FOUR-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of May 5, 2006 among AUTOZONE, INC., as Borrower, THE SEVERAL LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY HERETO AND BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent and CITICORP USA, INC., as Syndication Agent BANC OF AMERICA...
Exhibit
10.4
Execution
Copy
[Published
CUSIP Number: ________________]
FOUR-YEAR
CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated
as
of May 5, 2006
among
AUTOZONE,
INC.,
as
Borrower,
THE
SEVERAL LENDERS
FROM
TIME
TO TIME PARTY HERETO
AND
BANK
OF
AMERICA, N.A.,
as
Administrative Agent
and
CITICORP
USA, INC.,
as
Syndication Agent
______________________________________________________________
BANC
OF
AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
and
CITIGROUP
GLOBAL MARKETS INC.,
as
Joint
Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers
and
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK,
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
and
SUNTRUST
BANK,
as
Co-Documentation Agents
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
|
||
SECTION
1 DEFINITIONS
|
1
|
|
1.1
|
Definitions.
|
1
|
1.2
|
Computation
of Time Periods.
|
18
|
1.3
|
Accounting
Terms.
|
18
|
1.4
|
Time
of Day.
|
18
|
SECTION
2 CREDIT FACILITIES
|
18
|
|
2.1
|
Revolving
Loans.
|
18
|
SECTION
3 OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO CREDIT FACILITIES
|
23
|
|
3.1
|
Default
Rate.
|
23
|
3.2
|
Extension
and Conversion.
|
23
|
3.3
|
Prepayments.
|
24
|
3.4
|
Termination,
Reduction and Increase of Revolving Committed Amount.
|
25
|
3.5
|
Fees.
|
28
|
3.6
|
Capital
Adequacy.
|
28
|
3.7
|
Inability
To Determine Interest Rate.
|
29
|
3.8
|
Illegality.
|
29
|
3.9
|
Yield
Protection.
|
29
|
3.10
|
Withholding
Tax Exemption.
|
30
|
3.11
|
Indemnity.
|
31
|
3.12
|
Pro
Rata Treatment.
|
32
|
3.13
|
Payments
Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.
|
33
|
3.14
|
Sharing
of Payments.
|
34
|
3.15
|
Payments,
Computations, Etc.
|
35
|
3.16
|
Evidence
of Debt.
|
37
|
3.17
|
Replacement
of Lenders.
|
37
|
SECTION
4 CONDITIONS
|
38
|
|
4.1
|
Closing
Conditions.
|
38
|
4.2
|
Conditions
to all Extensions of Credit.
|
39
|
SECTION
5 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
|
40
|
|
5.1
|
Financial
Position; No Internal Control Event.
|
40
|
5.2
|
Organization;
Existence; Compliance with Law.
|
40
|
5.3
|
Power;
Authorization; Enforceable Obligations.
|
41
|
5.4
|
No
Legal Bar.
|
41
|
5.5
|
No
Material Litigation.
|
41
|
5.6
|
No
Default.
|
41
|
5.7
|
Ownership
of Property; Liens.
|
42
|
5.8
|
No
Burdensome Restrictions.
|
42
|
5.9
|
Taxes.
|
42
|
5.10
|
ERISA.
|
42
|
5.11
|
Governmental
Regulations, Etc.
|
44
|
5.12
|
Subsidiaries.
|
45
|
i
5.13
|
Purpose
of Loans.
|
45
|
5.14
|
Disclosure.
|
45
|
5.15
|
Taxpayer
Identification Number.
|
45
|
SECTION
6 AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
|
45
|
|
6.1
|
Information
Covenants.
|
45
|
6.2
|
Preservation
of Existence and Franchises.
|
50
|
6.3
|
Books
and Records.
|
50
|
6.4
|
Compliance
with Law.
|
50
|
6.5
|
Payment
of Taxes and Other Indebtedness.
|
50
|
6.6
|
Insurance.
|
50
|
6.7
|
Maintenance
of Property.
|
50
|
6.8
|
Use
of Proceeds.
|
51
|
6.9
|
Audits/Inspections.
|
51
|
6.10
|
Adjusted
Debt to EBITDAR Ratio.
|
51
|
6.11
|
Interest
Coverage Ratio.
|
51
|
SECTION
7 NEGATIVE COVENANTS
|
51
|
|
7.1
|
Liens.
|
51
|
7.2
|
Nature
of Business.
|
51
|
7.3
|
Consolidation,
Merger, Sale or Purchase of Assets, etc.
|
52
|
7.4
|
Fiscal
Year.
|
53
|
7.5
|
Subsidiary
Indebtedness.
|
53
|
SECTION
8 EVENTS OF DEFAULT
|
54
|
|
8.1
|
Events
of Default.
|
54
|
8.2
|
Acceleration;
Remedies.
|
56
|
SECTION
9 AGENCY PROVISIONS
|
57
|
|
9.1
|
Appointment
and Authority.
|
57
|
9.2
|
Delegation
of Duties.
|
57
|
9.3
|
Exculpatory
Provisions.
|
57
|
9.4
|
Reliance
on Communications.
|
58
|
9.5
|
Notice
of Default.
|
58
|
9.6
|
Non-Reliance
on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.
|
59
|
9.7
|
Indemnification.
|
60
|
9.8
|
Administrative
Agent in its Individual Capacity.
|
60
|
9.9
|
Successor
Administrative Agent.
|
61
|
9.10
|
Syndication
Agent.
|
61
|
SECTION
10 MISCELLANEOUS
|
62
|
|
10.1
|
Notices.
|
62
|
10.2
|
Right
of Set-Off.
|
64
|
10.3
|
Successors
and Assigns.
|
64
|
10.4
|
No
Waiver; Remedies Cumulative.
|
68
|
10.5
|
Payment
of Expenses, etc.
|
68
|
10.6
|
Amendments,
Waivers and Consents.
|
69
|
ii
10.7
|
Counterparts.
|
70
|
10.8
|
Headings.
|
70
|
10.9
|
Survival.
|
70
|
10.10
|
Governing
Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue.
|
71
|
10.11
|
Severability.
|
71
|
10.12
|
Entirety.
|
71
|
10.13
|
Binding
Effect; Termination.
|
72
|
10.14
|
Confidentiality.
|
72
|
10.15
|
Source
of Funds.
|
73
|
10.16
|
Conflict.
|
73
|
10.17
|
USA
PATRIOT Act Notice.
|
74
|
10.18
|
No
Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.
|
74
|
SCHEDULES
Schedule
1.1
|
Applicable
Percentage
|
|
Schedule
2.1(a)
|
Lenders
|
|
Schedule
2.1(b)(i)
|
Form
of Notice of Borrowing
|
|
Schedule
2.1(e)
|
Form
of Revolving Note
|
|
Schedule
2.2(f)
|
Form
of Competitive Note
|
|
Schedule
3.2
|
Form
of Notice of Extension/Conversion
|
|
Schedule
3.4(b)
|
Form
of New Commitment Agreement
|
|
Schedule
4.1(f)
|
Form
of Legal Opinion
|
|
Schedule
5.5
|
Material
Litigation
|
|
Schedule
5.12
|
Subsidiaries
|
|
Schedule
6.1(c)
|
Form
of Officer’s Compliance Certificate
|
|
Schedule
7.5
|
Subsidiary
Indebtedness
|
|
Schedule
10.1
|
Administrative
Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices
|
|
Schedule
10.3(a)
|
Form
of Assignment and Acceptance
|
|
Schedule
10.3(b)
|
Processing
and Recordation Fees
|
iii
FOUR-YEAR
CREDIT AGREEMENT
THIS
FOUR-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as
of May 5, 2006 (the "Credit
Agreement"),
is by
and among AUTOZONE,
INC.,
a
Nevada corporation (the "Borrower"),
the
several lenders identified on the signature pages hereto and such other lenders
as may from time to time become a party hereto (the "Lenders"),
BANK
OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as
administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, the "Administrative
Agent"),
and
CITICORP
USA, INC.,
as
syndication agent (in such capacity, the "Syndication
Agent").
W
I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS,
the
Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide certain financial accommodations
to the Borrower in the form of a revolving credit facility, as more particularly
described herein;
WHEREAS,
the
Lenders have agreed to provide such financial accommodations to the Borrower
on
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW,
THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of
the
premises and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
SECTION
1
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions.
As
used
in this Credit Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings specified
below unless the context otherwise requires:
"Administrative
Agent"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in the heading hereof, together with
any
successors or assigns.
"Administrative
Agent’s Fee Letter"
means
that certain letter agreement, dated as of April 7, 2006, between the
Administrative Agent and the Borrower, as amended, modified, supplemented or
replaced from time to time.
"Administrative
Agent’s Fees"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.5(b).
"Administrative
Questionnaire"
means
an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied
by the Administrative Agent.
"Affiliate"
means,
with respect to any Person, any other Person (i) directly or indirectly
controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with
such Person or (ii) directly or indirectly owning or holding five percent (5%)
or more of the equity interest in such Person. For purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the
management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through
the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms
"controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.
"Amended
and Restated Five-Year Credit Agreement"
means
that certain Second Amended and Restated Five-Year Credit Agreement dated as
of
the date hereof by and among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto, Bank
of
America, N.A., as administrative agent and Citicorp USA, Inc., as syndication
agent, as amended, modified, restated, supplemented or replaced from time to
time.
"Applicable
Percentage"
means,
for purposes of calculating the applicable interest rate for any day for any
Revolving Loan, the applicable rate of the Facility Fee for any day for purposes
of Section 3.5(a), the applicable rate of the Utilization Fee for any day for
the purposes of Section 3.5(c), the appropriate applicable percentage set forth
on Schedule
1.1.
The
Applicable Percentages shall be determined and adjusted on the following dates
(each a "Calculation
Date"):
(i) where
the
Borrower has a senior unsecured (non-credit enhanced) long term debt rating
from
S&P and/or Xxxxx’x, five (5) Business Days after receipt of notice by the
Administrative Agent of a change in any such debt rating, based on such debt
rating(s); and
(ii) where
the
Borrower previously had a senior unsecured (non-credit enhanced) long term
debt
rating from S&P and/or Xxxxx’x, but either or both of S&P and Xxxxx’x
withdraws its rating such that the Borrower’s senior unsecured (non-credit
enhanced) long term debt no longer is rated by either S&P or Xxxxx’x, five
(5) Business Days after receipt by the Administrative Agent of notice of the
withdrawal of the last to exist of such previous debt ratings, based on Pricing
Level V until the earlier of (A) such time as S&P and/or Xxxxx’x provides
another rating for such debt of the Borrower or (B) the Required Lenders have
agreed to an alternative pricing grid or other method for determining Pricing
Levels pursuant to an effective amendment to this Credit Agreement.
The
Applicable Percentage shall be effective from a Calculation Date
until the
next such Calculation Date. The Administrative Agent shall determine
the
appropriate Applicable Percentages promptly upon receipt of the notices
and information necessary to make such determination and shall promptly
notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any change thereof. Such
determinations by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive,
absent convincing evidence to the contrary.
|
2
"Arrangers"
means
Banc of America Securities LLC and
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.,
together with any successors or assigns.
"Assignee
Group"
means
two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of one another.
"Assignment
and Assumption"
means
an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee
with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section
10.3(b),
and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Schedule
10.3(a)
or any
other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
"Audited
Financial Statements"
means
the audited consolidated balance sheet of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended August 27, 2005, and
the related
consolidated statements of income or operations, stockholders’ equity and cash
flows
for
such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes
thereto.
"Bank
of America"
means
Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.
"Bankruptcy
Code"
means
the Bankruptcy Code in Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended, modified,
succeeded or replaced from time to time.
"Bankruptcy
Event"
means,
with respect to any Person, the occurrence of any of the following with respect
to such Person: (i) a court or governmental agency having jurisdiction in the
premises shall enter a decree or order for relief in respect of such Person
in
an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar
law now or hereafter in effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee,
custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of such Person or for
any
substantial part of its Property or ordering the winding up or liquidation
of
its affairs; or (ii) there shall be commenced against such Person an involuntary
case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or
hereafter in effect, or any case, proceeding or other action for the appointment
of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or
similar official) of such Person or for any substantial part of its Property
or
for the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and such involuntary case
or
other case, proceeding or other action shall remain undismissed, undischarged
or
unbonded for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days; or (iii) such Person
shall
commence a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other
similar law now or hereafter in effect, or consent to the entry of an order
for
relief in an involuntary case under any such law, or consent to the appointment
or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator (or similar official) of such Person or for any substantial part
of
its Property or make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or
(iv) such Person shall be unable to, or shall admit in writing its inability
to,
pay its debts generally as they become due.
"Base
Rate"
means
for
any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the higher of (a) the Federal
Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and (b) the rate of interest in effect for such
day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its "prime
rate." The "prime rate" is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various
factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic
conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing
some
loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change
in such rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening
of
business on the day specified in the public announcement of such
change.
3
"Base
Rate Loan"
means
any Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Base
Rate.
"Borrower"
means
the Person identified as such in the heading hereof, together with any permitted
successors and assigns.
"Business
Day"
means a
day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in
New
York, New York are authorized or required by law to close, except that,
when
used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, such day shall also be a day on
which
dealings between banks are carried on in U.S. dollar deposits in London, England
and New York, New York.
"Calculation
Date"
has the
meaning set forth in the definition of Applicable Percentage.
"Capital
Lease"
means,
as applied to any Person, any lease of any Property (whether real, personal
or
mixed) by that Person as lessee which, in accordance with GAAP, is or should
be
accounted for as a capital lease on the balance sheet of that
Person.
"Change
of Control"
means
either (i) a "person" or a "group" (within the meaning of Section 13(d) and
14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) becomes the "beneficial owner"
(as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of more
than 50% of the then outstanding voting stock of the Borrower or (ii) a majority
of the board of directors of the Borrower shall consist of individuals who
are
not Continuing Directors. For purposes hereof, "Continuing Directors" means,
as
of any date of determination, (i) an individual who on the date two years prior
to such determination date was a member of the Borrower’s board of directors or
(ii) (a) any new director whose nomination for election by the Borrower’s
shareholders was approved by a vote of a majority of the directors then still
in
office who either were directors on the date two years prior to such
determination date or whose nomination for election was previously so approved
(or who are Continuing Directors pursuant to clause (b) below) or (b) any
director who was elected by a majority of the directors then still in office
who
either were directors on the date two years prior to such determination date
or
whose nomination for election was previously so approved (or who are Continuing
Directors pursuant to clause (a) above). Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
Reorganization permitted by under Section 7.3 hereof shall not be deemed a
Change of Control for the purposed of this Credit Agreement.
"Change
of Control Notice"
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 3.4(e).
4
"Change
of Control Prepayment Amount"
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 3.4(e).
"Change
of Control Standstill Period"
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 3.4(e).
"Closing
Date"
means
the date hereof.
"Code"
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor statute
thereto, as interpreted by the rules and regulations issued thereunder, in
each
case as in effect from time to time. References to sections of the Code shall
be
construed also to refer to any successor sections.
"Commercial
Credit Business Arrangement"
means
any agreement between the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and an entity
that
purchases such Person’s commercial accounts receivables with only such limited
recourse back to such Person as is customary in factoring arrangements of this
type.
"Commitment"
means
with respect to each Lender, the Revolving Commitment of such
Lender.
"Commitment
Percentage"
means,
for any Lender, the percentage which such Lender’s Revolving Commitment then
constitutes of the aggregate Revolving Committed Amount.
"Competitive
Bid"
means
an offer by a Lender to make a Competitive Loan pursuant to the terms of Section
2.2.
"Competitive
Bid Rate"
means,
as to any Competitive Bid made by a Lender in accordance with the provisions
of
Section 2.2, the fixed rate of interest offered by the Lender making the
Competitive Bid.
"Competitive
Loan"
means a
loan made by a Lender in its discretion pursuant to the provisions of Section
2.2.
"Competitive
Note"
means a
promissory note of the Borrower in favor of a Lender delivered pursuant to
Section 2.2(f) and evidencing the Competitive Loans, if any, of such Lender,
as
such promissory note may be amended, modified, restated or replaced from time
to
time.
"Consolidated
Adjusted Debt"
means,
at any time, the sum of, without duplication, (i) Consolidated Funded
Indebtedness and (ii) the product of Consolidated Rents multiplied by
6.0.
"Consolidated
EBITDA"
means,
for any period for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, Consolidated Net Income
plus
Consolidated Interest Expense plus
all
provisions for any Federal, state or other domestic and foreign income taxes
plus
depreciation
and amortization, in each case on a consolidated basis determined in accordance
with GAAP applied on a consistent basis or otherwise defined herein. Except
as
otherwise expressly provided, the applicable period shall be for the four
consecutive fiscal quarters ending as of the date of determination.
5
"Consolidated
EBITDAR"
means,
for any period, the sum of Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated Rents. Except
as
otherwise expressly provided, the applicable period shall be for the four
consecutive fiscal quarters ending as of the date of determination.
"Consolidated
EBITR"
means,
for any period for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, Consolidated EBITDA
minus
depreciation and amortization plus
Consolidated Rents, in each case on a consolidated basis as determined in
accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis. Except as otherwise
expressly provided, the applicable period shall be for the four consecutive
fiscal quarters ending as of the date of determination.
"Consolidated
Funded Indebtedness"
means,
at any time, the outstanding principal amount of all Funded Indebtedness,
without duplication and on a consolidated basis, of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries at such time.
"Consolidated
Interest Coverage Ratio"
means,
as of the last day of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower, the ratio of (i)
Consolidated EBITR to (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense plus
Consolidated Rents.
"Consolidated
Interest Expense"
means,
for any period for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, all interest expense
plus
the
interest component under Capital Leases, in each case on a consolidated basis
as
determined in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis. Except as
otherwise expressly provided, the applicable period shall be for the four
consecutive fiscal quarters ending as of the date of determination.
"Consolidated
Net Income"
means,
for any period for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, net income on a
consolidated basis determined in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent
basis, but excluding (i) share-based expenses and all other non-cash charges
(other than any such charges that would result in an accrual or a reserve for
cash charges in the future); and (ii) non-recurring charges in an aggregate
amount not to exceed $50,000,000 collectively with respect to all periods
relevant for the calculation of the financial covenants contained in Sections
6.10 and 6.11. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the applicable period
shall be for the four consecutive fiscal quarters ending as of the date of
determination.
"Consolidated
Rents"
means,
for any period for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, all rental expense of
the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period under operating leases
(specifically including rents paid in connection with synthetic leases, tax
retention operating leases, off-balance sheet loans or similar off-balance
sheet
financing products), on a consolidated basis as determined in accordance with
GAAP applied on a consistent basis, but excluding rental expense related to
any
operating lease that has been converted to a Capital Lease. Except as otherwise
expressly provided, the applicable period shall be for the four consecutive
fiscal quarters ending as of the date of determination.
6
"Credit
Documents"
means a
collective reference to this Credit Agreement, the Notes, the Administrative
Agent’s Fee Letter and all other related agreements and documents issued or
delivered hereunder or thereunder or pursuant hereto or thereto.
"Default"
means
any event, act or condition which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would
constitute an Event of Default.
"Designating
Lender"
has the
meaning set forth in Section 10.3(e).
"Dollars"
and
"$"
means
dollars in lawful currency of the United States of America.
"Eligible
Assignee"
means
any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Section
10.3(b)(iii),
(v)
and
(vi)
(subject
to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section
10.3(b)(iii)).
"Environmental
Laws"
means
any and all lawful and applicable Federal, state, local and foreign statutes,
laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits,
concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or other governmental
restrictions relating to the environment or to emissions, discharges, releases
or threatened releases of pollutants, contaminants, chemicals, or industrial,
toxic or hazardous substances or wastes into the environment including, without
limitation, ambient air, surface water, ground water, or land, or otherwise
relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage,
disposal, transport, or handling of pollutants, contaminants, chemicals, or
industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes.
"ERISA"
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any
successor statute thereto, as interpreted by the rules and regulations
thereunder, all as the same may be in effect from time to time. References
to
sections of ERISA shall be construed also to refer to any successor
sections.
"ERISA
Affiliate"
means
an entity which is under common control with the Borrower within the meaning
of
Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA, or is a member of a group which includes the
Borrower and which is treated as a single employer under Sections 414(b) or
(c)
of the Code.
"ERISA
Event"
means
(i) with respect to any Plan, the occurrence of a Reportable Event or the
substantial cessation of operations (within the meaning of Section 4062(e)
of
ERISA); (ii) the withdrawal by the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower
or
any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year in which
it
was a substantial employer (as such term is defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of
ERISA), or the termination of a Multiple Employer Plan; (iii) the distribution
of a notice of intent to terminate or the actual termination of a Plan pursuant
to Section 4041(a)(2) or 4041A of ERISA; (iv) the institution of proceedings
to
terminate or the actual termination of a Plan by the PBGC under Section 4042
of
ERISA; (v) any event or condition which could reasonably be expected to
constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the
appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan; (vi) the complete or partial
withdrawal of the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan; (vii) the conditions for imposition of
a
lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA exist with respect to any Plan; or (vii)
the
adoption of an amendment to any Plan requiring the provision of security to
such
Plan pursuant to Section 307 of ERISA.
7
"Eurodollar
Base Rate"
has the
meaning specified in the definition of Eurodollar Rate.
"Eurodollar
Loan"
means
any Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Eurodollar
Rate.
"Eurodollar
Rate"
means
for any Interest Period with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, a rate per annum
determined by the Administrative Agent pursuant to the following
formula:
Eurodollar
Rate =
|
Eurodollar
Base Rate
1.00
- Eurodollar Reserve Percentage
|
Where,
"Eurodollar
Base Rate"
means,
for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Loan, the rate per annum
equal to the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate ("BBA
LIBOR"),
as
published by Reuters (or other commercially available source providing
quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by the Administrative Agent from time
to
time) at approximately 11:00 A.M., London time, two Business Days prior to
the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery
on
the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest
Period. If such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the
"Eurodollar Rate" for such Interest Period shall be the rate per annum
determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in
Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day funds
in the approximate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loan being made, continued
or
converted by Bank of America and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period
would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch to major banks in the London
interbank eurodollar market at their request at approximately 11:00 A.M.
(London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest
Period.
"Eurodollar
Reserve Percentage"
means
for any day, that percentage (expressed as a decimal) which is in effect from
time to time under Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System (or any successor), as such regulation may be amended from time to time
or any successor regulation, as the maximum reserve requirement (including,
without limitation, any basic, supplemental, emergency, special, or marginal
reserves) applicable with respect to Eurocurrency liabilities as that term
is
defined in Regulation D (or against any other category of liabilities that
includes deposits by reference to which the interest rate of Eurodollar Loans
is
determined), whether or not Lender has any Eurocurrency liabilities subject
to
such reserve requirement at that time. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to
constitute Eurocurrency liabilities and as such shall be deemed subject to
reserve requirements without benefits of credits for proration, exceptions
or
offsets that may be available from time to time to a Lender. The Eurodollar
Rate
shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change
in
the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage.
8
"Event
of Default"
means
such term as defined in Section 8.1.
"Existing
364-Day Credit Agreement"
means
that certain Amended and Restated 364-Day Credit Agreement dated as of May
17,
2004 (and extended on May 16, 2005 pursuant to the terms of Section 3.4(c)
thereof) by and among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto, Fleet National
Bank, as administrative agent, and Citicorp USA, Inc., as syndication agent,
as
amended, modified, restated, supplemented or replaced from time to
time.
"Facilities"
means a
collective reference to (i) the revolving loan facility established pursuant
to
Section 2.1 and (ii) the revolving loan facility established pursuant to the
Amended and Restated Five-Year Credit Agreement.
"Facility
Fee"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.5(a).
"Facility
Fee Calculation Period"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.5(a).
"Federal
Funds Rate"
means,
for any day, the rate of interest per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary,
to
the nearest whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) equal to the weighted average of
the
rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal
Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published
by
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such
day, provided
that (A)
if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall
be
such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day and (B) if
no
such rate is so published on such next preceding Business Day, the Federal
Funds
Rate for such day shall be the average rate quoted to the Administrative Agent
on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative
Agent.
"Fees"
means
all fees payable pursuant to Section 3.5.
"Financial
Officer"
means,
with respect to the Borrower, the Treasurer, the Controller, the General
Counsel, or the Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower; provided
that the
Borrower may designate additional persons or delete persons so authorized by
written notice to the Administrative Agent from at least two existing Financial
Officers of the Borrower.
"Foreign
Lender"
means
any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that
in
which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this
definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia
shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
9
"Funded
Indebtedness"
means,
with respect to any Person (for purposes of this sentence only, the
"Debtor"),
without duplication and on a consolidated basis, (i) all Indebtedness of such
Debtor for borrowed money; (ii) all purchase money Indebtedness of such Debtor,
including without limitation the principal portion of all obligations of such
Debtor under Capital Leases; (iii) all Guaranty Obligations of such Debtor
with
respect to Funded Indebtedness of another Person; (iv) the maximum amount of
all
(x) drawn and unreimbursed documentary letters of credit, (y) standby letters
of
credit and (z) bankers acceptances, in each case issued or created for the
account of such Debtor and, without duplication, all drafts drawn thereunder
(to
the extent unreimbursed); and (v) all Funded Indebtedness of another Person
secured by a Lien on any Property of such Debtor, whether or not such Funded
Indebtedness has been assumed. The Funded Indebtedness of any Person shall
include the Funded Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture in which
such Person is a general partner or joint venturer.
"GAAP"
means
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a
consistent basis and subject to the terms of Section 1.3 hereof.
"Governmental
Authority"
means
any Federal, state, local or foreign court or governmental agency, authority,
instrumentality or regulatory body.
"Guaranty
Obligations"
means,
with respect to any Person, without duplication, any obligations of such Person
(other than endorsements in the ordinary course of business of negotiable
instruments for deposit or collection) guaranteeing or intended to guarantee
any
Indebtedness of any other Person in any manner, whether direct or indirect,
and
including without limitation any obligation, whether or not contingent, (i)
to
purchase any such Indebtedness or any Property constituting security therefor,
(ii) to advance or provide funds or other support for the payment or purchase
of
any such Indebtedness or to maintain working capital, solvency or other balance
sheet condition of such other Person (including without limitation keep well
agreements, maintenance agreements, comfort letters or similar agreements or
arrangements) for the benefit of any holder of Indebtedness of such other
Person, (iii) to lease or purchase Property, securities or services primarily
for the purpose of assuring the holder of such Indebtedness, or (iv) to
otherwise assure or hold harmless the holder of such Indebtedness against loss
in respect thereof. The amount of any Guaranty Obligation hereunder shall
(subject to any limitations set forth therein) be deemed to be an amount equal
to the outstanding principal amount (or maximum principal amount, if larger)
of
the Indebtedness in respect of which such Guaranty Obligation is
made.
"Indebtedness"
of any
Person means (i) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (ii) all
obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar
instruments, or upon which interest payments are customarily made, (iii) all
obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention
agreements relating to Property purchased by such Person (other than customary
reservations or retentions of title under agreements with suppliers entered
into
in the ordinary course of business), (iv) all obligations of such Person issued
or assumed as the deferred purchase price of Property or services purchased
by
such Person (other than trade debt incurred in the ordinary course of business
and due within six months of the incurrence thereof) which would appear as
liabilities on a balance sheet of such Person, (v) all obligations of such
Person under take-or-pay or similar arrangements or under commodities
agreements, (vi) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder
of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be
secured by) any Lien on, or payable out of the proceeds of production from,
Property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the obligations
secured thereby have been assumed, (vii) all Guaranty Obligations of such
Person, (viii) the principal portion of all obligations of such Person under
Capital Leases, (ix) all obligations of such Person in respect of interest
rate
protection agreements, foreign currency exchange agreements, commodity purchase
or option agreements or other interest or exchange rate or commodity price
hedging agreements, (x) subject to the proviso below, the maximum amount of
all
letters of credit issued or bankers’ acceptances created for the account of such
Person and, without duplication, all drafts drawn thereunder (to the extent
unreimbursed), (xi) all preferred stock issued by such Person and required
by
the terms thereof to be redeemed, or for which mandatory sinking fund payments
are due, by a fixed date and (xii) the principal balance outstanding under
any
synthetic lease, tax retention operating lease, off-balance sheet loan or
similar off-balance sheet financing product to which such Person is a party,
where such transaction is considered borrowed money indebtedness for tax
purposes but is classified as an operating lease in accordance with GAAP;
provided
that
Indebtedness shall not include (i) any documentary letters of credit or other
letters of credit used by such Person for the financing of inventory in the
ordinary course of business, except to the extent such letters of credit have
been drawn upon and unreimbursed or (ii) any amounts received by such Person
pursuant to a Commercial Credit Business Arrangement. The Indebtedness of any
Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture in
which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer.
10
"Information"
has the
meaning specified in Section 10.14.
"Interest
Payment Date"
means
(i) as to any Base Rate Loan, the last Business Day of each March, June,
September and December, the date of repayment of principal of such Loan and
the
Termination Date and (ii) as to any Eurodollar Loan or any Competitive Loan,
the
last day of each Interest Period for such Loan, the date of repayment of
principal of such Loan and on the Termination Date, and in addition where the
applicable Interest Period is more than 3 months, then also on the date 3 months
from the beginning of the Interest Period, and each 3 months thereafter. If
an
Interest Payment Date falls on a date which is not a Business Day, such Interest
Payment Date shall be deemed to be the next succeeding Business Day,
except that
in the
case of Eurodollar Loans where the next succeeding Business Day falls in the
next succeeding calendar month, then on the next preceding Business
Day.
"Interest
Period"
means
(i) as to any Eurodollar Loan, a period of one, two, three or six month’s
duration, as the Borrower may elect, commencing in each case, on the date of
the
borrowing (including conversions, extensions and renewals) and (ii) as to any
Competitive Loan, a period commencing in each case on the date of the borrowing
and ending on the date specified in the applicable Competitive Bid whereby
the
offer to make such Competitive Loan was extended (such ending date in any event
to be no less than one week and not more than 180 days from the date of the
borrowing); provided,
however,
(A) if
any Interest Period would end on a day which is not a Business Day, such
Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day (except
that in the case of Eurodollar Loans where the next succeeding Business Day
falls in the next succeeding calendar month, then on the next preceding Business
Day), (B) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Termination Date, and
(C)
in the case of Eurodollar Loans, where an Interest Period begins on a day for
which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month in which
the Interest Period is to end, such Interest Period shall end on the last day
of
such calendar month.
"Internal
Control Event"
means a
material weakness in, or fraud that involves management or other employees
who
have a significant role in, the Borrower’s internal controls over financial
reporting, in each case as described in the Securities Laws or as otherwise
determined by the Borrower’s external auditors on a quarterly basis that has
resulted in or could reasonably be expected to result in a misstatement in
any
material respect, in any financial information delivered or to be delivered
to
the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, of (i) covenant compliance calculations
provided hereunder or (ii) the assets, liabilities, financial condition or
results of operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis that has not been (x) disclosed to the Administrative Agent, who in turn
discloses such material weaknesses to the Lenders, and (y) remedied or otherwise
diligently addressed (or is in the process of being diligently addressed) by
the
Borrower in accordance with recommendations made by the Borrower's auditors
in
consultation with the Borrower.
11
"Lenders"
means
each of the Persons identified as a "Lender" on the signature pages hereto,
and
each Person which may become a Lender by way of assignment in accordance with
the terms hereof, together with their successors and permitted
assigns.
"Lending
Installation"
means,
with respect to a Lender or the Administrative Agent, any office, branch,
subsidiary or affiliate of such Lender or the Administrative Agent.
"Lien"
means
any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security
interest, encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), preference, priority
or
charge of any kind (including any agreement to give any of the foregoing, any
condi-tional sale or other title retention agreement, any financing or similar
statement or notice filed under the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and
in
effect in the relevant jurisdiction or other similar recording or notice
statute, and any lease in the nature thereof).
"Loan"
or
"Loans"
means
the Revolving Loans and/or the Competitive Loans.
"Master
Account"
means
such account as may be identified by written notice from at least two Financial
Officers of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent.
12
"Material
Adverse Effect"
means a
material adverse effect on (i) the condition (financial or otherwise),
operations, business, assets or liabilities of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) the ability of the Borrower to perform
any
material obligation under the Credit Documents or (iii) any aspect of the
Borrower or its business that adversely affects the material rights and remedies
of the Lenders under the Credit Documents.
"Materials
of Environmental Concern"
means
any gasoline or petroleum (including crude oil or any fraction thereof) or
petroleum products or any hazardous or toxic substances, materials or wastes,
defined or regulated as such in or under any Environmental Laws, including,
without limitation, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls and urea-formaldehyde
insulation.
"Mexican
Subsidiaries"
means,
collectively, the following Subsidiaries of the Borrower: AutoZone
de Mexico, S. de X.X. de C.V., Zone Compra, S. de X.X. de C.V., Service Zone,
X.xx X.X. de C.V., Data Zone, S. de X.X. de C.V., Controladora AutoZone, S.
de
X.X. de C.V., and
any
other Subsidiary of the Borrower formed after the Closing Date and organized
under the laws of Mexico.
"Moody’s"
means
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc., or any successor or assignee of the business of
such company in the business of rating securities.
"Multiemployer
Plan"
means a
Plan which is a multiemployer plan as defined in Sections 3(37) or 4001(a)(3)
of
ERISA.
"Multiple
Employer Plan"
means a
Plan which the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate
and at least one employer other than the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate are contributing sponsors.
"New
Commitment Agreement"
means a
New Commitment Agreement substantially in the form of Schedule
3.4(b),
as
executed pursuant to Section 3.4(b).
"Note"
or
"Notes"
means
any Revolving Note and/or any Competitive Note, as the context may
require.
"Notice
of Borrowing"
means a
written notice of borrowing in substantially the form of Schedule
2.1(b)(i),
as
required by Section 2.1(b)(i).
"Notice
of Extension/Conversion"
means
the written notice of extension or conversion in substantially the form of
Schedule
3.2,
as
required by Section 3.2.
"Participant"
has the
meaning specified in Section
10.3(d).
"Participation
Interest"
means,
the extension of credit by a Lender by way of a purchase of a participation
in
any Loans as provided in Section 3.13.
13
"PBGC"
means
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation established pursuant to Subtitle A
of
Title IV of ERISA and any successor thereof.
"PCAOB"
means
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
"Permitted
Liens"
means:
(i) Liens
in
favor of the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders;
(ii) Liens
(other than Liens created or imposed under ERISA) for taxes, assessments or
governmental charges or levies not yet due or Liens for taxes being contested
in
good faith by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves determined
in
accordance with GAAP have been established (and as to which the Property subject
to any such Lien is not yet subject to foreclosure, sale or loss on account
thereof);
(iii) statutory
Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen
and suppliers and other Liens imposed by law or pursuant to customary
reservations or retentions of title arising in the ordinary course of business,
provided
that any
such Liens which are material secure only amounts not yet due and payable or,
if
due and payable, are unfiled and no other action has been taken to enforce
the
same or are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which
adequate reserves determined in accordance with GAAP have been established
(and
as to which the Property subject to any such Lien is not yet subject to
foreclosure, sale or loss on account thereof);
(iv) Liens
(other than Liens created or imposed under ERISA) incurred or deposits made
by
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business in
connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of
social security, or to secure the performance of tenders, statutory obligations,
bids, leases, government contracts, performance and return-of-money bonds and
other similar obligations (exclusive of obligations for the payment of borrowed
money);
(v) Liens
in
connection with attachments or judgments (including judgment or appeal bonds)
provided
that the
judgments secured shall, within 30 days after the entry thereof, have been
discharged or execution thereof stayed pending appeal, or shall have been
discharged within 30 days after the expiration of any such stay;
(vi) easements,
rights-of-way, restrictions (including zoning restrictions), minor defects
or
irregularities in title and other similar charges or encumbrances not, in any
material respect, impairing the use of the encumbered Property for its intended
purposes;
14
(vii) leases
or
subleases granted to others not interfering in any material respect with the
business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(viii) 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;
(ix) Liens
on
assets at the time such assets are acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary
in
accordance with Section 7.3(d); provided
that
such Liens are not created in contemplation of such acquisition;
(x) Liens
on
assets of any Person at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary in accordance
with Section 7.3(d); provided
that
such Liens are not created in contemplation of such Person becoming a
Subsidiary;
(xi) normal
and customary rights of setoff upon deposits of cash in favor of banks or other
depository institutions;
(xii) Liens
on
receivables sold pursuant to a Commercial Credit Business
Arrangement;
(xiii) Liens
on
inventory held by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries under
consignment;
(xiv) Liens
on
any inventory of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in favor of a vendor
of
such inventory, arising in the normal course of business upon its sale to the
Borrower or any such Subsidiary; and
(xv) other
Liens on Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, so long as the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries own at all times Property (a) unencumbered by any Liens
other than Liens permitted by clauses (i) through (xiv) above and (b), having
an
aggregate fair market value of at least $2,000,000,000.
"Person"
means
any individual, partnership, joint venture, firm, corporation, limited liability
company, association, trust or other enterprise (whether or not incorporated)
or
any Governmental Authority.
"Plan"
means
any employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which is covered
by ERISA and with respect to which the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower
or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated at such time, would
under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an "employer" within the meaning
of
Section 3(5) of ERISA.
"Platform"
has the
meaning specified in Section 6.1.
15
"Pricing
Level"
means
the applicable pricing level for the Applicable Percentage shown in Schedule
1.1.
"Property"
means
any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed,
or tangible or intangible.
"Register"
shall
have the meaning given such term in Section 10.3(c).
"Registered
Public Accounting Firm"
has the
meaning specified in the Securities Laws and shall be independent of the
Borrower as prescribed by the Securities Laws.
"Regulation
D, T, U, or X"
means
Regulation D, T, U or X, respectively, of the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System as from time to time in effect and any successor to all or a
portion thereof.
"Related
Parties"
means,
with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners,
directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such
Person’s Affiliates.
"Release"
means
any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging,
injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping or disposing into the environment
(including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers and other closed
receptacles containing any Materials of Environmental Concern).
"Reorganization"
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 7.03.
"Reportable
Event"
means
any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than those events
as to which the notice requirement has been waived by regulation.
"Required
Lenders"
means,
at any time, Lenders which are then in compliance with their obligations
hereunder (as determined by the Administrative Agent) and holding in the
aggregate more than 50% of (i) the Commitment Percentages or (ii) if the
Commitments have been terminated, the outstanding Loans and Participation
Interests.
"Requirement
of Law"
means,
as to any Person, the certificate of incorporation and by-laws or other
organizational or governing documents of such Person, and any law, treaty,
rule
or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental
Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of
its
material property is subject.
"Revolving
Commitment"
means,
with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender in an aggregate
principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth
opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule
2.1(a)
(as such
amount may be reduced or increased from time to time in accordance with the
provisions of this Credit Agreement), to make Revolving Loans in accordance
with
the provisions of Section 2.1(a).
16
"Revolving
Committed Amount"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.1(a).
"Revolving
Loans"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.1(a).
"Revolving
Note"
means a
promissory note of the Borrower in favor of a Lender delivered pursuant to
Section 2.1(e) and evidencing the Revolving Loans of such Lender, as such
promissory note may be amended, modified, restated or replaced from time to
time.
"S&P"
means
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies,
Inc., or any successor or assignee of the business of such division in the
business of rating securities.
"Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx"
means
the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002.
"SEC"
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding
to any of its principal functions.
"Securities
Laws"
means
the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
and the applicable accounting and auditing principles, rules, standards and
practices promulgated, approved or incorporated by the SEC or the
PCAOB.
"SPV"
has the
meaning set forth in Section 10.3(e).
"Single
Employer Plan"
means
any Plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA, but which is not a Multiemployer
Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.
"Subsidiary"
means,
as to any Person, (a) any corporation more than 50% of whose stock of any class
or classes having by the terms thereof ordinary voting power to elect a majority
of the directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether or not at the
time, any class or classes of such corporation shall have or might have voting
power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time owned by
such Person directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries, and (b) any
partnership, association, joint venture or other entity in which such Person
directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries has more than 50% equity interest
at
any time.
"Syndication
Agent"
means
Citicorp USA, Inc., together with any successors and assigns.
"Term
Loan Amendment"
means
the First Amendment dated on or about the date hereof to that certain Credit
Agreement dated as of December 23, 2004 by and among the Borrower, the lenders
from time to time party thereto, Fleet National Bank, as administrative agent,
and Wachovia Bank, National Association, as syndication agent.
"Terminating
Lenders"
shall
have the meaning specified in Section 3.4(e).
17
"Termination
Date"
means
May 5, 2010, provided,
however
that if
such date is not a Business Day, the Termination Date shall be the next
preceding Business Day.
"Utilization
Fee"
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 3.5(c).
"Utilization
Fee Period"
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.5(c).
1.2 Computation
of Time Periods.
For
purposes of computation of periods of time hereunder, the word "from" means
"from and including" and the words "to" and "until" each mean "to but
excluding."
1.3 Accounting
Terms.
Except
as
otherwise expressly provided herein, all accounting terms used herein shall
be
interpreted, and all financial statements and certificates and reports as to
financial matters required to be delivered to the Lenders hereunder shall be
prepared, in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis. All
calculations made for the purposes of determining compliance with this Credit
Agreement shall (except as otherwise expressly provided herein) be made by
application of GAAP applied on a basis consistent with the most recent annual
or
quarterly financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof (or,
prior to the delivery of the first financial statements pursuant to Section
6.1
hereof, consistent with the financial statements as at August 27, 2005);
provided,
however,
if (a)
the Borrower shall object to determining such compliance on such basis at the
time of delivery of such financial statements due to any change in GAAP or
the
rules promulgated with respect thereto or (b) the Administrative Agent or the
Required Lenders shall so object in writing within 30 days after delivery of
such financial statements, then such calculations shall be made on a basis
consistent with the most recent financial statements delivered by the Borrower
to the Lenders as to which no such objection shall have been made.
1.4 Time
of Day.
Unless
otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references
to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
SECTION
2
CREDIT
FACILITIES
2.1 Revolving
Loans.
18
(a) Revolving
Commitment.
Subject
to the terms and conditions hereof and in reliance upon the representations
and
warranties set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make available
to
the Borrower revolving credit loans requested by the Borrower in Dollars
("Revolving
Loans")
up to
such Lender’s Revolving Commitment from time to time from the Closing Date until
the Termination Date, or such earlier date as the Revolving Commitments shall
have been terminated as provided herein for the purposes hereinafter set forth;
provided,
however,
that
the sum of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Revolving Loans shall
not exceed THREE
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($300,000,000.00)
(as such
aggregate maximum amount may be reduced or increased from time to time as
provided in Sections 3.3 and 3.4, the "Revolving
Committed Amount");
provided,
further,
(i)
with regard to each Lender individually, such Lender’s outstanding Revolving
Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Revolving Commitment, and (ii) with regard
to the Lenders collectively, the sum of the aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Revolving Loans plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans shall not at any
time exceed the Revolving Committed Amount. Revolving Loans may consist of
Base
Rate Loans or Eurodollar Loans, or a combination thereof, as the Borrower may
request, and may be repaid and reborrowed in accordance with the provisions
hereof; provided,
however,
that no
more than 25 Eurodollar
Loans shall be outstanding hereunder at any time. For purposes hereof,
Eurodollar Loans with different Interest Periods shall be considered as separate
Eurodollar Loans, even if they begin on the same date, although borrowings,
extensions and conversions may, in accordance with the provisions hereof, be
combined at the end of existing Interest Periods to constitute a new Eurodollar
Loan with a single Interest Period. Revolving Loans hereunder may be repaid
and
reborrowed in accordance with the provisions hereof. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Borrower may not request any Loans hereunder while a Change
of
Control Standstill Period shall be in effect pursuant to Section
3.4(e)
hereof.
(b) Revolving
Loan Borrowings.
(i) Notice
of Borrowing.
The
Borrower shall request a Revolving Loan borrowing by notice, which may be given
by telephone and promptly confirmed in writing. Each such notice must be
received by the Administrative Agent not later than (i) 12:00 noon on the
Business Day of the requested borrowing in the case of Base Rate Loans, and
(ii)
11:00 A.M. three Business Days prior to the date of the requested borrowing
in
the case of Eurodollar Loans. Each such request for borrowing shall be
irrevocable, executed by a Financial Officer of the Borrower and shall specify
(A) that a Revolving Loan is requested, (B) the date of the requested borrowing
(which shall be a Business Day), (C) the aggregate principal amount to be
borrowed, and (D) whether the borrowing shall be comprised of Base Rate Loans,
Eurodollar Loans or a combination thereof, and if Eurodollar Loans are
requested, the Interest Period(s) therefor. If the Borrower shall fail to
specify in any such Notice of Borrowing (I) an applicable Interest Period in
the
case of a Eurodollar Loan, then such notice shall be deemed to be a request
for
an Interest Period of one month, or (II) the type of Revolving Loan requested,
then such notice shall be deemed to be a request for a Base Rate Loan hereunder.
The Administrative Agent shall give notice to each affected Lender promptly
upon
receipt of each Notice of Borrowing pursuant to this Section 2.1(b)(i), the
contents thereof and each such Lender’s share of any borrowing to be made
pursuant thereto.
19
(ii) Minimum
Amounts.
Each
Eurodollar Loan or Base Rate Loan that is a Revolving Loan shall be in a minimum
aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 and integral multiples of $1,000,000
in
excess thereof (or the remaining amount of the Revolving Committed Amount,
if
less).
(iii) Advances.
Each
Lender will make its Commitment Percentage of each Revolving Loan borrowing
available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Borrower as
specified in Section
3.14(a),
or in
such other manner as the Administrative Agent may specify in writing, by 1:00
P.M. on the date specified in the applicable Notice of Borrowing in Dollars
and
in funds immediately available to the Administrative Agent. Such borrowing
will
then be made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent by crediting
the Master Account with the aggregate of the amounts made available to the
Administrative Agent by the Lenders and in like funds as received by the
Administrative Agent.
(c) Repayment.
The
principal amount of all Revolving Loans shall be due and payable in full on
the
Termination Date, subject to the provisions of Sections 3.4(c) and
(e).
(d) Interest.
Subject
to the provisions of Section 3.1,
(i) Base
Rate Loans.
During
such periods as Revolving Loans shall be comprised in whole or in part of Base
Rate Loans, such Base Rate Loans shall bear interest at a per annum rate equal
to the Base Rate plus
the
Applicable Percentage; and
(ii) Eurodollar
Loans.
During
such periods as Revolving Loans shall be comprised in whole or in part of
Eurodollar Loans, such Eurodollar Loans shall bear interest at a per annum
rate
equal to the Eurodollar Rate plus
the
Applicable Percentage.
Interest
on Revolving Loans shall be payable in arrears on each applicable Interest
Payment Date (or at such other times as may be specified herein).
(e) Revolving
Notes.
The
Revolving Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced by a duly executed
promissory note of the Borrower to such Lender in an original principal amount
equal to such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and in substantially the form of
Schedule
2.1(e).
2.2 Competitive
Loan Subfacility.
(a) Competitive
Loans.
Subject
to the terms and conditions and relying upon the representations and warranties
herein set forth, the Borrower may, from time to time from the Closing Date
until the Termination Date, request and each Lender may, in its sole discretion,
agree to make, Competitive Loans in Dollars to the Borrower; provided,
however,
that
(i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans shall not
at
any time exceed the Revolving Committed Amount, and (ii) the sum of the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Revolving Loans plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans plus
the L/C
Obligations outstanding shall not at any time exceed the Revolving Committed
Amount. Each Competitive Loan shall be not less than $10,000,000 in the
aggregate and integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or the
remaining portion of the Revolving Committed Amount, if less). Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Borrower may not request any Loans hereunder while a Change
of Control Standstill Period shall be in effect pursuant to Section
3.4(e)
hereof.
20
(b) Competitive
Bid Requests.
The
Borrower may solicit by making a written or telefax request to all of the
Lenders for a Competitive Loan. To be effective, such request must be received
by each of the Lenders by 2:00 P.M. one Business Day prior to the date of the
requested borrowing and must specify (i) that a Competitive Loan is requested,
(ii) the amount of such Competitive Loan and (iii) the Interest Period for
such
Competitive Loan.
(c) Competitive
Bids.
Upon
receipt of a request by the Borrower for a Competitive Loan, each Lender may,
in
its sole discretion, submit a Competitive Bid containing an offer to make a
Competitive Loan in an amount up to the amount specified in the related request
for Competitive Loans. Such Competitive Bid shall be submitted to the Borrower
by telephone notice (to be immediately confirmed by telecopy) by 11:00 A.M.
on
the date of the requested Competitive Loan. Competitive Bids so made shall
be
irrevocable. Each Competitive Bid shall specify (i) the date of the proposed
Competitive Loan, (ii) the maximum and minimum principal amounts of the
Competitive Loan for which such offer is being made (which may be for all or
a
part of (but not more than) the amount requested by the Borrower), (iii) the
applicable Competitive Bid Rate, and (iv) the applicable Interest
Period.
(d) Acceptance
of Competitive Bids.
The
Borrower may, before 11:00 A.M. on the date of the requested Competitive Loan,
accept any Competitive Bid by giving the applicable Lender and the
Administrative Agent telephone notice (immediately confirmed in writing) of
(i)
the Lender or Lenders whose Competitive Bid(s) is/are accepted, (ii) the
principal amount of the Competitive Bid(s) so accepted and (iii) the Interest
Period of the Competitive Bid(s) so accepted. The Borrower may accept any
Competitive Bid in whole or in part; provided, however, that (a) the principal
amount of each Competitive Loan may not exceed the maximum amount offered in
the
Competitive Bid and may not be less than the minimum amount offered in the
Competitive Bid, (b) the principal amount of each Competitive Loan may not
exceed the total amount requested pursuant to subsection (a) above, (c) the
Borrower shall not accept a Competitive Bid made at a particular Competitive
Bid
Rate if it has decided to reject a Competitive Bid made at a lower Competitive
Bid Rate and (d) if the Borrower shall accept a Competitive Bid or Bids made
at
a particular Competitive Bid Rate but the amount of such Competitive Bid or
Bids
shall cause the total amount of Competitive Bids to be accepted by the Borrower
to exceed the total amount requested pursuant to subsection (a) above, then
the
Borrower shall accept a portion of such Competitive Bid or Bids in an amount
equal to the total amount requested pursuant to subsection (a) above less the
amount of other Competitive Bids accepted with respect to such request, which
acceptance, in the case of multiple Competitive Bids at the same Competitive
Bid
Rate, shall be made pro rata in accordance with each such Competitive Bid at
such Competitive Bid Rate. Competitive Bids so accepted by the Borrower shall
be
irrevocable.
21
(e) Funding
of Competitive Loans.
Upon
acceptance by the Borrower pursuant to subsection (d) above of all or a portion
of any Lender’s Competitive Bid, such Lender shall, before such time as
determined by such Lender in accordance with such Lender’s customary practices,
on the date of the requested Competitive Loan, make such Competitive Loan
available by crediting the Master Account with the amount of such Competitive
Loan.
(f) Competitive
Notes.
The
Competitive Loans of each Lender shall be evidenced by a single Competitive
Note
duly executed on behalf of the Borrower, dated the date hereof, in substantially
the form of Schedule
2.2(f),
payable
to the order of such Lender.
(g) Repayment
of Competitive Loans.
The
Borrower shall repay to each Lender which has made a Competitive Loan on the
last day of the Interest Period for such Competitive Loan the then unpaid
principal amount of such Competitive Loan. Unless the Borrower shall repay
the
maturing Competitive Loan or give to notice to the Administrative Agent of
its
intent to otherwise repay such Loan not later than 11:00 A.M. on the last day
of
the Interest Period, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Revolving
Loan advance comprised of Base Rate Loans in the amount of the maturing
Competitive Loan, the proceeds of which will be used to repay such Competitive
Loan.
(h) Interest
on Competitive Loans.
The
Borrower shall pay interest to each Lender on the unpaid principal amount of
each Competitive Loan from and including the date of such Competitive Loan
to
but excluding the stated maturity date thereof, at the applicable Competitive
Bid Rate for such Competitive Loan (computed on the basis of the actual number
of days elapsed over a year of 360 days). Interest on Competitive Loans shall
be
payable in arrears on each applicable Interest Payment Date (or at such other
times as may be specified herein).
(i) Limitation
on Number of Competitive Loans.
The
Borrower shall not request a Competitive Loan if, assuming the maximum amount
of
Competitive Loans so requested is borrowed as of the date of such request,
the
sum of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Revolving Loans
plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans would exceed the
aggregate Revolving Committed Amount.
(j) Change
in Procedures for Requesting Competitive Loans.
The
Borrower and the Lenders hereby agree that, notwithstanding any other provision
to the contrary contained in this Credit Agreement, upon mutual agreement of
the
Administrative Agent and the Borrower and written notice by the Administrative
Agent to the Lenders, all further requests by the Borrower for Competitive
Loans
shall be made by the Borrower to the Lenders through the Administrative Agent
in
accordance with such procedures as shall be prescribed by the Administrative
Agent and acceptable to the Borrower and each Lender.
22
SECTION
3
OTHER
PROVISIONS RELATING TO CREDIT FACILITIES
3.1 Default
Rate.
Upon
the
occurrence, and during the continuance, of an Event of Default, the principal
of
and, to the extent permitted by law, interest on the Loans and any other amounts
owing hereunder or under the other Credit Documents shall bear interest, payable
on demand, at a per annum rate 1% greater than the rate which would otherwise
be
applicable (or if no rate is applicable, whether in respect of interest, fees
or
other amounts, then 1% greater than the Base Rate).
3.2 Extension
and Conversion.
The
Borrower shall have the option, on any Business Day, to deliver a Notice of
Extension/Conversion to (i) extend existing Loans into a single subsequent
permissible Interest Period, (ii) convert Loans into Loans of another interest
rate type or (iii) extend existing Loans into automatic rolling subsequent
three-month Interest Periods; provided that, with respect to this clause (iii)
such Loans will be automatically extended on the last day of each three-month
Interest Period into the subsequent three-month Interest Period (as requested
pursuant to the relevant Notice of Extension/Conversion) until such time as
the
Borrower delivers a new Notice of Extension/Conversion, which new Notice of
Extension/Conversion shall be delivered prior to 11:00 A.M. on the fifth
Business Day prior to the last day of the then current Interest Period;
provided,
however,
that
(a) except as provided in Section 3.8, Eurodollar Loans may be converted into
Base Rate Loans only on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto,
(b) Eurodollar Loans may be extended, and Base Rate Loans may be converted
into
Eurodollar Loans, only if no Default or Event of Default is in existence on
the
date of extension or conversion, (c) Loans extended as, or converted into,
Eurodollar Loans shall be subject to the terms of the definition of
"Interest
Period"
set
forth in Section 1.1 and shall be in such minimum amounts as provided in Section
2.1(b)(ii), (d) no more than 25 Eurodollar Loans shall be outstanding hereunder
at any time (it being understood that, for purposes hereof, Eurodollar Loans
with different Interest Periods shall be considered as separate Eurodollar
Loans, even if they begin on the same date, although borrowings, extensions
and
conversions may, in accordance with the provisions hereof, be combined at the
end of existing Interest Periods to constitute a new Eurodollar Loan with a
single Interest Period), (e) any request for extension or conversion of a
Eurodollar Loan which shall fail to specify an Interest Period shall be deemed
to be a request for an Interest Period of one month and (f) Competitive Loans
may not be extended or converted pursuant to this Section 3.2. Each such
extension or conversion shall be effected by a Financial Officer of the Borrower
giving a Notice of Extension/Conversion (or telephone notice promptly confirmed
in writing) to the Administrative Agent prior to 11:00 A.M. on the third
Business Day prior to, in the case of the extension of a Eurodollar Loan as,
or
conversion of a Base Rate Loan into, a Eurodollar Loan, the date of the proposed
extension or conversion, specifying the date of the proposed extension or
conversion, the Loans to be so extended or converted, the types of Loans into
which such Loans are to be converted and, if appropriate, the applicable
Interest Periods with respect thereto. Each request for extension or conversion
shall be irrevocable and shall constitute a representation and warranty by
the
Borrower of the matters specified in subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) of
Section 4.2. In the event the Borrower fails to request extension or conversion
of any Eurodollar Loan in accordance with this Section, or any such conversion
or extension is not permitted or required by this Section, then such Eurodollar
Loan shall be automatically converted into a Base Rate Loan at the end of the
Interest Period applicable thereto. The Administrative Agent shall give each
Lender notice as promptly as practicable of any such proposed extension or
conversion affecting any Loan.
23
3.3 Prepayments.
(a) Voluntary
Prepayments.
The
Borrower shall have the right to prepay Loans (other than Competitive Loans,
which may not be prepaid) in whole or in part from time to time, subject to
Section 3.11, but otherwise without premium or penalty; provided,
however,
that
(i) Base Rate Loans may only be prepaid on one Business Day's prior written
notice to the Administrative Agent and specifying the applicable Loans to be
prepaid; (ii) Eurodollar Loans may only be prepaid on three Business Days’ prior
written notice to the Administrative Agent and specifying the applicable Loans
to be prepaid; and (iii) each such partial prepayment of Loans shall be in
the
case of Revolving Loans, in a minimum principal amount of $5,000,000 and
multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or, if less, the full remaining
amount of the Revolving Loan being prepaid). Subject to the foregoing terms,
amounts prepaid under this Section 3.3(a) shall be applied as the Borrower
may
elect.
(b) Mandatory
Prepayments.
(i) Commitment
Limitation.
If at
any time, the sum of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Revolving
Loans plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans shall exceed the
Revolving Committed Amount, the Borrower promises to immediately prepay Loans
in
an amount sufficient to eliminate such excess (such payments to be applied
as
set forth in clause (ii) below).
(iiii) Application
of Mandatory Prepayments.
All
amounts required to be paid pursuant to this Section 3.3(b) shall be
applied as follows: (A) with respect to all amounts paid pursuant to
Section 3.3(b), to Revolving Loans. Within
the parameters of the applications set forth above, payments shall be applied
first to Base Rate Loans and then to Eurodollar Loans in direct order of
Interest Period maturities. All payments under this Section 3.3(b) shall be
subject to Section 3.11, but otherwise without premium or
penalty,
and
shall
be
accompanied by interest on the principal amount paid through the date of
payment.
(c) General.
All
prepayments made pursuant to this Section 3.3 shall (i) be subject to Section
3.11 and (ii) unless the Borrower shall specify otherwise, be applied first
to
Base Rate Loans, if any, and then to Eurodollar Loans in direct order of
Interest Period maturities. Except as otherwise set forth in subclause (b)
above, amounts prepaid on the Revolving Loans may be reborrowed in accordance
with the provisions hereof.
24
3.4 Termination,
Reduction and Increase of Revolving Committed Amount.
(a) Voluntary
Reductions.
The
Borrower may from time to time permanently reduce or terminate the Revolving
Committed Amount in whole or in part (in minimum aggregate amounts of $5,000,000
or in integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or, if less, the
full
remaining amount of the then applicable Revolving Committed Amount)) upon five
Business Days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent; provided,
however,
no such
termination or reduction shall be made which would cause the aggregate principal
amount of outstanding Revolving Loans plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans to exceed the
Revolving Committed Amount unless, concurrently with such termination or
reduction, the Revolving Loans and/or the Competitive Loans are repaid to the
extent necessary to eliminate such excess. The Commitments of the Lenders shall
automatically terminate on the Termination Date. The Administrative Agent shall
promptly notify each affected Lender of receipt by the Administrative Agent
of
any notice from the Borrower pursuant to this Section 3.4(a).
(b) Additional
Commitments.
The
Borrower shall have the right no more than once a year to
increase the Facilities up to an aggregate amount of $1,300,000,000 (with such
increase to be applied pro rata to the Facilities) without the consent of the
Lenders, subject however to the satisfaction of each of the following terms
and
conditions:
(i) to
the
knowledge of the Administrative Agent, no Default or Event of Default shall
exist and be continuing at the time of such increase;
(ii) concurrently
with the Borrower’s request for such increase hereunder, the Borrower shall
deliver to the Administrative Agent, an officer’s certificate substantially in
the form of Schedule 6.1(c) certifying that no Default or Event of Default
has
occurred and is continuing and demonstrating compliance with each of the
financial covenants set forth in Sections 6.10 and 6.11 both before and after
giving effect to the increase requested hereunder;
(iii) such
increase shall be allocated in the following order:
(A) first,
to
the existing Lenders consenting to an increase in the amount of their Revolving
Commitments; provided
that (1)
on or before the tenth Business Day following notification of a requested
increase in the Revolving Committed Amount, each Lender shall notify the
Borrower of the desired increase, if any, in its Revolving Commitment and (2)
if
the aggregate increases in the Revolving Commitments requested by the existing
Lenders shall exceed the requested increase in the Revolving Committed Amount,
the Revolving Commitments of such Lenders shall be increased on a pro rata
basis
according to the existing Commitment Percentage of such Lenders;
and
25
(B) second,
to any other commercial bank, financial institution or "accredited investor"
(as
defined in Regulation D of the SEC) reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Agent and the Borrower;
(iv) each
Person providing a new Commitment shall execute a New Commitment Agreement
substantially in the form of Schedule
3.4(b)
hereto
and, upon such execution and the satisfaction of the other terms and conditions
of this Section 3.4(b), such Person shall thereupon become a party hereto and
have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Credit Agreement as
more
specifically provided in the New Commitment Agreement; and
(v) the
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of (A) the new Revolving
Committed Amount and (B) each Lender’s Commitment Percentage, in each case after
giving effect to the one-time increase in Revolving Commitment referred to
in
this Section 3.4(b).
On
the date (which date shall be a Business Day) on which the increase
in the
Revolving Committed Amount occurs the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders
shall make adjustments among the Lenders with respect to the Revolving
Loans outstanding hereunder and under the Four-Year Credit Agreement
and
amounts of principal, interest, fees and other amounts paid or payable
with respect thereto as shall be necessary in order to reallocate
among
the Lenders such outstanding amounts based on the new Commitment
Percentages and to otherwise carry out fully the terms of this Section
3.4(b). The Borrower agrees that, in connection with any such increase
in
the Revolving Committed Amount, it will promptly (i) provide to each
Lender providing a new or increased Revolving Commitment (upon surrender
of the existing Revolving Note of such Lender in the case of an existing
Lender) a Revolving Note in the amount of its new or increased (as
applicable) Revolving Commitment substantially in the form of the
Revolving Note attached hereto as Schedule
2.1(e)
(but, in the case of a new Revolving Note given to an existing Lender
that
increases its Revolving Commitment, with notation thereon that it
is given
in substitution for and replacement of the original Revolving Note
or any
replacement notes thereof) and (ii) provide to each Lender (upon
surrender
of the existing Competitive Note of such Lender in the case of an
existing
Lender) a Competitive Note in the amount of the new Revolving Committed
Amount substantially in the form of the Competitive Note attached
hereto
as Schedule
2.2(f)
(but, in the case of a new Competitive Note given to an existing
Lender,
with notation thereon that it is given in substitution for and replacement
of the original Competitive Note or any replacement notes thereof).
Each
of the parties hereto acknowledges and agrees that no Lender shall
be
obligated to increase its Revolving Commitment pursuant to the terms
of
this Section 3.4(b).
|
(c) Termination
Date.
The
Revolving Commitments of the Lenders shall automatically terminate on the
Termination Date.
(d)[Intentionally
Omitted.]
(e)Change
of Control.
26
(i) As
set
forth in Sections 2.1(a) above, the Borrower may not request any Loans hereunder
while a Change of Control Standstill Period shall be in effect pursuant to
this
Section 3.4(e). Subject
to the procedures set forth below in this clause (ii) of this Section 3.4(e),
upon the occurrence of a Change of Control and the expiration of the 20-day
notice period described below, each Lender shall have the right to terminate
its
Commitment hereunder and require that the Borrower prepay (and the Borrower
agrees to so prepay) in full such Lender's outstanding Loans (such amount the
"Change
of Control Prepayment Amount"),
plus
accrued and unpaid fees and interest, if any, to the date of prepayment and
all
other obligations due to such Lender under this Credit Agreement and the other
Credit Documents.
(ii) Upon
the
occurrence of any Change of Control, the Administrative Agent shall
mail a notice (the "Change
of Control Notice")
simultaneously to all Lenders providing each Lender with notice of its rights
under this Section 3.4(e) and a period of twenty (20) calendar days to evaluate
the Change of Control and make a determination as to whether such Lender will
terminate its Commitments and accept payment of the Change of Control Prepayment
Amount, or whether such Lender will accept such Change of Control and continue
as a Lender hereunder. The period beginning on the effective date of such Change
of Control and continuing through the expiration of such twenty (20) notice
day
period shall be referred to herein as a "Change
of Control Standstill Period").
The
Borrower may not request any Loans hereunder while a Change of Control
Standstill Period shall be in effect pursuant to this Section
3.4(e).
(iii) Lenders
electing to have their Loans prepaid pursuant to this Section 3.4(e) shall
so
notify the Administrative Agent as directed in the Change of Control Notice;
provided,
however,
that
failure by any Lender to make a timely response shall be deemed to constitute
an
election by such Lender to terminate its Commitment and accept prepayment of
its
Loans. Upon the expiration date of the Change of Control Standstill Period,
(A)
all Lenders electing to terminate their Commitments (the "Terminating
Lenders")
shall
surrender their Notes to the Administrative Agent at the address specified
in
Section 11.02, (B) all Notes held by Terminating Lenders shall be cancelled
by
the Borrower and the Borrower shall pay the applicable Change of Control
Prepayment Amounts to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
Terminating Lenders, and all other Obligations due to the Terminating Lenders
under this Agreement and the other Credit Documents, (C) the Commitments of
the
Terminating Lenders hereunder shall be terminated and the Revolving Committed
Amount shall be automatically reduced by an amount equal to the aggregate amount
of the Commitments so terminated, and (D) and the Commitments of those Lenders
not electing to terminate their Commitments shall automatically
continue.
(f) General.
The
Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders
in
accordance with the terms of Section 3.5(a), on the date of each termination
or
reduction of the Revolving Committed Amount, the Facility Fee accrued through
the date of such termination or reduction on the amount of the Revolving
Committed Amount so terminated or reduced.
27
3.5 Fees.
(a) Facility
Fee.
In
consideration of the Revolving Commitments of the Lenders hereunder, the
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Lender a fee (the "Facility
Fee")
on the
Revolving Committed Amount computed at a per annum rate for each day during
the
applicable Facility Fee Calculation Period (hereinafter defined) equal to the
Applicable Percentage in effect from time to time. The Facility Fee shall
commence to accrue on the Closing Date and shall be due and payable in arrears
on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December (and any
date that the Revolving Committed Amount is reduced or increased as provided
in
Section 3.4 and the Termination Date) for the immediately preceding quarter
(or
portion thereof) (each such quarter or portion thereof for which the Facility
Fee is payable hereunder being herein referred to as a "Facility
Fee Calculation Period"),
beginning with the first of such dates to occur after the Closing
Date.
(b) Administrative
Fees.
The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, the
fees referred to in the Administrative Agent’s Fee Letter (collectively, the
"Administrative
Agent’s Fees").
(c) Utilization
Fee.
During
such periods as the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Loans is
greater than or equal to 50% of the Revolving Committed Amount (each such period
a "Utilization
Fee Period"),
the
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Lender a fee (the "Utilization
Fee")
on all
Loans outstanding during each such Utilization Fee Period computed at a per
annum rate for each day during such period equal to the Applicable Percentage
for the Utilization Fee in effect from time to time. The Utilization Fee shall
be due and payable in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June,
September and December for all Utilization Fee Periods occurring during the
immediately preceding quarter (or portion thereof), beginning with the first
of
such dates to occur after the Closing Date.
3.6 Capital
Adequacy.
If
any
Lender determines the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained
by
such Lender, any Lending Installation of such Lender or any corporation
controlling such Lender is increased as a result of a Change (as defined below),
then, within 15 days of demand by such Lender, the Borrower shall pay such
Lender the amount necessary to compensate for any shortfall in the rate of
return on the portion of such increased capital which such Lender determines
is
attributable to this Credit Agreement, its Loans or its obligation to make
Loans
hereunder (after taking into account such Lender’s policies as to capital
adequacy). "Change" means (i) any change after the Closing Date in the
Risk-Based Capital Guidelines or (ii) any adoption of or change in any other
law, governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline,
interpretation, or directive (whether or not having the force of law) after
the
Closing Date which affects the amount of capital required or expected to be
maintained by any Lender or any Lending Installation or any corporation
controlling any Lender. "Risk-Based Capital Guidelines" means (i) the risk-based
capital guidelines in effect in the United States on the Closing Date, including
transition rules, and (ii) the corresponding capital regulations promulgated
by
regulatory authorities outside the United States implementing the July 1988
report of the Basle Committee on Banking Regulation and Supervisory Practices
Entitled "International Convergence of Capital Measurements and Capital
Standards," including transition rules, and any amendments to such regulations
adopted prior to the Closing Date.
28
3.7 Inability
To Determine Interest Rate.
If
prior
to the first day of any Interest Period, the Administrative Agent shall have
reasonably determined that, by reason of circumstances affecting the relevant
market, adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the
Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period, the Administrative Agent shall give
telecopy or telephonic notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders as soon
as
practicable thereafter. If such notice is given (a) any Eurodollar Loans
requested to be made on the first day of such Interest Period shall be made
as
Base Rate Loans and (b) any Loans that were to have been converted on the first
day of such Interest Period to or continued as Eurodollar Loans shall be
converted to or continued as Base Rate Loans. Until such notice has been
withdrawn by the Administrative Agent, no further Eurodollar Loans shall be
made
or continued as such, nor shall the Borrower have the right to convert Base
Rate
Loans to Eurodollar Loans.
3.8 Illegality.
Notwithstanding
any other provision herein, if the adoption of or any change in any Requirement
of Law or in the interpretation or application thereof occurring after the
Closing Date shall make it unlawful for any Lender to make or maintain
Eurodollar Loans as contemplated by this Credit Agreement, (a) such Lender
shall
promptly give written notice of such circumstances to the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent (which notice shall be withdrawn whenever such
circumstances no longer exist), (b) the commitment of such Lender hereunder
to
make Eurodollar Loans, continue Eurodollar Loans as such and convert a Base
Rate
Loan to Eurodollar Loans shall forthwith be canceled and, until such time as
it
shall no longer be unlawful for such Lender to make or maintain Eurodollar
Loans, such Lender shall then have a commitment only to make a Base Rate Loan
when a Eurodollar Loan is requested and (c) such Lender’s Loans then outstanding
as Eurodollar Loans, if any, shall be converted automatically to Base Rate
Loans
on the respective last days of the then current Interest Periods with respect
to
such Loans or within such earlier period as required by law. If any such
conversion of a Eurodollar Loan occurs on a day which is not the last day of
the
then current Interest Period with respect thereto, the Borrower shall pay to
such Lender such amounts, if any, as may be required pursuant to Section
3.11.
3.9 Yield
Protection.
If
any
law or any governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy,
guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law), or any
interpretation thereof, or the compliance of any Lender therewith,
29
(a)
subjects
any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation to any tax, duty, charge
or
withholding on or from payments due from the Borrower (excluding federal
taxation of the overall net income of any Lender or applicable Lending
Installation), or changes the basis of taxation of payments to any Lender in
respect of its Loans or other amounts due it hereunder;
(b) imposes
or increases or deems applicable any reserve, assessment, insurance charge,
special deposit or similar requirements against assets of, deposits with or
for
the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender or any applicable Lending
Installation (other than reserves and assessments taken into account in
determining the Base Rate);
and
the
result of which is to increase the cost to any Lender of making, funding or
maintaining loans or reduces any amount receivable by any Lender or any
applicable Lending Installation in connection with loans, or requires any Lender
or any applicable Lending Installation to make any payment calculated by
reference to the amount of loans held or interest received by it, by an amount
deemed material by such Lender;
then,
within 15 days of demand by such Lender, the Borrower shall pay such Lender
that
portion of such increased expense incurred or reduction in an amount received
which such Lender determines is attributable to making, funding and maintaining
its Loans and its Commitments. This covenant shall survive the termination
of
this Credit Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable
hereunder.
3.10 Withholding
Tax Exemption.
Each
Lender that is not incorporated under the laws of the United States of America
or a state thereof shall:
(a) (i) on
or
before the date of any payment by the Borrower under this Credit Agreement
or
Notes to such Lender, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent
(A)
two (2) duly completed copies of United States Internal Revenue Service Form
1001 or 4224, or successor applicable form, as the case may be, certifying
that
it is entitled to receive payments under this Credit Agreement and any Notes
without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes
and
(B) an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 or W-9, or successor applicable form,
as the case may be, certifying that it is entitled to an exemption from United
States backup withholding tax;
(ii) deliver
to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent two (2) further copies of any
such
form or certification on or before the date that any such form or certification
expires or becomes obsolete and after the occurrence of any event requiring
a
change in the most recent form previously delivered by it to the Borrower;
and
30
(iii) obtain
such extensions of time for filing and complete such forms or certifications
as
may reasonably be requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent;
or
(b) in
the
case of any such Lender that is not a "bank" within the meaning of Section
881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (i) represent to the Borrower (for
the benefit of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent) that it is not a
bank
within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (ii)
agree to furnish to the Borrower on or before the date of any payment by the
Borrower, with a copy to the Administrative Agent two (2) accurate and complete
original signed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8, or successor
applicable form certifying to such Lender’s legal entitlement at the date of
such certificate to an exemption from U.S. withholding tax under the provisions
of Section 881(c) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to payments to
be
made under this Credit Agreement and any Notes (and to deliver to the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent two (2) further copies of such form on or before
the date it expires or becomes obsolete and after the occurrence of any event
requiring a change in the most recently provided form and, if necessary, obtain
any extensions of time reasonably requested by the Borrower or the
Administrative Agent for filing and completing such forms), and (iii) agree,
to
the extent legally entitled to do so, upon reasonable request by the Borrower,
to provide to the Borrower (for the benefit of the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent) such other forms as may be reasonably required in order
to
establish the legal entitlement of such Lender to an exemption from withholding
with respect to payments under this Credit Agreement and any Notes;
unless
in
any such case any change in treaty, law or regulation has occurred after the
date such Person becomes a Lender hereunder which renders all such forms
inapplicable or which would prevent such Lender from duly completing and
delivering any such form with respect to it and such Lender so advises the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent in either case. Each Person that shall
become a Lender or a participant of a Lender pursuant to subsection 10.3 shall,
upon the effectiveness of the related transfer, be required to provide all
of
the forms, certifications and statements required pursuant to this subsection,
provided
that in
the case of a participant of a Lender the obligations of such participant of
a
Lender pursuant to this Section 3.10 shall be determined as if the participant
of a Lender were a Lender except that such participant of a Lender shall furnish
all such required forms, certifications and statements to the Lender from which
the related participation shall have been purchased.
3.11 Indemnity.
The
Borrower promises to indemnify each Lender and to hold each Lender harmless
from
any loss or expense which such Lender may sustain or incur (other than through
such Lender’s gross negligence or willful misconduct) as a consequence of (a)
default by the Borrower in making a borrowing of, conversion into or
continuation of Eurodollar Loans after the Borrower has given a notice
requesting the same in accordance with the provisions of this Credit Agreement,
(b) default by the Borrower in making any prepayment of a Eurodollar Loan after
the Borrower has given a notice thereof in accordance with the provisions of
this Credit Agreement or (c) the making of a prepayment of Eurodollar Loans
on a
day which is not the last day of an Interest Period with respect thereto. With
respect to Eurodollar Loans, such indemnification may include an amount equal
to
the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued
on
the amount so prepaid, or not so borrowed, converted or continued, for the
period from the date of such prepayment or of such failure to borrow, convert
or
continue to the last day of the applicable Interest Period (or, in the case
of a
failure to borrow, convert or continue, the Interest Period that would have
commenced on the date of such failure) in each case at the applicable rate
of
interest for such Eurodollar Loans provided for herein (excluding, however,
the
Applicable Percentage included therein, if any) over (ii) the amount of interest
(as reasonably determined by such Lender) which would have accrued to such
Lender on such amount by placing such amount on deposit for a comparable period
with leading banks in the interbank Eurodollar market. The covenants of the
Borrower set forth in this Section 3.11 shall survive the termination of this
Credit Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable
hereunder.
31
3.12 Pro
Rata Treatment.
Except
to
the extent otherwise provided herein:
(a) Loans.
Each
Loan, each payment or prepayment of principal of any Loan, each payment of
interest on the Loans, each payment of Facility Fees, each payment of
Utilization Fees, each reduction of the Revolving Committed Amount and each
conversion or extension of any Loan, shall be allocated pro rata among the
Lenders in accordance with the respective principal amounts of their outstanding
Loans and Participation Interests. With respect to Competitive Loans, if the
Borrower fails to specify the particular Competitive Loan or Loans as to which
any payment or other amount should be applied and it is not otherwise clear
as
to the particular Competitive Loan or Loans to which such payment or other
amounts relate, or any such payment or other amount is to be applied to
Competitive Loans without regard to any such direction by the Borrower, then
each payment or prepayment of principal on Competitive Loans and each payment
of
interest or other amount on or in respect of Competitive Loans, shall be
allocated pro rata among the relevant Lenders of Competitive Loans in accordance
with the then outstanding amounts of their respective Competitive
Loans.
(b) Advances.
Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have been notified in writing by any Lender
prior
to a borrowing that such Lender will not make the amount that would constitute
its ratable share of such borrowing available to the Administrative Agent,
the
Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender is making such amount available
to the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance
upon
such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. If
such
amount is not made available to the Administrative Agent by such Lender within
the time period specified therefor hereunder, such Lender shall pay to the
Administrative Agent, on demand, such amount with interest thereon at a rate
equal to the Federal Funds Rate for the period until such Lender makes such
amount immediately available to the Administrative Agent. A certificate of
the
Administrative Agent submitted to any Lender with respect to any amounts owing
under this subsection shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest
error.
32
3.13 Payments
Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.
(a) General.
All
payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made without condition or deduction
for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise
expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be
made
to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which
such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in
immediately available funds not later than 4:00 P.M. on the date specified
herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its
Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such
payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending
Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 4:00 P.M.
shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable
interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by the
Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be
made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be
reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.
(b) (i)
Funding
by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent.
Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to
the
proposed date of any Committed Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans (or, in the
case of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on
the
date of such Committed Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available
to
the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing, the
Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available
on such date in accordance with Sections 2.1(b) and 3.2 (or, in the case of
a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share
available in accordance with and at the time required by Sections 2.1(b)
and 3.2) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the
Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact
made
its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative
Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to
the
Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in
immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and
including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but
excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the
case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds
Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with
banking industry rules on interbank compensation and (B) in the case of a
payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate
Loans. If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the
Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative
Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid
by
the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable
Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall
constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing.
Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower
may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the
Administrative Agent.
(ii) Payments
by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent.
Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior
to
the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account
of the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the
Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on
such
date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption,
distribute to the Lenders the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has
not
in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay
to
the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such
Lender, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day
from
and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the
date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal
Funds
Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with
banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
33
A
notice
of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any
amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent
convincing evidence to the contrary.
(c) Failure
to Satisfy Conditions Precedent.
If any
Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be
made
by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Section 3, and
such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent
because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Section
4
are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the
Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from
such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.
(d) Obligations
of Lenders Several.
The
obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans and to make
payments pursuant to Section 9.7 are several and not joint. The failure of
any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to
make
any payment under Section 9.7 on any date required hereunder shall not
relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date,
and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so
make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment
under Section 9.7.
(e) Funding
Source.
Nothing
herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan
in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any
Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any
particular place or manner.
3.14 Sharing
of Payments.
The
Lenders agree among themselves that, in the event that any Lender shall obtain
payment in respect of any Loan or any other obligation owing to such Lender
under this Credit Agreement through the exercise of a right of setoff, banker’s
lien or counterclaim, or pursuant to a secured claim under Section 506 of Title
11 of the United States Code or other security or interest arising from, or
in
lieu of, such secured claim, received by such Lender under any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law or otherwise, or by any other means,
in excess of its pro rata share of such payment as provided for in this Credit
Agreement, such Lender shall promptly purchase from the other Lenders a
participation in such Loans and other obligations in such amounts, and make
such
other adjustments from time to time, as shall be equitable to the end that
all
Lenders share such payment in accordance with their respective ratable shares
as
provided for in this Credit Agreement. The Lenders further agree among
themselves that if payment to a Lender obtained by such Lender through the
exercise of a right of setoff, banker’s lien, counterclaim or other event as
aforesaid shall be rescinded or must otherwise be restored, each Lender which
shall have shared the benefit of such payment shall, by repurchase of a
participation theretofore sold, return its share of that benefit (together
with
its share of any accrued interest payable with respect thereto) to each Lender
whose payment shall have been rescinded or otherwise restored. The Borrower
agrees that any Lender so purchasing such a participation may, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, exercise all rights of payment, including setoff,
banker’s lien or counterclaim, with respect to such participation as fully as if
such Lender were a holder of such Loan or other obligation in the amount of
such
participation. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Credit Agreement,
if any Lender or the Administrative Agent shall fail to remit to the
Administrative Agent or any other Lender an amount payable by such Lender or
the
Administrative Agent to the Administrative Agent or such other Lender pursuant
to this Credit Agreement on the date when such amount is due, such payments
shall be made together with interest thereon for each date from the date such
amount is due until the date such amount is paid to the Administrative Agent
or
such other Lender at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. If under
any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, any Lender receives
a secured claim in lieu of a setoff to which this Section 3.13 applies, such
Lender shall, to the extent practicable, exercise its rights in respect of
such
secured claim in a manner consistent with the rights of the Lenders under this
Section 3.13 to share in the benefits of any recovery on such secured
claim.
34
3.15 Payments,
Computations, Etc.
(a) Except
as
otherwise specifically provided herein, all payments hereunder (other than
payments in respect of Competitive Loans) shall be made to the Administrative
Agent in dollars in immediately available funds, without offset, deduction,
counterclaim or withholding of any kind, at the Administrative Agent’s office
specified in Schedule
2.1(a)
not
later than 4:00 P.M. on the date when due. Payments received after such time
shall be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day.
The
Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) debit the amount of
any
such payment which is not made by such time to any ordinary deposit account
of
the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent (with notice to the
Borrower). The Borrower shall, at the time it makes any payment under this
Credit Agreement (other than payments in respect of Competitive Loans), specify
to the Administrative Agent the Loans, Fees, interest or other amounts payable
by the Borrower hereunder to which such payment is to be applied (and in the
event that it fails so to specify, or if such application would be inconsistent
with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment
to
the Lenders in such manner as the Administrative Agent may determine to be
appropriate in respect of obligations owing by the Borrower hereunder, subject
to the terms of Section 3.12(a)). The Administrative Agent will distribute
such
payments to such Lenders, if any such payment is received prior to 12:00 Noon
on
a Business Day in like funds as received prior to the end of such Business
Day
and otherwise the Administrative Agent will distribute such payment to such
Lenders on the next succeeding Business Day. All payments of principal and
interest in respect of Competitive Loans shall be made in accordance with the
terms of Section 2.2. Whenever any payment hereunder shall be stated to be
due
on a day which is not a Business Day, the due date thereof shall be extended
to
the next succeeding Business Day (subject to accrual of interest and Fees for
the period of such extension), except that in the case of Eurodollar Loans,
if
the extension would cause the payment to be made in the next following calendar
month, then such payment shall instead be made on the next preceding Business
Day. Except as expressly provided otherwise herein, all computations of interest
and fees shall be made on the basis of actual number of days elapsed over a
year
of 360 days, except with respect to computation of interest on Base Rate Loans
which (unless the Base Rate is determined by reference to the Federal Funds
Rate) shall be calculated based on a year of 365 or 366 days, as appropriate.
Interest shall accrue from and include the date of borrowing, but exclude the
date of payment.
35
(b) Allocation
of Payments After Event of Default.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Credit Agreement to the contrary,
after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, all
amounts collected or received by the Administrative Agent or any Lender on
account of the Loans, Fees or any other amounts outstanding under any of the
Credit Documents shall be paid over or delivered as follows:
FIRST,
to
the payment of all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including
without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees) of the Administrative Agent in
connection with enforcing the rights of the Lenders under the Credit
Documents;
SECOND,
to payment of any fees owed to the Administrative Agent;
THIRD,
to
the payment of all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including
without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) of each of the Lenders in
connection with enforcing its rights under the Credit Documents or otherwise
with respect to amounts owing to such Lender;
FOURTH,
to the payment of accrued fees and interest;
FIFTH,
to
the payment of the outstanding principal amount of the Loans;
SIXTH,
to
all other amounts and other obligations which shall have become due and payable
under the Credit Documents or otherwise and not repaid pursuant to clauses
"FIRST" through "FIFTH" above; and
SEVENTH,
to the payment of the surplus, if any, to whomever may be lawfully entitled
to
receive such surplus.
In
carrying out the foregoing, (i) amounts received shall be applied in the
numerical order provided until exhausted prior to application to the next
succeeding category; and (ii)
each of
the Lenders shall receive an amount equal to its pro rata share (based on the
proportion that the then outstanding Loans held by such Lender bears to the
aggregate then outstanding Loans) of amounts available to be applied pursuant
to
clauses "THIRD", "FOURTH", "FIFTH" and "SIXTH" above.
36
3.16 Evidence
of Debt.
(a) Each
Lender shall maintain an account or accounts evidencing each Loan made by such
Lender to the Borrower from time to time, including the amounts of principal
and
interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time under this Credit
Agreement. Each Lender will make reasonable efforts to maintain the accuracy
of
its account or accounts and to promptly update its account or accounts from
time
to time, as necessary.
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall maintain the Register pursuant to Section 10.3(c)
hereof, and a subaccount for each Lender, in which Register and subaccounts
(taken together) shall be recorded (i) the amount, type and Interest Period
of
each such Loan hereunder, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due
and
payable or to become due and payable to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the
amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder from or for
the
account of the Borrower and each Lender’s share thereof. The Administrative
Agent will make reasonable efforts to maintain the accuracy of the subaccounts
referred to in the preceding sentence and to promptly update such subaccounts
from time to time, as necessary.
(c) The
entries made in the accounts, Register and subaccounts maintained pursuant
to
subsection (b) of this Section 3.15 (and, if consistent with the entries of
the
Administrative Agent, subsection (a)) shall be conclusive,
absent convincing evidence to the contrary,
evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations of the Borrower therein
recorded; provided,
however,
that
the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain any such
account, such Register or such subaccount, as applicable, or any error therein,
shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the
Loans
made by such Lender in accordance with the terms hereof.
3.17 Replacement
of Lenders.
In
the
event any Lender delivers to the Borrower any notice in accordance with Sections
3.6, 3.8, 3.9 or 3.10, then the Borrower shall have the right, if no Default
or
Event of Default then exists, to replace such Lender (the "Replaced
Lender")
with
one or more additional banks or financial institutions (collectively, the
"Replacement
Lender"),
provided
that (A)
at the time of any replacement pursuant to this Section 3.16, the Replacement
Lender shall enter into one or more Assignment and Assumptions pursuant to,
and
in accordance with the terms of, Section 10.3(b) (and with all fees payable
pursuant to said Section 10.3(b) to be paid by the Replacement Lender) pursuant
to which the Replacement Lender shall acquire all of the rights and obligations
of the Replaced Lender hereunder and, in connection therewith, shall pay to
the
Replaced Lender in respect thereof an amount equal to the sum of (a) the
principal of, and all accrued interest on, all outstanding Loans of the Replaced
Lender, and (b) all accrued, but theretofore unpaid, fees owing to the Replaced
Lender pursuant to Section 3.5(a), and (B) all obligations of the Borrower
owing
to the Replaced Lender (including all obligations, if any, owing pursuant to
Section 3.6, 3.8 or 3.9, but excluding those obligations specifically described
in clause (A) above in respect of which the assignment purchase price has been,
or is concurrently being paid) shall be paid in full to such Replaced Lender
concurrently with such replacement.
37
SECTION
4
CONDITIONS
4.1 Closing
Conditions.
The
obligation of the Lenders to enter into this Credit Agreement and to make the
initial Loans shall be subject to satisfaction of the following conditions
(in
form and substance acceptable to the Lenders):
(a) The
Administrative Agent shall have received original counterparts of this Credit
Agreement executed by each of the parties hereto;
(b) The
Administrative Agent shall have received an appropriate original Revolving
Note
for each Lender requesting a Revolving Note, executed by the
Borrower;
(c) The
Administrative Agent shall have received an appropriate original Competitive
Note for each Lender requesting a Competitive Note, executed by the
Borrower;
(d) [intentionally
omitted];
(e) The
Administrative Agent shall have received all documents it may reasonably request
relating to the existence and good standing of the Borrower, the corporate
or
other necessary authority for and the validity of the Credit Documents, and
any
other matters relevant thereto, all in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;
(f) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a legal opinion of Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx,
Esq., general counsel for the Borrower, dated as of the Closing Date and
substantially in the form of Schedule
4.1(f);
(g) Since
August 27, 2005 there shall not have occurred or otherwise exist an event or
condition which has a Material Adverse Effect;
(h) The
Administrative Agent shall have received, for its own account and for the
accounts of the Lenders, all fees and expenses required by this Credit Agreement
or any other Credit Document to be paid on or before the Closing
Date;
(i) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that all obligations due
and
owing under the Existing Five-Year Credit Agreement shall have been, or
concurrently with the date hereof will be, paid in full;
38
(j) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that all obligations due
and
owing under the Existing 364-Day Credit Agreement shall have been, or
concurrently with the date hereof will be, paid in full and such facility
terminated;
(k) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that the "Closing Date" under
the Amended and Restated Five-Year Credit Agreement shall have occurred
simultaneously;
(l) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that the effectiveness of
the
Term Loan Amendment shall have occurred simultaneously; and
(m) The
Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents, agreements or
information which may be reasonably requested by the Administrative
Agent.
4.2 Conditions
to all Extensions of Credit.
The
obligations of each Lender to make, convert or extend any Loan (including the
initial Loans) hereunder are subject to satisfaction of the following conditions
in addition to satisfaction on the Closing Date of the conditions set forth
in
Section 4.1:
(a) The
Borrower shall have delivered in the case of any Revolving Loan to the
Administrative Agent, an appropriate Notice of Borrowing or Notice of
Extension/Conversion,;
(b) The
representations and warranties set forth in Section 5 shall be, subject to
the
limitations set forth therein, true and correct in all material respects as
of
such date (except for those which expressly relate to an earlier
date);
(c) There
shall not have been commenced against the Borrower an involuntary case under
any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in
effect, or any case, proceeding or other action for the appointment of a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar
official) of the Borrower or for any substantial part of its Property or for
the
winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and such involuntary case or other
case, proceeding or other action shall remain undismissed, undischarged or
unbonded;
(d) No
Default or Event of Default shall exist and be continuing either prior to or
after giving effect thereto; and
(e) Immediately
after giving effect to the making of such Loan (and the application of the
proceeds thereof), the sum of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding
Revolving Loans plus
the
aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans shall not exceed
the
Revolving Committed Amount.
The
delivery of each Notice of Borrowing and each Notice of Extension/Conversion
shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower of the
correctness of the matters specified in subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) above.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower may not request any Loans hereunder
while a Change of Control Standstill Period shall be in effect pursuant to
Section
3.4(e)
hereof.
39
SECTION
5
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
The
Borrower hereby represents to the Administrative Agent and each Lender
that:
5.1 Financial
Position; No Internal Control Event.
(a) The
audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its consolidated
Subsidiaries as of August 27, 2005 and the audited consolidated statements
of
earnings and statements of cash flows for the year ended August 27, 2005 have
heretofore been furnished to each Lender. Such financial statements (including
the notes thereto) (a) have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, (b) have been
prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods
covered thereby and (c) present fairly (on the basis disclosed in the footnotes
to such financial statements) the consolidated financial position, results
of
operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries
as
of such date and for such periods. During the period from August 27,
2005 to
and
including the Closing Date, there has been no sale, transfer or other
disposition by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of any material part
of
the business or property of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, and no purchase or other acquisition by any of them of any
business or property (including any capital stock of any other person) material
in relation to the consolidated financial position of the Borrower and its
consolidated Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in each case, which, is not
reflected in the foregoing financial statements or in the notes thereto and
has
not otherwise been disclosed in writing to the Lenders on or prior to the
Closing Date. Since August 27, 2005, through and including the Closing Date,
there has not occurred an event or condition which has had a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) To
the
best knowledge of the Borrower, no Internal Control Event exists or has occurred
since the date of the Audited Financial Statements through the Closing
Date.
5.2 Organization;
Existence; Compliance with Law.
Each
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (a) is duly organized, validly existing and
in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or
organization, (b) has the corporate or other necessary power and authority,
and
the legal right, to own and operate its property, to lease the property it
operates as lessee and to conduct the business in which it is currently engaged,
except to the extent that the failure to have such legal right would not be
reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (c) is duly qualified
as
a foreign entity and in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction where
its ownership, lease or operation of property or the conduct of its business
requires such qualification, other than in such jurisdictions where the failure
to be so qualified and in good standing would not be reasonably expected to
have
a Material Adverse Effect, and (d) is in compliance with all material
Requirements of Law, except to the extent that the failure to comply therewith
would not, in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
40
5.3 Power;
Authorization; Enforceable Obligations.
The
Borrower has the corporate or other necessary power and authority, and the
legal
right, to make, deliver and perform the Credit Documents to which it is a party,
and in the case of the Borrower, to borrow hereunder, and has taken all
necessary corporate action to authorize the borrowings on the terms and
conditions of this Credit Agreement and to authorize the execution, delivery
and
performance of the Credit Documents to which it is a party. No consent or
authorization of, filing with, notice to or other similar act by or in respect
of, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is required to be obtained
or
made by or on behalf of the Borrower in connection with the borrowings hereunder
or with the execution, delivery, performance, validity or enforceability of
the
Credit Documents to which the Borrower is a party. This Credit Agreement has
been, and each other Credit Document to which the Borrower is a party will
be,
duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Borrower. This Credit Agreement
constitutes, and each other Credit Document to which the Borrower is a party
when executed and delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Borrower enforceable against such party in accordance with
its
terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement
of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (whether
enforcement is sought by proceedings in equity or at law).
5.4 No
Legal Bar.
The
execution, delivery and performance of the Credit Documents by the Borrower,
the
borrowings hereunder and the use of the proceeds thereof (a) will not violate
any Requirement of Law or contractual obligation of the Borrower or any of
its
Subsidiaries in any respect that would reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect, (b) will not result in, or require, the creation or imposition
of any Lien on any of the properties or revenues of any of the Borrower or
any
of its Subsidiaries pursuant to any such Requirement of Law or contractual
obligation, and (c) will not violate or conflict with any provision of the
Borrower’s articles of incorporation or by-laws.
5.5 No
Material Litigation.
Except
as
disclosed in Schedule 5.5, there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending
or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting
the
Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its properties before any
Governmental Authority that (a) could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect or (b) in any manner draw into question the validity, legality
or
enforceability of any Credit Document or any transaction contemplated
thereby.
5.6 No
Default.
Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is in default under or with respect
to
any of their contractual obligations in any respect which would be reasonably
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default or Event of Default
has
occurred and is continuing.
41
5.7 Ownership
of Property; Liens.
Each
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good record and marketable title in fee
simple to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all its material real property,
and
good title to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all its other material
property, and none of such property is subject to any Lien, except for Permitted
Liens.
5.8 No
Burdensome Restrictions.
Except
as
previously disclosed in writing to the Lenders on or prior to the Closing Date,
no Requirement of Law or contractual obligation of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
5.9 Taxes.
Each
of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has filed or caused to be filed all United
States federal income tax returns and all other material tax returns which,
to
the best knowledge of the Borrower, are required to be filed and has paid (a)
all taxes shown to be due and payable on said returns or (b) all taxes shown
to
be due and payable on any assessments of which it has received notice made
against it or any of its property and all other taxes, fees or other charges
imposed on it or any of its property by any Governmental Authority (other than
any (i) taxes, fees or other charges with respect to which the failure to pay,
in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) taxes, fees
or other charges the amount or validity of which are currently being contested
and with respect to which reserves in conformity with GAAP have been provided
on
the books of such Person), and no tax Lien has been filed, and, to the best
knowledge of the Borrower, no claim is being asserted, with respect to any
such
tax, fee or other charge.
5.10 ERISA.
Except
as
would not result in a Material Adverse Effect:
(a) During
the five-year period prior to the date on which this representation is made
or
deemed made: (i) no ERISA Event has occurred, and, to the best knowledge of
the
Borrower, no event or condition has occurred or exists as a result of which
any
ERISA Event could reasonably be expected to occur, with respect to any Plan;
(ii) no "accumulated funding deficiency," as such term is defined in Section
302
of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, has occurred with
respect to any Plan; (iii) each Single Employer Plan and, to the best knowledge
of the Borrower, each Multiemployer Plan has been maintained, operated, and
funded in compliance with its own terms and in material compliance with the
provisions of ERISA, the Code, and any other applicable federal or state laws;
and (iv) no lien in favor of the PBGC or a Plan has arisen or is reasonably
likely to arise on account of any Plan.
(b) The
actuarial present value of all "benefit liabilities" (as defined in Section
4001(a)(16) of ERISA), whether or not vested, under each Single Employer Plan,
as of the last annual valuation date prior to the date on which this
representation is made or deemed made (determined, in each case, utilizing
the
actuarial assumptions used in such Plan’s most recent actuarial valuation
report), did not exceed as of such valuation date the fair market value of
the
assets of such Plan.
42
(c) Neither
the Borrower, any of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate
has incurred, or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, could be reasonably
expected to incur, any withdrawal liability under ERISA to any Multiemployer
Plan or Multiple Employer Plan. Neither the Borrower, any of the Subsidiaries
of
the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate would become subject to any withdrawal
liability under ERISA if the Borrower, any of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower
or any ERISA Affiliate were to withdraw completely from all Multiemployer Plans
and Multiple Employer Plans as of the valuation date most closely preceding
the
date on which this representation is made or deemed made. Neither the Borrower,
any of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has received
any
notification that any Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization (within the
meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), is insolvent (within the meaning of Section
4245 of ERISA), or has been terminated (within the meaning of Title IV of
ERISA), and no Multiemployer Plan is, to the best knowledge of the Borrower,
reasonably expected to be in reorganization, insolvent, or
terminated.
(d) No
prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section
4975 of the Code) or breach of fiduciary responsibility has occurred with
respect to a Plan which has subjected or may subject the Borrower, any of the
Subsidiaries of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to any liability under
any
of Section 406, 409, 502(i), or 502(l) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code,
or
under any agreement or other instrument pursuant to which the Borrower, any
of
the Subsidiaries of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has agreed or is
required to indemnify any person against any such liability.
(e) Neither
the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliates has any
material liability with respect to "expected post-retirement benefit
obligations" within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Board
Statement 106.
(f) Neither
the execution and delivery of this Credit Agreement nor the consummation of
the
financing transactions contemplated thereunder will involve any transaction
which is subject to the prohibitions of any of Section 404, 406 or 407 of ERISA
or in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to Section 4975
of
the Code. The representation by the Borrower in the preceding sentence is made
in reliance upon and subject to the accuracy of the Lenders’ representation in
Section 10.15 with respect to their source of funds and is subject, in the
event
that the source of the funds used by the Lenders in connection with this
transaction is an insurance company’s general asset account, to the application
of Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 95-60, 60 Fed. Reg. 35,925 (1995),
compliance with the regulations issued under Section 401(c)(1)(A) of ERISA,
or
the issuance of any other prohibited transaction exemption or similar relief,
to
the effect that assets in an insurance company’s general asset account do not
constitute assets of an "employee benefit plan" within the meaning of Section
3(3) of ERISA of a "plan" within the meaning of Section 4975(e)(1) of the
Code.
43
5.11 Governmental
Regulations, Etc.
(a) No
part
of the pro-ceeds of the Loans will be used, directly or indirectly, for the
purpose of purchasing or carrying any "margin stock" in violation of Regulation
U. If requested by any Lender or the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will
furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing
effect in conformity with the requirements of FR Form U-1 referred to in said
Regulation U. No indebtedness being reduced or retired out of the proceeds
of
the Loans was or will be incurred for the purpose of purchasing or carrying
any
margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U or any "margin security" within
the meaning of Regulation T. "Margin stock" within the meanings of Regulation
U
does not constitute more than 25% of the value of the consolidated assets of
the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries. None of the transactions contemplated by this
Credit Agreement (including, without limitation, the direct or indirect use
of
the proceeds of the Loans) will violate or result in a violation of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as
amended, or regulations issued pursuant thereto, or Regulation T, U or X.
(b) Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to regulation under the
Federal Power Act or the Investment Company Act of 1940, each as amended. In
addition, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is an "investment
company" registered or required to be registered under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended, and is not controlled by such a company.
(c)
Each of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has obtained all licenses, permits, franchises
or other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of its
respective Property and to the conduct of its business, except where such
failure could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(d) Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any applicable
statute, regulation or ordinance of the United States of America, or of any
state, city, town, municipality, county or any other jurisdiction, or of any
agency thereof (including without limitation, environmental laws and
regulations), except where such violation could not reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(e)
Each of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is current with all material reports and
documents, if any, required to be filed with any state or federal securities
commission or similar agency and is in full compliance in all material respects
with all applicable rules and regulations of such commissions, except where
such
failure could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
44
5.12 Subsidiaries.
Schedule
5.12
sets
forth all the Subsidiaries of the Borrower at the Closing Date, the jurisdiction
of their organization and the direct or indirect ownership interest of the
Borrower therein.
5.13 Purpose
of Loans.
The
proceeds of the Loans hereunder shall be used solely by the Borrower to (a)
to
refinance existing Indebtedness of the Borrower under existing credit
agreements, (b) repurchase stock in the Borrower, (c) to finance acquisitions
to
the extent permitted under this Credit Agreement and (d) for the working
capital, commercial paper back up, capital expenditures and other lawful
corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
5.14 Disclosure.
No
certificate (including any financial statements or other documents or attached
thereto) furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent
or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the
negotiation of this Credit Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or
supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material
misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make
the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
5.15 Taxpayer
Identification Number.
The
Borrower's true and correct U.S. taxpayer identification number is set forth
on
Schedule
10.1.
SECTION
6
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
The
Borrower hereby covenants and agrees that so long as this Credit Agreement
is in
effect or any amounts payable hereunder or under any other Credit Document
shall
remain outstanding, and until all of the Commitments hereunder shall have
terminated:
6.1 Information
Covenants.
The
Borrower will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Administrative Agent
and
the Lenders:
45
46
(c) Officer’s
Certificate.
At the
time of delivery of the financial statements provided for in Sections 6.1(a)
and
6.1(b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower substantially
in the form of Schedule
6.1(c),
(i)
demonstrating compliance with the financial covenants contained in Sections
6.10
and 6.11 by calculation thereof as of the end of each such fiscal period, (ii)
stating that no Default or Event of Default exists, or if any Default or Event
of Default does exist, specifying the nature and extent thereof and what action
the Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto and (iii) certifying as
to
the Borrower's current senior unsecured (non-credit enhanced) long term debt
rating from S&P and/or Xxxxx'x.
(d) Reports.
Promptly upon transmission or receipt thereof, (a) copies of any filings on
Forms 8-K, 10-Q or 10-K and any other material filings or registrations with
the
SEC, or any successor agency, and copies of all financial statements, proxy
statements, material notices and material reports as the Borrower or any of
its
Subsidiaries shall send to its shareholders or to a holder of any Indebtedness
owed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in its capacity as such a holder
and (b) upon the request of the Administrative Agent, all reports and written
information to and from the United States Environmental Protection Agency,
or
any state or local agency responsible for environ-mental matters, the United
States Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or any state or local
agency respon-sible for health and safety matters, or any successor agencies
or
authorities concerning environmental, health or safety matters.
(e) Notices.
The
Borrower will give written notice to the Administrative Agent (a) immediately
upon obtaining knowledge thereof, of the occurrence of an event or condition
consisting of a Default or Event of Default, specifying the nature and existence
thereof and what action the Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto,
(b)
upon the occurrence of any of the following with respect to the Borrower or
any
of its Subsidiaries: (i) promptly upon the Borrower’s determination thereof, the
pendency or commencement of any litigation, arbitral or governmental proceeding
against such Person which is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse
Effect, (ii) promptly upon the Borrower’s determination thereof, the institution
of any proceedings against such Person with respect to, or the receipt of notice
by such Person of potential liability or responsibility for violation, or
alleged violation of any federal, state or local law, rule or regulation,
including but not limited to, Environmental Laws, the violation of which would
likely have a Material Adverse Effect, or (iii) immediately upon obtaining
knowledge thereof, of any notice or determination concerning the imposition
of
any withdrawal liability by a Multiemployer Plan against such Person or any
ERISA Affiliate, the determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected
to be, in reorganization within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA or the
termination of any Plan, (c) immediately upon obtaining knowledge thereof,
of
any change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by the
Borrower or any Subsidiary that the Borrower’s external auditors consider to
have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Borrower
and its Subsidiary, and (d) immediately upon obtaining knowledge thereof, of
the
determination by the Registered Public Accounting Firm providing the opinion
required under Section 6.1(a)(ii) (in connection with its preparation of such
opinion) or the Borrower's determination at any time of the occurrence or
existence of any Internal Control Event.
47
(f) ERISA.
Upon
obtaining knowledge thereof, the Borrower will give written notice to the
Administrative Agent promptly (and in any event within five business days)
of:
(i) of any event or condition, including, but not limited to, any Reportable
Event, that constitutes, or might reasonably lead to, an ERISA Event; (ii)
with
respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the receipt of notice as prescribed in ERISA
or otherwise of any withdrawal liability assessed against the Borrower or any
of
its ERISA Affiliates, or of a determination that any Multiemployer Plan is
in
reorganization or insolvent (both within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA);
(iii) the failure to make full payment on or before the due date (including
extensions) thereof of all amounts which the Borrower, any of the Subsidiaries
of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute to each Plan
pursuant to its terms and as required to meet the minimum funding standard
set
forth in ERISA and the Code with respect thereto; or (iv) any change in the
funding status of any Plan that reasonably could be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect, together with a description of any such event or condition
or a
copy of any such notice and a statement by a Financial Officer of the Borrower
briefly setting forth the details regarding such event, condition, or notice,
and the action, if any, which has been or is being taken or is proposed to
be
taken by the Borrower with respect thereto. Promptly upon request, the Borrower
shall furnish the Administrative Agent and the Lenders with such additional
information concerning any Plan as may be reasonably requested, including,
but
not limited to, copies of each annual report/return (Form 5500 series), as
well
as all schedules and attachments thereto required to be filed with the
Department of Labor and/or the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to ERISA and
the Code, respectively, for each "plan year" (within the meaning of Section
3(39) of ERISA).
(g) Change
of Control; Reorganization. Upon
obtaining knowledge thereof, the Borrower will promptly provide the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders with (i) written notice of any actual
or
expected Change of Control or Reorganization, (ii) the
circumstances and relevant facts regarding such Change of Control or
Reorganization (including the information with respect to pro forma historical
income, cash flow and capitalization, each after giving effect to such Change
of
Control or Reorganization, as the case may be), and
(iii)
such
additional information and documents regarding such Change
of
Control or
Reorganization as
may be
reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent and/or any Lender.
(h) Debt
Rating.
No
later
than five (5) days after a Financial Officer obtains knowledge of any such
issuance of change, give notice to the Administrative Agent (by telephone,
followed promptly by written notice transmitted by facsimile with a hard copy
sent promptly thereafter) of any issuance of change (either expressly or
pursuant to a letter from S&P or Xxxxx’x stating an "implied" rating), in
rating by S&P or Xxxxx’x in respect of the Borrower’s non-credit enhanced
senior long-term debt (secured or unsecured), together with details
thereof.
(i) Other
Information.
With
reasonable promptness upon any such request, such other information regarding
the business, properties or financial condition of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders may reasonably
request.
48
Documents
required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.1(a), (b) or (d) (to
the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with
the
SEC)
may be
delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been
delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or
provides a link thereto on the Borrower’s website on the Internet at the website
address listed in Section 10.1; or (ii) on which such documents are
posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to
which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a
commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative
Agent); provided
that:
(i) the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of all officer’s certificates
delivered pursuant to Section 6.1(c) to the Administrative Agent or any Lender
that requests the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request
to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such
Lender and (ii) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (by
telecopier, electronic mail or automatic electronic notification via the
Borrower’s website) of the posting of any documents required to be delivered
pursuant to Section 6.1(a), (b) or (d). Notwithstanding anything
contained herein, in every instance the Borrower shall be required to provide
paper copies of the officer's certificate required by Section 6.1(c) to the
Administrative Agent. Except for such officer's certificates required by
Section 6.1(c), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to
request the delivery or to maintain copies of the documents referred to above,
and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the
Borrower with any such request for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely
responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such
documents.
The
Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or the
Arrangers will make available to the Lenders materials and/or information
provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, "Borrower
Materials")
by
posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar electronic
system (the "Platform")
and
(b) certain of the Lenders may be "public-side" Lenders (i.e.,
Lenders
that do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to
the
Borrower or its securities) (each, a "Public
Lender").
The
Borrower hereby agrees that, so long as it is the issuer of any outstanding
debt
or equity securities that are registered or issued pursuant to a private
offering or is actively contemplating issuing any such securities, (w) all
Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be
made
available by means of the Platform and shall be clearly and conspicuously marked
"PUBLIC" which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word "PUBLIC" shall appear
prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials
"PUBLIC," the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative
Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not
containing any material non-public information with respect to the Borrower
or
its securities for purposes of United States Federal and state securities
laws, it being understood that certain of such Borrower Materials may be subject
to the confidentiality requirements set forth herein and in the other Credit
Documents; (y) all Borrower Materials marked "PUBLIC" are permitted to be
made available through a portion of the Platform designated "Public Investor;"
and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arranger shall be entitled to
treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked "PUBLIC" as being suitable
only
for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated "Public Investor".
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall be under no obligation to
xxxx
any Borrower Materials "Public".
49
6.2 Preservation
of Existence and Franchises.
Except
as
would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Borrower will, and will
cause
each of its Subsidiaries to, do all things necessary to preserve and keep in
full force and effect its existence, rights, franchises and
authority.
6.3 Books
and Records.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep complete and
accurate books and records of its transactions in accordance with good
accounting practices on the basis of GAAP (including the establishment and
maintenance of appropriate reserves).
6.4 Compliance
with Law.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all
laws,
rules, regulations and orders, and all applicable restrictions imposed by all
Governmental Authorities, applicable to it and its property if noncompliance
with any such law, rule, regulation, order or restriction would have a Material
Adverse Effect.
6.5 Payment
of Taxes and Other Indebtedness.
Except
as
otherwise provided pursuant to the terms of the definition of "Permitted Liens"
set forth in Section 1.1, the Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, pay and discharge (a) all taxes, assessments and governmental
charges or levies imposed upon it, or upon its income or profits, or upon any
of
its properties, before they shall become delinquent, (b) all lawful claims
(including claims for labor, materials and supplies) which, if unpaid, might
give rise to a Lien upon any of its properties, and (c) except as prohibited
hereunder, all of its other Indebtedness as it shall become due.
6.6 Insurance.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, at all times maintain
in full force and effect insurance, which may include self insurance, in such
amounts and covering such risks as is consistent with sound business practices
and similarly situated corporations.
6.7 Maintenance
of Property.
The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain and preserve
its properties and equipment material to the conduct of its business in good
repair, working order and condition, normal wear and tear and casualty and
condemnation excepted, and will make, or cause to be made, in such properties
and equipment from time to time all repairs, renewals, replacements, extensions,
additions, betterments and improvements thereto as may be needed or proper,
to
the extent and in the manner customary for companies in similar
businesses.
50
6.8 Use
of Proceeds.
The
Borrower will use the proceeds of the Loans solely for the purposes set forth
in
Section 5.13.
6.9 Audits/Inspections.
Upon
reasonable notice and during normal business hours, the Borrower will, and
will
cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit representatives appointed by the
Administrative Agent, including, without limitation, independent accountants,
agents, attorneys, and appraisers to visit and inspect its property, including
its books and records, its accounts receivable and inventory, its facilities
and
its other business assets, and to make photocopies or photographs thereof and
to
write down and record any information such representative obtains and shall
permit the Administrative Agent or its representatives to investigate and verify
the accuracy of information provided to the Lenders and to discuss all such
matters with the officers, employees and representatives of such
Person.
6.10 Adjusted
Debt to EBITDAR Ratio.
The
Borrower shall cause the ratio of Consolidated Adjusted Debt to Consolidated
EBITDAR as of the last day of each fiscal quarter to be no greater than 3.00
to
1.00.
6.11 Interest
Coverage Ratio.
The
Borrower shall cause the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio as of the last
day
of each fiscal quarter to be no less than 2.50 to 1.0.
SECTION
7
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
The
Borrower hereby covenants and agrees that, so long as this Credit Agreement
is
in effect or any amounts payable hereunder or under any other Credit Document
shall remain outstanding, and until all of the Commitments hereunder shall
have
terminated:
7.1 Liens.
The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, contract,
create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien with respect to any of their
Property, whether now owned or after acquired, except for Permitted
Liens.
7.2 Nature
of Business.
The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, substantively
alter the character or conduct of the business conducted by any such Person
as
of the Closing Date.
51
7.3 Consolidation,
Merger, Sale or Purchase of Assets, etc.
The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to:
(a) except
in
connection with a disposition of assets permitted by the terms of subsection
(c)
below, dissolve, liquidate or wind up their affairs;
(b) enter
into any transaction of merger or consolidation; provided,
however,
that,
so long as no Default or Event of Default would be directly or indirectly caused
as a result thereof, (i) the Borrower may merge or consolidate with any of
its
Subsidiaries provided that the Borrower is the surviving corporation; (ii)
any
Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge or consolidate with any other Subsidiary
of
the Borrower; (iii) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries may merge or
consolidate with any Person (other than the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries)
provided that (A) the Borrower or a Subsidiary of the Borrower is the surviving
corporation and (B) after giving effect on a pro forma basis to such merger
or
consolidation, no Default or Event of Default would exist hereunder; and (iv)
the Borrower may consummate the Reorganization pursuant to and in accordance
with the provisions of the last paragraph of this Section 7.3.
(c) sell,
lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of Property owned by and material to the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (other than (i) any such sale,
lease, transfer or other disposition by a Subsidiary of the Borrower to the
Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower), provided,
however,
for the
purposes of this subsection (c), sale-leaseback transactions entered into by
the
Borrower or its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed material to the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole to the extent the aggregate amount with
respect to all such transactions entered into after the Closing Date does not
exceed $500,000,000; and, provided further,
the
Borrower may consummate the Reorganization pursuant to and in accordance with
the last paragraph of this Section
7.3;
or
(d) except
as
otherwise permitted by Section 7.3(a) or Section 7.3(b), acquire all or any
portion of the capital stock or securities of any other Person or purchase,
lease or otherwise acquire (in a single transaction or a series of related
transactions) all or any substantial part of the Property of any other Person;
provided
that (i)
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall be permitted to make acquisitions
of the type referred to in this Section 7.3(d), so long as such acquisitions
are
non-hostile and (ii) after giving effect on a pro forma basis to any such
acquisition (including but not limited to any Indebtedness to be incurred or
assumed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection therewith),
no
Default or Event of Default would exist hereunder.
52
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, but subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, the
Borrower
will be permitted to effect an internal reorganization that will result in
the
AutoZone parent company changing its state of incorporation from Nevada to
Delaware and that will be accomplished either by (i) the Borrower merging with
and into a new wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower, which Subsidiary (x)
will be incorporated in the state of Delaware and the surviving corporation
of
such merger, (y) shall, as a result of such merger, assume by operation of
law
all of the rights and obligations of the Borrower under the Credit Agreement,
and (z) shall, immediately after the consummation of such merger, have
management and controlling ownership substantially similar to that of the
Borrower immediately prior to the consummation of such merger or (ii) the
Borrower becoming a wholly-owned Subsidiary of a new holding company
incorporated in the State of Delaware, the outstanding capital stock of which
holding company will be owned by the current shareholders of the Borrower
(either such transaction, the "Reorganization").
The
Lenders hereby agree that the Borrower shall be permitted to consummate the
Reorganization so long as (i) the consummation of the Reorganization shall
not
result in a material and adverse impact to the interests of the Administrative
Agent and/or the Lenders under the Credit Agreement and the Notes, and (ii)
after giving effect to the Reorganization, (A) the Borrower become a
wholly-owned subsidiary of a corporation organized in the State of Delaware
and
(B) that the management and controlling ownership of such parent corporation
immediately after the consummation of the Reorganization be substantially
similar to that of the Borrower immediately prior to the consummation of the
Reorganization. The Borrower hereby agrees (i) to provide the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders with such additional information and documents related
to
the Reorganization as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent
and/or any Lender and (ii) to execute within a reasonable time after
consummation of the Reorganization (not to exceed sixty (60) days unless
otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent) such appropriate amendments,
corporate authority documents and other supporting documents to or under the
Credit Agreement evidencing any changes made necessary by the consummation
of
the Reorganization (including, without limitation, (x)
in
the event the Borrower merges with and into a new wholly-owned Subsidiary of
the
Borrower, a legal opinion of Borrower’s counsel, in form and substance
reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent’s legal counsel, addressing
the enforceability of the Credit Documents with respect to such surviving
Subsidiary and (y) in the event that the Borrower becomes a wholly-owned
subsidiary of a new parent holding company incorporated in Delaware, a guaranty
by such new parent holding company of the Borrower’s obligations under the
Credit Agreement) and such other changes as may be mutually agreed to by the
Borrower (or its successor, if applicable) and the parties hereto, each in
form
and substance reasonably acceptable to the Borrower (or its successor, if
applicable), the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders. The Borrower
acknowledges that the agreement of the Lenders evidenced in this paragraph
is
given in reliance upon the foregoing conditions and agreements and shall be
deemed revoked if any such condition or agreement is breached.
7.4 Fiscal
Year.
The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, change its
fiscal year without first obtaining the written consent of the Required Lenders
(such consent not to be unreasonably withheld).
7.5 Subsidiary
Indebtedness.
The
Borrower will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to contract, create, incur,
assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness
set forth on Schedule
7.5
(and any
renewals, refinancings or extensions thereof on terms and conditions no more
favorable, in the aggregate, to such creditor than such existing Indebtedness
and in a principal amount not in excess of that outstanding as of the date
of
such renewal, refinancing or extension);
53
(b) intercompany
Indebtedness owed by a Subsidiary of the Borrower to the Borrower or to another
wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower;
(c) Indebtedness
of the Subsidiaries incurred after the Closing Date to provide all or a portion
of the purchase price of short-lived assets (such as trucks and computer
equipment) which may be treated as Capital Leases in accordance with GAAP in
an
aggregate amount not to exceed $100,000,000 in
any
fiscal year;
(d) Indebtedness
of the Subsidiaries incurred in connection with synthetic leases, tax retention
operating leases, off-balance sheet loans or similar off-balance sheet
financings in an aggregate amount not to exceed $150,000,000 in
any
two consecutive fiscal years;
(e) Indebtedness
of the Mexican Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount for all Mexican
Subsidiaries not to exceed $150,000,000 at
any
time outstanding; and
(f) other
Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed
$25,000,000 at
any
time outstanding.
SECTION
8
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT
8.1 Events
of Default.
An
Event
of Default shall exist upon the occurrence of any of the following specified
events (each an "Event
of Default"):
(a) Payment.
The
Borrower shall
(i) default
in the payment when due of any principal of any of the Loans, or
(ii) default,
and such default shall continue for five (5) or more Business Days, in the
payment when due of any interest on the Loans, or of any Fees or other amounts
owing hereunder, under any of the other Credit Documents or in connection
herewith or therewith; or
(b) Representations.
Any
representation, warranty or statement made or deemed to be made by the Borrower
herein, in any of the other Credit Documents, or in any statement or certificate
delivered or required to be delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall prove
untrue in any material respect on the date as of which it was deemed to have
been made; or
54
(c) Covenants.
The
Borrower shall
(i) default
in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or agreement
contained in Sections 6.2, 6.8, 6.10, 6.11 or 7.1 through 7.3, inclusive, and
7.5, or
(ii) default
in the due performance of any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section
6.1 and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of at least 5 days
after the earlier of a responsible officer of the Borrower becoming aware of
such default or notice thereof by the Administrative Agent.
(iii) default
in the due performance or observance by it of any term, covenant or agreement
(other than those referred to in subsections (a), (b), (c)(i) or (c)(ii) of
this
Section 8.1) contained in this Credit Agreement and such default shall continue
unremedied for a period of at least 30 days after the earlier of a responsible
officer of the Borrower becoming aware of such default or notice thereof by
the
Administrative Agent; or
(d) Bankruptcy,
etc.
Any
Bankruptcy Event shall occur with respect to the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries; or
(e) Other
Indebtedness.
With
respect to any Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness outstanding under this
Credit Agreement or owing to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries) in excess
of $35,000,000 in
the
aggregate for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (i) the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (A) default in any payment (beyond
the
applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) with respect to any such
Indebtedness, or (B) default in the observance or performance relating to such
Indebtedness or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing
or
relating thereto, or any other event or condition shall occur or condition
exist, the effect of which default or other event or condition is to cause,
or
permit, the holder or holders of such Indebtedness (or trustee or agent on
behalf of such holders) to cause, any such Indebtedness to become due prior
to
the applicable maturity date, but after the expiration of all applicable grace
periods, and such Indebtedness shall not be repaid when due; or (ii) any such
Indebtedness shall be declared due and payable, or required to be prepaid other
than by a regularly scheduled required prepayment, prior to the stated maturity
thereof and shall not be repaid when due; or
(f) Judgments.
One or
more judgments or decrees shall be entered against the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries involving a liability of $25,000,000 or
more
in the aggregate (to the extent not paid or covered by insurance) and any such
judgments or decrees shall not have been vacated, discharged or stayed or bonded
pending appeal within 30 days from the entry thereof, or if longer, within
the
applicable appeal period (but in no event for more than 90 days from the entry
thereof); or
55
(g) ERISA.
Any of
the following events or conditions, if such event or condition reasonably could
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (1) any "accumulated funding
deficiency," as such term is defined in Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412
of
the Code, whether or not waived, shall exist with respect to any Plan, or any
lien shall arise on the assets of the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower
or any ERISA Affiliate in favor of the PBGC or a Plan; (2) an ERISA Event shall
occur with respect to a Single Employer Plan, which is, in the reasonable
opinion of the Administrative Agent, likely to result in the termination of
such
Plan for purposes of Title IV of ERISA; (3) an ERISA Event shall occur with
respect to a Multiemployer Plan or Multiple Employer Plan, which is, in the
reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, likely to result in (i) the
termination of such Plan for purposes of Title IV of ERISA, or (ii) the
Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate incurring any
liability in connection with a withdrawal from, reorganization of (within the
meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), or insolvency or (within the meaning of
Section 4245 of ERISA) such Plan; or (4) any prohibited transaction (within
the
meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) or breach of
fiduciary responsibility shall occur which may subject the Borrower, any
Subsidiary of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to any liability under
Sections 406, 409, 502(i), or 502(l) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code,
or
under any agreement or other instrument pursuant to which the Borrower, any
Subsidiary of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has agreed or is required
to
indemnify any person against any such liability.
8.2 Acceleration;
Remedies.
Upon
the
occurrence of an Event of Default, and at any time thereafter unless and until
such Event of Default has been waived by the Required Lenders or cured to the
satisfaction of the Required Lenders (pursuant to the voting procedures in
Section 10.6), the Administrative Agent shall, upon the request and direction
of
the Required Lenders, by written notice to the Borrower take any of the
following actions:
(a) Termination
of Commitments.
Declare
the Commitments terminated whereupon the Commitments shall be immediately
terminated.
(b) Acceleration.
Declare
the unpaid principal of and any accrued interest in respect of all Loans and
any
and all other indebtedness or obligations of any and every kind owing by the
Borrower to the Administrative Agent and/or any of the Lenders hereunder to
be
due whereupon the same shall be immediately due and payable without presentment,
demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived
by
the Borrower.
(c) Enforcement
of Rights.
Enforce
any and all rights and interests created and existing under the Credit Documents
and all rights of set-off.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if an Event of Default specified in Section 8.1(d) shall occur,
then the Commitments shall automatically terminate and all Loans, all accrued
interest in respect thereof, all accrued and unpaid Fees and other indebtedness
or obligations owing to the Administrative Agent and/or any of the Lenders
hereunder in respect thereof automatically shall immediately become due and
payable without the giving of any notice or other action by the Administrative
Agent or the Lenders.
56
SECTION
9
AGENCY
PROVISIONS
9.1 Appointment
and Authority.
Each
Lender hereby designates and appoints Bank of America as administrative agent
(in such capacity as Administrative Agent hereunder, the "Administrative Agent")
of such Lender to act as specified herein and the other Credit Documents, and
each such Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent as the agent for
such Lender, to take such action on its behalf under the provisions of this
Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents and to exercise such powers
and
perform such duties as are expressly delegated by the terms hereof and of the
other Credit Documents, together with such other powers as are reasonably
incidental thereto. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere
herein and in the other Credit Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not
have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein
and
therein, or any fiduciary relationship with any Lender, and no implied
covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities
shall
be read into this Credit Agreement or any of the other Credit Documents, or
shall otherwise exist against the Administrative Agent. The provisions of this
Section are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
and the Borrower shall have no rights as a third party beneficiary of the
provisions hereof. In performing its functions and duties under this Credit
Agreement and the other Credit Documents, the Administrative Agent shall act
solely as agent of the Lenders and does not assume and shall not be deemed
to
have assumed any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with or for
the
Borrower or any of its Affiliates.
9.2 Delegation
of Duties.
The
Administrative Agent may execute any of its respective duties hereunder or
under
the other Credit Documents by or through agents or attorneys-in-fact and shall
be entitled to advice of counsel concerning all matters pertaining to such
duties; provided
that the
use of any agents or attorneys-in-fact shall not relieve the Administrative
Agent of its duties hereunder.
9.3 Exculpatory
Provisions.
The
Administrative Agent and its officers, directors, employees, agents,
attorneys-in-fact or affiliates shall not be (a) liable for any action lawfully
taken or omitted to be taken by it or such Person under or in connection
herewith or in connection with any of the other Credit Documents (except for
its
or such Person’s own gross negligence or willful misconduct), or (b) responsible
in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements,
representations or warranties made by the Borrower contained herein or in any
of
the other Credit Documents or in any certificate, report, document, financial
statement or other written or oral statement referred to or provided for in,
or
received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection herewith or in
connection with the other Credit Documents, or enforceability or sufficiency
therefor of any of the other Credit Documents, or for any failure of the
Borrower to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder. The Administrative
Agent shall not be responsible to any Lender for the effectiveness, genuineness,
validity, enforceability, collectibility or sufficiency of this Credit
Agreement, or any of the other Credit Documents or for any representations,
warranties, recitals or statements made herein or therein or made by the
Borrower in any written or oral statement or in any financial or other
statements, instruments, reports, certificates or any other documents in
connection herewith or therewith furnished or made by the Administrative Agent
to the Lenders or by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent
or
any Lender or be required to ascertain or inquire as to the performance or
observance of any of the terms, conditions, provisions, covenants or agreements
contained herein or therein or as to the use of the proceeds of the Loans or
of
the existence or possible existence of any Default or Event of Default or to
inspect the properties, books or records of the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates.
57
9.4 Reliance
on Communications.
The
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected
in
relying, upon any note, writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate,
affidavit, letter, cablegram, telegram, telecopy, facsimile, telex or teletype
message, statement, order or other document or conversation reasonably 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, without limitation, counsel to the Borrower, independent accountants
and other experts selected by the Administrative Agent with reasonable care).
The Administrative Agent may deem and treat the Lenders as the owner of their
respective interests hereunder for all purposes unless a written notice of
assignment, negotiation or transfer thereof shall have been filed with the
Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 10.3(b) hereof. The
Administrative Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take
any
action under this Credit Agreement or under any of the other Credit Documents
unless it shall first receive such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders
as it deems appropriate or it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction
by
the Lenders against any and all liability and expense which may be incurred
by
it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. The Administrative
Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from
acting, hereunder or under any of the other Credit Documents in accordance
with
a request of the Required Lenders (or to the extent specifically provided in
Section 10.6, all the Lenders) and such request and any action taken or failure
to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon all the Lenders (including their
successors and assigns).
9.5 Notice
of Default.
The
Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the
occurrence of any Default or Event of Default hereunder unless the
Administrative Agent has received notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring
to the Credit Document, describing such Default or Event of Default and stating
that such notice is a "notice of default." In the event that the Administrative
Agent receives such a notice, the Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice
thereof to the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall take such action with
respect to such Default or Event of Default as shall be reasonably directed
by
the Required Lenders.
58
9.6 Non-Reliance
on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.
Each
Lender expressly acknowledges that each of the Administrative Agent and its
officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact or affiliates has
not
made any representations or warranties to it and that no act by the
Administrative Agent or any affiliate thereof hereinafter taken, including
any
review of the affairs of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, shall be deemed
to constitute any representation or warranty by the Administrative Agent to
any
Lender. Each Lender represents to the Administrative Agent that it has,
independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other
Lender, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed
appropriate, made its own appraisal of and investigation into the business,
assets, operations, property, financial and other conditions, prospects and
creditworthiness of the Borrower or its Affiliates and made its own decision
to
make its Loans hereunder and enter into this Credit Agreement. Each Lender
also
represents that it will, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and based on such documents and
information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its
own
credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not taking action under
this Credit Agreement, and to make such investigation as it deems necessary
to
inform itself as to the business, assets, operations, property, financial and
other conditions, prospects and creditworthiness of the Borrower and its
Affiliates. Except for notices, reports and other documents expressly required
to be furnished to the Lenders by the Administrative Agent hereunder, the
Administrative Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any
Lender with any credit or other information concerning the business, operations,
assets, property, financial or other conditions, prospects or creditworthiness
of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates which may come into the possession
of
the Administrative Agent or any of its officers, directors, employees, agents,
attorneys-in-fact or affiliates.
59
9.7 Indemnification.
The
Lenders agree to indemnify the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such
(to
the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation
of
the Borrower to do so), ratably according to their respective Commitments (or
if
the Commitments have expired or been terminated, in accordance with the
respective principal amounts of outstanding Loans and Participation Interests
of
the Lenders), from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses,
damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements
of any kind whatsoever which may at any time (including without limitation
at
any time following the final payment of all of the obligations of the Borrower
hereunder and under the other Credit Documents) be imposed on, incurred by
or
asserted against the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such in any way
relating to or arising out of this Credit Agreement or the other Credit
Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein
or
the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted
by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with any of the foregoing;
provided
that no
Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such liabilities,
obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs,
expenses or disbursements resulting from the gross negligence or willful
misconduct of the Administrative Agent. If any indemnity furnished to the
Administrative Agent for any purpose shall, in the opinion of the Administrative
Agent, be insufficient or become impaired, the Administrative Agent may call
for
additional indemnity and cease, or not commence, to do the acts indemnified
against until such additional indemnity is furnished. The agreements in this
Section shall survive the repayment of the Loans and other obligations under
the
Credit Documents and the termination of the Commitments hereunder.
9.8 Administrative
Agent in its Individual Capacity.
Bank
of
America
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 each
of
the Borrower and its respective Affiliates as though Bank
of
America
were not
the Administrative Agent hereunder, as applicable, and without notice to or
consent of the Lenders. The Lenders acknowledge that, pursuant to such
activities, Bank
of
America
and its
Affiliates may receive information regarding the Borrower or its Affiliates
(including information that may be subject to confidentiality obligations in
favor of the Borrower or such Affiliate) and acknowledge that the Administrative
Agent shall be under no obligation to provide such information to them. With
respect to its Loans, Bank
of
America
shall
have the same rights and powers under the Credit Agreement as any other Lender
and may exercise such rights and powers as though it were not the Administrative
Agent, and the terms "Lender" and "Lenders" include Bank
of
America,
in its
individual capacity.
60
9.9 Successor
Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent may at any time resign upon 20 days' written notice to
the
Lenders and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the
Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to
appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the
United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the
United States; provided that,
so long
as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, such successor
Administrative Agent shall be reasonably acceptable to the Borrower.
If no
such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall
have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring
Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring
Administrative Agent may on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor
Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided
that if
the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that no
qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall
nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice and (1) the
retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and
obligations hereunder and under the other Credit Documents, (2) all
payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or
through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender
directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor
Administrative Agent as provided for above in this Section and (3) the retiring
Administrative Agent will provide to the Borrower and the Lenders reasonable
access to the Register and/or copies of each Lender’s Administrative
Questionnaire. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as
Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become
vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring
(or
retired) Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall
be
discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other
Credit Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in
this
Section). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent
shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed
between the Borrower and such successor. After the retiring Administrative
Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Credit Documents, the
provisions of this Article and Section 9.7 shall continue in effect for the
benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their
respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be
taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as
Administrative Agent.
9.10 Syndication
Agent.
The
Syndication Agent, in its capacity as such, shall have no rights, powers, duties
or obligations under this Credit Agreement or any of the other Credit
Documents.
61
SECTION
10
MISCELLANEOUS
10.1 Notices.
(a) Notices
Generally.
Except
as
otherwise expressly provided herein, all notices and other communications shall
have been duly given and shall be effective (i) when delivered, (ii) when
transmitted and received (by confirmation of receipt) via telecopy (or other
facsimile device) to the number set out below, (iii) the day on which the same
has been delivered by a reputable national overnight air courier service to
the
addressee, or (iv) the day on which the same is delivered to the addressee
or
delivery refused by the addressee by certified or registered mail, postage
prepaid, in each case to the respective parties at the address, in the case
of
the
Borrower or the Administrative Agent, to the address, telecopier number,
electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on
Schedule 10.1,
and, in
the case of the Lenders, set forth on Schedule
2.1(a),
or at
such other address as such party may specify by written notice to the other
parties hereto.
(b) Electronic
Communications.
Notices
and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished
by electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites)
pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that
the
foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender pursuant to Section 2 if
such
Lender has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving
notices under such Section by electronic communication. The Administrative
Agent
or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other
communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to
procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be
limited to particular notices or communications.
Unless
the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other
communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the
sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by
the "return receipt requested" function, as available, return e-mail or other
written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication
is
not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or
communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business
on
the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications
posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the
deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described
in
the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication
is available and identifying the website address therefor.
(c) The
Platform.
THE
PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED
BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS
OR
THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN
OR
OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED
OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM
VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH
THE
BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. FURTHERMORE, THE BORROWER DOES NOT WARRANT
THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS,
IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR
A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM
VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLATFORM. In no event
shall
the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the "Agent
Parties") have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other Person
for
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort,
contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative
Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials through the Internet, except to the
extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined
by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment
to
have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent
Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any
liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other Person for indirect, special,
incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual
damages).
62
(d) Change
of Address, Etc.
Each of
the Borrower and the Administrative Agent may change its address, telecopier
or
telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to
the
other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, telecopier
or
telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to
the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify
the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative
Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone
number, telecopier number and electronic mail address to which notices and
other
communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such
Lender.
(e) Reliance
by Administrative Agent and Lenders.
The
Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon,
in
good faith, any notices (including telephonic Committed Loan Notices)
purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower and reasonably understood
by
the Administrative Agent and/or the Lenders, as applicable, to be authentic
even
if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were
incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice
specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the
recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Borrower shall indemnify
the Administrative Agent and the Related Parties of each of them from all
losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such
Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower (but
excluding any such losses, costs, expenses and liabilities that (x) are
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable
judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of
the
Administrative Agent or such Related Party or (y) result from a claim
brought by the Borrower against the Administrative Agent or such Related Party
for breach in bad faith of such party’s obligations hereunder or under any other
Credit Document, if the Borrower has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment
in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction).
All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the
Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each
of
the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.
63
10.2 Right
of Set-Off.
In
addition to any rights now or hereafter granted under applicable law, and not
by
way of limitation of any such rights, upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default, each Lender is authorized at any time and from time to time, without
presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind (all of which rights
being hereby expressly waived), to set-off and to appropriate and apply any
and
all deposits (general or special) and any other indebtedness at any time held
or
owing by such Lender (including, without limitation, branches, agencies or
Affiliates of such Lender wherever located) to or for the credit or the account
of the Borrower against obligations and liabilities of such Person to such
Lender hereunder, under the Notes or the other Credit Documents, irrespective
of
whether such Lender shall have made any demand hereunder and although such
obligations, liabilities or claims, or any of them, may be contingent or
unmatured, and any such set-off shall be deemed to have been made immediately
upon the occurrence of an Event of Default even though such charge is made
or
entered on the books of such Lender subsequent thereto. Any Person purchasing
a
participation in the Loans and Commitments hereunder pursuant to Section 3.13
or
Section 10.3(d) may exercise all rights of set-off with respect to its
participation interest as fully as if such Person were a Lender
hereunder.
10.3 Successors
and Assigns.
(a) Successors
and Assigns Generally.
The
provisions of this Credit Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns
permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer
any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent
of
the Administrative Agent and each Lender other than in connection with a
Reorganization permitted by Section 7.3 hereof and no Lender may assign or
otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to
an
assignee in accordance with the provisions of Section
10.3(b),
(ii) by
way of participation in accordance with the provisions of Section
10.3(d),
(iii)
to an SPV in accordance with the provisions of Section
10.3(g)
or (iv)
by way of a pledge of its Loans hereunder to a Federal Reserve Bank in support
of borrowings made by such Lender from such Federal Reserve Bank (and any other
attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void).
Nothing in this Credit Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed
to
confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective
successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided
in
subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby,
the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Credit
Agreement.
(b) Assignments
by Lenders.
Any
Lender may at any time assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of
its
rights and obligations under this Credit Agreement (including all or a portion
of its Commitment(s) and the Loans at the time owing to it; provided,
that
any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:
64
(i) Minimum
Amounts.
(A) in
the
case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s
Commitment under any Facility and the Loans at the time owing to it under such
Facility or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender,
no minimum amount need be assigned; and
(B) in
any
case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount
of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder)
or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance
of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined
as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment
is
delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if "Trade Date" is specified in the
Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than
$5,000,000, in the case of any assignment in respect of the Revolving Credit
Facility, and in integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof;
provided,
however,
that
concurrent assignments to members of an Assignee Group and concurrent
assignments from members of an Assignee Group to a single Eligible Assignee
(or
to an Eligible Assignee and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated
as a
single assignment for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has
been met;
(ii) Proportionate
Amounts.
Each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of
all
the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Credit Agreement with
respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (ii)
shall not prohibit any Lender from assigning all or a portion of its rights
and
obligations among separate Facilities on a non-pro rata basis;
(iii) Required
Consents.
The
following consents shall be required for any assignment (subject to the
applicable limitations set forth below):
(A) the
consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or
delayed) shall be required unless an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing at the time of such assignment;
(B) the
consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld or delayed) shall be required for assignments in respect of any
Commitment if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender with a
Commitment in respect of the applicable Facility or an Affiliate of such Lender;
and
(iv) Assignment
and Assumption.
The
parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative
Agent
an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee
in
the amount, if any, required as set forth in Schedule
10.3(b)
(unless
waived by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion); provided,
however,
that
the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such
processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee,
if
it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an
Administrative Questionnaire.
65
(v) No
Assignment to Borrower.
No such
assignment shall be made to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or
Subsidiaries.
(vi) No
Assignment to Natural Persons.
No such
assignment shall be made to a natural person.
Subject
to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to
subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified
in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party
to
this Credit Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such
Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under
this Credit Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent
of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from
its
obligations under this Credit Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment
and
Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under
this Credit Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall
continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11 with
respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of
such
assignment). Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and
deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender
of
rights or obligations under this Credit Agreement that does not comply with
this
subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Credit Agreement as a sale
by
such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance
with
Section 10.3(d).
(c) Register.
The
Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the
Borrower, shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each
Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation
of
the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal
amounts of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from
time to time (the "Register").
The
Administrative Agent will make reasonable efforts to maintain the accuracy
of
the Register and to promptly update the Register from time to time, as necessary
(including with regard to assignments of Loans and transfers of Notes). The
entries in the Register shall be conclusive, absent convincing evidence to
the
contrary, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat
each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof
as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Credit Agreement, notwithstanding
notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the
Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon
reasonable prior notice.
(d) Participations.
Any
Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower
or
the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a
natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or
Subsidiaries) (each, a "Participant")
in all
or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Credit
Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing
to it); provided
that
(i) such Lender’s obligations under this Credit Agreement shall remain
unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other
parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the
Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall continue to deal solely
and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and
obligations under this Credit Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant
to
which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall
retain the sole right to enforce this Credit Agreement and to approve any
amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Credit Agreement;
provided
that
such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without
the
consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification
described in the first proviso to Section 10.6 that affects such Participant.
Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each
Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.9, 3.10 and
3.11 to
the
same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment
pursuant to Section 10.3(b). To the extent permitted by law, each Participant
also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 10.2 as
though
it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section
3.13
as though it were a Lender.
66
(e) Limitations
upon Participant Rights.
A
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section
3.9, 3.10 and 3.11 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to
receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless
the
sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior
written consent. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a
Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.10 unless the
Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such
Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section
3.10
as though it were a Lender.
(f) Electronic
Execution of Assignments.
The
words "execution," "signed," "signature," and words of like import in any
Assignment and Assumption shall be deemed to include electronic signatures
or
the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same
legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or
the
use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent
and
as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic
Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic
Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform
Electronic Transactions Act.
(g) Special
Purpose Funding Vehicles.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any Lender (a
"Granting
Lender")
may
grant to a special purpose funding vehicle identified as such in writing from
time to time by the Granting Lender to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower
(an "SPV")
the
option to provide all or any part of any Loan that such Granting Lender would
otherwise be obligated to make pursuant to this Credit Agreement; provided
that (i)
nothing herein shall constitute a commitment by any SPV to fund any Loan, and
(ii) if an SPV elects not to exercise such option or otherwise fails to make
all
or any part of such Loan, the Granting Lender shall be obligated to make such
Loan pursuant to the terms hereof or, if it fails to do so, to make such payment
to the Administrative Agent as is required under Section 3.14. Each party hereto
hereby agrees that (i) neither the grant to any SPV nor the exercise by any
SPV
of such option shall increase the costs or expenses or otherwise increase or
change the obligations of the Borrower under this Credit Agreement (including
its obligations under Section 3.04), (ii) no SPV shall be liable for any
indemnity or similar payment obligation under this Credit Agreement for which
a
Lender would be liable, and (iii) the Granting Lender shall for all purposes,
including the approval of any amendment, waiver or other modification of any
provision of any Credit Document, remain the lender of record hereunder. The
making of a Loan by an SPV hereunder shall utilize the Commitment of the
Granting Lender to the same extent, and as if, such Loan were made by such
Granting Lender. In furtherance of the foregoing, each party hereto hereby
agrees (which agreement shall survive the termination of this Credit Agreement)
that, prior to the date that is one year and one day after the payment in full
of all outstanding commercial paper or other senior debt of any SPV, it will
not
institute against, or join any other Person in instituting against, such SPV
any
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, or liquidation proceeding
under the laws of the United States or any State thereof. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained herein, any SPV may (i) with notice to,
but
without prior consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and with
the
payment of a processing fee in the amount of $2,500 (unless waived by the
Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), assign all or any portion of
its
right to receive payment with respect to any Loan to the Granting Lender and
(ii) disclose on a confidential basis any non-public information relating to
its
funding of Loans to any rating agency, commercial paper dealer or provider
of
any surety or Guarantee or credit or liquidity enhancement to such
SPV.
67
10.4 No
Waiver; Remedies Cumulative.
No
failure or delay on the part of the Administrative Agent or any Lender in
exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Credit
Document and no course of dealing between the Administrative Agent or any Lender
and the Borrower shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or
partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder or under any other
Credit Document preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise
of any other right, power or privilege hereunder or thereunder. The rights
and
remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or
remedies which the Administrative Agent or any Lender would otherwise have.
No
notice to or demand on the Borrower in any case shall entitle the Borrower
to
any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or
constitute a waiver of the rights of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders
to
any other or further action in any circumstances without notice or
demand.
10.5 Payment
of Expenses, etc.
The
Borrower agrees to: (a) pay all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses
(i)
of the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers (and their respective Affiliates)
in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein,
the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery and administration of
this
Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents and the documents and
instruments referred to therein (including, subject to any
agreed
upon limitations, the reasonable fees and expenses of Xxxxx & Xxx Xxxxx,
PLLC, special counsel to the Administrative Agent and non-duplicative allocated
costs of internal counsel) and any amendment, waiver or consent relating hereto
and thereto including, but not limited to, any such amendments, waivers or
consents resulting from or related to any work-out, renegotiation or restructure
relating to the performance by the Borrower under this Credit Agreement and
(ii)
of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders (and their respective Affiliates)
in
connection with enforcement of the Credit Documents and the documents and
instruments referred to therein (including, without limitation, in connection
with any such enforcement, the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel
(including non-duplicative allocated costs of internal counsel) for the
Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders); (b) pay and hold each of the
Lenders harmless from and against any and all future stamp and other similar
taxes with respect to the foregoing matters and save each of the Lenders
harmless from and against any and all liabilities with respect to or resulting
from any delay or omission (other than to the extent attributable to such
Lender) to pay such taxes; and (c) indemnify the Administrative Agent, each
Lender, and their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives,
agents and Affiliates (each an "Indemnitee") from and hold each of them harmless
against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses incurred
by
any of them as a result of, or arising out of, or in any way related to, or
by
reason of (i) any investigation, litigation or other proceeding (whether or
not
the Administrative Agent or any Lender is a party thereto, but excluding any
investigation initiated by the Person seeking indemnification hereunder) related
to the entering into and/or performance of any Credit Document or the use of
proceeds of any Loans (including other extensions of credit) hereunder or the
consummation of any other transactions contemplated in any Credit Document,
including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel
(including non-duplicative allocated costs of internal counsel) incurred in
connection with any such investigation, litigation or other proceeding or (ii)
the presence or Release of any Materials of Environmental Concern at, under
or
from any Property owned, operated or leased by the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, or the failure by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to
comply with any Environmental Law (but excluding, in the case of either of
clause (i) or (ii) above, any such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or
expenses that (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by
final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence
or
willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by
the Borrower against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s
obligations hereunder or under any other Credit Document, if the Borrower has
obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction).
In no
event shall the Administrative Agent or any Lender be liable for any damages
arising from the use by others of any information or other materials obtained
through IntraLinks or other similar information transmission systems in
connection with this Credit Agreement, nor shall the Administrative Agent or
any
Lender have any liability for any indirect or consequential damages relating
to
this Credit Agreement or any other Credit Document or arising out of its
activities in connection herewith or therewith (whether before or after the
Closing Date).
68
10.6 Amendments,
Waivers and Consents.
Neither
this Credit Agreement nor any other Credit Document nor any of the terms hereof
or thereof may be amended, changed, waived, discharged or terminated unless
such
amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination is in writing entered into
by, or approved in writing by, the Required Lenders and the Borrower,
provided,
however,
that:
(a) no
such
amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination shall, without the consent
of each Lender directly affected thereby, (i) reduce the rate or extend the
time
of payment of interest (other than as a result of (x) waiving the applicability
of any post-default increase in interest rates or (y) an amendment approved
by
the Required Lenders as set forth in the definition of "Applicable Percentage"
following the withdrawal by S&P and Xxxxx’x of their ratings on the
Borrower’s senior unsecured (non-credit enhanced) long term debt) on any Loan or
fees hereunder, (ii) reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of any fees
owing hereunder, (iii) extend (A) the Commitments of the Lenders, or (B) the
final maturity of any Loan, or any portion thereof, or (iv) reduce the principal
amount on any Loan;
69
(b) no
such
amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination shall, without the consent
of each Lender directly affected thereby, (i) except as otherwise permitted
under Section 3.4(b), increase the Commitments of the Lenders over the amount
thereof in effect (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any Default
or Event of Default shall not constitute a change in the terms of any Commitment
of any Lender), (ii) amend, modify or waive any provision of this Section 10.6
or Section 3.6, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 8.1(a), 10.2, 10.3, 10.5 or 10.9, (iii)
reduce or increase any percentage specified in, or otherwise modify, the
definition of "Required Lenders," or (iv) consent to the assignment or transfer
by the Borrower of any of its rights and obligations under (or in respect of)
the Credit Documents to which it is a party;
(c) no
provision of Section 9 may be amended without the consent of the Administrative
Agent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld; and
(d) designation
of the Master Account or of any Financial Officer may not be made without the
written consent of at least two Financial Officers of the Borrower.
10.7 Counterparts.
This
Credit Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
when so executed and delivered shall be an original, but all of which shall
constitute one and the same instrument. It shall not be necessary in making
proof of this Credit Agreement to produce or account for more than one such
counterpart.
10.8 Headings.
The
headings of the sections and subsections hereof are provided for convenience
only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or construction of any
provision of this Credit Agreement.
10.9 Survival.
All
indemnities set forth herein, including, without limitation, in Section 3.9,
3.11, 9.7 or 10.5 shall survive the execution and delivery of this Credit
Agreement, the making of the Loans, the repayment of the Loans and other
obligations under the Credit Documents and the termination of the Commitments
hereunder, and all representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein
shall survive delivery of the Notes and the making of the Loans
hereunder.
70
10.10 Governing
Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue.
(a) THIS
CREDIT AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENTS AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER AND THEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED
AND
INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. Any legal
action or proceeding with respect to this Credit Agreement or any other Credit
Document may be brought in the courts of the State of New York in New York
County, or of the United States for the Southern District of New York, and,
by
execution and delivery of this Credit Agreement, the Borrower hereby irrevocably
accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and
unconditionally, the nonexclusive jurisdiction of such courts. The Borrower
further irrevocably consents to the service of process out of any of the
aforementioned courts in any such action or proceeding by the mailing of copies
thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, to it at the address
set out for notices pursuant to Section 10.1, such service to become effective
three (3) days after such mailing. Nothing herein shall affect the right of
the
Administrative Agent to serve process in any other manner permitted by law
or to
commence legal proceedings or to otherwise proceed against the Borrower in
any
other jurisdiction.
(b) The
Borrower hereby irrevocably waives any objection which it may now or hereafter
have to the laying of venue of any of the aforesaid actions or proceedings
arising out of or in connection with this Credit Agreement or any other Credit
Document brought in the courts referred to in subsection (a) hereof and hereby
further irrevocably waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court
that any such action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought
in
an inconvenient forum.
(c) TO
THE
EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, THE LENDERS AND
THE
BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION,
PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS CREDIT AGREEMENT,
ANY OF THE OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED
HEREBY.
10.11 Severability.
If
any
provision of any of the Credit Documents is determined to be illegal, invalid
or
unenforceable, such provision shall be fully severable and the remaining
provisions shall remain in full force and effect and shall be construed without
giving effect to the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions.
10.12 Entirety.
This
Credit Agreement together with the other Credit Documents represent the entire
agreement of the parties hereto and thereto, and supersede all prior agreements
and understandings, oral or written, if any, including any commitment letters
or
correspondence relating to the Credit Documents or the transactions contemplated
herein and therein.
71
10.13 Binding
Effect; Termination.
(a) This
Credit Agreement shall become effective at such time on or after the Closing
Date when it shall have been executed by the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall have received copies hereof (telefaxed
or otherwise) which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each Lender,
and thereafter this Credit Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Lender and their
respective successors and assigns.
(b) The
term
of this Credit Agreement shall be until no Loans or any other amounts payable
hereunder or under any of the other Credit Documents shall remain outstanding
and until all of the Commitments hereunder shall have expired or been
terminated.
10.14 Confidentiality.
The
Administrative Agent and the Lenders agree to keep confidential (and to cause
their respective affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents and
representatives to keep confidential) all information, materials and documents
furnished to the Administrative Agent or any such Lender by or on behalf of
the
Borrower (whether before or after the Closing Date) which relates to the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (the "Information"). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be permitted to
disclose Information (i) to its affiliates, officers, directors, employees,
agents and representatives in connection with its participation in any of the
transactions evidenced by this Credit Agreement or any other Credit Documents
or
the administration of this Credit Agreement or any other Credit Documents;
(ii)
to the extent required by applicable laws and regulations or by any subpoena
or
similar legal process, or requested by any Governmental Authority; (iii) to
the
extent such Information (A) becomes publicly available other than as a result
of
a breach of this Credit Agreement or any agreement entered into pursuant to
clause (iv) below, (B) becomes available to the Administrative Agent or such
Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower or
(C)
was available to the Administrative Agent or such Lender on a non-confidential
basis prior to its disclosure to the Administrative Agent or such Lender by
the
Borrower; (iv) to
any
actual or prospective assignee, participant or counterparty (or its advisors)
to
any swap, hedge, securitization or derivative transaction relating to any of
its
rights or obligations under this Agreement or relating to the Borrower and
its
obligations so long as such actual or prospective assignee, participant or
counterparty (or its advisor) first specifically agrees in a writing furnished
to and for the benefit of the Borrower to be bound by that terms of this Section
10.14;
(v) to
the extent required in connection with the exercise of remedies under this
Credit Agreement or any other Credit Documents; or
(vi)
to the extent that the Borrower shall have consented in writing to such
disclosure. Nothing set forth in this Section 10.14 shall obligate the
Administrative Agent or any Lender to return any materials furnished by the
Borrower.
72
10.15 Source
of Funds.
Each
of
the Lenders hereby represents and warrants to the Borrower that at least one
of
the following statements is an accurate representation as to the source of
funds
used by such Lender in connection with the financing hereunder:
(a) no
part
of such funds constitutes assets allocated to any separate account (as such
term
is defined in Section 3(17) of ERISA) maintained by such Lender in which any
employee benefit plan (or its related trust) has any interest;
(b) the
source is either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account, within
the meaning of Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption ("PTE") 00-0 (xxxxxx
xx xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Department of Labor January 29, 1990), or (ii) a bank
collective investment fund, within the meaning of PTE 91-38 (issued
June 12, 1991 and amended by PTE 2002-13 (issued March 1, 2002)), the
requirements of Section III(b) of PTE 90-1 or Section III(b) of PTE 91-38 are
and will continue to be satisfied, and no employee benefit plan or group of
plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization beneficially
owns
more than 10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or
collective investment fund;
(c) the
source is an "insurance company general account" within the meaning of PTE
95-60
(issued July 12, 1995 and amended by PTE 2002-13 (issued March 1,
2002)) and there is no employee benefit plan, treating as a single plan all
plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization, with respect
to
which the amount of the general account reserves and liabilities for all
contracts held by or on behalf of such plan, exceeds ten percent (10%) of the
total reserves and liabilities of such general account (exclusive of separate
account liabilities) plus surplus, as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement
for
such Lender most recently filed with such Lender's state of
domicile;
(d) the
source constitutes assets of an "investment fund" (within the meaning of Part
V
of PTE 84-14 issued March 13, 1984 and amended by PTE 2002-13 (issued March
1,
2002) (the "QPAM Exemption")) managed by a "qualified professional asset
manager" or "QPAM" (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption),
and the applicable conditions of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied;
or
(e) such
funds constitute assets of one or more employee benefit plans which such Lender
has identified in writing to the Borrower.
As
used
in this Section 10.15, the term "employee benefit plan" shall have the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 3(3) of ERISA.
10.16 Conflict.
To
the
extent that there is a conflict or inconsistency between any provision hereof,
on the one hand, and any provision of any Credit Document, on the other hand,
this Credit Agreement shall control.
73
10.17 USA
PATRIOT Act Notice.
Each
Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the
Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby
notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot
Act
(Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the
"Act"),
it is
required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower,
which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other
information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as
applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.
10.18 No
Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.
In
connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby, the
Borrower acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the credit facility provided
for hereunder and any related arranging or other services in connection
therewith (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other
modification hereof or of any other Credit Document) are an arm’s-length
commercial transaction between the Borrower and its Affiliates,
on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers, on the other
hand, and the Borrower is capable of evaluating and understanding and
understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions
contemplated hereby and by the other Credit Documents (including any amendment,
waiver or other modification hereof or thereof); (ii) in connection with the
process leading to such transaction, the Administrative Agent and each Arranger
is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor,
agent or fiduciary, for the Borrower or any of its Affiliates,
stockholders, creditors or employees or any other Person; (iii) neither the
Administrative Agent nor either Arranger has assumed or will assume an advisory,
agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Borrower with respect to
any
of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto,
including with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof
or
of any other Credit Document (irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent
or either
Arranger has advised or is currently advising the Borrower or any of
its Affiliates
on other matters) and neither the Administrative Agent nor either Arranger
has
any obligation to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth
herein and in the other Credit Documents; (iv) the Administrative Agent
and the
Arrangers and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of
transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower
and
its Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent nor either Arranger has
any
obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency
or fiduciary relationship arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby;
and (v) the Administrative Agent and Arrangers have not provided and will not
provide any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to any
of
the transactions contemplated hereby (including any amendment, waiver or other
modification hereof or of any other Credit Document) and the Borrower has
consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent
it has deemed appropriate. The Borrower hereby waives and releases, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that it may have against the
Administrative Agent and the Arrangers with respect to any breach or alleged
breach of agency or fiduciary duty arising out of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
[Signature
Pages to Follow]
74
AUTOZONE,
INC.
By:
/s/
Xxxxx X. Xxxx III
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxx III
Title:
Vice President and Treasurer
By:
/s/
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title:
Executive Vice President, Secretary &
General
Counsel
ADMINISTRATIVE
AGENT: BANK
OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as
Administrative Agent
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title:
Vice President
LENDERS:
BANK
OF AMERICA,
N.A.,
as
a
Lender
By:
/s/
Xxx Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
CITICORP
USA, INC.
By:
/s/
X. Xxxxxx
Name:
X.
Xxxxxx
Title:
Director
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
By:
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:
Managing Director
SunTrust
Bank
By:
/s/
Xxxxx X. Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
Title:
Director
Wachovia
Bank, National Association
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title:
Director
XXXXXXX
XXXXX BANK USA
By:
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
BNP
PARIBAS
By:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxx Xxxxx
Title:
Vice President
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Title:
Vice
President
KeyBank
National Association
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title:
Senior Vice president
National
City Bank
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
Union
Bank of California, N.A.
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:
Vice President
[US
Bank National Association]
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Title:
Banking Officer
The
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
Houston
Agency
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President & Manager
Calyon
New York Branch
By:
/s/
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:
Managing Director
By:
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxx
Title:
Managing
Director
Fifth
Third Bank
By:
/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:
Vice President
FORTIS
CAPITAL CORP
By:
/s/
R.L.A. Rutgers van Rozenburg
Name:
R.L.A. Rutgers van Rozenburg
Title:
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:
Vice President
Xxxxx
Fargo Bank, N.A.
By:
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
Comerica
Bank
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:
Assistant Vice President
Mizuho
Corporate Bank, Ltd.
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President & Team Leader
AmSouth
Bank
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
The
Bank of New York
By:
/s/
Xxxxx XxXxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx XxXxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
FIRST
TENNESSEE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
The
Northern Trust Company
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
BRANCH
BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxx A. Bass
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title:
Senior Vice President
Capital
One, N.A.
By:
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Title:
Assistant Vice President