Exhibit 4(ii)
Execution Version |
Published CUSIP Number: 69643DAE9
CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of April 11, 2013
among
PALL CORPORATION,
as the Borrower,
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer,
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Syndication Agent and an L/C Issuer,
and
The Other Lenders Party Hereto
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
THE BANK OF TOKYO MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD.,
HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
and
SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION,
as Co-Documentation Agents
BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH
and
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC,
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | |||
ARTICLE I. | DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS | 1 | |
1.01 | Defined Terms | 1 | |
1.02 | Other Interpretive Provisions | 24 | |
1.03 | Accounting Terms | 25 | |
1.04 | Rounding | 26 | |
1.05 | Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents | 26 | |
1.06 | Additional Alternative Currencies | 26 | |
1.07 | Change of Currency | 27 | |
1.08 | Times of Day | 27 | |
1.09 | Letter of Credit Amounts | 27 | |
ARTICLE II. | THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS | 27 | |
2.01 | Committed Loans | 27 | |
2.02 | Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans | 28 | |
2.03 | Letters of Credit | 30 | |
2.04 | Swing Line Loans | 39 | |
2.05 | Prepayments | 41 | |
2.06 | Termination or Reduction of Commitments | 42 | |
2.07 | Repayment of Loans | 42 | |
2.08 | Interest | 43 | |
2.09 | Fees | 43 | |
2.10 | Computation of Interest and Fees | 44 | |
2.11 | Evidence of Debt | 44 | |
2.12 | Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback | 44 | |
2.13 | Sharing of Payments by Lenders | 46 | |
2.14 | Cash Collateral | 47 | |
2.15 | Defaulting Lenders | 48 | |
ARTICLE III. | TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY | 50 | |
3.01 | Taxes | 50 | |
3.02 | Illegality | 54 | |
3.03 | Inability to Determine Rates | 55 | |
3.04 | Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurocurrency Rate Loans | 55 | |
3.05 | Compensation for Losses | 57 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page | |||
3.06 | Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders | 58 | |
3.07 | Survival | 59 | |
ARTICLE IV. | CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS | 59 | |
4.01 | Conditions of Initial Credit Extension | 59 | |
4.02 | Conditions to all Credit Extensions | 60 | |
ARTICLE V. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES | 61 | |
5.01 | Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws | 61 | |
5.02 | Authorization; No Contravention | 61 | |
5.03 | Governmental Authorization; Other Consents | 61 | |
5.04 | Binding Effect | 61 | |
5.05 | Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect | 62 | |
5.06 | Litigation | 62 | |
5.07 | No Default | 62 | |
5.08 | Ownership of Property; Liens | 62 | |
5.09 | Environmental Compliance | 63 | |
5.10 | Insurance | 63 | |
5.11 | Taxes | 63 | |
5.12 | ERISA Compliance | 63 | |
5.13 | Subsidiaries; Equity Interests | 63 | |
5.14 | Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act | 63 | |
5.15 | Disclosure | 64 | |
5.16 | Permits and Licenses, Etc. | 64 | |
5.17 | Labor Disputes and Acts of God | 64 | |
5.18 | Sanctions | 64 | |
5.19 | Cash Pool Arrangements | 64 | |
ARTICLE VI. | AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS | 65 | |
6.01 | Financial Statements | 65 | |
6.02 | Certificates; Other Information | 65 | |
6.03 | Notices | 67 | |
6.04 | Payment of Obligations | 67 | |
6.05 | Preservation of Existence, Etc. | 68 | |
6.06 | Maintenance of Properties | 68 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page | |||
6.07 | Maintenance of Insurance | 68 | |
6.08 | Compliance with Laws | 68 | |
6.09 | Books and Records | 68 | |
6.10 | Inspection Rights | 68 | |
6.11 | Use of Proceeds | 69 | |
6.12 | Cash Pool Arrangements | 69 | |
ARTICLE VII. | NEGATIVE COVENANTS | 69 | |
7.01 | Liens | 69 | |
7.02 | Investments | 71 | |
7.03 | Priority Indebtedness | 72 | |
7.04 | Fundamental Changes | 72 | |
7.05 | Dispositions | 72 | |
7.06 | Restricted Payments | 73 | |
7.07 | Change in Nature of Business | 73 | |
7.08 | Transactions with Affiliates | 73 | |
7.09 | Use of Proceeds | 73 | |
7.10 | Consolidated Leverage Ratio | 73 | |
7.11 | Hazardous Materials | 73 | |
7.12 | Sanctions | 73 | |
ARTICLE VIII. | EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES | 74 | |
8.01 | Events of Default | 74 | |
8.02 | Remedies Upon Event of Default | 75 | |
8.03 | Application of Funds | 76 | |
ARTICLE IX. | ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT | 77 | |
9.01 | Appointment and Authority | 77 | |
9.02 | Rights as a Lender | 77 | |
9.03 | Exculpatory Provisions | 77 | |
9.04 | Reliance by Administrative Agent | 78 | |
9.05 | Delegation of Duties | 78 | |
9.06 | Resignation of Administrative Agent | 79 | |
9.07 | Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders | 80 | |
9.08 | No Other Duties, Etc. | 80 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page | |||
9.09 | Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim | 80 | |
ARTICLE X. | MISCELLANEOUS | 81 | |
10.01 | Amendments, Etc. | 81 | |
10.02 | Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication | 82 | |
10.03 | No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement | 84 | |
10.04 | Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver | 84 | |
10.05 | Payments Set Aside | 86 | |
10.06 | Successors and Assigns | 87 | |
10.07 | Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality | 91 | |
10.08 | Right of Setoff | 92 | |
10.09 | Interest Rate Limitation | 92 | |
10.10 | Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness | 92 | |
10.11 | Survival of Representations and Warranties | 93 | |
10.12 | Severability | 93 | |
10.13 | Replacement of Lenders | 93 | |
10.14 | Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc. | 94 | |
10.15 | Waiver of Jury Trial | 95 | |
10.16 | No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility | 95 | |
10.17 | Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents | 95 | |
10.18 | USA PATRIOT Act | 96 | |
10.19 | Judgment Currency | 96 | |
SIGNATURES | S-1 |
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SCHEDULES | |||
1.01 | Mandatory Cost Formulae | ||
2.01 | Commitments and Applicable Percentages | ||
2.03 | Existing Letters of Credit | ||
5.13 | Subsidiaries | ||
5.19 | Cash Pool Arrangements | ||
7.01 | Existing Liens | ||
7.02 | Other Investments | ||
7.03 | Priority Indebtedness | ||
10.02 | Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices | ||
EXHIBITS | |||
Form of | |||
A | Committed Loan Notice | ||
B | Swing Line Loan Notice | ||
C | Note | ||
D | Compliance Certificate | ||
E | Assignment and Assumption | ||
F | U.S. Tax Compliance Certificates |
-v-
CREDIT AGREEMENT
This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of April 11, 2013,among Pall Corporation, a New York corporation (the “Borrower”), each lender from time to time party hereto (collectively, the “Lenders” and individually, a “Lender”), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as an L/C Issuer.
The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide a revolving credit facility, and the Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
1.01Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
“Administrative Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.
“Administrative Agent’s Office” means, with respect to any currency, the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth onSchedule 10.02 with respect to such currency, or such other address or account with respect to such currency as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.
“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.
“Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all the Lenders.
“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.
“Alternative Currency” means each of Euro, Sterling, Yen, Swiss Francs and each other currency (other than Dollars) that is approved in accordance withSection 1.06.
“Alternative Currency Equivalent” means, at any time, with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, the equivalent amount thereof in the applicable Alternative Currency as determined by the Administrative Agent or the applicable L/C Issuer, as the case may be, at such time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the most recent Revaluation Date) for the purchase of such Alternative Currency with Dollars.
“Alternative Currency Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of the Aggregate Commitments and $200,000,000. The Alternative Currency Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.
1
“Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment at such time, subject to adjustment as provided inSection 2.15. If the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of each L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant toSection 8.02 or if the Aggregate Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender onSchedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.
“Applicable Rate” means, from time to time, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Debt Rating as set forth below:
Eurocurrency | ||||
Rate + | ||||
Pricing | Debt Ratings | Commitment | Letters of | Base |
Level | S&P/Moody’s | Fee | Credit | Rate + |
1 | A/A2 or better | 0.070% | 0.875% | 0.000% |
2 | A-/A3 | 0.100% | 1.000% | 0.000% |
3 | BBB+/Baa1 | 0.125% | 1.125% | 0.125% |
4 | BBB/Baa2 | 0.175% | 1.250% | 0.250% |
5 | BBB-/Baa3 or | 0.225% | 1.500% | 0.500% |
worse |
“Debt Rating” means, as of any date of determination, the rating asdetermined by either S&P or Moody’s (collectively, the “Debt Ratings”) of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt;provided that (a) if the respective Debt Ratings issued by foregoing rating agencies differ by one level, then the Pricing Level for the higher of such Debt Ratings shall apply (with the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 1 being the highest and the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 5 being the lowest); (b) if there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one level, then the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the Pricing Level of the higher Debt Rating shall apply; (c) if the Borrower has only one Debt Rating, the Pricing Level that is one level lower than that of such Debt Rating shall apply; and (d) if the Borrower does not have any Debt Rating, Pricing Level 5 shall apply.
Initially, the Applicable Rate shall be determined based upon the Debt Rating specified in the certificate delivered pursuant toSection 4.01(a)(vii). Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Rate resulting from a publicly announced change in the Debt Rating shall be effective, in the case of an upgrade, during the period commencing on the date of delivery by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent of notice thereof pursuant toSection 6.03(e) and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change and, in the case of a downgrade, during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.
“Applicable Time” means, with respect to any borrowings and payments in any Alternative Currency, the local time in the place of settlement for such Alternative Currency as may be determined by the Administrative Agent or the applicable L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to be necessary for timely settlement on the relevant date in accordance with normal banking procedures in the place of payment.
2
“Approved Fund” means any Fund 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.
“Arrangers” means MLPFS and J.P. Morgan Securities in their capacity as joint lead arrangers and joint book managers.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required bySection 10.06(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form ofExhibit E or any other form (including electronic documentation generated by MarkitClear or other electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any capital lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a capital lease.
“Audited Financial Statements” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the Aggregate Commitments pursuant toSection 2.06, and (c) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of each L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant toSection 8.02.
“Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.
“Base Rate”means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate,” and (c) the Eurocurrency Rate plus 1.00%. The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such prime rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.
“Base Rate Committed Loan” means a Committed Loan that is a Base Rate Loan.
“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate. All Base Rate Loans shall be denominated in Dollars.
“Borrower” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.
“Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified inSection 6.02.
“Borrowing” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the context may require.
3
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office with respect to Obligations denominated in Dollars is located and:
(a)if such day relates to any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Dollars, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in Dollars in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, or any other dealings in Dollars to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, means any such day that is also a London Banking Day;
(b)if such day relates to any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Euro, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in Euro in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, or any other dealings in Euro to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, means a TARGET Day;
(c)if such day relates to any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in a currency other than Dollars or Euro, means any such day on which dealings in deposits in the relevant currency are conducted by and between banks in the London or other applicable offshore interbank market for such currency; and
(d)if such day relates to any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in a currency other than Dollars or Euro in respect of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in a currency other than Dollars or Euro, or any other dealings in any currency other than Dollars or Euro to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan (other than any interest rate settings), means any such day on which banks are open for foreign exchange business in the principal financial center of the country of such currency.
“Capital Lease Obligations” means that portion of any obligation of a Person as lessee under a lease (or other similar arrangement) which at the time would be required to be capitalized on the balance sheet of such lessee in accordance with GAAP (but excluding any capitalized amounts in respect of an operating lease in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the Closing Date that is recharacterized as a capital lease as a result of a change in GAAP or interpretation thereof).
“Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of one or more of the L/C Issuers or the Lenders, as collateral for L/C Obligations or obligations of the Lenders to fund participations in respect of L/C Obligations, cash or deposit account balances or, if the Administrative Agent and the applicable L/C Issuer shall agree in their sole discretion, other credit support, in each case pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the applicable L/C Issuer. “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral and other credit support.
“Cash Pool Arrangement” means a centralized cash pooling arrangement of any group of Subsidiaries with a Cash Pool Bank under which such Subsidiaries make deposits with and receive advances from such Cash Pool Bank in order to facilitate the efficient deployment of cash of such Subsidiaries.
“Cash Pool Availability” means, with respect to any Cash Pool Arrangement, the aggregate amount of cash of Subsidiaries on deposit with the applicable Cash Pool Bank under such Cash Pool Arrangement.
4
“Cash Pool Bank” means Bank Mendes Gans N.V. and each other bank that is a provider of cash pooling arrangements to the Borrower, Pall Netherlands B.V. or any of the other Subsidiaries;provided that each such other bank must have a long-term credit rating of BBB or better by S&P and a long-term obligation rating of Baa2 or better by Moody’s at the time such bank becomes a Cash Pool Bank.
“Cash Pool Obligations” means, with respect to any Cash Pool Arrangement, the aggregate outstanding amount of borrowings by the Subsidiaries under such Cash Pool Arrangement.
“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority;provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.
“Change of Control” means an event or series of events by which:
(a)any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such person or its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (such right, an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of 30% or more of the equity securities of the Borrower entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right);
(b)during any period of 12 consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of the Borrower cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to inclause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to inclauses (i) and(ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body (excluding, in the case of bothclause(ii) andclause (iii), any individual whose initial nomination for, or assumption of office as, a member of that board or equivalent governing body occurs as a result of an actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents for the election or removal of one or more directors by any person or group other than a solicitation for the election of one or more directors by or on behalf of the board of directors); or
(c)any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have acquired by contract or otherwise, a controlling influence over the management or policies of the Borrower, or control over the equity securities of the Borrower entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such Person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right) representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of such securities.
5
“Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent inSection 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance withSection 10.01.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
“Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Committed Loans to the Borrower pursuant toSection 2.01, (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the Dollar amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name onSchedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.
“Committed Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Committed Loans of the same Type, in the same currency and, in the case of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant toSection 2.01.
“Committed Loan” has the meaning specified inSection 2.01.
“Committed Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Committed Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, pursuant toSection 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form ofExhibit A.
“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form ofExhibit D.
“Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.
“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, an amount equal to Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (a) the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income (without duplication): (i) Consolidated Interest Charges for such period, (ii) the provision for Federal, state, local and foreign income taxes payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period, (iii) depreciation and amortization expense and (iv) other non-recurring expenses, charges or losses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries reducing such Consolidated Net Income which do not represent a cash item in such period or any future period and minus (b) the following to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated Net Income (without duplication): (i) Federal, state, local and foreign income tax credits of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period, (ii) interest income and (iii) all non-cash non-recurring items increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period.
6
“Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments, (b) all purchase money Indebtedness, (c) all direct obligations arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments, (d) all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business), (e) Attributable Indebtedness in respect of capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations, (f) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified inclauses (a) through(e) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (g) all Indebtedness of the types referred to inclauses (a) through(f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) Cash Pool Obligations outstanding under any Cash Pool Arrangement shall be deemed to constitute Consolidated Funded Indebtedness only to the extent of the excess thereof over the Cash Pool Availability under such arrangement; (ii) contingent obligations under undrawn letters of credit, bank guarantees, surety bonds and similar instruments supporting trade payables, workers’ compensation and similar obligations and other non-financial obligations (and any financial obligations arising from the non-performance of such non-financial obligation until such time as such financial obligation becomes due and payable), and any Guarantee of any of the foregoing, shall not be deemed to constitute Consolidated Funded Indebtedness; (iii) Indebtedness under arrangements for factoring of foreign receivables shall be deemed to constitute Consolidated Funded Indebtedness only to the extent the aggregate uncollected amount of the receivables transferred pursuant to such arrangements at any time exceeds $50,000,000; and (iv) if the net proceeds of the issuance and sale of any Refinancing Notes shall be irrevocably deposited at the time of such issuance and sale with the trustee under the New Notes Indenture for the sole purpose of repaying amounts due in respect of the New Notes upon the maturity or redemption thereof, then that portion of the New Notes not in excess of the amounts so deposited shall be excluded in computing Consolidated Funded Indebtedness until the earlier of (i) the release of such net proceeds by the trustee and (ii) the date that is 180 days after the date of such issuance and sale;providedfurther, that all Refinancing Notes will, at all times after the issuance and sale thereof, be included in computing Consolidated Funded Indebtedness.
“Consolidated Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness as of such date to (b)Consolidated EBITDA for the period of the four fiscal quarters most recently ended;provided that Consolidated EBITDA for this purpose shall be calculated on a Pro Forma Basis to give effect to any acquisition (if the total consideration for such acquisition is more than $100,000,000) or sale of a Subsidiary or operating division thereof or of the Borrower.
“Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the net income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for that period.
“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, at any time, Consolidated Tangible Assetsminus all current liabilities (excluding any thereof which are by their terms extendible or renewable at the option of the obligor thereon to a time more than twelve months after the time as of which the amount thereof is being computed and excluding deferred income taxes) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, all as set forth in the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries delivered pursuant toSection 6.01 (or, prior to any such delivery, referred to inSection 5.05) as of such date of determination, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Tangible Assets” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of assets (less applicable accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization and other reserves and other properly deductible items) of the Borrower and its Subsidiariesminus all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and other intangible assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, all as set forth in the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries delivered pursuant toSection 6.01 (or, prior to any such delivery, referred to inSection 5.05) as of such date of determination, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
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“Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.
“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.
“Credit Extension” means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.
“Debt Rating” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Applicable Rate.”
“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.
“Default” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.
“Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rateplus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loansplus (iii) 2% per annum;provided,however, that with respect to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate and any Mandatory Cost) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rateplus 2% per annum.
“Defaulting Lender” means, subject toSection 2.15(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans within two Business Days of the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans) within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to thisclause(c)upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity;provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lendersolely by virtue of (x) the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority or (y) in the case of a solvent Lender, the precautionary appointment of an administrator, provisional liquidator, conservator, receiver, trustee, guardian, custodian or other similar official by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality thereof (including a supervisory authority or regulator) under or based on the law of the country where such Lender is subject to home jurisdiction supervision if applicable law requires that such appointment not be publicly disclosed, in any such case where such action does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more ofclauses (a)through(d) above, and of the effective date of such status, shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject toSection 2.15(b)) as of the date established therefor by the Administrative Agent in a written notice of such determination, which shall be delivered by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, each L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and each other Lender promptly following such determination.
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“Designated Jurisdiction” means any country or territory to the extent that such country or territory itself is the subject of any Sanction.
“Disposition” or “Dispose” 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.
“Dollar” and “$” mean lawful money of the United States.
“Dollar Equivalent” means, at any time, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, such amount, and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in any Alternative Currency, the equivalent amount thereof in Dollars as determined by the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer, as the case may be, at such time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the most recent Revaluation Date) for the purchase of Dollars with such Alternative Currency.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the Laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
“Eligible Assignee” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee underSection 10.06(b)(iii) and (v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required underSection 10.06(b)(iii)).
“Eligible Investments” means (a) direct obligations of the United States of America or any governmental agency thereof which are fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America;provided that such obligations mature within two years from the date of acquisition thereof; (b) Dollar denominated time deposit maturing within one year issued by any bank organized and existing under the Laws of the United States of America or any state thereof and having aggregate capital and surplus in excess of $1,000,000,000; (c) investments in any time deposit issued by any bank with a long-term credit rating of BBB or better by S&P and a long-term obligation rating of Baa2 or better by Moody’s made in connection with a Cash Pool Arrangement; (d) money market mutual funds having assets in excess of $1,000,000,000; (e) commercial paper rated not less than P-1 or A-1 or their equivalent by Moody’s or S&P, respectively; (f) tax exempt securities of an issuer organized in the United States of America rated A or better by Moody’s or S&P; (g) repurchase agreements entered into with any bank, trust company orfinancial institution organized under the Laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or under the Laws of Puerto Rico, having capital and surplus in an aggregate amount not less than $1,000,000,000 and relating to any of the obligations referred to in clause (a) above; (h) short-term investments by any Foreign Subsidiary made in the ordinary course of its business and in accordance with the Borrower’s guidelines and procedures,provided that the aggregate amount of such investments by the Foreign Subsidiaries shall not exceed $50,000,000, at any one time outstanding; (i) investments in corporate bonds or notes having maturities of not more than five years from the date of acquisition thereof and having a rating of at least A- or better by S&P and A3 or better by Moody’s or (j) cash.
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“Environmental Laws” means any and all Federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.
“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries 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, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).
“ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) the withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which such entity was a “substantial employer” as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Pension Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA; (e) the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Pension Plan; (f) any event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan; (g) the determination that any Pension Plan is considered an at-risk plan or a plan in endangered or critical status within the meaning of Sections 430, 431 and 432 of the Code or Sections 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA; or (h) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.
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“Euro” and “€” mean the single currency of the Participating Member States.
“Eurocurrency Rate” means:
(a)for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the greater of (i) 0% and (ii) (A) the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate or the successor thereto if the British Bankers Association is no longer making a LIBOR rate available (“LIBOR”), as published by Reuters (or such other commercially available source providing quotations of LIBOR as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for deposits in the relevant currency (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period or, (B) if such rate is not available at such time for any reason, the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in the relevant currency for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in Same Day Funds in the approximate amount of the Eurocurrency Rate Loan being made, continued or converted and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch (or other Bank of America branch or Affiliate) to major banks in the London or other offshore interbank market for such currency at their request at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period; and
(b)for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to (i) LIBOR, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time determined two London Banking Days prior to such date for Dollar deposits being delivered in the London interbank market for a term of one month commencing that day or (ii) if such published rate is not available at such time for any reason, the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the date of determination in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Base Rate Loan being made or maintained and with a term equal to one month would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch to major banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market at their request at the date and time of determination.
“Eurocurrency Rate Loan” means a Committed Loan that bears interest at a rate based onclause (a) of the definition of “Eurocurrency Rate”. Eurocurrency Rate Loans may be denominated in Dollars or in an Alternative Currency. All Committed Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency must be Eurocurrency Rate Loans.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified inSection 8.01.
“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to any Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its Lending Office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower underSection 10.13) or (ii) such Lender changes its Lending Office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant toSection 3.01(a)(ii) orSection 3.01(c), amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its Lending Office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure or inability to comply withSection 3.01(e) (other than as a result of a Change in Law) and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed pursuant to FATCA.
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“Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of July 13, 2010, among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
“Existing Letters of Credit” means those letters of credit issued by an L/C Issuer prior to the Closing Date for the account of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and identified onSchedule 2.03.
“FASB ASC” means the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code.
“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day;provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.
“Fee Letters” means, collectively, (a) the letter agreement, dated March 4, 2013, among the Borrower, Bank of America, MLPFS and J.P. Morgan Securities, (b) the letter agreement, dated March 4, 2013, among the Borrower, Bank of America and MLPFS and (c) the letter agreement, dated March 4, 2013, among the Borrower, JPMorgan and J.P. Morgan Securities.
“Foreign Lender” means, with respect to the Borrower, (a) if the Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if the Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the Laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, a State thereof or the District of Columbia.
“FRB” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.
“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, (a) with respect to each L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all outstanding L/C Obligations owing to such L/C Issuer other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) with respect to the Swing Line Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of Swing Line Loans other than Swing Line Loans as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders in accordance with the terms hereof.
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“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural Person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and accounting standard updates and codification, including those set forth in FASB ASC Topic 105, or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.
“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supranational bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).
“Guarantee” means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.
“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.
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“Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:
(a)all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;
(b)all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;
(c)net obligations of such Person under any Swap Contract;
(d)all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business and, in each case, not past due for more than 60 days after the date on which such trade account payable was created);
(e)indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse;
(f)Capital Lease Obligations and Synthetic Lease Obligations;
(g)any obligation of such Person (whether at the request of the holder or otherwise) to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise acquire, in each case prior to the date that is 91 days after the Maturity Date, any Equity Interest in such Person, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preferenceplus accrued and unpaid dividends; and
(h)all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.
For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease or Synthetic Lease Obligation as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.
“Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described inclause (a), Other Taxes.
“Indemnitees” has the meaning specified inSection 10.04(b).
“Information” has the meaning specified inSection 10.07.
“Interest Payment Date” means, (a) as to any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date;provided,however, that if any Interest Period for a Eurocurrency Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date.
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“Interest Period” means as to each Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such Eurocurrency Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter, as selected by the Borrower in its Committed Loan Notice, or such other period that is twelve months or less requested by the Borrower and consented to by all the Lenders; provided that:
(i)any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan, such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;
(ii)any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and
(iii)no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.
“Investment” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other acquisition of capital stock or other securities of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or interest in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture interest in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which the investor Guarantees Indebtedness of such other Person, or (c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of another Person that constitute a business unit. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such Investment, but reduced by all returns of principal or capital received on or prior to the date of determination (including all cash dividends, cash distributions and cash repayments in the nature of a return of principal or capital).
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“ISP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the “International Standby Practices 1998” published by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, Inc. (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).
“Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the applicable L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the applicable L/C Issuer and relating to such Letter of Credit.
“JPMorgan” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and its successors.
“J.P. Morgan Securities” means J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and its successors.
“Laws” means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.
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“L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable Percentage. All L/C Advances shall be denominated in Dollars.
“L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Committed Borrowing. All L/C Borrowings shall be denominated in Dollars.
“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.
“L/C Issuer” means (i) Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, (ii) JPMorgan, in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and (iii) any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Creditplus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance withSection 1.09. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.
“Lender” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and, unless the context requires otherwise, includes the Swing Line Lender.
“Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
“Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder providing for the payment of cash upon the honoring of a presentation thereunder and shall include the Existing Letters of Credit. Letters of Credit may be issued in Dollars or in an Alternative Currency.
“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the applicable L/C Issuer.
“Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is seven days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).
“Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified inSection 2.03(h).
“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to$100,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.
“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
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“Limited Recourse Carve-Outs” means customary carve-outs to non-recourse Indebtedness for personal recourse of the Borrower and Subsidiaries (other than the applicable Securitization Finance Subsidiary as to which such Indebtedness may be full recourse) for fraud, misrepresentation, misapplication of cash, waste, environmental claims and liabilities and other circumstances customarily excluded by lenders from exculpation provisions and/or included in separate indemnification agreements in non-recourse financings, including related representations, warranties and covenants, all as determined by the Borrower in good faith.
“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to a Borrower underArticle II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, any agreement creating or perfecting rights in Cash Collateral pursuant to the provisions ofSection 2.14 and the Fee Letters.
“London Banking Day” means any day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market.
“Mandatory Cost” means, with respect to any period, the percentage rate per annum determined in accordance withSchedule 1.01.
“Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect on, the results of operations, business, properties, liabilities or financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or any Lender under any Loan Document; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against the Borrower of any Loan Document to which it is a party.
“Maturity Date” means April 11, 2018;provided,however, that if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.
“Minimum Collateral Amount” means, at any time, (i) with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of cash or deposit account balances provided to reduce or eliminate Fronting Exposure during the existence of a Defaulting Lender, an amount equal to 102% of the Fronting Exposure of the applicable L/C Issuer with respect to Letters of Credit issued and outstanding at such time, (ii) with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of cash or deposit account balances provided in accordance with the provisions ofSection 2.14(a)(i),(a)(ii) or(a)(iii), an amount equal to 102% of the Outstanding Amount of all LC Obligations, and (iii) otherwise, an amount determined by the Administrative Agent and the applicable L/C Issuer in their sole discretion.
“MLPFS” means Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and its successors.
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.
“Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.
“Multiple Employer Plan” means a Plan which has two or more contributing sponsors (including the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate) at least two of whom are not under common control, as such a plan is described in Section 4064 of ERISA.
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“New Notes” means the $375 million of the Borrower’s 5.00% Senior Notes due 2020 issued by the Borrower pursuant to the New Notes Indenture.
“New Notes Indenture” means the Indenture dated as of June 15, 2010, by and among the Borrower and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, together with the Borrower Order dated as of June 18, 2010, issued in connection with the New Notes and executed by the chief financial officer of the Borrower.
“New Notes Trustee” means, at any time, the trustee under the New Notes Indenture at such time.
“Non-Consenting Lender” means any Lender that does not approve any consent, waiver or amendment that (i) requires the approval of all Lenders or all affected Lenders in accordance with the terms ofSection 10.01 and (ii) has been approved by the Required Lenders.
“Non-Defaulting Lender” means, at any time, each Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.
“Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender to the Borrower, substantially in the form ofExhibit C.
“Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrower arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, 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 the Borrower 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.
“OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.
“Organization Documents” means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement; and (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or organization of such entity.
“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).
“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant toSection 3.06).
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“Outstanding Amount” means (i) with respect to Committed Loans on any date, the Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Committed Loans occurring on such date; (ii) with respect to Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Swing Line Loans occurring on such date; and (iii) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate outstanding amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.
“Overnight Rate” means, for any day, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, the greater of (i) the Federal Funds Rate and (ii) an overnight rate determined by the Administrative Agent, an L/C Issuer, or the Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in an Alternative Currency, the rate of interest per annum at which overnight deposits in the applicable Alternative Currency, in an amount approximately equal to the amount with respect to which such rate is being determined, would be offered for such day by a branch or Affiliate of Bank of America in the applicable offshore interbank market for such currency to major banks in such interbank market.
“Participant” has the meaning specified inSection 10.06(d).
“Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Union that has the Euro as its lawful currency in accordance with legislation of the European Union relating to Economic and Monetary Union.
“Participant Register” has the meaning specified inSection 10.06(d).
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
“Pension Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (including a Multiple Employer Plan or a Multiemployer Plan) that is maintained or is contributed to by the Borrower and any ERISA Affiliate and is either covered by Title IV of ERISA or is subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code.
“Permitted Acquisition” means an acquisition (whether pursuant to an acquisition of Equity Interests, assets or otherwise) by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from any Person or Persons of a business that is substantially similar, or substantially related or incidental to, any line of business conducted by the Borrower and/or its Subsidiaries on the date hereof, in each case so long as the following conditions are satisfied: (a) the acquisition shall have been approved by the board of directors or other appropriate governing body of the Person whose business is to be acquired; (b) immediately before and after giving effect to such acquisition, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom; (c) if the acquisition is of Equity Interests of a Person, such Person becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower; and (d) the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certification that the Consolidated Leverage Ratio (with Consolidated EBITDA calculated on a Pro Forma Basis to give effect to the consummation of such acquisition and any related Disposition, and calculated to givepro forma effect to any incurrence and/or repayment of Indebtedness in connection therewith) shall not exceed the level required bySection 7.10, which such certification shall, if the total consideration exceeds $100,000,000, be accompanied by a certificate showing the computation thereof, for the period of four full fiscal quarters immediately preceding such acquisition for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to the terms hereof (prepared in good faith and in a manner and using a methodology which is consistent with the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant toSection 6.01 or, prior to the delivery of any such financial statements, the financial statements referred to inSection 5.05).
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“Permitted Liens” has the meaning specified inSection 7.01.
“Permitted Securitization Financing” shall mean Indebtedness incurred by a Securitization Finance Subsidiary in connection with the securitization of receivables assigned to it by its direct parent;provided that (a) the Indebtedness in respect of any such financing shall not be directly or indirectly Guaranteed by, or directly or indirectly collateralized by (or otherwise have recourse to (other than with respect to Limited Recourse Carve-Outs)) any of the assets of, the Borrower or any Subsidiary other than such Securitization Finance Subsidiary and any Subsidiary of such Securitization Finance Subsidiary, and (b) neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary other than such Securitization Finance Subsidiary and any Subsidiary of such Securitization Finance Subsidiary shall provide any other direct or indirect credit support of any kind in respect of such Indebtedness.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Plan” means any employee benefit plan within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA (including a Pension Plan), maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or any such Plan to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute on behalf of any of its employees.
“Platform” has the meaning specified inSection 6.02.
“Priority Indebtedness” means the sum, without duplication, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, of (a) all Indebtedness secured by any consensual Lien on any assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (b) all Indebtedness referred to inclause (f) of the definition of “Indebtedness”, (c) all Indebtedness of the Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness owed to the Borrower or another Subsidiary) and (d) all Sale-Leaseback Transactions;provided, that Priority Indebtedness shall not include (i) Cash Pool Obligations under any Cash Pool Arrangement to the extent, and for so long as, such obligations do not exceed the Cash Pool Availability under such Cash Pool Arrangement, (ii) any Indebtedness under arrangements for factoring of foreign receivables to the extent the aggregate uncollected amount of the receivables transferred pursuant to such arrangements does not exceed $50,000,000, (iii) contingent obligations under undrawn letters of credit, bank guarantees, surety bonds and similar instruments supporting trade payables, workers’ compensation and similar obligations and other non-financial obligations, and (iv) Permitted Securitization Financings.
“Pro Forma Basis” means, with respect to the determination of Consolidated EBITDA for purposes of compliance with the Consolidated Leverage Ratio hereunder for any purpose, compliance therewith after giving effect to any acquisition or any Disposition of a Subsidiary or operating entity, in each case for which historical financial statements for the relevant period are available “(including pro forma adjustments arising out of events which are directly attributable to such acquisition or Disposition, are factually supportable and expected to have a continuing impact, including cost savings resulted from headcount reductions, facility closings or similar restructurings, in each case to the extent such adjustments or savings (a) would be permitted to be reflected in pro forma financial information complying with the requirements of GAAP and Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as interpreted by the SEC, and as certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or (b) have been realized or for which the steps necessary for realization have been taken and as certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower) using, for purposes of determining such compliance, the historical financial statements of all entities or assets so acquired or Disposed and the consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, which shall be reformulated as if such acquisition or Disposition, and all other acquisitions or Dispositions that have been consummated during the period had been consummated at the beginning of such period.
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“Public Lender” has the meaning specified inSection 6.02.
“Recipient” means the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder.
“Refinancing Notes” means any bonds, notes or other debt instruments of the Borrower issued and sold for the purpose of refinancing the New Notes.
“Register” has the meaning specified inSection 10.06(c).
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, administrators, managers, advisors and representatives of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.
“Reportable Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30 day notice period has been waived.
“Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.
“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Total Credit Exposures representing more than 50% of the Total Credit Exposures of all Lenders. The Total Credit Exposure of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in determining Required Lenders at any time; provided that, the amount of any participation in any Swing Line Loan and Unreimbursed Amounts that such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund that have not been reallocated to and funded by another Lender shall be deemed to be held by the Lender that is the Swing Line Lender or the applicable L/C Issuer, as the case may be, in making such determination.
“Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of the Borrower and solely for purposes of the delivery of incumbency certificates pursuant toSection 4.01, the secretary or any assistant secretary of the Borrower. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of the Borrower and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of the Borrower.
“Restricted Payment” has the meaning set forth inSection 7.06.
“Revaluation Date” means (a) with respect to any Loan, each of the following: (i) each date of a Borrowing of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency, (ii) each date of a continuation of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency pursuant toSection 2.02, and (iii) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent shall determine or the Required Lenders shall require; and (b) with respect to any Letter of Credit, each of the following: (i) each date of issuance of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, (ii) each date of an amendment of any such Letter of Credit having the effect of increasing the amount thereof, (iii) each date of any payment by the applicable L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, (iv) in the case of all Existing Letters of Credit denominated in Alternative Currencies, the Closing Date, and (v)such additional dates as the Administrative Agent or the applicable L/C Issuer shall determine or the Required Lenders shall require.
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“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the aggregate Outstanding Amount at such time of its Committed Loans and the aggregate Outstanding Amount of such Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans at such time.
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and any successor thereto.
“Sale-Leaseback Transaction” means any arrangement whereby the Borrower or a Subsidiary shall sell or transfer any property, real or personal, used or useful in its business, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and, as part of such arrangement, rent or lease such property or other property that it intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property sold or transferred. The amount of any Sale-Leaseback Transaction as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.
“Same Day Funds” means (a) with respect to disbursements and payments in Dollars, immediately available funds, and (b) with respect to disbursements and payments in an Alternative Currency, same day or other funds as may be determined by the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to be customary in the place of disbursement or payment for the settlement of international banking transactions in the relevant Alternative Currency.
“Sanction(s)” means any international economic sanction administered or enforced by the United States Government (including without limitation, OFAC), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“Securitization Finance Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary that is created or acquired after the Closing Date and that is a borrower with respect to a Permitted Securitization Financing.
“Special Notice Currency” means at any time an Alternative Currency, other than the currency of a country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at such time located in North America or Europe.
“Spot Rate” for a currency means the rate determined by the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer, as applicable, to be the rate quoted by the Person acting in such capacity as the spot rate for the purchase by such Person of such currency with another currency through its principal foreign exchange trading office at approximately 11:00 a.m. on the date two Business Days prior to the date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made;providedthat the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer may obtain such spot rate from another financial institution designated by the Administrative Agent or such L/C Issuer if the Person acting in such capacity does not have as of the date of determination a spot buying rate for any such currency; andprovidedfurther that such L/C Issuer may use such spot rate quoted on the date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made in the case of any Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency.
“Sterling” and “£” mean the lawful currency of the United Kingdom.
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“Subsidiary” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other governing body (other than securities or interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
“Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement,provided,however, “Swap Contract” shall not include an Accelerated Stock Repurchase or similar transaction.
“Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).
“Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant toSection 2.04.
“Swing Line Lender” means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.
“Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified inSection 2.04(a).
“Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant toSection 2.04(b), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form ofExhibit B.
“Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $50,000,000and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.
“Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so-called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).
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“TARGET2” means the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer payment system which utilizes a single shared platform and which was launched on November 19, 2007.
“TARGET Day” means any day on which TARGET2 (or, if such payment system ceases to be operative, such other payment system, if any, determined by the Administrative Agent to be a suitable replacement) is open for the settlement of payments in Euro.
“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Threshold Amount” means$50,000,000.
“Total Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the unused Commitments and Revolving Credit Exposure of such Lender at such time.
“Total Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans and all L/C Obligations.
“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of the Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“Type” means, with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurocurrency Rate Loan.
“UCP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) Publication No. 600 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).
“United States” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.
“Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning specified inSection 2.03(c)(i).
“U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States Person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“US Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the Laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia.
“U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning specified inSection 3.01(e)(ii)(B)(III).
“Yen” and “¥” mean the lawful currency of Japan.
1.02Other Interpretive Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:
(a)The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. 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, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Organization Document) 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 or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “hereto,” “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) 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.
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(b)In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”
(c)Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
1.03Accounting Terms. (a)Generally. All references to GAAP in this Agreement shall be deemed to be subject to the provisions of thisSection 1.03. All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements,except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining compliance with any covenant (including the computation of any financial covenant) contained herein, Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be carried at 100% of the outstanding principal amount thereof, and the effects of FASB ASC 825 and FASB ASC 470-20 on financial liabilities shall be disregarded.
(b)Changes in GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (A) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (B) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.
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1.04Rounding. Any financial ratios required to be maintained by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).
1.05Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents. (a) The Administrative Agent or the applicable L/C Issuer, as applicable, shall determine the Spot Rates as of each Revaluation Date to be used for calculating Dollar Equivalent amounts of Credit Extensions and Outstanding Amounts denominated in Alternative Currencies. Such Spot Rates shall become effective as of such Revaluation Date and shall be the Spot Rates employed in converting any amounts between the applicable currencies until the next Revaluation Date to occur. Except for purposes of financial statements delivered by the Borrower hereunder or calculating financial covenants hereunder or except as otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any currency (other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer, as applicable.
(b)Wherever in this Agreement in connection with a Committed Borrowing, conversion, continuation or prepayment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan or the issuance, amendment or extension of a Letter of Credit, an amount, such as a required minimum or multiple amount, is expressed in Dollars, but such Committed Borrowing, Eurocurrency Rate Loan or Letter of Credit is denominated in an Alternative Currency, such amount shall be the relevant Alternative Currency Equivalent of such Dollar amount (rounded to the nearest unit of such Alternative Currency, with 0.5 of a unit being rounded upward), as determined by the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer, as the case may be.
1.06Additional Alternative Currencies.(a) The Borrower may from time to time request that Eurocurrency Rate Loans be made and/or Letters of Credit be issued in a currency other than those specifically listed in the definition of “Alternative Currency;”provided that such requested currency is a lawful currency (other than Dollars) that is readily available and freely transferable and convertible into Dollars. In the case of any such request with respect to the making of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, such request shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders; and in the case of any such request with respect to the issuance of Letters of Credit, such request shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent and each L/C Issuer.
(b)Any such request shall be made to the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., 20 Business Days prior to the date of the desired Credit Extension (or such other time or date as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent and, in the case of any such request pertaining to Letters of Credit, the applicable L/C Issuer, in its or their sole discretion). In the case of any such request pertaining to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender thereof; and in the case of any such request pertaining to Letters of Credit, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the applicable L/C Issuer thereof. Each Lender (in the case of any such request pertaining to Eurocurrency Rate Loans) or the applicable L/C Issuer (in the case of a request pertaining to Letters of Credit) shall notify the Administrative Agent, not later than 11:00 a.m., ten Business Days after receipt of such request whether it consents, in its sole discretion, to the making of Eurocurrency Rate Loans or the issuance of Letters of Credit, as the case may be, in such requested currency.
(c)Any failure by a Lender or an L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to respond to such request within the time period specified in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be a refusal by such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to permit Eurocurrency Rate Loans to be made or Letters of Credit to be issued in such requested currency. If the Administrative Agent and all the Lenders consent to making Eurocurrency Rate Loans in such requested currency, the Administrative Agent shall so notify the Borrower and such currency shall thereupon be deemed for all purposes to be an Alternative Currency hereunder for purposes of any Committed Borrowings of Eurocurrency Rate Loans; and if the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuers consent to the issuance of Letters of Credit in such requested currency, the Administrative Agent shall so notify the Borrower and such currency shall thereupon be deemed for all purposes to be an Alternative Currency hereunder for purposes of any Letter of Credit issuances. If the Administrative Agent shall fail to obtain consent to any request for an additional currency under thisSection 1.06, the Administrative Agent shall promptly so notify the Borrower.
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1.07Change of Currency.(a) Each obligation of the Borrower to make a payment denominated in the national currency unit of any member state of the European Union that adopts the Euro as its lawful currency after the date hereof shall be redenominated into Euro at the time of such adoption. If, in relation to the currency of any such member state, the basis of accrual of interest expressed in this Agreement in respect of that currency shall be inconsistent with any convention or practice in the London interbank market for the basis of accrual of interest in respect of the Euro, such expressed basis shall be replaced by such convention or practice with effect from the date on which such member state adopts the Euro as its lawful currency;provided that if any Committed Borrowing in the currency of such member state is outstanding immediately prior to such date, such replacement shall take effect, with respect to such Committed Borrowing, at the end of the then current Interest Period.
(b)Each provision of this Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time specify to be appropriate to reflect the adoption of the Euro by any member state of the European Union and any relevant market conventions or practices relating to the Euro.
(c)Each provision of this Agreement also shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time specify to be appropriate to reflect a change in currency of any other country and any relevant market conventions or practices relating to the change in currency.
1.08Times of Day. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
1.09Letter of Credit Amounts.Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time;provided,however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.
ARTICLE II.
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS
2.01Committed Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Committed Loan”) to the Borrower in Dollars or in one or more Alternative Currencies from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Commitment;provided,however, that after giving effect to any Committed Borrowing, (i) the Total Outstandings shallnot exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (ii) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and (iii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Committed Loans and Letters of Credit denominated in Alternative Currencies shall not exceed the Alternative Currency Sublimit. Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under thisSection 2.01, prepay underSection 2.05, and reborrow under thisSection 2.01. Committed Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurocurrency Rate Loans, as further provided herein.
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2.02Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.
(a)Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars or of any conversion of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars to Base Rate Committed Loans, (ii) four Business Days (or five Business Days in the case of a Special Notice Currency)prior to the requested date of any Borrowing or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies, and (iii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans;provided,however, that if the Borrower wishes to request Eurocurrency Rate Loans having an Interest Period other than one, two, three or six months in duration as provided in the definition of “Interest Period,” the applicable notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) four Business Days prior to the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars, or (ii) five Business Days (or six Business days in the case of a Special Notice Currency) prior to the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies, whereupon the Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice to the Lenders of such request and determine whether the requested Interest Period is acceptable to all of them. Not later than 11:00 a.m., (i) three Business Days before the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars, or (ii) four Business Days (or five Business days in the case of a Special Notice Currency) prior to the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower (which notice may be by telephone) whether or not the requested Interest Period has been consented to by all the Lenders. Each telephonic notice by the Borrower pursuant to thisSection 2.02(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or the Alternative Currency Equivalent thereof). Except as provided inSections 2.03(c) and2.04(c), each Committed Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Committed Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted, (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto, and (vi) the currency of the Committed Loans to be borrowed. If the Borrower fails to specify a currency in a Committed Loan Noticerequesting a Borrowing, then the Committed Loans so requested shall be made in Dollars. If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Committed Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans;provided,however, that in the case of a failure to timely request a continuation of Committed Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, such Loans shall be continued as Eurocurrency Rate Loans in their original currency with an Interest Period of one month. Any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurocurrency Rate Loans. If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month. No Committed Loan may be converted into or continued as a Committed Loan denominated in a different currency, but instead must be prepaid in the original currency of such Committed Loan and reborrowed in the other currency.
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(b)Following receipt of a Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount (and currency) of its Applicable Percentage of the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans or continuation of Committed Loans denominated in a currency other than Dollars, in each case as described in the preceding subsection. In the case of a Committed Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to the Administrative Agent in Same Day Funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office for the applicable currency not later than 1:00 p.m., in the case of any Committed Loan denominated in Dollars, and not later than the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent in the case of any Committed Loan in an Alternative Currency, in each case on the Business Day specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth inSection 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension,Section 4.01), the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Borrower;provided,however, that if, on the date the Committed Loan Notice with respect to such Borrowing denominated in Dollars is given by the Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such Borrowing,first, shall be applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and,second, shall be made available to the Borrower as provided above.
(c)Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurocurrency Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurocurrency Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurocurrency Rate Loans (whether in Dollars or any Alternative Currency) without the consent of the Required Lenders, and the Required Lenders may demand that any or all of the then outstanding Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency be prepaid, or redenominated into Dollars in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent thereof, on the last day of the then current Interest Period with respect thereto.
(d)The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurocurrency Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any change in Bank ofAmerica’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.
(e)After giving effect to all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten Interest Periods in effect with respect to Committed Loans.
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2.03Letters of Credit.
(a)The Letter of Credit Commitment.
(i)Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (A) each L/C Issuer agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the Lenders set forth in thisSection 2.03, (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars or in one or more Alternative Currencies for the account of the Borrower, and to amend or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance withsubsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Borrower and any drawings thereunder;provided that after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit, (x) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (y) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and (z) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit. Each request by the Borrower for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by the Borrower that the L/C Credit Extension so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the proviso to the preceding sentence. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly the Borrower may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and reimbursed. All Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed to have been issued pursuant hereto, and from and after the Closing Date shall be subject to and governed by the terms and conditions hereof.
(ii)No L/C Issuer shall issue any Letter of Credit, if:
(A)subject toSection 2.03(b)(iii), the expiry date of the requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of issuance or last extension, unless the Required Lenders have approved such expiry date; or
(B)the expiry date of the requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all the Lenders have approved such expiry date.
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(iii)No L/C Issuer shall be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:
(A)any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain such L/C Issuer from issuing the Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to such L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of Law) from anyGovernmental Authority with jurisdiction over such L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that such L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or the Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon such L/C Issuer with respect to the Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which such L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon such L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which such L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;
(B)the issuance of the Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of such L/C Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;
(C)except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer, the Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount less than $500,000;
(D)except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer, the Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars or an Alternative Currency;
(E)such L/C Issuer does not as of the issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit issue Letters of Credit in the requested currency; or
(F)any Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless such L/C Issuer has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to such L/C Issuer (in its sole discretion) with the Borrower or such Lender to eliminate such L/C Issuer’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect toSection 2.15(a)(iv)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either the Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Obligations as to which such L/C Issuer has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion.
(iv) No L/C Issuer shall amend any Letter of Credit if such L/C Issuer would not be permitted at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof.
(v)No L/C Issuer shall be under any obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) such L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to the Letter of Credit.
(vi)Each L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and each L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Administrative Agent inArticle IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by such L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used inArticle IX included such L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to such L/C Issuer.
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(b)Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters of Credit.
(i)Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to one of the L/C Issuers (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application may be sent by facsimile, by United States mail, by overnight courier, by electronic transmission using the system provided by the applicable L/C Issuer, by personal delivery or by any other means acceptable to the applicable L/C Issuer. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by such L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to such L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount and currency thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as such L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the applicable L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as such L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the applicable L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as such L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.
(ii)Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, such L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the applicable L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Lender, the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained inArticle IV shall not then be satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, such L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with such L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the applicable L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentagetimes the amount of such Letter of Credit.
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(iii)If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letterof Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”);provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit such L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the applicable L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to such L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the applicable L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date;provided,however, that such L/C Issuer shall not permit any such extension if (A) such L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions ofclause (ii) or(iii) ofSection 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified inSection 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing such L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.
(iv)Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the applicable L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.
(c)Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.
(i)Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the applicable L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. In the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, the Borrower shall reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer in such Alternative Currency, unless (A) such L/C Issuer (at its option) shall have specified in such notice that it will require reimbursement in Dollars, or (B) in the absence of any such requirement for reimbursement in Dollars, the Borrower shall have notified such L/C Issuer promptly following receipt of the notice of drawing that the Borrower will reimburse such L/C Issuer in Dollars. In the case of any such reimbursement in Dollars of a drawing under a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, the applicable L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower of the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of the drawing promptly following the determination thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the applicable L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit to be reimbursed in Dollars, or the Applicable Time on the date of any payment by such L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit to be reimbursed in an Alternative Currency (each such date, an “Honor Date”), the Borrower shall reimburse such L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing and in the applicable currency. In the event that (A) a drawing denominated in an Alternative Currency is to be reimbursed in Dollars pursuant to the second sentence in thisSection 2.03(c)(i) and (B) the Dollar amount paid by the Borrower, whether on or after the Honor Date, shall not be adequate on the date of that payment to purchase in accordance withnormal banking procedures a sum denominated in the Alternative Currency equal to the drawing, the Borrower agrees, as a separate and independent obligation, to indemnify such L/C Issuer for the loss resulting from its inability on that date to purchase the Alternative Currency in the full amount of the drawing. If the Borrower fails to timely reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer on the Honor Date, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (expressed in Dollars in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent thereof in the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency) (the “Unreimbursed Amount”), and the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified inSection 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth inSection 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice). Any notice given by the applicable L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to thisSection 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing;provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.
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(ii)Each Lender shall upon any notice pursuant toSection 2.03(c)(i) make funds available (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral provided for this purpose) for the account of the applicable L/C Issuer, in Dollars, at the Administrative Agent’s Office for Dollar-denominated payments in an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions ofSection 2.03(c)(iii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the applicable L/C Issuer in Dollars.
(iii)With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the conditions set forth inSection 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other reason, the Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from the applicable L/C Issuer an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In such event, each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the applicable L/C Issuer pursuant toSection 2.03(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its participation obligation under thisSection 2.03.
(iv)Until each Lender funds its Committed Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to thisSection 2.03(c) to reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer for any amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be solely for the account of such L/C Issuer.
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(v) Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as contemplated by thisSection 2.03(c), shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against such L/C Issuer, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing;provided,however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to thisSection 2.03(c) is subject to the conditions set forth inSection 4.02 (other than delivery by the Borrower of a Committed Loan Notice). No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment made by such L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.
(vi)If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the applicable L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of thisSection 2.03(c) by the time specified inSection 2.03(c)(ii), then, without limiting the other provisions of this Agreement, such L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to such L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by such L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be. A certificate of the applicable L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under thisclause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d)Repayment of Participations.
(i)At any time after the applicable L/C Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect of such payment in accordance withSection 2.03(c), if the Administrative Agent receives for the account of such L/C Issuer any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether directly from the Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by the Administrative Agent), the Administrative Agent will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in Dollars and in the same funds as those received by the Administrative Agent.
(ii)If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of any L/C Issuer pursuant toSection 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described inSection 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by such L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
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(e)Obligations Absolute. The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the following:
(i)any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement, or any other Loan Document;
(ii)the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that the Borrower may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), such L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;
(iii)any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;
(iv)waiver by the applicable L/C Issuer of any requirement that exists for such L/C Issuer’s protection and not the protection of the Borrower or any waiver by such L/C Issuer which does not in fact materially prejudice the Borrower;
(v)honor of a demand for payment presented electronically even if such Letter of Credit requires that demand be in the form of a draft;
(vi)any payment made by the applicable L/C Issuer in respect of an otherwise complying item presented after the date specified as the expiration date of, or the date by which documents must be received under, such Letter of Credit if presentation after such date is authorized by the UCC, the ISP or the UCP, as applicable;
(vii)any payment by such L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by such L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law;
(viii)any adverse change in the relevant exchange rates or in the availability of the relevant Alternative Currency to the Borrower or in the relevant currency markets generally; or
(ix)any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, the Borrower.
The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with the Borrower’s instructions or other irregularity, the Borrower will immediately notify the applicable L/C Issuer.
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The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the applicable L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.
(f)Role of L/C Issuer. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the applicable L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of any L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of any L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document. The Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit;provided,however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of any L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of any L/C Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described inclauses (i) through(viii) ofSection 2.03(e);provided,however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against an L/C Issuer, and such L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves were caused by such L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or such L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit.In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, an L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and such L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason. Each L/C Issuer may send a Letter of Credit or conduct any communication to or from the beneficiary via the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (“SWIFT”) message or overnight courier, or any other commercially reasonable means of communicating with a beneficiary.
(g)Applicability of ISP and UCP; Limitation of Liability. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the applicable L/C Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any such agreement applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit), the rules of the ISP shall apply to each standby Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no L/C Issuer shall be responsible to the Borrower for, and no L/C Issuer’s rights and remedies against the Borrower shall be impaired by, any action or inaction of such L/C Issuer required or permitted under any Law, order, or practice that is required or permitted to be applied to any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, including the Law or any order of a jurisdiction where such L/C Issuer or the beneficiary is located, the practice stated in the ISP or UCP, as applicable, or in the decisions, opinions, practice statements, or official commentary of the ICC Banking Commission, the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade - International Financial Services Association (BAFT-IFSA), or the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, whether or not any Letter of Credit chooses such law or practice.
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(h)Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance, subject to adjustment as provided inSection 2.15, with its Applicable Percentage, in Dollars, a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”)for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Ratetimes the Dollar Equivalent of the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance withSection 1.09. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) due and payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand and (ii) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.
(i)Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall pay directly to the applicable L/C Issuer for its own account, in Dollars, a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum specified in the applicable Fee Letter, computed on the Dollar Equivalent of the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee shall be due and payable on the tenth Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December in respect of the most recently-ended quarterly period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance withSection 1.09. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the applicable L/C Issuer for its own account, in Dollars, the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of such L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.
(j)Conflict with Issuer Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.
(k)Reporting of Letter of Credit Information and L/C Issuer Sublimit. At any time that any Person other than the Person acting as Administrative Agent is an L/C Issuer, then (i) on the last Business Day of each calendar month, (ii) on each date that a Letter of Credit is amended, terminated or otherwise expires, (iii) on each date that an L/C Credit Extension occurs with respect to any Letter of Credit, and (iv) upon the request of the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer (or, in the case of parts (ii), (iii) or (iv), the applicable L/C Issuer) shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a report setting forth in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent information (including, without limitation, any reimbursement, Cash Collateral, or termination in respect of Letters of Credit issued by such L/C Issuer) with respect to each Letter of Credit issued by such L/C Issuer that is outstanding hereunder. In addition, each L/C Issuer shall provide notice to the Administrative Agent of its L/C Issuer Sublimit, or any change thereto, promptly upon it becoming a L/C Issuer or making any change to its L/C Issuer Sublimit. No failure on the part of any L/C Issuer to provide such information pursuant to thisSection 2.03(k) shall limit the obligation of the Borrower or any Lender hereunder with respect to its reimbursement and participation obligations, respectively, pursuant to thisSection 2.03.
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2.04Swing Line Loans.
(a)The Swing Line. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in thisSection 2.04, may in its sole discretion make loans in Dollars (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”) to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that (x) after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, (y) the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan, and (z) the Swing Line Lender shall not be under any obligation to make any Swing Line Loan if it shall determine (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that it has, or by such Credit Extension may have, Fronting Exposure. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under thisSection 2.04, prepay underSection 2.05, and reborrow under thisSection 2.04. Each Swing Line Loan shall be a Base Rate Loan. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.
(b)Borrowing Procedures. Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $100,000, and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the first proviso to the first sentence ofSection 2.04(a), or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified inArticle IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than 3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrower at its office by crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in Same Day Funds.
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(c)Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.
(i)The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole discretion may request, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate Committed Loan in an amountequal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements ofSection 2.02, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth inSection 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in Same Day Funds (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral available with respect to the applicable Swing Line Loan) for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office for Dollar-denominated payments not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon, subject toSection 2.04(c)(ii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.
(ii)If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Committed Borrowing in accordance withSection 2.04(c)(i), the request for Base Rate Committed Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant toSection 2.04(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.
(iii)If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of thisSection 2.04(c) by the time specified inSection 2.04(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Swing Line Lender in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or funded participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under thisclause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(iv)Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to thisSection 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing;provided,however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to thisSection 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth inSection 4.02. No such funding of riskparticipations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.
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(d)Repayment of Participations.
(i)At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.
(ii)If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described inSection 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate. The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
(e)Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender. The Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until each Lender funds its Base Rate Committed Loan or risk participation pursuant to thisSection 2.04 to refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.
(f)Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender. The Borrower shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.
2.05Prepayments. (a) The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Committed Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty;provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (A) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars, (B) four Business Days (or five, in the case of prepayment of Loans denominated in Special Notice Currencies) prior to any date of prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies, and (C) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or the Alternative Currency Equivalent thereof); and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Committed Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurocurrency Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the applicable Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant toSection 3.05. Subject toSection 2.15, each such prepaymentshall be applied to the Committed Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.
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(b)The Borrower may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty;provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.
(c)If the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower at any time that the Total Outstandings at such time exceed an amount equal to 105% of the Aggregate Commitments then in effect, then, within two Business Days after receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall prepay Loans and/or the Borrower shall Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount at least equal to such excess;provided,however, that, subject to the provisions ofSection 2.14(a), the Borrower shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to thisSection 2.05(c) unless after the prepayment in full of the Loans the Total Outstandings exceed the Aggregate Commitments then in effect. The Administrative Agent may, at any time and from time to time after the initial deposit of such Cash Collateral, request that additional Cash Collateral be provided in order to protect against the results of exchange rate fluctuations.
(d)If the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower at any time that the Outstanding Amount of all Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies at such time exceeds an amount equal to 105% of the Alternative Currency Sublimit then in effect, then, within two Business Days after receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall prepay Loans in an aggregate amount sufficient to reduce such Outstanding Amount as of such date of payment to an amount not to exceed 100% of the Alternative Currency Sublimit then in effect.
2.06Termination or Reduction of Commitments. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided that (a) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (b) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (c) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (d) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Alternative Currency Sublimit, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such Sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Commitments. The amount of any such Aggregate Commitment reduction shall not be applied to the Alternative Currency Sublimit, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit unless otherwise specified by the Borrower or unless required byproviso (d) of the preceding sentence. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.
2.07Repayment of Loans. (a) The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of Committed Loans made to the Borrower outstanding on such date.
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(b)The Borrower shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur of (i) the date ten Business Days after such Loan is made and (ii) the Maturity Date.
2.08Interest.(a)Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurocurrency Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurocurrency Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate plus (in the case of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan of any Lender which is lent from a Lending Office in the United Kingdom or a Participating Member State) the Mandatory Cost; (ii) each Base Rate Committed Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.
(b)(i) If any amount (including principal of any Loan, interest, fees or any other amount) payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, then such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(ii)Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.
(c)Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.
2.09Fees. In addition to certain fees described insubsections (h) and(i) ofSection 2.03:
(a)Commitment Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee in Dollars equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by which the Aggregate Commitments exceed the sum of (i) the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations, subject to adjustment as provided inSection 2.15. For the avoidance of doubt, the Outstanding Amount of Swing Line Loans shall not be counted towards or considered usage of the Aggregate Commitments for purposes of determining the commitment fee. The commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions inArticle IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period. The commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.
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(b)Other Fees. (i)The Borrower shall pay to the Arranger and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts, in Dollars, fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.
(ii)The Borrower shall pay to the Lenders, in Dollars, such fees as shall have been separately agreed upon in writing in the amounts and at the times so specified. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.
2.10Computation of Interest and Fees. All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate) shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year) , or, in the case of interest in respect of Committed Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies as to which market practice differs from the foregoing, in accordance with such market practice. Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid,provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject toSection 2.12(a), bear interest for one day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
2.11Evidence of Debt. (a) The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business. The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender to the Borrower made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans to the Borrower in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to a Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount, currency and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b)In addition to the accounts and records referred to insubsection (a)above, each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.
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2.12Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback. (a)General. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made free and clear of and without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein and except with respect to principal of and interest on Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in Same Day Funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder with respect to principal and interest on Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office insuch Alternative Currency and in Same Day Funds not later than the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent on the dates specified herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent may require that any payments due under this Agreement be made in the United States. If, for any reason, the Borrower is prohibited by any Law from making any required payment hereunder in an Alternative Currency, the Borrower shall make such payment in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the Alternative Currency payment amount. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent (i) after 2:00 p.m., in the case of payments in Dollars, or (ii) after the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent in the case of payments in an Alternative Currency, shall in each case be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.
(b)(i)Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing of Eurocurrency Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Committed Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance withSection 2.02 (or, in the case of a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required bySection 2.02) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in Same Day Funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the Overnight Rate, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.
(ii)Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the applicable L/C Issuer hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the applicable L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, inSame Day Funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the Overnight Rate.
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A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under thissubsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(c)Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender to the Borrower as provided in the foregoing provisions of thisArticle II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth inArticle IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.
(d)Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant toSection 10.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment underSection 10.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment underSection 10.04(c).
(e)Funding Source. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.
2.13Sharing of Payments by Lenders.If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Committed Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Committed Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than itsprorata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Committed Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Committed Loans and other amounts owing them,provided that:
(i)if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and
(ii)the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender), (y) the application of Cash Collateral provided for inSection 2.14, or (z) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for theassignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than an assignment to the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).
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The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable Law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.
2.14Cash Collateral.
(a)Certain Credit Support Events. If (i) an L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, (ii) as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains outstanding, (iii) the Borrower shall be required to provide Cash Collateral pursuant toSection 8.02(c), or (iv) there shall exist a Defaulting Lender, the Borrower shall immediately (in the case ofclause (iii) above) or within one Business Day (in all other cases) following any request by the Administrative Agent or the applicable L/C Issuer, provide Cash Collateral in an amount not less than the applicable Minimum Collateral Amount (determined in the case of Cash Collateral provided pursuant toclause (iv) above, after giving effect toSection 2.15(a)(iv) and any Cash Collateral provided by the Defaulting Lender). Additionally, if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower at any time that the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations at such time exceeds 105% of the Letter of Credit Sublimit then in effect, then, within two Business Days after receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall provide Cash Collateral for the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations in an amount not less than the amount by which the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations exceeds the Letter of Credit Sublimit.
(b)Grant of Security Interest. The Borrower, and to the extent provided by any Defaulting Lender, such Defaulting Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer and the Lenders, and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant toSection 2.14(c). If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent or each L/C Issuer as herein provided, or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the Minimum Collateral Amount, the Borrower will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency. All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America. The Borrower shall pay on demand therefor from time to time all customary account opening, activity and other administrative fees and charges in connection with the maintenance and disbursement of Cash Collateral.
(c)Application. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Cash Collateral provided under any of thisSection 2.14 orSections 2.03,2.05,2.15 or8.02 in respect of Letters of Credit shall be held and applied to the satisfaction of the specific L/C Obligations, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligationsfor which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may otherwise be provided for herein.
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(d)Release. Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) provided to reduce Fronting Exposure or to secure other obligations shall be released promptly following (i) the elimination of the applicable Fronting Exposure or other obligations giving rise thereto (including by the termination of Defaulting Lender status of the applicable Lender (or, as appropriate, its assignee following compliance withSection 10.06(b)(vi))) or (ii) the determination by the Administrative Agent and the applicable L/C Issuer that there exists excess Cash Collateral;provided,however, the Person providing Cash Collateral and the applicable L/C Issuer may agree that Cash Collateral shall not be released but instead held to support future anticipated Fronting Exposure or other obligations.
2.15Defaulting Lenders.
(a)Adjustments. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as that Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:
(i)Waivers and Amendments. Such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in the definition of “Required Lenders” andSection 10.01.
(ii)Defaulting Lender Waterfall. Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant toArticle VIII or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant toSection 10.08 shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuers or Swing Line Lender hereunder; third, to Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuers’ Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance withSection 2.14; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuers’ future Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance withSection 2.14; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the L/C Issuers or Swing Line Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction;provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowingsin respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made or the related Letters of Credit were issued at a time when the conditions set forth inSection 4.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Obligations owed to, all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Obligations owed to, such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans and funded and unfunded participations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments hereunder without giving effect toSection 2.15(a)(iv). Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to thisSection 2.15(a)(ii) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.
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(iii)Certain Fees.
(A)No Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive any fee payable underSection 2.09(a) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender (and the Borrower shall not be required to pay any such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender).
(B)Each Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive Letter of Credit Fees for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to the extent allocable to its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit for which it has provided Cash Collateral pursuant toSection 2.14.
(C)With respect to any Letter of Credit Fee not required to be paid to any Defaulting Lender pursuant toclause (A) or(B) above, the Borrower shall (x) pay to each Non-Defaulting Lender that portion of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations that has been reallocated to such Non-Defaulting Lender pursuant toclause (iv) below, (y) pay to the applicable L/C Issuer the amount of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender to the extent allocable to such L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure to such Defaulting Lender, and (z) not be required to pay the remaining amount of any such fee.
(iv)Reallocation of Applicable Percentages to Reduce Fronting Exposure. All or any part of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans shall be reallocated among the Non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages (calculated without regard to such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) but only to the extent that (x) the conditions set forth inSection 4.02 are satisfied at the time of such reallocation (and, unless the Borrower shall have otherwise notified the Administrative Agent at such time, the Borrower shall be deemed to have represented and warranted that such conditions are satisfied at such time), and (y) such reallocation does not cause the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure of any Non-Defaulting Lender to exceed such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Commitment. No reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender’s increased exposure following such reallocation.
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(v)Cash Collateral, Repayment of Swing Line Loans. If the reallocation described inclause (a)(iv) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall, without prejudice to any right or remedy available to it hereunder or under applicable Law, (x) first, prepay Swing Line Loans in an amount equal to the Swing Line Lenders’ Fronting Exposure and (y) second, Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuers’ Fronting Exposure in accordance with the procedures set forth inSection 2.14.
(b)Defaulting Lender Cure. If the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and each L/C Issuer agree in writing that a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein (which may include arrangements with respect to any Cash Collateral), that Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase at par that portion of outstanding Loans of the other Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Committed Loans and funded and unfunded participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans to be held on a pro rata basis by the Lenders in accordance with their Applicable Percentages (without giving effect toSection 2.15(a)(iv)), whereupon such Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender;provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; andprovided,further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.
ARTICLE III.
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
3.01Taxes.
(a)Payments Free of Taxes; Obligation to Withhold; Payments on Account of Taxes. (i) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable Laws. If any applicable Laws (as determined in the good faith discretion of the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, as applicable) require the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, then the Administrative Agent or the Borrower shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding, upon the basis of the information and documentation to be delivered pursuant tosubsection (e)below.
(ii)If the Borrower or the Administrative Agent shall be required by the Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes, including both United States Federal backup withholding and withholding taxes, from any payment, then (A) the Administrative Agent shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by the Administrative Agent to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant tosubsection (e) below, (B) the Administrative Agent shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with the Code, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under thisSection 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.
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(iii)If the Borrower or the Administrative Agent shall be required by any applicable Laws other than the Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes from any payment, then (A) the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as required by such Laws, shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by it to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant tosubsection (e)below, (B) the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, to the extent required by such Laws, shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with such Laws, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under thisSection 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.
(b)Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. Without limiting the provisions ofsubsection (a) above, the Borrower shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for the payment of, any Other Taxes.
(c)Tax Indemnifications. (i) The Borrower shall, and does hereby, indemnify each Recipient, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under thisSection 3.01) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient (other than any amounts arising as a result of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Recipient), and any reasonable out of pocket expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or an L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or an L/C Issuer, accompanied by reasonable supporting documentation shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall, and does hereby, indemnify the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, for any amount which a Lender or an L/C Issuer for any reason fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required pursuant toSection 3.01(c)(ii) below.
(ii)Each Lender and each L/C Issuer shall, and does hereby, severally indemnify, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, (x) the Administrative Agent against any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender or such L/C Issuer (but only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), (y) the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, as applicable, against any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions ofSection 10.06(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, as applicable, against any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such 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 any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifesterror. Each Lender and each L/C Issuer hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under thisclause (ii).
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(d)Evidence of Payments.Upon request by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, after any payment of Taxes by the Borrower or by the Administrative Agent to a Governmental Authority as provided in thisSection 3.01, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent or the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the Borrower, as the case may be, the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return required by Laws to report such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be.
(e)Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation. (i) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law or the taxing authorities of a jurisdiction pursuant to such applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation either (A) set forth inSection 3.01(e)(ii)(A),(ii)(B) and(ii)(D) below or (B) required by applicable law other than the Code or the taxing authorities of the jurisdiction pursuant to such applicable law to comply with the requirements for exemption or reduction of withholding tax in that jurisdiction) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.
(ii)Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that a Borrower is a U.S. Person,
(A)any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of IRS Form W-9 (or applicable successor form) certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;
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(B)any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:
(I)in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN (or applicable successor form) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN (or applicable successor form) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;
(II)executed originals of IRS Form W-8ECI (or applicable successor form);
(III)in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form ofExhibit F-1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN (or applicable successor form); or
(IV)to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed originals of IRS Form W-8IMY (or applicable successor form), accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI (or applicable successor form), IRS Form W-8BEN (or applicable successor form), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form ofExhibit F-2 orExhibit F-3, IRS Form W-9 (or applicable successor form), and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable;provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form ofExhibit F-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;
(C)any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and
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(D)if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA(including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of thisclause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
(iii)Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered pursuant to thisSection 3.01 expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.
(f)Treatment of Certain Refunds. Unless required by applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or an L/C Issuer, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender or any L/C Issuer, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be. If any Recipient determines, in its reasonable discretion,that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to thisSection 3.01, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under thisSection 3.01 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by such Recipient, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund),provided that the Borrower, upon the request of the Recipient, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Recipient in the event the Recipient is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this subsection, in no event will the applicable Recipient be required to pay any amount to the Borrower pursuant to this subsection the payment of which would place the Recipient in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Recipient would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This subsection shall not be construed to require any Recipient to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.
(g)Survival. Each party’s obligations under thisSection 3.01 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender or L/C Issuer, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.
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3.02Illegality. If any Law has made it unlawful, or any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate (whether denominated in Dollars or an Alternative Currency), or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurocurrency Rate, orany Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars or any Alternative Currency in the applicable interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurocurrency Rate Loans in the affected currency or currencies or, in the case of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in Dollars, to convert Base Rate Committed Loans to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, shall be suspended, and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable and such Loans are denominated in Dollars, convert all Eurocurrency Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurocurrency Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurocurrency Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurocurrency Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurocurrency Rate. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.
3.03Inability to Determine Rates. If in connection with any request for a Eurocurrency Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof, (a) the Administrative Agent determines that (i) deposits (whether in Dollars or an Alternative Currency) are not being offered to banks in the applicable offshore interbank market for such currency for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, or (ii) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurocurrency Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurocurrency Rate Loan (whether denominated in Dollars or an Alternative Currency) or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan, or (b) the Required Lenders determine that for any reason the Eurocurrency Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurocurrency Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender. Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurocurrency Rate Loans in the affected currency or currencies shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans or Interest Periods), and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurocurrency Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in the affected currency or currencies (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans or Interest Periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.
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3.04Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurocurrency Rate Loans.
(a)Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:
(i)impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except (A) any reserve requirement contemplated bySection 3.04(e) and (B) the requirements of the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority or the European Central Bank reflected in the Mandatory Cost, other than as set forth below) or any L/C Issuer;
(ii)subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described inclauses (b) through(d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto; or;
(iii)result in the failure of the Mandatory Cost, as calculated hereunder, to represent the cost to any Lender of complying with the requirements of the Bank of England and/or the Financial Services Authority or the European Central Bank in relation to its making, funding or maintaining Eurocurrency Rate Loans; or
(iv)impose on any Lender or any L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Eurocurrency Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or such L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or such L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b)Capital Requirements. If any Lender or any L/C Issuer determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or such L/C Issuer or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or such L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c)Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or an L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or such L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified insubsection (a) or(b) of this Section anddelivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
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(d)Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or any L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of thisSection 3.04 shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation,provided that no Borrower shall be required to compensate a Lender or an L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than one hundred and eighty days prior to the date that such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).
(e)Additional Reserve Requirements. The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, (i) as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurocurrency Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), and (ii) as long as such Lender shall be required to comply with any reserve ratio requirement or analogous requirement of any other central banking or financial regulatory authority imposed in respect of the maintenance of the Commitments or the funding of the Eurocurrency Rate Loans, such additional costs (expressed as a percentage per annum and rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest five decimal places) equal to the actual costs allocated to such Commitment or Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which in each case shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan,provided the Borrower shall have received at least 10 days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest or costs from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice 10 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest or costs shall be due and payable 10 days from receipt of such notice.
(f)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, no Lender or L/C Issuer shall demand compensation for any increased cost or reduction pursuant to thisSection 3.04 if it shall not at the time be the general policy or practice of such Lender or L/C Issuer to demand such compensation from the borrowers similarly situated in similar circumstances under comparable provisions of other credit agreements;provided,however, that nothing in this Section shall require any Lender or any L/C Issuer to disclose any confidential information related to similarly situated borrowers, comparable provisions of other credit agreements or otherwise, and any Lender’s or any L/C Issuer’s failure to provide such confidential information shall not preclude such Lender or L/C Issuer, as applicable, from asserting that such other borrower is similarly situated in similar circumstances to the Borrower and providing non-confidential information with respect thereto.
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3.05Compensation for Losses. Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:
(a)any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);
(b)any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower;
(c)any failure by the Borrower to make payment of any Loan or drawing under any Letter of Credit (or interest due thereon) denominated in an Alternative Currency on its scheduled due date or any payment thereof in a different currency; or
(d)any assignment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant toSection 10.13;
including any foreign exchange losses and any loss (excluding loss of anticipated profits) or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan, from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained or from the performance of any foreign exchange contract. The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.
For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders under thisSection 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurocurrency Rate Loan made by it at the Eurocurrency Ratefor such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the offshore interbank market for such currency for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurocurrency Rate Loan was in fact so funded.
3.06Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
(a)Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation underSection 3.04, or requires the Borrower to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender, any L/C Issuer, or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or any L/C Issuer pursuant toSection 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant toSection 3.02, then at the request of the Borrower such Lender or such L/C Issuer shall, as applicable, 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 or such L/C Issuer, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant toSection 3.01 or3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant toSection 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or any L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b)Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation underSection 3.04, or if the Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant toSection 3.01 and, in each case, such Lender has declined or is unable to designate a different lending office in accordance withSection 3.06(a), the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance withSection 10.13.
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3.07 Survival. All obligations of the Borrower under thisArticle III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, and resignation of the Administrative Agent.
ARTICLE IV.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
4.01Conditions of Initial Credit Extension. The obligation of each L/C Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:
(a)The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or telecopies (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, each dated the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders:
(i)executed counterparts of this Agreement, sufficient in number for distribution to the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Borrower;
(ii)Notes executed by the Borrower in favor of each Lender requesting Notes;
(iii)such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of the Borrower as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which the Borrower is a party;
(iv)such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that the Borrower is duly organized or formed and is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in New York;
(v)a favorable opinion of Roya Behina, General Counsel of the Borrower, and a favorable opinion of Shearman & Sterling LLP, counsel to the Borrower, each addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to the matters concerning the Borrower and the Loan Documents as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders may reasonably request;
(vi)a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower either (A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower and the validity against the Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or approvals are so required;
(vii)a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying (A) that the conditions specified inSections 4.02(a) and(b) have been satisfied, (B) that there has been no event or circumstance since the date of the Audited Financial Statements that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (C) the current Debt Ratings; and
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(viii) evidence that the Existing Credit Agreement has been or concurrently with the Closing Date is being terminated and all amounts owing thereunder have been or concurrently with the Closing Date are being repaid in full and all Liens, if any, securing obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement have been or, concurrently with the Closing Date, are being released.
(b)Any fees required to be paid on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid.
(c)The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the Audited Financial Statements and the most recently available quarterly financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
(d)Unless waived by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall have paid all fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent (directly to such counsel if requested by the Administrative Agent) to the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional amounts of such fees, charges and disbursements as shall constitute its reasonable estimate of such fees, charges and disbursements incurred or to be incurred by it through the closing proceedings (provided that such estimate shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent).
Without limiting the generality of the provisions of the last paragraph ofSection 9.03, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in thisSection 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.
4.02Conditions to all Credit Extensions. The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions precedent:
(a)The representations and warranties of (i) the Borrower contained inArticle V (excluding, however,Section 5.05(c) andSection 5.06 with respect to any Request for Credit Extension after the Closing Date) and contained in each other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to any representation or warranty qualified by reference to materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of thisSection 4.02, the representations and warranties contained insubsections (a) and(b) ofSection 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant tosubsections (a)and(b), respectively, ofSection 6.01.
(b)No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.
(c)The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the applicable L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.
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(d)In the case of a Credit Extension to be denominated in an Alternative Currency, there shall not have occurred any change in national or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls which in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, the Required Lenders (in the case of any Loans to be denominated in an Alternative Currency) or the applicable L/C Issuer (in the case of any Letter of Credit to be denominated in an Alternative Currency) would make it impracticable for such Credit Extension to be denominated in the relevant Alternative Currency.
Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans) submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified inSections 4.02(a) and(b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.
ARTICLE V.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:
5.01Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws. The Borrower and each Subsidiary (a) is duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents (if any) to which it is a party, (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license and (d) is in compliance with all Laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its properties; except in each case referred to inclause (b)(i),(c) or(d), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.02Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of each Loan Document have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of the Borrower’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, or require any payment to be made under (i) any material agreement, instrument or undertaking to which the Borrower is a party or affecting the Borrower or the properties of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which the Borrower or its property is subject; or (c) violate any Law, rule or regulation. The Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance with all agreements, instruments and undertakings referred to inclause (b)(i), except to the extent that failure to be in compliance could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.03Governmental Authorization; Other Consents. No registration with or consent or approval of, or other action by, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents by the Borrower or the borrowings and each other extension of credit hereunder, other than registrations, consents and approvals received prior to the date hereof and which are in full force and effect or such registrations, consents and approvals referred to inSection 5.01 hereof.
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5.04Binding Effect. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by the Borrower. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document when so executed and delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with its terms except to the extent that enforcement may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium, insolvency and similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles of general application, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
5.05Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.
(a)The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their consolidated results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.
(b)The unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at January 31, 2013, and the related unaudited consolidated statements of earnings and cash flows for the fiscal quarter ended on that date, (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein and (ii) fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby, subject, in the case ofclauses (i) and(ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit adjustments.
(c)Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower is Solvent.
5.06Litigation.
(a)There are no actions, suits or proceedings (whether or not purportedly on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary) pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary at law or in equity or before or by any Governmental Authority, which involve any of the Transactions or which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any judgment, writ, injunction, decree, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.07No Default. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a party to any agreement, indenture, loan or credit agreement or any lease or other agreement or instrument or subject to any charter or other corporate restriction or any judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree or regulation which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.08Ownership of Property; Liens. The Borrower and each Subsidiary has good title to its respective material properties and assets, and all such material properties and assets are free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.
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5.09Environmental Compliance. Except as disclosed in the financial statements described inSection 5.05 (including the notes thereto), the Borrower and each Subsidiary are in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws and neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has used Hazardous Materials on, from, or affecting any property now owned or occupied or hereafter owned or occupied by the Borrower or any such Subsidiary in any manner which violates any applicable Environmental Law, except to the extent any such noncompliance or violation could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the financial statements described inSection 5.05 (including the notes thereto), to the best actual knowledge of any Responsible Officer of the Borrower, no prior owner of any such property or any tenant, subtenant, prior tenant or prior subtenant have used Hazardous Materials on, from, or affecting such property in any manner which violates any applicable Environmental Law, except to the extent any such violation could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.10Insurance. The properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary operates.
5.11Taxes. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed (taking into account extensions) 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 the 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. There is no proposed tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.12ERISA Compliance. No material liability under ERISA or the Code (other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent), has been imposed, or could reasonably be expected to be imposed, upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate. No ERISA Event has occurred, or could reasonably be expected to occur, that, when taken together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate. No lien imposed under the Code or ERISA on the assets of the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates exists or to the knowledge of the Borrower is likely to arise on account of any Plan. The excess of the present value of all projected benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of preparing the audited financial statements set forth in the Borrower’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K), as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, over the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, if any, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.13Subsidiaries; Equity Interests. Attached hereto asSchedule 5.13 is a correct and complete list of each of the Subsidiaries (other than directors and officers of the Borrower) as of the date hereof showing its name and the jurisdiction of its incorporation.
5.14Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.
(a)Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is engaged or will engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the FRB), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. Following the application of the proceeds of each Borrowing and each issuance of a Letter of Credit, not more than 25% of the value of the assets (either of the Borrower only or of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) subject to any provision of this Agreement under which the sale, pledge or disposition of assets is restricted (within the meaning of Regulation U) will be margin stock.
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(b)The Borrower is not required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
5.15Disclosure. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished in writing by or on behalf the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document, taken as whole with any other information furnished or publicly available, contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading as of the date when made or delivered;provided that, with respect to any forecast, projection or other statement regarding future performance, future financial results or other future developments, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time such information was prepared (it being understood that any such information is subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Borrower’s control, and that no assurance can be given that the future developments addressed in such information can be realized).
5.16Permits and Licenses, Etc. The Borrower and each Subsidiary has all permits, licenses, certifications, authorizations and approvals required for it lawfully to own and operate its respective business except to the extent the failure to have any such permit, license, certification, authorization or approval could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.17Labor Disputes and Acts of God. Neither the business nor the properties of the Borrower or any Subsidiary are affected by any accident, loss, theft, destruction, strike, lockout or other labor dispute, embargo, condemnation, act of God or of the public enemy or other casualty (whether or not covered by insurance), which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.18Sanctions. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary, nor, to the Borrower’s knowledge, any Related Party, (i) is currently the subject of any Sanctions, (ii) is located, organized or residing in any Designated Jurisdiction, or (iii) is engaged in any transaction with any Person who is now the subject of Sanctions or who is located, organized or residing in any Designated Jurisdiction, except pursuant to a valid license by the appropriate Governmental Authority. No Loan, nor the proceeds from any Loan, has been used, except pursuant to a valid license by the appropriate Governmental Authority, directly or indirectly, to lend, contribute, provide or has otherwise made available to fund any activity or business in any Designated Jurisdiction or to fund any activity or business of any Person located, organized or residing in any Designated Jurisdiction or who is the subject of any Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in any violation by any Person (including any Lender, any Arranger, the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender) of Sanctions.
5.19Cash Pool Arrangements. The Cash Pool Availability under each Cash Pool Arrangement exceeds the Cash Pool Obligations outstanding thereunder, and no Cash Pool Bank has made extensions of third party financing pursuant to any Cash Pool Arrangement in excess of the Cash Pool Availability thereunder. Attached hereto asSchedule 5.19 is a correct and complete list of all Cash Pool Arrangements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof.
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ARTICLE VI.
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder (other than contingent indemnification obligations as to which no claim has been asserted) shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall, and shall (except in the case of the covenants set forth inSections 6.01,6.02, and6.03) cause each Subsidiary to:
6.01Financial Statements. Deliver to the Administrative Agent, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:
(a)as soon as available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower or at such earlier time as the SEC may require the Borrower to deliver its Form 10-K (commencing with the fiscal year ending July 31, 2013), a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of an independent certified public accountant of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders, which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such financial statement audit; and
(b)as soon as available, but in any event within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of the Borrower or at such earlier time as the SEC may require the Borrower to deliver its Form 10-Q (commencing with the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2013), (i) a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such quarter and (ii) consolidated statements of earnings of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such quarter and (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter, and a statement of cash flows for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial statements generally consistently applied throughout the periods covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, and certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial position of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries being reported on and their results of operations and cash flows, subject to the changes resulting from year-end adjustments.
As to any information contained in materials furnished pursuant toSection 6.02(c), the Borrower shall not be separately required to furnish such information underclause (a) or(b) above, but the foregoing shall not be in derogation of the obligation of the Borrower to furnish the information and materials described inclauses (a) and(b) above at the times specified therein.
6.02Certificates; Other Information. Deliver to the Administrative Agent, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:
(a)concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to inSection 6.01(a), a certificate of its independent certified public accountants certifying such financial statements and stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default or, if any such Default shall exist, stating the nature and status of such event;
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(b)concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to inSection 6.01(a) and (b), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower;
(c)promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of the Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which the Borrower may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto;
(d)promptly, and in any event within five Business Days after receipt thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each notice or other correspondence received from the SEC or the U.S. Department of Justice concerning any investigation or possible investigation or other inquiry by such agency regarding financial or other operational results of the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof; and
(e)promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.
Documents required to be delivered pursuant toSection 6.01(a) or(b) orparagraph (c) of this Section (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Borrower’s website on the Internet at www.pall.com; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent has access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent);provided that (A) the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender upon its request to the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (B) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (by facsimile transmission or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents. The Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery of or to maintain paper copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Borrower with any such request by a Lender for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.
The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or the Arrangers may make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuers materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on DebtDomain, IntraLinks, Syndtrak or another similar electronic system (the “Platform”) and (b) certain of the Lenders (each, a “Public Lender”) may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers, the L/C Issuers and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as either publicly available information or not containing any material non-public information (although it may be sensitive and proprietary) with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal and state securities laws (provided that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth inSection 10.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated “Public Side Information”; and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated “Public Side Information”.
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6.03Notices. Promptly notify the Administrative Agent:
(a)of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default;
(b)of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c)of the occurrence of any ERISA Event;
(d)of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary not mandated by GAAP; and
(e)of any announcement by Moody’s or S&P of any change in a Debt Rating.
Each notice pursuant to this Section (other than subsection (e)) shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant toparagraph (a) of this Section shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.
6.04Payment of Obligations.
(a) Pay all Indebtedness and obligations (in each case in an amount in excess of the Threshold Amount), now existing or hereafter arising, as and when due and payable except where (i) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, which proceedings shall include good faith negotiations, and (ii) the Borrower or any Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP, and (iii) the failure to make such payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and (b) pay and discharge or cause to be paid and discharged promptly all Taxes imposed upon it or upon its income and profits, or upon any of its property, real, personal or mixed, or upon any part thereof, as and when due and payable, as well as all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies or otherwise which, if unpaid, might become a lien or charge upon such properties or any part thereof or except where the failure to make such payment could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;provided,however, that neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall be required to pay and discharge or cause to be paid and discharged any such Tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim so long as the validity thereof shall be contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, shall have set aside on its books adequate reserves determined in accordance withGAAP with respect to any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim so contested;providedfurtherthat, subject to the foregoing proviso, the Borrower and each Subsidiary will pay or cause to be paid all such taxes, assessments, charges, levies or claims upon the commencement of proceedings to foreclose any lien which has attached as security therefor.
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6.05Preservation of Existence, Etc. (a) Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization except in a transaction permitted bySection 7.04 or7.05, (b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises (other than as expressly permitted herein) necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and (c) preserve or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation of which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
6.06Maintenance of Properties. (a) Maintain, preserve and protect all of its material properties and equipment necessary in the operation of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted; (b) make all necessary repairs and improvements thereto and renewals and replacements thereof so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be conducted in the ordinary course at all times in the manner and custom of similar businesses; and (c) use the standard of care typical in the industry in the operation and maintenance of its facilities.
6.07Maintenance of Insurance. Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies that are not Affiliates of the Borrower, or through self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types (including hazard, business interruption, public liability and product liability) and in such amounts (including deductibles and co-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons.
6.08Compliance with Laws. Comply with the requirements of all applicable Laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority (including Environmental Laws), the breach of which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the FRB.
6.09Books and Records. Maintain adequate records and proper books of record and account in which full entries, true and correct in all material respects, will be made in a manner to enable the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and which shall reflect all financial transactions of the Borrower and each Subsidiary and matters involving the assets and business of the Borrower and each Subsidiary.
6.10Inspection Rights. At any time during normal business hours, upon reasonable advance notice and subject to compliance by the Administrative Agent with the Borrower’s normal confidentiality requirements, permit the Administrative Agent or any of its agents or representatives to examine the books and records of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and to visit the properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with any of the Borrower’s executive officers or, in the presence of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or a person designated in writing by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, the Borrower’s independent accountants.
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6.11Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions for working capital and general corporate purposes not in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document and to refinance certain existing indebtedness.
6.12Cash Pool Arrangements. Maintain Cash Pool Availability under each Cash Pool Arrangement in excess of the Cash Pool Obligations outstanding thereunder.
ARTICLE VII.
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder (other than contingent indemnification obligations as to which no claim has been asserted) shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
7.01Liens. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than the following (collectively, “Permitted Liens”):
(a)Liens created under any Loan Document;
(b)Liens existing on the date of this Agreement and listed onSchedule 7.01, and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof to the extent such extensions, renewals and replacements secure only the obligations secured by such original Liens and extend only to the assets covered by such original Liens;
(c)Liens imposed by Law for Taxes (i) not yet due or (ii) which are being contested in compliance withSection 6.04;
(d)carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not yet due and payable or the payment of which is not at the time required;
(e)pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA or, with respect to any Plan, the Code;
(f)deposits to secure (or obtain letters of credit that secure) the performance of tenders, statutory obligations, surety bonds, appeal bonds, bids, leases, performance bonds, purchase, construction or sales contracts and other similar obligations, in each case not incurred or made in connection with the borrowing of money, the obtaining of advances or credit or the payment of the deferred purchase price of property;
(g)leases or subleases granted to others, easements, rights-of-way, restrictions (including zoning restrictions) and other similar encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate could not result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(h)Liens securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting an Event of Default underSection 8.01(h) or securing appeal or other surety bonds related to such judgments, unless the judgment it secures shall not, within 60 days after the entry thereof, have been discharged or execution thereof stayed pending appeal, or shall not have been discharged within 60 days after the expiration of any stay;
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(i)Liens securing leases;
(j)Liens (i) of a collection bank arising under Section 4-210 of the Uniform Commercial Code on items in the course of collection, (ii) attaching to commodity trading accounts or other commodities brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes; and (iii) in favor of a banking or other financial institution arising as a matter of law or under customary general terms and conditions encumbering deposits (including the right of set-off) and which are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry,provided that (1) the account containing such deposits is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Borrower in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the FRB, and (2) the account containing such deposits is not intended by the Borrower to provide collateral to the depository institution;
(k)Liens on cash of Subsidiaries on deposit with any Cash Pool Bank securing Cash Pool Obligations owed to such Cash Pool Bank;
(l)Liens in favor of the New Notes Trustee deemed to exist on any proceeds of Refinancing Notes held in a restricted deposit account designated for such purpose;
(m)Liens on the assets of Securitization Finance Subsidiaries, provided that such Liens shall only secure obligations with respect to a Permitted Securitization Financing;
(n)Licenses or sublicenses granted to others in the ordinary course of business;
(o)Liens (i) in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business or (ii) on specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances or letters of credit issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods in the ordinary course of business;
(p)Liens on cash advances in favor of the seller of any property to be acquired in an Investment permitted pursuant toSections 7.02 to be applied against the purchase price for such Investment;
(q)Liens existing on property at the time of its acquisition or existing on the property of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof;provided, that (i) such Lien was not created in contemplation of such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, and (ii) such Lien does not extend to or cover any other assets or property (other than the proceeds or products thereof);
(r)Liens arising from precautionary UCC financing statement filings regarding leases entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;
(s)any interest or title of a lessor, sublessor, licensee, sublicensee, licensor or sublicensor under any lease, sublease, license or sublicense agreement (including software and other technology licenses) in the ordinary course of business;
(t)Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for sale of goods entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;
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(u)deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure liability to insurance carriers;
(v)receipt of progress payments and advances from customers in the ordinary course of business to the extent same creates a Lien on the related inventory and proceeds thereof;
(w)Liens granted in connection with Swap Contracts in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with liabilities, commitments, investments, assets or property held or reasonably anticipated by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries, or changes in the value of securities issued by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries, and not for purposes of speculation or taking a “market view”; and
(x)Liens not expressly permitted byclauses (a) through(k) and(n) through(w) above securing or deemed to exist in connection with Priority Indebtedness permitted underSection 7.03;provided that such Liens shall not secure any other obligations (other than principal, interest, fee, expense reimbursement, indemnity and similar obligations associated with such permitted Priority Indebtedness).
7.02Investments. Make any Investments, except:
(a)Investments held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the form of Eligible Investments;
(b)Investments of the Borrower in any Subsidiary and Investments of any Subsidiary in the Borrower or in another Subsidiary;
(c)Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled account debtors to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or limit loss;
(d)Investments constituting Permitted Acquisitions;
(e)Investments (including by the purchase of Equity Interests) (other than Investments listed onSchedule 7.02 hereto, such Investments being permitted byclause (h) below) by the Borrower in any Person which is not a Subsidiary;provided that such entities are engaged in a business which is related to the business of the Borrower, andprovidedfurther that the aggregate amount of all Investments made pursuant to this paragraph, calculated at the time of the incurrence of each such Investment, is in an amount not in excess of 15.0% of the Consolidated Tangible Assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
(f)Investments in the Borrower’s benefits protection trust, established for the purpose of satisfying certain supplemental retirement benefit obligations for eligible executives in the event of a change of control of the Borrower;
(g)Investments in a Securitization Finance Subsidiary or any Investment by a Securitization Finance Subsidiary in any other Person in connection with and as reasonably necessary for a Permitted Securitization Financing; and
(h)Investments not otherwise specified inclauses (a) through(f) hereof that are described onSchedule 7.02 hereto.
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7.03Priority Indebtedness. Permit the aggregate Priority Indebtedness (excluding the Priority Indebtedness listed onSchedule 7.03 and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof to the extent such extensions, renewals and replacements (i) do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof, (ii) do not result in an earlier maturity date or decreased weighted average life thereof and (iii) are not secured by any Liens other than those permitted bySection 7.01(b)) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at any time to exceed 10.0% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as of the most recent fiscal quarter end of the Borrower.
7.04Fundamental Changes. Merge, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate with or into another Person, or Dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to or in favor of any Person or purchase or otherwise acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any Person (or any division thereof) whether in one transaction or a series of transactions, except that, so long as no Default exists or would result therefrom:
(a)any US Subsidiary may merge with (i) the Borrower;provided that the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person or (ii) any one or more other US Subsidiaries;
(b)any Foreign Subsidiary may merge with any one or more other Foreign Subsidiaries;
(c)any Subsidiary may Dispose of all or substantially all its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or to another Subsidiary;
(d)the Borrower and any Subsidiary may make Investments permitted underSection 7.02 and Permitted Acquisitions; and
(e)the Borrower may merge with and into a US Subsidiary;provided that (i) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent not less than thirty days prior to such event and (ii) the surviving entity shall assume the obligations of the merged entity pursuant to this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents and shall execute such documents and agreements as may be reasonably required by the Administrative Agent.
7.05Dispositions. Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except:
(a)Dispositions of properties or assets no longer used or useful in the conduct of their respective businesses;
(b)Dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business;
(c)Dispositions of property by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to the Borrower or to a Subsidiary;
(d)Dispositions of all or substantially all the assets of the Borrower or a Subsidiary permitted bySection 7.04;
(e)Dispositions of notes, accounts receivable or other obligations owing to the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower, with or without recourse, including for collections in the ordinary course of business;
(f)the making of Investments permitted bySection 7.02 and the making of Restricted Payments permitted bySection 7.06; and
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(g)Dispositions by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not otherwise permitted under this Section;provided that (i) at the time of each such Disposition, no Default shall exist or would result from such Disposition and (ii) the aggregate book value of all property Disposed of in reliance on thisclause (g) in any fiscal year shall not exceed the amount expressed in dollars which is equal to 15% of the aggregate book value of the assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis calculated at the time such Disposition is made;
provided,however, that any Disposition pursuant to the foregoing clauses (other thanclause (c)) shall be for at least fair market value.
7.06Restricted Payments. If a Default shall have occurred and is continuing, declare any dividend on, or make any payment on account of, or set apart assets for a sinking or other analogous fund for, the purchase, redemption, defeasance, retirement or other acquisition of any shares or any class of stock of the Borrower whether now or hereafter outstanding, or make any other distribution in respect thereof, either directly or indirectly, whether in cash, securities or property or in obligations of the Borrower or in any combination thereof (each of the foregoing being a “Restricted Payment”).
7.07Change in Nature of Business. Engage in any material line of business which is substantially different (i) from those lines of business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of this Agreement and (ii) from any business substantially related or incidental to those lines of business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of this Agreement.
7.08Transactions with Affiliates. Enter into any transaction of any kind with any Affiliate of the Borrower, except in the ordinary course of and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower’s or any of the Subsidiaries’ business and on fair and reasonable terms substantially as favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary as would be obtainable by the Borrower or such Subsidiary at the time in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate;provided that the foregoing restriction shall not apply to (i) transactions among the Borrower and the Subsidiaries, (ii) Restricted Payments permitted underSection 7.06, and (iii) agreements in connection with Permitted Securitization Financings.
7.09Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of the FRB) or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock or to refund indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.
7.10Consolidated Leverage Ratio.Permit the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the last day of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower to be greater than 3.50 to 1.00.
7.11Hazardous Materials. Except to the extent failures to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, cause or permit any of its properties or assets to be used to generate, manufacture, refine, transport, treat, store, handle, dispose of, transfer, produce or process Hazardous Materials, except in compliance with all applicable Federal, state and local Laws or regulations, or cause or permit, as a result of any intentional or negligent act or omission on the part of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, a release of Hazardous Materials onto such property or asset or onto any other property, except in compliance with such Laws and regulations.
7.12Sanctions. Directly or indirectly, except pursuant to a valid license by the appropriate Governmental Authority, use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity, to fund any activities of or business with any individual or entity, or in any Designated Jurisdiction, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the transaction, whether as Lender, Arranger, Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer, Swing Line Lender, or otherwise) of Sanctions.
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ARTICLE VIII.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
8.01Events of Default. Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:
(a)Non-Payment. The Borrower fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, and in the currency required hereunder, any amount of principal of any Loan or any L/C Obligation, or (ii) within five days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan or on any L/C Obligation, or any fee due hereunder, or any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or
(b)Specific Covenants. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any ofSection 6.01,6.02,6.03,6.05,6.10, or6.11 orArticle VII; or
(c)Other Defaults. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified insubsection (a) or(b) above) contained in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for 30 days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent or the Borrower; or
(d)Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect or misleading in any material respect (or, in the case of any representation or warranty qualified by reference to materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in any respect) when made or deemed made; or
(e)Cross-Default. (i) The Borrower or any Subsidiary (A) fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than the Threshold Amount, or (B) fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or Guarantee or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract), the Swap Termination Value owed by the Borrower or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than the Threshold Amount; or
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(f)Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. An involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the 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 the 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; or the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (A) 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, (B) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described inclause (h) of this Section, (C) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (D) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (E) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (F) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing; or
(g)Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. The Borrower or any Subsidiary becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due; or
(h)Judgments. There is entered against the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i) one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount (as to all such judgments or orders) exceeding the Threshold Amount (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage), or (ii) any one or more non-monetary final judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and, in either case, (A) enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order, or (B) there is a period of 30 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, is not in effect; or
(i)ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount, or (ii) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount; or
(j)Invalidity of Loan Documents. Any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or the Borrower contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any material provision of any Loan Document; or the Borrower denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind any Loan Document; or
(k)Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control.
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8.02Remedies Upon Event of Default. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:
(a)declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of each L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;
(b)declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower;
(c)require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the Minimum Collateral Amount with respect thereto).
(d)exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and each L/C Issuer all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and each L/C Issuer under the Loan Documents;
provided,however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of each L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
8.03Application of Funds. After the exercise of remedies provided for inSection 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso toSection 8.02), any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall, subject to the provisions ofSections 2.14 and2.15, be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:
First, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable underArticle III) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;
Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of Credit Fees) payable to the Lenders and each L/C Issuer (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuers and amounts payable underArticle III), ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clauseSecond payable to them;
Third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans, L/C Borrowings and other Obligations, ratably among the Lenders and each L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clauseThird payable to them;
Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and L/C Borrowings, ratably among the Lenders and each L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clauseFourth held by them;
Fifth, to the Administrative Agent for the account of each L/C Issuer, to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise Cash Collateralized by the Borrower pursuant toSections 2.03 and2.14; and
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Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.
Subject toSections 2.03(c) and2.14, amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clauseFifth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.
ARTICLE IX.
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
9.01Appointment and Authority. Each of the Lenders and each L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and each L/C Issuer, and the Borrower shall not have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions. It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law. Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.
9.02Rights as a Lender. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.
9.03Exculpatory Provisions. The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, and its duties hereunder shall be administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:
(a)shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;
(b)shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents),provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable Law, including for the avoidance of doubt any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law; and
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(c)shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.
The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided inSections 10.01 and8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given in writing to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or an L/C Issuer.
The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth inArticle IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
9.04Reliance by Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance, extension, renewal or increase of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or an L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or such L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or such L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.
9.05Delegation of Duties. The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.
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9.06Resignation of Administrative Agent. (a) The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, each L/C Issuer and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Resignation Effective Date”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) on behalf of the Lenders and each L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above. Whether or not a successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.
(b)If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant toclause (d) of the definition thereof, the Required Lenders may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, by notice in writing to the Borrower and such Person remove such Person as Administrative Agent and, in consultation with the Borrower, appoint a successor. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Removal Effective Date”), then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.
(c)With effect from the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date (as applicable) (1) the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders or an L/C Issuer under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (2) except for any indemnity payments or other amounts then owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and each L/C Issuer directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or removed) Administrative Agent (other than as provided inSection 3.01(g) and other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent as of the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date, as applicable), and the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the retiring or removed Administrative Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article andSection 10.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring or removed Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring or removed Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.
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(d)Any resignation by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender. If Bank of America resigns as an L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of an L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant toSection 2.03(c). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant toSection 2.04(c). Upon the appointment by the Borrower of a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder (which successor shall in all cases be a Lender other than a Defaulting Lender), (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.
9.07Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders. Each Lender and each L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender and each L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
9.08No Other Duties, Etc. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Book Managers, Arrangers, Syndication Agent or Documentation Agents 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, a Lender or an L/C Issuer hereunder.
9.09Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise
(a)to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, each L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, each L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, each L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.03(h) and (i), 2.09 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
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(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 and each L/C Issuer 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 and each L/C Issuer, 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 underSections 2.09 and10.04.
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 or any L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or any L/C Issuer to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or any L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS
10.01Amendments, Etc. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given;provided,however, that no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:
(a)waive any condition set forth inSection 4.01(a) without the written consent of each Lender;
(b)extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant toSection 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender;
(c)postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment (excluding mandatory prepayments) of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;
(d)reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (iv) of the second proviso to thisSection 10.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;provided,however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate;
(e)changeSection 8.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender;
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(f)amendSection 1.06 or the definition of “Alternative Currency” without the written consent of each Lender; or
(g)change any provision of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder without the written consent of each Lender;
and,providedfurther, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by each L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of any L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (iii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (iv) the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender disproportionately adversely relative to other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.
10.02Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication.
(a)Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided insubsection (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 facsimile as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:
(i)if to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, an L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person onSchedule 10.02; and
(ii)if to any other Lender, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire (including, as appropriate, notices delivered solely to the Person designated by a Lender on its Administrative Questionnaire then in effect for the delivery of notices that may contain material non-public information relating to the Borrower).
Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient). Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided insubsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in suchsubsection (b).
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(b)Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and each L/C Issuer hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent,provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or any L/C Issuer pursuant toArticle II if such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender, each L/C Issuer or the Borrower may each, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it,provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.
Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor;provided that, for bothclauses (i)and(ii), if such notice, email or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice, email or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient.
(c)The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials through the Internet.
(d)Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, facsimile number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender. Furthermore, each Public Lender agrees to cause at least one individual at or on behalf of such Public Lender to at all times have selected the “Private Side Information” or similar designation on the content declaration screen of the Platform in order to enable such Public Lender or its delegate, in accordance with such Public Lender’s compliance procedures and applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws, to make reference to Borrower Materials that are not made available through the “Public Side Information” portion of the Platform and that may contain material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal or state securities laws.
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(e)Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuers and Lenders. The Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic or electronic Committed Loan Notices, Letter of Credit Applications and Swing Line Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.
10.03No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement. No failure by any Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided, and provided under each other Loan Document, are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by Law.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Borrower or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance withSection 8.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders and the L/C Issuers;provided,however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) the L/C Issuers or the Swing Line Lender from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in their respective capacities as an L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, as the case may be) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance withSection 10.08 (subject to the terms ofSection 2.13), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to the Borrower under any Debtor Relief Law; andprovided,further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant toSection 8.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth inclauses (b),(c) and(d) of the preceding proviso and subject toSection 2.13, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.
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10.04 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
(a)Costs and Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by each L/C Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any L/C Issuer (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any L/C Issuer), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b)Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and each L/C Issuer, 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 any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any Person (including the Borrower) other than such Indemnitee and its Related Parties arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including in respect of any matters addressed inSection 3.01), (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by an L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its 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, whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower, 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 (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by the Borrower against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if the Borrower has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. Without limiting the provisions ofSection 3.01(c), thisSection 10.04(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.
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(c)Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Borrower for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required undersubsection (a) or(b) of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), any L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), such L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s pro rata share (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought based on each Lender’s share of the Total Credit Exposure at such time) of such unpaid amount (including any such unpaid amount in respect of a claim asserted by such Lender), such payment to be made severally among them based on such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought),providedfurther that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under thissubsection (c) are subject to the provisions ofSection 2.12(d).
(d)Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, and acknowledges that no other Person shall have, 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, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to insubsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnitee through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby other than for direct or actual damages resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(e)Payments. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after demand therefor.
(f)Survival. The agreements in this Section and the indemnity provisions ofSection 10.02(e)shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.
10.05Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, such L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and each L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, in the applicable currency of such recovery or payment. The obligations of the Lenders and each L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
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10.06Successors and Assigns.
(a)Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an assignee in accordance with the provisions ofsubsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions ofsubsection (d) of this Section, or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions ofsubsection (f) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided insubsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, each L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b)Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans (including for purposes of thissubsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations and in Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it);provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:
(i)Minimum Amounts.
(A)in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or contemporaneous assignments to related Approved Funds that equal at least the amount specified inparagraph (b)(i)(B) of this Section in the aggregate and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and
(B)in any case not described insubsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
(ii)Proportionate Amounts. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that thisclause (ii) shall not apply to the Swing Line Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans;
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(iii)Required Consents. No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required bysubsection (b)(i)(B)of this Section and, in addition:
(A)the consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund;provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten Business Days after having received notice thereof;
(B)the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender; and
(C)the consent of each L/C Issuer and the consent of the Swing Line Lender (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment.
(iv)Assignment and Assumption. The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount of $3,500;provided,however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.
(v)No Assignment to Certain Persons. No such assignment shall be made (A) to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (B) to any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in thisclause (B), or (C) to a natural Person.
(vi)Certain Additional Payments. In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or subparticipations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Loans previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (x) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon) and (y) acquire (and fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Loans and participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under applicable Law without compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.
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Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant tosubsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits ofSections 3.01,3.04,3.05, and10.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment;provided, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance withsubsection (d) of this Section.
(c)Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower (and such agency being solely for tax purposes), shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it (or the equivalent thereof in electronic form) and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest) of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(d)Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural Person, a Defaulting Lender or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it);provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and each L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity underSection 10.04(c) without regard to the existence of any participation.
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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, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso toSection 10.01 that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits ofSections 3.01,3.04 and3.05 (it being understood that the documentation required underSection 3.01(e) shall be delivered to the Lender who sells the participation) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant tosubsection (b) of this Section to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant toparagraph (b) of this Section;provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions ofSections 3.06 and10.13 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment underSections 3.01 or3.04, with respect to any participation, than the Lender from whom it acquired the applicable participation would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions ofSections 3.06 and10.13 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by Law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits ofSection 10.08 as though it were a Lender;provided that such Participant agrees to be subject toSection 2.13 as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”);provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(e)Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank or any other central banking authority;provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
(f)Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America or JPMorgan assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant tosubsection (b) above, Bank of America or JPMorgan, as applicable, may, (i) upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as an L/C Issuer and/or (ii) Bank of America may, upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender. In the event of any such resignation as an L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder;provided,however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America or JPMorgan as L/C Issuer or Bank of America as Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If Bank of America or JPMorgan resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of an L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant toSection 2.03(c)). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant toSection 2.04(c). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (b) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America or JPMorgan to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America or JPMorgan, as the case may be, with respect to such Letters of Credit.
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10.07Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuers agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its Related Parties (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 required or requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over such Person or its Related Parties (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable Laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (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 and obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective party (or its Related Parties) to any swap, derivative or other transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to the Borrower and its obligations, this Agreement or payments hereunder, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided hereunder or (ii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers or other market identifiers with respect to the credit facilities provided hereunder, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any L/C Issuer on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary,provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary 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.
Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and each L/C Issuer acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning the Borrower or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws.
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10.08Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and any amount under any Loan Document is then due and payable by the Borrower (whether as a result of maturity, acceleration, or otherwise), each Lender, each L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, such L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or such L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, L/C Issuer or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch, office or Affiliate of such Lender or such L/C Issuer different from the branch, office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness;provided, that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions ofSection 2.15 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, each L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, such L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and each L/C Issuer agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application,provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.
10.09Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.
10.10Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent or any L/C Issuer, 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 inSection 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 that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile or other electronic imaging means (e.g. “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
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10.11Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.
10.12Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. Without limiting the foregoing provisions of thisSection 10.12, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.
10.13Replacement of Lenders. If the Borrower is entitled to replace a Lender pursuant to the provisions ofSection 3.06, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender or if any other circumstance exists hereunder that gives the Borrower the right to replace a Lender as a party hereto, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by,Section 10.06), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant toSections 3.01 and3.04) and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment),provided that:
(a)the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee (if any) specified inSection 10.06(b);
(b)such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts underSection 3.05) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);
(c)in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation underSection 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant toSection 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter;
(d)such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws; and
(e)in the case of an assignment resulting from a Lender becoming a Non-Consenting Lender, the applicable assignee shall have consented to the applicable amendment, waiver or consent, provided that the failure by such Lender being replaced to execute and deliver an Assignment and Assumption shall not impair the validity of the removal of such Lender, and the mandatory assignment of such Lender’s Commitments and outstanding Loans and participations in outstanding Letters of Credit pursuant to thisSection 10.13 shall nonetheless be effective without the execution by such Lender of an Assignment and Assumption, but otherwise subject to the requirements (including the other referenced requirements ofSection 10.06(b)) contained in thisSection 10.13.
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A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
10.14Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.
(a)GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
(b)SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT COMMENCE ANY ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING OF ANY KIND OR DESCRIPTION, WHETHER IN LAW OR EQUITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER, ANY L/C ISSUER, OR ANY RELATED PARTY OF THE FOREGOING IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO, IN ANY FORUM OTHER THAN THE COURTS 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, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS AND AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER OR ANY L/C ISSUER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE BORROWER OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.
(c)WAIVER OF VENUE. THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.
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(d)SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES INSECTION 10.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
10.15Waiver of Jury Trial.EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
10.16No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates’ understanding, that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders, on the other hand, (B) the Borrower has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) the Borrower is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and each Lender is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) neither the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers nor any Lender has any obligation to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower and its Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers, nor any Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by Law, the Borrower hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers or any Lender with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.
10.17Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents.The words “execute,” “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption or in any amendment or other modification hereof (including waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state Laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
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10.18USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act. The Borrower shall, promptly following a request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent or such Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Act.
10.19Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Loan Document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of the Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (the “AgreementCurrency”), be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender from the Borrower in the Agreement Currency, the Borrower agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in such currency, the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, agrees to return the amount of any excess to the Borrower (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable Law).
[Signature Pages Follow.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF,the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
PALL CORPORATION | |
By: | /s/ R. Brent Jones |
Name: | R. Brent Jones |
Title: | VP Finance & Treasurer |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,as | |
Administrative Agent | |
By: | /s/ Christine Trotter |
Name: | Christine Trotter |
Title: | Assistant Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,as a Lender, L/C Issuer | |
and Swing Line Lender | |
By: | /s/ Martha Novak |
Name: | Martha Novak |
Title: | Senior Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,as a Lender and | |
L/C Issuer | |
By: | /s/ Alicia Shreibstein |
Name: | Alicia Schreibstein |
Title: | Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL | |
ASSOCIATION,as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Patricia Santoli |
Name: | Patricia Santoli |
Title: | Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,as | |
a Lender | |
By: | /s/ William Conlan |
Name: | William Conlan |
Title: | Senior Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD., | |
as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Jaime Sussman |
Name: | Jaime Sussman |
Title: | VP |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION, | |
as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ David Kee |
Name: | David Kee |
Title: | Managing Director |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
TD BANK, N.A.,as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Shreya Shah |
Name: | Shreya Shah |
Title: | Senior Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
SUNTRUST BANK,as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Johnetta Bush |
Name: | Johnetta Bush |
Title: | Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING | |
GROUP LIMITED,as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Robert Grillo |
Name: | Robert Grillo |
Title: | Director |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
BNP PARIBAS,as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Duane Helkowski |
Name: | Duane Helkowski |
Title: | Managing Director |
By: | /s/ Paul Zelezik |
Name: | Paul Zelezik |
Title: | Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
ING BANK N.V., DUBLIN BRANCH,as a Lender | |
By: | /s/ Shaun Hawley |
Name: | Shaun Hawley |
Title: | Vice President |
By: | /s/ Aidan Neill |
Name: | Aidan Neill |
Title: | Director |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement
COMMERZBANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH,as a | |
Lender | |
By: | /s/ Diane Pockaj |
Name: | Diane Pockaj |
Title: | Managing Director |
By: | /s/ Matthew Havens |
Name: | Matthew Havens |
Title: | Vice President |
Signature Pages
Pall Corporation 2013
Credit Agreement