determination thereof, Accounts consisting of rights of any
Credit Party to payment by any Credit Card Processor in connection with consumer
retail sales for which such Credit Party has accepted payment by means of
charges to debit cards or major credit cards (MasterCard, VISA), American
Express, Discover, Japan Credit Bureau, Ahorro
A Toda Hora Banco
Popular (“ATH”) Card, EBT Cards (so long as Eligible Accounts relating to EBT
Cards do not exceed, in the aggregate, $250,000) and such other bank or non-bank
credit or debit cards as may be approved by Agent in its Permitted
Discretion).
“Credit
Party”
means
the Borrower and each Guarantor.
“Customs
Broker”
means
Expeditors International, or such other Persons as may be selected by Borrower
after the date hereof who are reasonably acceptable to Agent in its Permitted
Discretion to perform port of entry services to accept and process Inventory
imported by any Credit Party and who have executed and delivered a Customs
Broker Agreement.
“Customs
Broker Agreement”
means
a
customs broker agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent in its
Permitted Discretion, duly executed and delivered to Agent by a Customs Broker
and the applicable Credit Party.
-12-
“Daily
Balance”
means,
as of any date of determination and with respect to any Obligation, the amount
of such Obligation owed at the end of such day.
“Debt
Service Charges”
means
for any period, the sum of (a) Consolidated Interest Charges paid or required
to
be paid for such period,
plus
(b)
principal payments required to be made and actually made on account of
Indebtedness (excluding the Obligations and the Term Loan Obligations but
including, without limitation, Capital Lease Obligations), in each case of
or by
the Parent and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the most recently completed
period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP.
“Default”
means
an event, condition, or default that, with the giving of notice, the passage
of
time, or both, would be an Event of Default.
“Defaulting
Lender”
means
any Lender that fails to make any Advance (or other extension of credit) that
it
is required to make hereunder on the date that it is required to do so
hereunder.
“Defaulting
Lender Rate”
means
(a) for the first 3 days from and after the date the relevant payment is due,
the Base Rate, and (b) thereafter, the interest rate then applicable to Advances
that are Base Rate Loans (inclusive of the Applicable Margin applicable
thereto).
“Deposit
Account”
means
any deposit account (as that term is defined in the Code).
“Deposit
Account Control Agreement”
has
the
meaning specified in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Designated
Account”
means
the Deposit Account of each Credit Party identified on Schedule
D-1.
“Designated
Account Bank”
has
the
meaning ascribed thereto on Schedule
D-1.
“Disbursement
Letter”
means
an instructional letter executed and delivered by Borrower to Agent regarding
the extensions of credit to be made on the Closing Date, the form and substance
of which is satisfactory to Agent.
“Disqualified
Stock”
shall
mean any Stock or Stock Equivalent which, by its terms (or by the terms of
any
Security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable), or
upon
the happening of any event, (a) matures (excluding any maturity as the result
of
an optional redemption by the issuer thereof) or is mandatorily redeemable,
pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the
option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the first
anniversary of the Maturity Date, (b) is convertible into or exchangeable
(unless at the sole option of the issuer thereof) for (i) debt securities or
(ii) any Stock or Stock Equivalent referred to in clause (a) above, in each
case
at any time on or prior to the first anniversary of the Maturity Date, or (c)
contains any repurchase obligation which may come into effect prior to payment
in full of all Obligations; provided, however, that any Stock or Stock
Equivalents that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for provisions
thereof giving holders thereof (or the holders of any security into or for
which
such Stock or Stock Equivalents is convertible, exchangeable or exercisable)
the
right to require the issuer thereof to redeem such Stock or Stock Equivalents
upon the occurrence of a change in control or an asset sale occurring prior
to
the first anniversary of the Maturity Date shall not constitute Disqualified
Stock if such Stock or Stock Equivalents provide that the issuer thereof will
not redeem any such Stock or Stock Equivalents pursuant to such provisions
prior
to the repayment in full of the Obligations; provided further, however, that
any
Stock or Stock Equivalents owned by a Group Member in a Joint Venture shall
not
constitute Disqualified Stock solely due to repurchase obligations triggered
upon such Group Member’s failure to make a required capital
contribution.
-13-
“Dollars”
or
“$”
means
United States dollars.
“EBT
Cards”
means
those cards subject to an electronic benefit transfer system that allows the
user to authorize the transfer of the user’s government benefits from a Federal
account to a retailer account in order to pay for products
received.
“Eligible
Accounts”
means
those Accounts (other than Eligible Credit Card Accounts) that are created
by
any Credit Party in the ordinary course of its business, that arise out of
such
Credit Party’s sale of goods or rendition of services, that comply with each of
the representations and warranties respecting Eligible Accounts made in the
Loan
Documents, and that are not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more
of
the excluding criteria set forth below; provided,
however, that such criteria may be revised from time to time by Agent in its
Permitted Discretion to address the results of any audit performed by Agent
from
time to time after the Closing Date. In determining the amount to be included,
Eligible Accounts shall be calculated at face value. Eligible Accounts shall
not
include the following:
(a) Accounts
that the Account Debtor has failed to pay within 90 days of original invoice
date (or such longer period not to exceed 120 days in the Agent's discretion)
or
Accounts with selling terms of more than 60 days,
(b) Accounts
owed by an Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) where 50% or more of all Accounts
owed by that Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) are deemed ineligible under
clause (a) above,
(c) Accounts
with respect to which the Account Debtor is an Affiliate of Borrower or an
employee or agent of Borrower or any Affiliate of Borrower,
-14-
(d) Accounts
arising in a transaction wherein goods are placed on consignment or are sold
pursuant to a guaranteed sale, a sale or return, a sale on approval, a xxxx
and
hold, or any other terms by reason of which the payment by the Account Debtor
may be conditional,
(e) Accounts
that are not payable in Dollars,
(f) Accounts
with respect to which the Account Debtor either (i) does not maintain its chief
executive office in the United States, or (ii) is not organized under the laws
of the United States or any state thereof, or (iii) is the government of any
foreign country or sovereign state, or of any state, province, municipality,
or
other political subdivision thereof, or of any department, agency, public
corporation, or other instrumentality thereof, unless (y) the Account is
supported by an irrevocable letter of credit satisfactory to Agent in its
Permitted Discretion (as to form, substance, and issuer or domestic confirming
bank) that has been delivered to Agent and is directly drawable by Agent, or
(z)
the Account is covered by credit insurance in form, substance, and amount,
and
by an insurer, satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion,
(g) Accounts
with respect to which the Account Debtor is either (i) the United States or
any
department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States (exclusive, however,
of Accounts with respect to which Borrower has complied, to the reasonable
satisfaction of Agent, with the Assignment of Claims Act, 31 USC §3727), or (ii)
any state of the United States,
(h) Accounts
with respect to which the Account Debtor is subject to an Insolvency Proceeding,
is not Solvent, or as to which any Credit Party has received notice of an
imminent Insolvency Proceeding or a material impairment of the financial
condition of such Account Debtor,
(i) Accounts,
the collection of which, Agent, in its Permitted Discretion, believes to be
doubtful by reason of the Account Debtor’s financial condition,
(j) Accounts
that are not subject to a valid and perfected first priority Agent’s Lien,
or
(k)
Accounts with respect to which (i) the goods giving rise to such Account have
not been shipped and billed to the Account Debtor, or (ii) the services giving
rise to such Account have not been performed and billed to the Account
Debtor.
“Eligible
Credit Card Accounts”
means
those Eligible Accounts consisting of Credit Card Receivables in each case
(for
all such Accounts) that are created by any Credit Party in the ordinary course
of its business, that arise out of such Credit Party’s sale of goods or
rendition of services, that comply with each of the representations and
warranties respecting Eligible Accounts made in the Loan Documents, and that
are
not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria
set forth below; provided,
however, that such criteria may be revised from time to time by Agent in its
Permitted Discretion to address the results of any audit performed by Agent
from
time to time after the Closing Date. In determining the amount to be included,
Eligible Accounts shall be calculated at face value. Eligible Accounts shall
not
include the following:
-15-
(a) Credit
Card Receivables that the applicable Credit Card Processor has failed to pay
within 5 Business Days after the applicable sale date;
(b) Accounts
owed by an Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) where 50% or more of all Accounts
owed by that Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) are deemed ineligible under
clause (a) above,
(c) Accounts
that are not payable in Dollars,
(d) Accounts
with respect to which the Account Debtor either (i) does not maintain its chief
executive office in the United States, or (ii) is not organized under the laws
of the United States or any state thereof, or (iii) is the government of any
foreign country or sovereign state, or of any state, province, municipality,
or
other political subdivision thereof, or of any department, agency, public
corporation, or other instrumentality thereof, unless (y) the Account is
supported by an irrevocable letter of credit satisfactory to Agent in its
Permitted Discretion (as to form, substance, and issuer or domestic confirming
bank) that has been delivered to Agent and is directly drawable by Agent, or
(z)
the Account is covered by credit insurance in form, substance, and amount,
and
by an insurer, satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion,
(e) Accounts
with respect to which the Account Debtor is subject to an Insolvency Proceeding,
is not Solvent, or as to which any Credit Party has received notice of an
imminent Insolvency Proceeding or a material impairment of the financial
condition of such Account Debtor,
(f) Accounts,
the collection of which, Agent, in its Permitted Discretion, believes to be
doubtful by reason of the Account Debtor’s financial condition, or
(g) Accounts
that are not subject to a valid and perfected first priority Agent’s Lien, and,
at any time after the 90th
day
following the Closing Date are not subject to a Credit Card
Agreement.
“Eligible
In-Transit Inventory”
means,
as of the date of determination thereof, without duplication of other Eligible
Inventory, Inventory (a) which has been shipped from a location outside the
United States for receipt by a Credit Party to a location listed on Schedule
E-1
within 45 days of the date of determination, but which has not yet been
delivered to a Credit Party, (b) for which payment has been made by a Credit
Party and title has passed to a Credit Party, (c) for which the document of
title reflects a Credit Party as consignee (along with delivery to a Credit
Party of the documents of title with respect thereto), (d) (x) is being
transported pursuant to a nonnegotiable document of title within the meaning
of
the Code and (y) as to which, at any time after the 90th day following the
Closing Date, Agent has control over the documents of title which evidence
ownership of the subject Inventory by the delivery of a Customs Broker
Agreement, (e) such Inventory is insured against types of loss, damage, hazards,
and risks, and in amounts satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion,
and
(f) which otherwise would constitute Eligible Landed Inventory.
-16-
“Eligible
Inventory”
means
Eligible Landed Inventory, Eligible L/C Inventory, Eligible In-Transit Inventory
or Eligible U.S. Territory Inventory, less any Reserves imposed by the
Agent.
“Eligible
Landed Inventory”
means
Inventory consisting of finished goods held for sale in the ordinary course
of
each Credit Party’s business that complies with each of the representations and
warranties respecting Eligible Inventory made in the Loan Documents, and that
is
not excluded as ineligible by virtue of the one or more of the excluding
criteria set forth below; provided,
however, that such criteria may be revised from time to time by Agent in its
Permitted Discretion to address the results of any audit or appraisal performed
by Agent from time to time after the Closing Date. In determining the amount
to
be so included, Inventory shall be valued at the lower of cost (determined
on a
perpetual basis) or market on a basis consistent with such Credit Party’s
historical accounting practices, but excluding, for purposes of any such
determination, the value of any capitalized costs unrelated to the acquisition
of Inventory. An item of Inventory shall not be included in Eligible Landed
Inventory if:
(a) a
Credit
Party does not have good, valid, and marketable title thereto,
(b) it
is not
located at one of the locations in the United States set forth on Schedule E-1
or a
Pool Location (or in transit from one such location to another such location)
as
such locations are updated by the Borrower from time to time by written notice
to Agent,
(c) it
is
located on real property leased by any Credit Party or in a contract warehouse,
Pool Location, or Consignee/Bailee Location, unless (i) it is segregated or
otherwise separately identifiable from goods of others, if any, stored on the
premises, (ii) with respect to any Credit Party’s chief executive office,
Non-Owned Storage Facilities and any Consignee/Bailee Location, after 90 days
from closing, is subject to a Collateral Access Agreement and (iii), in the
case
of Inventory held by a bailee or consignee at a Consignee/Bailee Location,
notice of Agent’s security interest in the Collateral has been sent to each
secured creditor having a security interest in inventory of such bailee or
consignee provided
that,
notwithstanding clause (ii) and (iii) above, Inventory located on real property
leased by any Credit Party or in a contract warehouse, Pool Location, or
Consignee/Bailee Location shall not be ineligible solely due to the inability
or
failure to obtain a landlord or bailee waiver or other third party consent
or
document, including a Collateral Access Agreement (provided
that the
Agent shall be entitled to establish a Reserve against Availability under the
Borrowing Base equal to the lesser of the value of such Inventory or up to
three
(3) months’ rent for such location if such waiver is not received),
-17-
(d) it
is not
subject to a valid and perfected first priority Agent’s Lien,
(e) it
consists of goods returned or rejected by any Credit Party’s customers unless
such goods are repackaged and ready for sale in the ordinary course of such
Credit Party’s business, or
(f) it
consists of goods that are obsolete or slow moving (i.e. more than three (3)
seasons old (it being understood that the Borrower has only two seasons in
each
calendar year)), restrictive or custom items, work-in-process, mismatches,
goods
on display, return to vendor goods, raw materials, or goods that constitute
spare parts, packaging and shipping materials, supplies used or consumed in
any
Credit Party’s business, xxxx and hold goods, defective goods, “seconds” or
Inventory acquired on consignment.
“Eligible
L/C Inventory”
means,
as of the date of determination thereof, without duplication of other Eligible
Inventory, Inventory (a) not yet delivered to a Credit Party, (b) the purchase
of which is supported by a Qualified Import Letter of Credit, (c) for which
the
document of title reflects a Credit Party as consignee (along with delivery
to a
Credit Party or the Issuing Bank, as applicable, of the documents of title
with
respect thereto), (d) with respect to which the Underlying Letter of Credit
has
been drawn upon in full and the Underlying Issuer has honored such drawing
and
Agent has honored its obligations to the Underlying Issuer under the applicable
Qualified Import Letter of Credit, (e) (x) is being transported pursuant to
a
nonnegotiable document of title within the meaning of the Code and (y) as to
which, at any time after the 90th day following the Closing Date, Agent has
control over the documents of title which evidence ownership of the subject
Inventory by the delivery of a Customs Broker Agreement, (f) such Inventory
is
insured against types of loss, damage, hazards and risks, and in amounts,
satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion, and (g) which upon completion
of manufacture otherwise would constitute Eligible Landed
Inventory.
“Eligible
Transferee”
means
(a) a commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States, or any
state thereof, and having total assets in excess of $250,000,000, (b) a
commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country which is a member
of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or a political
subdivision of any such country and which has total assets in excess of
$250,000,000, provided
that
such bank is acting through a branch or agency located in the United States,
(c) a finance company, insurance company, or other financial institution or
fund that is engaged in making, purchasing, or otherwise investing in commercial
loans in the ordinary course of its business and having (together with its
Affiliates) total assets in excess of $250,000,000, (d) any Affiliate
(other than individuals) of a Lender, (e) any other Person approved by Agent
and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Borrower
(which approval of Borrower shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed, or
conditioned).
-18-
“Eligible
U.S. Territory Inventory”
means,
as of the date of determination thereof, without duplication of other Eligible
Inventory, Inventory consisting of finished goods for which a Credit Party
or
Subsidiary of a Credit Party has good, valid and marketable title, held for
sale
in the ordinary course of a Credit Party’s or its Subsidiary’s business and that
complies with each of the representations and warranties respecting Eligible
Inventory made in the Loan Documents and that is either (a) shipped from a
location outside of the U.S. Territories for receipt by a Credit Party or
Subsidiary of a Credit Party in a U.S. Territory and for which (i) payment
has
been made by a Credit Party or Subsidiary of a Credit Party for such Inventory
and (ii) such Inventory is insured against types of loss, damage, hazards,
and
risks, and in amounts satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion; or
(b)
located on real property in a U.S. Territory leased or owned by a Credit Party
or Subsidiary of a Credit Party.
“Environmental
Actions”
means
any complaint, summons, citation, notice, directive, order, claim, litigation,
investigation, judicial or administrative proceeding, judgment, letter, or
other
communication, each, by or from any Governmental Authority, or any third party
involving (x) violations of Environmental Laws or (y) releases of Hazardous
Materials (a) from any assets, properties, or businesses of any Credit Party,
or
any of their predecessors in interest, (b) from adjoining properties or
businesses, or (c) from or onto any facilities which received Hazardous
Materials generated by any Credit Party, or any of their predecessors in
interest.
“Environmental
Law”
means
any applicable federal, state, provincial, foreign or local statute, law, rule,
regulation, ordinance, code, binding and enforceable guideline, binding and
enforceable written policy, or rule of common law now or hereafter in effect
and
in each case as amended, or any judicial or administrative interpretation
thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent decree or
judgment, in each case, to the extent binding on any Credit Party, relating
to
the environment, employee health and safety, or Hazardous Materials, including
CERCLA; RCRA; the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 USC § 1251
et seq;
the
Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 USC § 2601 et seq;
the
Clean Air Act, 42 USC § 7401 et seq.;
the
Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC § 3803 et seq.;
the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990, 33 USC § 2701 et seq.;
the
Emergency Planning and the Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 42 USC
§ 11001 et seq.;
the
Hazardous Material Transportation Act, 49 USC § 1801 et seq.;
and the
Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 USC §651 et seq.
(to the
extent it regulates occupational exposure to Hazardous Materials); any state
and
local or foreign counterparts or equivalents, in each case as amended from
time
to time.
-19-
“Environmental
Liabilities and Costs”
means
all liabilities, monetary obligations, Remedial Actions, losses, damages,
punitive damages, consequential damages, treble damages, costs and expenses
(including all reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel, experts,
or consultants, and costs of investigation and feasibility studies), fines,
penalties, sanctions, and interest incurred as a result of any claim or demand
by any Governmental Authority or any third party, and which relate to any
Environmental Action.
“Environmental
Lien”
means
any Lien in favor of any Governmental Authority for Environmental Liabilities
and Costs.
“Equipment”
means
equipment (as that term is defined in the Code) and includes machinery, machine
tools, motors, furniture, furnishings, fixtures, vehicles (including motor
vehicles), computer hardware, tools, parts, and goods (other than consumer
goods, farm products, or Inventory), wherever located, including all
attachments, accessories, accessions, replacements, substitutions, additions,
and improvements to any of the foregoing.
“ERISA”
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any
successor statute thereto.
“ERISA
Affiliate”
means
(a) any Person subject to ERISA whose employees are treated as employed by
the
same employer as the employees of any Credit Party under IRC Section 414(b),
(b)
any trade or business subject to ERISA whose employees are treated as employed
by the same employer as the employees of any Credit Party under IRC Section
414(c), (c) solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of
the
IRC, any organization subject to ERISA that is a member of an affiliated service
group of which any Credit Party is a member under IRC Section 414(m), or (d)
solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the IRC, any
Person subject to ERISA that is a party to an arrangement with any Credit Party
and whose employees are aggregated with the employees of any Credit Party under
IRC Section 414(o).
“Event
of Default”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
8.
“Excess
Availability”
means,
as of any date of determination, the amount equal to Availability minus
the
aggregate amount, if any, of all trade payables of the Credit Parties aged
in
excess of historical levels with respect thereto and all book overdrafts of
the
Credit Parties in excess of historical practices with respect thereto, in each
case as determined by Agent in its Permitted Discretion.
“Exchange
Act”
means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect from time to
time.
“Excluded
Assets”
means
(a) any lease, license, contract, property right or agreement to which any
Credit Party is a party or any of its rights or interests thereunder if and
to
the extent that a security interest is prohibited by or in violation of (i)
any
law, rule or regulation applicable to such Credit Party, or (ii) a term,
provision or condition of or under, any such lease, license, contract, property
right or agreement (unless in either clause (i) or (ii) above such law, rule
or
regulation or such term, provision or condition would be rendered unenforceable
against the Loans pursuant to Sections 9-406, 9-407, or 9-408 of the applicable
Uniform Commercial Code); (b) any Stock or Stock Equivalents representing more
than 66% of the outstanding voting stock issued by any entity organized under
the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States or a state thereof;
(c)
any assets of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or any assets of or Stock or Stock
Equivalents in any of an Unrestricted Subsidiary’s direct or indirect
subsidiaries; or (d) any assets of any Immaterial Subsidiary that is not a
Credit Party.
-20-
“Excluded
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than
the
United States of America or any state thereof or the District of
Columbia.
“Executive
Order”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
5.23.
“Existing
Lenders”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.
“Fair
Share”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.2.
“Fair
Share Contribution Amount”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.2.
“Fair
Share Shortfall”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.2.
“Fee
Letter”
means
that certain fee letter, dated as of even date herewith, between Borrower and
Agent, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent.
“FEIN”
means
Federal Employer Identification Number.
“Fin
48”
means
the Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 48.
“Funding
Date”
means
the date on which a Borrowing occurs.
“Funding
Guarantor”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.2.
“Funding
Losses”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.13(b)(ii).
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in
the
United States, consistently applied.
“General
Intangibles”
means
the following general intangibles of any Credit Party: payment intangibles,
contract rights, rights to payment, rights arising under common law, statutes,
or regulations, choses or things in action, goodwill, patents, trade names,
trade secrets, trademarks, servicemarks, copyrights, blueprints, drawings,
purchase orders, customer lists, route lists, computer programs, information
contained on computer disks or tapes, software, literature, reports and
catalogs, and any and all supporting obligations of any Credit Party in respect
thereof.
-21-
“Governing
Documents”
means,
with respect to any Person, the certificate or articles of incorporation,
by-laws, or other organizational documents of such Person.
“Governmental
Authority”
means
any federal, state, local, or other governmental or administrative body,
instrumentality, department, or agency or any court, tribunal, administrative
hearing body, arbitration panel, commission, or other similar dispute-resolving
panel or body.
“Gross
Collateral Availability”
means,
as of any date of determination, the Borrowing Base, less
the
Letter of Credit Usage, less
the then
extant amount of outstanding Advances.
“Group
Concentration Account”
means
the Deposit Account over which Agent has control pursuant to a deposit account
control agreement that acts as the repository for the disbursement and funding
of a subsidiary or group of subsidiaries and described on Schedule
D-2.
“Group
Members”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
5.24.
“Guaranteed
Obligations”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.1.
“Guarantor”
means
Parent and any Wholly Owned Domestic Subsidiary of Borrower that is a Restricted
Subsidiary or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Parent that guarantees or
otherwise provides direct credit support for any Indebtedness of the Parent
of
the type listed in clause (a) or (b) of the definition of Indebtedness, each
party to the Guaranty.
“Guaranty”
means
the guaranty of each Guarantor set forth in Section
17.
“Hazardous
Materials”
means
(a) substances that are defined or listed in, or otherwise classified
pursuant to, any applicable laws or regulations as “hazardous substances,”
“hazardous materials,” “hazardous wastes,” “toxic substances,” or any other
formulation intended to define, list, or classify substances by reason of
deleterious properties such as ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity,
carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, or “EP toxicity”, (b) oil, petroleum, or
petroleum derived substances, natural gas, natural gas liquids, synthetic gas,
drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with the
exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal
resources, (c) any flammable substances or explosives or any radioactive
materials, and (d) asbestos in any form or electrical equipment that contains
any oil or dielectric fluid containing levels of polychlorinated biphenyls
in
excess of 50 parts per million.
-22-
“Hedge
Agreement”
means
any and all agreements or documents now existing or hereafter entered into
by
any Credit Party that provide for an interest rate, credit, commodity or equity
swap, cap, floor, collar, forward foreign exchange transaction, currency swap,
cross currency rate swap, currency option, or any combination of, or option
with
respect to, these or similar transactions, for the purpose of hedging such
Credit Party’s exposure to fluctuations in interest or exchange rates, loan,
credit exchange, security, or currency valuations or commodity
prices.
“Holdout
Lender”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
15.2(a).
“Home
Office Account”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(a).
“Immaterial
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary of the Parent designated in writing by Borrower to the Agent
whose total assets or revenues (in each case on a Consolidated basis with its
Subsidiaries) are less than 3% of the total assets or revenues of Parent and
the
Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided,
however,
that
the aggregate total assets or revenues of all such subsidiaries designated
as
“Immaterial Subsidiaries” (on a Consolidated basis with their Subsidiaries),
shall not exceed 5% of the total assets or revenue of the Parent and the
Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
“Indebtedness”
means,
without duplication, (a) all obligations for borrowed money, (b) all obligations
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, or other similar instruments and all
reimbursement or other obligations in respect of letters of credit, bankers
acceptances, interest rate swaps, or other financial products, (c) all
obligations as a lessee under Capital Leases, (d) all obligations or liabilities
of others secured by a Lien on any asset of a Person or its Subsidiaries,
irrespective of whether such obligation or liability is assumed, (e) all
obligations to pay the deferred purchase price of assets (other than trade
payables incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all obligations
owing
under Hedge Agreements, and (g) any obligation guaranteeing or intended to
guarantee (whether directly or indirectly guaranteed, endorsed, co-made,
discounted, or sold with recourse) any obligation of any other Person that
constitutes Indebtedness under any of clauses (a) through (f)
above.
“Indemnified
Liabilities”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
11.3.
“Indemnified
Person”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
11.3.
“Indenture”
means
that certain Indenture dated as of July 28, 2003 by and among Borrower, the
guarantors named therein and Xxxxx Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association,
as trustee, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time
to time as permitted hereby.
-23-
“Individual
Store Accounts”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.7(a).
“Initial
Syndication Date”
means
the date on which the Agent has notified the Borrower that the syndication
of
the Revolver Commitments has been completed and the Agent has reached its “hold
level” as contemplated by the Fee Letter.
“Insolvency
Proceeding”
means
any proceeding commenced by or against any Person under any provision of the
Bankruptcy Code or under any other state or federal bankruptcy or insolvency
law, assignments for the benefit of creditors, formal or informal moratoria,
compositions, extensions generally with creditors, or proceedings seeking
reorganization, arrangement, or other similar relief.
“Intangible
Assets”
means,
with respect to any Person, that portion of the book value of all of such
Person’s assets that would be treated as intangibles under GAAP.
“Intellectual
Property”
has
the
meaning given such term in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Intercreditor
Agreement”
means
that certain Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, among Agent,
Citicorp North America, Inc. as administrative agent for the lenders under
the
Term Loan Agreement, Borrower and the Credit Parties.
“Interest
Period”
means,
with respect to each LIBOR Rate Loan, a period commencing on the date of the
making of such LIBOR Rate Loan (or the continuation of a LIBOR Rate Loan or
the
conversion of a Base Rate Loan to a LIBOR Rate Loan) and ending 1, 2, 3, or
6
months thereafter, as elected by the Borrower pursuant to Section
2.13
and
subject to Section
2.13(d)(ii)(y);
provided,
however,
that
(a) if any Interest Period would end on a day that is not a Business Day, such
Interest Period shall be extended (subject to clauses (c)-(e) below) to the
next
succeeding Business Day, (b) interest shall accrue at the applicable rate based
upon the LIBOR Rate from and including the first day of each Interest Period
to,
but excluding, the day on which any Interest Period expires, (c) any Interest
Period that would end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended
to
the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business Day falls in another
calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next
preceding Business Day, (d) with respect to an Interest Period that begins
on
the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no
numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest
Period), the Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar
month that is 1, 2, 3, or 6 months after the date on which the Interest Period
began, as applicable, and (e) Borrower may not elect an Interest Period which
will end after the Maturity Date.
“Inventory”
means
inventory (as that term is defined in the Code).
“Investment”
means,
with respect to any Person, any investment by such Person in any other Person
(including Affiliates) in the form of loans, guarantees, advances, or capital
contributions (excluding (a) commission, travel, and similar advances to
officers and employees of such Person made in the ordinary course of business,
and (b) bona
fide
Accounts
arising in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice),
purchases or other acquisitions of Indebtedness, Stock, or all or substantially
all of the assets of such other Person (or of any division or business line
of
such other Person), and any other items that are or would be classified as
investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP.
-24-
“Investment
Property”
means
investment property (as that term is defined in the Code), and any and all
supporting obligations in respect thereof.
“IRB”
means
an industrial revenue bond issued by the city of Topeka, Kansas to a Credit
Party pursuant to the City of Topeka resolution No. 7102 adopted and approved
on
November 14, 2000 or any similar resolution authorizing an industrial revenue
bond.
“IRC”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as in effect from time to time.
“Issuing
Lender”
means
WFRF or any Affiliate thereof or any other Lender that, at the request of
Borrower and with the consent of Agent, agrees, in such Lender’s sole
discretion, to become an Issuing Lender for the purpose of issuing L/Cs or
L/C
Undertakings pursuant to Section
2.12.
“Joint
Venture”
means
a
corporation, limited liability company, joint venture or similar limited
liability legal entity formed in order to conduct a common venture or enterprise
between two or more Persons.
“L/C”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.12(a).
“L/C
Disbursement”
means
a
payment made by the Issuing Lender pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
“L/C
Undertaking”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.12(a).
“Leased
Store Location”
means
any store for which any Credit Party has a leasehold interest.
“Lender”
and
“Lenders”
have
the respective meanings set forth in the preamble to this Agreement, and shall
include any other Person made a party to this Agreement in accordance with
the
provisions of Section
14.1.
“Lender
Group”
means,
individually and collectively, each of the Lenders (including the Issuing
Lender) and Agent.
-25-
“Lender
Group Expenses”
means
all (a) costs or expenses (including taxes, and insurance premiums) required
to
be paid by any Credit Party under any of the Loan Documents that are paid,
advanced, or incurred by the Lender Group, (b) reasonable fees or charges paid
or incurred by Agent in connection with the Lender Group’s transactions with any
Credit Party, including, fees or charges for photocopying, notarization,
couriers and messengers, telecommunication, public record searches (including
tax lien, litigation, and UCC searches), filing, recording, publication,
appraisal (including periodic collateral appraisals or business valuations
to
the extent of the fees and charges (and up to the amount of any limitation)
set
forth in the Loan Documents), (c) reasonable costs and expenses incurred by
Agent in the disbursement of funds to any Credit Party or other members of
the
Lender Group (by wire transfer or otherwise), (d) reasonable charges paid or
incurred by Agent resulting from the dishonor of checks, (e) reasonable costs
and expenses paid or incurred by the Lender Group to correct any default or
enforce any provision of the Loan Documents, or in gaining possession of,
maintaining, handling, preserving, storing, shipping, selling, preparing for
sale, or advertising to sell the Collateral, or any portion thereof,
irrespective of whether a sale is consummated, (f) audit fees and expenses
of
Agent related to audit examinations of the Books (provided
that, so
long as no Default or Event of Default or Triggering Period has occurred and
is
continuing and so long as the aggregate amount of Advances outstanding does
not
exceed $100,000,000, Agent shall be limited to reimbursement for a maximum
of
two (2) such audit examinations per annum) to the extent of the fees and charges
(and up to the amount of any limitation) set forth in the Loan Documents, (g)
reasonable costs and expenses of third party claims or any other suit paid
or
incurred by the Lender Group in enforcing or defending the Loan Documents or
in
connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or the
Lender Group’s relationship with any Credit Party, (h) Agent’s reasonable costs
and expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred in advising, structuring,
drafting, reviewing, administering, syndicating, or amending the Loan Documents,
and (i) Agent’s and each Lender’s reasonable costs and expenses (including
attorneys, accountants, consultants, and other advisors fees and expenses)
incurred in terminating, enforcing (including attorneys, accountants,
consultants, and other advisors fees and expenses incurred in connection with
a
“workout,” a “restructuring,” or an Insolvency Proceeding concerning any Credit
Party or in exercising rights or remedies under the Loan Documents), or
defending the Loan Documents, irrespective of whether suit is brought, or in
taking any Remedial Action concerning the Collateral.
“Lender-Related
Person”
means,
with respect to any Lender, such Lender, together with such Lender’s Affiliates,
officers, directors, employees, attorneys, and agents.
“Letter
of Credit”
means
an L/C or an L/C Undertaking, as the context requires.
“Letter
of Credit Usage”
means,
as of any date of determination, the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding
Letters of Credit.
-26-
“LIBOR
Deadline”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.13(b)(i).
“LIBOR
Notice”
means
a
written notice in the form of Exhibit
L-1.
“LIBOR
Option”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.13.
“LIBOR
Rate”
means,
for each Interest Period for each LIBOR Rate Loan, the rate per annum determined
by Agent (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100%) by dividing
(a) the
Base LIBOR Rate for such Interest Period, by
(b) 100%
minus
the
Reserve Percentage. The
LIBOR
Rate shall be adjusted on and as of the effective day of any change in the
Reserve Percentage.
“LIBOR
Rate Loan”
means
each portion of an Advance that bears interest at a rate determined by reference
to the LIBOR Rate.
“Lien”
means
any interest in an asset securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, any
Person other than the owner of the asset, irrespective of whether (a) such
interest is based on the common law, statute, or contract, (b) such interest
is
recorded or perfected, and (c) such interest is contingent upon the occurrence
of some future event or events or the existence of some future circumstance
or
circumstances. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term “Lien”
includes the lien or security interest arising from a mortgage, deed of trust,
encumbrance, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security
agreement, conditional sale or trust receipt, or from a lease, consignment,
or
bailment for security purposes and also includes reservations, exceptions,
encroachments, easements, rights-of-way, covenants, conditions, restrictions,
leases, and other title exceptions and encumbrances affecting Real
Property.
“Loans”
means
Base Rate Loans and LIBOR Rate Loans.
“Loan
Account”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.10.
“Loan
Documents”
means
this Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, the Collateral Documents, the
Cash
Management Agreements, the Credit Card Agreements, the Customs Broker
Agreements, the Disbursement Letter, the Fee Letter, the Letters of Credit,
any
note or notes executed by Borrower in connection with this Agreement and payable
to a member of the Lender Group, and any other agreement entered into, now
or in
the future, by any Credit Party and the Lender Group in connection with this
Agreement or otherwise relating to the Obligations.
“Material
Adverse Change”
means
(a) a material adverse change in the business, operations, results of
operations, assets, liabilities or condition (financial or otherwise) of
the Borrower,
the Parent and the Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) a material
impairment of the Credit Parties’ ability to perform their obligations under the
Loan Documents to which they are parties or of the Lender Group’s ability to
enforce the Obligations or realize upon the Collateral, or (c) a material
impairment of the enforceability or priority of the Agent’s Liens with respect
to the Collateral as a result of an action or failure to act on the part of
any
Credit Party.
-27-
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
an effect that results in or causes, or would reasonably be expected to result
in or cause, a Material Adverse Change.
“Material
Credit Party”
means
each of Borrower, Parent, Payless Missouri and any other Credit Party other
than
Immaterial Subsidiaries.
“Maturity
Date”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
3.4.
“Maximum
Revolver Amount”
means
$350,000,000 plus the amount, if any, of any increase permitted by Section
2.2
(after
which increase, the Maximum Revolver Amount shall not exceed
$400,000,000).
“Merger”
means
that certain merger of the Acquisition Subsidiary with and into the Target
pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement.
“Merger
Agreement”
means
that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 22, 2007, by and
between the Target, the Borrower and the Acquisition Subsidiary.
“Merger
Funding Date”
means
the date that the Merger is consummated.
“Mortgages”
means
the mortgages, deeds of trust or other real estate security documents made
or
required herein to be made by the Borrower or any other Credit Party, each
in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.
“Mortgage
Supporting Documents”
means,
with respect to any Mortgage for a parcel of owned Real Property, each document
(including title policies or marked-up unconditional insurance binders (in
each
case, together with copies of all documents referred to therein), maps, ALTA
or
TLTA, if applicable, as-built surveys, in form and as to date that is
sufficiently acceptable to the title insurer issuing title insurance to the
Agent for such title insurer to deliver endorsements to such title insurance
as
reasonably requested by the Agent, environmental assessments and reports and
evidence regarding recording and payment of fees, insurance premium and taxes)
that the Agent may reasonably request, to create, register, perfect, maintain,
evidence the existence, substance, form or validity of or enforce a valid and
enforceable first priority Lien on such parcel of owned Real Property in favor
of the Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties (as defined in the Pledge
and Security Agreement), subject only to such Liens as the Agent may
approve.
“Net
Liquidation Percentage”
means
the percentage of the perpetual value of each Credit Party’s Eligible Inventory
that is estimated to be recoverable in an orderly liquidation of such Inventory,
such percentage to be calculated as an average of the then current month’s
average Net Liquidation Percentage and the average Net Liquidation Percentage
for the preceding month as determined from time to time by a qualified appraisal
company selected by Agent with Borrower’s consent, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld.
-28-
“Non-Owned
Storage Facility”
means
any distribution center or warehouse facility leased by any Credit Party,
together with any other location where Inventory of any Credit Party is stored
or held pursuant to a lease, bailment, warehousing or similar arrangement,
which
location (a) is not owned by a Credit Party, and (b) is not a Leased
Store Location or a Pool Location.
“Obligations”
means
all loans, Advances, debts, principal, interest (including any interest that,
but for the commencement of an Insolvency Proceeding, would have accrued),
contingent reimbursement obligations with respect to outstanding Letters of
Credit, premiums, liabilities (including all amounts charged to Borrower’s Loan
Account pursuant hereto), obligations (including indemnification obligations),
fees (including the fees provided for in the Fee Letter), charges, costs, Lender
Group Expenses (including any fees or expenses that, but for the commencement
of
an Insolvency Proceeding, would have accrued), Banking Services Obligations,
lease payments, guaranties, covenants, and duties of any kind and description
owing by any Credit Party to the Lender Group pursuant to or evidenced by the
Loan Documents and irrespective of whether for the payment of money, whether
direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing
or hereafter arising, and including all interest not paid when due and all
Lender Group Expenses that the Credit Parties are required to pay or reimburse
by the Loan Documents, by law, or otherwise. Any reference in this Agreement
or
in the Loan Documents to the Obligations shall include all extensions,
modifications, renewals, or alterations thereof, both prior and subsequent
to
any Insolvency Proceeding.
“Obligee
Guarantor”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
17.7.
“Originating
Lender”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
14.1(e).
“Overadvance”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.5.
“Parent”
means
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“Participant”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
14.1(e).
"Patriot
Act"
means
the USA Patriot Act of 2001 (31 U.S.C. 5318 et
seq.).
“Payless
Missouri”
means
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a Missouri corporation.
-29-
“Permitted
Acquisition”
means
any Proposed Acquisition subject to the satisfaction of each of the following
conditions at or prior to the consummation of the Proposed Acquisition: (a)
the
Agent shall receive prior written notice of such Proposed Acquisition, which
notice shall include, without limitation, a reasonably detailed description
of
such Proposed Acquisition; (b) the Investment in such Permitted Acquisition
is
permitted under clause (i) or (j) of Section 7.10; (c) the Borrower (or the
Parent or the Subsidiary making such Proposed Acquisition) and the Proposed
Acquisition Target shall have executed such documents and taken such actions
as
may be required under Section 5.14; (d) the Agent shall have received copies
of
the agreements, related contracts, instruments and all opinions, certificates,
lien search results and other documents, in each case to the extent actually
received by any Credit Party (and subject to agreement to such additional
confidentiality requirements as may be required to permit such Credit Party
to
deliver such copies), in each case reasonably requested by the Agent; (e)
Availability after giving effect to such Proposed Acquisition is at least
$50,000,000 both before and as projected by the Borrower on a pro forma basis
for the three month period following such Proposed Acquisition or (f) at the
time of such Proposed Acquisition and after giving effect thereto, (i) no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii)
all
representations and warranties contained in Article V and in the other Loan
Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects and (iii)
the
Parent would be in compliance with the Consolidated Coverage Test for the most
recently ended Test Period, determined on a pro forma basis after giving effect
to such Proposed Acquisition (and the transactions contemplated thereby,
including the incurrence or assumption of any Indebtedness in connection
therewith).
“Permitted
Discretion”
means
a
determination made in good faith and in the exercise of reasonable (from the
perspective of a secured, asset-based lender) business judgment based upon
a
change in circumstances or new information after the Closing Date.
“Permitted
Dispositions”
means
(a) sales or other dispositions of Equipment that is substantially worn,
damaged, or obsolete in the ordinary course of business, (b) sales of Inventory
to buyers in the ordinary course of business, (c) the use or transfer of money
or Cash Equivalents in a manner that is not prohibited by the terms of this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents, (d) the
licensing, sublicensing or other similar ordinary course transfers (but not
sales) of intellectual property rights (on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis)
to the extent that the foregoing occurs on an arms-length basis
and (e)
Store Closings in any fiscal year of the Borrower not in excess of the Store
Closing Basket.
“Permitted
Investments”
means
(a) Investments in cash and Cash Equivalents, (b) Investments in negotiable
instruments for collection, (c) advances made in connection with purchases
of
goods or services in the ordinary course of business, (d) Investments made
by
one Credit Party in another Credit Party, (e) Investments received in settlement
of amounts due to any Credit Party effected in the ordinary course of business
or owing to any Credit Party as a result of Insolvency Proceedings involving
an
Account Debtor or upon the foreclosure or enforcement of any Lien in favor
of
such Credit Party, (f) Subordinated Indebtedness or guaranties of Subsidiaries,
in each case to the extent permitted by Section
7.1,
and (g)
Investments in bonds issued by a Governmental Authority in connection with
the
lease of property or equipment by any Credit Party from such Governmental
Authority, provided that such bonds are secured by the lease payments required
to be made by such Credit Party with respect to such leased property and are
issued in transactions which are in form and substance substantially similar
to
those in which the Investments described on Schedule
7.10
were
made.
-30-
“Permitted
Liens”
means (a) Liens held by Agent, (b) Liens for unpaid taxes, assessments or
governmental charges or levies that either (i) are not yet delinquent, or
(ii) do not constitute an Event of Default hereunder and are the subject of
Permitted Protests, (c) Liens existing on the date of this Agreement and set
forth on Schedule
P-1,
(d) the interests of lessors under operating leases, (e) purchase money Liens
or
the interests of lessors under Capital Leases to the extent that such Liens
or
interests secure Permitted Purchase Money Indebtedness and so long as such
Lien
attaches only to the asset purchased or acquired and the proceeds thereof,
(f)
Liens arising by operation of law in favor of warehousemen, landlords, carriers,
mechanics, materialmen, laborers, or suppliers, incurred in the ordinary course
of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money, and which Liens
either (i) are for sums not yet delinquent, or (ii) are the subject of
Permitted Protests, (g) Liens arising from deposits or pledges made or letters
of credit issues in connection with obtaining worker’s compensation or other
unemployment insurance or to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation
regarding social security, unemployment or other employee benefits, (h) Liens,
pledges or deposits to secure performance of bids, tenders, leases, licenses,
trade contracts, statutory obligations, customs, surety, stay, performance
and
appeal bonds, and other obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business
and not in connection with the borrowing of money; provided that the Credit
Parties may elect to post cash and obtain cash secured letters of credit in
lieu
of posting cash directly under this clause, (i) Liens resulting from any
judgment or award that is not an Event of Default hereunder, (j) with respect
to
any Real Property, easements, rights of way, and zoning restrictions that do
not
materially interfere with or impair the use or operation thereof, (k)
encumbrances
arising under leases or subleases of Real Property that do not, in the
aggregate, materially detract from the value of such Real Property or interfere
with the ordinary conduct of the business conducted and proposed to be conducted
at such Real Property,
(l) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of
law
to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods,
(m) Liens resulting from the filing of precautionary UCC financing statements
relating to operating leases of any Credit Party which are entered into in
the
ordinary course of business and which are limited solely to the assets subject
thereto, (n) Liens incurred in connection with the licensing of patents,
trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights of the Credit
Parties and their Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business to Persons
outside the United States or any U.S. Territory for use solely outside of the
United States or any U.S. Territory, (o) Liens on assets not consisting of
the
Collateral that secure Indebtedness under any IRB to which any Credit Party
and
any Governmental Authority is party and (p) Liens on Collateral held by the
Term
Loan Agent to secure the Term Loan Obligations to the extent permitted by the
Intercreditor Agreement.
-31-
“Permitted
Protest”
means
the right of any Credit Party to protest any Lien (other than any Lien that
secures the Obligations), taxes (other than payroll taxes or taxes that are
the
subject of a United States federal tax lien), or rental payment, provided that
(a) a reserve with respect to such obligation is established on the Books
in such amount as is required under GAAP, (b) any such protest is
instituted promptly and prosecuted diligently by such Credit Party, as
applicable, in good faith, and (c) Agent is satisfied that, while any such
protest is pending, there will be no impairment of the enforceability, validity,
or priority of any of the Agent’s Liens.
“Permitted
Purchase Money Indebtedness”
means,
as of any date of determination, Purchase Money Indebtedness incurred after
the
Closing Date in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any one time not
in
excess of $75,000,000.
“Permitted
Reserves”
means
reserves on Availability imposed from time to time by the Agent in its Permitted
Discretion based upon the results of appraisals and audits on Collateral.
“Permitted
Sale-Leasebacks”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
7.16.
“Person”
means
natural persons, corporations, limited liability companies, limited
partnerships, general partnerships, limited liability partnerships, joint
ventures, trusts, land trusts, business trusts, or other organizations,
irrespective of whether they are legal entities, and governments and agencies
and political subdivisions thereof.
“Pledge
and Security Agreement”
means
an agreement, in substantially the form of
Exhibit G
hereto, executed
by the Borrower and each Guarantor.
“Pledged
Stock”
has
the
meaning specified in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Pool
Location”
means
any of the locations in the United States listed on Schedule
E-2,
as such
schedule is updated pursuant to Section
6.13.
“Post-Closing
Agreement”
means
that certain post-closing agreement, dated as of even date herewith, between
Borrower and Agent.
“Prior
Loan Agreement”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.
“Projections”
means
Parent’s and its Subsidiaries’ forecasted (a) balance sheets, (b) profit and
loss statements, and (c) cash flow statements, all prepared on a basis
consistent with Parent’s historical financial statements, together with
appropriate supporting details and a statement of underlying
assumptions.
-32-
“Proposed
Acquisition”
means
the proposed acquisition by the Borrower, the Parent or any of the Restricted
Subsidiaries of all or substantially all of the assets or Stock of any Proposed
Acquisition Target, or the merger of any Proposed Acquisition Target with or
into the Borrower, the Parent or any Subsidiary of the Parent (and, in the
case
of a merger with the Borrower, with the Borrower being the surviving
corporation).
“Proposed
Acquisition Target”
means
any Person or group of Persons engaged in a particular line of business or
any
operating division thereof subject to a Proposed Acquisition.
“Pro
Forma Basis”
means, as to any Person, for any events as described in clauses (i) and
(ii) below
that occur subsequent to the commencement of a period for which the financial
effect of such events is being calculated, and giving effect to the events
for
which such calculation is being made, such calculation as will give pro
forma
effect to such events as if such events occurred on the first day of the
applicable Test Period:
(i)
in making any determination of Consolidated EBITDA or Consolidated EBITDAR,
pro
forma
effect shall be given to any Asset Sale and to any Permitted Acquisition (or
to
any similar transaction or transactions that require a waiver or consent of
the
Required Lenders pursuant to Section 7.3 or Section 7.10), in each case that
occurred during the Test Period (or, in the case of determinations made pursuant
to the definition of “Permitted Acquisition” occurring during the Test Period or
thereafter and through and including the date upon which the respective
Permitted Acquisition is consummated); and
(ii)
in making any determination on a Pro Forma Basis, (x) all Indebtedness
(including Indebtedness incurred or assumed and for which the financial effect
is being calculated, whether incurred under this Agreement or otherwise incurred
or permanently repaid during the Test Period (or, in the case of determinations
made pursuant to the definition of “Permitted
Acquisition”,
occurring during the Test Period and through and including the date upon which
the respective Permitted Acquisition is consummated) shall be deemed to have
been incurred or repaid at the beginning of such period (if such Indebtedness
was incurred under this Agreement, such Indebtedness shall be deemed to be
outstanding for the entire Test Period for purposes of determining the Senior
Secured Leverage Ratio and the Total Leverage Ratio) and (y) interest expense
of
such Person attributable to interest on any Indebtedness, for which pro
forma
effect is being given as provided in preceding clause
(x),
bearing floating interest rates shall be computed on a pro
forma
basis as if the rates that would have been in effect during the period for
which
pro
forma
effect is being given had been actually in effect during such
periods.
-33-
Pro
forma
calculations made pursuant to the definition of “Pro
Forma Basis”
shall be determined in good faith by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower
and,
for any fiscal period ending on or prior to the first anniversary of a Permitted
Acquisition or Asset Sale (or any similar transaction or transactions that
require a waiver or consent of the Required Lenders pursuant to Section 7.3
or
Section 7.10), may include adjustments to reflect operating expense reductions
and other operating improvements or synergies implemented or planned to be
implemented and reasonably expected to result from such Permitted Acquisition,
Asset Sale or other similar transaction, to the extent that the Borrower
delivers to the Agent (i) a certificate of the Borrower signed by a Responsible
Officer setting forth such operating expense reductions and other operating
improvements or synergies and (ii) information and calculations supporting
in
reasonable detail such estimated operating expense reductions and other
operating improvements or synergies.
“Pro
Rata Share”
means,
as of any date of determination: (i) prior to the Revolver Commitments being
terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) such
Lender’s Revolver Commitment, by (z) the aggregate Revolver Commitments of all
Lenders, and (ii) from and after the time that the Revolver Commitments have
been terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y)
the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Advances plus such
Lender’s ratable portion of the Risk Participation Liability with respect to
outstanding Letters of Credit by (z) the aggregate outstanding principal amount
of all Advances plus the aggregate amount of the Risk Participation Liability
with respect to outstanding Letters of Credit.
“Purchase
Money Indebtedness”
means
Indebtedness (other than the Obligations, but including Capitalized Lease
Obligations), incurred at the time of, or within 20 days after, the acquisition
of any fixed assets for the purpose of financing all or any part of the
acquisition cost thereof, together with any refinancings under Section
7.1(f).
“Qualified
Import Letter of Credit”
means
a
Letter of Credit that (a) is issued to facilitate the purchase by any
Credit Party of Eligible Inventory, (b) has an expiry date of less than 90
days and is otherwise in form and substance acceptable to Agent, and (c) is
issued to support an Underlying Letter of Credit that only is drawable by the
beneficiary thereof by the presentation of, among other documents, such
applicable documents satisfactory to Agent as evidencing such Credit Party’s
title to the subject Inventory.
“Qualified
Capital Stock”
of
any
Person shall mean any Stock or Stock Equivalents of such Person that is not
Disqualified Stock.
“Qualified
Refinancing Indebtedness”
means
Indebtedness incurred to refinance, in part, the Term Loan Obligations, on
terms
and conditions satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and in an aggregate
principal amount not to exceed $450,000,000.
"Qualified
Restricted Subsidiary”
means
any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Credit Party and (a) is set forth on
Schedule
1.1(b)
and (b)
that satisfies each of the following requirements: (i) there are no
restrictions, directly or indirectly, on the ability of such Restricted
Subsidiary to pay dividends or make distributions to the holders of its Stock
and Stock Equivalents; and (ii) the Stock and Stock Equivalents of such
Restricted Subsidiary consist of Stock and Stock Equivalents majority owned
by
the Parent and its Qualified Restricted Subsidiaries.
-34-
“Real
Property”
means
any estates or interests in real property now owned or hereafter acquired by
any
Credit Party and the improvements thereto.
“Record”
means
information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or which is stored in an
electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.
“Recovery
Event”
means
any settlement of or payment in respect of any property or casualty insurance
claim or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar
proceeding of or relating to any property or asset of the Parent or any of
its
Restricted Subsidiaries other than any settlement, payment, taking or proceeding
that results in cash consideration of less than $1,000,000,
individually.
“Related
Documents”
means
the Merger Agreement, the Subordinated Notes Indenture, the Term Loan Agreement
and each other document and instrument executed with respect to any of the
foregoing.
“Remedial
Action”
means
all actions taken to (a) clean up, remove, remediate, contain, treat, monitor,
assess, evaluate, or in any way address Hazardous Materials in the indoor or
outdoor environment, (b) prevent or minimize a release or threatened release
of
Hazardous Materials so they do not migrate or endanger or threaten to endanger
public health or welfare or the indoor or outdoor environment, (c) perform
any
pre-remedial studies, investigations, or post-remedial operation and maintenance
activities, or (d) conduct any other actions authorized by 42 USC §
9601.
“Replacement
Lender”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
15.2(a).
“Report”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
16.17.
“Required
Closing Availability”
means
that Excess Availability is equal to or exceeds $100,000,000.
“Required
Lenders”
means,
at any time, Lenders whose aggregate Pro Rata Shares equal or exceed
50.1%.
“Requirement
of Law”
means,
with respect to any Person, the common law and all federal, state, local and
foreign laws, treaties, rules and regulations, orders, judgments, decrees and
other determinations of, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses and other
contractual obligations with, any Governmental Authority or arbitrator,
applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which
such Person or any of its property is subject.
-35-
“Reserve
Percentage”
means,
on any day, for any Lender, the maximum percentage prescribed by the Board
of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor Governmental
Authority) for determining the reserve requirements (including any basic,
supplemental, marginal, or emergency reserves) that are in effect on such date
with respect to eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “eurocurrency
liabilities”) of that Lender, but so long as such Lender is not required or
directed under applicable regulations to maintain such reserves, the Reserve
Percentage shall be zero.
“Reserves”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.1(b).
“Responsible
Officer”
means,
with respect to any Person, any of the principal executive officers, managing
members or general partners of such Person but, in any event, with respect
to
financial matters, the chief financial officer, treasurer or controller of
such
Person.
“Restricted
Payment”
means
(a) any dividend or other distribution, direct or indirect, on account of any
shares of any Stock of any Credit Party now or hereafter outstanding, except
a
dividend payable solely in shares of that class of Stock to the holders of
that
class; (b) any redemption, retirement, sinking fund or similar payment, purchase
or other acquisition for value, direct or indirect, of any shares of any class
of Stock of a Credit Party now or hereafter outstanding; (c) any payment made
to
retire, or to obtain the surrender of, any outstanding warrants, options or
other rights to acquire any Stock of any Credit Party now or hereafter
outstanding; and (d) any payment or prepayment of principal of, premium, if
any,
or redemption, purchase, retirement, defeasance (including in-substance or
legal
defeasance), sinking fund or similar payment with respect to, any Subordinated
Indebtedness.
“Restricted
Subsidiary”
means
any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not an Unrestricted
Subsidiary.
“Revolver
Commitment”
means,
with respect to each Lender, its Revolver Commitment, and, with respect to
all
Lenders, their Revolver Commitments, in each case as such Dollar amounts are
set
forth beside such Lender’s name under the applicable heading on Schedule
C-1
or in
the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which such Lender became a Lender
hereunder in accordance with the provisions of Section
14.1
and as
such amounts may be increased pursuant to Section
2.2.
“Revolver
Increase”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.2.
“Revolver
Increase Notice”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
2.2.
-36-
“Revolver
Usage”
means,
as of any date of determination, the sum of (a) the then extant amount of
outstanding Advances, plus
(b) the
then extant amount of the Letter of Credit Usage.
“Risk
Participation Liability”
means,
as to each Letter of Credit, all reimbursement obligations of Borrower to the
Issuing Lender with respect to an L/C Undertaking, consisting of (a) the amount
available to be drawn or which may become available to be drawn, (b) all amounts
that have been paid by the Issuing Lender to the Underlying Issuer to the extent
not reimbursed by Borrower, whether by the making of an Advance or otherwise,
and (c) all accrued and unpaid interest, fees, and expenses payable with respect
thereto.
“Sale-Leasebacks”
has
the
meaning assigned to that term in Section
7.16.
“SEC”
means
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any successor
thereto.
“Secured
Obligations”
has
the
meaning specified in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Securities
Account Control Agreement”
has
the
meaning specified in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Senior
Secured Leverage Ratio”
means,
as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded
Indebtedness of the Parent and the Restricted Subsidiaries that is secured
by
Liens outstanding as of such date (minus the cash and Cash Equivalents of the
Credit Parties that are not subject to any Lien securing Indebtedness other
than
the Obligations or Term Loan Obligations) to (b) the aggregate amount of
Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent and the Restricted Subsidiaries for the most
recently ended Test Period.
“Senior
Subordinated Notes”
means
(i) those certain 8.25% Series A Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013 and (ii)
those certain 8.25% Series B Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013, each issued
by
Borrower pursuant to the Indenture, in each case as amended, restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time as permitted
hereby.
“Settlement”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.3(f)(i).
“Settlement
Date”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.3(f)(i).
“Solvent”
means,
with respect to any Person on a particular date, that, at fair valuations,
the
sum of such Person’s assets is greater than all of such Person’s debts.
-37-
“Stock”
means
all shares, options, warrants, interests, participations, or other equivalents
(regardless of how designated) of or in a Person, whether voting or nonvoting,
including common stock, preferred stock, or any other “equity security” (as such
term is defined in Rule 3a11-1 of the General Rules and Regulations
promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act).
“Stock
Equivalents”
means
all securities convertible into or exchangeable for Stock and all warrants,
options or other rights to purchase or subscribe for any Stock, whether or
not
presently convertible, exchangeable or exercisable.
“Store
Closing Basket”
means,
with respect to any fiscal year of the Borrower, Store Closings, net of Store
Openings, in an amount up to 500 Store Closings in such fiscal year, provided
that in the event that the Credit Parties are closing more than 100 stores
at
any one time, the Borrower shall, at Agent’s request, hire a qualified inventory
liquidation company reasonably satisfactory to the Agent to conduct such Store
Closings on terms satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion; provided,
that at no time will the total number of stores owned or franchised by the
Group
Members be lower than 3,500.
“Store
Closings”
means
the closing, sale, sublease or franchise or other disposition of stores operated
by Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in a manner consistent with the past
business practices of the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries or the
Closing Date Business Plan (involving store closing sales and liquidations
of
store inventory on site).
“Store
Openings”
means
the opening of stores, including the purchase of a franchise, operated by
Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in a manner consistent with the past
business practices of the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries or the
Closing Date Business Plan (involving store openings).
“Subordinated
Indebtedness”
means
(a) all Indebtedness under the Indenture and (b) (i) any other public
Indebtedness of the Credit Parties subordinated in right of payment to the
Obligations pursuant to documentation containing material terms, including
subordination provisions substantially similar to those set forth in the
Indenture and (ii) all private Indebtedness of the Credit Parties subordinated
in right of payment to the Obligations pursuant to documentation containing
market terms and conditions consistent with private subordinated indebtedness
of
such type, in each case pursuant to this clause
(b),
satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion.
“Subordinated
Notes Indenture”
means
the Indenture, dated as of July 28, 2003, between Borrower and Xxxxx Fargo
Bank
Minnesota, National Association, as trustee.
“Subsidiary”
of
a
Person means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other
entity in which that Person directly or indirectly owns or controls the shares
of Stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of
directors (or appoint other comparable managers) of such corporation,
partnership, limited liability company, or other entity.
-38-
“Swing
Lender”
means
WFRF or any other Lender that, at the request of Borrower and with the consent
of Agent agrees, in such Lender’s sole discretion, to become the Swing Lender
under Section
2.3(d).
“Swing
Loan”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
2.3(d)(i).
“Target”
means
The Stride Rite Corporation.
“Target
Shares”
means
100% of the shares of Target’s publicly traded common stock.
“Taxes”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
16.11.
“Term
Agent”
means
Citicorp North America, Inc., in its capacity as administrative agent under
the
Term Loan Agreement.
“Term
Loan Agreement”
means
that certain Term Loan Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, among the
Borrower, the Credit Parties, the Term Agent as administrative agent and lender
thereunder and the other lenders party thereto.
“Term
Loan Documents”
means,
collectively, the Term Loan Agreement, all guaranties, pledges, security
agreements and similar agreements entered into in connection therewith to
guaranty or secure any Term Loan Obligations and each other certificate,
agreement and other document entered into in connection therewith (other than
the Intercreditor Agreement)
“Term
Loan Obligations”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
7.1(b).
“Term
Loans”
means
those loans outstanding under the Term Loan Agreement, as amended, modified
or
supplemented from time to time to the extent permitted pursuant to Section
7.14
hereof and pursuant to the Intercreditor Agreement, and any refinancing
permitted pursuant to Section 7.1(f) hereof.
“Term
Priority Collateral”
has
the
meaning set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement.
“Test
Period”
shall
mean, for any determination under this Agreement, the period of the most
recently ended four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Parent for which
financial statements have been delivered to the Agent pursuant to Section
6.3.
-39-
"Total
Assets”
means
the total amount of all assets of the Borrower, the Parent and the Restricted
Subsidiaries, determined on a Consolidated basis as shown on the most recent
balance sheet of the Parent.
“Total
Leverage Ratio”
means,
as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded
Indebtedness of the Parent and the Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding as of
such date (minus the cash and Cash Equivalents of the Loan Parties that are
not
subject to any Lien securing Indebtedness other than the Obligations or Term
Loan Obligations) to (b) the aggregate amount of Consolidated EBITDA of the
Parent and the Restricted Subsidiaries for the most recently ended Test
Period.
“Transactions”
means,
collectively, the Tender Offer, the Merger, entry into the Term Loan Agreement
and the transactions contemplated thereby and the transactions contemplated
hereby.
“Triggering
Period”
means
a
period (a) commencing on the earliest to occur of (i) the occurrence and
continuation of an Event of Default, or (ii) the date on which Availability
shall be less than $35,000,000 and (b) continuing until such time as, for a
period of fifteen (15) consecutive days, both (x) Availability shall be
equal to or in excess of $40,000,000 and (y) there shall not have occurred
and be continuing any Event of Default.
“United
States”
and
“U.S.”
mean
the United States of America.
“Underlying
Issuer”
means
a
third Person which is the beneficiary of an L/C Undertaking or Qualified Import
Letter of Credit and which has issued a letter of credit at the request of
the
Issuing Lender for the benefit of any Credit Party.
“Underlying
Letter of Credit”
means
a
letter of credit that has been issued by an Underlying Issuer.
“Unrestricted
Subsidiary”
shall
mean any Subsidiary of the Parent that is acquired or created after the Closing
Date and designated by the board of directors of the Parent as an “Unrestricted
Subsidiary” hereunder by written notice to the Agent and listed on Schedule
6.15
hereto,
any Subsidiary of such Unrestricted Subsidiary and any Subsidiary designated
as
an "Unrestricted Subsidiary" under the Term Loan Agreement.
“U.S.
Territory”
means
each of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Saipan.
“Voidable
Transfer”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
18.7.
“Xxxxx
Fargo”
means
Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking
association.
“WFRF”
means
Xxxxx Fargo Retail Finance, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company.
-40-
“Wholly
Owned Domestic Subsidiary”
means
each Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor, all of the Stock of which
(other than director’s qualifying shares, as may be required by law) is owned by
such Person, either directly or indirectly through one or more Subsidiaries
of
such Person, that is organized under the laws of the United States of America
or
any State or political subdivision thereof.
“Winston”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
16.19.
1.2 Accounting
Terms(a) All
accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall be construed in
accordance with GAAP. When used herein, the term “financial statements” shall
include the notes and schedules thereto. Whenever the term “Borrower” is used in
respect of a financial covenant or a related definition, it shall be understood
to mean Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis unless the context
clearly requires otherwise.
(b) If
any change in the accounting principles used in the preparation of the most
recent financial statements referred to in Section
6.3
is hereafter required or permitted by the rules, regulations, pronouncements
and
opinions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants (or any successors thereto) and such change
is
adopted by the Borrower with the agreement of the Borrower’s accountants and
results in a change in any of the calculations required by Article VII that
would not have resulted had such accounting change not occurred, the parties
hereto agree to enter into negotiations in order to amend such provisions so
as
to equitably reflect such change such that the criteria for evaluating
compliance with such covenants by the Borrower shall be the same after such
change as if such change had not been made; provided, however, that no change
in
GAAP that would affect a calculation that measures compliance with any covenant
contained in Article VII shall be given effect until such provisions are amended
to reflect such changes in GAAP.
1.3 Code.
Any
terms used in this Agreement that are defined in the Code shall be construed
and
defined as set forth in the Code unless otherwise defined herein.
1.4 Construction.
Unless
the context of this Agreement or any other Loan Document clearly requires
otherwise, references to the plural include the singular, references to the
singular include the plural, the term “including” is not limiting, and the term
“or” has, except where otherwise indicated, the inclusive meaning represented by
the phrase “and/or.” The words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and
similar terms in this Agreement or any other Loan Document refer to this
Agreement or such other Loan Document, as the case may be, as a whole and not
to
any particular provision of this Agreement or such other Loan Document, as
the
case may be. Section, subsection, clause, schedule, and exhibit references
herein are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified. Any reference in this
Agreement or in the other Loan Documents to any agreement, instrument, or
document shall include all alterations, amendments, changes, extensions,
modifications, renewals, replacements, substitutions, joinders, and supplements,
thereto and thereof, as applicable (subject to any restrictions on such
alterations, amendments, changes, extensions, modifications, renewals,
replacements, substitutions, joinders, and supplements set forth herein). Any
reference herein to the repayment in full or satisfaction in full of the
Obligations shall mean the repayment in full in cash (or cash collateralized
in
accordance with the terms hereof) of all Obligations other than contingent
indemnification Obligations that, at such time, are allowed by the applicable
member of the Lender Group to remain outstanding and are not required to be
repaid or cash collateralized pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
Any
reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s
successors and assigns. Any requirement of a writing contained herein or in
the
other Loan Documents shall be satisfied by the transmission of a Record and
any
Record transmitted shall constitute a representation and warranty as to the
accuracy and completeness of the information contained therein.
-41-
1.5 Schedules
and Exhibits.
All of
the schedules and exhibits attached to this Agreement shall be deemed
incorporated herein by reference.
2.
|
LOAN
AND TERMS OF PAYMENT.
|
2.1 Revolver
Advances.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and during the term of this
Agreement, each Lender agrees (severally, not jointly or jointly and severally)
to make advances (“Advances”)
to
Borrower in an amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed such Lender’s
Pro Rata Share of an amount equal to the
lesser of
(i) the
Maximum Revolver Amount less
the
Letter of Credit Usage, or (ii) the Borrowing Base less
the
Letter of Credit Usage.
(b) Anything
to the contrary in this Section
2.1
notwithstanding, Agent shall have the right to establish and modify Permitted
Reserves against Availability in such amounts, and with respect to such matters,
as Agent in its Permitted Discretion shall deem necessary or appropriate,
including with respect to (i) shrinkage (so as to bring perpetual records in
line with historical levels), (ii) potential liabilities to customers, including
without limitation, in connection with merchandise deposits, returns,
merchandise credits, gift certificates, and frequent shopper programs, (iii)
bad
debt write-downs, discounts, advertising allowances, credits, or increases
in
other dilutive items with respect to Accounts, (iv) unpaid freight charges,
warehousing or storage charges, taxes, duties, and other similar unpaid costs
associated with the acquisition of Inventory, (v) sums that any Credit Party
is
required to pay (such as taxes, assessments, insurance premiums, or, in the
case
of leased assets, rents or other amounts payable under such leases) and has
failed to pay under any Section of this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
(vi) damaged goods, refurbished goods, goods returned for resale and similar
goods, (vii) Eligible U.S. Territory Inventory, and (viii) amounts owing by
any
Credit Party to any Person to the extent secured by a Lien on, or trust over,
any of the Collateral (other than any existing Permitted Lien set forth on
Schedule
P-1
which is
specifically identified thereon as entitled to have priority over the Agent’s
Liens), which Lien or trust, in the Permitted Discretion of Agent likely would
have a priority superior to the Agent’s Liens (such as Liens or trusts in favor
of landlords, warehousemen, carriers, mechanics, materialmen, laborers, or
suppliers, or Liens or trusts for ad
valorem,
excise,
sales, or other taxes where given priority under applicable law) in and to
such
item of the Collateral. In addition to the foregoing, Agent shall have the
right
at any time Revolver Usage is in excess of $100,000,000, subject to the any
other limitations contained herein or in the Loan Documents, to have the
Collateral reappraised by a qualified company selected by Agent from time to
time after the Closing Date for the purpose of re-determining the value of
Eligible Accounts or Eligible Inventory and modifying Advance Rates and, as
a
result, re-determining the Borrowing Base; provided
that
unless
an Event of Default is continuing or a Triggering Period has occurred and is
continuing, the Borrower shall only be responsible for the expenses incurred
for
two such appraisals or audits in any 12 month period.
-42-
(c) The
Lenders shall have no obligation to make additional Advances hereunder to the
extent such additional Advances would cause the Revolver Usage to exceed the
Maximum Revolver Amount.
(d) Amounts
borrowed pursuant to this Section
2.1
may be
repaid and, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, reborrowed
at
any time during the term of this Agreement.
2.2 Revolver
Increase.
On and
after the Initial Syndication Date and until (but not including) the Maturity
Date, Borrower may, at its option at any time on a single occasion, seek to
increase (the “Revolver
Increase”)
the
Maximum Revolver Amount by up to $50,000,000 (after giving effect to which
the
Maximum Revolver Amount shall not exceed $400,000,000 less the aggregate amount
of reductions to the Revolver Commitments effected on or prior to the date
of
the Revolver Increase) upon at least 30 days (but not more than 45 days) written
notice (“Revolver
Increase Notice”)
to the
Agent (which notice Agent shall promptly deliver to the Lenders). The Revolver
Increase Notice shall (a) specify the date upon which the Revolver Increase
is
requested to occur, (b) be delivered at a time when no Default or Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing (and the effectiveness of the Revolver
Increase shall be subject to no Default or Event of Default existing of the
time
of the Revolver Increase) and (c) certify that the Revolver Increase will not
violate or conflict with the terms of any Indebtedness or any other contract,
agreement, instrument or obligation of any Credit Party (and which notice will
be accompanied by an opinion of counsel to Credit Parties on terms satisfactory
to Agent in its Permitted Discretion to the effect that, among other matters,
the Revolver Increase constitutes a “Senior Claim” under and as defined in the
Intercreditor Agreement and that there is no conflict with the Credit Parties’
other Indebtedness or any such contract, agreement, instrument or obligation).
Borrower shall, after giving a Revolver Increase Notice, offer the Revolver
Increase (i) first on a pro-rata basis to the Lenders, which each Lender may
in
its sole and absolute discretion accept or decline (it being understood that
any
Lender not affirmatively committing in writing to its pro-rata portion shall
be
deemed to have declined), (ii) second, if any Lender has declined its pro rata
share or any part thereof, such remaining amounts on a non pro-rata basis to
the
Lenders accepting their pro rata share of the Revolver Increase and (iii) third,
to other Eligible Transferees. Agent agrees to use its reasonable efforts to
syndicate any remaining portion of the Revolver Increase to other Eligible
Transferees; provided,
however,
that
the minimum final allocated Revolver Commitment of each Eligible Transferee
that
is not a Lender shall be equal to or in excess of $5,000,000. No increase in
the
Maximum Revolver Amount shall become effective until all existing and new
Lenders committing to the Revolver Increase have delivered to the Agent a
writing in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent pursuant to which such
existing Lenders state the amount of their Revolver Increase and any such new
Lenders state the amount of their Revolver Commitment and agree to assume and
accept the obligations and rights of a Lender hereunder and any such new and
increasing Lenders agree to make an Advance such that the outstanding Advances
of such new Lender or increasing Lender constitute a proportional amount of
the
aggregate outstanding Advances based on the Revolver Commitment of such new
Lender. Any Advance as a result of an increase to the Revolver Commitment
pursuant to this Section
2.2
shall be
subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement. Upon the
increase of the Revolver Commitment pursuant to this Section
2.2,
Schedule
C-1
shall be
deemed amended and replaced with a new Schedule
C-1
reflecting the new Revolver Commitments hereunder.
-43-
2.3 Borrowing
Procedures and Settlements.
(a) Procedure
for Borrowing.
Each
Borrowing shall be made by an irrevocable written request by an Authorized
Person delivered to Agent (which notice must be received by Agent no later
than
1:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day prior to the date that is the
requested Funding Date (subject to Section
2.13(b)(i)
in the
case of any LIBOR Rate Loan) specifying (i) the amount of such Borrowing, and
(ii) the requested Funding Date, which shall be a Business Day; provided,
however,
that in
the case of a request for Swing Loan in an amount of $35,000,000, or less,
such
notice will be timely received if it is received by Agent no later than 1:00
p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day that is the requested Funding Date)
specifying (i) the amount of such Borrowing, and (ii) the requested Funding
Date, which shall be a Business Day. At Agent’s election, in
lieu
of delivering the above-described written request, any Authorized Person may
give Agent electronic notice of such request by the required time. In such
circumstances, Borrower agrees that any such electronic notice will be confirmed
in writing within 24 hours of the giving of such notice and the failure to
provide such written confirmation shall not affect the validity of the
request.
(b) Agent’s
Election.
Promptly after receipt of a request for a Borrowing pursuant to Section
2.3(a),
Agent
shall elect, in its discretion, (i) to have the terms of Section
2.3(c)
apply to
such requested Borrowing, or (ii) if the Borrowing is for an Advance, to request
Swing Lender to make a Swing Loan pursuant to the terms of Section
2.3(d)
in the
amount of the requested Borrowing; provided,
however,
that
(i) if Swing Lender declines in its sole discretion to make a Swing Loan
pursuant to Section
2.3(d),
Agent
shall elect to have the terms of Section
2.3(c)
apply to
such requested Borrowing; and (ii) if a notice requesting a LIBOR Rate Loan
has
been timely delivered per Section
2.13(b)(i),
Agent
shall not have the option to request Swing Lender to make such Borrowing as
a
Swing Loan.
-44-
(c) Making
of Loans.
(i) In
the
event that Agent shall elect to have the terms of this Section
2.3(c)
apply to
a requested Borrowing as described in Section
2.3(b),
then
promptly after receipt of a request for a Borrowing pursuant to Section
2.3(a),
Agent
shall notify the Lenders, not later than 4:00 p.m. (New York time) on the
Business Day immediately preceding the Funding Date applicable thereto, by
telecopy, telephone, or other similar form of transmission, of the requested
Borrowing. Each Lender shall make the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of
the requested Borrowing available to Agent in immediately available funds,
to
Agent’s Account, not later than 1:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Funding Date
applicable thereto. After Agent’s receipt of the proceeds of such Advances,
Agent shall make the proceeds thereof available to Borrower on the applicable
Funding Date by transferring immediately available funds equal to such proceeds
received by Agent to Borrower’s Designated Account; provided,
however,
that,
subject to the provisions of Section
2.3(i),
Agent
shall not request any Lender to make, and no Lender shall have the obligation
to
make, any Advance if Agent shall have actual knowledge that (1) one or more
of
the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section
3
will not
be satisfied on the requested Funding Date for the applicable Borrowing unless
such condition has been waived, or (2) the requested Borrowing would exceed
the
Availability on such Funding Date.
(ii) Unless
Agent receives notice from a Lender on or prior to the Closing Date or, with
respect to any Borrowing after the Closing Date, prior to noon (New York time)
on the date of such Borrowing, that such Lender will not make available as
and
when required hereunder to Agent for the account of Borrower the amount of
that
Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Borrowing, Agent may assume that each Lender has
made or will make such amount available to Agent in immediately available funds
on the Funding Date and Agent may (but shall not be so required), in reliance
upon such assumption, make available to Borrower on such date a corresponding
amount. If and to the extent any Lender shall not have made its full amount
available to Agent in immediately available funds and Agent in such
circumstances has made available to Borrower such amount, that such Lender
shall
on the Business Day following such Funding Date make such amount available
to
Agent, together with interest at the Defaulting Lender Rate for each day during
such period. A notice submitted by Agent to any Lender with respect to amounts
owing under this subsection shall be conclusive, absent manifest error. If
such
amount is so made available, such payment to Agent shall constitute such
Lender’s Advance on the date of Borrowing for all purposes of this Agreement. If
such amount is not made available to Agent on the Business Day following the
Funding Date, Agent will notify Borrower of such failure to fund and, upon
demand by Agent, Borrower shall pay such amount to Agent for Agent’s account,
together with interest thereon for each day elapsed since the date of such
Borrowing, at a rate per annum equal to the interest rate applicable at the
time
to the Advances composing such Borrowing. The failure of any Lender to make
any
Advance on any Funding Date shall not relieve any other Lender of any obligation
hereunder to make an Advance on such Funding Date, but no Lender shall be
responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make the Advance to be made
by such other Lender on any Funding Date.
-45-
(iii) Agent
shall not be obligated to transfer to a Defaulting Lender any payments made
by
any Credit Party to Agent for the Defaulting Lender’s benefit, and, in the
absence of such transfer to the Defaulting Lender, Agent shall transfer any
such
payments to each other non-Defaulting Lender member of the Lender Group ratably
in accordance with their Commitments (but only to the extent that such
Defaulting Lender’s Advance was funded by the other members of the Lender Group)
or, if so directed by Borrower and if no Default or Event of Default had
occurred and is continuing (and to the extent such Defaulting Lender’s Advance
was not funded by the Lender Group), retain same to be re-advanced to Borrower
as if such Defaulting Lender had made Advances to Borrower. Subject to the
foregoing, Agent may hold and, in its Permitted Discretion, re-lend to Borrower
for the account of such Defaulting Lender the amount of all such payments
received and retained by Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender. Solely
for the purposes of voting or consenting to matters with respect to the Loan
Documents, such Defaulting Lender shall be deemed not to be a “Lender” and such
Lender’s Commitment shall be deemed to be zero. This Section shall remain
effective with respect to such Lender until (x) the Obligations under this
Agreement shall have been declared or shall have become immediately due and
payable, (y) the non-Defaulting Lenders, Agent, and the Credit Parties shall
have waived such Defaulting Lender’s default in writing, or (z) the Defaulting
Lender makes its Pro Rata Share of the applicable Advance and pays to Agent
all
amounts owing by Defaulting Lender in respect thereof. The operation of this
Section shall not be construed to increase or otherwise affect the Commitment
of
any Lender, to relieve or excuse the performance by such Defaulting Lender
or
any other Lender of its duties and obligations hereunder, or to relieve or
excuse the performance by any Credit Party of its duties and obligations
hereunder to Agent or to the Lenders other than such Defaulting Lender. Any
such
failure to fund by any Defaulting Lender shall constitute a material breach
by
such Defaulting Lender of this Agreement and shall entitle Borrower at its
option, upon written notice to Agent, to arrange for a substitute Lender to
assume the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, such substitute Lender to
be
acceptable to Agent. In connection with the arrangement of such a substitute
Lender, the Defaulting Lender shall have no right to refuse to be replaced
hereunder, and agrees to execute and deliver a completed form of Assignment
and
Acceptance in favor of the substitute Lender (and agrees that it shall be deemed
to have executed and delivered such document if it fails to do so) subject
only
to being repaid its share of the outstanding Obligations (including an
assumption of its Pro Rata Share of the Risk Participation Liability) without
any premium or penalty of any kind whatsoever; provided,
however,
that
any such assumption of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender shall not be
deemed to constitute a waiver of any of the Lender Groups’ or any Credit Party’s
rights or remedies against any such Defaulting Lender arising out of or in
relation to such failure to fund.
-46-
(d) Making
of Swing Loans.
(i) In
the
event Agent shall elect, with the consent of Swing Lender, as a Lender, to
have
the terms of this Section
2.3(d)
apply to
a requested Borrowing as described in Section
2.3(b),
Swing
Lender as a Lender shall make such Advance in the amount of such Borrowing
(any
such Advance made solely by Swing Lender as a Lender pursuant to this
Section
2.3(d)
being
referred to as a “Swing
Loan”
and
such Advances being referred to collectively as “Swing
Loans”)
available to Borrower on the Funding Date applicable thereto by transferring
immediately available funds to Borrower’s Designated Account; provided,
however,
the
aggregate amount of the Swing Loans at any one time outstanding shall not exceed
$35,000,000. Each Swing Loan shall be deemed to be an Advance hereunder and
shall be subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to other Advances,
except that no such Swing Loan shall be eligible to be a LIBOR Rate Loan and
all
payments on any Swing Loan shall be payable to Swing Lender as a Lender solely
for its own account (and for the account of the holder of any participation
interest with respect to such Swing Loan). Subject to the provisions of
Section
2.3(i),
Agent
shall not request Swing Lender as a Lender to make, and Swing Lender as a Lender
shall not make, any Swing Loan if Agent has actual knowledge that (i) one or
more of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section
3
will not
be satisfied on the requested Funding Date for the applicable Borrowing unless
such condition has been waived, or (ii) the requested Borrowing would exceed
the
Availability on such Funding Date. Swing Lender as a Lender shall not otherwise
be required to determine whether the applicable conditions precedent set forth
in Section
3
have
been satisfied on the Funding Date applicable thereto prior to making, in its
sole discretion, any Swing Loan.
-47-
(ii) The
Swing
Loans shall be secured by the Agent’s Liens, constitute Obligations hereunder,
and bear interest at the rate applicable from time to time to Advances that
are
Base Rate Loans.
(e) Agent
Advances.
(i) Agent
hereby is authorized by Borrower and the Lenders, from time to time in Agent’s
sole discretion, (1) after the occurrence and during the continuance of a
Default or an Event of Default, or (2) at any time that any of the other
applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section
3
have not
been satisfied, to make Advances to Borrower on behalf of the Lenders in an
amount not exceeding the lesser of (x) 5% of Gross Collateral Availability
and
(y) $10,000,000 that Agent, in its Permitted Discretion deems necessary or
desirable (A) to preserve or protect the Collateral, or any portion thereof,
(B)
to enhance the likelihood of repayment of the Obligations, or (C) to pay any
other amount chargeable to any Credit Party pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement, including Lender Group Expenses and the costs, fees, and expenses
described in Section
10
(any of
the Advances described in this Section
2.3(e)
shall be
referred to as “Agent
Advances”);
provided,
however,
that
(i) no Agent Advances shall be outstanding for a period exceeding thirty (30)
consecutive days and (ii) there shall be no more than two separate Agent
Advances during any twelve month period. Each Agent Advance shall be deemed
to
be an Advance hereunder, except that no such Agent Advance shall be eligible
to
be a LIBOR Rate Loan and all payments thereon shall be payable to Agent solely
for its own account.
(ii) The
Agent
Advances shall be repayable on demand, secured by the Agent’s Liens granted to
Agent under the Loan Documents, constitute Obligations hereunder, and bear
interest at the rate applicable from time to time to Advances that are Base
Rate
Loans.
(f) Settlement.
It is
agreed that each Lender’s funded portion of the Advances is intended by the
Lenders to equal, at all times, such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the outstanding
Advances. Such agreement notwithstanding, Agent, Swing Lender, and the other
Lenders agree (which agreement shall not be for the benefit of or enforceable
by
Borrower) that in order to facilitate the administration of this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents, settlement among them as to the Advances, the Swing
Loans, and the Agent Advances shall take place on a periodic basis in accordance
with the following provisions:
-48-
(i) Agent
shall request settlement (“Settlement”)
with
the Lenders on a weekly basis, or on a more frequent basis if so determined
by
Agent, (1) on behalf of Swing Lender, with respect to each outstanding Swing
Loan, (2) for itself, with respect to each Agent Advance, and (3) with respect
to any Credit Party’s Collections received by Agent, as to each by notifying the
Lenders by telecopy, telephone, or other similar form of transmission, of such
requested Settlement, no later than 2:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business
Day immediately prior to the date of such requested Settlement (the date of
such
requested Settlement being the “Settlement
Date”).
Such
notice of a Settlement Date shall include a summary statement of the amount
of
outstanding Advances, Swing Loans, and Agent Advances for the period since
the
prior Settlement Date. Subject to the terms and conditions contained herein
(including Section
2.3(c)(iii)):
(y) if
a Lender’s balance of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Agent Advances)
exceeds such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans and
Agent Advances) as of a Settlement Date, then Agent shall, by no later than
3:00
p.m. (New York time) on the Settlement Date, transfer in immediately available
funds to a Deposit Account of such Lender (as such Lender may designate), an
amount such that each such Lender shall, upon receipt of such amount, have
as of
the Settlement Date, its Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans
and Agent Advances), and (z) if a Lender’s balance of the Advances (including
Swing Loans and Agent Advances) is less than such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the
Advances (including Swing Loans and Agent Advances) as of a Settlement Date,
such Lender shall no later than 2:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Settlement
Date
transfer in immediately available funds to the Agent’s Account, an amount such
that each such Lender shall, upon transfer of such amount, have as of the
Settlement Date, its Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans
and
Agent Advances). Such amounts made available to Agent under clause (z) of the
immediately preceding sentence shall be applied against the amounts of the
applicable Swing Loans or Agent Advances and, together with the portion of
such
Swing Loans or Agent Advances representing Swing Lender’s Pro Rata Share
thereof, shall constitute Advances of such Lenders. If any such amount is not
made available to Agent by any Lender on the Settlement Date applicable thereto
to the extent required by the terms hereof, Agent shall be entitled to recover
for its account such amount on demand from such Lender together with interest
thereon at the Defaulting Lender Rate.
(ii) In
determining whether a Lender’s balance of the Advances, Swing Loans, and Agent
Advances is less than, equal to, or greater than such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of
the Advances, Swing Loans, and Agent Advances as of a Settlement Date, Agent
shall, as part of the relevant Settlement, apply to such balance the portion
of
payments actually received in good funds by Agent with respect to principal,
interest, fees payable any Credit Party and allocable to the Lenders hereunder,
and proceeds of the Collateral. To the extent that a net amount is owed to
any
such Lender after such application, such net amount shall be distributed by
Agent to that Lender as part of such next Settlement.
-49-
(iii) Between
Settlement Dates, Agent, to the extent no Agent Advances or Swing Loans are
outstanding, may pay over to Swing Lender any payments received by Agent, that
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement would be applied to the reduction
of the Advances, for application to Swing Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the
Advances. If, as of any Settlement Date, Collections of any Credit Party
received since the then immediately preceding Settlement Date have been applied
to Swing Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Advances other than to Swing Loans, as
provided for in the previous sentence, Swing Lender shall pay to Agent for
the
accounts of the Lenders, and Agent shall pay to the Lenders, to be applied
to
the outstanding Advances of such Lenders, an amount such that each Lender shall,
upon receipt of such amount, have, as of such Settlement Date, its Pro Rata
Share of the Advances. During the period between Settlement Dates, Swing Lender
with respect to Swing Loans, Agent with respect to Agent Advances, and each
Lender (subject to the effect of letter agreements between Agent and individual
Lenders) with respect to the Advances other than Swing Loans and Agent Advances,
shall be entitled to interest at the applicable rate or rates payable under
this
Agreement on the daily amount of funds employed by Swing Lender, Agent, or
the
Lenders, as applicable.
(g) Notation.
Agent
shall record on its books the principal amount of the Advances owing to each
Lender, including the Swing Loans owing to Swing Lender, and Agent Advances
owing to Agent, and the interests therein of each Lender, from time to time
and
such records shall, absent manifest error, conclusively be presumed to be
correct and accurate. In addition, each Lender is authorized, at such Lender’s
option, to note the date and amount of each payment or prepayment of principal
of such Lender’s Advances in its books and records, including computer
records.
(h) Lenders’
Failure to Perform.
All
Advances (other than Swing Loans and Agent Advances) shall be made by the
Lenders contemporaneously and in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares. It
is
understood that (i) no Lender shall be responsible for any failure by any other
Lender to perform its obligation to make any Advance (or other extension of
credit) hereunder, nor shall any Commitment of any Lender be increased or
decreased as a result of any failure by any other Lender to perform its
obligations hereunder, and (ii) no failure by any Lender to perform its
obligations hereunder shall excuse any other Lender from its obligations
hereunder.
-50-
2.4 Payments.
(a) Payments
by Borrower.
(i) Except
as
otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by Borrower shall be made
to
Agent’s Account for the account of the Lender Group and shall be made in
immediately available funds, no later than 2:00 p.m. (New York time) on the
date
specified herein. Any payment received by Agent later than 2:00 p.m. (New York
time) shall be deemed to have been received on the following Business Day and
any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue until such following
Business Day.
(ii) Unless
Agent receives notice from Borrower prior to the date on which any payment
is
due to the Lenders that Borrower will not make such payment in full as and
when
required, Agent may assume that Borrower has made (or will make) such payment
in
full to Agent on such date in immediately available funds and Agent may (but
shall not be so required), in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to
each
Lender on such due date an amount equal to the amount then due such Lender.
If
and to the extent Borrower does not make such payment in full to Agent on the
date when due, each Lender severally shall repay to Agent on demand such amount
distributed to such Lender, together with interest thereon at the Defaulting
Lender Rate for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender
until the date repaid.
(b) Apportionment
and Application of Payments.
(i) Except
as
otherwise provided with respect to Defaulting Lenders and except as otherwise
provided in the Loan Documents (including letter agreements between Agent,
individual Lenders and Borrower), aggregate principal and interest payments
shall be apportioned ratably among the Lenders (according to the unpaid
principal balance of the Obligations to which such payments relate held by
each
Lender) and payments of fees and expenses (other than fees or expenses that
are
for Agent’s separate account, after giving effect to any letter agreements
between Agent and individual Lenders) shall be apportioned ratably among the
Lenders having a Pro Rata Share of the type of Commitment or Obligation to
which
a particular fee relates. All payments shall be remitted to Agent and all such
payments, and all proceeds of the Collateral received by Agent, shall be applied
as follows:
-51-
(A) first,
to pay
any Lender Group Expenses then due to Agent under the Loan Documents, until
paid
in full,
(B) second,
to pay
any Lender Group Expenses then due to the Lenders under the Loan Documents,
on a
ratable basis, until paid in full,
(C) third,
to pay
any fees then due to Agent (for its separate account, after giving effect to
any
letter agreements between Agent and individual Lenders) under the Loan Documents
until paid in full,
(D) fourth,
to pay
any fees then due to any or all of the Lenders (after giving effect to any
letter agreements between Agent and individual Lenders) under the Loan
Documents, on a ratable basis, until paid in full,
(E) fifth,
to pay
interest due in respect of all Agent Advances until paid in full,
(F) sixth,
ratably
to pay interest due in respect of the Advances (other than Agent Advances)
and
the Swing Loans, until paid in full,
(G) seventh,
to pay
the principal of all Agent Advances until paid in full,
(H) eighth,
to pay
the principal of all Swing Loans until paid in full,
(I) ninth,
so long
as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to pay the principal
of
all Advances until paid in full,
(J) tenth,
if an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, ratably (i) to pay the
principal of all Advances until paid in full and (ii)to Agent, to be held by
Agent, for the ratable benefit of Issuing Lender and those Lenders having a
Revolver Commitment, as cash collateral an amount up to 105% of the then extant
Letter of Credit Usage until paid in full,
(K) eleventh,
if an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to pay any other Obligations
(including, without limitation, Banking Services Obligations), and
(L) twelfth,
to
Borrower (to be wired to the Designated Account) or such other Person entitled
thereto under applicable law.
-52-
(ii) Agent
promptly shall distribute to each Lender, pursuant to the applicable wire
instructions received from each Lender in writing, such funds as it may be
entitled to receive, subject to a Settlement delay as provided in Section
2.3(f).
(iii) In
each
instance, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, this
Section
2.4(b)
shall
not be deemed to apply to any payment by Borrower specified by Borrower to
be
for the payment of specific Obligations then due and payable (or prepayable)
under any provision of this Agreement.
(iv) For
purposes of the foregoing, “paid in full” means payment of all amounts owing
under the Loan Documents according to the terms thereof, including loan fees,
service fees, professional fees, interest (and specifically including interest
accrued after the commencement of any Insolvency Proceeding), default interest,
interest on interest, and expense reimbursements, whether or not any of the
foregoing would be or is allowed or disallowed in whole or in part in any
Insolvency Proceeding.
(v) In
the
event of a direct conflict between the priority provisions of this Section
2.4
and
other provisions contained in any other Loan Document, it is the intention
of
the parties hereto that such priority provisions in such documents shall be
read
together and construed, to the fullest extent possible, to be in concert with
each other. In the event of any actual, irreconcilable conflict that cannot
be
resolved as aforesaid, the terms and provisions of this Section
2.4
shall
control and govern.
(c) Mandatory
Prepayment.
At any time that a Default shall have occurred and be continuing hereunder,
the
Borrower shall promptly prepay the Loans with all proceeds arising from the
sale
or other realization upon the ABL Facility Primary Collateral (as such term
is
defined in the Intercreditor Agreement).
2.5 Overadvances.
If, at
any time or for any reason, the amount of Obligations owed by the Credit Parties
to the Lender Group pursuant to Section
2.1
or
Section
2.12
is
greater than either the Dollar or percentage limitations set forth in
Section
2.1
or
Section
2.12,
as
applicable (an “Overadvance”),
Borrower shall within three (3) Business Days pay to Agent, in cash, the amount
of such excess, which amount shall be used by Agent to reduce the Obligations
in
accordance with the priorities set forth in Section
2.4(b).
In
addition, Borrower hereby promises to pay the Obligations (including principal,
interest, fees, costs, and expenses) in Dollars in full as and when due and
payable under the terms of this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents.
2.6 Interest
Rates and Letter of Credit Fee: Rates, Payments, and
Calculations.
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(a) Interest
Rates.
Except
as provided in clause (c) below, all Obligations (except for undrawn Letters
of
Credit) that have been charged to the Loan Account pursuant to the terms hereof
shall bear interest on the Daily Balance thereof as follows (i) if the relevant
Obligation is an Advance that is a LIBOR Rate Loan, at a per annum rate equal
to
the LIBOR Rate plus the Applicable Margin for LIBOR Rate Loans and (ii)
otherwise, at a per annum rate equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin
for Base Rate Loans.
(b) Letter
of Credit Fees.
Borrower
shall pay Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Lenders), Letter of Credit
fees
(in addition to the charges, commissions, fees, and costs set forth in
Section 2.12(e))
(i) with respect to standby Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at a rate
equal to the Applicable Margin then in effect for standby Letters of Credit
times
the
Daily Balance of the undrawn amount of all such outstanding standby Letters
of
Credit, and (ii) with respect to documentary Letters of Credit, which shall
accrue at a rate equal to the Applicable Margin then in effect for documentary
Letters of Credit times
the
Daily Balance of the undrawn amount of all such outstanding documentary Letters
of Credit.
(c) Default
Rate.
Upon
the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default (and at the
election of Agent or the Required Lenders),
(i)
all
Obligations (except for undrawn Letters of Credit) that have been charged to
the
Loan Account pursuant to the terms hereof shall bear interest on the Daily
Balance thereof at a per annum rate equal to 2 percentage points above the
per
annum rate otherwise applicable hereunder, and
(ii)
the
Letter of Credit fee provided for above shall be increased to 2 percentage
points above the per annum rate otherwise applicable hereunder.
(d) Payment.
Except
as provided to the contrary in Section
2.13(a),
interest, Letter of Credit fees, and all other fees payable hereunder shall
be
due and payable, in arrears, on the first day of each month at any time that
Obligations or Commitments are outstanding. Borrower hereby authorizes Agent,
from time to time without prior notice to Borrower, to charge such interest
and
fees, all Lender Group Expenses (as and when incurred), the charges,
commissions, fees, and costs provided for in Section
2.12(e)
(as and
when accrued or incurred), the fees and costs provided for in Section
2.11
(as and
when accrued or incurred), and all other payments as and when due and payable
with respect to the Obligations to Borrower’s Loan Account, which amounts
thereafter shall constitute Advances hereunder and shall accrue interest at
the
rate then applicable to Advances hereunder. Any interest not paid when due
shall
be compounded by being charged to Borrower’s Loan Account and shall thereafter
constitute Advances hereunder and shall accrue interest at the rate then
applicable to Advances that are Base Rate Loans hereunder.
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(e) Computation.
All
interest and fees chargeable under the Loan Documents shall be computed on
the
basis of a 360 day year for the actual number of days elapsed. In the event
the
Base Rate is changed from time to time hereafter, the rates of interest
hereunder based upon the Base Rate automatically and immediately shall be
increased or decreased by an amount equal to such change in the Base Rate.
(f) Intent
to Limit Charges to Maximum Lawful Rate.
In no
event shall the interest rate or rates payable under this Agreement, plus any
other amounts paid in connection herewith, exceed the highest rate permissible
under any law that a court of competent jurisdiction shall, in a final
determination, deem applicable. Borrower and the Lender Group, in executing
and
delivering this Agreement, intend legally to agree upon the rate or rates of
interest and manner of payment stated within it; provided,
however,
that,
anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if said rate or
rates
of interest or manner of payment exceeds the maximum allowable under applicable
law, then, ipso
facto,
as of
the date of this Agreement, Borrower is and shall be liable only for the payment
of such maximum as allowed by law, and payment received from Borrower in excess
of such legal maximum, whenever received, shall be applied to reduce the
principal balance of the Obligations to the extent of such excess.
2.7 Cash
Management.
(a) Each
Credit Party shall establish and maintain cash management services of a type
and
on terms satisfactory to Agent at one or more of the banks set forth on
Schedule
5.17
(each, a
“Cash
Management Bank”),
and,
in connection therewith, establish and maintain at such Cash Management Banks
pursuant to the terms hereof one or more accounts designated (either in
Schedule
5.17
or
pursuant to Section
2.7(h))
as
concentration accounts (the “Concentration
Accounts”)
and
additional accounts designated (either in Schedule
5.17
or
pursuant to Section
2.7(h))
as (i)
consolidated store deposit accounts (the “Consolidated
Store Deposit Accounts”),
(ii)
individual store deposit accounts (the “Individual
Store Accounts”)
and
(iii) the home office deposit account (the “Home
Office Account”
and
together with the Concentration Accounts, the Consolidated Store Deposit
Accounts and the Individual Store Accounts, the “Cash
Management Accounts”).
(b) Except
as
otherwise specifically permitted in this Section
2.7,
each
Credit Party shall (1) request in writing and otherwise take such reasonable
steps to ensure that all of its Account Debtors forward payment of the amounts
owed by them directly to a Cash Management Bank for deposit into a Concentration
Account, (2) deposit or cause to be deposited promptly, and in any event no
later than the first Business Day after the date of receipt thereof (and subject
to Section
2.7(g)
with
respect to payments from Credit Card Processors), all such available Collections
from Account Debtors (including those sent directly to a Cash Management Bank)
into a Concentration Account, and (3) deposit or cause to be deposited promptly,
and in any event no later than the first Business Day after the date of receipt
thereof, all other available Collections (including cash, checks, drafts and
all
other forms of daily store receipts or other similar items of payment) received
by or otherwise under its control into a Cash Management Account provided,
so long
as no Triggering Period shall have occurred and be continuing, (i) the Credit
Parties may maintain Collections in other Deposit Accounts as permitted under
this Section 2.7, and (ii) the Agent shall permit all funds in any Concentration
Account to be forwarded, by daily sweeps, to the Designated Account. For
purposes of clarification, funds that need not be swept to the extent
specifically provided in this Section
2.7
and
after funds are swept pursuant to any provision of this Section
2.7
to the
Designated Account, they may be used by the Borrower for its general corporate
purposes.
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(c) Each
Credit Party further agrees to cause each of its stores which utilize a
Consolidated Store Deposit Account to cause all Collections for such store
to be
deposited into a Consolidated Store Deposit Account and each Credit Party agrees
that with respect to each Consolidated Store Deposit Account, it shall, at
all
times require each applicable Cash Management Bank to forward, by automatic
periodic transfers on a daily basis, if practicable, and otherwise, once every
three (3) Business Days, all available amounts in each such Consolidated Store
Deposit Account into a Concentration Account; provided,
(i)
immediately after giving effect to each such transfer from any Consolidated
Store Deposit Account into a Concentration Account, each Credit Party may
maintain an amount not to exceed (x) $50,000 of available funds in any such
Consolidated Store Deposit Account and (y) $5,000,000 in available funds in
the
aggregate in all such Consolidated Store Deposit Accounts, (ii) so long as
no
Triggering Period shall have occurred and be continuing, Agent shall permit
all
funds in any Concentration Account to be forwarded, by daily sweeps, to the
Designated Account.
(d) Each
Credit Party further agrees that with respect to each store which utilizes
an
Individual Store Account, such store shall cause all Collections for such store
to be deposited into such Individual Store Account and each Credit Party agrees
that with respect to each Individual Store Account it shall, at all times
require each applicable Cash Management Bank to forward, by automatic periodic
transfers on a regular basis, but in no event less frequently than once in
any
ten (10) day period, all available amounts in each such Individual Store Account
into a Concentration Account; provided,
however,
that
(i) such automatic transfers of funds therein shall be required only at any
time
the available balance thereof should exceed $5,000, (ii) immediately after
giving effect to each such transfer from such Individual Store Account into
a
Concentration Account, the Credit Parties may maintain an available amount
not
to exceed $5,000 in such Individual Store Account, and (iii) so long as no
Triggering Period shall have occurred and be continuing, Agent shall permit
all
funds in any Concentration Account to be forwarded, by daily sweeps, to the
Designated Account.
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(e) Each
Credit Party further agrees that with respect to the Home Office Account, it
shall, at all times require the applicable Cash Management Bank to forward,
by
automatic periodic transfers on a regular basis, but in no event less frequently
than once in any ten (10) day period, all available amounts in the Home Office
Account into (either directly or indirectly) a Concentration Account or another
account under the control of WFRF or any of its Affiliates; provided,
however,
that
(x) such automatic transfers of funds therein shall be required only at any
time
the available balance thereof should exceed $100,000, (y) immediately after
giving effect to each such transfer from the Home Office Account into a
Concentration Account or such other account under the control of WFRF or any
of
its Affiliates, the Credit Parties may maintain an available amount not to
exceed $100,000 in such Home Office Account, and (z) so long as no Triggering
Period shall have occurred and be continuing, Agent shall permit all funds
in
any Concentration Account to be forwarded, by daily sweeps, to the Designated
Account.
(f) Each
Credit Party further agrees that with respect to the Group Concentration
Account, it shall, at all times require the applicable Cash Management Bank
to
forward, by automatic periodic transfers on a daily basis, all available amounts
in the Group Concentration Account into (either directly or indirectly) a
Concentration Account; provided,
however,
that
(x) such automatic transfers of funds therein shall be required only at any
time
the available balance thereof should exceed $5,000,000, (y) immediately after
giving effect to each such transfer from the Group Concentration Account into
a
Concentration Account, the Credit Parties may maintain an available amount
not
to exceed $5,000,000 in such Group Concentration Account, and (z) so long as
no
Triggering Period shall have occurred and be continuing, Agent shall permit
all
funds in any Concentration Account to be forwarded, by daily sweeps, to the
Designated Account.
(g) With
respect to each Concentration Account, each Cash Management Bank shall establish
and maintain Cash Management Agreements with Agent and the applicable Credit
Party, in form and substance acceptable to Agent in its Permitted Discretion;
provided;
however,
that,
with respect to Consolidated Store Deposit Accounts, Individual Store Accounts
and the Home Office Account no Credit Party shall be obligated to establish
a
Cash Management Agreement. Each Cash Management Agreement shall provide, among
other things, that (i) all items of payment deposited in such Concentration
Account and proceeds thereof are subject to the control of Agent, (ii) the
Cash Management Bank has no rights of setoff or recoupment or any other claim
against the applicable Concentration Account other than for payment of its
service fees and other charges directly related to the administration of such
Concentration Account and for returned checks or other items of payment, and
(iii) from and after the date that it receives written notification from
Agent (a “Control
Exercise Notice”),
it immediately will forward by daily sweep all amounts in the applicable
Concentration Account to the Agent’s Account or as otherwise directed by Agent
to prepay the Obligations in such order as set forth in Section
2.4(b);
provided, that any such prepayments of the Loans pursuant to this Section
2.7(f)
may be
reborrowed subject to Section
3.3.
Anything contained herein or in any other Loan Document to the contrary
notwithstanding, Agent agrees that it shall not provide a Control Exercise
Notice to the Cash Management Banks except during a Triggering Period. At any
time during a Triggering Period but only during a Triggering Period, Agent
shall
be free to exercise its right to issue a Control Exercise Notice. Agent shall
deliver to Borrower and the applicable Credit Party a copy of any such Control
Exercise Notice promptly after delivery thereof to the applicable Cash
Management Bank; provided,
however
that a
non-willful failure to so do shall not affect the validity of any such Control
Exercise Notice or otherwise limit Agent’s right to send any other Control
Exercise Notice. Upon the subsequent termination of such Triggering Period,
Agent shall withdraw such Control Exercise Notice and permit funds to be
transferred as set forth above, including permitting each Credit Party access
to
funds in any Concentration Account (and daily sweeps thereof into any Designated
Account), but subject in all events to the right of Agent to deliver a Control
Exercise Notice during any subsequent Triggering Period.
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(h) Each
Credit Party may establish and maintain Credit Card Agreements with Agent and
each Credit Card Processor. Each such Credit Card Agreement shall provide,
among
other things, that each such Credit Card Processor shall transfer all proceeds
of credit card charges for sales by each Credit Party received by it (or other
amounts payable by such Credit Card Processor) into a designated Concentration
Account on a daily basis or such other periodic basis as Agent may otherwise
direct. No Credit Party shall change any direction or designation set forth
in
the Credit Card Agreements regarding payment of charges without the prior
written consent of Agent.
(i) So
long
as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Borrower may amend
Schedule
5.17
to add
or replace a Cash Management Bank or Cash Management Account; provided,
however,
that in
the case of any Concentration Account, (i) such prospective Cash Management
Bank shall be reasonably satisfactory to Agent and Agent shall have consented
in
writing in advance to the opening of such Concentration Account with the
prospective Cash Management Bank (which consent shall not be required with
respect to any additional Concentration Account at an existing Cash Management
Bank and otherwise shall not be unreasonably withheld), and (ii) prior to
the time of the opening of any Concentration Account, the applicable Credit
Party and such prospective Cash Management Bank shall have executed and
delivered to Agent a Cash Management Agreement. Each Credit Party shall close
any of its Concentration Accounts (and establish replacement cash
management accounts in accordance with the foregoing sentence) promptly and
in
any event within 45 days of notice from Agent (or such longer period as such
Credit Party and Agent may agree) that the creditworthiness of any Cash
Management Bank is no longer acceptable in Agent’s reasonable judgment, or as
promptly as practicable and in any event within 60 days of notice from Agent
(or
such longer period as such Credit Party and Agent may agree) that the operating
performance, funds transfer, or availability procedures or performance of the
Cash Management Bank with respect to Concentration Accounts or Agent’s liability
under any Cash Management Agreement with such Cash Management Bank is no longer
acceptable in Agent’s reasonable judgment.
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The
Cash
Management Accounts shall be cash collateral accounts, with all cash, checks
and
similar items of payment in such accounts securing payment of the Obligations,
and in which each Credit Party hereby grants a Lien to Agent.
2.8 Crediting
Payments.
The
receipt of any payment item by Agent (whether from transfers to Agent by the
Cash Management Banks pursuant to the Cash Management Agreements or otherwise)
shall not be considered a payment on account unless such payment item is a
wire
transfer of immediately available funds made to the Agent’s Account or unless
and until such payment item is honored when presented for payment. Should any
payment item not be honored when presented for payment, then the applicable
Credit Party shall be deemed not to have made such payment and interest shall
be
calculated accordingly. Anything to the contrary contained herein
notwithstanding, any payment item shall be deemed received by Agent only if
it
is received into the Agent’s Account on a Business Day on or before 2:00 p.m.
(New York time). If any payment item is received into the Agent’s Account on a
non-Business Day or after 2:00 p.m. (New York time) on a Business Day, it shall
be deemed to have been received by Agent as of the opening of business on the
immediately following Business Day.
2.9 Designated
Account.
Agent
is authorized to make the Advances, and Issuing Lender is authorized to issue
the Letters of Credit, under this Agreement based upon telephonic or other
instructions received from anyone purporting to be an Authorized Person or,
without instructions, if pursuant to Section
2.6(d).
Borrower agrees to establish and maintain the Designated Account with the
Designated Account Bank for the purpose of receiving the proceeds of the
Advances requested by Borrower and made by Agent or the Lenders hereunder.
Unless otherwise agreed by Agent and Borrower, any Advance, Agent Advance,
or
Swing Loan requested by Borrower and made by Agent or the Lenders hereunder
shall be made to the Designated Account.
2.10 Maintenance
of Loan Account; Statements of Obligations.
Agent
shall maintain an account on its books in the name of Borrower (the
“Loan
Account”)
on
which Borrower will be charged with all Advances (including Agent Advances
and
Swing Loans) made by Agent, Swing Lender, or the Lenders to Borrower or for
Borrower’s account, the Letters of Credit issued by Issuing Lender for
Borrower’s account, and with all other payment Obligations hereunder or under
the other Loan Documents, including, accrued interest, fees and expenses, and
Lender Group Expenses. In accordance with Section
2.8,
the
Loan Account will be credited with all payments received by Agent from Borrower
or for Borrower’s account, including all amounts received in the Agent’s Account
from any Cash Management Bank. Agent shall render statements regarding the
Loan
Account to Borrower, including principal, interest, fees, and including an
itemization of all charges and expenses constituting Lender Group Expenses
owing, and such statements, absent manifest error, shall be conclusively
presumed to be correct and accurate and constitute an account stated between
Borrower and the Lender Group unless, within 30 days after receipt thereof
by
Borrower, Borrower shall deliver to Agent written objection thereto describing
the error or errors contained in any such statements.
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2.11 Fees.
Borrower shall pay to Agent the following fees and charges, which fees and
charges shall be non-refundable when paid (irrespective of whether this
Agreement is terminated thereafter) and shall be apportioned among the Lenders
in accordance with the terms of letter agreements between Agent and individual
Lenders:
(a) Unused
Line Fee.
On the
first day of each month during the term of this Agreement, an unused line fee
in
an amount equal to 0.25% per annum times
the
result of (i) the Maximum Revolver Amount, less
(ii) the
sum of (A) the average Daily Balance of Advances that were outstanding during
the immediately preceding month, plus
(B) the
average Daily Balance of the Letter of Credit Usage during the immediately
preceding month,
(b) Fee
Letter Fees.
As and
when due and payable under the terms of the Fee Letter, the fees set forth
in
the Fee Letter.
2.12 Letters
of Credit.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Issuing Lender agrees to
issue letters of credit for the account of Borrower (each, an “L/C”)
or to
purchase participations or execute indemnities or reimbursement obligations
(each such undertaking, an “L/C
Undertaking”)
with
respect to letters of credit issued by an Underlying Issuer (as of the Closing
Date, the prospective Underlying Issuer is to be Xxxxx Fargo) for the account
of
Borrower. To request the issuance of an L/C or an L/C Undertaking (or the
amendment, renewal, or extension of an outstanding L/C or L/C Undertaking),
Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic
communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Issuing
Lender) to the Issuing Lender and Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested
date of issuance, amendment, renewal, or extension) a notice requesting the
issuance of an L/C or L/C Undertaking, or identifying the L/C or L/C Undertaking
to be amended, renewed, or extended, specifying the date of issuance, amendment,
renewal, or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such
L/C or L/C Undertaking is to expire, the amount of such L/C or L/C Undertaking,
the name and address of the beneficiary thereof (or the beneficiary of the
Underlying Letter of Credit, as applicable), and such other information as
shall
be necessary to prepare, amend, renew, or extend such L/C or L/C Undertaking.
If
requested by the Issuing Lender, Borrower also shall be an applicant under
the
application with respect to any Underlying Letter of Credit that is to be the
subject of an L/C Undertaking. The Issuing Lender shall have no obligation
to
issue a Letter of Credit if any of the following would result after giving
effect to the issuance of such requested Letter of Credit:
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(i) the
Letter of Credit Usage would exceed the Borrowing Base less
the then
extant amount of outstanding Advances, or
(ii) the
Letter of Credit Usage would exceed $200,000,000, or
(iii) the
Letter of Credit Usage would exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount less
the then
extant amount of outstanding Advances.
Borrower
and the Lender Group acknowledge and agree that certain Underlying Letters
of
Credit may be issued to support letters of credit that already are outstanding
as of the Closing Date. Each Letter of Credit (and corresponding Underlying
Letter of Credit) shall be in form and substance acceptable to the Issuing
Lender (in the exercise of its Permitted Discretion), including the requirement
that the amounts payable thereunder must be payable in Dollars. If Issuing
Lender is obligated to advance funds under a Letter of Credit, Borrower
immediately shall reimburse such L/C Disbursement to Issuing Lender by paying
to
Agent an amount equal to such L/C Disbursement not later than 2:00 p.m., New
York time, on the date that such L/C Disbursement is made, if Borrower shall
have received written or telephonic notice of such L/C Disbursement prior to
1:00 p.m., New York time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received
by Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 2:00 p.m.,
New
York time, on the Business Day that Borrower receives such notice, if such
notice is received prior to 1:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of receipt,
and, in the absence of such reimbursement, the L/C Disbursement immediately
and
automatically shall be deemed to be an Advance hereunder and, thereafter, shall
bear interest at the rate then applicable to Advances that are Base Rate Loans
under Section
2.6.
To the
extent an L/C Disbursement is deemed to be an Advance hereunder, Borrower’s
obligation to reimburse such L/C Disbursement shall be discharged and replaced
by the resulting Advance. Promptly following receipt by Agent of any payment
from Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, Agent shall distribute such payment
to
the Issuing Lender or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant
to
Section
2.12(c)
to
reimburse the Issuing Lender, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Lender as
their interests may appear.
(b) Promptly
following receipt of a notice of L/C Disbursement pursuant to Section
2.12(a),
each
Lender with a Revolver Commitment agrees to fund its Pro Rata Share of any
Advance deemed made pursuant to the foregoing subsection on the same terms
and
conditions as if Borrower had requested such Advance and Agent shall promptly
pay to Issuing Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. By the
issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing
the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the Issuing
Lender or the Lenders with Revolver Commitments, the Issuing Lender shall be
deemed to have granted to each Lender with a Revolver Commitment, and each
Lender with a Revolver Commitment shall be deemed to have purchased, a
participation in each Letter of Credit, in an amount equal to its Pro Rata
Share
of the Risk Participation Liability of such Letter of Credit, and each such
Lender agrees to pay to Agent, for the account of the Issuing Lender, such
Lender’s Pro Rata Share of any payments made by the Issuing Lender under such
Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each
Lender with a Revolver Commitment hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees
to pay to Agent, for the account of the Issuing Lender, such Lender’s Pro Rata
Share of each L/C Disbursement made by the Issuing Lender and not reimbursed
by
Borrower on the date due as provided in clause (a) of this Section, or of any
reimbursement payment required to be refunded to Borrower for any reason. Each
Lender with a Revolver Commitment acknowledges and agrees that its obligation
to
deliver to Agent, for the account of the Issuing Lender, an amount equal to
its
respective Pro Rata Share of each L/C Disbursement made by the Issuing Lender
pursuant to this Section
2.12(b)
shall be
absolute and unconditional and such remittance shall be made notwithstanding
the
occurrence or continuation of an Event of Default or Default or the failure
to
satisfy any condition set forth in Section
3
hereof.
If any such Lender fails to make available to Agent the amount of such Lender’s
Pro Rata Share of each L/C Disbursement made by the Issuing Lender in respect
of
such Letter of Credit as provided in this Section, such Lender shall be deemed
to be a Defaulting Lender and Agent (for the account of the Issuing Lender)
shall be entitled to recover such amount on demand from such Lender together
with interest thereon at the Defaulting Lender Rate until paid in
full.
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(c) Borrower
hereby agrees to indemnify, save, defend, and hold the Lender Group harmless
from any loss, cost, expense, or liability, and reasonable attorneys fees
incurred by the Lender Group arising out of or in connection with any Letter
of
Credit; provided,
however,
that
Borrower shall not be obligated hereunder to indemnify for any loss, cost,
expense, or liability to the extent that it is caused by the gross negligence
or
willful misconduct of the Issuing Lender or any other member of the Lender
Group. Borrower agrees to be bound by the Underlying Issuer’s regulations and
interpretations of any Underlying Letter of Credit or by Issuing Lender’s
interpretations of any L/C issued by Issuing Lender to or for Borrower’s
account, even though this interpretation may be different from Borrower’s own,
and Borrower understands and agrees that no member of the Lender Group shall
be
liable for any error, negligence, or mistake, whether of omission or commission
(except, as to any member of the Lender Group, to the extent caused by its
gross
negligence or willful misconduct), in following Borrower’s instructions or those
contained in the Letter of Credit or any modifications, amendments, or
supplements thereto. Borrower understands that the L/C Undertakings may require
Issuing Lender to indemnify the Underlying Issuer for certain costs or
liabilities arising out of claims by Borrower against such Underlying Issuer.
Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify, save, defend, and hold the Lender Group
harmless with respect to any loss, cost, expense (including reasonable attorneys
fees), or liability incurred by the Lender Group under any L/C Undertaking
as a
result of the Lender Group’s indemnification of any Underlying Issuer;
provided,
however,
that
Borrower shall not be obligated hereunder to indemnify for any loss, cost,
expense, or liability to the extent that it is caused by the gross negligence
or
willful misconduct of the Issuing Lender or any other member of the Lender
Group.
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(d) Borrower
hereby authorizes and directs any Underlying Issuer to deliver to the Issuing
Lender all instruments, documents, and other writings and property received
by
such Underlying Issuer pursuant to such Underlying Letter of Credit and to
accept and rely upon the Issuing Lender’s instructions with respect to all
matters arising in connection with such Underlying Letter of Credit and the
related application.
(e) Any
and
all charges, commissions, fees, and costs incurred by the Issuing Lender
relating to Underlying Letters of Credit shall be Lender Group Expenses for
purposes of this Agreement and immediately shall be reimbursable by Borrower
to
Agent for the account of the Issuing Lender; it being acknowledged and agreed
by
Borrower that the Underlying Issuer also imposes a schedule of charges for
amendments, extensions, drawings, and renewals.
(f) If
by
reason of (i) any change after the Closing Date in any applicable law, treaty,
rule, or regulation or any change in the interpretation or application thereof
by any Governmental Authority, or (ii) compliance by the Underlying Issuer
or
the Lender Group with any direction, request, or requirement (irrespective
of
whether having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority or monetary
authority including, Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board as from time
to
time in effect (and any successor thereto):
(i) any
reserve, deposit, or similar requirement is or shall be imposed or modified
in
respect of any Letter of Credit issued hereunder, or
(ii) there
shall be imposed on the Underlying Issuer or the Lender Group any other
condition regarding any Underlying Letter of Credit or any Letter of Credit
issued pursuant hereto,
and
the
result of the foregoing is to increase, directly or indirectly, the cost to
the
Lender Group of issuing, making, guaranteeing, or maintaining any Letter of
Credit or to reduce the amount receivable in respect thereof by the Lender
Group, then, and in any such case, Agent may, at any time within a reasonable
period after the additional cost is incurred or the amount received is reduced,
notify Borrower, and Borrower shall pay on demand such amounts as Agent may
specify to be necessary to compensate the Lender Group for such additional
cost
or reduced receipt, together with interest on such amount from the date of
such
demand until payment in full thereof at the rate then applicable to Base Rate
Loans hereunder. The determination by Agent of any amount due pursuant to this
Section, as set forth in a certificate setting forth the calculation thereof
in
reasonable detail, shall, in the absence of manifest or demonstrable error,
be
final and conclusive and binding on all of the parties hereto.
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(g) Borrower
acknowledges and agrees that certain of the Qualified Import Letters of Credit
may provide for the presentation of time drafts to the Underlying Issuer. If
an
Underlying Issuer accepts such a time draft that is presented under an
Underlying Letter of Credit, it is acknowledged and agreed that (i) the
Letter of Credit will require the Issuing Lender to reimburse the Underlying
Issuer for amounts paid on account of such time draft on or after the maturity
date thereof, (ii) the pricing provisions hereof (including Sections
2.6(b)
and
2.12(e))
shall
continue to apply, until payment of such time draft on or after the maturity
date thereof, as if the Underlying Letter of Credit were still outstanding,
and
(iii) on the date on which Issuing Lender makes payment to the Underlying
Issuer of the amounts paid on account of such time draft, Borrower immediately
shall reimburse such amount to Issuing Lender and such amount shall constitute
an L/C Disbursement hereunder.
2.13 LIBOR
Option.
(a) Interest
and Interest Payment Dates.
In lieu
of having interest charged at the rate based upon the Base Rate, Borrower shall
have the option (the “LIBOR
Option”)
to
have interest on all or a portion of the Advances be charged at a rate of
interest based upon the LIBOR Rate. Interest on LIBOR Rate Loans shall be
payable on the earliest of (i) the last day of the Interest Period applicable
thereto, (ii) the date that is one month after the commencement of the
applicable Interest Period, (iii) the occurrence of an Event of Default in
consequence of which the Required Lenders or Agent on behalf thereof elect
to
accelerate the maturity of all or any portion of the Obligations, or (iv)
termination of this Agreement pursuant to the terms hereof. On the last day
of
each applicable Interest Period in respect of a LIBOR Rate Loan, unless Borrower
properly has exercised the LIBOR Option with respect thereto, the interest
rate
applicable to such LIBOR Rate Loan automatically shall convert to the rate
of
interest then applicable to Base Rate Loans of the same type hereunder. At
any
time that an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Borrower no longer
shall have the option to request that Advances bear interest at the LIBOR Rate
and Agent shall have the right to convert the interest rate on all outstanding
LIBOR Rate Loans to the rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans
hereunder.
(b) LIBOR
Election.
(i) Borrower
may, at any time and from time to time, so long as no Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, elect to exercise the LIBOR Option by notifying
Agent prior to 2:00 p.m. (New York time) at least 3 Business Days prior to
the
commencement of the proposed Interest Period (the “LIBOR
Deadline”).
Notice of Borrower’s election of the LIBOR Option for a permitted portion of the
Advances and an Interest Period pursuant to this Section shall be made by
delivery to Agent of a LIBOR Notice received by Agent before the LIBOR Deadline,
or by telephonic notice received by Agent before the LIBOR Deadline (to be
confirmed by delivery to Agent of a LIBOR Notice received by Agent prior to
5:00 p.m. (New York time) on the same day). Promptly upon its receipt of
each such LIBOR Notice, Agent shall provide a copy thereof to each of the
Lenders having a Revolver Commitment.
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(ii) Each
LIBOR Notice shall be irrevocable and binding on Borrower. In connection with
each LIBOR Rate Loan, Borrower shall indemnify, defend, and hold Agent and
the
Lenders harmless against any loss, cost, or expense incurred by Agent or any
Lender as a result of (a) the payment of any principal of any LIBOR Rate Loan
other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including
as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any LIBOR Rate Loan
other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, or (c)
the
failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any LIBOR Rate Loan on the date
specified in any LIBOR Notice delivered pursuant hereto (such losses, costs,
and
expenses, collectively, “Funding
Losses”).
Funding Losses shall, with respect to Agent or any Lender, be deemed to equal
the amount determined by Agent or such Lender to be the excess, if any, of
(i)
the amount of interest that would have accrued on the principal amount of such
LIBOR Rate Loan had such event not occurred, at the LIBOR Rate that would have
been applicable thereto, for the period from the date of such event to the
last
day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure
to borrow, convert, or continue, for the period that would have been the
Interest Period therefor), minus
(ii)
the
amount of interest that would accrue on such principal amount for such period
at
the interest rate which Agent or such Lender would be offered were it to be
offered, at the commencement of such period, Dollar deposits of a comparable
amount and period in the London interbank market. A certificate of Agent or
a
Lender delivered to Borrower setting forth any amount or amounts that Agent
or
such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section
2.13
shall be
conclusive absent manifest error.
(iii) Borrower
shall have not more than 15 LIBOR Rate Loans in effect at any given time.
Borrower only may exercise the LIBOR Option for LIBOR Rate Loans of at least
$1,000,000 and integral multiples of $500,000 in excess thereof.
(c) Prepayments.
Borrower
may prepay LIBOR Rate Loans at any time; provided,
however,
that in
the event that LIBOR Rate Loans are prepaid on any date that is not the last
day
of the Interest Period applicable thereto, including as a result of any
automatic prepayment through the required application by Agent of proceeds
of
each Credit Party’s Collections in accordance with Section
2.4(b)
or for
any other reason, including early termination of the term of this Agreement
or
acceleration of all or any portion of the Obligations pursuant to the terms
hereof, Borrower shall indemnify, defend, and hold Agent and the Lenders and
their Participants harmless against any and all Funding Losses in accordance
with clause (b)(ii) above.
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(d) Special
Provisions Applicable to LIBOR Rate.
(i) The
LIBOR
Rate may be adjusted by Agent with respect to any Lender on a prospective basis
to take into account any additional or increased costs to such Lender of
maintaining or obtaining any eurodollar deposits or increased costs due to
changes in applicable law occurring subsequent to the commencement of the then
applicable Interest Period, including changes in tax laws (except changes of
general applicability in corporate income tax laws) and changes in the reserve
requirements imposed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(or
any successor), excluding the Reserve Percentage, which additional or increased
costs would increase the cost of funding loans bearing interest at the LIBOR
Rate. In any such event, the affected Lender shall give Borrower and Agent
notice of such a determination and adjustment and Agent promptly shall transmit
the notice to each other Lender and, upon its receipt of the notice from the
affected Lender, Borrower may, by notice to such affected Lender (y) require
such Lender to furnish to Borrower a statement setting forth the basis for
adjusting such LIBOR Rate and the method for determining the amount of such
adjustment, or (z) repay the LIBOR Rate Loans with respect to which such
adjustment is made (together with any amounts due under clause (b)(ii)
above).
(ii) In
the
event that any change in market conditions or any law, regulation, treaty,
or
directive, or any change therein or in the interpretation of application
thereof, shall at any time after the date hereof, in the reasonable opinion
of
any Lender, make it unlawful or impractical for such Lender to fund or maintain
LIBOR Advances or to continue such funding or maintaining, or to determine
or
charge interest rates at the LIBOR Rate, such Lender shall give notice of such
changed circumstances to Agent and Borrower and Agent promptly shall transmit
the notice to each other Lender and (y) in the case of any LIBOR Rate Loans
of
such Lender that are outstanding, the date specified in such Lender’s notice
shall be deemed to be the last day of the Interest Period of such LIBOR Rate
Loans, and interest upon the LIBOR Rate Loans of such Lender thereafter shall
accrue interest at the rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans, and (z) Borrower
shall not be entitled to elect the LIBOR Option until such Lender determines
that it would no longer be unlawful or impractical to do so. Each Lender at
such
time having as its lending office an office outside the United States agrees
to
use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office if such
designation will avoid the need for such a notice of changed circumstances
and
would not, in the good faith judgment of such Lender, otherwise be
disadvantageous to such Lender.
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(e) No
Requirement of Matched Funding.
Anything
to the contrary contained herein notwithstanding, neither Agent, nor any Lender,
nor any of their Participants, is required actually to acquire eurodollar
deposits to fund or otherwise match fund any Obligation as to which interest
accrues at the LIBOR Rate. The provisions of this Section shall apply as if
each
Lender or its Participants had match funded any Obligation as to which interest
is accruing at the LIBOR Rate by acquiring eurodollar deposits for each Interest
Period in the amount of the LIBOR Rate Loans.
2.14 Capital Requirements.
If,
after the date hereof, any Lender determines that (i) the adoption of or change
in any law, rule, regulation or guideline regarding capital requirements for
banks or bank holding companies, or any change in the interpretation or
application thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the
administration thereof, or (ii) compliance by such Lender or its parent bank
holding company with any guideline, request, or directive of any such entity
regarding capital adequacy (whether or not having the force of law), has the
effect of reducing the return on such Lender’s or such holding company’s capital
as a consequence of such Lender’s Commitments hereunder to a level below that
which such Lender or such holding company could have achieved but for such
adoption, change, or compliance (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such
holding company’s then existing policies with respect to capital adequacy and
assuming the full utilization of such entity’s capital) by any amount deemed by
such Lender to be material, then such Lender may notify Borrower and Agent
thereof. Following receipt of such notice, Borrower agrees to pay such Lender
on
demand the amount of such reduction of return of capital as and when such
reduction is determined, payable within 90 days after presentation by such
Lender of a statement in the amount and setting forth in reasonable detail
such
Lender’s calculation thereof and the assumptions upon which such calculation was
based (which statement shall be deemed true and correct absent manifest error).
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, Borrower will not
be
required to compensate any Lender pursuant to this Section for any reduction
incurred more than 270 days before such Lender notified Borrower of the change
in law (or other circumstance) giving rise to such reduction. In determining
such amount, such Lender may use any reasonable averaging and attribution
methods.
3.
|
CONDITIONS;
TERM OF AGREEMENT.
|
3.1 Conditions
Precedent to the Initial Extension of Credit.
The
obligation of the Lender Group (or any member thereof) to make the initial
Advance (or otherwise to extend any credit provided for hereunder), is subject
to the fulfillment, to the satisfaction of Agent in its Permitted Discretion,
of
each of the conditions precedent set forth below:
(a) the
Closing Date shall occur on or before August 17, 2007;
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(b) Agent
shall have received appropriate financing statements on Form UCC-1 duly filed
in
such office or offices as may be necessary or, in the opinion of Agent,
desirable to perfect the Agent’s Liens in and to the Collateral, and Agent shall
have received searches reflecting the filing of all such financing
statements;
(c) Agent
shall have received each of the following documents, in form and substance
satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion, duly executed, and each
such
document shall be in full force and effect:
(i) the
Disbursement Letter;
(ii) the
Compliance Certificate;
(iii) the
Fee
Letter;
(iv) the
Post-Closing Agreement;
(v) the
Intercreditor Agreement; and
(i) the
Pledge and Security Agreement, together with each of the following, except
in
each case as set forth in the Post Closing Agreement:
(A) evidence
reasonably satisfactory to the Agent that, upon the filing and recording of
instruments delivered on or before the Closing Date, the Agent, for the benefit
of the Secured Parties (as defined in the Pledge and Security Agreement) shall
have a valid and perfected security interest (having the priority set forth
in
the Intercreditor Agreement) in the Collateral, including (x) the filing of
financing statements under the Code (y) copies of search reports as of a recent
date listing all effective financing statements that name any Credit Party
as
debtor, together with copies of such financing statements, none of which shall
cover the Collateral except for those that shall be terminated on the Closing
Date or are otherwise permitted hereunder and (z) such other such documents
duly
executed by each Credit Party as the Agent may reasonably request with respect
to the perfection of its security interests in the Collateral (including patent,
trademark and copyright security agreements suitable for filing with the Patent
and Trademark Office or the Copyright Office, as the case may be, and other
applicable documents under the laws of any jurisdiction with respect to the
perfection of Liens created by the Pledge and Security Agreement);
(B) to
the
extent delivered to the Term Agent in connection with the Term Loan Agreement
on
the Closing Date or within such other time period as provided therein, copies
of
all certificates, instruments and other documents representing all Pledged
Stock
being pledged to the Term Agent and copies stock powers for such certificates,
instruments and other documents executed in blank;
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(C) all
Deposit Account Control Agreements, duly executed by the corresponding Deposit
Account Bank and the applicable Credit Party; and
(D) all
Securities Account Control Agreements, duly executed by the applicable Credit
Party and (1) all “securities intermediaries” (as defined in the Code) with
respect to all Securities Accounts (as defined in the Code) and securities
entitlements of the Borrower and each Guarantor and (2) all “commodities
intermediaries” (as defined in the UCC) with respect to all commodities
contracts and commodities accounts held by the Borrower and each
Guarantor;
(d) Mortgages
for all of the Real Property of the Credit Parties (except as may be agreed
to
by the Agent) identified on Schedule
3.1(d),
together with all Mortgage Supporting Documents relating thereto;
(e) Agent
shall have received a certificate from the Secretary of each Credit Party
attesting to the resolutions of such Credit Party’s Board of Directors (after
giving effect to the Merger) authorizing its execution, delivery, and
performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Credit
Party is a party and authorizing specific officers of such Credit Party to
execute the same;
(f) Agent
shall have received a certificate of insurance, together with the endorsements
thereto, as are required by Section
6.7,
the
form and substance of which shall be satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted
Discretion;
(g) Agent
shall have received opinions of counsel, including certain local counsel in
such
jurisdictions as required by Agent, for the Credit Parties, each in form and
substance satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion;
(h) Borrower
shall have delivered a Borrowing Base Certificate, dated as of the Closing
Date
based on the most recent completed fiscal month, and Borrower shall have the
Required Closing Availability after giving effect to the initial extensions
of
credit hereunder and the payment of all fees and expenses required to be paid
by
Borrower on the Closing Date under this Agreement or the other Loan
Documents;
(i) Borrower
shall have paid all documented Lender Group Expenses incurred in connection
with
the transactions evidenced by this Agreement; provided that Agent shall have
given notice to Borrower at least two days prior to the Closing Date with
respect thereto;
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(j) each
Credit Party shall have received all licenses, approvals or evidence of other
actions required by any material Governmental Authority in connection with
the
execution and delivery by each such Credit Party of the Loan Documents or with
the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, and
all applicable governmental filings have been made and all applicable waiting
periods shall have expired without, in either case, any action being taken
by
any competent authority, all applicable appeal periods shall have expired and
there shall be no action by any Governmental Authority that would reasonably
be
expected to restrain, prevent or impose burdensome conditions on such
Transactions;
(k) all
other
documents and legal matters required in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement shall have been delivered, executed, or recorded
and shall be in form and substance satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted
Discretion;
(l) Agent
shall have received the Borrower's Closing Date Business Plan;
(m) the
representations and warranties contained in Article V shall be true and complete
in all material respects;
(n) there
shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect, as such term is defined
in
the Merger Agreement, since May 22, 2007;
(o) The
Merger and related Transactions shall have been consummated or shall be
consummated simultaneously with or immediately following the Closing Date
without any waiver, amendment or modification of, or condition set forth in,
the
Transaction Documents except (i) with the prior written consent, not to be
unreasonably withheld, of the Agent or (ii) for waivers, amendments or
modifications that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially and
adversely affect the interests of the Lenders;
(p) The
Lenders shall have received from each of the Borrower and the Target (for
purposes of this subparagraph (o), each an “Applicable
Party”)
a consolidated balance sheet as of the end of the most recently ended fiscal
quarter (for which quarter such Applicable Party has publicly filed financial
information with the Securities and Exchange Commission) and related statements
of income and cash flows of such Applicable Party and its subsidiaries for
the
most recently ended fiscal year and the interim period thereafter (for which
year and interim period such Applicable Party has publicly filed financial
information with the Securities and Exchange Commission) and the trailing four
quarters ended on the last day of such interim period (such statements to
present, (x) in the case of the Target and its subsidiaries, their actual
financial position and (y) in the case of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries,
their pro
forma
financial position after giving effect to each of the Transactions), together
with a certificate of the chief financial officer of such Applicable Party
to
the effect that such statements accurately present such actual or pro
forma
financial position, as applicable, of such Applicable Party and its subsidiaries
in accordance with GAAP and Regulation S-X.
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3.2
[Intentionally Omitted]
3.3 Conditions
Precedent to all Extensions of Credit.
The
obligation of the Lender Group (or any member thereof) to make any Advances
hereunder at any time (or to extend any other credit hereunder) shall be subject
to the following conditions precedent:
(a) the
representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the
date of such extension of credit, as though made on and as of such date (except
to the extent that such representations and warranties relate solely to an
earlier date or as otherwise specified therein);
(b) no
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such
extension of credit, nor shall either result from the making thereof;
(c) no
injunction, writ, restraining order, or other order of any nature restricting
or
prohibiting, directly or indirectly, the extending of such credit shall have
been issued and remain in force by any Governmental Authority against any Credit
Party, Agent, any Lender, or any of their Affiliates; and
(d) no
Material Adverse Change shall have occurred.
3.4 Term.
This
Agreement shall continue in full force and effect for a term ending on August
17, 2012 (the “Maturity
Date”).
The
foregoing notwithstanding, the Lender Group, upon the election of the Required
Lenders, shall have the right to terminate its obligations under this Agreement
immediately and without notice upon the occurrence and during the continuation
of an Event of Default.
3.5 Effect
of Termination.
On the
date of termination of this Agreement, all Obligations (including contingent
reimbursement obligations of Borrower with respect to outstanding Letters of
Credit and including all other Obligations) immediately shall become due and
payable without notice or demand (including either (i) providing cash collateral
to be held by Agent for the benefit of those Lenders with a Revolver Commitment
in an amount equal to 105% of the then extant Letter of Credit Usage, or (ii)
causing the original Letters of Credit to be returned to the Issuing Lender.
No
termination of this Agreement, however, shall relieve or discharge any Credit
Party of its duties, Obligations, or covenants hereunder and the Agent’s Liens
in the Collateral shall remain in effect until all Obligations have been paid
in
full (including by the provision of cash collateral set forth above) and the
Lender Group’s obligations to provide additional credit hereunder have been
terminated. When this Agreement has been terminated and all of the Obligations
have been paid in full (including by the provision of cash collateral set forth
above) and the Lender Group’s obligations to provide additional credit under the
Loan Documents have been terminated irrevocably, Agent will, at Borrower’s sole
expense, execute and deliver any pay-off letter, UCC termination statements,
lien releases, mortgage releases, re-assignments of trademarks, discharges
of
security interests, and other similar discharge or release documents (and,
if
applicable, in recordable form) as are reasonably necessary to release, as
of
record, the Agent’s Liens and all notices of security interests and liens
previously filed by Agent with respect to the Obligations.
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3.6 Early
Termination by Borrower.
Borrower has the option, at any time upon 5 Business Days prior written notice
to Agent, to (A) permanently reduce the Revolver Commitment in the minimum
amount of $1,000,000 and integral multiples of $500,000 in excess thereof and
(B) terminate this Agreement in its entirety by paying to Agent, in cash, the
Obligations (including either (i) providing cash collateral to be held by Agent
for the benefit of those Lenders with a Revolver Commitment in an amount equal
to 105% of the then extant Letter of Credit Usage, or (ii) causing the original
Letters of Credit to be returned to the Issuing Lender. If Borrower has sent
a
notice of termination pursuant to the provisions of this Section, then the
Commitments shall terminate and Borrower shall be obligated to repay the
Obligations (including either (i) providing cash collateral to be held by Agent
for the benefit of those Lenders with a Revolver Commitment in an amount equal
to 105% of the then extant Letter of Credit Usage, or (ii) causing the original
Letters of Credit to be returned to the Issuing Lender, on the date set forth
as
the date of termination of this Agreement in such notice.
4.
|
[INTENTIONALLY
OMITTED].
|
5.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES.
|
In
order
to induce the Lender Group to enter into this Agreement, each Credit Party
jointly and severally makes the following representations and warranties to
the
Lender Group which shall be true, correct, and complete, in all material
respects, as of the date hereof, and shall be true, correct, and complete,
in
all material respects, as of the Closing Date, and at and as of the date of
the
making of each Advance (or other extension of credit) made thereafter, as though
made on and as of the date of such Advance (or other extension of credit)
(except to the extent that such representations and warranties relate solely
to
an earlier date) and such representations and warranties shall survive the
execution and delivery of this Agreement:
5.1 No
Encumbrances.
Except
as disclosed on Schedule
P-1
hereto,
each Credit Party has good and indefeasible title to its personal property
assets and good and marketable title to its owned Real Property (subject to
exceptions that do not, in the aggregate, materially impair the use of the
personal property and Real Property of the Credit Parties taken as a whole),
and
in the case of the Collateral, free and clear of Liens except for Permitted
Liens.
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5.2 Eligible
Accounts.
The
Eligible Accounts are bona
fide
existing
payment obligations of Account Debtors created by the sale and delivery of
Inventory or the rendition of services in the ordinary course of each Credit
Party’s business, owed to such Credit Party without any known defenses,
disputes, offsets, counterclaims, or rights of return or cancellation, except
where the existence of such defenses, disputes, offsets, counterclaims, or
rights of return or cancellation would not cause a Material Adverse Change.
As
to each Account that is identified by Borrower as an Eligible Account in a
borrowing base report submitted to Agent, to the knowledge of Borrower, each
such Account is not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the
excluding criteria set forth in the definition of Eligible
Accounts.
5.3 Eligible
Inventory .
All
Eligible Inventory is of good and merchantable quality, free from known defects,
except where the existence of such defects would not cause a Material Adverse
Change. As to each item of Inventory that is identified by Borrower as Eligible
Inventory in a Borrowing Base Certificate submitted to Agent, to the knowledge
of Borrower, such Inventory is not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one
or
more of the excluding criteria set forth in the definition of Eligible
Inventory.
5.4 Location
of Inventory.
All
Eligible Inventory of each Credit Party is located only at, or in-transit
between (or with respect to Eligible In-Transit Inventory which has been shipped
from a location outside of the United States, in transit to), the locations
identified on Schedule
5.4
(as such
Schedule may be updated pursuant to Sections
6.8
and
6.13)
other
than Inventory located at any Pool Location and Inventory, the value of which,
in the aggregate, does not exceed $1,000,000. Schedule
5.4
separately identifies each Leased Store Location and each Non-Owned Storage
Facility.
5.5 Inventory
Records.
Borrower keeps materially correct and accurate records itemizing and describing
the type, quality, and quantity of its consolidated Inventory and the book
value
thereof.
5.6 State
of Incorporation; Location of Chief Executive Office; FEIN; Organizational
ID
Number.
(a) The
jurisdiction of organization of each Credit Party is set forth on Schedule
5.6(a).
(b)
The
chief executive office of each Credit Party is located at the address indicated
on Schedule
5.6(b)
(as such
Schedule may be updated pursuant to Section
6.7).
(c)
Each
Credit Party’s FEIN and organizational identification number, if any, are
identified on Schedule
5.6(c).
5.7 Due
Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
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(a) Except
as
described in the Post-Closing Agreement, each Credit Party is duly organized
and
existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization and qualified to do business in any state where the failure to
be
so qualified reasonably could be expected to have a Material Adverse Change.
(b)
As of
the Closing Date, other than as described on Schedule
5.7(b),
and
except for employee stock options, there are no subscriptions, options,
warrants, or calls relating to any shares of any Credit Party’s capital Stock,
including any right of conversion or exchange under any outstanding security
or
other instrument. Except as set forth on Schedule
5.7(b),
as of
the Closing Date, no Credit Party is subject to any obligation (contingent
or
otherwise) to repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any shares of its
capital Stock or any security convertible into or exchangeable for any of its
capital Stock.
(c) Set
forth
on Schedule
5.7(c),
is a
complete and accurate list of each Credit Party’s direct and indirect
Subsidiaries, as of the Closing Date, showing: (i) with respect to all
Subsidiaries other than Excluded Subsidiaries and Unrestricted Subsidiaries,
(A)
the jurisdiction of their organization, (B) the number of shares of each class
of common and preferred Stock authorized for each Credit Party, and (C) the
percentage of the outstanding shares of each such class owned directly or
indirectly by such Credit Party and (ii) with respect to all Excluded
Subsidiaries and Unrestricted Subsidiaries, (x) the jurisdiction of their
organization and (y) the percentage of Stock owned directly or indirectly by
any
Credit Party in such Excluded Subsidiaries. All of the outstanding capital
Stock
of each such Restricted Subsidiary has been validly issued and is fully paid
and
non-assessable.
5.8 Due
Authorization; No Conflict.
(a) The
execution, delivery, and performance by each Credit Party of this Agreement
and
the Loan Documents to which it is a party have been duly authorized by all
necessary action on the part of such Credit Party.
(b) The
execution, delivery, and performance by each Credit Party of this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents to which it is a party do not and will not
(i) violate any provision of federal, state, or local law or regulation
applicable to such Credit Party, the Governing Documents of such Credit Party,
or any order, judgment, or decree of any court or other Governmental Authority
binding on such Credit Party, (ii) conflict with, result in a breach of, or
constitute (with due notice or lapse of time or both) a default under any
material contractual obligation of such Credit Party, including, without
limitation, the Indenture or Senior Subordinated Notes, (iii) result in or
require the creation or imposition of any Lien of any nature whatsoever upon
any
properties or assets of such Credit Party, other than Permitted Liens, or
(iv) require any approval of such Credit Party’s equity holders or any
approval or consent of any Person under any material contractual obligation
of
such Credit Party, other than consents or approvals that have been obtained
and
that are still in force and effect, unless such violation, imposition of Lien
or
failure to obtain approval or consent would not reasonably be expected to result
in a Material Adverse Change.
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(c) Other
than the filing of financing statements, the execution, delivery, and
performance by each Credit Party of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents
to which each such Credit Party is a party do not and will not require any
registration with, consent, or approval of, or notice to, or other action with
or by, any Governmental Authority, other than consents or approvals that have
been obtained and that are still in force and effect.
(d) This
Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which each Credit Party is a party,
and all other documents contemplated hereby and thereby, when executed and
delivered by such Credit Party will be the legally valid and binding obligations
of such Credit Party, enforceable against such Credit Party in accordance with
their respective terms, except as may be limited by equitable principles or
by
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws relating
to
or limiting creditors’ rights generally.
(e) The
Agent’s Liens are validly created, perfected, and first priority Liens, subject
only to Permitted Liens.
5.9 Litigation.
Other
than those matters disclosed on Schedule
5.9,
there
are no actions, suits, or proceedings pending or, to the best knowledge of
each
Credit Party, threatened against any Credit Party, except for (a) matters that
are fully covered by insurance (subject to customary deductibles), and (b)
matters arising after the Closing Date that are not reasonably likely to be
decided adversely to any Credit Party or, if decided adversely to any Credit
Party, reasonably could not be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
5.10 No
Material Adverse Change.
All
financial statements relating to the Credit Parties that have been delivered
by
Borrower to the Lender Group have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (except,
in the case of unaudited financial statements, for the lack of footnotes and
being subject to year-end audit adjustments) and present fairly in all material
respects, the financial condition of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of the
date
thereof and results of operations for the period then ended. There has not
been
a Material Adverse Change since the date of the latest financial statements
submitted to the Lender Group on or before the Closing Date.
5.11 Fraudulent
Transfer
(a) The
Credit Parties taken as a whole are Solvent and each Material Credit Party
is
Solvent.
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(b) No
transfer of property is being made by any Credit Party and no obligation is
being incurred by any Credit Party in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or the other Loan Documents with the intent
to
hinder, delay, or defraud either present or future creditors of any Credit
Party.
5.12 Employee
Benefits.
As of
the date hereof, no Credit Party or any of their ERISA Affiliates maintains
or
contributes to any Benefit Plan other than as listed on Schedule
5.12
hereto.
5.13 Environmental
Condition.
Except
for matters described on Schedule
5.13
hereto
and except for other matters that would not reasonably be expected to result
in
a Material Adverse Change, (a) to each Credit Party’s knowledge, no owned Real
Property of any Credit Party has ever been used by any Credit Party or by
previous owners or operators in the disposal of, or to produce, store, handle,
treat, release, or transport, any Hazardous Materials, where such production,
storage, handling, treatment, release or transport was in violation of
applicable Environmental Law, (b) to each Credit Party’s knowledge, no Credit
Party’s owned Real Property has ever been designated or identified in any manner
pursuant to any environmental protection statute as a Hazardous Materials
disposal site, (c) no Credit Party has received notice that a Lien arising
under
any Environmental Law has attached to any revenues or to any Real Property
owned
or operated by any Credit Party, and (d) no Credit Party has received a summons,
citation, notice, or directive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
or
any other federal or state governmental agency concerning any action or omission
by any Credit Party resulting in the releasing or disposing of Hazardous
Materials into the environment in violation of any applicable Environmental
Law.
5.14 Investment
Company Act.
No
Group Member is an “investment
company”
or
an
“affiliated
person”
of,
or
“promoter”
or
“principal
underwriter”
for,
an
“investment
company,”
as
such
terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
5.15 Intellectual
Property.
Except
as disclosed on Schedule
5.15
hereto,
each Credit Party owns, or holds licenses in, all trademarks, trade names,
copyrights, patents, patent rights, and licenses that are necessary to the
conduct of the business of the Credit Parties, taken as a whole, as currently
conducted, except where the failure to do so, in the aggregate, would not result
in a Material Adverse Change.
5.16 Leases.
Except
where the failure to do so would not cause a Material Adverse Change, each
Credit Party enjoys peaceful and undisturbed possession under all leases
material to its business and to which it is a party or under which it is
operating. Except to the extent that such default would not cause a Material
Adverse Change, all of such leases are valid and subsisting and no material
default by any Credit Party exists under any of them.
5.17 Deposit
Accounts.
Set
forth on Schedule
5.17
are all
of each Credit Party’s Deposit Accounts at which the Collateral is or may be
held, including, with respect to each bank (i) the name and address of such
Person, and (ii) the account numbers of the Deposit Accounts maintained with
such Person. Schedule
5.17
separately identifies each Concentration Account, Consolidated Store Deposit
Account, Individual Store Account and the Home Office Account.
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5.18 Complete
Disclosure.
All
factual information (taken as a whole) furnished by or on behalf of any Credit
Party in writing to Agent or any Lender (including all information contained
in
the Schedules hereto or in the other Loan Documents) for purposes of or in
connection with this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, or any transaction
contemplated herein or therein is, and all other such factual information (taken
as a whole) hereafter furnished by or on behalf of any Credit Party in writing
to Agent or any Lender will be, true and accurate, in all material respects,
on
the date as of which such information is dated or certified and not incomplete
by omitting to state any fact necessary to make such information (taken as
a
whole) not misleading in any material respect at such time in light of the
circumstances under which such information was provided. On the Closing Date,
the Closing Date Business Plan represents, and as of the date on which any
other
Projections are delivered to Agent, such additional Projections represent each
Credit Party’s good faith best estimate of its future performance for the
periods covered thereby, it being understood that such projections as to future
events are not to be viewed as facts and that actual results during the period
or periods covered by any projections may differ from the projected results
and
no assurance can be given that the Projections will be realized.
5.19 Indebtedness.
Set
forth on Schedule
5.19
is a
true and complete list of all Indebtedness of each Credit Party outstanding
immediately prior to the Closing Date that is to remain outstanding after the
Closing Date and such Schedule accurately reflects the aggregate principal
amount of such Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness of any Credit Party owing
to any other Credit Party).
5.20 Credit
Card Receipts.
Schedule
5.20
sets
forth each Credit Party’s Credit Card Processors and all material arrangements
to which any Credit Party is a party with respect to the payment to any Credit
Party of the proceeds of credit card charges for sales by such Credit
Party.
5.21 Margin
Stock.
No
Credit Party is engaged in the business of extending credit for the purpose
of
purchasing or carrying margin stock (as defined in Regulation U of the Board
of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System), and no proceeds of any Advance or
drawings under any Letter of Credit will be used to purchase or carry any margin
stock or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying
any margin stock.
5.22 Senior
Debt.
All
Obligations hereunder constitute “Senior Debt” (as such term is defined in the
Indenture) permitted under the Indenture and each of the Credit Parties
acknowledge that Agent and each Lender are entering into this Agreement and
are
extending the Commitments in reliance on this Section
5.22.
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5.23 Anti-Terrorism
Laws.
(i) None
of
the Credit Parties or, to the knowledge of any of the Credit Parties, any of
their Affiliates, is in violation of any laws relating to terrorism or money
laundering (“Anti-Terrorism
Laws”),
including Executive Order No. 13224 on Terrorist Financing, effective
September 24, 2001 (the “Executive
Order”),
and
the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required
to
Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Public Law 107-56.
(ii) No
Credit
Party or, to the knowledge of any of the Credit Parties, any of their Affiliates
or their respective brokers or other agents acting or benefiting in any capacity
in connection with the Obligations, is any of the following:
(A) a
Person
or entity that is listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the
provisions of, the Executive Order;
(B) a
Person
or entity owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, any Person
or
entity that is listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions
of, the Executive Order;
(C) a
Person
or entity with which any Lender is prohibited from dealing or otherwise engaging
in any transaction by any Anti-Terrorism Law;
(D) a
Person
or entity that commits, threatens or conspires to commit or supports “terrorism”
as defined in the Executive Order; or
(E) a
Person
or entity that is named as a “specially designated national and blocked person”
on the most current list published by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of
Foreign Asset Control at its official website or any replacement website or
other replacement official publication of such list.
(iii) No
Credit
Party or to the knowledge of any Credit Party, any of its brokers or other
agents acting in any capacity in connection with the Obligations (i) conducts
any business or engages in making or receiving any contribution of funds, goods
or services to or for the benefit of any Person described in clause (b) above,
(ii) deals in, or otherwise engages in any transaction relating to, any property
or interests in property blocked pursuant to the Executive Order, or (iii)
engages in or conspires to engage in any transaction that evades or avoids,
or
has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the
prohibitions set forth in any Anti-Terrorism Law.
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5.24 Related
Documents
(a) The
execution, delivery and performance by Borrower, Parent and each Restricted
Subsidiary (collectively, the “Group
Members”
and each individually a “Group
Member”)
of the Related Documents to which it is a party and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated thereby by such Group Member:
(i) are
within such Group Member’s respective corporate, limited liability company,
partnership or other powers;
(ii) on
or
prior to the Closing Date will have been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate or other action, including the consent of stockholders where
required;
(iii) do
not
and will not (A) contravene or violate such Group Member’s Governing Documents,
(B) violate any other Requirement of Law applicable to such Group Member, or
any
order or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator, (C) conflict with
or result in the breach of, constitute a default under, or result in or permit
the termination or acceleration of, any Contractual Obligation of such Group
Member, except for those that, in the aggregate, would not have a Material
Adverse Effect or (D) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon
any
property of such Group Member (or any other Group Member) other than a Lien
permitted under Section
7.2;
and
(iv) do
not
require the consent of, authorization by, approval of, notice to, or filing
or
registration with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person, other than
those that (A) will have been obtained at the Closing Date, each of which will
be in full force and effect on the Closing Date, none of which will on the
Closing Date impose materially adverse conditions upon the exercise of control
by Borrower over any Group Members and (B) in the aggregate, if not obtained,
would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) None
of the Related Documents has been amended or modified in any respect and no
provision therein has been waived, except in each case to the extent permitted
by Section
7.14.
(c) The
Obligations constitute “Senior Debt” as defined in the Subordinated Notes
Indenture.
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6.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
Each
Credit Party jointly and severally covenants and agrees that, until termination
of all of the Commitments and payment in full of the Obligations, each Credit
Party shall do all of the following:
6.1 Accounting
System.
Maintain a system of accounting that enables the Parent and its Subsidiaries
to
produce consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP and maintain
consolidated records pertaining to the Collateral that contain information
as
from time to time reasonably may be requested by Agent. Parent or one or more
Credit Parties also shall keep an inventory reporting system that shows all
additions, sales, claims, returns, and allowances with respect to Inventory
of
the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries.
6.2 Collateral
Reporting.
Provide
Agent with the documents set forth on Schedule
6.2
in
accordance with the delivery schedule set forth thereon. In addition, each
Credit Party agrees to cooperate fully with Agent to facilitate and implement
a
system of electronic collateral reporting in order to provide electronic
reporting of each of the items set forth on Schedule
6.2.
6.3 Financial
Statements, Reports, Certificates.
Deliver
to Agent, with copies to each Lender:
(a) as
soon
as available, but in any event within, 45 days after the end of each of the
Borrower’s first three fiscal quarters:
(i) a
company
prepared unaudited consolidated balance sheet, income statement, and statement
of cash flow covering Borrower’s and Parent’s and its Subsidiaries’ operations
during such period,
(ii) a
Compliance Certificate signed by the chief financial officer of Borrower to
the
effect that:
(A) the
financial statements delivered hereunder have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP (except for the lack of footnotes and being subject to quarterly and
year-end audit adjustments) and fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition of Parent and its Subsidiaries,
(B) the
representations and warranties of each Credit Party contained in this Agreement
and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects
on
and as of the date of such certificate, as though made on and as of such date
(except to the extent that such representations and warranties relate solely
to
an earlier date),
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(C) there
does not exist any condition or event that constitutes an Event of Default
or
Triggering Period (or, to the extent of any non-compliance, describing such
non-compliance as to which he or she may have knowledge and what action the
Credit Parties have taken, are taking, or propose to take with respect thereto),
(D) demonstrating,
in reasonable detail, the calculations used in determining, when applicable
(A)
the Consolidated Coverage Test, (B) the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio and (C)
compliance with the financial covenant contained in Section 7.17,
and
provided
that,
during a Triggering Period, the Agent may require, by written request, that
the
Borrower provide unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries, including balance sheet, income statement and cash flow
statement on a monthly basis within 30 days of month-end,
(b) as
soon
as available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each of
Borrower’s fiscal years, for such fiscal year and for the fourth fiscal quarter
then most recently ended, consolidated financial statements of Parent and its
Subsidiaries (and consolidating financial statements of Parent and its
Subsidiaries, to the extent produced by Parent in the normal course of its
operations) for each such fiscal year, audited by independent certified public
accountants reasonably acceptable to Agent and certified, without any
qualifications, by such accountants to have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP (such audited financial statements to include a balance sheet, income
statement, and statement of cash flow and, if prepared, such accountants’ letter
to management),
(c) as
soon
as available, but in any event within 60 days after the start of each of
Borrower’s fiscal years, copies of the Projections, in form and substance
(including as to scope and underlying assumptions) satisfactory to Agent, in
its
sole discretion, for such fiscal year, quarter by quarter (or by such shorter
periods as are reasonably requested by the Agent), which Projections shall
represent Borrower’s good faith best estimate of the financial performance of
Parent and its Subsidiaries during the period covered thereby, it being
understood that such Projections as to future events are not to be viewed as
facts and that actual results during the period or periods covered by any
Projections may differ from the projected results and no assurance can be given
that the Projections will be realized,
(d) if
and
when filed by Parent,
(i) Form
10-Q
quarterly reports, Form 10-K annual reports, and Form 8-K current reports,
(ii) any
other
filings made by Parent with the SEC, and
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(iii) any
other
information that is provided by Parent to its shareholders generally
(provided,
that for purposes of this clause (d), any information to be delivered hereunder
shall be deemed to have been delivered when posted on the Parent’s website or
otherwise made available on the website of the SEC),
(e) as
soon as practicable, and in any event within five days after a Responsible
Officer of the Parent or the Borrower has actual knowledge of the existence
of
any Default, Event of Default or other event having had a Material Adverse
Effect, the Borrower shall give the Agent notice specifying the nature of such
Default or Event of Default or other event and
a
statement of the curative action that Borrower or such other Credit Party
proposes to take with respect thereto,
(f) within
30
days after the later of (i) the service of process with respect thereto on
any
Credit Party or (ii) such time as exposure of the Credit Party could be
reasonably determined, notice of all actions, suits, or proceedings brought
by
or against any Credit Party before any Governmental Authority which, if
determined adversely to such Credit Party, reasonably would be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Change, and
(g) upon
the
request of Agent, any other report reasonably requested relating to the
financial condition of any Credit Parties; provided that such reports shall
not
be overly burdensome for any Credit Party to prepare.
Borrower
agrees to cooperate with Agent to allow Agent to consult with its independent
certified public accountants if Agent reasonably requests the right to do so
(and Agent shall notify Borrower as to the timing of such consultations and
permit Borrower to be present thereat or to otherwise participate therein)
and
that, in such connection, its independent certified public accountants are
authorized to communicate with Agent and to release to Agent whatever financial
information concerning any Credit Party that Agent reasonably may
request.
6.4 Returns.
Cause
returns and allowances, as between any Credit Party and their Account Debtors,
to be on the same basis and in accordance with the usual customary practices
of
the Credit Parties, as they exist at the time of the execution and delivery
of
this Agreement, except where failure to do so could not reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Change.
6.5 Maintenance
of Properties.
Maintain and preserve all of its properties which are necessary or useful in
the
proper conduct to its business in good working order and condition, ordinary
wear and tear excepted, except where failure to do so could not reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
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6.6 Taxes.
Cause
all assessments and taxes, whether real, personal, or otherwise, due or payable
by, or imposed, levied, or assessed against each Credit Party or any of their
respective assets to be paid in full, before delinquency or before the
expiration of any extension period, except where the failure to do so,
individually or in the aggregate, would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
Each Credit Party will make timely payment or deposit of all tax payments and
withholding taxes required of it and them by applicable laws, including those
laws concerning F.I.C.A., F.U.T.A., state disability, and local, state, and
federal income taxes, except where the failure to do so, individually or in
the
aggregate, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
6.7 Insurance.
(a) At
each
Credit Party’s expense, maintain insurance respecting such Credit Party’s assets
wherever located, covering loss or damage by fire, theft, explosion, and all
other hazards and risks, and maintain business interruption, public liability,
and product liability insurance, as well as insurance against larceny,
embezzlement, and criminal misappropriation, all as ordinarily are insured
against by other Persons engaged in the same or similar businesses. All such
policies of insurance shall be in such amounts which are customary for Persons
engaged in the same or similar business and with nationally recognized insurance
companies. Each Credit Party shall deliver copies of all such policies to Agent
with a customary lender’s loss payable endorsement naming Agent as loss payee
(with respect to the Collateral) or additional insured, as appropriate. Each
such policy of insurance or endorsement shall contain a clause requiring the
insurer to give not less than 30 days prior written notice to Agent in the
event
of cancellation of the policy.
(b) Each
Credit Party shall give Agent prompt notice of any loss of the Collateral valued
in excess of $2 million covered by such insurance. Agent shall have the
exclusive right to adjust any losses of the Collateral claimed under any such
insurance policies during the continuation of an Event of Default, without
any
liability to such Credit Party whatsoever in respect of such adjustments. Any
monies received as payment for any loss of the Collateral under any insurance
policy mentioned above (other than liability insurance policies) during any
Triggering Period or during the continuation of an Event of Default, shall
be
paid over to Agent to be applied to the prepayment of the Obligations with
amounts so prepaid available to be reborrowed subject to Section
3.3.
(c) No
Credit
Party will take out separate insurance concurrent in form or contributing in
the
event of loss of the Collateral with that required to be maintained under this
Section
6.7,
unless
Agent is included thereon as named insured with the loss payable to Agent under
a lender’s loss payable endorsement or its equivalent. Each Credit Party
immediately shall notify Agent whenever such separate insurance is taken out,
specifying the insurer thereunder and full particulars as to the policies
evidencing the same, and copies of such policies promptly shall be provided
to
Agent.
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6.8 Location
of Inventory/Chief Executive Offices.
Keep
each Credit Party’s Inventory only at the locations identified on Schedule
5.4
(except
for Inventory that (i) in the aggregate has a value of less than $1,000,000
or
(ii) is in transit between the locations identified on Schedule
5.4)
and
their chief executive offices only at the locations identified on Schedule
5.6(b);
provided,
however,
that
Borrower may amend (a) Schedule
5.4,
on
behalf of any Credit Party as contemplated by Section
6.13,
and (b)
Schedule
5.6,
on
behalf of any Credit Party, provided in the case of clause
(b)
hereof
so long as (i) such amendment occurs by written notice to Agent not less than
30
days prior to the date such chief executive office is relocated and (ii) such
new location is within the United States or any U.S. Territory. Within a
commercially reasonable time following written notification with respect to
any
Non-Owned Warehouse, Borrower shall provide Agent a Collateral Access Agreement
with respect thereto and if such agreement has not been obtained, Borrower’s
Eligible Landed Inventory at that location shall be subject to the establishment
of Reserves as set forth in the definition of “Eligible Landed
Inventory”.
6.9 Compliance
with Laws. Comply
with the requirements of all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and orders
of
any Governmental Authority, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the
Americans With Disabilities Act, other than laws, rules, regulations, and orders
the non-compliance with which, individually or in the aggregate, would not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
6.10 Leases.
Pay
when due all rents and other amounts payable under any leases to which any
Credit Party is a party or by which any Credit Party’s properties and assets are
bound, unless such payments are the subject of a Permitted Protest or unless
nonpayment of such rents and other amounts, individually or in the aggregate,
could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Change.
6.11 Existence.
At all
times preserve and keep in full force and effect each Credit Party’s valid
existence and good standing and any rights and franchises material to their
businesses.
6.12 Environmental.
Except
for such Environmental Liens, failures to comply, releases, Environmental
Actions, notices, citations or orders which, individually or in the aggregate,
would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change: (a)
keep any property either owned or operated by any Credit Party free of any
Environmental Liens or post bonds or other financial assurances sufficient
to
satisfy the obligations or liability evidenced by such Environmental Liens,
(b)
comply with all applicable Environmental Laws and provide to Agent documentation
of such compliance which Agent reasonably requests, (c) promptly notify Agent
of
any release of a Hazardous Material in any reportable quantity from or onto
property owned or operated by any Credit Party and take any Remedial Actions
required to xxxxx said release or otherwise to come into compliance with
applicable Environmental Law, and (d) promptly, but in any event within 5 days
of its receipt thereof, provide Agent with written notice of any of the
following: (i) notice that an Environmental Lien has been filed against any
of
the real or personal property of any Credit Party, (ii) commencement of any
Environmental Action or notice that an Environmental Action will be filed
against any Credit Party, and (iii) notice of any violation, citation, or other
administrative order received by any Credit Party.
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6.13 Disclosure
Updates.
Promptly and in no event later than 5 Business Days after obtaining knowledge
thereof, notify Agent if any written information, exhibit, or report furnished
to the Lender Group contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
to state any material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein
not misleading in light of the circumstances in which made; provided, that
with
respect to Schedules
E-1
(in
respect of Pool Locations), E-2,
1.1(b),
5.4,
5.17,
and
5.20,
Borrower shall provide updates to such Schedules as necessary in its discretion
to reflect material changes thereto occurring before any quarterly update
thereto, but in any event no less than quarterly; provided,
further,
that
any reference herein to any Schedule(s) shall be deemed to be a reference to
such Schedule(s) as updated pursuant hereto. The foregoing to the contrary
notwithstanding, any notification pursuant to the foregoing provision will
not
cure or remedy the effect of the prior untrue statement of a material fact
or
omission of any material fact nor shall any such notification have the affect
of
amending or modifying this Agreement or any of the Schedules
hereto.
6.14 Formation
of Subsidiaries.
At the
time that any Credit Party forms or acquires any direct or indirect Wholly
Owned
Domestic Subsidiary after the Closing Date (other than an Excluded Subsidiary
or
Unrestricted Subsidiary), such Credit Party shall (a) cause such new Wholly
Owned Domestic Subsidiary to provide to Agent a joinder to this Agreement (as
a
Guarantor and Credit Party), together with such other security documents, as
well as appropriate UCC-1 financing statements, all in form and substance
satisfactory to Agent (including being sufficient to grant Agent a first
priority Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) in and to the assets of such newly
formed or acquired Wholly Owned Domestic Subsidiary (other than any such assets
that would not be required to be subject to Agent’s Liens if they were assets of
any Credit Party)) and (b) provide to Agent all other documentation, including
one or more opinions of counsel satisfactory to Agent, which in its reasonable
opinion is appropriate with respect to the execution and delivery of the
applicable documentation referred to above. Any document, agreement, or
instrument executed or issued pursuant to this Section
6.14
shall be
a Loan Document.
6.15 Designation
of Subsidiaries
The
board
of directors of the Parent may at any time designate any Restricted Subsidiary
(other than the Borrower) as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or any Unrestricted
Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary; provided
that (a)
immediately before and after such designation, no Default or Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing, (b) no Restricted Subsidiary may be
designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary if it previously had been designated
as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary, (c) any such designation shall be deemed to be an
Investment requiring compliance with Section 7.10 (or reduction in an
outstanding Investment, in the case of a designation of an Unrestricted
Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary), on the date of such designation in
an
amount equal to the sum of (i) the Parent’s direct or indirect equity
ownership percentage of the net worth of such designated Restricted Subsidiary
immediately prior to such designation (such net worth to be calculated without
regard to any guarantee provided by such designated Restricted Subsidiary of
the
Parent’s, Borrower’s or another Restricted Subsidiary’s Indebtedness) and
(ii) without duplication, the aggregate principal amount of any
Indebtedness owed by such designated Restricted Subsidiary to the Parent,
Borrower or any other Restricted Subsidiary immediately prior to such
designation, all calculated, except as set forth in the parenthetical to clause
(i) above, on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, and (c) no
Subsidiary may be designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary if it is a
“Restricted
Subsidiary”
for
the
purpose of any other Indebtedness of the Parent. The designation of any
Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary shall constitute the
incurrence at the time of designation of any Indebtedness or Liens of such
Subsidiary existing at such time.
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6.16 Segregation
of Collateral
The
proceeds of any Term Facility Priority Collateral (as defined in the
Intercreditor Agreement) in connection with an Asset Sale permitted by the
terms
of Section 8.4 of the Term Loan Agreement shall be segregated in a separate
deposit account designated by Borrower to Agent.
7.
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
Each
Credit Party, jointly and severally, covenants and agrees that, until
termination of all of the Commitments and payment in full of the Obligations,
such Credit Party will not and will not permit any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, to do any of the following:
7.1 Indebtedness.
Create,
incur, assume, guarantee, or otherwise become, directly or indirectly, liable
(“incur”) with respect to any Indebtedness, provided,
however
that a Credit Party may incur Indebtedness so long as (a) no Triggering Period
is then continuing or would result therefrom, (b) no Default shall have occurred
and be continuing, and (c) the Parent would be in compliance with the
Consolidated Coverage Test for the most recently ended Test Period, determined
on a Pro Forma Basis, after giving effect to the incurrence of such
Indebtedness, provided
further
that the provisions of this Section
7.1
shall
not prohibit the creation, incurrence, assumption, guarantee or existence of
any
of the following:
(a) Indebtedness
evidenced by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including the
Guaranteed Obligations, together with Indebtedness owed to Underlying Issuers
with respect to Underlying Letters of Credit and any other Obligations that
constitute Indebtedness, including all Indebtedness under any Incremental
Facility;
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(b) Indebtedness
evidenced by the Term Loan Agreement and the other Term Loan Documents, together
with all Obligations as defined in the Term Loan Agreement, including all
Indebtedness under any Incremental Term Loans as provided for under the Term
Loan Agreement as in effect as of the date hereof (the “Term
Loan Obligations”);
(c) Qualified
Refinancing Indebtedness;
(d) Indebtedness
existing as of the date hereof and set forth on Schedule
5.19,
(e) Permitted
Purchase Money Indebtedness,
(f) refinancings,
renewals, or extensions of Indebtedness permitted under clauses (d) and (e)
of
this Section
7.1
(and continuance or renewal of any Permitted Liens associated therewith) so
long
as: (i) the terms and conditions of such refinancings, renewals, or extensions
do not, in Agent’s Permitted Discretion, materially impair the prospects of
repayment of the Obligations by Borrower or materially impair Borrower’s
creditworthiness, (ii) such refinancings, renewals, or extensions do not result
in an increase in the then extant principal amount of the Indebtedness so
refinanced, renewed, or extended, (iii) such refinancings, renewals, or
extensions do not result in a shortening of the average weighted maturity of
the
Indebtedness so refinanced, renewed, or extended, nor are they on terms or
conditions that, taken as a whole, are materially more burdensome or restrictive
to Borrower, (iv) if the Indebtedness that is refinanced, renewed, or extended
was subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations, then the terms and
conditions of the refinancing, renewal, or extension Indebtedness must include
subordination terms and conditions that are at least as favorable to the Lender
Group as those that were applicable to the refinanced, renewed, or extended
Indebtedness, (v) the Indebtedness that is refinanced, renewed, or extended
is
not recourse to any Person that is liable on account of the Obligations other
than those Persons which were obligated with respect to the Indebtedness that
was refinanced, renewed, or extended, (vi) is otherwise on terms, taken as
a
whole, no less favorable to the Group Members than those of such Indebtedness,
other than market interest rates and fees, (vii) no Event of Default shall
have
occurred and be continuing (viii) the collateral, if applicable, granted
pursuant to any such refinancing Indebtedness is the same or less than the
collateral under the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or replaced and (ix)
such modification, refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension shall not
include: (A) Indebtedness of a Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a
Guarantor that refinances Indebtedness of the Borrower, (B) Indebtedness of
a
Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Guarantor that refinances Indebtedness
of a Guarantor or (C) Indebtedness of the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary
that refinances Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary,
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(g) Indebtedness
of any Credit Party to any other Credit Party and Indebtedness of a Credit
Party
guaranteeing Indebtedness of another Credit Party otherwise permitted under
this
Section
7.1;
(h) Indebtedness
of the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries which may be deemed to exist
pursuant to any guaranties, performance, surety, statutory, appeal or similar
bonds or obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(i) Indebtedness
in respect of netting services, overdraft protections and otherwise in
connection with Deposit Accounts or securities accounts maintained in the
ordinary course of business;
(j) guaranties
in the ordinary course of business of the obligations of suppliers, customers,
franchisees and licensees of any Credit Party;
(k) endorsement
of instruments or other payment items for deposit;
(l) Indebtedness
under Capital Leases arising out of Permitted Sale-Leasebacks made in compliance
with Section
7.16,
in an
aggregate amount not to exceed at any time $50,000,000;
(m) Indebtedness
under Hedge Agreements incurred for bona fide hedging purposes and not for
speculation;
(n) Indebtedness
of any Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date in
connection with a Permitted Acquisition and any refinancing permitted under
Section 7.1(f); provided,
that (i) such Indebtedness exists at the time such Person becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary and is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such
Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) after giving effect to the
assumption of such Indebtedness (A) the Parent would be in compliance with
the
Consolidated Coverage Test for the most recently ended Test Period, determined
on a Pro Forma Basis, and (B) if such Indebtedness is secured by a Lien on
any
assets of such Person, the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio would be less than
3.0
to 1 on a Pro Forma Basis, (iii) such Indebtedness is not guaranteed in any
respect by the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Restricted Subsidiary (other
than
by any such Person that so becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is the survivor
of
a merger with such Person or any of its Subsidiaries) and (iv) except for
Indebtedness consisting of Capital Lease Obligations, revenue bonds, purchase
money Indebtedness or mortgages or other Liens on specific assets no portion
of
such Indebtedness matures prior to the Maturity Date;
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(o) other
Indebtedness of the Parent and the Restricted Subsidiaries in an aggregate
principal amount not to exceed $100,000,000 at any time outstanding;
provided,
however,
that Indebtedness of Persons which are not Credit Parties pursuant to this
clause (o) shall not exceed an aggregate principal amount of $50,000,000 at
any
time outstanding;
and
(p) Indebtedness
of the Credit Parties not otherwise permitted under this Section 7.1 and
refinancings thereof permitted pursuant to Section 7.1(f); provided,
however,
that after giving effect to the occurrence of such Indebtedness (A) no Default
or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (B) the Parent
would be in compliance with the Consolidated Coverage Test for the most recently
ended Test Period, determined on a Pro Forma Basis after giving effect to the
incurrence of such Indebtedness.
7.2 Liens.
Create,
incur, or assume, directly or indirectly, any Lien on or with respect to any
of
its assets, of any kind, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or any income
or profits therefrom, except:
(a) Permitted
Liens (including Liens that are replacements of Permitted Liens to the extent
that the original Indebtedness is refinanced, renewed, or extended under
Section
7.1(d)
or (p)
and so long as the replacement Liens only encumber those assets that secured
the
refinanced, renewed, or extended Indebtedness);
(b) Liens
on
assets other than the Collateral securing Indebtedness in an aggregate amount
not to exceed $50,000,000 at any time outstanding; and
(c) Liens
existing on the assets of any Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary (or
is
a Restricted Subsidiary that survives a merger with such Person), or existing
on
assets acquired, pursuant to a Permitted Acquisition to the extent the Liens
on
such assets secure Indebtedness permitted by Section 7.1(n); provided
that
such Liens attach at all times only to the same assets to which such Liens
attached (and after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into
the
property covered by such Lien), and secure only the same Indebtedness or
obligations that such Liens secured, immediately prior to such Permitted
Acquisition and any refinancing thereof permitted by Section
7.1(f).
7.3 Restrictions
on Fundamental Changes/Disposal of Assets.
Enter
into any transaction of merger or consolidation, or liquidate, wind-up or
dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution), or convey, sell,
lease or sub-lease (as lessor or sublessor), transfer or otherwise dispose
of,
in one transaction or a series of transactions, all or any part of its business,
assets or property of any kind whatsoever, whether real, personal or mixed
and
whether tangible or intangible, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except:
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(a)
any Credit Party may be merged with or into a Credit Party, or be liquidated,
wound up or dissolved, or all or any part of its business, property or assets
may be conveyed, sold, leased, transferred or otherwise disposed of, in one
transaction or a series of transactions, to any Credit Party; provided, (i)
at
the time of any such merger, no Event of Default shall exist or shall result
from such merger, and (ii) in the case of such a merger, a Credit Party shall
be
the continuing or surviving Person;
(b)Permitted
Dispositions;
(c)
Asset Sales not otherwise permitted hereunder; provided that (i) the
consideration received for such assets shall be in an amount at least equal
to
the fair market value thereof; (ii) at the time of any such Asset Sale, no
Event
of Default shall exist or shall result from such Asset Sale; (iii) in the case
of Asset Sales consisting of the Collateral and in the case of any Asset Sale
if
Availability is less than $60,000,000 at the time of such Asset Sale, no less
than 80% of the consideration therefor shall be paid in cash; and (iv) at the
time of such Asset Sale and after giving effect thereto, the aggregate sales
price of all Asset Sales, together, since the Closing Date shall not exceed,
in
the case of Asset Sales consisting of the Collateral, (A) if availability is
less than $60,000,000 at the time of such Asset Sale, 5% of the Consolidated
Net
Tangible Assets of the Parent and its Subsidiaries determined in accordance
with
GAAP and (B) if Availability is equal to or in excess of $60,000,000 at the
time
of such Asset Sale, 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Parent
and its Subsidiaries determined in accordance with GAAP, in each case as
aggregated with all other Asset Sales occurring after the Closing Date;
(d)
Asset Sales of stores developed by any Credit Party in connection with Permitted
Sale-Leasebacks, provided that the proceeds of any such Permitted Sale-Leaseback
shall be entirely in cash and shall not be less than 100% of the fair market
value of the property or equipment being sold; and
(e)
dispositions listed on Schedule
7.3.
7.4 Change
Name.
Except
as specified in Schedule
7.4
as of
the Closing Date, change the name, FEIN, organizational identification number,
state of organization or organizational identity of any Credit Party;
provided,
however,
that
any Credit Party may change any of the foregoing upon at least 30 days prior
written notice to Agent of such change and so long as, at the time of such
written notification, such Credit Party provides any financing statements
necessary to perfect and continue perfected the Agent’s Liens.
7.5 Nature
of Business.
Make
any material change in the principal nature of its or their business. Any change
in the types of products sold or the methods or channels of distribution shall
not constitute a material change in the principal nature of the business of
the
Credit Parties.
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7.6 Amendments.
Amend
or otherwise change the terms of any Subordinated Indebtedness if the effect
of
such amendment or other change is to increase the interest rate on such
Indebtedness, change (to earlier dates) any dates upon which payments of
principal or interest are due thereon, change any event of default or change
any
condition to an event of default with respect thereto (other than to eliminate
any such event of default or increase any grace period related thereto or
otherwise modify the same in a manner favorable to the Credit Parties), change
the redemption, prepayment or defeasance provisions thereof, change the
subordination provisions thereof (or of any guaranty thereof), or if the effect
of any such amendment or change, together with all other amendments or changes
made, is to increase materially the obligations of the obligor thereunder or
to
confer any additional rights on the holders of such Indebtedness (or a trustee
or representative on their behalf) which would be adverse to any Credit Party
or
the Lenders.
7.7 Change
of Control.
Cause,
permit, or suffer, directly or indirectly, any Change of Control.
7.8 Distributions.
Make or
set apart any sum for any Restricted Payment, except that (i) Parent may make
regularly scheduled payments of interest in respect of the Senior Subordinated
Notes in accordance with the subordination provisions contained in the
Indenture; (ii) any Credit Party may make Restricted Payments to any other
Credit Party; and (iii) Parent may make Restricted Payments consisting of the
repurchase of Parent stock in connection with the exercise of employee stock
options in the ordinary course of business on a basis that is "net of taxes"
or
any equivalent gross exercise and repurchase to fund tax liabilities to the
extent required under applicable employee contractual arrangements.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary may make any Restricted
Payment so long as (a) Availability after giving effect to such Restricted
Payment is at least $50,000,000 both before and as projected by the Borrower
on
a Pro Forma Basis for the three month period following such Restricted Payment,
(b) no Default or Event of Default is continuing or would result therefrom
and
(c) such Restricted Payments are in an amount not to exceed the sum of (i)
$50,000,000 and (ii) the Applicable Amount in the aggregate at any time
outstanding; provided,
that
Borrower shall give Agent prompt notice of any such Restricted Payment in an
amount greater than $10,000,000.
7.9 Accounting
Methods; Fiscal Year.
Modify
or change (a) its fiscal year, or (b) its method of accounting (other than
as
may be required to conform to GAAP or as otherwise permitted by GAAP and
disclosed to the Lenders and the Agent), in each case other than as set forth
in
Schedule
7.9.
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7.10 Investments.
Directly or indirectly, make or acquire any Investment or incur any liabilities
(including contingent obligations) for or in connection with any Investment,
except for the following:
(a) Investments
existing on the date of this Agreement and disclosed on Schedule
7.10;
(b) Investments
in cash and Cash Equivalents;
(c) Investments
in payment intangibles, chattel paper (each as defined in the Uniform Commercial
Code) and Accounts, notes receivable and similar items arising or acquired
in
the ordinary course of business consistent with the past practice of the Group
Members;
(d) Investments
received in settlement of amounts due to any Group Member effected in the
ordinary course of business;
(e) Investments
(i) among Credit Parties, (ii) among Qualified Restricted Subsidiaries, (iii)
among Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Qualified Restricted Subsidiaries
or
Guarantors, (iv) from any Restricted Subsidiary to any Credit Party, (v) from
any Credit Party to any Qualified Restricted Subsidiary; provided,
however,
that at the date of, and after giving effect to any such Investment made
pursuant to this clause (e)(v) or clause (i)(B) below, the Parent would be
in
compliance with the Consolidated Coverage Test for the most recently ended
Test
Period, determined on a Pro Forma Basis, and provided further, that, the
aggregate outstanding amount of all such Investments permitted pursuant to
this
clause (e)(v),
together with all such Investments in Permitted Acquisitions permitted pursuant
to clause (i)(B) below,
shall not exceed $250,000,000;
(f) Investments
in respect of (i) Hedge Agreements permitted under Section 7.18 and
(ii) any note hedge transaction entered into in connection with any issuance
of
Qualified Refinancing Indebtedness;
(g) loans
or advances to employees of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in the
ordinary course of business as presently conducted other than any loans or
advances that would be in violation of Section
402
of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act; provided,
however,
that the aggregate principal amount of all loans and advances permitted pursuant
to this clause (g) shall
not exceed $10,000,000 at any time;
(h) Obligations
in respect of guarantees permitted by Section 7.1;
(i) Investments
in any Person that becomes a Credit Party or a Qualified Restricted Subsidiary
or in any assets that are acquired by a Credit Party or a Qualified Restricted
Subsidiary, in each case, in connection with any Permitted Acquisition
consummated after the Closing Date; provided,
however,
that at the date of, and after giving effect to any such Investment made
pursuant to this clause (i), the Parent would be in compliance with the
Consolidated Coverage Test for the most recently ended Test Period, determined
on a Pro Forma Basis, and provided further, that, (A) the fair market value
(determined in good faith by the Borrower) of such Investments (or portion
thereof) in Persons that become Loan Parties or in assets that are acquired
by
Loan Parties shall not exceed $500,000,000 in the aggregate, except for any
such
Investment to the extent the consideration for which consists of Qualified
Capital Stock of the Parent and (B) the fair market value (determined in good
faith by the Borrower) of such Investments (or portion thereof) in Persons
that
become Qualified Restricted Subsidiaries or in assets that are acquired by
Qualified Restricted Subsidiaries shall not, together with all such Investments
permitted pursuant to clause (e)(v) above,
exceed $250,000,000 in the aggregate (it being understood that additional
Investments in connection with Permitted Acquisitions, including Investments
in
Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties or Qualified Restricted
Subsidiaries, may be made in reliance on clause (j) below);
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(j) Investments
in an amount not to exceed at the date of, and after giving effect to such
Investment, the sum of (i) the greater of (a) $75,000,000 and (b) 2.5% of the
Total Assets of the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole
at
such time and (ii) the Applicable Amount in the aggregate at any time
outstanding; provided,
that Availability after giving effect to such Investment is at least
$50,000,000; and
(k) Investments
permitted by Section 7.1(o).
7.11 Transactions
with Affiliates.
Other
than as set forth on Schedule
7.11,
the
Parent shall not, nor shall it permit Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary
to
effect any transaction with any of its respective Affiliates that is not a
Restricted Subsidiary on a basis less favorable to the Borrower or such
Restricted Subsidiary than would at the time be obtainable for a comparable
transaction in arms-length dealing with an unrelated third party.
7.12 Use
of Proceeds.
Use the
proceeds of the Advances for any purpose other than (a) on the Closing Date,
to
pay transactional fees, costs, and expenses incurred in connection with this
Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the transactions contemplated hereby
and thereby, and (b) thereafter, consistent with the terms and conditions
hereof, for its lawful and permitted purposes.
7.13 Limitations
on Restrictions on Subsidiary Distributions; No New Negative
Pledge
Except
pursuant to the Loan Documents and any agreements governing Purchase Money
Indebtedness or Capital Lease Obligations permitted by Section 7.1(l) (in the
case of agreements permitted by such clause, any prohibition or limitation
shall
only be effective against the assets financed thereby), the Parent shall not,
and shall not permit the Borrower or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to,
(a)
agree to enter into or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual
encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the ability of such Restricted
Subsidiary to pay dividends or make any other distribution or transfer of funds
or assets or make loans or advances to or other Investments in, or pay any
Indebtedness owed to, the Borrower or any other Restricted Subsidiary or (b)
enter into or suffer to exist or become effective any agreement prohibiting
or
limiting the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary, other than customary
provisions in Joint Venture agreements and other similar agreements relating
solely to the securities, assets and revenues of such Joint Venture, to create,
incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets
or
revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to secure the Obligations,
including any agreement requiring any other Indebtedness or Contractual
Obligation to be equally and ratably secured with the Obligations.
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7.14 Modification
of Governing Documents
The
Parent shall not, nor shall it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, change
its
capital structure (including in the terms of its outstanding Stock) or otherwise
amend its Governing Documents, except for changes and amendments that do not
materially affect the rights and privileges of any Restricted Subsidiary and
do
not materially affect the interests of the Secured Parties under the Loan
Documents or in the Collateral.
7.15 Modification
of Related Documents.
Alter,
rescind, terminate, amend, supplement, waive or otherwise modify any provision
of any Related Document (except for modifications that do not materially affect
the rights and privileges of any Restricted Subsidiary under such Related
Document and that do not materially affect the interests of the Secured Parties
(as defined in the Pledge and Security Agreement) under the Loan Documents
or in
the Collateral).
7.16 Sales
and Lease-Backs.
Directly or indirectly, enter into or become liable as lessee or as a guarantor
or other surety with respect to any lease of any property (whether real,
personal or mixed), whether now owned or hereafter acquired (a “Sale-Leaseback”),
which
such Credit Party (a) has sold or transferred or is to sell or transfer to
any
other Person (other than a Credit Party), or (b) intends to use for
substantially the same purpose as any other property which has been or is to
be
sold or transferred by such Credit Party to any Person (other than another
Credit Party) in connection with such lease; provided,
however
that a Credit Party may enter into Sale-Leasebacks not involving the Collateral
at market rates and subject to compliance with Section
7.3(b)(iv)
provided
that the aggregate amount of such Sale-Leasebacks since the Closing Date shall
not exceed $30,000,000 (“Permitted
Sale-Leasebacks”).
For
the avoidance of doubt, Sale-Leasebacks that result in Capital Leases shall
be
treated as Indebtedness for all purposes of this Agreement.
7.17 Minimum
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio
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At
any
time that a Triggering Period has occurred and is continuing, Parent and its
Restricted Subsidiaries shall have on a consolidated basis at the end of each
fiscal month, a Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the 12-month period
then ended of not less than 1.0:1.0.
7.18 No
Speculative Transactions
The
Parent shall not, nor shall it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, engage
in
any speculative transaction or in any transaction involving Hedge Agreements
except for the sole purpose of hedging in the normal course of business and
consistent with industry practices; provided,
for the
avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Section 7.18 shall not apply to
(a)
any note hedge transaction entered into in connection with the issuance of
any
Qualified Refinancing Indebtedness or (b) any warrant transaction entered into
concurrently with any note hedge transaction described in clause (a)
above.
8.
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT.
|
Any
one
or more of the following events shall constitute an event of default (each,
an
“Event
of Default”)
under
this Agreement:
8.1 If
Borrower fails to pay (a) when due any installment of principal of any
Obligations, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, (b)
when
due any amount payable to Issuing Lender in reimbursement of any drawing under
a
Letter of Credit; or (c) any interest on any Obligations or any fee or any
other
amount due with respect to the Obligations within three (3) Business Days after
the date due;
8.2 If
Borrower:
(a) fails
to
perform, keep, or observe any term, provision, condition, covenant, or agreement
contained in Sections
6.7(a),
6.11,
and
7.1
through
7.18
of this
Agreement;
(b) fails
or
neglects to perform, keep, or otherwise observe any term, provision, condition,
covenant, or agreement contained in Sections
2.7(b),
2.7(g),
2.7(h),
2.7(i),
6.2
or
6.9
of this
Agreement and such failure continues for a period of 15 days; or
(c) fails
or neglects to perform, keep, or observe any other term, provision, condition,
covenant, or agreement contained in this Agreement, or in any of the other
Loan
Documents (giving effect to any grace periods, cure periods, or required
notices, if any, expressly provided for in such Loan Documents), in each case,
other than any such term, provision, covenant, or agreement that is the subject
of another provision of this Section
8
(in which event such other provision of this Section 8 shall govern), and such
failure continues for a period of 30 days from the earlier of (a) a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower becoming aware of such failure or (b) notice thereof
from Agent or a Lender;
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8.3 If
any
money judgment, writ or warrant of attachment or similar process involving
individually or in the aggregate, an amount in excess of $25,000,000 to the
extent not adequately covered by insurance shall be entered or filed against
the
Borrower, the Parent or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries or any of their
respective assets and shall remain unpaid, undischarged, unvacated, unbonded
or
unstayed for a period of sixty (60) days;
8.4 If
an
Insolvency Proceeding is commenced by Borrower, Parent or any of the Restricted
Subsidiaries or Borrower admits in writing its inability to, or is generally
unable to, pay its debts as such debts become due;
8.5 If
an
Insolvency Proceeding is commenced against Borrower, Parent, or any Restricted
Subsidiary, and any of the following events occur: (a) Borrower, Parent or
such Restricted Subsidiary consents to the institution of such Insolvency
Proceeding against it, (b) the petition commencing the Insolvency
Proceeding is not timely controverted; provided, however, that, during the
pendency of such period, each member of the Lender Group shall be relieved
of
its obligations to extend credit hereunder, (c) the petition commencing the
Insolvency Proceeding is not dismissed within 60 calendar days of the date
of
the filing thereof; provided, however, that, during the pendency of such period,
each member of the Lender Group shall be relieved of its obligations to extend
credit hereunder, (d) an interim trustee is appointed to take possession of
all or any substantial portion of the properties or assets of, or to operate
all
or any substantial portion of the business of, Borrower, Parent or any
Restricted Subsidiary, or (e) an order for relief shall have been entered
therein;
8.6 If
there
is a default in one or more agreements to which Borrower, Parent, or any
Restricted Subsidiary is a party relative to Indebtedness of the Borrower,
Parent, or any Restricted Subsidiary having a principal amount in excess of
$25,000,000, or more, and such default (a) occurs at the final maturity of
the
obligations thereunder, or (b) results in a right by the other party thereto,
irrespective of whether exercised, to accelerate the maturity of the obligations
of the Borrower, Parent, or any Restricted Subsidiary thereunder or to terminate
such agreement;
8.7 If
any
material misstatement or misrepresentation exists now or hereafter in any
warranty, representation, statement, or Record made to the Lender Group by
any
Credit Party, or any officer, employee, agent, or director of any Credit Party;
8.8 If
this
Agreement or any other Loan Document that purports to create a Lien, shall,
for
any reason, fail or cease to create a valid and perfected and, except to the
extent permitted by the terms hereof or thereof, first priority Lien on or
security interest in the Collateral
covered
hereby or thereby; or
-96-
8.9 Any
provision of any Loan Document shall at any time for any reason be declared
to
be null and void, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested
by Borrower, Parent, or any Restricted Subsidiary, or a proceeding shall be
commenced by Borrower, Parent, or any Restricted Subsidiary, or by any
Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over Borrower, Parent, or any
Restricted Subsidiary, seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability
thereof, or Borrower, Parent, or any Restricted Subsidiary shall deny that
it
has any liability or obligation purported to be created under any Loan
Document.
9.
|
THE
LENDER GROUP’S RIGHTS AND
REMEDIES.
|
9.1 Rights
and Remedies.
Upon
the occurrence, and during the continuation, of an Event of Default, the
Required Lenders (at their election but without notice of their election and
without demand) may authorize and instruct Agent to do any one or more of the
following on behalf of the Lender Group (and Agent, acting upon the instructions
of the Required Lenders, shall do the same on behalf of the Lender Group),
all
of which are authorized by each Credit Party:
(a) Declare
all Obligations (or any portion thereof), whether evidenced by this Agreement,
by any of the other Loan Documents, or otherwise, immediately due and
payable;
(b) Cease
(or
restrict) advancing money or extending credit to or for the benefit of Borrower
under this Agreement, under any of the Loan Documents, or under any other
agreement between Borrower and the Lender Group;
(c) Upon
notice to Borrower (except with respect to an Event of Default under
Sections
8.4 or 8.5,
in
which case no notice shall be required), terminate this Agreement and any of
the
other Loan Documents as to any future liability or obligation of the Lender
Group, but without affecting any of the Agent’s Liens in the Collateral and
without affecting the Obligations;
(d) Settle
or
adjust disputes and claims directly with any Credit Party’s Account Debtors for
amounts and upon terms which Agent considers advisable, and in such cases,
Agent
will credit Borrower’s Loan Account with only the net amounts received by Agent
in payment of such disputed Accounts after deducting all Lender Group Expenses
incurred or expended in connection therewith;
(e) Cause
any
Credit Party to hold all of its returned Inventory in trust for the Lender
Group
and segregate all such Inventory from all other assets of such Credit Party
or
in such Credit Party’s possession;
(f) Without
notice to or demand upon any Credit Party, make such payments and do such acts
as Agent considers necessary or reasonable to protect its security interests
in
the Collateral. Each Credit Party agrees to assemble the Collateral if Agent
so
requires, and to make the Collateral available to Agent at a place that Agent
may designate which is reasonably convenient to both parties. Each Credit Party
authorizes Agent to enter the premises where the Collateral is located, to
take
and maintain possession of the Collateral, or any part of it, and to pay,
purchase, contest, or compromise any Lien that in Agent’s determination appears
to conflict with the Agent’s Liens in and to the Collateral and to pay all
expenses incurred in connection therewith and to charge Borrower’s Loan Account
therefor. With respect to any of any Credit Party’s owned or leased premises,
each Credit Party hereby grants Agent a license to enter into possession of
such
premises and to occupy the same, without charge, in order to exercise any of
the
Lender Group’s rights or remedies provided herein, at law, in equity, or
otherwise;
-97-
(g) Without
notice to any Credit Party (such notice being expressly waived), and without
constituting an acceptance of any collateral in full or partial satisfaction
of
an obligation (within the meaning of the Code), set off and apply to the
Obligations any and all (i) balances and deposits of any Credit Party held
by
the Lender Group (including any amounts received in the Cash Management
Accounts), or (ii) Indebtedness at any time owing to or for the credit or the
account of any Credit Party held by the Lender Group;
(h) Hold,
as
cash collateral, any and all balances and deposits of any Credit Party held
by
the Lender Group, and any amounts received in the Cash Management Accounts,
to
secure the full and final repayment of all of the Obligations;
(i) Ship,
reclaim, recover, store, finish, maintain, repair, prepare for sale, advertise
for sale, and sell (in the manner provided for herein) the Collateral. Each
Credit Party hereby grants to Agent a non-exclusive license or other right
to
use, without charge, such Credit Party’s instruments and General Intangibles,
including, without limitation, labels, patents, copyrights, trade secrets,
trade
names, trademarks, service marks, and advertising matter, merchandising systems,
inventory locations, fixed assets or any property of a similar nature, as it
pertains to the Collateral, in completing production of, advertising for sale,
and selling any Collateral and such Credit Party’s rights under all licenses and
all franchise agreements shall inure to the Lender Group’s benefit;
(j) Sell
the
Collateral at either a public or private sale, or both, by way of one or more
contracts or transactions, for cash or on terms, in such manner and at such
places (including any Credit Party’s premises) as Agent determines is
commercially reasonable. It is not necessary that the Collateral be present
at
any such sale;
(k) Agent
shall give notice of the disposition of the Collateral as follows:
-98-
(i) Agent
shall give Borrower on behalf of the Credit Parties, a notice in writing of
the
time and place of public sale, or, if the sale is a private sale or some other
disposition other than a public sale is to be made of the Collateral, the time
on or after which the private sale or other disposition is to be made;
and
(ii) The
notice shall be personally delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to Borrower
as
provided in Section
12,
at
least 10 days before the earliest time of disposition set forth in the notice;
no notice needs to be given prior to the disposition of any portion of the
Collateral that is perishable or threatens to decline speedily in value or
that
is of a type customarily sold on a recognized market;
(l) Agent,
on
behalf of the Lender Group, may credit bid and purchase at any public sale;
(m) Agent
may
seek the appointment of a receiver or keeper to take possession of all or any
portion of the Collateral or to operate same and, to the maximum extent
permitted by law, may seek the appointment of such a receiver without the
requirement of prior notice or a hearing; and
(n) The
Lender Group shall have all other rights and remedies available at law or in
equity or pursuant to any other Loan Document.
;
provided,
however,
that
upon the occurrence of any Event of Default described in Section
8.4
or
Section
8.5,
in
addition to the remedies set forth above, without any notice to any Credit
Party
or any other Person or any act by the Lender Group, the Commitments shall
automatically terminate and the Obligations then outstanding, together with
all
accrued and unpaid interest thereon and all fees and all other amounts due
under
this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, shall automatically and immediately
become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest, or notice of
any
kind, all of which are expressly waived by each Credit Party.
9.2 Remedies
Cumulative.
The
rights and remedies of the Lender Group under this Agreement, the other Loan
Documents, and all other agreements shall be cumulative. The Lender Group shall
have all other rights and remedies not inconsistent herewith as provided under
the Code, by law, or in equity. No exercise by the Lender Group of one right
or
remedy shall be deemed an election, and no waiver by the Lender Group of any
Event of Default shall be deemed a continuing waiver. No delay by the Lender
Group shall constitute a waiver, election, or acquiescence by it.
-99-
10.
|
TAXES
AND EXPENSES.
|
If
any
Credit Party fails to pay any monies (whether taxes, assessments, insurance
premiums, or, in the case of leased properties or assets, rents or other amounts
payable under such leases) due to third Persons, or fails to make any deposits
or furnish any required proof of payment or deposit, all as required under
the
terms of this Agreement, then, Agent, in its sole discretion and without prior
notice to Borrower, may do any or all of the following: (a) make payment of
the
same or any part thereof, (b) set up such Reserves in Borrower’s Loan Account as
Agent deems necessary to protect the Lender Group from the exposure created
by
such failure, or (c) in the case of the failure to comply with Section
6.7
hereof,
obtain and maintain insurance policies of the type described in Section
6.7
and take
any action with respect to such policies as Agent deems prudent. Any such
amounts paid by Agent shall constitute Lender Group Expenses and any such
payments shall not constitute an agreement by the Lender Group to make similar
payments in the future or a waiver by the Lender Group of any Event of Default
under this Agreement. Agent need not inquire as to, or contest the validity
of,
any such expense, tax, or Lien and the receipt of the usual official notice
for
the payment thereof shall be conclusive evidence that the same was validly
due
and owing.
11.
|
WAIVERS;
INDEMNIFICATION.
|
11.1 Demand;
Protest; etc.
Each
Credit Party waives demand, protest, notice of protest, notice of default or
dishonor, notice of payment and nonpayment, nonpayment at maturity, release,
compromise, settlement, extension, or renewal of documents, instruments, chattel
paper, and guarantees at any time held by the Lender Group on which each such
Credit Party may in any way be liable.
11.2 The
Lender Group’s Liability for Collateral.
Each
Credit Party hereby agrees that: (a) so long as Agent complies with its
obligations, if any, under the Code, the Lender Group shall not in any way
or
manner be liable or responsible for: (i) the safekeeping of the Collateral,
(ii)
any loss or damage thereto occurring or arising in any manner or fashion from
any cause, (iii) any diminution in the value thereof, or (iv) any act or default
of any carrier, warehouseman, bailee, forwarding agency, or other Person, and
(b) all risk of loss, damage, or destruction of the Collateral shall be borne
by
the Credit Parties.
11.3 Indemnification.
Each
Credit Party shall jointly and severally pay, indemnify, defend, and hold the
Agent-Related Persons, the Lender-Related Persons, and each Participant (each,
an “Indemnified
Person”)
harmless (to the fullest extent permitted by law) from and against any and
all
claims, demands, suits, actions, investigations, proceedings, and damages,
and
all reasonable attorneys fees and disbursements and other costs and expenses
actually incurred in connection therewith (as and when they are incurred and
irrespective of whether suit is brought), at any time asserted against, imposed
upon, or incurred by any of them (a) in connection with or as a result of or
related to the execution, delivery, enforcement, performance, or administration
(including any restructuring or workout with respect hereto) of this Agreement,
any of the other Loan Documents, or the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby or the monitoring of each Credit Party’s compliance with the terms of
the Loan Documents, and (b) with respect to any investigation, litigation,
or
proceeding related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or the use of
the
proceeds of the credit provided hereunder (irrespective of whether any
Indemnified Person is a party thereto), or any act, omission, event, or
circumstance in any manner related thereto (all the foregoing, collectively,
the
“Indemnified
Liabilities”).
The
foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, no Credit Party shall have any
obligation to any Indemnified Person under this Section
11.3
with
respect to any Indemnified Liability that a court of competent jurisdiction
finally determines to have resulted from the gross negligence (as opposed to
negligence) or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person. This provision
shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the repayment of the
Obligations. If any Indemnified Person makes any payment to any other
Indemnified Person with respect to an Indemnified Liability as to which any
Credit Party was required to indemnify the Indemnified Person receiving such
payment, the Indemnified Person making such payment is entitled to be
indemnified and reimbursed by such Credit Party with respect
thereto.
-100-
12.
|
NOTICES.
|
Unless
otherwise provided in this Agreement, all notices or demands by the Credit
Parties or Agent to the other relating to this Agreement or any other Loan
Document shall be in writing and (except for financial statements and other
informational documents which may be sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid)
shall be personally delivered or sent by registered or certified mail (postage
prepaid, return receipt requested), overnight courier, electronic mail (at
such
email addresses as Borrower or Agent, as applicable, may designate to each
other
in accordance herewith), or telefacsimile to the Credit Parties or Agent, as
the
case may be, at its address set forth below:
If
to any Credit Party:
|
COLLECTIVE
BRANDS FINANCE, INC.
|
|
0000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
|
||
Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxx 00000-0000
|
||
Attn:
General Counsel
|
||
Fax
No. (000) 000-0000
|
||
With
a copy to:
|
XXXXXXXX
& XXXXXXXX LLP
|
|
0000
Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
|
||
Xxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
|
||
Attn:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
||
Fax
No. (000) 000-0000
|
-101-
If
to Agent:
|
XXXXX
FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC
|
|
Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
|
||
Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx, 00000
|
||
Attn:
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
|
||
Fax
No. (000) 000-0000
|
||
With
a copy to:
|
WINSTON
& XXXXXX LLP
|
|
00
Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
|
||
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
|
||
Attn:
Xxxxxxx X. X'Xxxxx
|
||
Fax
No. (000) 000-0000
|
Agent
and
any Credit Party may change the address at which they are to receive notices
hereunder, by notice in writing in the foregoing manner given to the other
party. All notices or demands sent in accordance with this Section
12,
other
than notices by Agent in connection with enforcement rights against the
Collateral under the provisions of the Code, shall be deemed received on the
earlier of the date of actual receipt or 3 Business Days after the deposit
thereof in the mail. Each Credit Party acknowledges and agrees that notices
sent
by the Lender Group in connection with the exercise of enforcement rights
against Collateral under the provisions of the Code shall be deemed sent when
deposited in the mail or personally delivered, or, where permitted by law,
transmitted by telefacsimile or any other method set forth above.
13.
|
CHOICE
OF LAW AND VENUE; JURY TRIAL
WAIVER.
|
(a) THE
VALIDITY OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS (UNLESS EXPRESSLY
PROVIDED TO THE CONTRARY IN ANOTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN RESPECT OF SUCH OTHER
LOAN
DOCUMENT), THE CONSTRUCTION, INTERPRETATION, AND ENFORCEMENT HEREOF AND THEREOF,
AND THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES HERETO AND THERETO WITH RESPECT TO ALL MATTERS
ARISING HEREUNDER OR THEREUNDER OR RELATED HERETO OR THERETO SHALL BE DETERMINED
UNDER, GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE
OF
NEW YORK.
(b) THE
PARTIES AGREE THAT ALL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS SHALL BE TRIED AND LITIGATED ONLY IN
THE
STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS LOCATED IN NEW YORK COUNTY IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
PROVIDED,
HOWEVER,
THAT ANY SUIT SEEKING ENFORCEMENT AGAINST ANY COLLATERAL OR OTHER PROPERTY
MAY
BE BROUGHT, AT AGENT’S OPTION, IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION WHERE AGENT
ELECTS TO BRING SUCH ACTION OR WHERE SUCH COLLATERAL OR OTHER PROPERTY MAY
BE
FOUND. EACH OF THE CREDIT PARTIES AND THE LENDER GROUP WAIVE, TO THE EXTENT
PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT EACH MAY HAVE TO ASSERT THE DOCTRINE
OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS
OR TO OBJECT TO VENUE TO THE EXTENT ANY PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN ACCORDANCE
WITH
THIS SECTION
13(b).
-102-
(c) EACH
OF THE CREDIT PARTIES AND THE LENDER GROUP HEREBY WAIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS
TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF
ANY
OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREIN, INCLUDING
CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS, BREACH OF DUTY CLAIMS, AND ALL OTHER COMMON LAW
OR
STATUTORY CLAIMS. EACH OF THE CREDIT PARTIES AND THE LENDER GROUP REPRESENT
THAT
EACH HAS REVIEWED THIS WAIVER AND EACH KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVES ITS
JURY
TRIAL RIGHTS FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL. IN THE EVENT OF
LITIGATION, A COPY OF THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE FILED AS A WRITTEN CONSENT TO A
TRIAL BY THE COURT.
14.
|
ASSIGNMENTS
AND PARTICIPATIONS;
SUCCESSORS.
|
14.1 Assignments
and Participations.
(a) Any
Lender may assign and delegate to one or more assignees (each an “Assignee”)
that
are Eligible Transferees all, or any ratable part of all, of the Obligations,
the Commitments and the other rights and obligations of such Lender hereunder
and under the other Loan Documents, in a minimum amount of $5,000,000;
provided,
however,
that
Borrower and Agent may continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender
in
connection with the interest so assigned to an Assignee until (i) written notice
of such assignment, together with payment instructions, addresses, and related
information with respect to the Assignee, have been given to Borrower and Agent
by such Lender and the Assignee, (ii) such Lender and its Assignee have
delivered to Borrower and Agent an Assignment and Acceptance, and (iii) the
assignor Lender or Assignee has paid to Agent for Agent’s separate account a
processing fee in the amount of $5,000. Anything contained herein to the
contrary notwithstanding, the payment of any fees shall not be required and
the
Assignee need not be an Eligible Transferee if such assignment is in connection
with any merger, consolidation, sale, transfer, or other disposition of all
or
any substantial portion of the business or loan portfolio of the assigning
Lender.
(b) From
and
after the date that Agent notifies the assignor Lender (with a copy to Borrower)
that it has received an executed Assignment and Acceptance and payment of the
above-referenced processing fee, (i) 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, shall have the rights
and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents, and (ii) the assignor
Lender shall, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder and under
the
other Loan Documents have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and
Acceptance, relinquish its rights (except with respect to Section
11.3
hereof)
and be released from any future 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 and the other
Loan Documents, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto and thereto),
and
such assignment shall effect a novation between Borrower and the Assignee;
provided,
however,
that
nothing contained herein shall release any assigning Lender from obligations
that survive the termination of this Agreement, including such assigning
Lender’s obligations under Article
16
and
Section
17.8
of this
Agreement.
-103-
(c) 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: (1) 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 Loan Document furnished pursuant hereto,
(2) such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no
responsibility with respect to the financial condition of Borrower or the
performance or observance by Borrower of any of its obligations under this
Agreement or any other Loan Document furnished pursuant hereto, (3) such
Assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together with
such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its
own credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance,
(4) such Assignee will, independently and without reliance upon Agent, such
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, (5) such
Assignee appoints and authorizes Agent to take such actions and to exercise
such
powers under this Agreement as are delegated to Agent, by the terms hereof,
together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto, and (6) such
Assignee agrees that it will perform all of the obligations which by the terms
of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
(d) Immediately
upon Agent’s receipt of the required processing fee payment and the fully
executed Assignment and Acceptance, this Agreement shall be deemed to be amended
to the extent, but only to the extent, necessary to reflect the addition of
the
Assignee and the resulting adjustment of the Commitments arising therefrom.
The
Commitment allocated to each Assignee shall reduce such Commitments of the
assigning Lender pro tanto.
-104-
(e) Any
Lender may at any time, with the written consent of Agent, sell to one or more
commercial banks, financial institutions, or other Persons not Affiliates of
such Lender (a “Participant”)
participating interests in its Obligations, the Commitment, and the other rights
and interests of that Lender (the “Originating
Lender”)
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (provided that no written consent
of Agent shall be required in connection with any sale of any such participating
interests by a Lender to an Eligible Transferee); provided,
however,
that
(i) the Originating Lender shall remain a “Lender” for all purposes of this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents and the Participant receiving the
participating interest in the Obligations, the Commitments, and the other rights
and interests of the Originating Lender hereunder shall not constitute a
“Lender” hereunder or under the other Loan Documents and the Originating
Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) the
Originating Lender shall remain solely responsible for the performance of such
obligations, (iii) Borrower, Agent, and the Lenders shall continue to deal
solely and directly with the Originating Lender in connection with the
Originating Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other
Loan Documents, (iv) no Lender shall transfer or grant any participating
interest under which the Participant has the right to approve any amendment
to,
or any consent or waiver with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, except to the extent such amendment to, or consent or waiver with
respect to this Agreement or of any other Loan Document would (A) extend the
final maturity date of the Obligations hereunder in which such Participant
is
participating, (B) reduce the interest rate applicable to the Obligations
hereunder in which such Participant is participating, (C) release all or
substantially all of the Collateral or guaranties (except to the extent
expressly provided herein or in any of the Loan Documents) supporting the
Obligations hereunder in which such Participant is participating, (D) postpone
the payment of, or reduce the amount of, the interest or fees payable to such
Participant through such Lender, or (E) change the amount or due dates of
scheduled principal repayments or prepayments or premiums, and (v) all amounts
payable by Borrower hereunder shall be determined as if such Lender had not
sold
such participation, except that, if amounts outstanding under this Agreement
are
due and unpaid, or shall have been declared or shall have become due and payable
upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, each Participant shall be deemed
to
have the right of set-off in respect of its participating interest in amounts
owing under this Agreement to the same extent as if the amount of its
participating interest were owing directly to it as a Lender under this
Agreement. The rights of any Participant only shall be derivative through the
Originating Lender with whom such Participant participates and no Participant
shall have any rights under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any
direct rights as to the other Lenders, Agent, Borrower, the Collections of
any
Credit Party, the Collateral, or otherwise in respect of the Obligations. No
Participant shall have the right to participate directly in the making of
decisions by the Lenders among themselves. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for
purposes of Section
16.11,
a
Participant shall be treated as a Lender that is an assignee of the Originating
Lender.
-105-
(f) In
connection with any such assignment or participation or proposed assignment
or
participation, a Lender may, subject to the provisions of Section
18.8,
disclose all documents and information which it now or hereafter may have
relating to Borrower and its Subsidiaries and their respective
businesses.
(g) Any
other
provision in this Agreement notwithstanding, any Lender may at any time create
a
security interest in, or pledge, all or any portion of its rights under and
interest in this Agreement, including without limitation, in favor of any
Federal Reserve Bank in accordance with Regulation A of the Federal Reserve
Bank
or U.S. Treasury Regulation 31 CFR §203.24 (and such Federal Reserve Bank may
enforce such pledge or security interest in any manner permitted under
applicable law).
(h) Agent,
acting solely for this purpose as an agent of Borrower, shall maintain at one
of
its offices in the United States a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance
delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses
of
each Lender, and the Revolving Commitments of, and principal amount of the
Advances owing to, such Lender pursuant to the terms hereof. The entries in
such
register shall be conclusive, and Borrower, Agent and Lenders may treat each
Person whose name is recorded therein pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender
hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the
contrary. Such register shall be available for inspection by Borrower and any
Lender, at any reasonable time upon reasonable prior notice to Agent.
14.2 Successors.
This
Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the respective successors
and
assigns of each of the parties; provided,
however,
that no
Credit Party may assign this Agreement or any rights or duties hereunder without
the Lenders’ prior written consent and any prohibited assignment shall be
absolutely void ab
initio.
No
consent to assignment by the Lenders shall release any Credit Party from its
Obligations. A Lender may assign this Agreement and the other Loan Documents
and
its rights and duties hereunder and thereunder pursuant to Section
14.1
hereof
and, except as expressly required pursuant to Section
14.1
hereof,
no consent or approval by any Credit Party is required in connection with any
such assignment.
15.
|
AMENDMENTS;
WAIVERS.
|
15.1 Amendments
and Waivers.
No
amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, and no consent with respect to any departure by any Credit Party
therefrom, shall be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed
by
the Required Lenders (or by Agent at the written request of the Required
Lenders) and each Credit Party and then any such waiver or consent shall be
effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which
given; provided,
however,
that no
such waiver, amendment, or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by all
of
the Lenders affected thereby and each Credit Party, do any of the
following:
-106-
(a) increase
or extend any Commitment of any Lender,
(b) postpone
or delay any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any
payment of principal, interest, fees, or other amounts due hereunder or under
any other Loan Document,
(c) reduce
the principal of, or the rate of interest on, any loan or other extension of
credit hereunder, or reduce any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or
under
any other Loan Document,
(d) change
the percentage of the Commitments that is required to take any action hereunder,
(e) amend
or
modify this Section or any provision of the Agreement providing for consent
or
other action by all Lenders,
(f) release
the Collateral other than as permitted by Section
16.12,
(g) change
the definition of “Required Lenders” or “Pro Rata Share”,
(h) contractually
subordinate any of the Agent’s Liens other than with respect to a release of the
Collateral otherwise permitted by Section
16.12,
(i) release
any Credit Party from any obligation for the payment of money, other than,
with
respect to any Credit Party other than the Parent, Borrower or Payless Missouri,
as would be permitted with respect to a release of the Collateral permitted
by
Section
16.12,
or
(j) change
the definition of Borrowing Base or the definitions of Eligible Accounts,
Eligible Inventory, Eligible In-Transit Inventory, Eligible Landed Inventory,
Maximum Revolver Amount, or change Section
2.1(b)
(provided that Agent’s establishment and adjustment of the Reserves as permitted
by Section
2.1(b)
shall
not be considered a change for purposes of this Section
15.1(j)),
(k) amend
any
of the provisions of Section
16,
or
(l) amend
Section
7.14,
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and,
provided
further,
however,
that no
amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by Agent,
Issuing Lender, or Swing Lender, as applicable, affect the rights or duties
of
Agent, Issuing Lender, or Swing Lender, as applicable, under this Agreement
or
any other Loan Document. The foregoing notwithstanding, any amendment,
modification, waiver, consent, termination, or release of, or with respect
to,
any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that relates only
to
the relationship of the Lender Group among themselves, and that does not affect
the rights or obligations of any Credit Party, shall not require consent by
or
the agreement of such Credit Party. For purposes of clarification, other than
as
required by Section
2.2,
no
Lender consent will be required with respect to the Revolver Increase (other
than the requirement for any individual Lender to increase its Commitment
hereunder).
15.2 Replacement
of Holdout Lender.
(a) (i)
If
any action to be taken by the Lender Group or Agent hereunder requires the
unanimous consent, authorization, or agreement of all Lenders, and a Lender
fails to give its consent, authorization, or agreement or (ii) if any Lender
gives notice to Borrower pursuant to Section
2.14
(in each
case, a “Holdout
Lender”),
then
Borrower or Agent, upon at least 5 Business Days prior irrevocable notice to
the
Holdout Lender, may permanently replace the Holdout Lender with one or more
substitute Lenders (each, a “Replacement
Lender”),
and
the Holdout Lender shall have no right to refuse to be replaced hereunder.
Such
notice to replace the Holdout Lender shall specify an effective date for such
replacement, which date shall not be later than 15 Business Days after the
date
such notice is given.
(b) Prior
to
the effective date of such replacement, the Holdout Lender and each Replacement
Lender shall execute and deliver an Assignment and Acceptance, subject only
to
the Holdout Lender being repaid its share of the outstanding Obligations
(including an assumption of its Pro Rata Share of the Risk Participation
Liability) without any premium or penalty of any kind whatsoever. If the Holdout
Lender shall refuse or fail to execute and deliver any such Assignment and
Acceptance prior to the effective date of such replacement, the Holdout Lender
shall be deemed to have executed and delivered such Assignment and Acceptance.
The replacement of any Holdout Lender shall be made in accordance with the
terms
of Section
14.1.
Until
such time as the Replacement Lenders shall have acquired all of the Obligations,
the Commitments, and the other rights and obligations of the Holdout Lender
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Holdout Lender shall remain
obligated to make the Holdout Lender’s Pro Rata Share of Advances and to
purchase a participation in each Letter of Credit, in an amount equal to its
Pro
Rata Share of the Risk Participation Liability of such Letter of
Credit.
15.3 No
Waivers; Cumulative Remedies.
No
failure by Agent or any Lender to exercise any right, remedy, or option under
this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or delay by Agent or any Lender
in
exercising the same, will operate as a waiver thereof. No waiver by Agent or
any
Lender will be effective unless it is in writing, and then only to the extent
specifically stated. No waiver by Agent or any Lender on any occasion shall
affect or diminish Agent’s and each Lender’s rights thereafter to require strict
performance by each Credit Party of any provision of this Agreement. Agent’s and
each Lender’s rights under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents will be
cumulative and not exclusive of any other right or remedy that Agent or any
Lender may have.
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16.
|
AGENT;
THE LENDER GROUP.
|
16.1 Appointment
and Authorization of Agent.
Each
Lender hereby designates and appoints WFRF as its representative under this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents and each Lender hereby irrevocably
authorizes Agent to execute and deliver each of the other Loan Documents on
its
behalf and to take such other action on its behalf under the provisions of
this
Agreement and each other Loan Document and to exercise such powers and perform
such duties as are expressly delegated to Agent by the terms of this Agreement
or any other Loan Document, together with such powers as are reasonably
incidental thereto. Agent agrees to act as such on the express conditions
contained in this Section
16.
The
provisions of this Section
16
(other
than Section
16.11
and the
release provisions in Section
16.12)
are
solely for the benefit of Agent, and the Lenders, and the Credit Parties shall
have no rights as a third party beneficiary of any of the provisions contained
herein. Any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere in this Agreement
or
in any other Loan Document notwithstanding, Agent shall not have any duties
or
responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein, nor shall Agent
have
or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender, and no implied
covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities
shall
be read into this Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise exist
against Agent; it being expressly understood and agreed that the use of the
word
“Agent” is for convenience only, that WFRF is merely the representative of the
Lenders, and only has the contractual duties set forth herein. Except as
expressly otherwise provided in this Agreement, Agent shall have and may use
its
sole discretion with respect to exercising or refraining from exercising any
discretionary rights or taking or refraining from taking any actions that Agent
expressly is entitled to take or assert under or pursuant to this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
or
of any other provision of the Loan Documents that provides rights or powers
to
Agent, Lenders agree that Agent shall have the right to exercise the following
powers as long as this Agreement remains in effect: (a) maintain, in accordance
with its customary business practices, ledgers and records reflecting the status
of the Obligations, the Collateral, the Collections of each Credit Party, and
related matters, (b) execute or file any and all financing or similar statements
or notices, amendments, renewals, supplements, documents, instruments, proofs
of
claim, notices and other written agreements with respect to the Loan Documents,
(c) make Advances, for itself or on behalf of Lenders as provided in the Loan
Documents, (d) exclusively receive, apply, and distribute the Collections of
each Credit Party as provided in the Loan Documents, (e) open and maintain
such
bank accounts and cash management arrangements as Agent deems necessary and
appropriate in accordance with the Loan Documents for the foregoing purposes
with respect to the Collateral and the Collections of each Credit Party, (f)
perform, exercise, and enforce any and all other rights and remedies of the
Lender Group with respect to each Credit Party, the Obligations, the Collateral,
the Collections of each Credit Party, or otherwise related to any of same as
provided in the Loan Documents, and (g) incur and pay such Lender Group Expenses
as Agent may deem necessary or appropriate for the performance and fulfillment
of its functions and powers pursuant to the Loan Documents.
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16.2 Delegation
of Duties.
Agent
may execute any of its duties under this Agreement or any other Loan Document
by
or through agents, employees or attorneys-in-fact and shall be entitled to
advice of counsel concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. Agent shall
not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agent or
attorney-in-fact that it selects as long as such selection was made without
gross negligence or willful misconduct.
16.3 Liability
of Agent.
None of
the Agent-Related Persons shall (i) be liable for any action taken or omitted
to
be taken by any of them under or in connection with this Agreement or any other
Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby (except for its own gross
negligence or willful misconduct), or (ii) be responsible in any manner to
any
of the Lenders for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made
by
any Credit Party, or any officer or director thereof, contained in this
Agreement or in any other Loan Document, or in any certificate, report,
statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by
Agent
under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or
the
validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for any failure of any Credit Party
or
any other party to any Loan Document to perform its obligations hereunder or
thereunder. No Agent-Related Person shall be under any obligation to any Lender
to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance or performance of any of the
agreements contained in, or conditions of, this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, or to inspect the Books or properties of any Credit Party or the
books
or records or properties of any Credit Party or its Affiliates.
16.4 Reliance
by Agent.
Agent
shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any
writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram,
facsimile, telex or telephone message, statement or other document or
conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed,
sent, or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements
of
legal counsel (including counsel to any Credit Party or counsel to any Lender),
independent accountants and other experts selected by Agent. Agent shall be
fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under this Agreement
or any other Loan Document unless Agent shall first receive such advice or
concurrence of the Lenders as it deems appropriate and until such instructions
are received, Agent shall act, or refrain from acting, as it deems advisable.
If
Agent so requests, it shall first be indemnified to its reasonable satisfaction
by the Lenders against any and all liability and expense that may be incurred
by
it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. Agent shall in
all
cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this
Agreement or any other Loan Document in accordance with a request or consent
of
the requisite Lenders and such request and any action taken or failure to act
pursuant thereto shall be binding upon all of the Lenders.
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16.5 Notice
of Default or Event of Default.
Agent
shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default
or Event of Default, except with respect to defaults in the payment of
principal, interest, fees, and expenses required to be paid to Agent for the
account of the Lenders and, except with respect to Events of Default of which
Agent has actual knowledge, unless Agent shall have received written notice
from
a Lender or Borrower referring to this Agreement, describing such Default or
Event of Default, and stating that such notice is a “notice of default.” Agent
promptly will notify the Lenders of its receipt of any such notice or of any
Event of Default of which Agent has actual knowledge. If any Lender obtains
actual knowledge of any Event of Default, such Lender promptly shall notify
the
other Lenders and Agent of such Event of Default. Each Lender shall be solely
responsible for giving any notices to its Participants, if any. Subject to
Section
16.4,
Agent
shall take such action with respect to such Default or Event of Default as
may
be requested by the Required Lenders in accordance with Section
9;
provided,
however,
that
unless and until Agent has received any such request, Agent may (but shall
not
be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with
respect to such Default or Event of Default as it shall deem
advisable.
16.6 Credit
Decision.
Each
Lender acknowledges that none of the Agent-Related Persons has made any
representation or warranty to it, and that no act by Agent hereinafter taken,
including any review of the affairs of any Credit Party or its Affiliates,
shall
be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty by any Agent-Related
Person to any Lender. Each Lender represents to Agent that it has, independently
and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents
and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own appraisal of and
investigation into the business, prospects, operations, property, financial
and
other condition and creditworthiness of each Credit Party and any other Person
party to a Loan Document, and all applicable bank regulatory laws relating
to
the transactions contemplated hereby, and made its own decision to enter into
this Agreement and to extend credit to Borrower. Each Lender also represents
that it will, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person
and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at
the
time, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in
taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents,
and to make such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to
the
business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and
creditworthiness of each Credit Party and any other Person party to a Loan
Document. Except for notices, reports, and other documents expressly herein
required to be furnished to the Lenders by Agent and the Borrowing Base
Certificate, Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any
Lender with any credit or other information concerning the business, prospects,
operations, property, financial and other condition or creditworthiness of
any
Credit Party and any other Person party to a Loan Document that may come into
the possession of any of the Agent-Related Persons.
-111-
16.7 Costs
and Expenses; Indemnification.
Agent
may incur and pay Lender Group Expenses to the extent Agent reasonably deems
necessary or appropriate for the performance and fulfillment of its functions,
powers, and obligations pursuant to the Loan Documents, including court costs,
attorneys fees and expenses, fees and expenses of financial accountants,
advisors, consultants, and appraisers, costs of collection by outside collection
agencies, auctioneer fees and expenses, and costs of security guards or
insurance premiums paid to maintain the Collateral, whether or not any Credit
Party is obligated to reimburse Agent or Lenders for such expenses pursuant
to
the Loan Agreement or otherwise. Agent is authorized and directed to deduct
and
retain sufficient amounts from the Collections of each Credit Party received
by
Agent to reimburse Agent for such out-of-pocket costs and expenses prior to
the
distribution of any amounts to Lenders. In the event Agent is not reimbursed
for
such costs and expenses from the Collections of each Credit Party received
by
Agent, each Lender hereby agrees that it is and shall be obligated to pay to
or
reimburse Agent for the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share thereof. Whether
or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Lenders shall
indemnify upon demand the Agent-Related Persons (to the extent not reimbursed
by
or on behalf of any Credit Party and without limiting the obligation of any
Credit Party to do so), according to their Pro Rata Shares, from and against
any
and all Indemnified Liabilities; provided,
however,
that no
Lender shall be liable for the payment to any Agent-Related Person of any
portion of such Indemnified Liabilities resulting solely from such Person’s
gross negligence or willful misconduct nor shall any Lender be liable for the
obligations of any Defaulting Lender in failing to make an Advance or other
extension of credit hereunder. Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender
shall reimburse Agent upon demand for such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of any costs
or out-of-pocket expenses (including attorneys, accountants, advisors, and
consultants fees and expenses) incurred by Agent in connection with the
preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification, amendment,
or
enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise)
of,
or legal advice in respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement,
any other Loan Document, or any document contemplated by or referred to herein,
to the extent that Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by or on behalf
of
a Credit Party. The undertaking in this Section shall survive the payment of
all
Obligations hereunder and the resignation or replacement of Agent.
16.8 Agent
in Individual Capacity.
WFRF
and its Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the account
of, accept deposits from, acquire equity interests in, and generally engage
in
any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting, or other business
with any Credit Party and its Affiliates and any other Person party to any
Loan
Documents as though WFRF were not Agent hereunder, and, in each case, without
notice to or consent of the other members of the Lender Group. The other members
of the Lender Group acknowledge that, pursuant to such activities, WFRF or
its
Affiliates may receive information regarding any Credit Party or its Affiliates
and any other Person party to any Loan Documents that is subject to
confidentiality obligations in favor of such Credit Party or such other Person
and that prohibit the disclosure of such information to the Lenders, and the
Lenders acknowledge that, in such circumstances (and in the absence of a waiver
of such confidentiality obligations, which waiver Agent will use its reasonable
best efforts to obtain), Agent shall not be under any obligation to provide
such
information to them. The terms “Lender” and “Lenders” include WFRF in its
individual capacity.
-112-
16.9 Successor
Agent.
Agent
may resign as Agent upon 45 days notice to the Lenders and Borrower. If Agent
resigns under this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall, in consultation with
Borrower, appoint a successor Agent for the Lenders. If no successor Agent
is
appointed and shall have accepted such appointment prior to the effective date
of the resignation of Agent, Agent may appoint, after consulting with the
Lenders and Borrower, a successor Agent. If Agent has materially breached or
failed to perform any material provision of this Agreement or of applicable
law,
the Required Lenders may agree in writing to remove and replace Agent with
a
successor Agent from among the Lenders chosen in consultation with Borrower.
In
any such event (whether an appointment by Agent or by the Required Lenders)
described in the two immediately preceding sentences, upon the acceptance of
its
appointment as successor Agent hereunder, such successor Agent shall succeed
to
all the rights, powers, and duties of the retiring Agent and the term “Agent”
shall mean such successor Agent and the retiring Agent’s appointment, powers,
and duties as Agent shall be terminated. After any retiring Agent’s resignation
hereunder as Agent, the provisions of this Section
16
shall
inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while
it was Agent under this Agreement. If no successor Agent has accepted
appointment as Agent by the date which is 45 days following a retiring Agent’s
notice of resignation, the retiring Agent’s resignation shall nevertheless
thereupon become effective and the Lenders shall perform all of the duties
of
Agent hereunder until such time, if any, as the Lenders appoint a successor
Agent as provided for above.
16.10 Lender
in Individual Capacity.
Any
Lender and its respective Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit
for the account of, accept deposits from, acquire equity interests in and
generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting
or other business with any Credit Party and its Affiliates and any other Person
party to any Loan Documents as though such Lender were not a Lender hereunder
without notice to or consent of the other members of the Lender Group. The
other
members of the Lender Group acknowledge that, pursuant to such activities,
such
Lender and its respective Affiliates may receive information regarding any
Credit Party or its Affiliates and any other Person party to any Loan Documents
that is subject to confidentiality obligations in favor of such Credit Party
or
such other Person and that prohibit the disclosure of such information to the
Lenders, and the Lenders acknowledge that, in such circumstances (and in the
absence of a waiver of such confidentiality obligations, which waiver such
Lender will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain), such Lender not shall
be
under any obligation to provide such information to them. With respect to the
Swing Loans and Agent Advances, Swing Lender shall have the same rights and
powers under this Agreement as any other Lender and may exercise the same as
though it were not the sub-agent of Agent.
-113-
16.11 Withholding
Taxes.
(a) If
any
Lender is a “foreign person” within the meaning of the IRC and such Lender
claims exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. withholding tax under Sections
1441 or 1442 of the IRC, such Lender agrees with and in favor of Agent and
Borrower, to deliver to Agent and Borrower:
(i) if
such
Lender claims an exemption from withholding tax pursuant to its portfolio
interest exception, (A) a statement of the Lender, signed under penalty of
perjury, that it is not a (I) a “bank” as described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of
the IRC, (II) a 10% shareholder of Borrower (within the meaning of Section
871(h)(3)(B) of the IRC), or (III) a controlled foreign corporation related
to
Borrower within the meaning of Section 864(d)(4) of the IRC, and (B) a properly
completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN, before the first payment of any interest
under this Agreement to the Lender and at any other time reasonably requested
by
Agent or Borrower;
(ii) if
such
Lender claims an exemption from, or a reduction of, withholding tax under a
United States tax treaty, properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN before
the first payment of any interest to the Lender under this Agreement and at
any
other time reasonably requested by Agent or Borrower;
(iii) if
such
Lender claims that interest paid under this Agreement is exempt from United
States withholding tax because it is effectively connected with a United States
trade or business of such Lender, two properly completed and executed copies
of
IRS Form W-8ECI before the first payment of any interest to the Lender is due
under this Agreement and at any other time reasonably requested by Agent or
Borrower; and
(iv) such
other form or forms as may be required under the IRC or other laws of the United
States as a condition to exemption from, or reduction of, United States
withholding tax, as reasonably requested by Agent or Borrower at times
reasonably requested by Agent or Borrower.
Such
Lender agrees promptly to notify Agent and Borrower of any change in
circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or
reduction.
(b) If
any
Lender claims exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax under a United
States tax treaty by providing IRS Form W-8BEN and such Lender sells, assigns,
grants a participation in, or otherwise transfers all or part of the Obligations
of Borrower to such Lender, such Lender agrees to notify Agent of the percentage
amount in which it is no longer the beneficial owner of Obligations of Borrower
to such Lender. To the extent of such percentage amount, Agent will treat such
Lender’s IRS Form W-8BEN as no longer valid.
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(c) Subject
to Section
16.11(e),
if any
Lender is entitled to a reduction in the applicable withholding tax, Agent
may
withhold from any interest payment to such Lender an amount equivalent to the
applicable withholding tax after taking into account such reduction. If the
forms or other documentation required by subsection (a) of this Section are
not
delivered to Agent, then Agent may withhold from any interest payment to such
Lender not providing such forms or other documentation an amount equivalent
to
the applicable withholding tax.
(d) If
the
IRS or any other Governmental Authority of the United States or other
jurisdiction asserts a claim that Agent did not properly withhold tax from
amounts paid to or for the account of any Lender (because the appropriate form
was not delivered, was not properly executed, or because such Lender failed
to
notify Agent of a change in circumstances which rendered the exemption from,
or
reduction of, withholding tax ineffective, or for any other reason) such Lender
shall indemnify and hold Agent harmless for all amounts paid, directly or
indirectly, by Agent as tax or otherwise, including penalties and interest,
and
including any taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on the amounts payable to Agent
under this Section, together with all costs and expenses (including attorneys
fees and expenses). The obligation of the Lenders under this subsection shall
survive the payment of all Obligations and the resignation or replacement of
Agent.
(e) All
payments made by Borrower hereunder or under any note will be made without
setoff, counterclaim, or other defense, except as required by applicable law
other than for Taxes (as defined below). To the extent permitted by applicable
law, all such payments will be made free and clear of, and without deduction
or
withholding for, any present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, fees,
assessments or other charges of whatever nature now or hereafter imposed by
any
jurisdiction (other than the United States) or by any political subdivision
or
taxing authority thereof or therein (other than of the United States) with
respect to such payments (but excluding, any tax imposed by any jurisdiction
or
by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein (i) measured
by or based on the net income or net profits of a Lender, or (ii) to the extent
that such tax results from a change in the circumstances of the Lender,
including a change in the residence, place of organization, or principal place
of business of the Lender, or a change in the branch or lending office of the
Lender participating in the transactions set forth herein) and all interest,
penalties or similar liabilities with respect thereto (all such non-excluded
taxes, levies, imposts, duties, fees, assessments or other charges being
referred to collectively as “Taxes”).
If
any Taxes are so levied or imposed, Borrower agrees to pay the full amount
of
such Taxes, and such additional amounts as may be necessary so that every
pay-ment of all amounts due under this Agreement or under any note, including
any amount paid pursuant to this Section 16.11(e)
after
withholding or deduction for or on account of any Taxes, will not be less than
the amount provided for herein; provided,
however,
that
Borrower shall not be required to increase any such amounts payable to Agent
or
any Lender (i) that is not organized under the laws of the United States, if
such Person fails to comply with the other requirements of this Section
16.11,
(ii) if
the increase in such amount payable results from Agent’s or such Lender’s own
willful mis-conduct or gross negligence or (iii) as provided in Section
16.11(f).
Borrower will furnish to Agent as promptly as possible after the date the
payment of any Taxes is due pursuant to applicable law certified copies of
tax
receipts evidencing such payment by Borrower.
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(f) Notwithstanding
anything in this Section
16.11,
Borrower will not be required to make payments under this Section
16.11
(including any increased payments under Section
16.11(e))
with
respect to taxes that are imposed on amounts payable to the Lender at the time
the Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office
outside the United States), except to the extent that such Lender (or its
assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending
office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from Borrower with respect
to such withholding tax pursuant to Section
16.11.
(g) If
any
payment by the Borrower is made to or for the account of the Lender after
deduction for or on account of any Taxes, and increased payments are made by
Borrower pursuant to this Section
16.11,
then,
if the Lender reasonably determines that it has received or been granted a
refund of, credit against or remission of such Taxes, such Lender shall
reimburse to Borrower such amount as such Lender shall determine to be
attributable to the relevant Taxes or deduction or withholding; provided, that
(i) such Lender shall not be obligated to disclose to Borrower any information
regarding its tax affairs and computations, and (ii) nothing herein shall be
construed so as to interfere with the right of such Lender to arrange its tax
affairs as it deems appropriate. If the Lender reasonably determines that a
refund or credit is disallowed or reduced, Borrower shall promptly reimburse
the
Lender to the extent of such disallowance or reduction (and any interest paid
to
any applicable taxing authority).
16.12 Collateral
Matters.
(a) The
Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize Agent, at its option and in its sole
discretion (it being understood that such release shall be mandatory under
the
circumstances described in clauses (ii) and (iv) below if no Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing at the time of such circumstances described
in
clause (ii) and (iv) below), to release any Lien on any Collateral (i) upon
the termination of the Commitments and payment and satisfaction in full by
Borrower of all Obligations, (ii) constituting property being sold or
disposed of if a release is required or desirable in connection therewith and
if
Borrower certifies to Agent that the sale or disposition is permitted under
Section
7.3
of this
Agreement or the other Loan Documents (and Agent may rely conclusively on any
such certificate, without further inquiry) in which case Agent shall release
such Collateral at the request of Borrower, (iii) constituting property in
which no Credit Party owned any interest at the time the Agent’s Lien was
granted nor at any time thereafter, or (iv) constituting property leased to
any
Credit Party under a lease that has expired or is terminated in a transaction
permitted under this Agreement. Except as provided above, Agent will not execute
and deliver a release of any Lien on any Collateral without the prior written
authorization of (y) if the release is of all or substantially all of the
Collateral, all of the Lenders, or (z) otherwise, the Required Lenders. Upon
request by Agent or Borrower at any time, the Lenders will confirm in writing
Agent’s authority to release any such Liens on particular types or items of
Collateral pursuant to this Section 16.12;
provided,
however,
that
(1) Agent shall not be required to execute any document necessary to evidence
such release on terms that, in Agent’s opinion, would expose Agent to liability
or create any obligation or entail any consequence other than the release of
such Lien without recourse, representation, or warranty, and (2) such release
shall not in any manner discharge, affect, or impair the Obligations or any
Liens (other than those expressly being released) upon (or obligations of any
Credit Party in respect of) all interests retained by each Credit Party,
including, the proceeds of any sale, all of which shall continue to constitute
part of the Collateral.
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(b) Agent
shall have no obligation whatsoever to any of the Lenders to assure that the
Collateral exists or is owned by a Credit Party or is cared for, protected,
or
insured or has been encumbered, or that the Agent’s Liens have been properly or
sufficiently or lawfully created, perfected, protected, or enforced or are
entitled to any particular priority, or to exercise at all or in any particular
manner or under any duty of care, disclosure or fidelity, or to continue
exercising, any of the rights, authorities and powers granted or available
to
Agent pursuant to any of the Loan Documents, it being understood and agreed
that
in respect of the Collateral, or any act, omission, or event related thereto,
subject to the terms and conditions contained herein, Agent may act in any
manner it may deem appropriate, in its sole discretion given Agent’s own
interest in the Collateral in its capacity as one of the Lenders and that Agent
shall have no other duty or liability whatsoever to any Lender as to any of
the
foregoing, except as otherwise provided herein.
16.13 Restrictions
on Actions by Lenders; Sharing of Payments.
(a) Each
of
the Lenders agrees that it shall not, without the express written consent of
Agent, and that it shall, to the extent it is lawfully entitled to do so, upon
the written request of Agent, set off against the Obligations, any amounts
owing
by such Lender to Borrower or any deposit accounts of any Credit Party now
or
hereafter maintained with such Lender. Each of the Lenders further agrees that
it shall not, unless specifically requested to do so in writing by Agent, take
or cause to be taken any action, including, the commencement of any legal or
equitable proceedings, to foreclose any Lien on, or otherwise enforce any
security interest in, any of the Collateral.
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(b) If,
at
any time or times any Lender shall receive (i) by payment, foreclosure, setoff,
or otherwise, any proceeds of the Collateral or any payments with respect to
the
Obligations, except for any such proceeds or payments received by such Lender
from Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, or (ii) payments from
Agent in excess of such Lender’s ratable portion of all such distributions by
Agent, such Lender promptly shall (1) turn the same over to Agent, in kind,
and
with such endorsements as may be required to negotiate the same to Agent, or
in
immediately available funds, as applicable, for the account of all of the
Lenders and for application to the Obligations in accordance with the applicable
provisions of this Agreement, or (2) purchase, without recourse or warranty,
an
undivided interest and participation in the Obligations owed to the other
Lenders so that such excess payment received shall be applied ratably as among
the Lenders in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares; provided,
however,
that to
the extent that such excess payment received by the purchasing party is
thereafter recovered from it, those purchases of participations shall be
rescinded in whole or in part, as applicable, and the applicable portion of
the
purchase price paid therefor shall be returned to such purchasing party, but
without interest except to the extent that such purchasing party is required
to
pay interest in connection with the recovery of the excess payment.
16.14 Agency
for Perfection.
Agent
hereby appoints each other Lender as its agent (and each Lender hereby accepts
such appointment) for the purpose of perfecting the Agent’s Liens in assets
which, in accordance with Article 9 of the Code can be perfected only by
possession or control. Should any Lender obtain possession or control of any
such Collateral, such Lender shall notify Agent thereof, and, promptly upon
Agent’s request therefor shall deliver possession or control of such Collateral
to Agent or in accordance with Agent’s instructions.
16.15 Payments
by Agent to the Lenders.
All
payments to be made by Agent to the Lenders shall be made by bank wire transfer
of immediately available funds pursuant to such wire transfer instructions
as
each party may designate for itself by written notice to Agent. Concurrently
with each such payment, Agent shall identify whether such payment (or any
portion thereof) represents principal, premium, or interest of the
Obligations.
16.16 Concerning
the Collateral and Related Loan Documents.
Each
member of the Lender Group authorizes and directs Agent to enter into this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each member of the Lender Group agrees
that any action taken by Agent in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
or
the other Loan Documents relating to the Collateral and the exercise by Agent
of
its powers set forth therein or herein, together with such other powers that
are
reasonably incidental thereto, shall be binding upon all of the
Lenders.
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16.17 Field
Audits and Examination Reports; Confidentiality; Disclaimers by Lenders; Other
Reports and Information.
By
becoming a party to this Agreement, each Lender:
(a) is
deemed
to have requested that Agent furnish such Lender, promptly after it becomes
available, a copy of each field audit or examination report (each a
“Report”
and
collectively, “Reports”)
prepared by Agent, and Agent shall so furnish each Lender with such Reports,
(b) expressly
agrees and acknowledges that each of Agent and Borrower (i) do not make any
representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any Report, and (ii) shall
not
be liable for any information contained in any Report, except with respect
to
Borrower to the extent that it has supplied materially false or misleading
information contained in any Report,
(c) expressly
agrees and acknowledges that the Reports are not comprehensive audits or
examinations, that Agent or other party performing any audit or examination
will
inspect only specific information regarding the applicable Credit Party and
will
rely significantly upon the Books, as well as on representations of such Credit
Party’s personnel,
(d) agrees
to
keep all Reports and other material, non-public information regarding each
Credit Party and its operations, assets, and existing and contemplated business
plans in a confidential manner in accordance with Section
18.8,
and
(e) without
limiting the generality of any other indemnification provision contained in
this
Agreement, agrees: (i) to hold Agent and any other Lender preparing a Report
harmless from any action the indemnifying Lender may take or fail to take or
any
conclusion the indemnifying Lender may reach or draw from any Report in
connection with any loans or other credit accommodations that the indemnifying
Lender has made or may make to any Credit Party, or the indemnifying Lender’s
participation in, or the indemnifying Lender’s purchase of, a loan or loans of
any Credit Party, and (ii) to pay and protect, and indemnify, defend and hold
Agent, and any such other Lender preparing a Report harmless from and against,
the claims, actions, proceedings, damages, costs, expenses, and other amounts
(including, attorneys fees and costs) incurred by Agent and any such other
Lender preparing a Report as the direct or indirect result of any third parties
who might obtain all or part of any Report through the indemnifying
Lender.
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In
addition to the foregoing: (x) any Lender may from time to time request of
Agent
in writing that Agent provide to such Lender a copy of any report or document
provided by any Credit Party to Agent that has not been contemporaneously
provided by such Credit Party to such Lender, and, upon receipt of such request,
Agent promptly shall provide a copy of same to such Lender, (y) to the extent
that Agent is entitled, under any provision of the Loan Documents, to request
additional reports or information from any Credit Party, any Lender may, from
time to time, reasonably request Agent to exercise such right as specified
in
such Lender’s notice to Agent, whereupon Agent promptly shall request of such
Credit Party the additional reports or information reasonably specified by
such
Lender, and, upon receipt thereof from Borrower, Agent promptly shall provide
a
copy of same to such Lender, and (z) any time that Agent renders to such Credit
Party a statement regarding the Loan Account, Agent shall send a copy of such
statement to each Lender.
16.18 Several
Obligations; No Liability.
Notwithstanding that certain of the Loan Documents now or hereafter may have
been or will be executed only by or in favor of Agent in its capacity as such,
and not by or in favor of the Lenders, any and all obligations on the part
of
Agent (if any) to make any credit available hereunder shall constitute the
several (and not joint) obligations of the respective Lenders on a ratable
basis, according to their respective Commitments, to make an amount of such
credit not to exceed, in principal amount, at any one time outstanding, the
amount of their respective Commitments. Nothing contained herein shall confer
upon any Lender any interest in, or subject any Lender to any liability for,
or
in respect of, the business, assets, profits, losses, or liabilities of any
other Lender. Each Lender shall be solely responsible for notifying its
Participants of any matters relating to the Loan Documents to the extent any
such notice may be required, and no Lender shall have any obligation, duty,
or
liability to any Participant of any other Lender. Except as provided in
Section
16.7,
no
member of the Lender Group shall have any liability for the acts of any other
member of the Lender Group. No Lender shall be responsible to any Credit Party
or any other Person for any failure by any other Lender to fulfill its
obligations to make credit available hereunder, nor to advance for it or on
its
behalf in connection with its Commitment, nor to take any other action on its
behalf hereunder or in connection with the financing contemplated
herein.
16.19 Legal
Representation of Agent.
In
connection with the negotiation, drafting, and execution of this Agreement
and
the other Loan Documents, or in connection with future legal representation
relating to loan administration, amendments, modifications, waivers, or
enforcement of remedies, Winston & Xxxxxx LLP (“Winston”)
only
has represented and only shall represent WFRF in its capacity as Agent and
as a
Lender. Each other Lender hereby acknowledges that Winston does not represent
it
in connection with any such matters.
17.
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GUARANTY.
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17.1 Guaranty
of the Obligations.
Subject
to the provisions of Section
17.2,
Guarantors jointly and severally hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guaranty
to Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lender Group the due and punctual
payment in full of all Obligations when the same shall become due, whether
at
stated maturity, by required prepayment, declaration, acceleration, demand
or
otherwise (including amounts that would become due but for the operation of
the
automatic stay under Section 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. Section
362(a)) (collectively, the “Guaranteed Obligations”).
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17.2 Contribution
by Guarantors.
All
Guarantors desire to allocate among themselves (collectively, the “Contributing
Guarantors”),
in a
fair and equitable manner, their obligations arising under this Guaranty.
Accordingly, in the event any payment or distribution is made on any date by
a
Guarantor (a “Funding
Guarantor”)
under
this Guaranty that exceeds its Fair Share as of such date, such Funding
Guarantor shall be entitled to a contribution from each of the other
Contributing Guarantors in the amount of such other Contributing Guarantor’s
Fair Share Shortfall as of such date, with the result that all such
contributions will cause each Contributing Guarantor’s Aggregate Payments to
equal its Fair Share as of such date. “Fair Share” means, with respect to a
Contributing Guarantor as of any date of determination, an amount equal to
(a)
the ratio of (i) the Fair Share Contribution Amount with respect to such
Contributing Guarantor to (ii) the aggregate of the Fair Share Contribution
Amounts with respect to all Contributing Guarantors multiplied by (b) the
aggregate amount paid or distributed on or before such date by all Funding
Guarantors under this Guaranty in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations. “Fair
Share Shortfall” means, with respect to a Contributing Guarantor as of any date
of determination, the excess, if any, of the Fair Share of such Contributing
Guarantor over the Aggregate Payments of such Contributing Guarantor. “Fair
Share Contribution Amount” means, with respect to a Contributing Guarantor as of
any date of determination, the maximum aggregate amount of the obligations
of
such Contributing Guarantor under this Guaranty that would not render its
obligations hereunder or thereunder subject to avoidance as a fraudulent
transfer or conveyance under Section 548 of Title 11 of the United States Code
or any comparable applicable provisions of state law; provided, solely for
purposes of calculating the “Fair Share Contribution Amount” with respect to any
Contributing Guarantor for purposes of this Section
17.2,
any
assets or liabilities of such Contributing Guarantor arising by virtue of any
rights to subrogation, reimbursement or indemnification or any rights to or
obligations of contribution hereunder shall not be considered as assets or
liabilities of such Contributing Guarantor. “Aggregate Payments” means, with
respect to a Contributing Guarantor as of any date of determination, an amount
equal to (a) the aggregate amount of all payments and distributions made on
or
before such date by such Contributing Guarantor in respect of this Guaranty
(including, without limitation, in respect of this Section
17.2),
minus
(b) the aggregate amount of all payments received on or before such date by
such
Contributing Guarantor from the other Contributing Guarantors as contributions
under this Section
17.2.
The
amounts payable as contributions hereunder shall be determined as of the date
on
which the related payment or distribution is made by the applicable Funding
Guarantor. The allocation among Contributing Guarantors of their obligations
as
set forth in this Section
17.2
shall
not be construed in any way to limit the liability of any Contributing Guarantor
hereunder. Each Guarantor is a third party beneficiary to the contribution
agreement set forth in this Section
17.2.
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17.3 Payment
by Guarantors.
Subject
to Section
17.2,
Guarantors hereby jointly and severally agree, in furtherance of the foregoing
and not in limitation of any other right which any member of the Lender Group
may have at law or in equity against any Guarantor by virtue hereof, that upon
the failure of Borrower to pay any of the Guaranteed Obligations when and as
the
same shall become due, whether at stated maturity, by required prepayment,
declaration, acceleration, demand or otherwise (including amounts that would
become due but for the operation of the automatic stay under Section 362(a)
of
the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. Section 362(a)), Guarantors will upon demand
pay,
or cause to be paid, in cash, to Agent for the ratable benefit of the Lender
Group, an amount equal to the sum of the unpaid principal amount of all
Guaranteed Obligations then due as aforesaid, accrued and unpaid interest on
such Guaranteed Obligations (including interest which, but for Borrower’s
becoming the subject of a case under the Bankruptcy Code, would have accrued
on
such Guaranteed Obligations, whether or not a claim is allowed against Borrower
for such interest in the related bankruptcy case) and all other Guaranteed
Obligations then owed to the Lender Group as aforesaid.
17.4 Liability
of Guarantors Absolute.
Each
Guarantor agrees that its obligations hereunder are irrevocable, absolute,
independent and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance
which constitutes a legal or equitable discharge of a guarantor or surety other
than payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations. In furtherance of the
foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, each Guarantor agrees
as
follows:
(a) this
Guaranty is a guaranty of payment when due and not of collectability. This
Guaranty is a primary obligation of each Guarantor and not merely a contract of
surety;
(b) Agent
may
enforce this Guaranty upon the occurrence of an Event of Default notwithstanding
the existence of any dispute between Borrower and any member of the Lender
Group
with respect to the existence of such Event of Default;
(c) the
obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are independent of the obligations
of
Borrower and the obligations of any other guarantor (including any other
Guarantor) of the obligations of Borrower, and a separate action or actions
may
be brought and prosecuted against such Guarantor whether or not any action
is
brought against Borrower or any of such other guarantors and whether or not
Borrower is joined in any such action or actions;
(d) payment
by any Guarantor of a portion, but not all, of the Guaranteed Obligations shall
in no way limit, affect, modify or abridge any Guarantor’s liability for any
portion of the Guaranteed Obligations which has not been paid. Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, if Agent is awarded a judgment in any suit
brought to enforce any Guarantor’s covenant to pay a portion of the Guaranteed
Obligations, such judgment shall not be deemed to release such Guarantor from
its covenant to pay the portion of the Guaranteed Obligations that is not the
subject of such suit, and such judgment shall not, except to the extent
satisfied by such Guarantor, limit, affect, modify or abridge any other
Guarantor’s liability hereunder in respect of the Guaranteed
Obligations;
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(e) Any
member of the Lender Group, upon such terms as it deems appropriate, without
or
demand and without affecting the validity or enforceability hereof or giving
rise to any reduction, limitation, impairment, discharge or termination of
any
Guarantor’s liability hereunder, from time to time may (i) renew, extend,
accelerate, increase the rate of interest on, or otherwise change the time,
place, manner or terms of payment of the Guaranteed Obligations; (ii) settle,
compromise, release or discharge, or accept or refuse any offer of performance
with respect to, or substitutions for, the Guaranteed Obligations or any
agreement relating thereto and/or subordinate the payment of the same to the
payment of any other obligations; (iii) request and accept other guaranties
of
the Guaranteed Obligations and take and hold security for the payment of the
Guaranteed Obligations; (iv) release, surrender, exchange, substitute,
compromise, settle, rescind, waive, alter, subordinate or modify, with or
without consideration, any security for payment of the Guaranteed Obligations,
any other guaranties of the Guaranteed Obligations, or any other obligation
of
any Person (including any other Guarantor) with respect to the Guaranteed
Obligations; (v) enforce and apply any security now or hereafter held by or
for
the benefit of such member of the Lender Bank Group in respect hereof or the
Guaranteed Obligations and direct the order or manner of sale thereof, or
exercise any other right or remedy that such member of the Lender Bank Group
may
have against any such security, in each case as such member of the Lender Bank
Group in its discretion may determine consistent herewith and any applicable
security agreement, including foreclosure on any such security pursuant to
one
or more judicial or nonjudicial sales, whether or not every aspect of any such
sale is commercially reasonable, and even though such action operates to impair
or extinguish any right of reimbursement or subrogation or other right or remedy
of any Guarantor against Borrower or
any
security for the Guaranteed Obligations; and (vi) exercise any other right
available to it under the Loan Documents; and
(f) this
Guaranty and the obligations of Guarantors hereunder shall be valid and
enforceable and shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment,
discharge or termination for any reason (other than payment in full of the
Guaranteed Obligations), including the occurrence of any of the following,
whether or not any Guarantor shall have had notice or knowledge of any of them:
(i) any failure or omission to assert or enforce or agreement or election not
to
assert or enforce, or the stay or enjoining, by order of court, by operation
of
law or otherwise, of the exercise or enforcement of, any claim or demand or
any
right, power or remedy (whether arising under the Loan Documents or at law,
in
equity or otherwise) with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement
relating thereto, or with respect to any other guaranty of or security for
the
payment the Guaranteed Obligations (ii) any rescission, waiver, amendment or
modification of, or any consent to departure from, any of the terms or
provisions (including provisions relating to events of default) hereof, any
of
the other Loan Documents, or any agreement or instrument executed pursuant
thereto, or of any other guaranty or security for the Guaranteed Obligations,
in
each case whether or not in accordance with the terms hereof or such Loan
Document, or any agreement relating to such other guaranty or security; (iii)
the Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement relating thereto, at any time being
found to be illegal invalid or unenforceable in any respect; (iv) the
application of payments received from any source (other than payments received
pursuant to the other Loan Documents or from the proceeds of any security for
the Guaranteed Obligations, except to the extent such security also serves
as
collateral for Indebtedness other than the Guaranteed Obligations) to the
payment of Indebtedness other than the Guarantee Obligations, even though any
member of the Lender Group might have elected to apply such payment to any
part
or all of the Guaranteed Obligations; (v) any member of the Lender Group’s
consent to the change, reorganization or termination of the corporate structure
or existence of any Credit Party and to any corresponding restructuring of
the
Guaranteed Obligations; (vi) any failure to perfect or continue perfection
of a
security interest in any collateral which secures any of the Guaranteed
Obligations; (vii) any defenses, set-offs or counterclaims which Borrower may
allege or assert against any member of the Lender Group in respect of the
Guaranteed Obligations, including failure of consideration, breach of warranty,
payment, statute of frauds, statute of limitations, accord and satisfaction
and
usury; and (viii) any other act or thing or omission, or delay to do any other
act or thing, which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk
of
any Guarantor as an obligor in respect of the Guaranteed
Obligations.
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17.5 Waivers
by Guarantors.
Each
Guarantor hereby waives, for the benefit of the Lender Group: (a) any right
to
require any member of the Lender Group, as a condition of payment or performance
by such Guarantor, to (i) proceed against Borrower, any other guarantor
(including any other Guarantor) of the Guaranteed Obligations or any other
Person, (ii) proceed against or exhaust any security held from Borrower, any
such other guarantor or any other Person, (iii) proceed against or have resort
to any balance of any Deposit Account or credit on the books of any member
of
the Lender Group in favor of Borrower or any other Person, or (iv) pursue any
other remedy in the power of any member of the Lender Group whatsoever; (b)
any
defense arising by reason of the incapacity, lack of authority or any disability
or other defense of Borrower or any other Guarantor including any defense based
on or arising out of the lack of validity or the unenforceability of the
Guaranteed Obligations or any agreement or instrument relating thereto or by
reason of the cessation of the liability of Borrower or any other Guarantor
from
any cause other than payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations; (c) any
defense based upon any statute or rule of law which provides that the obligation
of a surety must be neither larger in amount nor in other respects more
burdensome than that of the principal; (d) any defense based upon any member
of
the Lender Group’s errors or omissions in the administration of the Guaranteed
Obligations, except behavior which amounts to bad faith; (e) (i) any principles
or provisions of law, statutory or otherwise, which are or might be in conflict
with the terms hereof and any legal or equitable discharge of such Guarantor’s
obligations hereunder, (ii) the benefit of any statute of limitations affecting
such Guarantor’s liability hereunder or the enforcement hereof, (iii) any rights
to set-offs, recoupments and counterclaims, and (iv) promptness, diligence
and
any requirement that any member of the Lender Group protect, secure, perfect
or
insure any security interest or lien or any property subject thereto; (f)
notices, demands, presentments, protests, notices of protest, notices of
dishonor and notices of any action or inaction, including acceptance hereof,
notices of default hereunder, or any agreement or instrument related thereto,
notices of any renewal, extension or modification of the Guaranteed Obligations
or any agreement related thereto, notices of any extension of credit to Borrower
and notices of any of the matters referred to in Section
17.4
and any
right to consent to any thereof; and (g) any defenses or benefits that may
be
derived from or afforded by law which limit the liability of or exonerate
guarantors or sureties, or which may conflict with the terms
hereof.
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17.6 Guarantors’
Rights of Subrogation, Contribution, Etc.
Until
the Guaranteed Obligations shall have been indefeasibly paid in full and the
Commitments shall have terminated and all Letters of Credit shall have expired
or been cancelled, each Guarantor hereby waives any claim, right or remedy,
direct or indirect, that such Guarantor now has or may hereafter have against
Borrower or any other Guarantor or any of its assets in connection with this
Guaranty or the performance by such Guarantor of its obligations hereunder,
in
each case whether such claim, right or remedy arises in equity, under contract,
by statute, under common law or otherwise and including without limitation
(a)
any right of subrogation, reimbursement or indemnification that such Guarantor
now has or may hereafter have against Borrower with respect to the Guaranteed
Obligations, (b) any right to enforce, or to participate in, any claim, right
or
remedy that any member of the Lender Group now has or may hereafter have against
Borrower, and (c) any benefit of, and any right to participate in, any
collateral or security now or hereafter held by any member of the Lender Group.
In addition, until the Guaranteed Obligations shall have been indefeasibly
paid
in full and the Commitments shall have terminated and all Letters of Credit
shall have expired or been cancelled, each Guarantor shall withhold exercise
of
any right of contribution such Guarantor may have against any other guarantor
(including any other Guarantor) of the Guaranteed Obligations, including,
without limitation, any such right of contribution as contemplated by
Section
17.2.
Each
Guarantor further agrees that, to the extent the waiver or agreement to withhold
the exercise of its rights of subrogation, reimbursement, indemnification and
contribution as set forth herein is found by a court of competent jurisdiction
to be void or voidable for any reason, any rights of subrogation, reimbursement
or indemnification such Guarantor may have against Borrower or against any
collateral or security, and any rights of contribution such Guarantor may have
against any such other guarantor, shall be junior and subordinate to any rights
any member of the Lender Group may have against Borrower, to all right, title
and interest any member of the Lender Group may have in any such collateral
or
security, and to any right any member of the Lender Group may have against
such
other guarantor. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor on account of
any
such subrogation, reimbursement, indemnification or contribution rights at
any
time when all Guaranteed Obligations shall not have been finally and
indefeasibly paid in full, such amount shall be held in trust for Agent on
behalf of the Lender Group and shall forthwith be paid over to Agent for the
benefit of the Lender Group to be credited and applied against the Guaranteed
Obligations, whether matured or unmatured, in accordance with the terms
hereof.
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17.7 Subordination
Of Other Obligations.
Any
Indebtedness of Borrower or any Guarantor now or hereafter held by any Guarantor
(the “Obligee
Guarantor”)
is
hereby subordinated in right of payment to the Guaranteed Obligations, and
any
such indebtedness collected or received by the Obligee Guarantor after an Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing shall be held in trust for Agent
on
behalf of the Lender Group and shall forthwith be paid over to Agent for the
benefit of the Lender Group to be credited and applied against the Guaranteed
Obligations but without affecting, impairing or limiting in any manner the
liability of the Obligee Guarantor under any other provision
hereof.
17.8 Continuing
Guaranty.
This
Guaranty is a continuing guaranty and shall remain in effect until all of the
Guaranteed Obligations shall have been finally and indefeasibly paid in full
and
the Commitments shall have terminated and all Letters of Credit shall have
expired or been cancelled. Each Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives any right
to
revoke this Guaranty as to future transactions giving rise to any Guaranteed
Obligations.
17.9 Authority
of Guarantors or Borrower.
It is
not necessary for any member of the Lender Group to inquire into the capacity
or
powers of any Guarantor or Borrower or the officers, directors or any agents
acting or purporting to act on behalf of any of them.
17.10 Financial
Condition of Borrower.
Any
Advance may be made to Borrower or continued from time to time, and any other
agreements relating to the Obligations may be entered into from time to time,
in
each case without notice to or authorization from any Guarantor regardless
of
the financial or other condition of Borrower at the time of any such grant
or
continuation or at the time such other agreement is entered into, as the case
may be. No member of the Lender Group shall have any obligation to disclose
or
discuss with any Guarantor its assessment, or any Guarantor’s assessment, of the
financial condition of Borrower. Each Guarantor has adequate means to obtain
information from Borrower on a continuing basis concerning the financial
condition of Borrower and its ability to perform its obligations under the
Loan
Documents and each Guarantor assumes the responsibility for being and keeping
informed of the financial condition of Borrower and of all circumstances bearing
upon the risk of nonpayment of the Guaranteed Obligations. Each Guarantor hereby
waives and relinquishes any duty on the part of any member of the Lender Group
to disclose any matter, fact or thing relating to the business, operations
or
conditions of Borrower now known or hereafter known by any member of the Lender
Group.
-126-
17.11 Bankruptcy,
Etc.
(a) The
obligations of Guarantors hereunder shall not be reduced, limited, impaired,
discharged, deferred, suspended or terminated by any case or proceeding,
voluntary or involuntary, involving the bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership,
reorganization, liquidation or arrangement of Borrower or any other Guarantor
or
by any defense which Borrower or any other Guarantor may have by reason of
the
order, decree or decision of any court or administrative body resulting from
any
such proceeding.
(b) Each
Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that any interest on any portion of the
Guaranteed Obligations which accrues after the commencement of any case or
proceeding referred to in clause (a) above (or, if interest on any portion
of
the Guaranteed Obligations ceases to accrue by operation of law by reason of
the
commencement of such case or proceeding, such interest as would have accrued
on
such portion of the Guaranteed Obligations if such case or proceeding had not
been commenced) shall be included in the Guaranteed Obligations because it
is
the intention of Guarantors and the Lender Group that the Guaranteed Obligations
which are guaranteed by Guarantors pursuant hereto should be determined without
regard to any rule of law or order which may relieve Borrower of any portion
of
such Guaranteed Obligations. Guarantors will permit any trustee in bankruptcy,
receiver, debtor in possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar
person to pay Agent, or allow the claim of Agent in respect of, any such
interest accruing after the date on which such case or proceeding is
commenced.
(c) In
the
event that all or any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations are paid by
Borrower, the obligations of Guarantors hereunder shall continue and remain
in
full force and effect or be reinstated, as the case may be, in the event that
all or any part of such payment(s) are rescinded or recovered directly or
indirectly from any member of the Lender Group as a preference, fraudulent
transfer or otherwise, and any such payments which are so rescinded or recovered
shall constitute Guaranteed Obligations for all purposes hereunder.
18.
|
GENERAL
PROVISIONS.
|
18.1 Effectiveness.
This
Agreement shall be binding and deemed effective when executed by each Credit
Party, Agent, and each Lender whose signature is provided for on the signature
pages hereof.
-127-
18.2 Section
Headings.
Headings and numbers have been set forth herein for convenience only. Unless
the
contrary is compelled by the context, everything contained in each Section
applies equally to this entire Agreement.
18.3 Interpretation.
Neither
this Agreement nor any uncertainty or ambiguity herein shall be construed
against the Lender Group or the Credit Parties, whether under any rule of
construction or otherwise. On the contrary, this Agreement has been reviewed
by
all parties and shall be construed and interpreted according to the ordinary
meaning of the words used so as to accomplish fairly the purposes and intentions
of all parties hereto.
18.4 Severability
of Provisions.
Each
provision of this Agreement shall be severable from every other provision of
this Agreement for the purpose of determining the legal enforceability of any
specific provision.
18.5 Amendments
in Writing.
This
Agreement only can be amended by a writing signed by Agent (on behalf of the
requisite Lenders pursuant to Section
15.1)
and
each Credit Party.
18.6 Counterparts;
Telefacsimile Execution.
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties
on separate counterparts, each of which, when executed and delivered, shall
be
deemed to be an original, and all of which, when taken together, shall
constitute but one and the same Agreement. Delivery of an executed counterpart
of this Agreement by telefacsimile shall be equally as effective as delivery
of
an original executed counterpart of this Agreement. Any party delivering an
executed counterpart of this Agreement by telefacsimile also shall deliver
an
original executed counterpart of this Agreement but the failure to deliver
an
original executed counterpart shall not affect the validity, enforceability,
and
binding effect of this Agreement. The foregoing shall apply to each other Loan
Document mutatis
mutandis.
18.7 Revival
and Reinstatement of Obligations.
If the
incurrence or payment of the Obligations by any Credit Party or the transfer
to
the Lender Group of any property should for any reason subsequently be declared
to be void or voidable under any state or federal law relating to creditors’
rights, including provisions of the Bankruptcy Code relating to fraudulent
conveyances, preferences, or other voidable or recoverable payments of money
or
transfers of property (collectively, a “Voidable
Transfer”),
and
if the Lender Group is required to repay or restore, in whole or in part, any
such Voidable Transfer, or elects to do so upon the reasonable advice of its
counsel, then, as to any such Voidable Transfer, or the amount thereof that
the
Lender Group is required or elects to repay or restore, and as to all reasonable
costs, expenses, and attorneys fees of the Lender Group related thereto, the
liability of such Credit Party automatically shall be revived, reinstated,
and
restored and shall exist as though such Voidable Transfer had never been
made.
18.8 Confidentiality.
The
Agent and the Lenders each individually (and not jointly or jointly and
severally) agree that material, non-public information regarding any Credit
-128-
Party,
its operations, assets, and existing and contemplated business plans shall
be
treated by Agent and the Lenders in a confidential manner, and shall not be
disclosed by Agent and the Lenders to Persons who are not parties to this
Agreement, except: (a) to attorneys for and other advisors, accountants,
auditors, and consultants to any member of the Lender Group, who are advised
about the confidentiality of such information (b) to Subsidiaries and Affiliates
of any member of the Lender Group, provided that any such Subsidiary or
Affiliate shall have agreed to receive such information hereunder subject to
the
terms of this Section
18.8
or
similar confidentiality agreement, (c) as may be required by statute, decision,
or judicial or administrative order, rule, or regulation (with prompt notice
to
Borrower so that Borrower may seek a protective order or other appropriate
remedy and/or waive Agent’s or any Lender’s compliance with the provisions of
this Section
18.8),
(d) as
may be agreed to in advance by such Credit Party or as requested or required
by
any Governmental Authority pursuant to any subpoena or other legal process
regulation (with prompt notice to Borrower so that Borrower may seek a
protective order or other appropriate remedy and/or waive Agent’s or any
Lender’s compliance with the provisions of this Section
18.8),
(e) as
to any such information that is or becomes generally available to the public
(other than as a result of prohibited disclosure by or on behalf of Agent or
the
Lenders), (f) in connection with any assignment, prospective assignment, sale,
prospective sale, participation or prospective participations, or pledge or
prospective pledge of any Lender’s interest under this Agreement, provided that
any such assignee, prospective assignee, purchaser, prospective purchaser,
participant, prospective participant, pledgee, or prospective pledgee shall
have
agreed in writing to receive such information hereunder subject to the terms
of
this Section, and (g) in connection with any litigation or other adversary
proceeding involving parties hereto which such litigation or adversary
proceeding involves claims related to the rights or duties of such parties
under
this Agreement or the other Loan Documents; provided,
that
the disclosing party shall use its best efforts to ensure that such documents
are filed under seal. The provisions of this Section
18.8
shall
survive the payment in full of the Obligations. Anything contained herein or
in
any other Loan Document to the contrary notwithstanding, the obligations of
confidentiality contained herein and therein, as they relate to the transactions
contemplated hereby, shall not apply to the federal tax structure or federal
tax
treatment of such transactions, and each party hereto (and any employee,
representative, or agent of any party hereto) may disclose to any and all
Persons, without limitation of any kind, the federal tax structure and federal
tax treatment of such transactions (including all written materials related
to
such tax structure and tax treatment). The preceding sentence is intended to
cause the transactions contemplated hereby to not be treated as having been
offered under conditions of confidentiality for purposes of Section
1.6011-4(b)(3) (or any successor provision) of the Treasury Regulations
promulgated under Section 6011 of the IRC, and shall be construed in a manner
consistent with such purpose. In addition, each party hereto acknowledges that
it has no proprietary or exclusive rights to the tax structure of the
transactions contemplated hereby or any tax matter or tax idea related
thereto.
18.9 Integration.
This
Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, reflects the entire
understanding of the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated
hereby and shall not be contradicted or qualified by any other agreement, oral
or written, before the date hereof.
-129-
18.10 Patriot
Act Notice.
Agent
and each Lender hereby notifies the Credit Parties that pursuant to the
requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record
information that identifies each Credit Party, which information includes the
name and address of such Credit Party and other information that will allow
such
Lender or Agent, as applicable to identify such Credit Party in accordance
with
the Patriot Act. Each Credit Party shall, and shall cause the Subsidiaries
to
provide to the extent commercially reasonable, such information and take such
actions as are reasonably requested by Agent or any Lender in order to assist
the Agent and the Lenders in maintaining compliance with the Patriot
Act.
18.11 Amendment
and Restatement.
(a) On
the Closing Date, the Prior Loan Agreement shall be amended, restated and
superseded in its entirety. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (i)
this Agreement and the Loan Documents executed and delivered in connection
herewith do not constitute a novation, payment and reborrowing, or termination
of the “Obligations” (as defined in the Prior Loan Agreement) under the Prior
Loan Agreement as in effect prior to the Closing Date; (ii) such “Obligations”
are in all respects continuing with only the terms thereof being modified as
provided in this Agreement; (iii) the Liens as granted under the Collateral
Documents securing payment of such “Obligations” are in all respects continuing
and in full force and effect and secure the payment of the Obligations (as
defined in this Agreement) and are hereby fully ratified and affirmed; and
(iv)
upon the effectiveness of this Agreement all loans and letters of credit
outstanding under the Prior Loan Agreement immediately before the effectiveness
of this Agreement will be part of the Loans and Letters of Credit hereunder
on
the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Without limitation of
the
foregoing, each of Borrower and each other Credit Party hereby fully and
unconditionally ratifies and affirms all Collateral Documents and agrees that
all Collateral granted under the Prior Loan Agreement shall from and after
the
Closing Date secure all Obligations hereunder.
(b) Notwithstanding
the modifications effected by this Agreement of the representations, warranties
and covenants of the Credit Parties contained in the Prior Loan Agreement,
each
of Borrower and each other Credit Party acknowledges and agrees that any causes
of action or other rights created in favor of any Lender and its successors
arising out of the representations and warranties of any Credit Party contained
in or delivered (including representations and warranties delivered in
connection with the making of the loans or other extensions of credit
thereunder) in connection with the Prior Loan Agreement or any other Loan
Document executed in connection therewith shall survive the execution and
delivery of this Agreement; provided,
that the Obligations under the other Loan Documents shall also continue in
full
force and effect including, without limitation, the Obligations of each Credit
Party pursuant to the Guaranty.
-130-
(c) All
indemnification obligations of each Credit Party pursuant to the Prior Loan
Agreement (including any arising from a breach of the representations and
warranties thereunder) shall survive the amendment and restatement of the Prior
Loan Agreement pursuant to this Agreement.
(d) On
and after the Closing Date, each reference in the Loan Documents to the “Loan
Agreement”, “thereunder”, “thereof” or similar words referring to the Loan
Agreement shall mean and be a reference to this Agreement.
[Signature
pages to follow]
-131-
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered as of
the
date first above written.
AGENT:
XXXXX
FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company, as Agent and as a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Title:
Senior
Vice President
LENDERS:
NATIONAL
CITY BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., as
a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx X’Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx X’Xxxxxx
Title: Director
BANK
OF AMERICA, N.A., as
a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx DeManna
Name:
Xxxxxxx DeManna
Title: Managing
Director
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as
a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as
a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxx Xxxxx
Name:
Xxx
Xxxxx
Title:
Director
LASALLE
RETAIL FINANCE, a division of LaSalle Business Credit, LLC, as Agent for
Standard Federal Bank National Association, as
a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President
CITICORP
NORTH AMERICA, INC., as
a Lender
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Title: Director
CREDIT
PARTIES:
COLLECTIVE
BRANDS FINANCE, INC.
(f/k/a
Payless ShoeSource Finance, Inc.),
as
Borrower
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
COLLECTIVE
BRANDS, INC.
(f/k/a
Payless ShoeSource, Inc.), a Delaware corporation, as Parent
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice-President - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
COLLECTIVE
INTERNATIONAL, LP.,
a
Delaware limited partnership
By:
Payless Collective GP, LLC, its Managing Member
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
COLLECTIVE
LICENSING INTERNATIONAL, LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President and Treasurer
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
DYELIGHTS,
INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
PAYLESS
COLLECTIVE GP, LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Treasurer
PAYLESS
NYC, INC.,
a
Kansas
corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
PAYLESS
PURCHASING SERVICES, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
PAYLESS
SHOESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President and Treasurer
PAYLESS
SHOESOURCE GOLD VALUE, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
PAYLESS
SHOESOURCE LEASING, LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By:
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., its sole member
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
PAYLESS
SHOESOURCE MERCHANDISING, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President and Treasurer
PAYLESS
SHOESOURCE WORLDWIDE, INC.
a
Kansas corporation
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
PAYLESS
SHOESOURCE, INC.,
a
Missouri corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
PSS
CANADA, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
PSS
DELAWARE COMPANY 2, INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
PSS
DELAWARE COMPANY 3, INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
PSS
DELAWARE COMPANY 4, INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
PSS
INVESTMENT I, INC.,
a
Nevada corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
PSS
INVESTMENT III, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
ROBEEZ
LOGISTICS INC.,
a
Nevada corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
ROBEEZ
U.S. HOLDINGS INC.,
a
Nevada corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
ROBEEZ
U.S., INC.,
a
Washington corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SAN
XXXX ACQUISITION CORP.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
SAUCONY
UK, INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SAUCONY,
INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SAUCONY/ECOM,
INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SHOE
SOURCING, INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
SPERRY
TOP-SIDER, INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
S
R HOLDINGS INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STRIDE
RITE INTERNATIONAL CORP.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SR/ECOM,
INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SRCG
LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By:
Stride Rite Children's Group, Inc., its sole member
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SRCG/ECOM,
INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
SRL,
INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
SRR,
INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STRIDE
RITE CHILDREN'S GROUP, INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STRIDE
RITE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STRIDE
RITE INTERNATIONAL LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By:
Stride Rite International Holdings, Inc., its sole member
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STRIDE
RITE INVESTMENT CORPORATION,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
STRIDE
RITE LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By:
Stride Rite Children's Group, Inc., its sole member
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STRIDE
RITE SOURCING INTERNATIONAL, INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
STS/ECOM,
INC.,
a
Delaware corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
THE
KEDS CORPORATION,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
XXXXX
XXXXXXXX FOOTWEAR, INC.,
a
Massachusetts corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
KEDS
LLC,
a
Delaware limited liability company
By:
The Keds Corporation, its sole member
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice
President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
EASTBOROUGH,
INC.,
a
Kansas corporation
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
1.
|
DEFINITIONS
AND CONSTRUCTION.
|
1
|
|
|
1.1
|
Definitions
|
1
|
|
1.2
|
Accounting
Terms
|
41
|
|
1.3
|
Code
|
41
|
|
1.4
|
Construction
|
41
|
|
1.5
|
Schedules
and Exhibits
|
42
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
LOAN
AND TERMS OF PAYMENT.
|
42
|
|
|
2.1
|
Revolver
Advances
|
42
|
|
2.2
|
Revolver
Increase
|
43
|
|
2.3
|
Borrowing
Procedures and Settlements
|
44
|
|
2.4
|
Payments
|
51
|
|
2.5
|
Overadvances
|
53
|
|
2.6
|
Interest
Rates and Letter of Credit Fee: Rates, Payments, and
Calculations
|
53
|
|
2.7
|
Cash
Management.
|
55
|
|
2.8
|
Crediting
Payments
|
59
|
|
2.9
|
Designated
Account
|
59
|
|
2.10
|
Maintenance
of Loan Account; Statements of Obligations
|
59
|
|
2.11
|
Fees
|
60
|
|
2.12
|
Letters
of Credit.
|
60
|
|
2.13
|
LIBOR
Option
|
64
|
|
2.14
|
Capital
Requirements
|
67
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
CONDITIONS;
TERM OF AGREEMENT.
|
67
|
|
|
3.1
|
Conditions
Precedent to the Initial Extension of Credit
|
67
|
|
3.2
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
71
|
|
3.3
|
Conditions
Precedent to all Extensions of Credit
|
71
|
|
3.4
|
Term
|
71
|
|
3.5
|
Effect
of Termination
|
71
|
|
3.6
|
Early
Termination by Borrower
|
72
|
|
|
|
|
4.
|
[INTENTIONALLY
OMITTED].
|
72
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES.
|
72
|
|
|
5.1
|
No
Encumbrances
|
72
|
|
5.2
|
Eligible
Accounts
|
73
|
|
5.3
|
Eligible
Inventory
|
73
|
|
5.4
|
Location
of Inventory
|
73
|
|
5.5
|
Inventory
Records
|
73
|
-1-
|
5.6
|
State
of Incorporation; Location of Chief Executive Office; FEIN; Organizational
ID Number.
|
73
|
|
5.7
|
Due
Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
|
73
|
|
5.8
|
Due
Authorization; No Conflict.
|
74
|
|
5.9
|
Litigation
|
75
|
|
5.10
|
No
Material Adverse Change
|
75
|
|
5.11
|
Fraudulent
Transfer
|
75
|
|
5.12
|
Employee
Benefits
|
76
|
|
5.13
|
Environmental
Condition
|
76
|
|
5.14
|
Investment
Company Act
|
76
|
|
5.15
|
Intellectual
Property
|
76
|
|
5.16
|
Leases
|
76
|
|
5.17
|
Deposit
Accounts
|
76
|
|
5.18
|
Complete
Disclosure
|
77
|
|
5.19
|
Indebtedness
|
77
|
|
5.20
|
Credit
Card Receipts
|
77
|
|
5.21
|
Margin
Stock
|
77
|
|
5.22
|
Senior
Debt
|
77
|
|
5.23
|
Anti-Terrorism
Laws.
|
78
|
|
5.24
|
Related
Documents
|
79
|
|
|
|
|
6.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
80
|
|
|
6.1
|
Accounting
System
|
80
|
|
6.2
|
Collateral
Reporting
|
80
|
|
6.3
|
Financial
Statements, Reports, Certificates
|
80
|
|
6.4
|
Returns
|
82
|
|
6.5
|
Maintenance
of Properties
|
82
|
|
6.6
|
Taxes
|
83
|
|
6.7
|
Insurance.
|
83
|
|
6.8
|
Location
of Inventory/Chief Executive Offices
|
84
|
|
6.9
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
84
|
|
6.10
|
Leases
|
84
|
|
6.11
|
Existence.
|
84
|
|
6.12
|
Environmental
|
84
|
|
6.13
|
Disclosure
Updates
|
85
|
|
6.14
|
Formation
of Subsidiaries
|
85
|
|
6.15
|
Designation
of Subsidiaries
|
85
|
|
6.16
|
Segregation
of Collateral
|
86
|
|
|
|
|
7.
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
86
|
|
|
7.1
|
Indebtedness
|
86
|
|
7.2
|
Liens
|
89
|
|
7.3
|
Restrictions
on Fundamental Changes/Disposal of Assets
|
89
|
-2-
|
7.4
|
Change
Name
|
90
|
|
7.5
|
Nature
of Business
|
90
|
|
7.6
|
Amendments
|
91
|
|
7.7
|
Change
of Control
|
91
|
|
7.8
|
Distributions
|
91
|
|
7.9
|
Accounting
Methods; Fiscal Year
|
91
|
|
7.10
|
Investments
|
92
|
|
7.11
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
93
|
|
7.12
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
93
|
|
7.13
|
Limitations
on Restrictions on Subsidiary Distributions; No New Negative
Pledge
|
93
|
|
7.14
|
Modification
of Governing Documents
|
94
|
|
7.15
|
Modification
of Related Documents.
|
94
|
|
7.16
|
Sales
and Lease-Backs
|
94
|
|
7.17
|
Minimum
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio
|
94
|
|
7.18
|
No
Speculative Transactions
|
95
|
|
|
|
|
8.
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT.
|
95
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.
|
THE
LENDER GROUP’S RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
|
97
|
|
|
9.1
|
Rights
and Remedies
|
97
|
|
9.2
|
Remedies
Cumulative
|
99
|
|
|
|
|
10.
|
TAXES
AND EXPENSES.
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.
|
WAIVERS;
INDEMNIFICATION.
|
100
|
|
|
11.1
|
Demand;
Protest; etc.
|
100
|
|
11.2
|
The
Lender Group’s Liability for Collateral
|
100
|
|
11.3
|
Indemnification
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
12.
|
NOTICES.
|
101
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.
|
CHOICE
OF LAW AND VENUE; JURY TRIAL WAIVER.
|
102
|
|
|
|
|
|
14.
|
ASSIGNMENTS
AND PARTICIPATIONS; SUCCESSORS.
|
103
|
|
|
14.1
|
Assignments
and Participations
|
103
|
|
14.2
|
Successors
|
106
|
|
|
|
|
15.
|
AMENDMENTS;
WAIVERS.
|
106
|
|
|
15.1
|
Amendments
and Waivers
|
106
|
|
15.2
|
Replacement
of Holdout Lender.
|
108
|
|
15.3
|
No
Waivers; Cumulative Remedies
|
108
|
|
|
|
|
16.
|
AGENT;
THE LENDER GROUP.
|
109
|
-3-
|
16.1
|
Appointment
and Authorization of Agent
|
109
|
|
16.2
|
Delegation
of Duties
|
110
|
|
16.3
|
Liability
of Agent
|
110
|
|
16.4
|
Reliance
by Agent
|
110
|
|
16.5
|
Notice
of Default or Event of Default
|
111
|
|
16.6
|
Credit
Decision
|
111
|
|
16.7
|
Costs
and Expenses; Indemnification
|
112
|
|
16.8
|
Agent
in Individual Capacity
|
112
|
|
16.9
|
Successor
Agent
|
113
|
|
16.10
|
Lender
in Individual Capacity
|
113
|
|
16.11
|
Withholding
Taxes
|
114
|
|
16.12
|
Collateral
Matters
|
116
|
|
16.13
|
Restrictions
on Actions by Lenders; Sharing of Payments
|
117
|
|
16.14
|
Agency
for Perfection
|
118
|
|
16.15
|
Payments
by Agent to the Lenders
|
118
|
|
16.16
|
Concerning
the Collateral and Related Loan Documents
|
118
|
|
16.17
|
Field
Audits and Examination Reports; Confidentiality; Disclaimers by Lenders;
Other Reports and Information
|
119
|
|
16.18
|
Several
Obligations; No Liability
|
120
|
|
16.19
|
Legal
Representation of Agent
|
120
|
|
|
|
|
17.
|
GUARANTY.
|
120
|
|
|
17.1
|
Guaranty
of the Obligations.
|
120
|
|
17.2
|
Contribution
by Guarantors
|
121
|
|
17.3
|
Payment
by Guarantors
|
122
|
|
17.4
|
Liability
of Guarantors Absolute
|
122
|
17.5
|
Waivers
by Guarantors
|
124
|
|
17.6
|
Guarantors’
Rights of Subrogation, Contribution, Etc
|
125
|
|
|
17.7
|
Subordination
Of Other Obligations
|
126
|
|
17.8
|
Continuing
Guaranty
|
126
|
|
17.9
|
Authority
of Guarantors or Borrower
|
126
|
|
17.10
|
Financial
Condition of Borrower
|
126
|
|
17.11
|
Bankruptcy,
Etc
|
127
|
|
|
|
|
18.
|
GENERAL
PROVISIONS.
|
127
|
|
|
18.1
|
Effectiveness
|
127
|
|
18.2
|
Section
Headings
|
128
|
|
18.3
|
Interpretation
|
128
|
|
18.4
|
Severability
of Provisions
|
128
|
|
18.5
|
Amendments
in Writing
|
128
|
|
18.6
|
Counterparts;
Telefacsimile Execution
|
128
|
|
18.7
|
Revival
and Reinstatement of Obligations
|
128
|
|
18.8
|
Confidentiality
|
128
|
-4-
|
18.9
|
Integration
|
129
|
|
18.10
|
Patriot
Act Notice
|
130
|
|
18.11
|
Amendment
and Restatement.
|
130
|
-5-
EXHIBITS
AND SCHEDULES
Exhibit
A-1
|
Form
of Assignment and Acceptance
|
Exhibit
C-1
|
Form
of Compliance Certificate
|
Exhibit
G
|
Form
of Pledge and Security Agreement
|
Exhibit
L-1
|
Form
of LIBOR Notice
|
Exhibit
M
|
Form
of Borrowing Base Certificate
|
Schedule
A-1
|
Agent’s
Account
|
Schedule
A-2
|
Authorized
Persons
|
Schedule
C-1
|
Commitments
|
Schedule
D-1
|
Designated
Account
|
Schedule
D-2
|
Group
Concentration Account
|
Schedule
E-1
|
Eligible
Inventory Locations
|
Schedule
E-2
|
Pool
Locations
|
Schedule
P-1
|
Permitted
Liens
|
Schedule
1.1(b)
|
Qualified
Restricted Subsidiary
|
Schedule
3.1(d)
|
Real
Property
|
Schedule
5.4
|
Locations
of Inventory
|
Schedule
5.6(a)
|
States
of Organization
|
Schedule
5.6(b)
|
Chief
Executive Offices
|
Schedule
5.6(c)
|
XXXXx
|
Schedule
5.7(b)
|
Capitalization
of Borrower
|
Schedule
5.7(c)
|
Capitalization
of Borrower’s Subsidiaries
|
Schedule
5.9
|
Litigation
|
Schedule
5.12
|
Employee
Benefits
|
Schedule
5.13
|
Environmental
Matters
|
Schedule
5.15
|
Intellectual
Property
|
Schedule
5.17
|
Deposit
Accounts
|
Schedule
5.19
|
Permitted
Indebtedness
|
Schedule
5.20
|
Credit
Card Processors
|
Schedule
6.2
|
Collateral
Reporting
|
Schedule
6.15
|
Designation
of Subsidiaries
|
Schedule
7.3
|
Asset
Dispositions
|
Schedule
7.4
|
Name
Change
|
Schedule
7.9
|
Accounting
Methods; Fiscal Year
|
Schedule
7.10
|
Investments
|
Schedule
7.11
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
-6-
Schedule
6.2
Collateral
Reporting
Borrower
shall provide Agent with the following documents at the following times in
form
reasonably satisfactory to Agent:
(a) Borrowing
Base Certificate.
On a quarterly basis within 20 Business Days of the end of each of Borrower’s
fiscal quarters for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter; provided,
however,
if Revolver Usage at any time exceeds $100,000,000 then the deliveries required
by this clause
(a)
shall be on a monthly basis, not later than fifteen Business Days from the
fiscal month end, Borrower shall provide to Agent a signed borrowing base
certificate based on the most recent completed fiscal month, in form as approved
by Agent and including a detailed calculation of the Borrowing Base (including
detail regarding those Accounts of the Credit Parties that are not Eligible
Accounts) in the form of Exhibit
M
to the Amended and Restated Loan and Guaranty Agreement (a “Borrowing Base
Certificate”); provided,
further,
that, during any Triggering Period, Agent may require such borrowing base
certificate on such more frequent basis as Agent may determine in its Permitted
Direction. Such certificate may be sent to Agent electronically (with an
electronic signature) or by facsimile transmission, provided, that in each
case,
upon request by Agent, the original thereof is forwarded to Agent on the date
of
such transmission. No adjustments to the borrowing base certificate may be
made
without supporting documentation and such other documentation as may be
reasonably requested by Agent from time to time.
(b) Borrowing
Base Certificate Supporting Documents.
At any such time as Borrower shall deliver a Borrowing Base Certificate to
Agent
pursuant to subsection (a) above, Borrower shall provide to Agent each of the
following documents in support thereof:
(i) the
store stock ledger and warehouse stock ledger reports of the Credit
Parties;
(ii) a
summary report of the in-transit Inventory of the Credit Parties;
(iii) a
report of the gift card balances from the general ledger; and
(iv) a
report of the Credit Card Receivables of the Credit Parties.
(c) Additional
Documentation.
In addition to subsections (a) and (b) above, Agent may, in its Permitted
Discretion, from time to time require Borrower to deliver to Agent any of the
following documents:
-7-
(i) a
detailed aging, by total, of the Inventory of the Credit Parties, together
with
a reconciliation to the detailed calculation of the Borrowing Base previously
provided to Agent;
(ii) additional
supporting documentation for the Borrowing Base Collateral as may be available,
including copies of invoices in connection with Credit Parties’ Accounts, credit
memos, remittance advices, deposit slips, shipping and delivery documents in
connection with Credit Parties’ Accounts and, for Inventory acquired by any
Credit Party, purchase orders and invoices;
(iii) a
detailed aging, by total, of the Accounts of the Credit Parties, together with
a
reconciliation to the detailed calculation of the Borrowing Base previously
provided to Agent;
(iv) Inventory
reports specifying the cost and the retail value of Inventory, by category,
with
additional detail showing additions to and deletions therefrom;
(v) “flash
sales report”;
(vi) reconciliation
of the stock ledger to the general ledger; and
(vii) such
other reports or documents as to the Collateral or the financial condition
of
the Credit Parties, as requested by Agent.
-8-