Exhibit 10.9
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
June 16, 2005
among
KKR FINANCIAL CORP.
KKR TRS HOLDINGS, INC.
The Lenders Party Hereto
and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
as Administrative Agent
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
as Syndication Agent
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC. and
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
as Joint Bookrunners and Lead Arrangers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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2
SCHEDULES:
Schedule 2.1 — Commitments
Schedule 3.6 — Disclosed Matters
Schedule 6.1 — Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 6.2 — Existing Liens
Schedule 6.7 — Existing Restrictions
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A — Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibits B -1, B-2, B-3—Forms of Opinions of Borrowers’ Counsel
Exhibit C — Borrowing Base
Exhibit D — Form of Borrowing Base Report
3
CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of June 16, 2005, among KKR FINANCIAL CORP., a Maryland corporation, KKR TRS HOLDINGS, INC., a Delaware corporation, the LENDERS party hereto, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION 1.1. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.
“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.
“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greater of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, and (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1%. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate, respectively.
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment. If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Eurodollar Revolving Loan, 1.00% per annum.
“Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to such term in SECTION 9.4.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by SECTION 9.4), and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A hereto or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.
“Balance Sheet Date” means December 31, 2004.
“Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
“Borrowers” means collectively, KKR Financial and KKR TRS.
“Borrowing” means Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
“Borrowing Base” has the meaning assigned to such term on Exhibit C hereto.
“Borrowing Base Report” means a report signed by a Financial Officer of each of the Borrowers and in substantially the form of Exhibit D hereto.
“Borrowing Request” means a request by a Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with SECTION 2.3.
“Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Change in Control” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder as in effect on the date hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of KKR Financial; (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of KKR Financial by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of KKR Financial nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated; or (c) the acquisition of direct or indirect Control of KKR Financial by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder as in effect on the date hereof). It is understood and agreed that KKR Financial Advisors LLC does not Control KKR Financial solely for purposes of this definition.
“Change in Law” means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender (or, for purposes of SECTION 2.12(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s holding
company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Collateral” means all of the property, rights and interests of the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries that are or are intended to be subject to the Liens created by the Security Documents.
“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to SECTION 2.6 and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to SECTION 9.4. The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.1, or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $250,000,000.
“Consolidated Net Worth” means, as of any date of determination, the excess of Consolidated Total Assets over Consolidated Total Liabilities.
“Consolidated Tangible Net Worth” means, as of any date of determination, the excess of Consolidated Total Assets over Consolidated Total Liabilities, and less the sum (without duplication) of the following (in each case, to the extent included in the Consolidated Total Assets):
(a) the total book value of all assets of KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries properly classified as intangible assets under GAAP, including such items as good will, the purchase price of acquired assets in excess of the fair market value thereof, trademarks, trade names, service marks, brand names, copyrights, patents and licenses, and rights with respect to the foregoing; plus
(b) all amounts representing any write-up in the book value of any assets of KKR Financial or its Subsidiaries resulting from a revaluation thereof subsequent to the Balance Sheet Date, excluding adjustments to translate foreign assets and liabilities for changes in foreign exchange rates made in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 52.
“Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of (a) all assets (“consolidated balance sheet assets”) of KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, plus (b) without duplication, all assets leased by the KKR Financial or any Subsidiary as lessee under any Synthetic Lease to the extent that such assets would have been consolidated balance sheet assets had the Synthetic Lease been treated for accounting purposes as a capital lease, plus (c) without duplication, all sold receivables in respect of sales of (i) accounts or general intangibles for money due or to become due, (ii) chattel paper, instruments or documents creating or evidencing a right to payment of money or (iii) other receivables (collectively “receivables”), whether pursuant to a purchase facility or otherwise, other than in connection with the disposition of the business operations of such Persons relating thereto or a disposition of defaulted receivables for collection and not as a financing arrangement, and together with any obligation of such Persons to pay any discount, interest, fees, indemnities, penalties, recourse, expenses or other amounts in connection therewith, to the extent that such receivables would have been consolidated balance sheet assets had they not been sold.
“Consolidated Total Liabilities” means, as of any date of determination, all liabilities of KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and classified as such on the consolidated balance sheet of KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries and all other Indebtedness of KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries, whether or not so classified.
“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.
“Custody Agreement” means the Custody Agreement of even date herewith, among the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
“Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.
“Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
“Disclosed Matters” means the actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental matters disclosed in Schedule 3.6.
“Disposition” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person, including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.
“dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in SECTION 4.1 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with SECTION 9.2).
“Eligible Specified Financial Asset” has the meaning assigned to such term on Exhibit C hereto.
“Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters (to the extent relating to the environment or Hazardous Materials).
“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of KKR Financial or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“Equity Interests “ means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with any Borrower, is treated as a single employer under SECTION 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of SECTION 302 of ERISA and SECTION 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under SECTION 414 of the Code.
“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in SECTION 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the existence with respect to any Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in SECTION 412 of the Code or SECTION 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to SECTION 412(d) of the Code or SECTION 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by any Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by any Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.
“Eurodollar”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.
“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder, (a) income or franchise taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United States of America, or by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which any Borrower is located, (c) any estate, inheritance or gift taxes imposed with respect to the Obligations, (d) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by any Borrower under SECTION 2.16(b)), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to comply with SECTION 2.14(e), except to the extent that the assignor of any Obligation to such Foreign Lender was entitled, at the time of such assignment (or such Foreign Lender was entitled immediately prior to designating the new lending office), to receive additional amounts from any Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to SECTION 2.14(a), or (e) due to any combination of the circumstances described in clauses (a) through (d) above.
“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.
“Fee Letter” means that certain fee letter dated as of June 16, 2005 among each of the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
“Financial Officer” means a chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of any Borrower.
“Financing SPE” means any bankruptcy-remote special purpose Subsidiary formed by any Borrower or an Affiliate and which is, or is established for the purpose of becoming, an issuer in a Securitization.
“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which any Borrower is located. For purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.
“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.
“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.
“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to Swap Agreements, Repurchase Agreements or deposits or
advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (e) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (g) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and (j) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.
“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Interest Election Request” means a request by any Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with SECTION 2.5.
“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and December (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day), and (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period.
“Interest Period” means with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months thereafter, as any Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.
“KKR Financial” means KKR Financial Corp., a Maryland corporation.
“KKR TRS” means KKR TRS Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“Lead Arrangers” means J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.1 and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption.
“LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on Page 3750 of the Dow Jones Market Service (or on any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such Service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such Service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period. In the event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate at which dollar deposits of $5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.
“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Fee Letter, the Custody Agreement and the Security Documents.
“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrowers pursuant to this Agreement.
“Management Agreement” means that certain Management Agreement dated as of August 12, 2004, between KKR Financial and KKR Financial Advisors LLC.
“Margin Stock” means “margin stock” or “margin security” as such terms are defined in Regulation U and Regulation X.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of any Borrower to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or (c) the rights of or benefits available to the Lenders under this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans) of any one or more of each of the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $25,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of any Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement or Repurchase Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that such Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement or Repurchase Agreement were terminated at such time.
“Maturity Date” means June 15, 2006.
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in SECTION 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
“Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries arising under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or otherwise with respect to any Loan, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any of the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding.
“Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement.
“Participant” has the meaning set forth in SECTION 9.4.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Perfection Certificate” has the meaning set forth in the Security Agreement.
“Permitted Encumbrances” means:
(a) Liens imposed by law for taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with SECTION 5.4;
(b) landlords’, carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested in compliance with SECTION 5.4;
(c) pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations and deposits securing liability to insurance carriers in relation to the foregoing;
(d) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(e) judgment liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (k) of Article VII;
(f) easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of any Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(g) Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Custody Agreement; and
(h) in relation to any of the Collateral, rights of setoff and recoupment and senior Liens, in each case in favor of any depositary bank or securities intermediary for account fees and charge backs in the ordinary course of its maintaining the deposit account or securities account.
provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.
“Permitted Investments” means:
(a) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America), in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;
(b) investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, the highest credit rating obtainable from S&P or from Moody’s;
(c) investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;
(d) fully collateralized Repurchase Agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above; and
(e) money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000,000,000.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or SECTION 412 of the Code or SECTION 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under SECTION 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in SECTION 3(5) of ERISA.
“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank as its prime rate in effect at its principal office in New York City; each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective.
“Related Borrowing Base Information” means, with respect to any “Specified Financial Asset” as defined in Exhibit C, or Participation Interest therein, included or to be included in the Borrowing Base, (a) the category of the Specified Financial Asset as referred to in clauses (a) through (k) of the definition and, if a Participation Interest is applicable, the participating interest, (b) the identification of all primary and secondary material obligors obligated on the Specified Financial Asset, (c) the CUSIP number, if any, corresponding to such Eligible Specified Financial Asset, (d) the principal
amount of the loan, debt or other monetary obligation in which the Borrower has an interest, (e) the scheduled maturity of the loan, debt or other monetary obligation and (f) the type of collateral securing the loan, debt or other monetary obligation.
“Register” has the meaning set forth in SECTION 9.4.
“REIT” means a domestic trust or corporation that qualifies as a real estate investment trust under the provisions of Sections 856, et seq., of the Code.
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Repurchase Agreement” means any agreement involving the sale or purchase of financial or other assets whereby the seller of such assets agrees to repurchase such assets at an agreed upon price and at a stated time.
“Required Lenders” means, at any time, (a) if there are fewer than three (3) Lenders on such date, all of the Lenders and (b) if there are three or more Lenders on such date, the Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time.
“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in any Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in any Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in any Borrower.
“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans at such time.
“Revolving Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to SECTION 2.3.
“Secured Indebtedness” means secured Indebtedness incurred by any Borrower or any Subsidiary in the course of its business as such business is described in KKR Financial’s Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2005, including any such Indebtedness incurred pursuant to or in connection with any loan warehouse agreement, Repurchase Agreement, Swap Agreement, collateralized bond obligation, collateralized loan obligation, collateralized debt obligation or Securitization.
“Securitization” means the issuance by a bankruptcy-remote special purpose entity of evidences of debt obligations or equity interests to holders which are third party institutional investors and which entitle the holders to receive payments that depend primarily on the cash flow of accounts, chattel paper, instruments, investment property or payment intangibles owned by the special purpose entity.
“Security Agreement” means the Security Agreement of even date herewith, among the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
“Security Documents” means the Security Agreement and all other instruments and documents, including without limitation, Uniform Commercial Code financing statements , required to be executed or delivered pursuant to any Security Document.
“Solvent” means, with respect to any Person as of a particular date, that on such date (a) such Person is able to pay its debts and other liabilities, contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the normal course of business, (b) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person’s ability to pay as such debts and liabilities mature in their ordinary course, (c) such Person is not engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or a transaction, for which such Person’s assets would constitute unreasonably small capital after giving due consideration to the prevailing practice in the industry in which such Person is engaged or is to engage, (d) the fair value of the assets of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including, without limitation, contingent liabilities, of such Person, and (e) the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they become absolute and matured. In computing the amount of contingent liabilities at any time, it is intended that such liabilities will be computed at the amount which, in light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s.
“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.
“subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of any of the Borrowers.
“Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments
only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of any of the Borrowers or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Syndication Agent” means Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
“Synthetic Lease” means any lease of goods or other property, whether real or personal, which is treated as an operating lease under GAAP and as a loan or financing for U.S. income tax purposes.
“Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by each of the Borrowers of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and all other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.
“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
SECTION 1.2. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Borrowing”).
SECTION 1.3. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
SECTION 1.4. Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if any of the Borrowers notifies the Administrative Agent that such Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrowers that the Required Lenders request an amendment to
any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.
SECTION 2.1. Commitments. (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrowers from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment or (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the lesser of (A) the total Commitments at such time and (B) the Borrowing Base at such time. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.
(b) The Borrowing Base on any date may include an asset to be purchased by any Borrower with the proceeds of a Revolving Loan to be made on that date so long as (i) the Administrative Agent has been directed by such Borrower to pay the proceeds of such Revolving Loan directly to the seller of the asset, (ii) the seller is to deliver the asset to such Borrower before or against payment by such Borrower, (iii) the seller has been directed by such Borrower to deliver the asset to the Administrative Agent or its nominee or, if the delivery is not possible or practical, in such other manner as is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent to satisfy the requirements of clauses (a), (b) and (c) of the definition of “Eligible Specified Financial Asset” in Exhibit C and (iv) any other applicable conditions set forth in Article IV for the making of such Revolving Loan have been satisfied as of that date.
SECTION 2.2. Loans and Borrowings. Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.
(a) Subject to SECTION 2.11, each Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the Borrowers may request in accordance herewith. Each Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrowers to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(b) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000. At the time that each ABR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000; provided that an ABR Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments. Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of 10 Eurodollar Borrowings outstanding.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrowers shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
SECTION 2.3. Requests for Borrowings. To request a Borrowing, the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, Borrowers shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Business Day of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with SECTION 2.2:
(i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
(iv) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”;
(v) the location and number of the applicable Borrower’s or, as the case may be, the Borrowers’ account(s) to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of SECTION 2.4; and
(vi) in the event that an asset to be purchased with the proceeds of such Borrowing is to be included in the Borrowing Base as of the date of the Borrowing solely pursuant to Section 2.1(b), a description of the arrangements made with a view to satisfying the conditions referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 2.1(b).
If no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Borrowing, then the applicable Borrower or as the case may be, the Borrowers, shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this SECTION, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.
SECTION 2.4. Funding of Borrowings. (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders. The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to the account or accounts of the Borrowers or maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and designated by the applicable Borrower, or as the case may be, the Borrowers in the applicable Borrowing Request.
(b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this SECTION and may,
in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrowers, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
SECTION 2.5. Interest Elections. (a) Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this SECTION. The Borrowers may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.
(b) To make an election pursuant to this SECTION, the Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under SECTION 2.3 if the Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers.
(c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with SECTION 2.2:
(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and
(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.
If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest
Period, then the applicable Borrower or, as the case may be, the Borrowers shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
(d) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e) If the applicable Borrower fails or, as the case may be, the Borrowers fail to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrowers, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.
SECTION 2.6. Termination and Reduction of Commitments. (a) Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
(b) The Borrowers may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 and not less than $500,000 and (ii) the Borrowers shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with SECTION 2.8, the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total Commitments.
(c) The Borrowers shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this SECTION at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrowers pursuant to this SECTION shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrowers may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrowers (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.
SECTION 2.7. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) The Borrowers hereby unconditionally, and jointly and severally, promise to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date.
(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrowers to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrowers to
each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.
(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this SECTION shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the joint and several obligation of the Borrowers to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrowers shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to SECTION 9.4) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).
SECTION 2.8. Prepayment of Loans. (a) The Borrowers shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (c) of this SECTION.
(b) If at any time the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the lesser of (i) the total Commitments at such time and (ii) the Borrowing Base at such time, then within one Business Day after the Administrative Agent’s demand therefor either (A) the Borrowers shall pay the amount of such excess to the Administrative Agent for application to the Loans or (B) the Borrowers shall grant to the Administrative Agent a security interest in additional assets of the Borrowers for inclusion in the Borrowing Base and sufficient to eliminate such excess.
(c) The Borrowers shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, two Business Days before the date of prepayment, or (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by SECTION 2.6, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with SECTION 2.6. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Borrowing of the same Type as provided in SECTION 2.2. Each prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by SECTION 2.10.
SECTION 2.9. Fees. (a) The Borrowers agree to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the rate of 1/4 of 1% on the daily amount of the unused portion of the Commitment of such Lender during the period from and including June 16, 2005 to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitments terminate (or, if any such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day), commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof. All commitment fees
shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(b) The Borrowers agree to pay to each of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times set forth in the Fee Letter.
(c) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent for distribution, in the case of commitment fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.
SECTION 2.10. Interest. (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate.
(b) The Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by any Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this SECTION or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this SECTION.
(d) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of this SECTION shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.
(e) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
SECTION 2.11. Alternate Rate of Interest. If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:
(a) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or
(b) the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect
the cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrowers and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrowers and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then the other Type of Borrowings shall be permitted.
SECTION 2.12. Increased Costs. (a) If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate); or
(ii) impose on any Lender or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrowers will pay to such Lender, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If any Lender determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by such Lender, to a level below that which such Lender or such Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrowers will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Lender’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c) A certificate of a Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this SECTION shall be delivered to the Borrowers and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrowers shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d) Promptly after any Lender has determined that it will make a request for compensation pursuant to SECTION 2.12, such Lender shall notify the Borrowers thereof. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this SECTION shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrowers shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this SECTION for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 180 days prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrowers of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor;
provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 180-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
SECTION 2.13. Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under SECTION 2.8(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), or (d) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrowers pursuant to SECTION 2.16, then, in any such event, the Borrowers shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this SECTION shall be delivered to the Borrowers and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrowers shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
SECTION 2.14. Taxes. (a) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrowers hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if any Borrower shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this SECTION) the Administrative Agent or any Lender (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) such Borrower shall make such deductions and (iii) such Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(b) In addition, each Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(c) The Borrowers shall indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender, within 10 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent or any such Lender, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of the Borrowers hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this SECTION) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrowers by a Lender, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d) As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by any Borrower to a Governmental Authority, such Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(e) Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which any Borrower is located, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the Borrowers (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrowers as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.
(f) If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrowers or with respect to which the Borrowers have paid additional amounts pursuant to this SECTION 2.14, it shall pay over such refund to the Borrowers (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrowers under this SECTION 2.14 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided, that the Borrowers, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agree to repay the amount paid over to the Borrowers (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This SECTION shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to the Borrowers or any other Person.
SECTION 2.15. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs. (a) The Borrowers shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest or fees, or of amounts payable under SECTION 2.12, SECTION 2.13, SECTION 2.14, or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York, and except that payments pursuant to SECTION 2.12, SECTION 2.13, SECTION 2.14 and SECTION 9.3 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.
(b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal then due to such parties.
(c) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Revolving Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Revolving Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by any Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to any Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). Each Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(d) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrowers prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders hereunder that the Borrowers will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrowers have 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 Borrowers have 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 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 Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
(e) If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to SECTION 2.4(b) or SECTION 2.15(d), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid.
SECTION 2.16. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders. (a) If any Lender requests compensation under SECTION 2.12, or if any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to SECTION 2.14, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to SECTION 2.12 or SECTION 2.14, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender in any material respect. The Borrowers hereby agree to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b) If any Lender requests compensation under SECTION 2.12, or if any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of
any Lender pursuant to SECTION 2.14, or if any Lender defaults in its obligation to fund Loans hereunder, then such Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in SECTION 9.4), all its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) such Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or such Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under SECTION 2.12 or payments required to be made pursuant to SECTION 2.14, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling any Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
SECTION 2.17. Concerning Joint and Several Liability of the Borrowers.
(a) Each of the Borrowers is accepting joint and several liability hereunder and under the other Loan Documents in consideration of the financial accommodations to be provided by the Lenders and the Administrative Agent under this Credit Agreement, for the mutual benefit, directly and indirectly, of each of the Borrowers and in consideration of the undertakings of each other Borrower to accept joint and several liability for the Obligations.
(b) Each of the Borrowers, jointly and severally, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally accepts, not merely as a surety but also as a co-debtor, joint and several liability with the other Borrower, with respect to the payment and performance of all of the Obligations (including, without limitation, any Obligations arising under this SECTION 2.17), it being the intention of the parties hereto that all the Obligations shall be the joint and several obligations of each of the Borrowers without preferences or distinction among them.
(c) If and to the extent that any of the Borrowers shall fail to make any payment with respect to any of the Obligations as and when due or to perform any of the Obligations in accordance with the terms thereof, then in each such event the other Borrower will make such payment with respect to, or perform, such Obligation.
(d) The Obligations of each of the Borrowers under the provisions of this SECTION 2.17 constitute the full recourse Obligations of each of the Borrowers enforceable against each such Person to the full extent of its properties and assets, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of this Credit Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any other circumstance whatsoever.
(e) Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, each Borrower hereby waives promptness, diligence, presentment, demand, protest, notice of acceptance of its joint and several liability, notice of any and all advances of the Loans made under this Credit Agreement and any promissory note issued hereunder, notice of occurrence of any Default or Event of Default (except to the extent notice is expressly required to be given pursuant to the terms of this Credit Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents), or of any demand for any payment under this Credit Agreement, notice of any action at any time taken or omitted by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under or in respect of any of the Obligations hereunder, any requirement of diligence and, generally, all demands, notices and other formalities of every kind in connection with this Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each
Borrower hereby waives all defenses which may be available by virtue of any valuation, stay, moratorium law or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, any right to require the marshaling of assets of the Borrowers and any other entity or Person primarily or secondarily liable with respect to any of the Obligations, and all suretyship defenses generally. Each Borrower hereby assents to, and waives notice of, any extension or postponement of the time for the payment, or place or manner for payment, compromise, refinancing, consolidation or renewals of any of the Obligations hereunder, the acceptance of any partial payment thereon, any waiver, consent or other action or acquiescence by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders at any time or times in respect of any default by any Borrower in the performance or satisfaction of any term, covenant, condition or provision of this Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents, any and all other indulgences whatsoever by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in respect of any of the Obligations hereunder, and the taking, addition, substitution or release, in whole or in part, at any time or times, of any security for any of such Obligations or the addition, substitution or release, in whole or in part, of any Borrower or any other entity or Person primarily or secondarily liable for any Obligation. Such Borrower further agrees that its Obligations shall not be released or discharged, in whole or in part, or otherwise affected by the adequacy of any rights which the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have against any collateral security or other means of obtaining repayment of any of the Obligations, the impairment of any collateral security securing the Obligations, including, without limitation, the failure to protect or preserve any rights which any Administrative Agent or any Lender may have in such collateral security or the substitution, exchange, surrender, release, loss or destruction of any such collateral security, any other act or omission which might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of such Borrower, or otherwise operate as a release or discharge of such Borrower, all of which may be done without notice to such Borrower. If for any reason the other Borrower has no legal existence or is under no legal obligation to discharge any of the Obligations, or if any of the Obligations have become irrecoverable from the other Borrower by reason of such other Borrower’s insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization or by other operation of law or for any reason, this Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party shall nevertheless be binding on such Borrower to the same extent as if such Borrower at all times had been the sole obligor on such Obligations. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Borrower assents to any other action or delay in acting or failure to act on the part of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, including, without limitation, any failure strictly or diligently to assert any right or to pursue any remedy or to comply fully with applicable laws or regulations thereunder which might, but for the provisions of this SECTION 2.17, afford grounds for terminating, discharging or relieving such Borrower, in whole or in part, from any of its obligations under this SECTION 2.17, it being the intention of each Borrower that, so long as any of the Obligations hereunder remain unsatisfied, the obligations of such Borrower under this SECTION 2.17 shall not be discharged except by performance and then only to the extent of such performance. The Obligations of each Borrower under this SECTION 2.17 shall not be diminished or rendered unenforceable by any winding up, reorganization, arrangement, liquidation, reconstruction or similar proceeding with respect to any reconstruction or similar proceeding with respect to any other Borrower, or any of the Lenders. The joint and several liability of the Borrowers hereunder shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any absorption, merger, amalgamation or any other change whatsoever in the name, ownership, membership, constitution or place of formation of any Borrower or the Lenders. Each of the Borrowers acknowledges and confirms that it has itself established its own adequate means of obtaining from the other Borrower on a continuing basis all information desired by such Borrower concerning the financial condition of the other Borrower and that each such Borrower will look to the other Borrower and not to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in order for such Borrower to keep adequately informed of changes in the other Borrower’s respective financial conditions.
(f) The provisions of this SECTION 2.17 are made for the benefit of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and may be enforced by it or them from time to time against either or both of the Borrowers as often as occasion therefor may arise and without requirement on the part of the Lenders, the Administrative Agent or such successor or
assign first to marshal any of its or their claims or to exercise any of its or their rights against the other Borrower or to exhaust any remedies available to it or them against the other Borrower or to resort to any other source or means of obtaining payment of any of the Obligations hereunder or to elect any other remedy. The provisions of this SECTION 2.17 shall remain in effect until all of the Obligations shall have been paid in full or otherwise fully satisfied. If at any time, any payment, or any part thereof, made in respect of any of the Obligations, is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by any Lender or any Administrative Agent upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of any of the Borrowers, or otherwise, the provisions of this SECTION 2.17 will forthwith be reinstated in effect, as though such payment had not been made.
(g) Each of the Borrowers hereby agrees that it will not enforce any of its rights of reimbursement, contribution, subrogation or the like against the other Borrower with respect to any liability incurred by it hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, any payments made by it to any of the Lenders or the Administrative Agent with respect to any of the Obligations or any collateral security therefor until such time as all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full in cash. Any claim which any Borrower may have against the other Borrower with respect to any payments to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent hereunder or under any other Loan Documents are hereby expressly made subordinate and junior in right of payment, without limitation as to any increases in the Obligations arising hereunder or thereunder, to the prior payment in full of the Obligations and, in the event of any insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization or other similar proceeding under the laws of any jurisdiction relating to any Borrower, its debts or its assets, whether voluntary or involuntary, all such Obligations shall be paid in full before any payment or distribution of any character, whether in cash, securities or other property, shall be made to any other Borrower therefor.
(h) Each of the Borrowers hereby agrees that the payment of any amounts due with respect to the indebtedness owing by any Borrower to the other Borrower is hereby subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of the Obligations. Each Borrower hereby agrees that after the occurrence and during the continuance of any Default or Event of Default, such Borrower will not demand, sue for or otherwise attempt to collect any indebtedness of the other Borrower owing to such Borrower until the Obligations shall have been paid in full in cash. If, notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, such Borrower shall collect, enforce or receive any amounts in respect of such indebtedness, such amounts shall be collected, enforced and received by such Borrower as trustee for the Administrative Agent and be paid over to the Administrative Agent for the pro rata accounts of the Lenders to be applied to repay the Obligations.
SECTION 2.18. Contribution. (a) To the extent that any Borrower shall make a payment under SECTION 2.17 of all or any of the Obligations (other than Loans made to that Borrower for which it is primarily liable) (a “Guarantor Payment”) that, taking into account all other Guarantor Payments then previously or concurrently made by any other Borrower, exceeds the amount that such Borrower would otherwise have paid if each Borrower had paid the aggregate Obligations satisfied by such Guarantor Payment in the same portion that such Borrower’s “Allocable Amount” (as defined below) (as determined immediately prior to such Guarantor Payment) bore to the aggregate Allocable Amounts of each of the Borrowers as determined immediately prior to the making of such Guarantor Payment, then, following indefeasible payment in full in cash of the Obligations and termination of the Commitments, such Borrower shall be entitled to receive contribution and indemnification payments from, and be reimbursed by, the other Borrower for the net amount of such excess, pro rata based upon their respective Allocable Amounts in effect immediately prior to such Guarantor Payment.
(b) As of any date of determination, the “Allocable Amount” of any Borrower shall be equal to the maximum amount of the claim that could then be recovered from such Borrower under SECTION 2.18 without rendering such claim voidable or avoidable under Section 548 of Chapter 11 of
the Bankruptcy Code or under any applicable state Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act or similar statute or common law.
(c) This SECTION 2.18 is intended only to define the relative rights of Borrowers and nothing set forth in this SECTION 2.18 is intended or shall impair the obligations of the Borrowers, jointly and severally, to pay any amounts as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Credit Agreement, including SECTION 2.17. Nothing contained in this SECTION 2.18 shall limit the liability of any Borrower to pay the Revolving Loans made directly or indirectly to that Borrower and accrued interest, fees and expenses with respect thereto for which such Borrower shall be primarily liable.
(d) The parties hereto acknowledge that the rights of contribution and indemnification of any Borrower under this SECTION 2.18 shall constitute assets of such Borrower.
(e) The rights of an indemnifying Borrower against the other Borrower under this SECTION shall be exercisable upon the full and indefeasible payment of the Obligations and the termination of Commitments.
SECTION 2.19. Collateral Security. The Obligations shall be secured by a perfected first priority security interest (subject only to Permitted Encumbrances entitled to priority under applicable law) in all of the Borrowers’s interest in the Collateral, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, as described in the Security Documents to which any of the Borrowers is a party.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Each of the Borrowers represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
SECTION 3.1. Organization; Powers. Each of the Borrowers and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.
SECTION 3.2. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within each of the Borrowers’ corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, stockholder action. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each of the Borrowers and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of each of the Borrowers, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
SECTION 3.3. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except (i) for the filing of Uniform Commercial Code financing statements and (ii) such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect or where the failure to obtain such would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries or any order
of any Governmental Authority which violation would have a Material Adverse Effect, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon any of the Borrowers or any of their respective Subsidiaries or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries in each case, where the same would have a Material Adverse Effect, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries other than the Liens created pursuant to the Loan Documents.
SECTION 3.4. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change. (a) KKR Financial has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, certified by its chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of KKR Financial and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.
(b) Since December 31, 2004, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets, operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
SECTION 3.5. Properties. (a) Each of the Borrowers and each of their Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold, easement or other property interests in, all its real and personal property necessary to its business, except for minor defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct its business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for their intended purposes and except where the failure to have such title would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(a) Each of the Borrowers and each of their Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property necessary to its business, and the use thereof by such Person does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.6. Litigation and Environmental Matters. (a) There are no actions, formal investigations, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of any of the Borrowers, threatened against or affecting any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (ii) that involve this Agreement, any other Loan Document or the Transactions.
(b) Except for the Disclosed Matters and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, none of the Borrowers nor any of their Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis that could reasonably be expected to result in any Environmental Liability.
(c) Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.7. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Each of the Borrowers and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing.
SECTION 3.8. Investment and Holding Company Status. None of the Borrowers nor any of their Subsidiaries is (a) required to register as or is an “investment company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940 or (b) a “holding company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.
SECTION 3.9. Taxes. Each of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which such Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.10. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed by more than $25,000,000 the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, and the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed by more than $25,000,000 the fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans.
SECTION 3.11. Disclosure. Each of the Borrowers has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the reports, financial statements, certificates or other written information furnished by or on behalf of any of the Borrowers to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contained any material misstatement of fact as of the date furnished or omitted as of the date furnished to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, each of the Borrowers represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
SECTION 3.12. Solvency. Each of the Borrowers is and, after consummation of the Transactions, will be Solvent.
SECTION 3.13. No Burdensome Restrictions. None of the Borrowers is a party to any agreement or instrument or subject to any other obligation or any charter or corporate restriction or any
provision of any applicable law, rule or regulation which, individually or in the aggregate, would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.14. Borrowing Base Report. The most recent Borrowing Base Report delivered by the Borrowers accurately reflects the Borrowing Base on and as of the date of such Borrowing Base Report and all Related Borrowing Base Information set forth therein is true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Borrowing Base Report.
CONDITIONS
SECTION 4.1. Effective Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall not become effective until the date occurring on or before June 30, 2005, on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with SECTION 9.2):
(a) The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto either (i) a counterpart of this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents signed on behalf of such party or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of each of (i) the in-house general counsel for the Borrowers, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-1 hereto (ii) Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, counsel for the Borrowers, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-2 hereto, and (iii) Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel for KKR Financial, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-3 hereto, and in each case, covering such other matters relating to the Borrowers, this Agreement, the other Loan Documents or the Transactions as the Required Lenders shall reasonably request. The Borrowers hereby request such counsel to deliver such opinions.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of each of the Borrowers, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrowers, this Agreement, the other Loan Documents or the Transactions, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
(d) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of each of the Borrowers, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraph (a) of SECTION 4.2.
(e) The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, that the Security Documents are effective to create in favor of the Administrative Agent a legal, valid and enforceable first (except for Permitted Encumbrances entitled to priority under applicable law) security interest in and Lien upon the Collateral. All filings, recordings, deliveries of instruments and other actions necessary or desirable in the opinion of the Administrative Agent to protect and preserve such security interests shall have been duly effected.
(f) The Administrative Agent shall have received from each of the Borrowers and each of their Subsidiaries a completed and fully executed Perfection Certificate and the results of Uniform Commercial Code searches (and the equivalent thereof in all applicable foreign jurisdictions) with respect
to the Collateral, indicating no Liens other than Liens permitted by SECTION 6.2 and otherwise in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(g) The Administrative Agent shall have received agency and control account agreements, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative, in respect of each depository institution designated by the Administrative Agent with which any of the Borrowers maintains a depository account and comprised in the Collateral.
(h) The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received financial statements of the type described in SECTION 5.1(a) for the 2004 fiscal year ended of the Borrowers and financial statements of the type described in SECTION 5.1(b) for the fiscal quarter of the Borrowers ended March 31, 2005.
(i) The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, that all governmental and third party approvals necessary in connection with the financing contemplated by this Agreement and the continuing operations of each of Borrowers and each of their Subsidiaries shall have been obtained and be in full force and effect.
(j) The Administrative Agent, the Syndication Agent and the Lead Arrangers shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date under the Fee Letter or any other Loan Document, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrowers hereunder.
The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to SECTION 9.2) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 30, 2005 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).
SECTION 4.2. Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) The representations and warranties of each of the Borrowers set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Borrowing, except to the extent such representations and warranties relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a current Borrowing Base Report dated within three (3) Business Days of the drawdown date of such Loan or such more recent Borrowing Base Report as the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall reasonably request.
(c) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(d) No law, regulation or order of any Governmental Authority shall prohibit, enjoin or restrain any Lender from making such Borrowing, as reasonably determined by such Lender.
(e) In the event that an asset to be purchased with the proceeds of a Borrowing made on the date of the Borrowing is to be included in the Borrowing Base as of the date of the Borrowing
solely pursuant to Section 2.1(b), the Administrative Agent shall have received evidence reasonably satisfactory to it that the conditions referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 2.1(b) have been satisfied.
Each Borrowing shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by each of the Borrowers on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (c) of this SECTION.
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all other Obligations payable hereunder shall have been paid in full, each of the Borrowers covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 5.1. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information. The Borrowers will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrowers, the audited consolidated balance sheet of KKR Financial and its Subsidiaries and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of KKR Financial and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;
(b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrowers, the consolidated balance sheet of KKR Financial and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of KKR Financial and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;
(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrowers (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with SECTION 6.8 and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof which is material in any respect to the Borrowers’ financial statements has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in SECTION 3.4 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;
(d) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) above, a certificate of the accounting firm that reported on such financial statements stating whether they obtained knowledge during the course of their examination of such financial statements of any Default (which certificate may be limited to the extent required by accounting rules, guidelines or practices);
(e) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by any of the Borrowers to its shareholders generally, as the case may be;
(f) simultaneously upon with the posting of any financial statement, report, proxy statement and other materials on the Edgar System maintained on the internet by the Securities and Exchange Commission, written notice to the Administrative Agent and each Lender of such posting, with notice to the Administrative Agent or any Lender of such posting of any financial statements referred to in clause (a), (b) and (c) above being sufficient to constitute delivery of such financial statements to the Administrative Agent or such Lender for purposes of such clauses;
(g) promptly after the same becomes available, but in any event within ten (10) Business Days after the end of each calendar month or at such earlier time as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, a Borrowing Base Report setting forth the Borrowing Base as at the end of such calendar month or other date so requested by the Administrative Agent;
(h) on a weekly basis, an update as to the values of all publicly quoted Eligible Specified Financial Assets contained in the Borrowing Base (such update to include any events of which any of the Borrowers is aware, based upon facts and circumstances known to it, that affect the value of any such assets or investments in any material respect);
(i) on a monthly basis, an update as to the values of all Eligible Specified Financial Assets contained in the Borrowing Base, the “Value” for which was determined pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof on Exhibit C, based on valuations provided by a third party appraiser satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (such update to include any events of which any of the Borrowers is aware, based upon facts and circumstances known to it, that affect the value of any such assets or investments in any material respect);
(j) no later than two (2) Business Days before the initial inclusion of any Eligible Specified Financial Asset in the Borrowing Base, a Borrowing Base Report containing all of the Related Borrowing Base Information in respect of such Eligible Specified Financial Asset; and
(k) promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.
SECTION 5.2. Notices of Material Events. Each of the Borrowers will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:
(a) the occurrence of any Default;
(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting any of the Borrowers or any Affiliate thereof that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $25,000,000; and
(d) any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.
Each notice delivered under this SECTION shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of such Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
SECTION 5.3. Existence; Conduct of Business. Each of the Borrowers will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises necessary to the conduct of its business; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under SECTION 6.3. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, KKR Financial will do all things necessary to maintain its status as a REIT.
SECTION 5.4. Payment of Obligations. Each of the Borrowers will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax liabilities, that, if not paid, could result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) such Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.5. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. Each of the Borrowers will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property necessary to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and (b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.
SECTION 5.6. Books and Records; Inspection Rights. Each of the Borrowers will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in accordance with GAAP. Each of the Borrowers will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested (subject to reasonable requirements of confidentiality).
SECTION 5.7. Compliance with Laws. Each of the Borrowers will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, including all Environmental Laws, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.8. Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loans will be used only for working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes consistent with KKR Financial’s Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2005. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X.
SECTION 5.9. Notices of Dispositions. Subject to the provisions of SECTION 6.9, the Borrowers shall deliver to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders written notice not less than five (5) Business Days prior to any Disposition of any assets of any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries
not included in the Collateral in a single transaction or series of related transactions, for consideration having a value in excess of 10% of Consolidated Total Assets before giving effect to such transaction or series of related transactions. In addition, simultaneously with delivery of any such notice, the Borrowers shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a financial officer certifying that the Borrowers are in compliance with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents both on a historical basis and on a pro forma basis, exclusive of the property sold or transferred.
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all other Obligations payable hereunder have been paid in full, each of the Borrowers covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 6.1. Indebtedness. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness created hereunder;
(b) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.1, including extensions, renewals or refinancings of any such Indebtedness so long as (i) the terms and conditions of such extensions, renewals or refinancings of such Indebtedness do not, in the Administrative Agent’s reasonable judgment, materially impair the prospects of repayment of the Obligations by the Borrowers or impair any Borrower’s creditworthiness and (ii) such extensions, renewals or refinancings of such Indebtedness do not result in an increase in the principal amount of such Indebtedness so extended, renewed or refinanced or add any Borrower as liable with respect thereto if such Borrower was not liable with respect to the original Indebtedness;
(c) Indebtedness of any Borrower to any Subsidiary and of any Subsidiary to any Borrower or any other Subsidiary;
(d) Guarantees by any Borrower of Indebtedness of any Subsidiary and by any Subsidiary of Indebtedness of any Borrower or any other Subsidiary;
(e) Indebtedness pursuant to Swap Agreements (including any total rate of return Swap Agreements);
(f) Other Secured Indebtedness;
(g) Indebtedness owed to (including obligations in respect of letters of credit for the benefit of) any person providing workers’ compensation, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance to any Borrower or any Subsidiary, pursuant to reimbursement or indemnification obligations to such person;
(h) Indebtedness in respect of performance bonds, bid bonds, appeal bonds, surety bonds and completion guarantees and similar obligations, in each case, provided in the course of ordinary business, including those incurred to secure health, safety and environmental obligations in the ordinary course of business;
(i) Indebtedness arising from the occasional honoring by a bank or other financial
institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business and not from an overdraft credit facility granted by the bank or other financial institution; and
(j) other unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $10,000,000 at any time outstanding.
SECTION 6.2. Liens. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:
(a) Permitted Encumbrances;
(b) any Lien pursuant to any Loan Document;
(c) any Lien on any property or asset of any of the Borrowers or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.2; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of any Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof (and any extensions, renewals and refinancings of such obligations permitted under SECTION 6.1);
(d) any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by any of the Borrowers or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of any of the Borrowers or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be; and
(e) Liens on any property or asset not included in the Borrowing Base that secures any Swap Agreement (including any total rate of return Swap Agreement) or any other Secured Indebtedness or any related obligation incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated thereby.
SECTION 6.3. Fundamental Changes. (a) None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets, or all or substantially all of the stock of any of its Subsidiaries (in each case, whether now owned or hereafter acquired), or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i) any Subsidiary may merge into any Borrower in a transaction in which such Borrower is the surviving corporation, (ii) any Subsidiary may merge into any Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Subsidiary, (iii) any Subsidiary may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to a Borrower or to another Subsidiary, (iv) any Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve if the Borrower which is the parent of such Subsidiary determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of such Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders; provided that any such merger involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by SECTION 6.4, and (v) any Financing SPE may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of related transactions) all or substantially all of its assets in connection with a Securitization, provided that the proceeds of such Securitization in excess of the amount such Financing SPE is required to pay to any
holder of any debt obligation or equity interests issued by such Financing SPE pursuant to the terms of such Securitization are paid to a Borrower promptly thereafter.
(b) None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by such Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement, businesses reasonably related thereto or that is a reasonable extension, development or expansion thereof.
SECTION 6.4. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any capital stock, evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit, except:
(a) Permitted Investments;
(b) investments by any Borrower or any Subsidiary existing as of May 31, 2005;
(c) loans or advances made by any Borrower to any Subsidiary and made by any Subsidiary to any Borrower;
(d) Guarantees of or constituting Indebtedness permitted by SECTION 6.1;
(e) investments in any Financing SPE, including any Financing SPE established after the date hereof, for the purpose of facilitating a Securitization; and
(f) other investments (including total rate of return Swap Agreements and other Swap Agreements) made by any Borrower or any Subsidiary in the course of such Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s business and consistent with KKR Financial’s business as described in its Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2005.
SECTION 6.5. Restricted Payments. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except (a) any Borrower may make Restricted Payments with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, KKR TRS) may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests, (c) any Borrower may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with stock option plans or other benefit plans for management or employees of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (d) so long as no event constituting a Default under SECTION 7.1(b), 7.1(h) or 7.1(k) or Event of Default has occurred or is continuing or would occur after giving effect to the making of any Restricted Payment that would otherwise be permitted under this clause (d), KKR Financial may make Restricted Payments in the form of dividends in an aggregate amount not to exceed 100% of its taxable income computed without giving effect to net operating loss carryforwards and nonrecurring items (including, but not limited to, stock-based compensation expense and bad debt write-offs).
SECTION 6.6. Transactions with Affiliates. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of
its Affiliates, except (a) in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to such Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among any Borrower and its wholly owned Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate, (c) transactions for which KKR Financial or such Subsidiary is obligated under the Management Agreement and (d) any Restricted Payment permitted by SECTION 6.5.
SECTION 6.7. Restrictive Agreements. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of any Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to any shares of its capital stock or to make or repay loans or advances to any Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of any Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by this Agreement or any other Loan Document or upon any Financing SPE by any lender thereto or investor therein, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.7 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or condition), (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale, provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (iv) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness and (v) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment thereof.
SECTION 6.8. Financial Covenants.
(a) Consolidated Net Worth. The Borrowers shall not permit Consolidated Net Worth at any time to be less than the sum of (i) $675,000,000 plus (ii) an amount equal to 75% of the proceeds of any issuance by any Borrower or its Subsidiaries after the date hereof of Equity Interests of any Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than issuances to KKR Financial or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of KKR Financial), including upon any conversion of debt securities of any Borrower into such Equity Interests.
(b) Leverage Ratio. The Borrowers shall not permit the ratio of Consolidated Total Liabilities to Consolidated Tangible Net Worth at any time to exceed the ratio of 12.50 to 1.00.
(c) Effect of Financing SPEs. For purposes of the Borrowers’ compliance with the financial covenants set forth in this Section, compliance shall be measured both in accordance with GAAP and also as if any Financing SPE owned by any Borrower or a Subsidiary were consolidated with such Borrower or such Subsidiary if the consolidation is not required by GAAP.
SECTION 6.9. Dispositions. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except (a) Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, in the ordinary course of business, (b) Dispositions to another Borrower or another Subsidiary, (c) Dispositions of assets other than Collateral in the course of the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s business and consistent with KKR Financial’s business as described in its Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2005, and (d) Dispositions of Collateral to the extent permitted by the Security Documents.
SECTION 6.10. Management Fees; Compensation. None of the Borrowers will, nor will permit any of its Subsidiaries to, pay management fees, incentive fees or to otherwise increase the compensation payable to KKR Financial Advisors LLC pursuant to the Management Agreement, in excess of those fees and compensation levels in effect as of the Effective Date, without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (not to be unreasonably withheld).
SECTION 6.11. Fiscal Year. None of the Borrowers shall, nor shall permit any Subsidiary to, change its fiscal year for accounting or tax purposes from a period consisting of the 12-month period ending on December 31 of each calendar year.
SECTION 6.12. Margin Regulations; Securities Laws. None of the Borrowers shall use all or any portion of the proceeds of any credit extended under this Agreement to purchase or carry Margin Stock.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
SECTION 7.1. Events of Default. If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:
(a) the Borrowers shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;
(b) the Borrowers shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of three Business Days;
(c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of any Borrower in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect when made or deemed made;
(d) any Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in SECTION 5.2, SECTION 5.3 (with respect to such Borrower’s existence) or SECTION 5.8 or in ARTICLE VI;
(e) any Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article) or any other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrowers (which notice will be given at the request of the Required Lenders);
(f) any Borrower shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable (with all applicable grace periods having expired);
(g) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both, but after all applicable grace periods have expired) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness;
(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of any Borrower or any Subsidiary or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for any Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;
(i) any Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for any Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
(j) any Borrower or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;
(k) one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $25,000,000 shall be rendered against any Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of any Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;
(l) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(m) KKR Financial Advisors LLC shall cease to (i) serve as manager and adviser to the Borrowers or (ii) be an Affiliate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.;
(n) KKR Financial fails to maintain its status as a REIT under the Code; or
(o) a Change in Control shall occur;
then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to a Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrowers, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans
then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each of the Borrowers; and in case of any event with respect to a Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Obligations, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each of the Borrowers.
SECTION 7.2. Distribution of Collateral Proceeds. In the event that, following the occurrence or during the continuance of any Event of Default, the Administrative Agent or any Lender, as the case may be, receives any monies in connection with the enforcement of any the Security Documents, or otherwise with respect to the realization upon any of the Collateral, such monies shall be distributed for application as follows:
(a) First, to the payment of, or (as the case may be) the reimbursement of the Administrative Agent for or in respect of all reasonable costs, expenses, disbursements and losses which shall have been incurred or sustained by the Administrative Agent in connection with the collection of such monies by the Administrative Agent, for the exercise, protection or enforcement by the Administrative Agent of all or any of the rights, remedies, powers and privileges of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or in respect of the Collateral or in support of any provision of adequate indemnity to the Administrative Agent against any taxes or liens which by law shall have, or may have, priority over the rights of the Administrative Agent to such monies;
(b) Second, to all other Obligations in such order or preference as the Required Lenders may determine; provided, however, that (i) distributions shall be made (A) pari passu among Obligations with respect to any fees payable to the Administrative Agent and all other Obligations and (B) with respect to each type of Obligation owing to the Lenders, such as interest, principal, fees and expenses, among the Lenders pro rata, and (ii) the Administrative Agent may in its discretion make proper allowance to take into account any Obligations not then due and payable;
(c) Third, upon payment and satisfaction in full or other provisions for payment in full satisfactory to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent of all of the Obligations, to the payment of any obligations required to be paid pursuant to §9-608(a)(1)(C) or 9-615(a)(3) of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York; and
(d) Fourth, the excess, if any, shall be returned to the Borrowers or to such other Persons as are entitled thereto.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Each of the Lenders hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
The bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with any Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.
The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers (including, without limitation, with respect to the inclusion of any asset of the Borrowers in the Borrowing Base), except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in SECTION 9.2), and (c) except as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in SECTION 9.2) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or wilful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrowers or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any Borrowing Base Report, certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection herewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document executed in connection herewith or therewith or included in the Collateral, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any Borrowing Base Report, notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrowers), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.
The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.
Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders and the Borrowers. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrowers, to appoint a successor. If no 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 which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any such bank. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. The fees payable by the Borrowers to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed among the Borrowers and such successor. After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and SECTION 9.3 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.
Each Lender acknowledges 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 credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges 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 from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the any of the Borrowers or any of its Subsidiaries, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on any Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise (a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the Administrative Agent allowed in such judicial proceeding, and (b) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.In case one of more Events of Default have occurred and shall be continuing, and whether or not acceleration of the Obligations shall have occurred, the Administrative Agent shall, if (a) so requested by the Required Lenders and (b) the Lenders have provided to the Administrative Agent such additional indemnities and assurances against expenses and liabilities as the Administrative Agent may reasonably
request, proceed to enforce the provisions of the Security Documents authorizing the sale or other disposition of all or any part of the Collateral and exercise all or any such other legal and equitable and other rights or remedies as it may have in respect of such Collateral. The Required Lenders may direct the Administrative Agent in writing as to the method and the extent of any such sale or other disposition, the Lenders hereby agreeing to indemnify and hold the Administrative Agent, harmless from all liabilities incurred in respect of all actions taken or omitted in accordance with such directions, provided that the Administrative Agent need not comply with any such direction to the extent that the Administrative Agent reasonably believes the Administrative Agent’s compliance with such direction to be unlawful or commercially unreasonable in any applicable jurisdiction.
The Lenders irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, (a) to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (i) upon termination of the total Commitments and payment in full of all Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations), (ii) that is sold or to be sold as part of or in connection with any sale permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or (iii) subject to SECTION 9.2, if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by the Required Lenders and (b) to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by SECTION 6.2(b). Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property.
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Syndication Agent, Joint Bookrunners or Lead Arrangers listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent or a Lender hereunder.
The Administrative Agent shall furnish to each of the Lenders one copy of any written analysis or report prepared by an external third party and obtained by the Administrative Agent for the purposes of clause (d) of the definition of “Value” set forth on Exhibit C attached hereto.
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1. Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:
(i) if to any of the Borrowers, to such Borrower at KKR Financial Corp., Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 2050, San Francisco, CA 94111, Attention of Treasurer (Telecopy No. 415-391-3077), with a copy to General Counsel (Telecopy: 415-391-3077);
(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 270 Park Avenue, 15th Floor New York 10017, Attention of Bill Castro, with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. 270 Park Avenue, 22nd Floor New York 10017, Attention of Marybeth Mullen, Managing Director (Telecopy No. 212-270-1511); and
(iii) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.
(b) Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or any 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.
(c) Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt.
SECTION 9.2. Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by any of the Borrowers therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this SECTION, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
(b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by each of the Borrowers and the Required Lenders or by each of the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv) change SECTION 2.15(b) or SECTION 2.15(c) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v) other than pursuant to a transaction permitted by the terms of this Agreement, release all or substantially all of the Collateral (excluding, if any Borrower or any Subsidiary of a Borrower becomes a debtor under the federal Bankruptcy Code, the release of “cash collateral”, as defined in SECTION 363(a) of the federal Bankruptcy Code pursuant to a cash collateral stipulation with the debtor approved by the Required Lenders), without the written consent of each Lender, or (vi) change any of the provisions of this SECTION or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent.
SECTION 9.3. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver. (a) The Borrowers jointly and severally agree to pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), and (ii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement, including its rights under this SECTION, or in connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.
(b) The Borrowers jointly and severally agree to indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any Loan or the use of the proceeds therefrom, (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of such Indemnitee.
(c) To the extent that the Borrowers fail to pay any amount required to be paid by them to the Administrative Agent under paragraph (a) or (b) of this SECTION, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such.
(d) To the extent permitted by applicable law, none of the Borrowers shall assert, and each of the Borrowers hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof.
(e) All amounts due under this SECTION shall be payable promptly after written demand therefor.
(f) Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Borrowers shall be entitled to assume the defense of any action for which indemnification is sought hereunder with counsel of its choice at its expense (in which case the Borrowers shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by an Indemnitee except as set forth below); provided,
however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to each such Indemnitee. Notwithstanding the Borrowers’ election to assume the defense of such action, each Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such action, and the Borrowers shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the Borrowers to represent such Indemnitee would present such counsel with a conflict of interest; (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include the Borrowers and such Indemnitee and such Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or additional to those available to the Borrowers; (iii) the Borrowers shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnitee to represent it within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action; or (iv) the Borrowers shall authorize such Indemnitee to employ separate counsel at the Borrowers’ expense. The Borrowers will not be liable under this Agreement for any amount paid by an Indemnitee to settle any claims or actions if the settlement is entered into without the Borrowers’ consent, which consent may not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
SECTION 9.4. Successors and Assigns. (a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that (i) none of the Borrowers may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by any Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this SECTION. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this SECTION) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b) (i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:
(A) the Borrowers, provided that no consent of the Borrowers shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and
(B) the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of any Revolving Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender with a Revolving Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment or an Affiliate of the assignor if the Affiliate is, directly or through one or more intermediaries, 100% owned by or under common 100% ownership with the assignor;
(ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans, the amount of the Commitment or 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) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no
such consent of the Borrowers shall be required if an Event of Default under clause (a), (b), (h) or (i) of Article VII has occurred and is continuing;
(B) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement;
(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; provided, however, that the payment of such processing and recordation fee shall not be required in the case of an assignment by an Affiliate of the Syndication Agent to another Affiliate of the Syndication Agent if such Affiliate is, directly or through one or more intermediaries, 100% owned by or under common 100% ownership with the Syndication Agent; and
(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.
For the purposes of this SECTION 9.4(b), the term “Approved Fund” has the following meaning:
“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
(iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this SECTION, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of SECTION 2.12, SECTION 2.13, SECTION 2.14 and SECTION 9.3). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this SECTION 9.4 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this SECTION.
(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers, shall maintain at one of its offices 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 Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and each of the Borrowers, 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 Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by
any Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this SECTION and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this SECTION, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.
(c) (i) Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) each of the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to SECTION 9.2(b) that affects such Participant. Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this SECTION, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of SECTION 2.12, SECTION 2.13, and SECTION 2.14 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this SECTION. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of SECTION 9.8 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to SECTION 2.15(c) as though it were a Lender.
(ii) A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under SECTION 2.12, SECTION 2.13 or SECTION 2.14 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 2.14 unless the Borrowers are notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrowers, to comply with SECTION 2.14(e) as though it were a Lender.
(d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this SECTION shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
SECTION 9.5. Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by any of the Borrowers herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties
hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of SECTIONS 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
SECTION 9.6. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in SECTION 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
SECTION 9.7. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.8. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries against any of and all the obligations of any of the Borrowers now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this SECTION are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.
SECTION 9.9. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(b) Each of the Borrowers hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the
parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against any of the Borrowers or any of their properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(c) Each of the Borrowers hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this SECTION. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in SECTION 9.1. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION 9.11. Headings. Article and SECTION headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors who have a need to know such Information in connection with the Transactions (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority, (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this SECTION, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to any of the Borrowers and any of their obligations, (g) with the consent of the Borrowers or (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this SECTION or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrowers which source, to the knowledge of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, did not have an obligation of confidentiality with respect to such Information. For the purposes
of this SECTION, “Information” means all information received from any Borrower or any Affiliate relating to any of the Borrowers any of their businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by any of the Borrowers; provided that, in the case of information received from any of the Borrowers after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this SECTION shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
SECTION 9.13. USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender hereby notifies the Borrowers 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 each of the Borrowers, which information includes the name and address of each of the Borrowers and other information that will allow such Lender to identify each of the Borrowers in accordance with the Act.
SECTION 9.14. Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this SECTION shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
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| By: | /s/ BARBARA J. S. MCKEE |
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| Title: Secretary and General Counsel |
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| By: | /s/ BARBARA J. S. MCKEE |
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| By: | /s/ MARYBETH MULLEN |
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| By: | /s/ EDWARD T. CROOK |
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| Name: Edward T. Crook | |||||||
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| Title: Managing Director | |||||||