2.06 [Reserved].
2.07 Repayment of Loans.
(a) The Tranche B Term Loan of each Tranche B Term Lender shall be payable in equal consecutive quarterly installments on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December following the Closing Date (commencing on the last Business Day of March 2025) in an amount equal to one quarter of one percent (0.25%) of the stated principal amount of the Tranche B Term Loans funded on the Closing Date (as such installments may hereafter be adjusted as a result of prepayments made pursuant to Section 2.05), with the remaining balance thereof payable on the Tranche B Maturity Date.
(b) The Tranche B-2 Term Loan of each Tranche B-2 Term Lender shall be payable in equal consecutive quarterly installments on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December following the Amendment No. 1 Effective Date (commencing on the last Business Day of June 2026) in an amount equal to one quarter of one percent (0.25%) of the stated principal amount of the Tranche B-2 Term Loans funded on the Amendment No. 1 Effective Date (as such installments may hereafter be adjusted as a result of prepayments made pursuant to Section 2.05), with the remaining balance thereof payable on the Tranche B-2 Maturity Date.
2.08 Interest.
(a)Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Term SOFR Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to Term SOFR for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate, (ii) each Base Rate 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 RFR Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to Daily Simple SOFR plus the Applicable Rate. To the extent that any calculation of interest or any fee required to be paid under this Agreement shall be based on (or result in) a calculation that is less than zero, such calculation shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement.
(b)(i) If any amount of principal of any Loan is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such past-due 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)If any amount (other than principal of any Loan) 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 upon the request of the Required Lenders, 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.
(iii)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 Term SOFR Loan, RFR Loan and Base Rate 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; provided, that (i) any prepayment of any Term SOFR Loan shall be accompanied by all
accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05 and (ii) any prepayment of any RFR Loan shall be accompanied by any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. 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.
2.09 Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent the fees in the amounts and on the dates as set forth in any fee agreements with the Administrative Agent
2.10 Computation of Interest and Fees; Retroactive Adjustments of Applicable Rate. All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to Term SOFR) and RFR Loans 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). 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 to Section 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.
2.11 Evidence of Debt.
(a)The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender in the ordinary course of business. The Administrative Agent shall maintain the Register in accordance with Section 11.06(c). The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be prima facie evidence 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 Register, the Register shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a promissory note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records. Each such promissory note shall be in the form of Exhibit 2.11 (a “Note”). Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b) 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.
2.12 Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.
(a)General. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made free and clear and without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable
Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.
(b)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 Borrowing of Term SOFR Loans (or, in the case of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or, in the case of a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 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 Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the NYFRB 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 Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such 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 that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders the amount due. With respect to any payment that the Administrative Agent makes for the account of the Lenders as to which the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that any of the following applies (such payment referred to as the “Rescindable Amount”): (A) the Borrower has not in fact made such payment; (B) the Administrative Agent has made a payment in excess of the amount so paid by the Borrower (whether or not then owed); or (C) the Administrative Agent has for any reason otherwise erroneously made such payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the Rescindable Amount so distributed to such Lender, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the NYFRB Rate.
A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be presumptively correct, 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 as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article 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 in Article V 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 Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 11.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 11.04(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 Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 11.04(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.
2.13 Sharing of Payments by Lenders.
Except as otherwise contemplated herein, 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 Loans made by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata 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 Loans, 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 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 (A) 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) or (B) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans to any assignee or participant, other than an assignment to the Borrower or any Subsidiary (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).
Each Loan Party agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable Law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Loan Party rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Loan Party in the amount of such participation.
2.14 [Reserved].
2.15 Defaulting 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” and Section 11.01.
(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 to Article IX or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 11.08 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, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Event of 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; third, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement; fourth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; fifth, so long as no Event of 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 sixth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise as may be required under the Loan Documents in connection with any Lien conferred thereunder or directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that (x) if such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share and (y) such Loans were made at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 5.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans owed to all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans owed to such Defaulting Lender until such time as all applicable Loans are held by the applicable Lenders pro rata in accordance with their applicable Commitments hereunder. 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 shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.
(b)[Reserved].
2.16 Incremental Facilities; Extensions.
(a)The Borrower may at any time after the Closing Date add one or more tranches of term loans or add additional advances of any outstanding tranches of term loans (each an “Incremental Term Facility”) at the option of the Borrower by an agreement in writing entered into by the Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent and each Person (including any existing Lender) that agrees to provide a portion of such Incremental Term Facility (each an “Incremental Facility Amendment”); provided that, in each case subject to Section 1.03(d):
(i)the aggregate principal amount of all Incremental Term Facilities shall not exceed an amount (the “Incremental Cap”) equal to, as of any date of determination, the sum of (A) the difference of (1)(x) the greater of (i) $960,000,000 and (ii) 100% of Consolidated EBITDA for the Applicable Period plus (y) all (1) voluntary prepayments, repurchases, redemptions or retirements of any Term Loans, Tranche A Term Loans, Incremental Term Loans, Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt, Ratio Debt and any other Indebtedness and (2) voluntary prepayments of Revolving Loans or other revolving Indebtedness (which in each case is accompanied by a permanent reduction of the applicable revolving commitments), in each case of this clause (y), to the extent the Indebtedness so prepaid, repurchased, redeemed or retired is secured by the Collateral on a pari passu basis with the Term Loans, so long as such prepayment is effected on or prior to the date of any such incurrence (including all loan buy-backs and yank-a-bank payments, with credit limited to the purchase amount of such prepayment (rather than the face amount)), (other than any such prepayments, repurchases or reductions to the extent funded with the proceeds of Funded Indebtedness (other than revolving indebtedness) (clauses (x) and (y) collectively, the “Fixed Incremental Basket”)) minus (2) the aggregate principal amount of Incremental Term Facilities and Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt incurred prior to such date in reliance on the Fixed Incremental Basket, plus (B) the Ratio Incremental Amount. The Borrower will be permitted to incur Incremental Term Facilities and Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt under the Fixed Incremental Basket and the Ratio Incremental Amount and proceeds from any such incurrence under the Fixed Incremental Basket and the Ratio Incremental Amount may be utilized, in a single transaction by first calculating the incurrence under the Ratio Incremental Amount and then calculating the incurrence under the Fixed Incremental Basket and, for the avoidance of doubt, any such incurrence under the Fixed Incremental Basket shall not be given pro forma effect for purposes of determining the Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio, Consolidated Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio, Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio or Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio, as applicable, for purposes of effectuating the incurrence under the Ratio Incremental Amount;
(ii)(1) each of the representations and warranties made by any Loan Party in or pursuant to the Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (and in all respects if any such representation or warranty is already qualified by materiality or “material adverse effect”), in each case on and as of the effective date of any Incremental Term Facility as if made on and as of the effective date of any Incremental Term Facility except to the extent that such representations and warranties relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects (and in all respects if any such representation or warranty is already qualified by materiality or “material adverse effect”) as of such earlier date and (2) Event of Default shall exist on the effective date of any Incremental Term Facility or would exist immediately after giving effect to such Incremental Term Facility; provided, solely with respect to an Incremental Term Facility the proceeds of which are intended to and shall be used to finance a Limited Condition Transaction, the Persons providing such Incremental Term Facility may agree to a “Funds Certain Provision” that, at the Borrower’s option, (i) the preceding clauses (1) and (2) may be tested the time the definitive agreement (or, if applicable, a binding offer or launch of a “certain funds” tender offer) for such Limited Condition Transaction are entered into (or, if applicable, (x) the date of delivery of an irrevocable notice or declaration of such Limited Condition Transaction or (y) at the time of the completion of such transaction or the making of such repurchase or repayment) and (ii) as of the effective date of any Incremental Term Facility, (x) the Specified Representations are true and correct in all material respects and (y) no Specified Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(iii)no existing Lender shall be under any obligation to provide any Incremental Term Facility Commitment and any such decision whether to provide an Incremental Term Facility Commitment shall be in such Lender’s sole and absolute discretion;
(iv)each Incremental Term Facility Commitment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $10,000,000 and in integral multiples of $5,000,000 in excess thereof (or such lesser amounts as the Administrative Agent may agree);
(v)each Person providing an Incremental Term Facility Commitment shall qualify as an Eligible Assignee;
(vi)the proceeds of any Incremental Term Loans shall be used, at the discretion of the Borrower, for any purpose not prohibited by this Agreement;
(vii)the Incremental Term Loans shall (x) be secured only by the Collateral and on a pari passu basis with the Obligations and (y) shall be guaranteed only by the Guarantors;
(viii)the Administrative Agent shall have determined in its reasonable discretion in consultation with the Borrower whether such Incremental Term Facility is a tranche A term loan (which in any event shall meet the requirements of a Customary Term A Loan) (an “Incremental Tranche A Term Facility”) or a tranche B term loan (an “Incremental Tranche B Term Facility”);
(ix)with respect to any Incremental Term Loan:
(A)the interest rate, interest rate margins, fees, discount, pricing protection with respect to other Incremental Term Loans and Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt that is secured on a parity basis with such Incremental Term Loans, prepayment premiums, amortization and final maturity with respect to such Incremental Term Loans, in each case, if any, shall be as agreed by the Loan Parties and the Lenders providing such Incremental Term Loans; provided that, subject to the Permitted Earlier Maturity Indebtedness Exception:
(1) the final maturity date for such Incremental Term Loans shall not be earlier than the Latest Maturity Date at the time of incurrence of such Incremental Term Loans; and
(2) the Weighted Average Life to Maturity for such Incremental Term Loans shall not be shorter than the then remaining Weighted Average Life to Maturity for any Tranche B Term Loan or Tranche B-2 Term Loan;
(B)such Incremental Term Loans shall share ratably (or less than ratably) in any mandatory prepayments of the Tranche B Term Loans and Tranche B-2 Term Loans pursuant to Section 2.05(c).
(x)all terms and documentation with respect to any Incremental Term Loans which differ from those of the Tranche B Term Loans or Tranche B-2 Term Loans shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent or reflect market terms and conditions at the time of incurrence thereof as reasonably determined by the Borrower (in each case, except to the extent permitted by clause (ix) above); provided that no Incremental Term Loans shall (x) contain covenants or events of default that, taken as a whole, are materially more restrictive on the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries prior to the Latest Maturity Date at the time of incurrence of such Incremental Term Loans than the covenants applicable to Tranche B Term Loans or Tranche B-2 Term Loans in the Loan Documents, unless such covenants or events of default are made applicable to the existing Tranche B Term Loans and Tranche B-2 Term Loans; provided that any Incremental Tranche A Term Facility may have financial maintenance covenants not applicable to the existing Tranche B Term Loans or Tranche B-2 Term Loans or (y) require any mandatory prepayments prior to the Latest Maturity Date at the time of incurrence of such Incremental Term Loans, other than sharing ratably (or less than ratably) in the same mandatory prepayments applicable to the Tranche B Term Loans and Tranche B-2 Term Loans. For the avoidance of doubt, the rate of interest of any Incremental Term Facility shall be determined by the Borrower and the applicable Lenders in respect thereof and shall be set forth in the applicable Incremental Facility Amendment; and
(xi)if the initial “spread” (for purposes of this Section 2.16, the “spread” with respect to any Term Loan shall be calculated as the sum of the Term SOFR Loan margin on the relevant Term Loan plus any original issue discount or upfront fees in lieu of original issue discount (other than (I) any arranging fees, structuring fees, underwriting fees, commitment fees or similar payments, (II) customary consent or amendment fees paid to consenting Lenders, ticking fees accruing prior to the funding of any such indebtedness and (III) any other fees of the type not paid or payable generally by or on behalf of the Borrower to Lenders or other institutions in connection with the commitment, marketing or offering of such Indebtedness) (based on an assumed four-year average life for the applicable Loan (e.g., 100 basis points in original issue discount or upfront fees equals 25 basis points of interest rate margin))) (taking into account any interest rate floor) relating to any broadly syndicated Dollar-denominated Incremental Tranche B Term Loan made on or prior to the six-month anniversary of the Closing Amendment No. 1 Effective Date, exceeds the spread (taking into account any interest rate floor) then in effect with respect to the Tranche B-2 Term Loans by more than 0.50%, the Applicable Rate (and, if applicable, any interest rate floor) relating to the Tranche B-2 Term Loans shall be adjusted so that the spread relating to such Incremental Term Loans does not exceed the spread applicable to the Tranche B-2 Term Loans by more than 0.50%; provided that if such Incremental Term Loans include an interest rate floor greater than the interest rate floor applicable to the Tranche B-2 Term Loans, such increased amount shall be equated to the applicable interest rate margin for purposes of determining whether an increase to the Applicable Rate for the Tranche B-2 Term Loans shall be required, to the extent an increase in the interest rate floor for the Tranche B-2 Term Loans would cause an increase in the interest rate then in effect thereunder, and in such case the interest rate floor (but not the Applicable Rate) applicable to the Tranche B-2 Term Loans shall be increased by such amount (this clause (xi), the “MFN Provision”).
The Incremental Term Facility Commitments and credit extensions thereunder shall constitute Commitments and Credit Extensions under, and shall be entitled to all the benefits afforded by, this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and shall, without limiting the foregoing, benefit equally and ratably from the Guarantees and security interests created by the Collateral Documents. The Lenders hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to enter into, and the Lenders agree that this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be amended by, such Incremental Facility Amendments to the extent the Administrative Agent deems necessary in order to establish Incremental Term Facilities on terms consistent with and/or to effect the provisions of this Section 2.16. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender as to the effectiveness of each Incremental Facility Amendment.
(b)The Borrower may, by written notice to the Administrative Agent from time to time (and with the consent of the Administrative Agent, not to be unreasonably withheld), make one or more offers (each, a “Loan Modification Offer”) to all of the Lenders holding the applicable Term Loan to make one or more amendments or modifications to (i) allow the maturity and scheduled amortization (if any) of the Loans of the accepting Lenders to be extended and (ii) increase the Applicable Rate and/or fees payable with respect to the Loans and Commitments (if any) of the accepting Lenders (“Permitted Amendments”) pursuant to procedures reasonably specified by the Administrative Agent and reasonably acceptable to the Borrower. Such notice shall set forth (i) the terms and conditions of the requested Permitted Amendment and (ii) the date on which such Permitted Amendment is requested to become effective. Permitted Amendments shall become effective only with respect to the Loans and/or Commitments of the Lenders that accept the applicable Loan Modification Offer (such Lenders, the “Accepting Lenders”) and, in the case of any Accepting Lender, only with respect to such Lender’s Loans and/or Commitments as to which such Lender’s acceptance has been made. The Borrower, each other Loan Party and each Accepting Lender shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent such documentation (a “Loan Amendment”) as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably specify to evidence the acceptance of the Permitted Amendments and the terms and conditions thereof, and the Loan Parties shall also deliver such corporate resolutions, opinions and other documents as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender as to the effectiveness of each Loan Amendment. Each of the parties hereto hereby agrees that (i) upon the effectiveness of any Loan Amendment, this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent (but only to the extent) necessary to reflect the existence and terms of the Permitted Amendment evidenced thereby and only with respect to the Loans and Commitments of the Accepting Lenders as to which such Lenders’ acceptance has been made and (ii) any applicable Lender who is not an Accepting Lender may be replaced by the Borrower in accordance with Section 11.13.
ARTICLE III
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
3.01 Taxes.
(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 Loan Parties hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall to the extent permitted by applicable Laws be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Taxes. If applicable Laws (as determined in the good faith discretion of such Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be) require any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent to withhold or deduct any Tax, such Tax shall be withheld or deducted in accordance with such Laws as determined by such Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be.
(ii)If the Loan Parties or the Administrative Agent shall be required by any applicable Laws (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Internal Revenue Code) to withhold or deduct any Taxes from any payment, then (A) the Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as required by such Laws, shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by it to be required, (B) such Loan Party 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 or Other Taxes, the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any such required withholding or the making of all such
required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.01(ii)), the Administrative Agent or Lender, as applicable, 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 Loan Parties. Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Loan Parties shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Laws.
(c)Tax Indemnification.
(i)Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) above, the Loan Parties shall, and do hereby indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender, and shall make payment in respect thereof within thirty days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) required to be withheld or deducted by the Loan Parties or the Administrative Agent (without duplication of any gross-up amount paid by a Loan Party pursuant to Section 3.01(a)) or payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority, other than any such amounts arising as a result of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Administrative Agent or Lender, as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The Loan Parties shall also, and do hereby, indemnify the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within ten days after demand therefor, for any amount which a Lender for any reason fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required by clause (ii) of this subsection; provided that prior to making any such demand on the Loan Parties the Administrative Agent agrees to exercise its right pursuant to clause (ii) of this subsection to set off and apply all amounts paid by the Loan Parties to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender during the period of 30 days following the date such Lender fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required by clause (ii) of this subsection. A certificate, prepared in good faith as to the amount of any such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(ii)Each Lender 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 (but only to the extent that any Loan Party has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), (y) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 11.06(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or a Loan Party 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 manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts
at any time owing to such Lender or under this Agreement or any other Loan Documents against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (ii). The agreements in this clause (ii) shall survive the resignation and/or replacement of the Administrative Agent, any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.
(d)Evidence of Payments. Upon request by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, after any payment of Taxes by any Loan Party or by the Administrative Agent to a Governmental Authority, as provided in this Section 3.01, the Borrower shall deliver (or cause the applicable Loan Party to 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 Law 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)Each Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and to the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by applicable Laws or when reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable Laws or by the taxing authorities of any jurisdiction and such other reasonably requested information as will permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine (A) whether or not payments made hereunder or under any other Loan Document are subject to Taxes, (B) whether or not a Lender is subject to withholding, backup withholding or information reporting requirements and, if applicable, the required rate of withholding or deduction, and (C) such Lender’s entitlement to any available exemption from, or reduction of, applicable Taxes in respect of all payments to be made to such Lender by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise to establish such Lender’s status for withholding Tax purposes in the applicable jurisdiction.
(ii)Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Borrower is a resident for tax purposes in the United States
(A)any Lender that is a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code shall deliver, on or before the date it becomes a party to this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent executed copies (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax, or such other documentation or information prescribed by applicable Laws or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements;
(B)each Foreign Lender that is entitled, under the Internal Revenue Code or any applicable Law or treaty, to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall 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 request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), 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 copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, or any subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto, 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 IRS Form W-8BEN-E 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 copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or any subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto,
(III)in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 3.01-A to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, or any subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto, or
(IV)to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed copies of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 3.01-B or Exhibit 3.01-C, IRS Form W-9, 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 of Exhibit 3.01-D 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 about 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 copies 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
(D)If a payment made to any Lender hereunder or under any other Loan Document would be subject to United States federal withholding Tax imposed pursuant to FATCA if such Lender fails to comply with applicable reporting and other requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or as 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 Internal Revenue Code) or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent sufficient for the Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine whether such Lender has complied with such applicable reporting and other requirements of FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (iii), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
(iii)The Administrative Agent shall provide the Borrower with two properly completed and duly executed copies of, if it is a U.S. Person, IRS Form W-9 certifying that it is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding, and, if it is not a U.S. Person, (1) IRS Form W-8ECI with respect to payments to be received by it as a beneficial owner and (2) IRS Form W-8IMY (together with required accompanying documentation) with respect to payments to be received by it on behalf of the Lenders, and shall update such documentation periodically upon the reasonable request of the Borrower, and whenever a lapse in time or change in circumstances renders any such form or documentation expired, obsolete or inaccurate in any material respect, or promptly notify the Borrower in writing of its legal ineligibility to do so. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.15(f)(iii), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to deliver any documentation that such Administrative Agent is not legally eligible to deliver.
(iv)Each Lender shall promptly (A) notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction or if any form or certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, (B) update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so, and (C) take such steps that are otherwise permitted under, and in accordance with, the terms of this Agreement, and as shall not be materially disadvantageous to it, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, and as may be reasonably necessary (including the re-designation of its Lending Office pursuant to Section 3.06(a)) to avoid any requirement of applicable Laws of any jurisdiction that the Borrower or the Administrative Agent make any withholding or deduction for Taxes from amounts payable to such Lender.
(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 have any obligation to pay to any Lender, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender. If the Administrative Agent or any Lender determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party or with respect to which any Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to such Loan Party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity
payments made, or additional amounts paid, by such Loan Party under this Section with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by the Administrative Agent, such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that each Loan Party, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to such Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent, such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent, such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this subsection, in no event will the Administrative Agent, such Lender be required to pay any amount to such Loan Party pursuant to this subsection the payment of which would place the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as applicable, in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Person 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 the Administrative Agent or any Lender 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 this Section shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.
3.02 Illegality.
If any Lender reasonably determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to perform any of its obligations hereunder or to make, maintain or fund Loans or charge interest with respect to any Credit Extension or to determine or charge interest rates based upon Term SOFR, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (a) any obligation of such Lender to issue, make, maintain, fund or charge interest with respect to any such Credit Extension or continue Term SOFR Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Term SOFR Loans shall be suspended and (b) 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 Term SOFR 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 Term SOFR 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, convert all of such Lender’s Term SOFR Loans 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 Term SOFR component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Term SOFR Loans to such day, or promptly, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term SOFR Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon Term SOFR, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Term SOFR 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 Term SOFR. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.
3.03 Alternate Rate of Interest. Subject to clauses (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of this Section 3.03, if:
(i)the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining Term SOFR (including because the Term SOFR Reference Rate is not available or published on a current basis), for such Interest Period or (B) at any time, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the applicable Daily Simple SOFR; or
(ii)the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, Term SOFR for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period or (B) at any time, Daily Simple SOFR will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone, telecopy or electronic mail as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until (x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) the Borrower delivers a new request for continuation or conversion in accordance with the terms of Section 2.02 or a new Loan Notice in accordance with the terms of Section 2.02, (1) any request for continuation or conversion that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing and any Loan Notice that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be an request for continuation or conversion or a Loan Notice, as applicable, for (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as Daily Simple SOFR is not also the subject of Section 3.03(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) a Base Rate Borrowing if Daily Simple SOFR also is the subject of Section 3.03(a)(i) or (ii) above; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then all other Types of Borrowings shall be permitted. Furthermore, if any Term SOFR Loan or RFR Loan is outstanding on the date of the Borrower’s receipt of the notice from the Administrative Agent referred to in this Section 3.03(a) with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term SOFR Loan or RFR Loan, then until (x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) the Borrower delivers a new request for continuation or conversion in accordance with the terms of Section 2.02 or a new Loan Notice in accordance with the terms of Section 2.02, (1) any Term SOFR Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as Daily Simple SOFR is not also the subject of Section 3.03(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) a Base Rate Loan if Daily Simple SOFR also is the subject of Section 3.03(a)(i) or (ii) above, on such day, and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute a Base Rate Loan.
(b)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred prior to the Reference Time in respect of any setting of the then-current Benchmark, then (x) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of such Benchmark setting and subsequent Benchmark settings without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party
to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (y) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of any Benchmark setting at or after 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date notice of such Benchmark Replacement is provided to the Lenders without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document so long as the Administrative Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection to such Benchmark Replacement from Lenders comprising the Required Lenders.
(c)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent will have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(d)The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, the effectiveness of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes, the removal or reinstatement of any tenor of a Benchmark pursuant to clause (f) below and the commencement or conclusion of any Benchmark Unavailability Period. Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Administrative Agent or, if applicable, any Lender (or group of Lenders) pursuant to this Section 3.03, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection, will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in its or their sole discretion and without consent from any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except, in each case, as expressly required pursuant to this Section 3.03.
(e)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, at any time (including in connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement), if the then-current Benchmark is a term rate (including Term SOFR) and either any tenor for such Benchmark is not displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion or the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark has provided a public statement or publication of information announcing that any tenor for such Benchmark is or will be no longer representative, then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for any Benchmark settings at or after such time to remove such unavailable or non-representative tenor and if a tenor that was removed pursuant to clause (i) above either is subsequently displayed on a screen or information service for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement) or is not, or is no longer, subject to an announcement that it is or will no longer be representative for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement), then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for all Benchmark settings at or after such time to reinstate such previously removed tenor.
(f)Upon the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, the Borrower may revoke any request for (i) a Term Benchmark Borrowing, conversion to or continuation of Term SOFR Loans to be made, converted or continued or (ii) a RFR Borrowing or conversion to RFR Loans, during any Benchmark Unavailability Period and, failing that, the Borrower will be deemed to have converted any request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR
Borrowing, as applicable, into a request for a Borrowing of or conversion to (A) solely with respect to any such request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, an RFR Borrowing so long as Daily Simple SOFR is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (B) a Base Rate Borrowing if Daily Simple SOFR is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event. During any Benchmark Unavailability Period or at any time that a tenor for the then-current Benchmark is not an Available Tenor, the component of ABR based upon the then-current Benchmark or such tenor for such Benchmark, as applicable, will not be used in any determination of ABR. Furthermore, if any Term SOFR Loan or RFR Loan is outstanding on the date of the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term SOFR Loan or RFR Loan, then until such time as a Benchmark Replacement is implemented pursuant to this Section 3.03, (1) any Term SOFR Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as Daily Simple SOFR is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (y) a Base Rate Loan if Daily Simple SOFR is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event, on such day and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute a Base Rate Loan.
3.04 Increased Costs; Reserves on Term SOFR 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;
(ii)subject any Lender to any Tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Agreement or any Term SOFR Loan made by it (except for (x) Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, (y) Excluded Taxes, and (z) Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes); or
(iii)impose on any Lender any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Term SOFR Loans made by such Lender 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 (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender, or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender, the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b)Capital Requirements. If any Lender determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’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 capital or on the capital of such Lender’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by such Lender to a level below that which such Lender or such Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy or liquidity), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Lender’s holding company for any such reduction actually suffered.
(c)Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Borrower shall be presumptively correct absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 15 days after receipt thereof.
(d)Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than six months prior to the date that such Lender, 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 intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the six-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).
3.05 Compensation for Losses.
Promptly following demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) accompanied by the certificate referred to below 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 Term SOFR 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 Term SOFR Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower;
(c)any assignment of a Term SOFR Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 11.13;
(d)any payment or prepayment of any RFR Loan other than on the Interest Payment Date applicable thereto (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic or by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);
(e)any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay or borrow any RFR Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower; or
(f)any assignment of an RFR Loan on a day other than the Interest Payment Date thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 11.13;
including any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.
Concurrent with a demand for compensation pursuant to this Section 3.05, the Lender making such demand shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) a certificate setting forth
in reasonable detail the basis for such Lender’s claim for compensation. Such certificate shall be presumptively correct absent manifest error.
3.06 Mitigation of Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
(a)Designation of a Different Lending Office. Each Lender may make any Credit Extension to the Borrower through any Lending Office, provided that the exercise of this option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Credit Extension in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or 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 to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, then such Lender use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be materially disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b)Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 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 to Section 3.01, the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 11.13.
3.07 Survival.
All of the Loan Parties’ obligations under this Article III shall survive repayment, satisfaction, or discharge of all other Obligations hereunder and resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent, or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender.
ARTICLE IV
GUARANTY
4.01 The Guaranty.
Each of the Guarantors hereby jointly and severally guarantees to the Administrative Agent, each Lender, and each other holder of the Obligations as hereinafter provided, as primary obligor and not as surety, the prompt payment of the Obligations in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise) strictly in accordance with the terms thereof. The Guarantors hereby further agree that if any of the Obligations are not paid in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise), the Guarantors will, jointly and severally, promptly pay the same, without any demand or notice whatsoever, and that in the case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any of the Obligations, the same will be promptly paid in full when due (whether at extended maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise) in accordance with the terms of such extension or renewal.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein or in any other of the Loan Documents or the other documents relating to the Obligations, the obligations of each Guarantor under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not exceed an aggregate amount equal to the largest amount that would not render such obligations subject to avoidance under applicable Debtor Relief Laws.
4.02 Obligations Unconditional.
The obligations of the Guarantors under Section 4.01 are joint and several, absolute and unconditional, irrespective of the value, genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or other documents relating to the Obligations, or any substitution, release, impairment or exchange of any other guarantee of or security for any of the Obligations, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, irrespective of any other circumstance whatsoever which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a surety or guarantor (other than payment in full), it being the intent of this Section 4.02 that the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances. Each Guarantor agrees that such Guarantor shall have no right of subrogation, indemnity, reimbursement or contribution against the Borrower or any other Guarantor for amounts paid under this Article IV until such time as the Obligations have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or terminated. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is agreed that, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the occurrence of any one or more of the following shall not alter or impair the liability of any Guarantor hereunder, which shall remain absolute and unconditional as described above:
(a)at any time or from time to time, without notice to any Guarantor, the time for any performance of or compliance with any of the Obligations shall be extended, or such performance or compliance shall be waived;
(b)any of the acts mentioned in any of the provisions of any of the Loan Documents or any other document relating to the Obligations shall be done or omitted;
(c)the maturity of any of the Obligations shall be accelerated, or any of the Obligations shall be modified, supplemented or amended in any respect, or any right under any of the Loan Documents or any other document relating to the Obligations shall be waived or any other guarantee of any of the Obligations or any security therefor shall be released, impaired or exchanged in whole or in part or otherwise dealt with;
(d)any Lien granted to, or in favor of, the Administrative Agent or any other holder of the Obligations as security for any of the Obligations shall fail to attach or be perfected; or
(e)any of the Obligations shall be determined to be void or voidable (including, without limitation, for the benefit of any creditor of any Guarantor) or shall be subordinated to the claims of any Person (including, without limitation, any creditor of any Guarantor).
With respect to its obligations hereunder, each Guarantor hereby expressly waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, protest and all notices whatsoever (except to the extent otherwise required by any Loan Document) and any requirement that the Administrative Agent or any other holder of the Obligations exhaust any right, power or remedy or proceed against any Person under any of the Loan Documents or any other document relating to the Obligations or against any other Person under any other guarantee of, or security for, any of the Obligations.
4.03 Reinstatement.
The obligations of each Guarantor under this Article IV shall be automatically reinstated if and to the extent that for any reason any payment by or on behalf of any Person in respect of the Obligations is rescinded or must be otherwise restored by any holder of any of the Obligations, whether as a result of any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, and each Guarantor agrees that it will indemnify the Administrative Agent and each other holder of the Obligations on demand for all reasonable costs and expenses (including, without limitation, the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the Administrative Agent or such holder of the Obligations in connection with such rescission or restoration, including any such costs and expenses incurred in defending against any claim alleging that such payment constituted a preference, fraudulent transfer or similar payment under any Debtor Relief Law.
4.04 Certain Additional Waivers.
Each Guarantor agrees that such Guarantor shall have no right of recourse to security for the Obligations, except through the exercise of rights of subrogation pursuant to Section 4.02 and through the exercise of rights of contribution pursuant to Section 4.06.
4.05 Remedies.
The Guarantors agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the other holders of the Obligations, on the other hand, the Obligations may be declared to be forthwith due and payable as specified in Section 9.02 (and shall be deemed to have become automatically due and payable in the circumstances specified in Section 9.02) for purposes of Section 4.01 notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such declaration (or preventing the Obligations from becoming automatically due and payable) as against any other Person and that, in the event of such declaration (or the Obligations being deemed to have become automatically due and payable), the Obligations (whether or not due and payable by any other Person) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for purposes of Section 4.01. The Guarantors acknowledge and agree that their obligations hereunder are secured in accordance with the terms of the Collateral Documents and that the holders of the Obligations may exercise their remedies thereunder in accordance with the terms thereof.
4.06 Rights of Contribution.
The Guarantors agree among themselves that, in connection with payments made hereunder, each Guarantor shall have contribution rights against the other Guarantors as permitted under applicable Law. Such contribution rights shall be subordinate and subject in right of payment to the obligations of such Guarantors under the Loan Documents and no Guarantor shall exercise such rights of contribution until the Obligations have been paid in full and the Commitments have terminated.
4.07 Guarantee of Payment; Continuing Guarantee.
The guarantee in this Article IV is a guaranty of payment and not of collection, is a continuing guarantee, and shall apply to the Obligations whenever arising.
4.08 Release of Guarantors.
The Guarantors, and the guarantees provided in this Article IV, shall be released in the circumstances contemplated by Section 10.10 of this Agreement.
ARTICLE V
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
5.01 Conditions of Effectiveness.
This Agreement shall be effective upon satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions precedent:
(a)Loan Documents. Receipt by the Administrative Agent of executed counterparts of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to be entered into on the Closing Date, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party.
(b)Opinions of Counsel. Receipt by the Administrative Agent of customary opinions of legal counsel to the Loan Parties, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, dated as of the Closing Date.
(c)Organization Documents, Resolutions, Etc. Receipt by the Administrative Agent of the following:
(i)copies of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party certified to be true and complete as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental Authority of the state or other jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, where applicable and available, and certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of such Loan Party to be true and correct as of the Closing Date;
(ii)such certificates of resolutions or other action and incumbency certificates 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 such Loan Party is a party; and
(iii)such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is duly organized or formed, and is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in its state of organization or formation.
(d)Security. Subject to the last paragraph of this Section 5.01, all documents and instruments required to be entered into or delivered by the Loan Parties to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the contemplated Collateral shall have been executed and delivered and, if applicable, be in proper form for filing.
(e)[Reserved].
(f)Solvency Certificate. The Administrative Agent shall have received a solvency certificate signed by the chief financial officer on behalf of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit 5.01(f).
(g)No MAE. There will have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company during the Interim Period (as each such term is defined in the Closing Date Acquisition Agreement as in effect on September 10, 2024).
(h)Closing Date Acquisition. Substantially concurrently with the Closing Date, the Closing Date Acquisition shall be consummated in all material respects in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Closing Date Acquisition Agreement, and the Closing Date Acquisition Agreement shall not have been altered, amended or otherwise changed or supplemented or any provision or condition therein waived, nor any consent granted, by the Borrower, if such alteration, amendment, change, supplement, waiver or consent would be adverse to the interests of the Lenders (in their capacities as such) in any material respect, without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned).
(i)Representations and Warranties. The Specified Representations and the Target Specified Representations shall be true and correct in all material respects.
(j)[Reserved].
(k)Loan Notice. The Administrative Agent shall have received a Loan Notice from the Borrower with respect to the Tranche B Term Loans.
(l)Fees. The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Closing Date, in each case to the extent invoiced at least three Business Days prior to the Closing Date, including reimbursement or payment of all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel to the Administrative Agent) required to reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document.
(m)Refinancing. Prior to or substantially concurrently with the initial Credit Extension under this Agreement on the Closing Date, (A) the Azure Credit Agreement shall have been repaid in full and the Administrative Agent shall have received customary payoff letters in connection therewith and (B) all Liens granted in connection with the foregoing shall have been terminated.
(n)USA Patriot Act; Beneficial Ownership Certification. The Lenders shall have received from the Borrower and each of the Loan Parties at least three Business Days prior to the Closing Date documentation and other information requested by any Lender no less than 10 Business Days prior to the Closing Date that is required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the USA Patriot Act and, to the extent the Borrower qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to the Borrower.
(o)Historical Financial Statements. The Arrangers shall have received (i) audited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated subsidiaries for the most recent three fiscal years of the Borrower ended at least 90 days prior to the Closing Date, (ii) unaudited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated subsidiaries for each fiscal quarter of the Borrower ended after the close of its most recent fiscal year and at least 45 days prior to the Closing Date (but excluding the fourth quarter of any fiscal year), (iii) the Audited Financial Statements (as defined in the Closing Date Acquisition Agreement) and (iv) the Interim Financial Statements (as defined in the Closing Date Acquisition Agreement). The Arrangers hereby acknowledge that they have received each of the financial statements in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) for each fiscal year and fiscal quarter of the Borrower ended prior to the Closing Date and that the Borrower’s filing of any required audited financial statements on Form 10-K or required unaudited financial statements on Form 10-Q, in each case, will
satisfy the requirements under clauses (i) or (ii) as applicable, of this paragraph with respect to financial statements of the Borrower.
Without limiting the generality of the provisions of Section 10.02(b), for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 5.01, 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.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent any security interest in any Collateral is not or cannot be provided and/or perfected on the Closing Date (other than assets with respect to which a Lien may be perfected by (A) the filing of a UCC financing statement or (B) subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, delivery and taking possession of stock certificates of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary that is also a Material Subsidiary that constitute Collateral (with respect to any Domestic Subsidiary that is also a Material Subsidiary of Azure (and so long as the Borrower has used commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such certificates), solely to the extent such stock certificates are received from Azure or affiliates thereof on or prior to the Closing Date) after the Borrower’s use of commercially reasonable efforts to do so or without undue burden or expense, then the provision and/or perfection of a security interest in such Collateral shall not constitute a condition precedent to the availability and initial funding of the Tranche B Term Loans on the Closing Date, but instead shall be required to be provided or delivered in accordance with Section 7.18.
5.02 Conditions to Subsequent Credit Extensions.
The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than the Request for Credit Extension on the Closing Date and a Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Loans to the other Type or a continuation of Term SOFR Loans) is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions precedent:
(a)The representations and warranties of each Loan Party contained in Article VI or any 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 on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that (i) such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date and (ii) such representations and warranties are qualified as to materiality, in which case they shall be true and correct in all respects as of such date (or such earlier date).
(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 shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.
Subject to Section 1.03(d), each Request for Credit Extension (other than the Request for Credit Extension on the Closing Date and a Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Loans to the other Type or a continuation of Term SOFR Loans) submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 5.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied (unless waived) on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.
ARTICLE VI
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Loan Parties represent and warrant to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that; provided that on the Closing Date, in connection with the Transactions, the only representations and warranties made under this Article VI shall be the Specified Representations:
6.01 Existence, Qualification and Power.
Each Loan Party (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and, as applicable, 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 or lease its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and, as applicable, 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; except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i) or (c), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.02 Authorization; No Contravention.
The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not (a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’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 Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or affecting such Person or the properties of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) any material order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject; or (c) violate any material Law.
6.03 Governmental Authorization; Other Consents.
No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document other than (i) those that have already been obtained and are in full force and effect, (ii) filings to perfect the Liens created by the Collateral Documents, and (iii) approvals, consents, exemptions, authorizations or other actions, notices or filings which are not material.
6.04 Binding Effect.
Each Loan Document has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. Each Loan Document constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of each Loan Party party thereto, enforceable against such Loan Party that is party thereto in accordance with its terms, except (i) as enforceability may be limited by applicable Debtor Relief Laws, by fraudulent conveyance laws or by equitable principles relating to enforceability, (ii) as enforceability of the Liens granted under the Loan Documents may be limited by anti-assignment provisions in contracts with Governmental Authorities that are not rendered ineffective by applicable Law and (iii) as enforceability may be limited by the effect of
foreign Laws, rules and regulations as they relate to pledges, if any, of Equity Interests in Foreign Subsidiaries.
6.05 Financial 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; and (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP.
(b)[reserved].
(c)The financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 7.01(a) and (b) have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may otherwise be permitted under Section 7.01(a) and (b)) and present fairly (on the basis disclosed in the footnotes to such financial statements) the consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) as of the dates thereof and for the periods covered thereby.
(d)Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no event or circumstance that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.06 Litigation.
There are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Responsible Officers of any Loan Party, threatened in writing or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against the Borrower or any Subsidiary or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or (b) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.07 No Default.
(a)Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)No Default has occurred and is continuing.
6.08 Ownership of Property; Liens.
Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its business, except for such defects in title as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is not subject to any Liens other than Permitted Liens.
6.09 Environmental Compliance.
Except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect:
(a)Each of the facilities and real properties owned, leased or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary (the “Facilities”) and all operations at the Facilities are in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws, and there is no violation of any Environmental Law with respect to the Facilities or
the businesses operated by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such time (the “Businesses”), and there are no conditions relating to the Facilities or the Businesses that would reasonably be expected to give rise to liability under any applicable Environmental Laws.
(b)None of the Facilities contains, or has previously contained, any Hazardous Materials at, on or under the Facilities in amounts or concentrations that constitute or constituted a violation of, or would reasonably be expected to give rise to liability under, Environmental Laws.
(c)Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has received any written or verbal notice of, or inquiry from any Governmental Authority regarding, any violation, alleged violation, non-compliance, liability or potential liability regarding environmental matters or compliance with Environmental Laws with regard to any of the Facilities or the Businesses, nor does any Responsible Officer of any Loan Party have knowledge or reason to believe that any such notice has been received or has been threatened.
(d)Hazardous Materials have not been transported or disposed of from the Facilities, or generated, treated, stored or disposed of at, on or under any of the Facilities, in each case by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in violation of, or in a manner that would be reasonably likely to give rise to liability under, any applicable Environmental Law.
(e)No judicial proceeding or governmental or administrative action is pending or, to the knowledge of the Responsible Officers of any Loan Party, threatened, under any Environmental Law to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is or will be named as a party, nor are there any consent decrees or other decrees, consent orders, administrative orders or other orders, or other administrative or judicial requirements outstanding under any Environmental Law with respect to the Borrower, any Subsidiary, the Facilities or the Businesses.
(f)There has been no release or threat of release of Hazardous Materials at or from the Facilities, or arising from or related to the operations (including, without limitation, disposal) of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with the Facilities or otherwise in connection with the Businesses, in violation of or in amounts or in a manner that could give rise to liability under Environmental Laws.
6.10 Insurance.
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 similarly situated.
6.11 Taxes.
The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed or caused to be filed all federal, state and other material Tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all federal, state and other material Taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except such Taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP, or for which non-payment could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Borrower, there is no proposed Tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would reasonably be expected to, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.12 ERISA Compliance.
(a)Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each Plan is in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code and other Federal or state laws.
(b)There are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Responsible Officers of any Loan Party, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c)Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) no ERISA Event has occurred, and neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate is aware of any fact, event or circumstance that could reasonably be expected to constitute or result in an ERISA Event with respect to any Pension Plan; (ii) each Loan Party and each ERISA Affiliate has met all applicable requirements under the Pension Funding Rules in respect of each Pension Plan, and no waiver of the minimum funding standards under the Pension Funding Rules has been applied for or obtained; (iii) as of the most recent valuation date for any Pension Plan, the funding target attainment percentage (as defined in Section 430(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code) is 60% or higher and neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate knows of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause the funding target attainment percentage for any such plan to drop below 60% as of the most recent valuation date; (iv) neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability to the PBGC other than for the payment of premiums, and there are no premium payments which have become due that are unpaid; (v) neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or Section 4212(c) of ERISA; and (vi) no Pension Plan has been terminated by the plan administrator thereof nor by the PBGC, and no event or circumstance has occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected to cause the PBGC to institute proceedings under Title IV of ERISA to terminate any Pension Plan.
(d)The Borrower represents and warrants as of the Closing Date that the Borrower is not and will not be using “plan assets” (within the meaning of 29 CFR § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA) of one or more Benefit Plans with respect to the Borrower’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments or this Agreement.
6.13 Subsidiaries.
Set forth on Schedule 6.13 is a complete and accurate list as of the Closing Date of each Material Subsidiary and Guarantor, together with (a) its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and (b) number and percentage of outstanding shares of each class owned (directly or indirectly) by the Borrower or any other Guarantor. The outstanding Equity Interests of each Material Subsidiary are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
6.14 Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.
(a)The Borrower is not engaged and will not 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, 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 the provisions of Section 8.01 or Section 8.05 or subject to any restriction contained in any agreement or instrument between the Borrower and any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender relating to Indebtedness and within the scope of Section 9.01(e) will be margin stock.
(b)None of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
6.15 Disclosure.
No report, financial statement, certificate or other written information furnished by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender (other than projected financial information, pro forma financial information and information of a general economic or industry nature) in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case, as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) when taken as a whole contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein (when taken as a whole), in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, pro forma financial information and information of a general economic or industry nature, the Loan Parties represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time, it being understood that such information may vary from actual results and that such variations may be material.
6.16 Compliance with Laws.
Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.17 Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc.
Except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries own, or possess the legal right to use, all of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, patents, patent rights, franchises, licenses and other intellectual property rights (collectively, “IP Rights”) that are reasonably necessary for or used in the operation of their respective businesses. Set forth on Schedule 6.17 is a list of all (x) IP Rights registered applied for with the United States Copyright Office or the United States Patent and Trademark Office that are owned by each Loan Party as of the Closing Date and (y) exclusive licenses of any other Person’s IP Rights registered or applied for with the United States Copyright Office or the United States Patent and Trademark Office to which any Loan Party is a party as of the Closing Date. Except for such claims and infringements that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (a) no claim has been asserted or is pending, or to the knowledge of the Responsible Officers of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, is threatened by any Person challenging or questioning the use of any IP Rights by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or the validity or effectiveness of any IP Rights owned by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (b) the use of any IP Rights by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, including the granting of a right or a license in respect of any IP Rights from the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any slogan or other advertising device, product, process, method, substance, part or other material now employed, or now contemplated to be employed, by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, does not infringe on any IP Rights of any other Person. As of the
Closing Date, none of the IP Rights owned by any Loan Party is subject to any licensing agreement or similar arrangement except as set forth on Schedule 6.17.
6.18 Solvency.
As of the Closing Date, he Borrower and its Subsidiaries, after giving effect to the Transaction, are Solvent on a consolidated basis.
6.19 Perfection of Security Interests in the Collateral.
The Collateral Documents create valid security interests in, and Liens on, the Collateral purported to be covered thereby, which security interests and Liens are currently perfected security interests and Liens (to the extent perfection is required pursuant to the Collateral Documents), prior to all other Liens other than Permitted Liens.
6.20 Business Locations; Taxpayer Identification Number.
Set forth on Schedule 6.20-1 is the chief executive office, U.S. tax payer identification number and organizational identification number of each Loan Party as of the Closing Date. The exact legal name and state of organization of each Loan Party as of the Closing Date is as set forth on the signature pages hereto. Except as set forth on Schedule 6.20-2, no Loan Party has during the five years preceding the Closing Date (i) changed its legal name, (ii) changed its state of formation, or (iii) been party to a merger, consolidation or other change in structure.
6.21 OFAC.
Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary nor, to the knowledge of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, any director, officer, employee, affiliate or representative thereof, is an individual or entity that is, or is 50% or greater owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is (a) currently the subject or target of any Sanctions, (b) included on OFAC’s List of Specialty Designated Nationals or HMT’s Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets, or any similar list enforced by any other relevant sanctions authority applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (c) located, organized or resident in any Designated Jurisdiction. Neither the Borrower nor its Subsidiaries have any of its assets in a Designated Jurisdiction. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have conducted their business in compliance with all applicable Sanctions and have instituted and maintained policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such Sanctions.
6.22 Anti-Corruption Laws.
The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have conducted their businesses in compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010, and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions applicable to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and have instituted and maintained policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with such laws, in each case, in all material respects.
6.23 No Affected Financial Institution.
No Loan Party is an Affected Financial Institution.
ARTICLE VII
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied (other than contingent or indemnification obligations not then due), the Loan Parties shall and shall cause each Subsidiary to:
7.01 Financial Statements.
Deliver to the Administrative Agent (for delivery to each Lender):
(a)as soon as available, but in any event within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, changes in 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, and in the case of such consolidated statements audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of an independent certified public accountant of nationally recognized standing, 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 audit; and
(b)as soon as available, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, the related consolidated statements of income or operations for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal year then ended, and the related consolidated statements of changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal year then ended, setting forth in comparative form, as applicable, the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and in the case of such consolidated statements certified by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, vice president-finance, treasurer or controller of the Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.
7.02 Certificates; Other Information.
Deliver to the Administrative Agent (for delivery to each Lender):
(a)[reserved];
(b)concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 7.01(a) and (b), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, vice president – finance, treasurer or controller of the Borrower;
(c)concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 7.01(a), (i) an annual business plan and budget of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and (ii) forecasts prepared by management of the Borrower, in form satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, of consolidated balance
sheets and statements of income or operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a quarterly basis for the immediately following fiscal year (including the fiscal year in which the Maturity Date occurs);
(d)concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 7.01(a), a report signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower that supplements Schedule 6.17 such that, as supplemented, such Schedule would be accurate and correct in all material respects as of such date (if no supplement is required to cause such Schedule to be accurate and complete as of such date or if the only new information would be the removal of previously included items, then the Borrower shall not be required to deliver such a report);
(e)concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 7.01(a) and (b), a summary of any change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary (if no such change has been made, then the Borrower shall not be required to deliver such a summary);
(f)promptly after any reasonable request by the Administrative Agent in writing, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of the Borrower by independent accountants in connection with the accounts or books of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any audit of any of them; and
(g)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 on behalf of any Lender may from time to time reasonably request in writing.
Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7.01(a) or (b) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Borrower’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 11.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent upon its request and (ii) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (by facsimile 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 an Affiliate thereof may, but shall not be obligated to, make available to the Lenders materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks, Syndtrak, ClearPar or a substantially similar electronic transmission 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 so long as the
Borrower is the issuer of any outstanding debt or equity securities that are registered or issued pursuant to a private offering or is actively contemplating issuing any such securities it will use commercially reasonable efforts to identify that portion of the Borrower Materials that may be distributed to the Public Lenders and that (w) all such Borrower Materials 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, any Affiliate thereof and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as 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, however, that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 11.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated as “Public Side Information;” and (z) the Administrative Agent and any Affiliate thereof 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 as “Public Side Information”. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall be under no obligation to mark any Borrower Materials “PUBLIC.”
7.03 Notices.
Promptly notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender of:
(a)the occurrence of any Default; and
(b)any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
Each notice pursuant to this Section 7.03 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 to Section 7.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.
7.04 Payment of Taxes.
Pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable all material Tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets, unless (a) the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by the Borrower or such Subsidiary, or (b) the failure to pay and discharge such obligations could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
7.05 Preservation of Existence, Etc.
(a)Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization except in a transaction permitted by Section 8.02, 8.04 or 8.05.
(b)Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization except in a transaction permitted by Section 8.02, 8.04 or 8.05 or to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(c)Take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d)Preserve, renew or keep in full force and effect all of its IP Rights, the non-preservation or non-renewal, or failure to keep in full force and effect of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
7.06 Maintenance 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 thereto and renewals and replacements thereof, except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
7.07 Maintenance of Insurance.
(a)Maintain in full force and effect insurance with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies similarly situated.
(b)Cause the Administrative Agent and its successors and/or assigns to be named as lender’s loss payee or mortgagee as its interest may appear, and/or additional insured with respect to any such insurance providing liability coverage or coverage in respect of any Collateral, and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each provider of any such insurance to agree, by endorsement upon the policy or policies issued by it or by independent instruments furnished to the Administrative Agent, that it will give the Administrative Agent thirty days (or such lesser amount as the Administrative Agent may agree) prior written notice before any such policy or policies shall be cancelled, subject to the cancellation provisions of the state jurisdiction for non-payment of premium.
7.08 Compliance with Laws.
Comply with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its business or property, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; or (b) the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
7.09 Books and Records.
(a)Maintain proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.
(b)Maintain such books of record and account in material conformity with all applicable material requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory jurisdiction over the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.
7.10 Inspection Rights.
Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Administrative Agent and, to the extent permitted by applicable Laws and subject to applicable confidentiality requirements, the Lenders to visit and inspect any of its properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its directors, officers, and independent public accountants, all at the expense of the Borrower and at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably desired, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower; provided, however, that (a) absent an Event of Default, the Borrower shall be required to pay for only one such visit and/or inspection by the Administrative Agent in any fiscal year of the Borrower and the maximum amount the Borrower shall be required to pay for such visit and/or inspection shall not exceed $25,000, (b) when an Event of Default exists the Administrative Agent and, to the extent permitted by applicable Laws and subject to applicable confidentiality requirements, the Lenders (or any of their respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of the Borrower at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice as often as they may reasonably require and (c) a Responsible Officer of the Borrower shall be given the opportunity to be present during such discussions and any such discussions with the Borrower’s independent certified public accountants.
7.11 Use of Proceeds.
Use (a) the proceeds of the Tranche B Term Loans solely to effect the Transactions and to pay related fees and expenses and, (b) the proceeds of the Tranche B-2 Term Loans solely for the Permitted Purposes (as defined in Amendment No. 1) and (c) the proceeds of the Incremental Term Facilities for working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes and, in each case not (i) in contravention of any Law or prohibited by this Agreement or (ii) to directly or indirectly, 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 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 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 or otherwise) of Sanctions.
7.12 Additional Subsidiaries.
Within sixty (60) days after any Person (other than an Excluded Subsidiary) becomes a Material Domestic Subsidiary (or such longer period as the Administrative Agent shall agree), cause such Person to (i) become a Guarantor by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a Joinder Agreement or such other documents as the Administrative Agent shall deem appropriate for such purpose, (ii) deliver to the Administrative Agent documents of the types referred to in Sections 5.01(c), (iii) deliver to the Administrative Agent the documents contemplated by Section 7.13(b) with respect to such Guarantor and (iv) to the extent requested in writing by the Administrative Agent, deliver to the Administrative Agent customary opinions of counsel to such Person, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
7.13 Pledged Assets.
(a)Equity Interests.
(i)Cause 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each Material Domestic Subsidiary (other than any Excluded Property or any Excluded Subsidiary) to be subject at all times to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the
benefit of the holders of the Obligations, to secure the Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents (subject to Permitted Liens), and, in connection with the foregoing, subject to the Intercreditor Agreement (or any Other Intercreditor Agreement, as applicable) deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request including, any filings and deliveries to perfect such Liens, Organization Documents and resolutions all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; provided that the Borrower shall have sixty (60) days after any Person becomes a Material Domestic Subsidiary (or such longer period as the Administrative Agent shall agree) to satisfy this Section 7.13(a) with respect to such Person;
(ii)At any time that the Foreign Subsidiary Holding Companies and Foreign Subsidiaries directly owned by the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary (the “First Tier Foreign Subsidiaries”) shall in the aggregate account for more than (A) ten percent (10%) of Consolidated EBITDA for the Applicable Period, (B) ten percent (10%) of total revenues of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for the Applicable Period or (C) ten percent (10%) of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period (each such threshold, a “Foreign Subsidiary Threshold”), then the Borrower shall within sixty (60) days after delivery of such financial statements pursuant to Section 7.01(a) or (b) cause 66% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests (other than any Excluded Property) entitled to vote (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.956-2(c)(2)) and 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests (other than any Excluded Property) not entitled to vote (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.956-2(c)(2)) in one or more First Tier Foreign Subsidiaries to be subject at all times to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations, to secure the Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents (subject to Permitted Liens) such that immediately after such pledge, the First Tier Foreign Subsidiaries whose Equity Interests is not subject to such a Lien shall not exceed any Foreign Subsidiary Threshold, and, in connection with the foregoing, subject to the Intercreditor Agreement (or any Other Intercreditor Agreement, as applicable) deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may request including, any filings and deliveries to perfect such Liens, Organization Documents and resolutions all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(b)Other Property. Take or cause to be taken such other actions reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to ensure that all personal property (other than Excluded Property) of each Loan Party is subject at all times to first priority, perfected (subject, in the case of Collateral for which priority or perfection is established through control, only to the extent control of such Collateral is required by the Security Agreement) Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations, to secure the Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents (subject to Permitted Liens) and, in connection with the foregoing, deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request including filings and deliveries necessary to perfect such Liens, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall be required to enter into any control agreements or take any agreement governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the United States or any state thereof.
7.14 State of Formation and Form of Entity.
Provide five (5) days prior written notice to the Administrative Agent (or such lesser period as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion) prior to changing its legal name, state of formation or form of organization.
7.15 Anti-Corruption Laws; Sanctions.
Conduct its businesses in compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions and with all Sanctions, in each case, applicable to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with such laws and Sanctions, in each case, in all material respects.
7.16 Maintenance of Ratings. So long as the Tranche B Term Loans, the Tranche B-2 Term Loans or any other Incremental Tranche B Term Facility is outstanding, the Borrower shall use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain (i) a public corporate credit rating (but not any specific rating) from S&P and a public corporate family rating (but not any specific rating) from Moody’s, in each case, in respect of the Borrower and (ii) a public rating (but not any specific rating) in respect of the Tranche B Term Loans, the Tranche B-2 Term Loans and any other Incremental Tranche B Term Facility from each of S&P and Moody’s.
7.17 Lender Calls. Following delivery of the information required pursuant to clause (a) or (b) of Section 7.01 (but not more frequently than quarterly), the Borrower will participate in a conference call at a time selected by the Borrower for Lenders that choose to participate, to discuss the financial condition and results of operations of the Loan Parties for the most recently-ended period for which financial statements have been delivered; provided that the requirement to participate in any such conference call for the applicable quarter shall be deemed satisfied if the Borrower (or any direct or indirect parent thereof) conducts a customary public earnings call for such fiscal quarter.
7.18 Post-Closing Obligations. Satisfy the requirements set forth on Schedule 7.18 on or before the date that is 90 days after the Closing Date (or such later date as consented to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion).
ARTICLE VIII
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied (other than contingent or indemnification obligations not then due) no Loan Party shall, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to:
8.01 Liens.
Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than the following:
(a)(x) Liens pursuant to any Loan Document and (y) subject to the Intercreditor Agreement (or any Other Intercreditor Agreement), Liens on the Collateral pursuant to the Revolver/Term A Loan Documents;
(b)Liens existing on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 8.01 and any renewals or extensions thereof, provided that the property covered thereby is not increased;
(c)Liens for Taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;
(d)statutory Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen and suppliers and other Liens imposed by law or pursuant to customary reservations or retentions of title arising in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Liens secure only amounts not overdue for more than sixty days or, if overdue for more than sixty days, are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves determined in accordance with GAAP have been established;
(e)pledges or deposits or statutory trusts 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 that secures any amount in excess of the Threshold Amount;
(f)deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, licenses and leases (other than Funded Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(g)easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person;
(h)Liens securing judgments for the payment of money (or appeal or other surety bonds relating to such judgments) not constituting an Event of Default under Section 9.01(h);
(i)Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 8.03(e); provided that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Indebtedness and (ii) such Liens attach to such property concurrently with or within ninety days after the acquisition thereof;
(j)leases or subleases granted to others not interfering in any material respect with the business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(k)any interest of title of a lessor under, and Liens arising from UCC financing statements (or equivalent filings, registrations or agreements in foreign jurisdictions) relating to, leases permitted by this Agreement;
(l)Liens deemed to exist in connection with Investments in repurchase agreements permitted under Section 8.02;
(m)normal and customary rights of setoff upon deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions;
(n)Liens of a collection bank arising under Section 4-210 of the Uniform Commercial Code on items in the course of collection;
(o)Liens arising on any real property as a result of any eminent domain, condemnation or similar proceeding being commenced with respect to such real property;
(p)Liens on property of Foreign Subsidiaries securing Foreign Subsidiary Indebtedness;
(q)Liens on property or assets acquired pursuant to a Permitted Acquisition or any other Investment permitted by Section 8.02 (and the proceeds thereof) or on property or assets of a Subsidiary in existence at the time such Subsidiary is acquired pursuant to a Permitted Acquisition or other permitted Investment and not created in contemplation thereof (including Liens securing Indebtedness permitted by Section 8.03(p)), provided that such Liens do not at any time extend to any other property or assets;
(r)receipt of progress payments and advances from customers in the ordinary course of business to the extent the same creates a Lien on the related inventory and proceeds thereof;
(s)Liens on cash or cash equivalents used to defease or to satisfy and discharge Indebtedness, provided that such defeasance or satisfaction and discharge is not prohibited hereunder;
(t)Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure the payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;
(u)Liens solely on any cash earnest money deposits made by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with an Investment permitted by Section 8.02;
(v)Liens on cash deposits securing any Swap Contracts provided that the aggregate amount of cash deposits subject to such Liens shall not exceed $100,000,000;
(w)Liens relating to the financing of insurance premiums so long as such Liens do not encumber any property other than cash paid to any such insurance company in respect of such insurance;
(x)Liens on Equity Interests in Joint Ventures securing obligations of such Joint Venture;
(y)Liens on Permitted Factoring Property arising after such Permitted Factoring Property is actually sold or otherwise transferred in a Permitted Factoring Transaction to a Person that is not the Borrower or a Subsidiary (other than an SPV);
(z)Liens on the Collateral securing Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt and Ratio Debt (and Permitted Refinancings (or successive Permitted Refinancings) in respect of the foregoing); provided that such Liens (1) are pari passu or junior to the Liens on the Collateral securing the Obligations and (2) are subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement or an Other Intercreditor Agreement; and
(aa)Liens (other than Liens described in the foregoing clauses) securing obligations in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at the time of, and immediately after giving effect to, the incurrence of any such obligation, not to exceed the greater of (i) $400,000,000 and (ii) 6.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period.
8.02 Investments.
Make any Investments, except:
(a)Investments in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents or Investments that were Cash Equivalents when made;
(b)Investments existing as of the Closing Date and set forth in Schedule 8.02;
(c)Investments in any Person that (i) is a Loan Party prior to giving effect to such Investment or (y) simultaneously with such Investment shall become a Loan Party in accordance with the terms hereof;
(d)Investments in any Domestic Subsidiary;
(e)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;
(f)Investments consisting of the non-cash portion of consideration received in connection with Dispositions permitted pursuant to Section 8.05;
(g)Guarantees permitted by Section 8.03;
(h)Investments in an aggregate amount outstanding at the time of, and immediately after giving effect to, such Investment not to exceed the greater of (i) $200,000,000 and (ii) 3.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period;
(i)Investments by any Foreign Subsidiary in another Foreign Subsidiary;
(j)travel, relocation, tuition reimbursement, 401(k) account transition and other advances made to officers, directors and employees in the ordinary course of the business to the extent such advances do not violate applicable Law;
(k)Call Options and purchases of Equity Interests of the Borrower pursuant thereto;
(l)Subsidiaries of the Borrower may be established or created, if (i) to the extent such new Subsidiary is a Domestic Subsidiary, the Borrower and such Subsidiary comply with the provisions of Section 7.12, if applicable; provided that, in each case, to the extent such new Subsidiary is created solely for the purpose of consummating a merger transaction pursuant to an acquisition permitted by Section 8.04, and such new Subsidiary at no time holds any assets or liabilities other than any merger consideration contributed to it contemporaneously with the closing of such merger transactions, such new Subsidiary shall not be required to take the actions, set forth in Section 7.12 or 7.13, as applicable, until the respective acquisition is consummated (at which time the surviving entity of the respective merger transaction shall be required to so comply within ten Business Days or such longer period as the Administrative Agent shall agree);
(m)Investments resulting from pledges and deposits referred to in Section 8.03;
(n)any Investment in a Foreign Subsidiary to the extent such Investment is substantially contemporaneously repaid in full with a dividend or other distribution from such Foreign Subsidiary;
(o)Investments in the Borrower’s Group Executive Retirement Plan (the Supplemental Savings Plan) maintained in a Rabbi Trust consistent with past practices;
(p)the transfer of Permitted Factoring Property to an SPV immediately prior to the sale of such Permitted Factoring Property in Permitted Factoring Transactions and other de minimis Investments in connection with the creation of any such SPV; and
(q)other Investments (including Permitted Acquisitions) not permitted by the foregoing clauses, provided that (i) if no Event of Default shall exist or result therefrom at the time of the making of such Investment and (y) immediately after giving effect thereto, on a Pro Forma Basis, the Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio shall not exceed 5.00:1.00 as of the end of the Applicable Period.
8.03 Indebtedness.
Create, incur or assume any Indebtedness on and after the Closing Date, or suffer to exist any Indebtedness outstanding on the Closing Date, except:
(a)(x) Indebtedness under the Loan Documents and (y) (i) Indebtedness of any Loan Party under the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding under this clause (a)(y)(i) not to exceed $3,092,912,500 and (ii) Permitted Refinancings (or successive Permitted Refinancings) in respect of the foregoing clause (a)(y)(i);
(b)Indebtedness set forth in Schedule 8.03 and renewals, refinancings and extensions thereof; provided that (i) the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the time of such renewal, refinancing or extension except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder and (ii) the material terms taken as a whole of such renewal, refinancing or extension are customary for Indebtedness of a similar nature or are not materially less favorable to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries than the terms of the Indebtedness being renewed, refinanced or extended;
(c)intercompany Indebtedness permitted under Section 8.02;
(d)obligations (contingent or otherwise) existing or arising under any Swap Contract, provided that such obligations are (or were) entered into by such Person 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 such Person, or changes in the value of securities issued by such Person and not for purposes of speculation;
(e)purchase money Indebtedness (including obligations in respect of Capital Leases or Synthetic Leases) hereafter incurred to finance the purchase of fixed assets, and renewals, refinancings and extensions thereof, provided that (i) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all such Indebtedness outstanding at the time of, and immediately after giving effect to, the incurrence thereof, shall not exceed the greater of (A) $340,000,000 and (B) 5.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period; and (ii) such Indebtedness when incurred shall not exceed the purchase price of the asset(s) financed;
(f)(i) (A) additional Indebtedness (any such Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this Section 8.03(f)(i), “Ratio Debt”); provided that no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date such Indebtedness is incurred; immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Indebtedness
and the application of the proceeds thereof on a Pro Forma Basis (and for purposes of the calculations set forth in this clause (b), (x) assuming that the full amount of the commitments under any such Indebtedness are fully drawn on the date of incurrence thereof and (y) excluding the proceeds of such Indebtedness from the cash netting in the numerator of the Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio, Consolidated Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio and Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio, as applicable), (i) with respect to any such Indebtedness that is secured by the Collateral on a pari passu basis with the Obligations, the Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio recomputed as of the end of the Applicable Period would not be greater than 3.75:1.00; (ii) in the case of any such Indebtedness that is secured by the Collateral on a junior basis to the Obligations, the Consolidated Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio recomputed as of the end of the Applicable Period would not be greater than 4.25:1.00; and (iii) in the case of any such Indebtedness that is unsecured, at the Borrower’s option, either (x) the Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio recomputed as of the end of the Applicable Period would not be greater than 5.00:1.00 or (y) the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio recomputed as of the end of the Applicable Period would not be less than 2.00:1.00, (c) if secured, (i) such Indebtedness shall not be secured by any property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is not Collateral and (ii) the Liens securing such Indebtedness shall be subject to an intercreditor agreement on terms reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower; (d) subject to the Permitted Earlier Maturity Indebtedness Exception, with respect to any such Indebtedness that is unsecured, the aggregate amount of amortization payments required to be made on such Indebtedness prior to the date that is 91 days after the Maturity Date shall not exceed 10% of the original principal amount of such Indebtedness; (e) subject to the Permitted Earlier Maturity Indebtedness Exception, the maturity date of such Indebtedness shall be no earlier than the Latest Maturity Date at the time of incurrence or issuance of such Indebtedness (or, if such Indebtedness is Junior Indebtedness, the date 91 days after the Latest Maturity Date at the time of incurrence or issuance of such Indebtedness) and (f) any Ratio Debt consisting of a broadly syndicated Dollar-denominated term “B” loan that is secured by the Collateral on a pari passu basis with the Term Loans shall be subject to the MFN Provision as if such Ratio Debt were an Incremental Tranche B Term Loan and (B) any Permitted Refinancing of Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (A) above (or successive Permitted Refinancings in respect thereof); provided that the amount of Indebtedness incurred by Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties under this Section 8.03(f)(i), when combined with the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties outstanding under Section 8.03(f)(ii) and Section 8.03(k) and the aggregate amount of any outstanding Guarantees by a Loan Party of Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party under Section 8.03(q) shall not exceed the greater of (1) $170,000,000 and (2) 2.5% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period; and
(ii) unsecured Indebtedness incurred under Customary Bridge Facilities; provided that (A) no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date such Indebtedness is incurred; (B) immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Indebtedness and the application of the proceeds thereof on a Pro Forma Basis, at the Borrower’s option, either (i) the Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio shall not exceed 5.00:1.00 or (ii) the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio shall not be less than 2.00:1.00, in each case as of the end of the Applicable Period; provided that the amount of Indebtedness incurred by Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties under this Section 8.03(f)(ii), when combined with the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties outstanding under Section 8.03(f)(i) and Section 8.03(k) and the aggregate amount of any outstanding Guarantees by a Loan Party of Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party under Section 8.03(q), shall not exceed the greater of (i) $170,000,000 and (ii) 2.5% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period;
(g) Indebtedness under surety bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(h)Indebtedness that may be deemed to exist under the agreements relating to any Investment permitted under Section 8.02 (including any Permitted Acquisition) or Disposition as a result of the obligation of the Borrower or such Subsidiary to pay indemnification, earn-outs, consulting arrangements, contingent purchase price payments or other purchase price adjustments or similar obligations;
(i)the Call Options and the Warrants;
(j)Indebtedness consisting of obligations arising under Permitted Factoring Transactions;
(k)Indebtedness of Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at the time of, and immediately after giving effect to, the incurrence of any such Indebtedness, when combined with the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties outstanding under Section 8.03(f)(i) and Section 8.03(f)(ii) and the aggregate amount of any outstanding Guarantees by a Loan Party of Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party under Section 8.03(q), not to exceed the greater of (i) $170,000,000 and (ii) 2.5% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period;
(l)Indebtedness issued in lieu of cash payments of Restricted Payments permitted by Section 8.06(d) in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at the time of, and immediately after giving effect to, the issuance of such Indebtedness not to exceed the greater of (i) $31,000,000 and (ii) 0.50% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period; provided that such Indebtedness is subordinated to the Obligations on terms reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;
(m)Indebtedness owing to any insurance company in connection with the financing of any insurance premiums permitted by such insurance company in the ordinary course of business;
(n)Indebtedness in respect of overdraft facilities, employee credit card programs, netting services, automatic clearinghouse arrangements and other cash management and similar arrangements in the ordinary course of business;
(o)obligations of the Borrower arising in connection with the Borrower’s Group Executive Retirement Plan (the Supplemental Savings Plan) maintained in a Rabbi Trust;
(p)(i) Indebtedness of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary at any time after the Closing Date (“Acquired Indebtedness”), provided that (x) such Indebtedness exists at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary and is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such Person becoming a Subsidiary, (y) neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary (other than such Person and its Subsidiaries or any other Person that such Person merges with or that acquires the assets of such Person) shall have any liability or other obligation with respect to such Indebtedness and (z) immediately after giving effect to such Indebtedness on a Pro Forma Basis, at the Borrower’s option, either (1) the Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio shall not exceed 5.00:1.00 or (2) the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio shall not be less than 2.00:1.00, in each case as of the end of the Applicable Period and (ii) Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (i) above (or successive Permitted Refinancings in respect thereof); provided that neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary (other than the original obligors in respect of the Acquired Indebtedness) shall have any liability or other obligation with respect to such Indebtedness;
(q)Guarantees with respect to Indebtedness permitted under this Section 8.03 or other obligations; provided that any such Guarantee shall constitute an Investment by the Person providing such Guarantee in the primary obligor with respect to such Indebtedness or obligation and shall be required to be permitted by Section 8.02 (other than Section 8.02(g)); provided further that the amount of any Guarantee by a Loan Party of Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party shall not, when combined with the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties outstanding under Section 8.03(f)(i), Section 8.03(f)(ii) and Section 8.03(k), exceed the greater of (i) $170,000,000 and (ii) 2.5% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period;
(r)Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt and any Permitted Refinancing (or successive Permitted Refinancings) thereof; and
(s)additional Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount (for the Borrower and all Subsidiaries), not to exceed the greater of (i) $400,000,000 and (ii) 6.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period.
8.04 Fundamental Changes.
Merge, dissolve, liquidate or consolidate with or into another Person, except that so long as no Event of Default exists or would result therefrom, (a) the Borrower may merge or consolidate with any of its Subsidiaries provided that the Borrower is the continuing or surviving Person, (b) any Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with any other Subsidiary provided that if a Loan Party is a party to such transaction, (x) the continuing or surviving Person is a Loan Party or (y) simultaneously with such transaction, the continuing or surviving corporation shall become a Loan Party in accordance with the terms hereof, (c) the Borrower or any Subsidiary may merge with any other Person in connection with an Investment (including a Permitted Acquisition) permitted under Section 8.02; provided that if the Borrower is a party thereto then the Borrower is the continuing or surviving Person, (d) any Subsidiary may dissolve, liquidate or wind up its affairs at any time provided that such dissolution, liquidation or winding up, as applicable, could not have a Material Adverse Effect, (e) Dispositions permitted by Section 8.05 and (f) any Subsidiary may merge, dissolve, liquidate or consolidate in connection with a Disposition permitted by Section 8.05.
8.05 Dispositions.
Make any Disposition unless
(a)no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; (b) at least 75% of the consideration paid in connection with all Dispositions in any fiscal year (other than Designated Non-cash Consideration in an aggregate amount of up to the greater of (i) $136,000,000 and (ii) 2.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the Applicable Period) shall be cash or Cash Equivalents paid contemporaneous with consummation of such Disposition; (c) the total consideration paid in connection with any Disposition shall be in an amount not less than the fair market value of the property disposed of; (d) the requirements of Section 2.05(c)(i), to the extent applicable, are complied with in connection therewith; (e) if such transaction is a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, it is a Permitted Sale Leaseback Transaction; and (f) such transaction does not involve a sale or other disposition of receivables other than receivables owned by or attributable to other property concurrently being disposed of in a transaction otherwise permitted under this Section 8.05.
8.06 Restricted Payments.
Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except:
(a)each Subsidiary may declare and make Restricted Payments to Persons that own Equity Interests in such Subsidiary, ratably according to their respective holdings of the type of Equity Interest in respect of which such Restricted Payment is being made;
(b)the Borrower and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in Equity Interests of such Person; and
(c)the Borrower and each Subsidiary may purchase Call Options;
(d)the Borrower and each Subsidiary may declare and make Restricted Payments so long as (i) no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from such Restricted Payment and (ii) immediately after giving effect to such Restricted Payment on a Pro Forma Basis the Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio shall not exceed 4.50:1.00 as of the end of the Applicable Period;
(e)the Borrower may repurchase shares of its Equity Interests pursuant to or in connection with any of its employee stock purchase plans, stock incentive plans, stock options plans and other stock plans, provided that (i) the aggregate amount of all such repurchases shall not exceed $50,000,000 in any calendar year (with the unused amount in any calendar year being carried over to the immediately succeeding calendar year) and (ii) no such repurchase may be made at any time that a Default exists.
8.07 Change in Nature of Business.
Engage in any material line of business substantially different from those lines of business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the Closing Date or any business substantially related or incidental thereto or reasonable extensions thereof.
8.08 Transactions with Affiliates.
Enter into or permit to exist any transaction or series of transactions with any Affiliate of such Person other than (a) advances of working capital to any Loan Party, (b) transfers of cash and assets to any Loan Party, (c) intercompany transactions among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries expressly permitted by this Agreement and (d) other transactions on terms and conditions substantially as favorable to such Person as would be obtainable by it in a comparable arms-length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 8.08 shall not apply to employment, bonus, retention and severance arrangements with, and payments of compensation or benefits to or for the benefit of, current or former employees, consultants, officers or directors of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.
8.09 Burdensome Agreements.
Enter into, or permit to exist, any Contractual Obligation that encumbers or restricts the ability of any Loan Party or Material Foreign Subsidiary to (i) make Restricted Payments to any Loan Party, (ii) pay any Indebtedness owed to any Loan Party, (iii) transfer any of its property to any Loan Party, (iv) pledge its Collateral pursuant to the Loan Documents or (v) act as a Loan Party pursuant to the Loan Documents, except (in respect of any of the matters referred to in clauses (i)-(v) above) for (1) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (2) the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement and the loan documents entered into in connection therewith, provided that such restriction does not materially and adversely affect the ability
of the Borrower to service its Indebtedness (including the Indebtedness arising under this Agreement) or the ability of the Loan Parties to grant security interests in the Collateral that are pari passu to the security interests in the Collateral granted to secure the obligations under the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement, (3) any document or instrument governing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 8.03 (other than as set forth in clause (2) above), provided that (x) with respect to Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 8.03(e) such restriction contained therein relates only to the asset or assets constructed or acquired in connection therewith and (y) with respect to Indebtedness incurred pursuant to any other clause of Section 8.03 (other than Section 8.03(a) or amounts incurred under Section 8.03 to increase the loans and commitments in respect of Indebtedness in respect of the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement), any such restriction is limited to matters referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above and does not materially adversely affect the ability of the Borrower to service its Indebtedness (including the Indebtedness arising under this Agreement), (4) any Permitted Lien or any document or instrument governing any Permitted Lien, provided that any such restriction contained therein relates only to the asset or assets subject to such Permitted Lien, (5) customary restrictions and conditions contained in any agreement relating to the sale of any property permitted under Section 8.05 pending the consummation of such sale, (6) anti-assignment provisions in government contracts, or requires the grant of any security for any obligation if such property is given as security for the Obligations, (7) non-exclusive licenses to commercially available software and other non-exclusive intellectual property licenses, in each case, entered into in the ordinary course of business, pursuant to which the Borrower or such Subsidiary is the licensee of the relevant software or intellectual property, as the case may be (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall relate only to the assets subject of the applicable licenses), (8) any agreements relating to Foreign Subsidiary Indebtedness (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall relate only to the assets of such Foreign Subsidiaries), (9) prohibitions and limitations in effect on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 8.09, (10) customary provisions contained in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business and applicable to Joint Ventures, (11) customary provisions restricting the subletting or assignment of any lease governing a leasehold interest, (12) customary restrictions and conditions contained in any agreement relating to any Disposition of property not prohibited hereunder, (13) customary provisions restricting assignment of any agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business, (14) restrictions contained in any Contractual Obligations relating to the consummation of a transaction which restrictions are conditioned upon the repayment of the Obligations in full and the termination or expiration of the Commitments, (15) any agreement in effect at the time any Person becomes a Subsidiary, so long as such agreement was not entered into in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary, and (16) any document or instrument governing any Permitted Factoring Transaction, provided that any such restriction relates only to the Permitted Factoring Property actually sold or encumbered pursuant to such Permitted Factoring Transaction.
8.10 Use 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.
8.11 [Reserved].
8.12 Prepayments of Subordinated Indebtedness.
(a)Make any prepayment (whether optional or mandatory) of any Subordinated Indebtedness, in each case, incurred under Section 8.03(f), other than:
(i)the prepayment of any Subordinated Indebtedness with the net cash proceeds of the issuance of any other Indebtedness permitted hereunder (other than Loans);
(ii)prepayments of Subordinated Indebtedness so long as (A) no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from such prepayment and (B) immediately after giving effect to such prepayment on a pro forma basis the Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio shall not exceed 4.50:1.00 as of the end of the Applicable Period; and
(iii)prepayments of Subordinated Indebtedness in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000,000.
(b)Make any payment of principal, interest or other amounts on any Subordinated Indebtedness in violation of the subordination provisions applicable to such Subordinated Indebtedness.
8.13 Swap Contracts. Enter into any Swap Contract other than Swap Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business, and not for speculative purposes.
8.14 Organization Documents; Fiscal Year.
(a)Amend, modify or change its Organization Documents in a manner materially adverse to the Lenders.
(b)Change its fiscal year.
8.15 [Reserved].
8.16 Sanctions.
Directly or, to the knowledge of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiary, indirectly, use any Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension to any Person, to fund, finance, or facilitate any activities of or business with any Person, 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 Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as Lender, Arranger, Administrative Agent or otherwise) of Sanctions.
8.17 Anti-Corruption Laws and Anti-Money Laundering Laws.
Directly or, to the knowledge of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, indirectly use any Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension (a) in any manner which would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 or other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (b) in violation of anti-money laundering Laws in any jurisdiction applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE IX
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
9.01 Events of Default.
Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:
(a)Non-Payment. Any Loan Party fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan, or (ii) within five days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan, any fee due hereunder, or any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or
(b)Specific Covenants.
(i)Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Section 7.01 or 7.02 and such failure continues for five days; or
(ii)Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Section 7.03(a), 7.05(a) or 7.11 or Article VIII; or
(c)Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in subsection (a) or (b) above) contained in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for thirty days; or
(d)Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of any Loan Party 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 when made or deemed made; or
(e)Cross-Default. (i) The Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Material Indebtedness; (ii) the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any Material Indebtedness 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 Material Indebtedness (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Material 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 Material Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity (other than Indebtedness that upon the happening of any such default or event automatically converts into Equity Interests in accordance with its terms); provided that any default arising out of a violation of the financial covenants under the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement shall not cause a Default or Event of Default under this Section 9.01(e)(ii) until the requisite lenders under the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement elect to accelerate the obligations under the Revolver/Term A Credit Agreement; or (iii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined) under such Swap Contract as to which the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary is an Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than the Threshold Amount; or
(f)Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. The Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any
receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for sixty calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for sixty calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; or
(g)Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) The Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within thirty days after its issue or levy; or
(h)Judgments. There is entered against the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Material Foreign Subsidiary 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 has been notified of the claim and does not dispute coverage) and (A) enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order, or (B) there is a period of thirty 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 one or more Loan Parties 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) one or more Loan Parties 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 (other than contingent or indemnification obligations not then due), ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any other Person contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party 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; or
(l)Subordination. (i) Any of the subordination, standstill, payover and insolvency related provisions of any of the documentation governing any Subordinated Indebtedness (the “Subordination Provisions”) shall, in whole or in part, terminate, cease to be effective or cease to be legally valid, binding and enforceable against any holder of the applicable Subordinated Indebtedness; or (ii) the Borrower or any other Loan Party shall, directly or indirectly, disavow or contest in any manner (A) the effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any of the Subordination Provisions, (B) that the Subordination Provisions exist for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the holders of the Obligations or (C) that all payments of principal of or premium and interest on the applicable Subordinated Indebtedness, or realized from the liquidation of any property of any Loan Party, shall be subject to any of the Subordination Provisions.
9.02 Remedies 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 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)[reserved]; and
(d)exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders under the Loan Documents or applicable Law or at equity;
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 shall automatically terminate and the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
9.03 Application of Funds.
After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 9.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become due and payable), any amounts received on account of the Obligations, subject to the provisions of Section 2.15, shall 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 under Article 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 and interest) payable to the Lenders (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;
Third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third payable to them;
Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, ratably among the holders of such Obligations in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by them; and
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.
ARTICLE X
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
10.01 Authorization and Action.
(a)Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent and collateral agent under the Loan Documents and each Lender authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is a party, and to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b)As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives an indemnification and is exculpated in a manner satisfactory to it from the Lenders with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Required Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. Except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(c)In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. The motivations of the Administrative Agent are commercial in nature and not to invest in the general performance or operations of the Borrower. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(i)the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender or holder of any other obligation other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby;
(ii)where the Administrative Agent is required or deemed to act as a trustee in respect of any Collateral over which a security interest has been created pursuant to a Loan Document expressed to be governed by the laws of the United States, or is required or deemed to hold any Collateral “on trust” pursuant to the foregoing, the obligations and liabilities of the Administrative Agent to the Secured Parties in its capacity as trustee shall be excluded to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law; and
(iii)nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account;
(d)The Administrative Agent may perform any 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 of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers 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 pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agent except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agent.
(e)None of any Co-Documentation Agent, Co-Syndication Agent or any Arranger shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.
(f)In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to any Loan Party under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered (but not obligated) by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(i)to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file
such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.08, 3.01, 3.03 and 11.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(ii)to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
(g)and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and each other Secured Party 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 or the other Secured Parties, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 11.04). 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, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.
(h)The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, and, except solely to the extent of the Borrower’s rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article, none of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions. Each Secured Party, whether or not a party hereto, will be deemed, by its acceptance of the benefits of the Collateral and of the guarantees.
10.02 Rights as a Lender Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc.
(a)Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be (i) liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by such party, the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties under or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (x) with the consent of 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 to be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in the Loan Documents) or (y) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct (such absence to be presumed unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and non-appealable judgment) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by any Loan Party or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Administrative Agent’s reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page) or for any failure of any Loan Party to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.
(b)The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any (i) notice of any of the events or circumstances set forth or described in Section 7.03 unless and until written notice thereof stating that it is a “notice under Section 7.03” in respect of this Agreement and identifying the specific clause under said Section is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, or (ii) notice of any Default or Event of Default unless and until written notice thereof (stating that it is a “notice of Default”
or a “notice of an Event of Default”) is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender. Further, the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (A) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (B) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in connection therewith, (C) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document or the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, (D) the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, (E) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article 5 or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items (which on their face purport to be such items) expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or satisfaction of any condition that expressly refers to the matters described therein being acceptable or satisfactory to the Administrative Agent or (F) the creation, perfection or priority of Liens on the Collateral.
(c)Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) may treat the payee of any promissory note as its holder until such promissory note has been assigned in accordance with Section 11.06, (ii) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 11.06(c), (iii) may consult with legal counsel (including counsel to the Borrower), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (iv) makes no warranty or representation to any Lender and shall not be responsible to any Lender for any statements, warranties or representations made by or on behalf of any Loan Party in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (v) in determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender, may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender sufficiently in advance of the making of such Loan and (vi) shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper party or parties (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).
10.03 Posting of Communications.
(a)The Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make any Communications available to the Lenders by posting the Communications on IntraLinks™, DebtDomain, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any other electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its electronic transmission system (the “Approved Electronic Platform”).
(b)Although the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified by the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Closing Date, a user ID/password authorization system) and the Approved Electronic Platform is secured through a per-deal authorization method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on a deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders and the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure, that the Administrative Agent is not responsible for approving or vetting the representatives or contacts of any Lender that are added to the Approved Electronic Platform, and that there may be confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution. Each of the Lenders and
the Borrower hereby approves distribution of the Communications through the Approved Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such distribution.
(c)THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. THE APPLICABLE PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. 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 THE APPLICABLE PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY ARRANGER, ANY CO-DOCUMENTATION AGENT, ANY CO-SYNDICATION AGENT, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED PARTIES (COLLECTIVELY, “APPLICABLE PARTIES”) HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY LOAN PARTY, ANY LENDER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF ANY LOAN PARTY’S OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT’S TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM.
“Communications” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material provided by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent, any Lender by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Approved Electronic Platform.
(d)Each Lender agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) specifying that Communications have been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform shall constitute effective delivery of the Communications to such Lender for purposes of the Loan Documents. Each Lender agrees (i) to notify the Administrative Agent in writing (which could be in the form of electronic communication) from time to time of such Lender’s email address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and (ii) that the foregoing notice may be sent to such email address.
(e)Each of the Lenders and the Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law) shall not be obligated to, store the Communications on the Approved Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s generally applicable document retention procedures and policies.
(f)Nothing herein shall prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent, any Lender to give any notice or other communication pursuant to any Loan Document in any other manner specified in such Loan Document.
10.04 The Administrative Agent Individually. With respect to its Commitments and Loans, the Person serving as the Administrative Agent shall have and may exercise the same rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender. The terms “Lenders”, “Required Lenders” and any similar terms shall, unless the context clearly
otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as a Lender or as one of the Required Lenders, as applicable. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent 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 banking, trust or other business with, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing as if such Person was not acting as the Administrative Agent and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.
10.05 Successor Administrative Agent . (a) The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving 30 days’ prior written notice thereof to the Lenders and the Borrower, whether or not a successor Administrative Agent has been appointed. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Administrative Agent. If no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent’s giving of notice of resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor Administrative Agent, which shall be a bank with an office in New York City or an Affiliate of any such bank. In either case, such appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Borrower (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing). Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent shall succeed to, and become vested with, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance of appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents.
(b)Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, in the event no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its intent to resign, the retiring Administrative Agent may give notice of the effectiveness of its resignation to the Lenders and the Borrower, whereupon, on the date of effectiveness of such resignation stated in such notice, (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; provided that, solely for purposes of maintaining any security interest granted to the Administrative Agent under any Security Agreement for the benefit of the Secured Parties, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to be vested with such security interest as collateral agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and continue to be entitled to the rights set forth in such Collateral Document and Loan Document, and, in the case of any Collateral in the possession of the Administrative Agent, shall continue to hold such Collateral, in each case until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed and accepts such appointment in accordance with this Section (it being understood and agreed that the retiring Administrative Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any further action under any Collateral Document, including any action required to maintain the perfection of any such security interest), and (ii) the Required Lenders shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent; provided that (A) all payments required to be made hereunder or under any other Loan Document to the Administrative Agent for the account of any Person other than the Administrative Agent shall be made directly to such Person and (B) all notices and other communications required or contemplated to be given or made to the Administrative Agent shall directly be given or made to each Lender. Following the effectiveness of the Administrative Agent’s resignation from its capacity as such, the provisions of this Article and Section 11.04, as well as any exculpatory, reimbursement and indemnification provisions set forth in any other Loan Document, shall continue in effect for the benefit
of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and in respect of the matters referred to in the proviso under clause (i) above.
10.06 Acknowledgements of Lenders. (a) Each Lender represents and warrants that (i) the Loan Documents set forth the terms of a commercial lending facility, (ii) it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans and in providing other facilities set forth herein as may be applicable to such Lender in the ordinary course of business, and not for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring or holding any other type of financial instrument (and each Lender agree not to assert a claim in contravention of the foregoing), (iii) it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger or any other Lender, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder and (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to make, acquire and/or hold commercial loans and to provide other facilities set forth herein, as may be applicable to such Lender and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to make, acquire and/or hold such commercial loans or to provide such other facilities, is experienced in making, acquiring or holding such commercial loans or providing such other facilities. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning the Borrower and its Affiliates) 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.
(c)Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement on the Closing Date, or delivering its signature page to an Assignment and Assumption or any other Loan Document pursuant to which it shall become a Lender hereunder, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be delivered to, or be approved by or satisfactory to, the Administrative Agent or the Lenders on the Closing Date.
(d)
(i)Each Lender hereby agrees that (x) if the Administrative Agent notifies such Lender that the Administrative Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Lender from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (whether as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees or otherwise; individually and collectively, a “Payment”) were erroneously transmitted to such Lender (whether or not known to such Lender), and demands the return of such Payment (or a portion thereof), such Lender shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect, and (y) to the extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender shall not assert, and hereby waives, as to the Administrative Agent, any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Administrative Agent for the return of any Payments received, including without limitation any
defense based on “discharge for value” or any similar doctrine. A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender under this Section 10.06(c) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(ii)Each Lender hereby further agrees that if it receives a Payment from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such Payment (a “Payment Notice”) or (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a Payment Notice, it shall be on notice, in each such case, that an error has been made with respect to such Payment. Each Lender agrees that, in each such case, or if it otherwise becomes aware a Payment (or portion thereof) may have been sent in error, such Lender shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent of such occurrence and, upon demand from the Administrative Agent, it shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in Same Day Funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
(iii)The Borrower and each other Loan Party hereby agrees that (x) in the event an erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) are not recovered from any Lender that has received such Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Administrative Agent shall be subrogated to all the rights of such Lender with respect to such amount and (y) an erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay, repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Obligations owed by the Borrower or any other Loan Party.
(iv)Each party’s obligations under this Section 10.06(c) shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations under any Loan Document.
10.07 Collateral Matters.
(a)Except with respect to the exercise of setoff rights in accordance with Section 11.08 or with respect to a Secured Party’s right to file a proof of claim in an insolvency proceeding, no Secured Party shall have any right individually to realize upon any of the Collateral or to enforce any guarantee of the Obligations, it being understood and agreed that all powers, rights and remedies under the Loan Documents may be exercised solely by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in accordance with the terms thereof.
(b)[Reserved].
(c)The Secured Parties irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 8.01. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have a duty to ascertain or inquire into any representation or warranty regarding the existence, value or collectability of the Collateral, the existence, priority or perfection of the Administrative Agent’s Lien thereon or any certificate prepared by any Loan
Party in connection therewith, nor shall the Administrative Agent be responsible or liable to the Lenders or any other Secured Party for any failure to monitor or maintain any portion of the Collateral.
10.08 Credit Bidding. The Secured Parties hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at the direction of the Required Lenders, to credit bid all or any portion of the Obligations (including by accepting some or all of the Collateral in satisfaction of some or all of the Obligations pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure or otherwise) and in such manner purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral (a) at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, including under Sections 363, 1123 or 1129 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or any similar laws in any other jurisdictions to which a Loan Party is subject, or (b) at any other sale, foreclosure or acceptance of collateral in lieu of debt conducted by (or with the consent or at the direction of) the Administrative Agent (whether by judicial action or otherwise) in accordance with any applicable law. In connection with any such credit bid and purchase, the Obligations owed to the Secured Parties shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid by the Administrative Agent at the direction of the Required Lenders on a ratable basis (with Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims receiving contingent interests in the acquired assets on a ratable basis that shall vest upon the liquidation of such claims in an amount proportional to the liquidated portion of the contingent claim amount used in allocating the contingent interests) for the asset or assets so purchased (or for the equity interests or debt instruments of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are issued in connection with such purchase). In connection with any such bid, (i) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to form one or more acquisition vehicles and to assign any successful credit bid to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, (ii) each of the Secured Parties’ ratable interests in the Obligations which were credit bid shall be deemed without any further action under this Agreement to be assigned to such vehicle or vehicles for the purpose of closing such sale, (iii) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to adopt documents providing for the governance of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles (provided that any actions by the Administrative Agent with respect to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, including any disposition of the assets or equity interests thereof, shall be governed, directly or indirectly, by, and the governing documents shall provide for, control by the vote of the Required Lenders or their permitted assignees under the terms of this Agreement or the governing documents of the applicable acquisition vehicle or vehicles, as the case may be, irrespective of the termination of this Agreement and without giving effect to the limitations on actions by the Required Lenders contained in Section 11.01 of this Agreement), (iv) the Administrative Agent on behalf of such acquisition vehicle or vehicles shall be authorized to issue to each of the Secured Parties, ratably on account of the relevant Obligations which were credit bid, interests, whether as equity, partnership interests, limited partnership interests or membership interests, in any such acquisition vehicle and/or debt instruments issued by such acquisition vehicle, all without the need for any Secured Party or acquisition vehicle to take any further action, and (v) to the extent that Obligations that are assigned to an acquisition vehicle are not used to acquire Collateral for any reason (as a result of another bid being higher or better, because the amount of Obligations assigned to the acquisition vehicle exceeds the amount of Obligations credit bid by the acquisition vehicle or otherwise), such Obligations shall automatically be reassigned to the Secured Parties pro rata with their original interest in such Obligations and the equity interests and/or debt instruments issued by any acquisition vehicle on account of such Obligations shall automatically be cancelled, without the need for any Secured Party or any acquisition vehicle to take any further action. Notwithstanding that the ratable portion of the Obligations of each Secured Party are deemed assigned to the acquisition vehicle or vehicles as set forth in clause (ii) above, each Secured Party shall execute such documents and provide such information regarding the Secured Party (and/or any designee of the Secured Party which will receive interests in or debt instruments issued by such acquisition vehicle) as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request in connection with the formation of any acquisition vehicle, the formulation or submission of any credit bid or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such credit bid.
10.09 ERISA Matters.
(a)Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that at least one of the following is and will be true:
(i)such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of Section 3(42) of ERISA or otherwise) of one or more Benefit Plans with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments, or this Agreement,
(ii)the transaction exemption set forth in one or more PTEs, such as PTE 84–14 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95–60 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90–1 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91–38 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96–23 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement,
(iii)(a) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84–14), (b) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement, the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of sub-sections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84–14 and to the best knowledge of such Lender, the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84–14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement, or
(iv)such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.
(b)In addition, unless either (1) clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or (2) a Lender has provided another representation, warranty and covenant in accordance with clause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender further (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that the Administrative Agent is not a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender involved in such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related hereto or thereto).
(c)The Administrative Agent and each Arranger hereby informs the Lenders that each such Person is not undertaking to provide investment advice or to give advice in a fiduciary capacity, in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and that such Person has a financial interest in the transactions contemplated hereby in that such Person or an Affiliate thereof (i) may receive interest or other payments with respect to the Loans, the Commitments, this Agreement and any other Loan Documents (ii) may recognize a gain if it extended the Loans or the Commitments for an amount less than the amount being paid for an interest in the Loans or the Commitments by such Lender or (iii) may receive fees or other payments in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, the Loan Documents or otherwise, including structuring fees, commitment fees, arrangement fees, facility fees, upfront fees, underwriting fees, ticking fees, agency fees, administrative agent or collateral agent fees, utilization fees, minimum usage fees, letter of credit fees, fronting fees, deal-away or alternate transaction fees, amendment fees, processing fees, term out premiums, banker’s acceptance fees, breakage or other early termination fees or fees similar to the foregoing.
10.10 Collateral and Guaranty Matters.
The Lenders irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent to, and the Administrative Agent shall,
(a)release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (i) upon payment in full of the Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations), (ii) that is transferred or to be transferred as part of or in connection with any Disposition permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any Recovery Event, (iii) to the extent the property constituting such Collateral is owned by any Guarantor, upon the release or discharge of such Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty, (iv) as required by the Administrative Agent to effect any sale, exchange, transfer or other Disposition of Collateral in connection with any enforcement action or exercise of remedies taken by the Administrative Agent in accordance with the terms of any applicable Intercreditor Agreement and the Loan Documents, (v) to the extent such Collateral is or otherwise becomes Excluded Property and (vi) with respect to Collateral that is Equity Interests, upon the dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of such Equity Interests to the extent not prohibited by the Loan Documents or (iii) as approved in accordance with Section 11.01;
(b)subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property of the types permitted by Sections 8.01(i) and (q); and
(c)release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty (i) if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder or (ii) upon payment in full of the Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations).
Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty, pursuant to this Section 10.10.
The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have a duty to ascertain or inquire into any representation or warranty regarding the existence, value or collectability of the Collateral, the existence, priority or perfection of the Administrative Agent’s Lien thereon, or any certificate prepared by any Loan Party in connection therewith, nor shall the Administrative Agent be responsible or liable to the Lenders for any failure to monitor or maintain any portion of the Collateral.
ARTICLE XI
MISCELLANEOUS
11.01 Amendments, Etc.
Subject to Section 3.03, no amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders (or by the Administrative Agent with the consent of 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
(a)no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:
(i)extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 9.02) without the written consent of such Lender (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any condition precedent set forth in Section 5.02 or of any Default or a mandatory reduction in Commitments is not considered an extension or increase in Commitments of any Lender);
(ii)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) or any scheduled reduction of the Commitments hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender entitled to receive such payment or whose Commitments are to be reduced;
(iii)reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan, or (subject to clause (i) of the final proviso to this Section 11.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender entitled to receive such amount; provided, however, that (A) 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 at the Default Rate and (B) an amendment to any financial covenant hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or to reduce any fee payable hereunder shall not be deemed to be a reduction of the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan, or any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document;
(iv)change Section 2.13 or Section 9.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;
(v)release all or substantially all of the Collateral without the written consent of each Lender whose Obligations are secured by such Collateral;
(vi)release the Borrower without the consent of each Lender, or, except in connection with a transaction permitted under Section 8.04 or Section 8.05, all or substantially all of the value of the Guaranty without the written consent of each Lender whose Obligations are guaranteed thereby, except to the extent such release is permitted pursuant to Section 10.10 (in which case such release may be made by the Administrative Agent acting alone);
(vii)without the prior written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, (A) subordinate, or have the effect of subordinating, the Obligations hereunder to any other Indebtedness or other obligation (“Senior Indebtedness”) or (ii) except as expressly permitted by Section 10.10 (as in effect on the Closing Date), subordinate, or have the effect of subordinating, the Liens securing the Obligations to Liens securing any Senior Indebtedness unless each adversely affected Lender has been offered a bona fide opportunity to fund or otherwise provide its pro rata share (based on the amount of Obligations that are adversely affected thereby held by each Lender) of the Senior Indebtedness on the same terms (other than bona fide backstop fees and reimbursement of counsel fees and other expenses in connection with the negotiation of the terms of such transaction; such fees and expenses, “Ancillary Fees”) as offered to all other providers (or their Affiliates) of the Senior Indebtedness and to the extent such adversely affected Lender decides to participate in the Senior Indebtedness, receive its pro rata share of the fees and any other similar benefit (other than Ancillary Fees) of the Senior Indebtedness afforded to the providers of the Senior Indebtedness (or any of their Affiliates) in connection with providing the Senior Indebtedness pursuant to a written offer made to each such adversely affected Lender describing the material terms of the arrangements pursuant to which the Senior Indebtedness is to be provided, which offer shall remain open to each adversely affected Lender for a period of not less than five (5) Business Days;
(viii)[reserved]; or
(ix)change any provision of this Section 11.01(a) or the definition of “Required Lenders” without the consent of each Lender;
(b)[reserved];
(c)[reserved]; and
(d)unless also signed by the Administrative Agent, no amendment, waiver or consent shall directly affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document;
and provided further, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein:
(i)no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (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 (A) the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (B) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender more adversely than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender;
(ii)each Lender is entitled to vote as such Lender sees fit on any bankruptcy reorganization plan that affects the Loans, and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States supersedes the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein;
(iii)the Required Lenders shall determine whether or not to allow a Loan Party to use cash collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding and such determination shall be binding on all of the Lenders;
(iv)the Administrative Agent and the Borrower may amend, modify or supplement this Agreement or any other Loan Document to cure or correct administrative errors or omissions, any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency or to effect administrative changes, and such amendment shall become effective without any further consent of any other party to such Loan Document so long as (A) such amendment, modification or supplement does not adversely affect the rights of any Lender in any material respect and (B) the Lenders shall have received at least five (5) Business Days’ prior written notice thereof and the Administrative Agent shall not have received, within five (5) Business Days of the date of such notice to the Lenders, a written notice from the Required Lenders stating that the Required Lenders object to such amendment;
(v)[reserved];
(vi)an Incremental Facility Amendment shall be effective if signed by the Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent and each Person that agrees to provide a portion of the applicable Incremental Term Facility;
(vii)a Loan Amendment shall be effective if signed by the Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent and each relevant Accepting Lender;
(viii)this Agreement may be amended and restated without the consent of any Lender (but with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent) if, upon giving effect to such amendment and restatement, such Lender shall no longer be a party to this Agreement (as so amended and restated), the Commitments of such Lender shall have terminated, such Lender shall have no other commitment or other obligation hereunder and shall have been paid in full all principal, interest and other amounts owing to it or accrued for its account under this Agreement;
(ix)in connection with an amendment that addresses solely a repricing transaction in which any Term Loan is refinanced with a replacement term loan bearing (or is modified in such a manner such that the resulting term loan bears) a lower All-in Yield, such amendment shall be effective if signed by the Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders holding the Term Loan subject to such repricing transaction that will continue as a Lender in respect of the replacement term loan or modified Term Loan; provided that no such agreement shall directly adversely amend or modify the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent; and
(x)notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, (A) this Agreement may be amended with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (1) to add one or more additional term loan facilities to this Agreement and to permit the extensions of credit and all related obligations and liabilities arising in connection therewith from time to time outstanding to share ratably in the benefits of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with the obligations and liabilities from time to time outstanding in respect of the existing facilities hereunder, and (2) in connection with the foregoing, to permit, as deemed appropriate by the Administrative Agent and approved by the Required Lenders, the Lenders providing such additional credit facilities to participate in any required vote or action required to be approved by the Required Lenders or by any other number, percentage or class of Lenders
hereunder and (B) the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to amend any provision of the Loan Documents (and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to any Loan Document) in connection with the incurrence of any Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt to permit the Loans hereunder to have the benefit of any more restrictive terms of such Permitted Incremental Equivalent Debt, to the extent contemplated hereby.
11.02 Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications.
(a)Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (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 any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 11.02; 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 Approved Electronic Platforms or Approved Borrower Portals to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).
(b)Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders may be delivered or furnished by using Approved Electronic Platforms or Approved Borrower Portals (as applicable), in each case, pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender pursuant to Article II if such Lender has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.
Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications
posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.
(c)The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to any Loan Party, any Lender or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials or notices through the Platform, any other electronic platform or electronic messaging service, or through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to any Loan Party, any Lender or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).
(d)Change of Address, Etc. Each Loan Party and the Administrative Agent 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 each Loan Party and the Administrative Agent. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, 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.
(e)Reliance by Administrative Agent and Lenders. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic and electronic Loan Notices and Notices of Loan Prepayment) purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party 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. To the extent otherwise required by Section 11.04 of this Agreement, the Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, 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 a Loan Party. 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.
11.03 No 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 or under any other Loan Document (including the imposition of the Default Rate) 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 Loan Parties 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 with Section 9.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders; 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) [reserved], (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 11.08 (subject to the terms of Section 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 any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided 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 to Section 9.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 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.
11.04 Expenses; Indemnity; and Damage Waiver.
(a)Costs and Expenses. The Loan Parties shall pay (i) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable and documented fees, charges and disbursements of one outside 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) [reserved] and (iii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent or any Lender), and shall pay all reasonable and documented fees and time charges for attorneys who may be employees of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, 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 hereunder, including all such reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.
(b)Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Arranger, each Co-Documentation Agent and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of 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 or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (including the Indemnitee’s reliance on any Communication executed using an Electronic Signature or in the form of an Electronic Record), 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, any Loan or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom, 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 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 the Borrower or any Loan Party or by its or their respective equity holders, Affiliates or creditors or by a third party, 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 (x) such Liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or any Related Party of such Indemnitee, (y) such Liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the material breach of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents by such Indemnitee or any Related Party of such Indemnitee or (z) such Liabilities or related expenses have resulted from any dispute solely among Indemnitees or other respective Related Parties (other than (1) claims against any agent or arranger in its capacity or in fulfilling its role as agent or arranger or any similar role in respect of the credit facilities provided hereunder and (2) claims to the extent arising out of any act or omission on the part of the Borrower or its Related Parties). This Section 11.04(e) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.
(c)Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Loan Parties for any reason fail to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by them to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof) or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) 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 unfunded Commitments and the outstanding Loans of all Lenders 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 Lenders’ Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought), provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(d).
(d)Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the Borrower and Loan Party shall not assert, and each Loan Party hereby waives, any claim against any the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, each Co-Documentation Agent and any Lender, and any Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called a “Lender-Related Person”) for any Liabilities arising from the use by others of information or other materials (including, without limitation, any personal data) obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet, any Approved Electronic Platform and any Approved Borrower Portal), other than as a result of such Lender-Related Person’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision, and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby waives, any Liabilities against any other party hereto, 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 the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that, nothing in this Section 11.04(d) shall relieve the Borrower and each Loan Party of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee, as provided in Section 11.04(b), against any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.
(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 of Section 11.02(e) shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.
11.05 Payments Set Aside.
To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of any Loan Party is made to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent 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 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 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 Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
11.06 Successors and Assigns.
(a)Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and thereto 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 or thereunder 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 of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (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 in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this 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 and the other Loan Documents (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the 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 and the related Loans at the time owing to it or contemporaneous assignments to related Approved Funds (determined after giving effect to such assignments) that equal at least the amount specified in subsection (b)(i)(B) of this Section in the aggregate 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; provided that any such assignment shall be aggregated amongst Affiliates and Approved Funds for the purpose of determining if the amount specified in subsection (b)(i)(B) has been met; and
(B)in any case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $1,000,000 in the case of an assignment of a Term Loan unless 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 Loans and Commitments, and rights and obligations with respect thereto assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not prohibit any Lender from assigning all or a portion of its rights and obligations in respect of its outstanding Term Loans on a non-pro rata basis;
(iii)Required Consents. No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required by subsection (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 under Section 9.01(a), 9.01(f) or 9.01(g) 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 five (5) Business Days after having received notice thereof; and
(B)the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for assignments in respect of (1) any Term Loan Commitment if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender with a Commitment in respect of the Commitment subject to such assignment, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender and (2) any Term Loans to a Person that is not a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund.
(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 or (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 this clause (B), or (C) to a natural person (or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person) (any such party a “Disqualified Party”). In no event shall the Administrative Agent be obligated to ascertain, monitor or inquire as to whether any prospective assignee would is a Disqualified Party or have any liability with respect to or arising out of any assignment or participation of Loans by the Lenders or disclosure of confidential information by the Lenders, in each case, to any Disqualified Party .
(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 or any Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon) and (y) acquire (and fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all 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.
Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee
thereunder shall be a party to this 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 of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05 and 11.04 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 with subsection (d) of this Section.
(c)Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, 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 of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive 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, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. In addition, the Administrative Agent shall maintain on the Register information regarding the designation, and revocation of designation, of any Lender as a Defaulting Lender. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender (with respect to such Lender’s interest only) at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. The Administrative Agent will record each assignment in the Register promptly following the delivery to the Administrative Agent of a copy of the executed Assignment and Assumption for such assignment and satisfaction of all other conditions for such assignment set forth in this Section 11.06.
(d)Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person (or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person), 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 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 and the Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and Borrower may rely conclusively on the actions of Administrative Agent to bind Lender and any Participant, notwithstanding that the particular action in question may, pursuant to this Agreement or any participation agreement be subject to the consent or direction of some or all of the Participants. 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 of Section 11.01(a) that affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section,
the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 3.06 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section. 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 of Section 3.06 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by Law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 11.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 11.04(c) without regard to the existence of any participation.
Each Lender that sells a participation pursuant to this Section 11.06(d), acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, shall maintain a register comparable to the Register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the economic interests and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant in all or a portion of the participating Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing to it) (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 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)Limitations on Participant Rights. A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.01 or 3.04 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.01 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 3.01(e) as though it were a Lender and any such Participant shall be deemed to be a Lender for purposes of the definition of Excluded Taxes.
(f)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 other central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender; 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.
(g)[Reserved].
(h)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any Lender may assign all or any portion of any Term Loan hereunder to the Borrower, but only if:
(i)such assignment is made in connection with a Discounted Optional Prepayment in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.05(b) and open to all Lenders that hold such Term Loan on a pro rata basis; and
(ii)such Term Loan so assigned shall be automatically and permanently cancelled immediately upon acquisition thereof by the Borrower and no longer outstanding for any purpose hereunder.
11.07 Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.
Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates, its auditors and to its and its Affiliates’ 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 or obligations under this Agreement or any Eligible Assignee invited to become a Lender pursuant to an Incremental Term Facility or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its Related Parties) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to a Loan Party and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating any Loan Party 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 or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. In addition, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry and service providers to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the Commitments.
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 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 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.
11.08 Set-off.
If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender 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 or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or such Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office or Affiliate of such Lender different from the branch or 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 of Section 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 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 and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender 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.
11.09 Interest 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.
11.10 Integration; Effectiveness.
This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 5.01, 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 and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
11.11 Survival 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.
11.12 Severability.
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 this Section 11.12, 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, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.
11.13 Replacement of Lenders.
If the Borrower is entitled to replace a Lender pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.06, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender, 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 11.06), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 3.01 and 3.04) 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, or cause to be paid, to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee specified in Section 11.06(b);
(b)such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to 100% of the outstanding principal of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 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 under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter;
(d)such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws;
(e)in the case of any such assignment resulting from a Lender becoming a Non-Consenting Lender, the applicable assignee shall have consented to the applicable amendment, waiver or consent; and
(f)if such replacement is in connection with a Repricing Transaction prior to the six-month anniversary of the Closing Amendment No. 1 Effective Date, the Borrower or the replacement Lender shall pay such Lender a fee equal to 1% of the aggregate principal amount of its Tranche B Term Loans required to be assigned pursuant to this Section 11.13.
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.
Each party hereto agrees that (i) an assignment required pursuant to this Section 11.13 may be effected pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the assignee and (ii) the Lender required to make such assignment need not be a party thereto in order for such assignment to be effective and shall be deemed to have consented to an be bound by the terms thereof; provided, that, following the effectiveness of any such assignment, the other parties to such assignment agree to execute and deliver such documents necessary to evidence such assignment as reasonably requested by the applicable Lender, provided, further, that, any such documents shall be without recourse to or warranty by the parties thereto.
11.14 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.
(a)GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) 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. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY, TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN (OR IF SUCH COURT LACKS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN), AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY (AND ANY SUCH CLAIMS, CROSS-CLAIMS OR THIRD
PARTY CLAIMS BROUGHT AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT OR ANY OF ITS RELATED PARTIES MAY ONLY) BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH FEDERAL (TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW) OR NEW YORK STATE COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT OR ANY LENDER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE BORROWER, ANY LOAN PARTY OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.
(c)WAIVER OF VENUE. EACH PARTY HERETO 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.
(d)SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 11.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
11.15 Waiver 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.
11.16 No 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), each of the Loan Parties 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 Loan Parties and their
respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders, on the other hand, (B) each of the Loan Parties has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and Tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) each of the Loan Parties 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 the Lenders each 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 Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) neither the Administrative Agent, any Arranger nor any Lender has any obligation to the Loan Parties or any of their respective 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, the Lenders and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent, any Arranger nor any Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by Law, each of the Loan Parties hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent, any Arranger 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.
11.17 Electronic Execution; Electronic Records; Counterparts.
This Agreement, any Loan Document and any other Communication, including Communications required to be in writing, may be in the form of an Electronic Record and may be executed using Electronic Signatures. Each of the Loan Parties and each of the Administrative Agent and each Lender agrees that any Electronic Signature on or associated with any Communication shall be valid and binding on such Person to the same extent as a manual, original signature, and that any Communication entered into by Electronic Signature, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of such Person enforceable against such Person in accordance with the terms thereof to the same extent as if a manually executed original signature was delivered. Any Communication may be executed in as many counterparts as necessary or convenient, including both paper and electronic counterparts, but all such counterparts are one and the same Communication. For the avoidance of doubt, the authorization under this paragraph may include, without limitation, use or acceptance of a manually signed paper Communication which has been converted into electronic form (such as scanned into PDF format), or an electronically signed Communication converted into another format, for transmission, delivery and/or retention. The Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders may, at its option, create one or more copies of any Communication in the form of an imaged Electronic Record (“Electronic Copy”), which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document. All Communications in the form of an Electronic Record, including an Electronic Copy, shall be considered an original for all purposes, and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, neither the Administrative Agent is under any obligation to accept an Electronic Signature in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Person pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (a) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept such Electronic Signature, the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders shall be entitled to rely on any such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party and/or any Lender without further verification and (b) upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.
Neither the Administrative Agent shall be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Administrative Agent’s reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed .pdf or any other electronic means). The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any Communication (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution or signed using an Electronic Signature) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).
Each of the Loan Parties and each Lender hereby waives (i) any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and/or any other Loan Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement and/or such other Loan Document, and (ii) waives any claim against the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Related Party for any liabilities arising solely from the Administrative Agent’s and/or any Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures, including any liabilities arising as a result of the failure of the Loan Parties to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.
11.18 Subordination of Intercompany Indebtedness.
Each holder of Intercompany Indebtedness (each a “Holder”) and each issuer of Intercompany Indebtedness (each a “Maker”) agrees with the Administrative Agent and the other holders of the Obligations as follows:
(a)Subordination. The payment of principal, interest, fees and other amounts with respect to Intercompany Indebtedness is expressly subordinated to the Obligations.
(b)Payments. If an Event of Default under Section 9.01(a) has occurred and the Administrative Agent has notified the Borrower that it intends to exercise remedies pursuant to Section 9.02 or an Event of Default has occurred under Section 9.01(f), then, in either case, no Maker may make, and no Holder may take, demand, receive or accept, any payment with respect to Intercompany Indebtedness.
(c)Payments Held in Trust. In the event any payment of principal or interest or distribution of property of any Maker on or in respect of Intercompany Indebtedness shall be received by any Holder in violation of this Section 11.18, such payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations, and such Holder will forthwith turn over any such payments in the form received, properly endorsed or assigned, to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations.
(d)Enforcement. No Holder shall be entitled to demand payment of or accelerate any Intercompany Indebtedness or to exercise any remedies or take any actions against any Maker to enforce any of such Holder’s rights with respect to Intercompany Indebtedness.
(e)Collateral. No Holder will ask, demand, accept, or receive any collateral security from any Loan Party for the payment of Intercompany Indebtedness, and any collateral security for the payment of Intercompany Indebtedness that any Holder may now or hereafter have on any property of any Loan Party is expressly subordinated to the Liens of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations, securing the Obligations.
(f)Attorney in Fact. Each Holder irrevocably authorizes and directs the Administrative Agent and any trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, custodian or assignee for the benefit of creditors of any Maker, whether in voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or reorganization, in its behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided for in this Section 11.18 and irrevocably appoints, which appointment is coupled with an interest, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of any Event of Default, the Administrative Agent, or any such trustee, receiver, custodian or assignee, its attorneys in fact for such purpose with full powers of substitution and revocation.
(g)Proof and Vote of Claims. Each Holder irrevocably appoints, which appointment is irrevocable and coupled with an interest, the Administrative Agent as such Holder’s true and lawful attorney, with full power of substitution, in the name of such Holder, the Administrative Agent, the holders of the Obligations or otherwise, for the sole use and benefit of the Administrative Agent, to the extent permitted by Law, to prove and vote all claims relating to Intercompany Indebtedness, and to receive and collect all distributions and payments to which such Holder would be otherwise entitled on any liquidation of any Maker or any of its property or in any proceeding affecting any Maker or its property under any Debtor Relief Laws.
(h)No Interference. Each Holder agrees (i) not to take any action as the holder of Intercompany Indebtedness that will impede, interfere with or restrict or restrain the exercise by the Administrative Agent of its rights and remedies under the Loan Documents and (ii) upon the commencement of any proceeding under Debtor Relief Laws, to take such actions as the holder of Intercompany Indebtedness as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided hereby. In furtherance thereof, each Holder, in its capacity as a holder of Intercompany Indebtedness, agrees not to oppose any motion filed or supported by the Administrative Agent or any other holder of the Obligations for relief from stay or for adequate protection in respect of the Obligations and not to oppose any motions supported by the Administrative Agent or any other holder of the Obligations for any Loan Party’s use of cash collateral or post-petition borrowing from any of the Lenders or the Administrative Agent.
11.19 USA 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 Loan Parties 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 Loan Parties, which information includes the name and address of the Loan Parties and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Loan Parties in accordance with the Act. The Loan Parties 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.
11.20 Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions.
Solely to the extent any Lender that is an Affected Financial Institution is a party to this Agreement and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Lender that is an Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, to the extent such liability is
unsecured, may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of an applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a)the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any Lender that is an Affected Financial Institution; and
(b)the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i)a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii)a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii)the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
11.21 Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs.
To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for any Swap Contract or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support, “QFC Credit Support”, and each such QFC, a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States): In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.
11.22 [Reserved].
11.23 Intercreditor Agreements.
Each Lender hereby authorizes and directs the Administrative Agent (a) to enter into the Intercreditor Agreement on its behalf, perform the Intercreditor Agreement on its behalf and take any actions thereunder as determined by the Administrative Agent to be necessary or advisable to protect the interest of the Lenders, and each Lender agrees to be bound by the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement and (b) to enter into any Other Intercreditor Agreement expressly permitted by the terms of this Agreement that is reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent on its behalf, perform such Other Intercreditor Agreement on its behalf and take any actions thereunder as determined by the Administrative Agent to be necessary or advisable to protect the interests of the Lenders, and each Lender agrees to be bound by the terms of such Other Intercreditor Agreement. Notwithstanding any provision in the Agreement or any other Loan Document to the contrary, the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement. To the extent there is a conflict between the Loan Documents and the Intercreditor Agreement (or any Other Intercreditor Agreement), the terms and conditions of the Intercreditor Agreement (or any Other Intercreditor Agreement) shall control.
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