Document:

EXHIBIT 10.2

 

 

This FIRST AMENDMENT, dated as of August 31, 2018 (this “Amendment Agreement”), to that certain 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2018 (as amended from time to time prior to the date hereof, the “Existing Credit Agreement”; and the Existing Credit Agreement as amended by the Amendments (as defined below), the “Amended Credit Agreement”), by and among AbbVie Inc., as Borrower (the “Borrower”), the lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”), and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”), is made by and among the Borrower, the Lenders and the Administrative Agent.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Amended Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Amended Credit Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested certain amendments to the Existing Credit Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, in order to effect the requested amendments, the Borrower and the Lenders desire to amend, as of the Amendment Effective Date (as defined below), the Existing Credit Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1.  Amendment of the Existing Credit Agreement.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 3 below, the Existing Credit Agreement shall be amended to delete the stricken text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example: stricken text) and to add the double-underlined text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example:  double-underlined text) as set forth in the pages of the Existing Credit Agreement attached as Exhibit A hereto (collectively, the “Amendments”).

 

Section 2.  Representations and Warranties.  To induce the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Amendment Agreement, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:

 

(a)     As of the Amendment Effective Date, no event has occurred and is continuing, or shall occur as a result of the occurrence of the Amendment Effective Date, that constitutes a Default.

 

(b)     Each of the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in Section 4.01 of the Amended Credit Agreement (other than the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.01(f)) are true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent such representations and warranties are qualified with “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” or similar terms, in which case such representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects) on and as of the Amendment Effective Date, except to the extent any such representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty is true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent such representations and warranties are qualified with “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” or similar terms, in which case such representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects) on and as of such earlier date.

 

 

Section 3.  Effectiveness of this Amendment Agreement and the Amended Credit Agreement.  The effectiveness of this Amendment Agreement and the amendment of the Existing Credit Agreement set forth herein are all subject to the Administrative Agent’s (or its counsel’s) receipt of either (x) a counterpart of this Amendment Agreement signed on behalf of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Lender or (y) customary written evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy or electronic transmission of a signed signature page of this Amendment Agreement) that each such party has signed a counterpart of this Amendment Agreement (the date on which such condition shall first be satisfied, the “Amendment Effective Date”).

 

Section 4.  Effect of Amendment.

 

(a)     Except as expressly set forth herein or in the Amended Credit Agreement, this Amendment Agreement shall not by implication or otherwise limit, impair, constitute a waiver of or otherwise affect the rights and remedies of the Lenders or the Administrative Agent under the Existing Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall not alter, modify, amend or in any way affect any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Existing Credit Agreement or any other provision of the Existing Credit Agreement or of any other Loan Document, all of which, subject to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, are ratified and affirmed in all respects and shall continue in full force and effect.  Nothing herein shall be deemed to entitle the Borrower to a consent to, or a waiver, amendment, modification or other change of, any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Existing Credit Agreement, Amended Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document in similar or different circumstances.

 

(b)     On and after the Amendment Effective Date, each reference to the “Credit Agreement” in any other Loan Document shall be deemed a reference to the Amended Credit Agreement.  This Amendment Agreement shall constitute a “Loan Document” for all purposes of the Amended Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

Section 5.  Governing Law.  THIS AMENDMENT AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

Section 6.  Counterparts.  This Amendment Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Amendment Agreement by telecopy or electronic transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.

 

Section 7.  Headings.  Section headings in this Amendment Agreement are for convenience of reference only, and shall not govern the interpretation of any of the provisions of this Amendment Agreement.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally blank; signature pages follow]

 

2

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

	
 
    	
ABBVIE INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/ Tabetha A. Skarbek
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Tabetha A. Skarbek
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice President and Treasurer
    

 

 

[Signature Page – First Amendment to 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement]

 

 

	
 
    	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
   as Administrative Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/ Denise Jones
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Denise Jones
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice President
    

 

 

[Signature Page – First Amendment to 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement]

 

 

	
 
    	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
   as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/ Darren Merten
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Darren Merten
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice President
    

 

 

[Signature Page – First Amendment to 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement]

 

 

	
 
    	
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
   as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/ Erik Barragan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Erik Barragan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice President
    

 

 

[Signature Page – First Amendment to 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement]

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

 

 

 

$3,000,000,000

 

364-DAY TERM LOAN CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of May 17, 2018

 

among

 

ABBVIE INC.,
 as Borrower,

 

VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,
 as Lenders,

 

and

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
 as Administrative Agent

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. 
 as Syndication Agent

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
PAGE
    
	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 1
    
	
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 1.01.  Certain Defined Terms
    	
5
    
	
Section 1.02.  Computation of Time   Periods
    	
21
    
	
Section 1.03.  Accounting Terms
    	
21
    
	
Section 1.04.  Terms Generally
    	
21
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 2
    
	
AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE   ADVANCES
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 2.01.  The Advances
    	
22
    
	
Section 2.02.  Making the Advances
    	
22
    
	
Section 2.03.  Fees
    	
24
    
	
Section 2.04.  Termination or Reduction   of the Commitments
    	
24
    
	
Section 2.05.  Repayment of Advances
    	
24
    
	
Section 2.06.  Interest on Advances
    	
24
    
	
Section 2.07.  Interest Rate   Determination
    	
25
    
	
Section 2.08.  Optional Conversion of   Advances
    	
27
    
	
Section 2.09.    Optional Prepayments of   Advances
    	
28
    
	
Section 2.10.  Increased Costs
    	
28
    
	
Section 2.11.  Illegality
    	
29
    
	
Section 2.12.  Payments and   Computations
    	
30
    
	
Section 2.13.  Taxes
    	
31
    
	
Section 2.14.  Sharing of Payments,   Etc.
    	
35
    
	
Section 2.15.  Use of Proceeds
    	
35
    
	
Section 2.16.  Evidence of Debt
    	
35
    
	
Section 2.17.  Defaulting Lenders
    	
36
    
	
Section 2.18.  Mitigation
    	
37
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 3
    
	
CONDITIONS TO   EFFECTIVENESS AND LENDING
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 3.01.  Conditions Precedent to   Effective Date
    	
38
    
	
Section 3.02.  Conditions Precedent to   Closing Date
    	
39
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 4
    
	
REPRESENTATIONS AND   WARRANTIES
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 4.01.  Representations and   Warranties
    	
40
    

 

 

	
ARTICLE 5
    
	
COVENANTS
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 5.01.  Affirmative Covenants
    	
44
    
	
Section 5.02.  Negative Covenants
    	
48
    
	
Section 5.03.  Financial Covenant
    	
50
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 6
    
	
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 6.01.  Events of Default
    	
50
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 7
    
	
THE AGENTS
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 7.01.  Authorization and Action
    	
52
    
	
Section 7.02.  Administrative Agent   Individually
    	
53
    
	
Section 7.03.  Duties of Administrative   Agent; Exculpatory Provisions
    	
53
    
	
Section 7.04.  Reliance by   Administrative Agent
    	
54
    
	
Section 7.05.  Delegation of Duties
    	
54
    
	
Section 7.06.  Resignation of   Administrative Agent
    	
55
    
	
Section 7.07.  Non-Reliance on   Administrative Agent and Other Lenders
    	
56
    
	
Section 7.08.  Indemnification
    	
56
    
	
Section 7.09.  Other Agents
    	
56
    
	
Section 7.10.  ERISA
    	
57
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE 8
    
	
MISCELLANEOUS
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 8.01.  Amendments, Etc.
    	
59
    
	
Section 8.02.  Notices, Etc.
    	
59
    
	
Section 8.03.  No Waiver; Remedies
    	
61
    
	
Section 8.04.  Costs and Expenses
    	
62
    
	
Section 8.05.  Right of Setoff
    	
64
    
	
Section 8.06.  Binding Effect
    	
64
    
	
Section 8.07.  Assignments and   Participations
    	
64
    
	
Section 8.08.  Confidentiality
    	
69
    
	
Section 8.09.  Governing Law
    	
70
    
	
Section 8.10.  Execution in Counterparts
    	
70
    
	
Section 8.11.  Jurisdiction, Etc.
    	
70
    
	
Section 8.12.  Patriot Act Notice
    	
70
    
	
Section 8.13.  No Advisory or Fiduciary   Responsibility
    	
71
    
	
Section 8.14.  Waiver of Jury Trial
    	
71
    
	
Section 8.15.  Acknowledgment and   Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions
    	
71
    
	
Section 8.16.  Nonreliance
    	
72
    

 

3

 

SCHEDULES

 

	
Schedule   I
    	
-
    	
Commitments
    
	
Schedule   II
    	
-
    	
Administrative   Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices
    
	
Schedule   4.01(f)
    	
-
    	
Legal   Proceedings
    
	
Schedule   5.01(h)
    	
-
    	
Affiliate   Transactions
    

 

EXHIBITS

 

	
Exhibit A
    	
-
    	
Form of   Notice of Borrowing
    
	
Exhibit B
    	
-
    	
Form of   Assignment and Acceptance
    

 

4

 

364-DAY TERM LOAN CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement (this “Agreement”) dated as of May 17, 2018 is among AbbVie Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Borrower”), the Lenders (as defined below) that are parties hereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (together with any successor thereto appointed pursuant to Article 7, the “Administrative Agent”) for the Lenders.

 

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

Section 1.01.   Certain Defined Terms.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

 

“AbbVie” means AbbVie Inc.

 

“Acquisition” means any transaction or series of related transactions for the purpose of or resulting, directly or indirectly, in (a) the acquisition by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of all or substantially all of the assets of a Person, or of any business or division of a Person, (b) the acquisition by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of in excess of 50% of the capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or equity of any Person (other than a Person that is a Subsidiary), or otherwise causing any Person to become a Subsidiary of the Borrower or (c) a merger or consolidation or any other combination by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with another Person (other than a Person that is a Subsidiary) provided that the Borrower (or a Person that succeeds to the Borrower pursuant to Section 5.02(b) in connection with such transaction or series of related transactions) or a Subsidiary of the Borrower (or a Person that becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower as a result of such transaction) is the surviving entity; provided that any Person that is a Subsidiary at the time of execution of the definitive agreement related to any such transaction or series of related transactions (or, in the case of a tender offer or similar transaction, at the time of filing of the definitive offer document) shall constitute a Subsidiary for purposes of this definition even if in connection with such transaction or series of related transactions, such Person becomes a direct or indirect holding company of the Borrower.

 

“Acquisition Debt” means any Borrowed Debt of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that has been issued or incurred for the purpose of financing, in whole or in part, a Material Acquisition and any related transactions or series of related transactions (including for the purpose of refinancing or replacing all or a portion of any pre-existing Borrowed Debt of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or the Person(s) or assets to be acquired).

 

“Administrative Agent” has the meaning specified in the introduction hereto.

 

 

“Administrative Agent Fee Letter” means that certain fee letter, dated as of the date hereof, among Bank of America, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and the Borrower, as it may be amended, supplement or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

“Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule II, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.

 

“Administrative Questionnaire” means an administrative questionnaire in the form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

 

“Advance” means an advance by a Lender pursuant to its Commitment to the Borrower as part of a Borrowing.

 

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person or is a director or officer of such Person. For purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including the terms “controlling”, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) of a Person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of Voting Stock, by contract or otherwise.

 

“Agent Parties” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.02(c).

 

“Agents” means, collectively, the Administrative Agent and the Syndication Agent.

 

“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the introduction hereto.

 

“Agreement Value” means, with respect to any Hedge Agreement at any date of determination, the amount, if any, that would be payable to any counterparty thereunder in respect of the “agreement value” under such Hedge Agreement if such Hedge Agreement were terminated on such date, calculated as provided in the International Swap Dealers Association, Inc. Code of Standard Wording, Assumptions and Provisions for Swaps, 1986 Edition.

 

“Anti-Corruption Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(c).

 

“Applicable Lending Office” means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its “Applicable Lending Office” or similar concept in its Administrative Questionnaire or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender, or such other office, branch, Subsidiary or affiliate of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

“Applicable Margin” means, at any date, with respect to each Advance that is a (i) Eurocurrency Advance, 0.875% per annum and (ii) Base Rate Advance, 0.000% per annum.

 

6

 

“Assignment and Acceptance” means an assignment and acceptance entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee, and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto.

 

“Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable EEA Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an EEA Financial Institution.

 

“Bail-In Legislation” means, with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

 

“Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America, N.A. as its “prime rate,” and (c) the Eurocurrency Rate on such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day) for a deposit with a maturity of one month plus 1%. The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America, N.A. based upon various factors including Bank of America, N.A.’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such prime rate announced by Bank of America, N.A. shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

“Base Rate Advance” means an Advance that bears interest as provided in Section 2.06(a)(i).

 

“Benefit Plan” means any of (a) an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in Section 4975 of the Code or (c) any Persons whose assets include (for purposes of ERISA Section 3(42) or otherwise for purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such “employee benefit plan” or “plan”.

 

“Borrowed Debt” means any Debt for money borrowed, including loans, hybrid securities, debt convertible into Equity Interests and any Debt for money borrowed represented by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of Debt for money borrowed.

 

“Borrower” has the meaning set forth in the introduction hereto.

 

“Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.

 

“Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Advances of the same Type made by each of the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the laws of, or are in fact closed

 

7

 

in, New York City, Chicago or London and any day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurocurrency market.

 

“CERCLIS” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

“Closing Date” means the date on which each of the conditions set forth in Section 3.02 has been satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01); provided that such date shall be on or before June 30, 2018.

 

“Commitment” means as to any Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make an Advance pursuant to Section 2.01, as such commitment may be reduced from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof. The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is (a) the amount set forth in the column labeled “Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule I hereto, or (b) if such Lender has entered into any Assignment and Acceptance, the amount set forth for such Lender in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.07(d), as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 2.04. As of the Effective Date, the aggregate amount of the Commitments is $3,000,000,000, as such amount may be reduced in accordance with Section 2.04 or 6.01.

 

“Consolidated” refers to the consolidation of accounts in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any fiscal period, the Consolidated net income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period determined in accordance with GAAP plus the following, to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated net income: (a) Consolidated Interest Expense, (b) the provision for Federal, state, local and foreign taxes based on income, profits, revenue, business activities, capital (other than capital gain or loss) or similar measures payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in each case, as set forth on the financial statements of the Consolidated Group, (c) depreciation and amortization expense, (d) any extraordinary or unusual charges, expenses or losses, (e) net after-tax losses (including all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) on sales of assets outside of the ordinary course of business and net after-tax losses from discontinued operations, (f) any net after-tax losses (including all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) on the retirement of debt, (g) any other nonrecurring or non-cash charges, expenses or losses (including charges, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Transactions or any issuance of Debt or equity, acquisitions, investments, restructuring activities, asset sales or divestitures permitted hereunder, whether or not successful), (h) minority interest expense, and (i) non-cash stock option expenses, non-cash equity-based compensation and/or non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation, and minus, to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated net income for such period, the sum of (i) any extraordinary or unusual income or gains, (ii) net after-tax gains (less all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) on the sales of assets outside of the ordinary course of business and net after-tax gains from discontinued operations (without duplication of any amounts added

 

8

 

back in clause (b) of this definition), (iii) any net after-tax gains (less all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) on the retirement of debt, (iv) any other nonrecurring or non-cash income and (v) minority interest income, all as determined on a Consolidated basis. In addition, in the event that the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries acquired or disposed of any Person, business unit or line of business or made any investment during the relevant period, in each case involving the payment or receipt of consideration (including non-cash, contingent and deferred consideration) by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with a fair market value in excess of $5,000,000,000 (as determined by the Borrower in good faith upon the consummation of such acquisition, disposition or investment), Consolidated EBITDA will be determined giving pro forma effect to such acquisition, disposition or investment as if such acquisition, disposition or investment and any related incurrence or repayment of Debt had occurred on the first day of the relevant period, but shall not take into account any cost savings projected to be realized as a result of such acquisition, disposition or investment other than cost savings permitted to be included under Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Consolidated Group” means the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any fiscal period, the total interest expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis determined in accordance with GAAP, including the imputed interest component of capitalized lease obligations during such period, and all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit, if any, and net costs under Hedge Agreements; provided that if the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries acquired or disposed of any Person or line of business or made any investment during the relevant period, Consolidated Interest Expense will be determined giving pro forma effect to any incurrence or repayment of Debt related to such acquisition or, disposition or investment as if such incurrence or repayment of Debt had occurred on the first day of the relevant period.

 

“Consolidated Net Assets” means the aggregate amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom all current liabilities, as set forth on the Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group most recently furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01(i)(ii) prior to the time as of which Consolidated Net Assets shall be determined (giving pro forma effect to any acquisition, disposition or investment by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries involving the payment or receipt of consideration (including non-cash, contingent and deferred consideration) by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with a fair market value in excess of $5,000,000,000 (as determined by the Borrower in good faith upon the consummation of such acquisition, disposition or investment), and any related incurrence or repayment of Debt, that has occurred since the end of the most recent fiscal quarter included in such balance sheet as if such acquisition, disposition or investment, and any such incurrence or repayment of Debt, had occurred on the last day of such fiscal quarter).

 

9

 

“Consolidated Total Debt” means, as of any date of determination, the aggregate amount of Borrowed Debt of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries determined on a Consolidated basis as of such date.

 

“Continuing Director” means, for any period, an individual who is a member of the board of directors of the Borrower on the first day of such period or whose election to the board of directors of the Borrower is approved by a majority of the other Continuing Directors.

 

“Conversion”, “Convert”, or “Converted” each refers to a conversion of Advances of one Type into Advances of the other Type pursuant to Section 2.07 or 2.08.

 

“Debt” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person for the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of such Person’s business), (c) all obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments, (d) all obligations of such Person created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to property acquired by such Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (e) all obligations of such Person as lessee under leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases; provided that all obligations of any Person that are or would be characterized as operating lease obligations in accordance with GAAP on the Effective Date (whether or not such operating lease obligations were in effect on such date) shall, if so elected by the Borrower, continue to be accounted for as operating lease obligations (and not as capital leases) for purposes of this Agreement regardless of any change in GAAP following the Effective Date that would otherwise require such obligations to be recharacterized (on a prospective or retroactive basis or otherwise) as capital leases, (f) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of acceptances, letters of credit or similar extensions of credit, (g) all obligations of such Person in respect of Hedge Agreements, (h) all Debt of others referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above or clause (i) below directly guaranteed in any manner by such Person, or the payment of which is otherwise provided for by such Person, and (i) all Debt referred to in clauses (a) through (h) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property (including, without limitation, accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such Debt.

 

“Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States of America, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect.

 

10

 

“Default” means any Event of Default or any event that would constitute an Event of Default but for the requirement specified in Article 6 that notice be given or time elapse or both.

 

“Default Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 2.06(b).

 

“Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.17(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Advances within two Business Days of the date such Advances were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower or the Administrative Agent in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund an Advance hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity, or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-in Action; provided that for the avoidance of doubt, a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of (A) the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a governmental authority or (B) in the case of a solvent Person, the precautionary appointment of an administrator, guardian or custodian or similar official by a governmental authority under or based on the law of the country where such Person is organized if the applicable law of such jurisdiction requires that such appointment not be publicly disclosed, in any such case, where such ownership or action, as applicable, does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such governmental authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above shall be conclusive and binding as to such Lender absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting

 

11

 

Lender (subject to Section 2.17(b)) upon delivery of written notice of such determination to the Borrower and each Lender.

 

“Disinterested Director” means, with respect to any Person and transaction, a member of the board of directors of such Person who does not have any material direct or indirect financial interest in or with respect to such transaction.

 

“Dollars” and the “$” sign each means lawful currency of the United States.

 

“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower substantially all the property of which is located, or substantially all of the business of which is carried on, within the United States (excluding its territories and possessions and Puerto Rico), provided, however, that the term shall not include any Subsidiary of the Borrower which (i) is engaged principally in the financing of operations outside of the United States or in leasing personal property or financing inventory, receivables or other property or (ii) does not own a Principal Domestic Property.

 

“EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country that is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country that is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country that is a subsidiary of an institution described in clause (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.

 

“EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

 

“EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.

 

“Effective Date” means the date the conditions set forth in Section 3.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01).

 

“Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Lender; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender; (c) a commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States, or any State thereof, and having total assets in excess of $10,000,000,000; (d) a commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or has concluded special lending arrangements with the International Monetary Fund associated with its General Arrangements to Borrow, or a political subdivision of any such country, and having total assets in excess of $10,000,000,000, so long as such bank is acting through a branch or agency located in the country in which it is organized or another country that is described in this clause (d); and (e) any other Person approved by the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, by the Borrower, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided, however, that no Defaulting Lender (or

 

12

 

Person who would be a Defaulting Lender upon becoming a Lender) nor the Borrower nor any Affiliate of the Borrower shall qualify as an Eligible Assignee.

 

“Embargoed Person” means (a) any country or territory that is the target of a sanctions program administered by OFAC or (b) any Person that (i) is or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons publicly identified on the most current list of “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons” published by OFAC, (ii) is the target of a sanctions program or sanctions list (A) administered by OFAC, the European Union or Her Majesty’s Treasury, or (B) under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act, the Iran Sanctions Act, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act, and the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act, each as amended, section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 or any Executive Order promulgated pursuant to any of the foregoing ((ii) (A) and (B) collectively, “Sanctions”) or (iii) resides, is organized or chartered, or has a place of business in a country or territory that is the subject of a Sanctions program administered by OFAC that prohibits dealing with the government of such country or territory (unless such Person has an appropriate license to transact business in such country or territory or otherwise is permitted to reside, be organized or chartered or maintain a place of business in such country or territory without violating any Sanctions).

 

“Environmental Action” means any action, suit, demand, demand letter, claim, notice of noncompliance or violation, notice of liability or potential liability, investigation, proceeding, consent order or consent agreement relating in any way to any Environmental Law, Environmental Permit or Hazardous Materials or arising from alleged injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the environment, including, without limitation, (a) by any governmental or regulatory authority for enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial or other actions or damages and (b) by any governmental or regulatory authority or any third party for damages, contribution, indemnification, cost recovery, compensation or injunctive relief.

 

“Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation, code, order, judgment, decree or judicial or agency interpretation, policy or guidance relating to pollution or protection of the environment, health, safety or natural resources, including, without limitation, those relating to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous Materials.

 

“Environmental Permit” means any permit, approval, identification number, license or other authorization required under any Environmental Law.

 

“Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.

 

13

 

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued thereunder.

 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that is a member of the Borrower’s controlled group, or under common control with the Borrower, within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

“ERISA Event” means:

 

(a)        (i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, with respect to any Plan unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect to such event has been waived by the PBGC, or (ii) the requirements of subsection (1) of Section 4043(b) of ERISA  are being met with a contributing sponsor, as defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan, and an event described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of Section 4043(c) of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with respect to such Plan within the following 30 days;

 

(b)        the application for a minimum funding waiver with respect to a Plan;

 

(c)        the provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice of intent to terminate such Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA (including any such notice with respect to a plan amendment referred to in Section 4041(e) of ERISA);

 

(d)       the cessation of operations at a facility of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in the circumstances described in Section 4062(e) of ERISA;

 

(e)        the withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year for which it was a substantial employer, as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA;

 

(f)        the conditions for the imposition of a lien under Section 303(k) of ERISA shall have been met with respect to any Plan; or

 

(g)        the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Plan pursuant to Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or condition described in Section 4042 of ERISA that could reasonably constitute grounds for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, a Plan.

 

“EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person), as in effect from time to time.

 

“Eurocurrency Liabilities” has the meaning specified in Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as in effect from time to time.

 

14

 

“Eurocurrency Rate” means, with respect to any Eurocurrency Rate Advance for any Interest Period, subject to the implementation of a LIBOR Successor Rate pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the London interbank offered rate (“LIBOR”) as administered by the ICE Benchmark Administration (or any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate) for Dollars for a period equal in length to such Interest Period as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) (such rate, as so published, the “LIBOR Screen Rate”) at approximately 11:00 A.M., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period; provided that if the Eurocurrency Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement; provided that if such rate is not available, the Eurocurrency Rate shall be the arithmetic mean (rounded up to four decimal places) of the rates quoted by the Reference Banks to leading banks in the London interbank market for the offering of deposits in the applicable currency for such Interest Period, in each case as of 11:00 A.M., London time on the Quotation Day.

 

“Eurocurrency Rate Advance” means an Advance that bears interest as provided in Section 2.06(a)(ii).

 

“Eurocurrency Rate Reserve Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender for any Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Rate Advance, the reserve percentage applicable at any time during such Interest Period under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor thereto) for determining the actual reserve requirement (including, without limitation, any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) for such Lender with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency Liabilities (or with respect to any other category of liabilities that includes deposits by reference to which the interest rate on Eurocurrency Rate Advances is determined) having a term equal to such Interest Period.

 

“Events of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

 

“Excluded Taxes” has the meaning specified in Section 2.13(a).

 

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version of such Sections that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and any intergovernmental agreements between the United States and any other jurisdiction entered into in connection with the foregoing (including any treaty, law, regulation or other official guidance enacted in any other jurisdiction pursuant to any such intergovernmental agreement).

 

“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of

 

15

 

the Federal Reserve System, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America, N.A. on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is not a U.S. Person.

 

“GAAP” has the meaning specified in Section 1.03.

 

“Hazardous Materials” means (a) petroleum and petroleum products, byproducts or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and radon gas and (b) any other chemicals, materials or substances designated, classified or regulated as “hazardous” or “toxic” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” under any Environmental Law.

 

“Hedge Agreements” means interest rate swap, cap or collar agreements, interest rate future or option contracts, currency swap agreements, currency future or option contracts and other similar agreements.

 

“Indemnified Party” has the meaning specified in Section 8.04(b).

 

“Information” has the meaning specified in Section 8.08.

 

“Interest Period” means, for each Eurocurrency Rate Advance comprising part of the same Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Eurocurrency Rate Advance or the date of the Conversion of any Base Rate Advance into such Eurocurrency Rate Advance and ending on the last day of the period selected by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions below and, thereafter, with respect to Eurocurrency Rate Advances, each subsequent period commencing on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period and ending on the last day of the period selected by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions below. The duration of each such Interest Period shall be one, two, three or six months, as the Borrower may, upon written notice received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the third Business Day prior to the first day of such Interest Period (or, at such later time as the Administrative Agent, in its reasonable discretion, may agree to), select; provided, however, that:

 

(a)        the Borrower may not select any Interest Period that ends after the Maturity Date;

 

(b)        Interest Periods commencing on the same date for Eurocurrency Rate Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing shall be of the same duration (it being understood that the Borrower shall be permitted to make multiple Borrowings consisting of Eurocurrency Rate Advances on the same date, each of which may be of different durations);

 

16

 

(c)        whenever the last day of any Interest Period would otherwise occur on a day other than a Business Day, the last day of such Interest Period shall be extended to occur on the next succeeding Business Day; provided, however, that, if such extension would cause the last day of such Interest Period to occur in the next succeeding calendar month, the last day of such Interest Period shall occur on the immediately preceding Business Day; and

 

(d)       whenever the first day of any Interest Period occurs on a day of an initial calendar month for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that succeeds such initial calendar month by the number of months equal to the number of months in such Interest Period, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such succeeding calendar month.

 

“Internal Revenue Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated and the rulings issued thereunder.

 

“Lenders” means, collectively, (a) each bank, financial institution and other institutional lender listed on the signature pages hereof and (b) each Eligible Assignee that shall become a party hereto pursuant to Section 8.07(a), (b) and (c).

 

“LIBOR” has the meaning specified in the definition of Eurocurrency Rate.

 

“LIBOR Successor Rate” has the meaning specified in Section 2.07(e).

 

“LIBOR Successor Rate Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any proposed LIBOR Successor Rate, any conforming changes to the definition of Base Rate, Interest Period, timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest and other administrative matters as may be appropriate, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent in consultation with the Borrower, to reflect the adoption of such LIBOR Successor Rate and to permit the administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Administrative Agent determines that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or that no market practice for the administration of such LIBOR Successor Rate exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent determines in consultation with the Borrower).

 

“Lien” means any lien, security interest or other charge or encumbrance of any kind, or any other type of preferential arrangement, including, without limitation, the lien or retained security title of a conditional vendor and any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property.

 

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement and any amendments or notes entered into in connection herewith.

 

“Losses” has the meaning specified in Section 8.04(b).

 

“Margin Stock” has the meaning provided in Regulation U.

 

17

 

“Material Acquisition” shall mean any Acquisition involving the payment of consideration (including non-cash, contingent and deferred consideration (including obligations under any purchase price adjustment but excluding earnout or similar payments)) by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with a fair market value in excess of $5,000,000,000 (as determined by the Borrower in good faith upon consummation thereof).

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the financial condition or results of operations of the Consolidated Group taken as a whole, (b) the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or any Lender under this Agreement, taken as a whole, or (c) the ability of the Borrower to perform its payment obligations under this Agreement.

 

“Maturity Date” means the date that is 364 calendar days following the Closing Date.

 

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (or any successor thereof).

 

“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions, or has within any of the preceding five plan years made or accrued an obligation to make contributions.

 

“Multiple Employer Plan” means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and employees of at least one Person other than the Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could reasonably have liability under Section 4064 or 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

 

“Non-Defaulting Lender” means, at any time, a Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender.

 

“Notice” has the meaning specified in Section 8.02(d).

 

“Notice of Borrowing” has the meaning specified in Section 2.02(a).

 

“NPL” means the National Priorities List under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended from time to time.

 

“OFAC” means the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

 

“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Lender, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Lender and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Lender’s having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under,

 

18

 

received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to, or enforced, any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan Document).

 

“Other Taxes” has the meaning specified in Section 2.13(b).

 

“Participant Register” has the meaning specified in Section 8.07(e).

 

“Patriot Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56, signed into law October 26, 2001.

 

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (or any successor thereto).

 

“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation (including a business trust), joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, or a government or any political subdivision or agency thereof.

 

“Plan” means a Single Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.

 

“Platform” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.

 

“Prepayment Minimum” means $50,000,000.

 

“Prepayment Multiple” means $5,000,000.

 

“Previously Delivered Financial Statements” means (a) audited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of earnings, equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal years ended on December 31, 2015, December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017 and (b) unaudited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of earnings, equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2018.

 

“Principal Domestic Property” means any building, structure or other facility, together with the land upon which it is erected and fixtures comprising a part thereof, used primarily for manufacturing, processing, research, warehousing or distribution located in the United States (excluding its territories and possessions and Puerto Rico) owned or leased by any member of the Consolidated Group the net book value of which on the date as of which the determination is being made exceeds 2% of Consolidated Net Assets, other than any such building structure or other facility or portion of any thereof (a) which is an air or water pollution control facility financed by obligations issued by a State or local governmental unit or (b) which the Chief Executive Officer, any President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower determines in good faith is not of material importance to the total business conducted, or assets owned, by the Consolidated Group taken as a whole.

 

19

 

“Projections” means any projections and any forward looking statements (including statements with respect to booked business) of the Consolidated Group furnished to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent by or on behalf of the Borrower prior to the Effective Date.

 

“PTE” means a prohibited transaction class exemption issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, as any such exemption may be amended from time to time.

 

“Public Lender” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.01.

 

“Quotation Day” means with respect to any Interest Period, two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, unless market practice differs in the London interbank market for the Dollar, in which case the Quotation Day shall be determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with market practice in the London interbank market (and if quotations would normally be given by leading banks in the London interbank market on more than one day, the Quotation Day shall be the last of those days).

 

“Reference Banks” means such banks (which shall not be less than two nor more than four) that are leading dealers in the relevant market as may be appointed by the Administrative Agent (and agreed by such bank) in consultation with the Borrower.

 

“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 8.07(d).

 

“Related Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees and advisors of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.

 

“Removal Effective Date” has the meaning provided in Section 7.06(b).

 

“Required Lenders” means, at any time, at least two Lenders holding, in the aggregate, more than 50% of the unused Commitments and aggregate outstanding principal amount of Advances at such time; provided that the Commitment of, and the Advances held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

 

“Resignation Effective Date” has the meaning provided in Section 7.06(a).

 

“Responsible Officer” means, with respect to the Borrower, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Controller, any Assistant Treasurer, the Director, Capital Markets and Global Treasury Operations and the General Counsel of the Borrower (or other executive officer of the Borrower performing similar functions) or any other officer of the Borrower responsible for overseeing or reviewing compliance with this Agreement.

 

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (or any successor thereof).

 

20

 

“Sanctions” has the meaning specified in the definition of Embargoed Person.

 

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that constitutes a “significant subsidiary” under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as in effect from time to time.

 

“Single Employer Plan” means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could reasonably have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

 

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than 50% of (a) the issued and outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether at the time capital stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall or might have voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency), (b) the interest in the capital or profits of such limited liability company, partnership or joint venture or (c) the beneficial interest in such trust or estate is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person, by such Person and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such Person’s other Subsidiaries.

 

“Syndication Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

 

“Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including back-up withholdings), assessments, fees or other like charges imposed by any governmental authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

 

“Ticking Fee Letter” means that certain fee letter, dated as of the date hereof, among Bank of America, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and the Borrower, as it may be amended, supplement or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the borrowing of the Advances.

 

“Type” refers to a Base Rate Advance or a Eurocurrency Rate Advance.

 

“United States” and “U.S.” each means the United States of America.

 

“U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

“Voting Stock” means shares of capital stock issued by a corporation, or equivalent interests in any other Person, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons

 

21

 

performing similar functions) of such Person, even if the right so to vote has been suspended by the happening of such a contingency.

 

“Withdrawal Liability” has the meaning specified in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

 

“Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

 

Section 1.02.   Computation of Time Periods.  In this Agreement, in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including”, the word “through” means “through and including” and each of the words “to” and “until” mean “to but excluding”.

 

Section 1.03.   Accounting Terms.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall be construed in accordance with, and all financial data (including financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, generally accepted accounting principles as in effect in the United States from time to time (“GAAP”) (it being agreed that (A) all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to (i) any election under Accounting Standards Codification 825-10-25 (previously referred to as Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 159) (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Debt or other liabilities of a member of the Consolidated Group at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) any treatment of Debt in respect of convertible debt instruments under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Debt in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Debt shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof) and (B) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 1.03 or in any classification under GAAP of any Person, business, assets or operations in respect of which a definitive agreement for the disposition thereof has been entered into as discontinued operations, no pro forma effect shall be given to any discontinued operations (and the EBITDA attributable to any such Person, business, assets or operations shall not be excluded for any purposes hereunder) until such disposition shall have been consummated). If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the calculation of any covenant set forth herein and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such covenant to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such covenant shall continue to be calculated in accordance with GAAP prior to such change and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, concurrently with the delivery of any financial

 

22

 

statements or reports with respect to such covenant, statements setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such covenant made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

 

Section 1.04.   Terms Generally.  The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.  The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.  The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, restatements, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any definition of or reference to any statute, rule or regulation shall be construed as referring thereto as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (including by succession of comparable successor laws), (c) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to any restrictions on assignment set forth herein) and (d) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereto.

 

ARTICLE 2

AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES

 

Section 2.01.   The Advances.  Each Lender severally and not jointly agrees, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, to make Advances on the Closing Date to the Borrower in an amount equal to (or, to the extent so requested by the Borrower in its Notice of Borrowing, less than) such Lender’s Commitment immediately prior to the making of the Advance.  Each Lender’s Commitment shall expire upon the making of the Advances on the Closing Date. The Borrower may prepay Advances pursuant to Section 2.09, provided that Advances may not be reborrowed once repaid.

 

Section 2.02.   Making the Advances.  (a)  Each Borrowing shall be made on notice by the Borrower, given not later than (x) 9:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the second Business Day prior to the Closing Date (or, at such later time as the Administrative Agent, in its reasonable discretion, may agree to) in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Eurocurrency Rate Advances or (y) 9:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the Closing Date in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Base Rate Advances, to the Administrative Agent, which shall give to each Lender prompt notice thereof by telecopier or other electronic communication. The notice of a Borrowing (the “Notice of Borrowing”) shall be by telephone, confirmed immediately in writing, including by telecopier (or other electronic communication) in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, specifying therein the requested (i) date of such Borrowing (which shall be a Business Day), (ii) Type of Advances comprising such Borrowing, (iii) aggregate amount of such Borrowing, (iv) initial Interest Period for such Advance, if such Borrowing is to consist of Eurocurrency Rate Advances, and (v) account or accounts in which the proceeds of the Borrowing

 

23

 

should be credited.  Each Lender shall, before 10:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the Closing Date make available for the account of its Applicable Lending Office to the Administrative Agent at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office, in same day funds, such Lender’s ratable portion of such Borrowing. After the Administrative Agent’s receipt of such funds and upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set forth in Article 3, the Administrative Agent will make such funds available to the Borrower in immediately available funds to the account or accounts specified by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent in the Notice of Borrowing relating to the applicable Borrowing.

 

(b)     Anything in Section 2.02(a) to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) the Borrower may not select Eurocurrency Rate Advances if the obligation of the Lenders to make Eurocurrency Rate Advances shall then be suspended pursuant to Section 2.07 or 2.11 and (ii) the Eurocurrency Rate Advances may not be outstanding as part of more than ten separate Borrowings.

 

(c)      The Notice of Borrowing shall be irrevocable and binding on the Borrower. In the case of any Borrowing that the related Notice of Borrowing specifies is to be comprised of Eurocurrency Rate Advances, the Borrower shall indemnify each Lender against any reasonable loss, cost or expense incurred by such Lender as a result of any failure to fulfill on or before the Closing Date the applicable conditions set forth in Article 3, including, without limitation, any reasonable loss (excluding loss of anticipated profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender to fund the Advance to be made by such Lender as part of such Borrowing when such Advance, as a result of such failure, is not made on such date.

 

(d)     Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the time of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s ratable portion of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such portion available to the Administrative Agent on the Closing Date in accordance with Section 2.02(a) and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower on such date a corresponding amount.  If and to the extent that any Lender shall not have so made such ratable portion available to the Administrative Agent, such Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay or to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount and to pay interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is made available to the Borrower until the date such amount is paid or repaid to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of the Borrower, the higher of (A) the interest rate applicable at the time to Advances comprising such Borrowing and (B) the cost of funds incurred by the Administrative Agent in respect of such amount and (ii) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. 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 shall pay to the Administrative Agent such corresponding principal amount, such amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Advance as part of

 

24

 

such Borrowing for all purposes of this Agreement. 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.

 

(e)      The failure of any Lender to make the Advance to be made by it as part of any Borrowing shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligation, if any, hereunder to make its Advance on the Closing Date, but no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make the Advance to be made by such other Lender on the Closing Date.

 

(f)      If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Advance to be made by such Lender as provided herein, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to such Borrowing are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall promptly return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

 

Section 2.03.   Fees.  The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent and each Arranger for their respective accounts (or that of their applicable Affiliate) such fees as may from time to time be agreed between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and/or such Arranger, including pursuant to the Ticking Fee Letter and the Administrative Agent Fee Letter.

 

Section 2.04.   Termination or Reduction of the Commitments.  (a) Ratable Reduction or Termination. The Borrower shall have the right, upon at least three Business Days’ notice (or, if later, upon notice provided substantially concurrently with the delivery of a Notice of Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.02(a)(x)) to the Administrative Agent, to terminate in whole or permanently reduce ratably in part the unused portions of Commitments of the Lenders; provided that each partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of not less than $50,000,000 and an integral multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof; provided further that any such notice may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or the consummation of a specific transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower if such condition is not satisfied; provided further that, for the avoidance of doubt and for purposes of the Ticking Fee Letter, the Commitments shall, if not yet drawn upon, expire and terminate at 11:59 p.m. (Chicago time) on June 30, 2018.

 

(b)     Defaulting Lender Commitment Reductions.  The Borrower may terminate the unused amount of the Commitments of any Lender that is a Defaulting Lender upon not less than three Business Days’ prior notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders thereof), it being understood that notwithstanding such Commitment termination, the provisions of Section 2.17(c) will continue to apply to all amounts thereafter paid by the Borrower for the account of such Defaulting Lender under this Agreement (whether on account of principal, interest, fees, indemnity or other amounts); provided that such termination shall not be deemed to be a waiver or release of any claim the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have against such Defaulting Lender.

 

25

 

Section 2.05.   Repayment of Advances.  The Borrower shall repay on the Maturity Date to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of the Lenders the aggregate principal amount of all Advances made to the Borrower outstanding on such date.

 

Section 2.06.   Interest on Advances.  (a)  Scheduled Interest.  The Borrower shall pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Advance made to it from the date of such Advance until such principal amount shall be paid in full, at the following rates per annum:

 

(i)         Base Rate Advances.  During such periods as such Advance is a Base Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times to the sum of (A) the Base Rate in effect from time to time and (B) the Applicable Margin, payable in arrears quarterly on the last Business Day of each March,  June,  September and  December,  during  such periods and on the date the Advances are paid in full.

 

(ii)        Eurocurrency Rate Advances.  During such periods as such Advance is a Eurocurrency Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times during each Interest Period for such Advance to the sum of (A) the Eurocurrency Rate for such Interest Period for such Advance, and (B) the Applicable Margin, payable in arrears on the last day of such Interest Period and, if such Interest Period has a duration of more than three months, on each day that occurs during such Interest Period every three months from the first day of such Interest Period and on the date such Eurocurrency Rate Advance shall be Converted or paid in full.

 

(b)     Default Interest. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default pursuant to Section 6.01(a), the Administrative Agent shall, upon the request of the Required Lenders, require the Borrower to pay interest (“Default Interest”), which amount shall accrue as of the date of occurrence of the Event of Default, on (i) amounts that are overdue, payable in arrears on the dates referred to in Section 2.06(a)(i) or 2.06(a)(ii), at a rate per annum equal at all times to 2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on such overdue amount pursuant to Section 2.06(a)(i) or 2.06(a)(ii) and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by law, the amount of any interest, fee or other amount payable hereunder that is not paid when due, from the date such amount shall be due until such amount shall be paid in full, payable in arrears on the date such amount shall be paid in full and on demand, at a rate per annum equal at all times to 2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on Base Rate Advances pursuant to Section 2.06(a)(i), provided, however, that following acceleration of the Advances pursuant to Section 6.01, Default Interest shall accrue and be payable hereunder whether or not previously required by the Administrative Agent.

 

(c)      Additional Interest on Eurocurrency Rate Advances.  The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, so long as and to the extent such Lender shall be required under regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency Liabilities, additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Advance of such

 

26

 

Lender made to the Borrower that is a Eurocurrency Rate Advance, from the date of such Advance until such principal amount is paid in full, at an interest rate per annum equal at all times to the remainder obtained by subtracting (a) the Eurocurrency Rate for the applicable Interest Period for such Advance from (b) the rate obtained by dividing such Eurocurrency Rate by a percentage equal to 100% minus the Eurocurrency Rate Reserve Percentage of such Lender for such Interest Period, payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Advance. Such Lender shall as soon as practicable provide notice to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower of any such additional interest arising in connection with such Advance, which notice shall be conclusive and binding, absent demonstrable error.

 

Section 2.07.   Interest Rate Determination.  (a)  The Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice to the Borrower and the Lenders of the applicable interest rate determined by the Administrative Agent for purposes of Section 2.06(a)(i) or Section 2.06(a)(ii).

 

(b)     If, with respect to any Eurocurrency Rate Advances, (i) the Administrative Agent shall have determined (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Eurocurrency Rate for such Interest Period, or (ii) the Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent that the Eurocurrency Rate for any Interest Period for such Advances will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Required Lenders of making, funding or maintaining their respective Eurocurrency Rate Advances for such Interest Period, the Administrative Agent shall forthwith so notify the Borrower and the Lenders, whereupon (A) the Borrower will, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, either, (w) prepay such Advances or (x) Convert such Advances into Base Rate Advances and (B) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Advances into, Eurocurrency Rate Advances shall be suspended, until (in the case of the foregoing clause (i)) a LIBOR Successor Rate is implemented in accordance with clause (e) below or (in the case of the foregoing clauses (i) or (ii)) the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.

 

(c)      If the Borrower shall fail to select the duration of any Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Rate Advances made to the Borrower in accordance with the provisions contained in the definition of “Interest Period” in Section 1.01, the Administrative Agent will forthwith so notify the Borrower and the Lenders and such Eurocurrency Rate Advances will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into Base Rate Advances.

 

(d)     Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, (i) each Eurocurrency Rate Advance will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor be Converted into a Base Rate Advance (unless the Required Lenders otherwise consent) and (ii) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Advances into, Eurocurrency Rate Advances shall be suspended.

 

27

 

(e)      Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be made by notice to the Borrower and conclusive absent manifest error), or the Borrower or Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent (with, in the case of the Required Lenders, a copy to Borrower) that the Borrower or Required Lenders (as applicable) have determined that:

 

(i)         adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining LIBOR for any requested Interest Period, including, without limitation, because the LIBOR Screen Rate is not available or published on a current basis and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary;

 

(ii)        the administrator of the LIBOR Screen Rate or a Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Administrative Agent has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which LIBOR or the LIBOR Screen Rate shall no longer be made available, or used for determining the interest rate of loans (such specific date, the “Scheduled Unavailability Date”); or

 

(iii)       syndicated loans being executed in the U.S. at the time, or that include language similar to that contained in this Section, are generally being executed or amended (as applicable) to incorporate or adopt a new benchmark interest rate to replace LIBOR,

 

then, reasonably promptly after such determination by the Administrative Agent or receipt by the Administrative Agent of such notice, as applicable, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower may amend this Agreement to replace LIBOR with an alternate benchmark rate (including any mathematical or other adjustments to the benchmark (if any) incorporated therein), giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar U.S. dollar denominated syndicated credit facilities for such alternative benchmarks (any such proposed rate, a “LIBOR Successor Rate”), together with any proposed LIBOR Successor Rate Conforming Changes, and any such amendment shall become effective at 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on the fifth Business Day after the Administrative Agent shall have (with the consent of the Borrower) posted such proposed amendment to all Lenders and the Borrower unless, prior to such time, Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have delivered to the Administrative Agent written notice that such Required Lenders do not accept such amendment.

 

If no LIBOR Successor Rate has been determined and the circumstances under clause (i) above exist or the Scheduled Unavailability Date has occurred (as applicable), the Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrower and each Lender.  Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurocurrency Rate Advance  shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Advance or Interest Periods), and (y) the Eurocurrency Rate component shall no longer be utilized in determining the Base Rate.  Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, Conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Advances (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Advances or Interest Periods)

 

28

 

or, failing that, will be deemed to have Converted such request into a request for Base Rate Advances (subject to the foregoing clause (y)) in the amount specified therein.

 

Notwithstanding anything else herein, any definition of LIBOR Successor Rate shall provide that in no event shall LIBOR Successor Rate be less than zero for purposes of this Agreement.

 

Section 2.08.   Optional Conversion of Advances.  The Borrower may on any Business Day, upon notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the third Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Conversion (or in the case of a Conversion into Base Rate Advances, the Business Day prior), and subject to the provisions of Sections 2.07 and 2.11, Convert all Advances made to the Borrower of one Type comprising the same Borrowing into Advances of the other Type; provided, however, that any Conversion of Eurocurrency Rate Advances into Base Rate Advances shall be made only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurocurrency Rate Advances, any Conversion of Base Rate Advances into Eurocurrency Rate Advances shall be in an amount not less than the minimum amount specified in Section 2.01 and no Conversion of any Advances shall result in more separate Borrowings than permitted under Section 2.02(b). Each such notice of a Conversion shall, within the restrictions specified above, specify (i) the date of such Conversion (which shall be a Business Day), (ii) the Advances to be Converted, and if such Conversion is into Eurocurrency Rate Advances, the duration of the initial Interest Period for each such Advance. Each notice of Conversion shall be irrevocable and binding on the Borrower.

 

Section 2.09.   Optional Prepayments of Advances.  The Borrower may, upon written notice to the Administrative Agent stating the proposed date and aggregate principal amount of the proposed prepayment, given not later than 10:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the date (which date shall be a Business Day) of such proposed prepayment, in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Base Rate Advances, and not later than 10:00 A.M. (Chicago time) at least two Business Days prior to the date of such proposed prepayment (or, at such later time as the Administrative Agent, in its reasonable discretion, may agree to), in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Eurocurrency Rate Advances, and if such notice is given, the Borrower shall, prepay the outstanding principal amount of the Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing made to the Borrower in whole or ratably in part, and in the case of any Eurocurrency Rate Advances, together with accrued interest to the date of such prepayment on the principal amount prepaid; provided, however, that each partial prepayment shall be in an aggregate principal amount of the Prepayment Minimum or a Prepayment Multiple in excess thereof and (ii) if any prepayment of a Eurocurrency Rate Advance is made on a date other than the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurocurrency Rate Advance, the Borrower shall also pay any amount owing pursuant to Section 8.04(c); and provided, further, that, subject to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding proviso, any such notice may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or the consummation of a specific transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower if such condition is not satisfied.

 

29

 

Section 2.10.   Increased Costs.  (a)  If, due to either (i) the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation or (ii) the compliance with any directive, guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental authority including, without limitation, any agency of the European Union or similar monetary or multinational authority (whether or not having the force of law), in each case after the date hereof (or with respect to any Lender (or the Administrative Agent), if later, the date on which such Lender (or the Administrative Agent) becomes a Lender (or the Administrative Agent)), there shall be any increase in the cost to any Lender or the Administrative Agent of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining Advances (excluding for purposes of this Section 2.10 any such increased costs resulting from (i) Taxes as to which such Lender is indemnified under Section 2.13, (ii) Excluded Taxes, or (iii) Other Taxes), then the Borrower shall from time to time, upon demand by such Lender or the Administrative Agent (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent, if applicable), pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender (or for its own account, if applicable) additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender or the Administrative Agent for such increased cost.  A certificate describing such increased costs in reasonable detail delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error.

 

(b)     If any Lender reasonably determines that compliance with any law or regulation or any directive, guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental authority including, without limitation, any agency of the European Union or similar monetary or multinational authority (whether or not having the force of law), in each case promulgated or given after the date hereof (or with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender), affects or would affect the amount of capital, insurance or liquidity required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or any corporation controlling such Lender and that the amount of such capital, insurance or liquidity is increased by or based upon the existence of such Lender’s commitment to lend hereunder and other commitments of this type, the Borrower shall, from time to time upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender or such corporation in the light of such circumstances, to the extent that such Lender reasonably determines such increase in capital, insurance or liquidity to be allocable to the existence of such Lender’s Advances or commitment to lend hereunder. A certificate as to such amounts submitted to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent by such Lender shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error.

 

(c)      Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.10 to the contrary, for purposes of this Section 2.10, (A) the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the rules and regulations issued thereunder or in connection therewith or in implementation thereof, and (B) all requests, rules, guidelines and directions promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements or the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any similar or successor agency, or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case, pursuant to Basel III) shall be deemed to have been enacted following the date hereof (or with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender). Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section

 

30

 

2.10, no Lender shall demand compensation pursuant to this Section 2.10 unless such Lender is making corresponding demands on similarly situated borrowers in comparable credit facilities to which such Lender is a party.

 

Section 2.11.   Illegality.   Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, (a) if any Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent that the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation makes it unlawful, or any central bank or other governmental authority, including without limitation, any agency of the European Union or similar monetary or multinational authority, asserts that it is unlawful, for such Lender or its Applicable Lending Office to perform its obligations hereunder to make Eurocurrency Rate Advances or to fund or maintain Eurocurrency Rate Advances hereunder, (i) each Eurocurrency Rate Advance of such Lender will automatically, upon such notification, be Converted into a Base Rate Advance and (ii) the obligation of such Lender to make Eurocurrency Rate Advances or to Convert Advances into Eurocurrency Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and such Lender that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist and (b) if Lenders constituting the Required Lenders so notify the Administrative Agent, (i) each Eurocurrency Rate Advance of each Lender will automatically, upon such notification, Convert into a Base Rate Advance and (ii) the obligation of each Lender to make Eurocurrency Rate Advances or to Convert Advances into Eurocurrency Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.

 

Section 2.12.   Payments and Computations.  (a)  The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it under this Agreement not later than 11:00 A.M. (Chicago time) on the day when due to the Administrative Agent at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office in same day funds. The Administrative Agent will promptly thereafter cause to be distributed like funds relating to the payment of principal or interest ratably (other than amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.02(c), 2.06(c), 2.10, 2.11(a), 2.13, 2.14 or 8.04(c)) to the Lenders for the account of their respective Applicable Lending Offices, and like funds relating to the payment of any other amount payable to any Lender to such Lender for the account of its Applicable Lending Office, in each case to be applied in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon its acceptance of an Assignment and Acceptance and recording of the information contained therein in the Register pursuant to Section 8.07(c), from and after the effective date specified in such Assignment and Acceptance, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments hereunder in respect of the interest assigned thereby to the assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the effective date of such assignment and to the assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the effective date of such assignment. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff.

 

(b)     The Borrower hereby authorizes each Lender, if and to the extent payment owed to such Lender by the Borrower is not made when due hereunder, to charge from time to time against any or all of the Borrower’s accounts with such Lender any amount so due, unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such Lender.

 

31

 

(c)      All computations of interest based on the Base Rate shall be made by the Administrative Agent on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and all computations of interest based on the Eurocurrency Rate or the Federal Funds Rate (other than determinations of the Base Rate made at any time by reference to the Federal Funds Rate), shall be made by the Administrative Agent on the basis of a year of 360 days, in each case for the actual number of days (including the first day but excluding the last day) occurring in the period for which such interest or such fees are payable. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error.

 

(d)     Whenever any payment hereunder shall be stated to be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day, and such extension of time shall in such case be included in the computation of payment of interest; provided, however, that, if such extension would cause payment of interest on or principal of Eurocurrency Rate Advances to be made in the next following calendar month, such payment shall be made on the immediately preceding Business Day.

 

(e)      Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received written notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment in full, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment in full to the Administrative Agent on such date and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, cause to be distributed to each Lender on such due date an amount equal to the amount then due such Lender. If and to the extent the Borrower shall not have so made such payment in full to the Administrative Agent, each Lender shall repay to the Administrative Agent, following prompt notice thereof, forthwith on demand such amount distributed to such Lender, together with interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender until the date such Lender repays such amount to the Administrative Agent, at the Federal Funds Rate.

 

Section 2.13.   Taxes.  (a)  Any and all payments by or on behalf of the Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made, in accordance with Section 2.12, free and clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future Taxes, including levies, imposts, deductions, charges and withholdings, and all liabilities with respect thereto, excluding, in the case of each Lender and each Agent, (i) taxes imposed on (or measured by) its overall net income (however denominated), franchise taxes, and branch profits taxes, in each case only to the extent imposed by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, is organized or any political subdivision thereof, by the jurisdiction of such Lender’s Applicable Lending Office or any political subdivision thereof or as a result of a present or former connection between such Lender and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Lender having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Advance or Loan Document), (ii) any branch profits Taxes imposed by the United States, (iii) backup withholding Tax imposed by the United States on payments by the Borrower to any Lender, (iv) any Tax that is imposed by the United States by reason of

 

32

 

such recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.13(f), and (v) any taxes imposed under FATCA, including as a result of such recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.13(f)(iii) (all such excluded taxes, levies, imposts, deductions, charges, withholdings and liabilities in respect of payments under any Loan Document being hereinafter referred to as “Excluded Taxes”). If the Borrower shall be required by applicable law to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to any Lender or any Agent, (A) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (B) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxation authority or other authority in accordance with applicable law. If the Borrower shall be required by applicable law to deduct any Taxes other than Excluded Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to any Lender or any Agent, the sum payable shall be increased as may be necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.13) such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made.

 

(b)     In addition, without duplication of any other obligation set forth in this  Section 2.13, the Borrower agrees to pay any present or future stamp and documentary Taxes and any other excise or property Taxes, charges or similar levies that arise from any payment made by it under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or registration of, or performance under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document (hereinafter referred to as “Other Taxes”), except to the extent such Other Taxes are Other Connection Taxes imposed solely as a result of an assignment or the designation of a new Applicable Lending Office.

 

(c)      Without duplication of any other obligation set forth in this Section 2.13, the Borrower shall indemnify each Lender and each Agent for the full amount of Taxes (other than Excluded Taxes) and Other Taxes (except to the extent such Other Taxes are Other Connection Taxes imposed solely as a result of an assignment or the designation of a new Applicable Lending Office) imposed on or paid by such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, in respect of Advances made to the Borrower and any liability (including, without limitation, penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto. This indemnification shall be made within 30 days from the date such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, makes written demand therefor.

 

(d)     Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (i) any Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so) and (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 8.07(e) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register, in either case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent 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 describing in reasonable detail 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

 

33

 

and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this paragraph (d).

 

(e)      Within 30 days after the date of any payment of Taxes or Other Taxes for which the Borrower is responsible under this  Section 2.13, the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent, at its address as specified pursuant to Section 8.02, the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof.

 

(f)        (i)         Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding.  In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.13(f)(iii) below) or the documentation set forth in Section 2.13(f)(ii) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.

 

(ii)        Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Foreign Lender, if it is legally entitled to do so, 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 reasonable 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:

 

(A)         executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States of America is a party;

 

(B)         executed originals of IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

(C)         in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (1) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of either Borrower within the meaning of section 881(c)(3) (B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in

 

34

 

section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (2) executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E; or

 

(D)         to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed originals of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, a portfolio interest certificate in compliance with Section 2.13(f)(ii)(C)(1), 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 partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a certificate in compliance with Section 2.13(f)(ii)(C)(1) on behalf of such partner or partners.

 

In addition, any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax.

 

(iii)             If a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to comply with its obligations under FATCA, to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for the purposes of this clause 2.13(f)(iii), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

 

Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.

 

(g)     In the event that an additional payment is made under Section 2.13(a) or 2.13(c) for the account of any Lender and such Lender, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, determines that it has irrevocably received a refund of any tax paid or payable by it in respect of or calculated with reference to the deduction or withholding giving rise to such additional payment, such Lender shall, to the extent that it determines that it can do so without prejudice to the retention of the amount of such refund, pay to the

 

35

 

Borrower such amount as such Lender shall, in its reasonable discretion exercised in good faith, have determined is attributable to such deduction or withholding and will leave such Lender (after such payment) in no worse position than it would have been had the Borrower not been required to make such deduction or withholding. Nothing contained in this Section 2.13(g) shall (i) interfere with the right of a Lender to arrange its tax affairs in whatever manner it thinks fit or (ii) oblige any Lender to disclose any information relating to its tax returns, tax affairs or any computations in respect thereof or (iii) require any Lender to take or refrain from taking any action that would prejudice its ability to benefit from any other credits, reliefs, remissions or repayments to which it may be entitled.

 

(h)     Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.13 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 the Loan Documents.

 

(i)      For purposes of this Section 2.13, the term “applicable law” includes FATCA.

 

Section 2.14.   Sharing of Payments, Etc.  Subject to Section 2.17 in the case of a Defaulting Lender, if any Lender shall obtain any payment (whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of setoff, or otherwise) on account of the Advances owing to it (other than pursuant to Section 2.02(c), Section 2.06(c), Section 2.10, 2.11(a), or 8.04(c)) in excess of its ratable share of payments on account of the Advances obtained by all the Lenders, such Lender shall forthwith purchase from the other Lenders such participations in the Advances owing to them as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment ratably with each of them; provided, however, that if all or any portion of such excess payment is thereafter recovered from such purchasing Lender, such purchase from each Lender shall be rescinded and such Lender shall repay to the purchasing Lender the purchase price to the extent of such recovery together with an amount equal to such Lender’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (a) the amount of such Lender’s required repayment to (b) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Lender) of any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Lender in respect of the total amount so recovered. The Borrower agrees that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender pursuant to this Section 2.14 may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including the right of setoff) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation. The provisions of this Section 2.14 shall not be construed to apply to (A) any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement as in effect from time to time or (B) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Advances to any assignee or participant permitted hereunder.

 

Section 2.15.   Use of Proceeds.  The proceeds of the Advances shall be available, and the Borrower agrees that it shall apply such proceeds, for general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including to finance the repayment of indebtedness

 

36

 

and share repurchases and to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection therewith and with the Transactions.

 

Section 2.16.   Evidence of Debt.  (a) The Register maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.07(d) shall include (i) the date and amount of each Borrowing made hereunder by the Borrower, the Type of Advances comprising such Borrowing and, if appropriate, the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the terms of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it, (iii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iv) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent from the Borrower hereunder and each Lender’s share thereof.

 

(b)     Entries made reasonably and in good faith by the Administrative Agent in the Register pursuant to subsection (a) above shall be prima facie evidence of the amount of principal and interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender under this Agreement, absent manifest error; provided, however, that the failure of the Administrative Agent to make an entry, or any finding that an entry is incorrect, in the Register or such account or accounts shall not limit, expand or otherwise affect the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement.

 

Section 2.17.   Defaulting Lenders.  (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender (it being understood that the determination of whether a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender shall be made as described in Section 2.17(b)):

 

(i)         to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender will not be entitled to vote in respect of amendments and waivers hereunder, and the Commitment and the outstanding Advances of such Lender hereunder will not be taken into account in determining whether the Required Lenders or all of the Lenders, as required, have approved any such amendment or waiver (and the definition of “Required Lenders” will automatically be deemed modified accordingly for the duration of such period); provided that any such amendment or waiver that would increase or extend the term of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, extend the date fixed for the payment of principal or interest owing to such Defaulting Lender hereunder, reduce the principal amount of any obligation owing to such Defaulting Lender, reduce the amount of or the rate or amount of interest on any amount owing to such Defaulting Lender or of any fee payable to such Defaulting Lender hereunder, or alter the terms of this proviso, will require the consent of such Defaulting Lender; and

 

(ii)        the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, require such Defaulting Lender to assign and delegate its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.07.

 

(b)     If the Borrower and the Administrative Agent agree in writing in their discretion that a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will

 

37

 

so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein, such Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender and will be a Non-Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while such Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided, further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Non-Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from such Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.

 

(c)      Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Section 6.01 or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 8.05 shall be applied at such time or times 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 Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Advance in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent; third, as the Borrower may request, 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 Advances 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, 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 directed by a court of competent jurisdiction. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or otherwise pursuant to this Section 2.17(c) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

Section 2.18.   Mitigation.  (a) Each Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any event of which it has knowledge that will result in, and will use reasonable commercial efforts available to it (and not, in such Lender’s good faith judgment, otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender) to mitigate or avoid, (i) any obligation by the Borrower to pay any amount pursuant to Section 2.10 or 2.13 or (ii) the occurrence of any circumstance described in Section 2.11 (and, if any Lender has given notice of any such event described in clause (i) or (ii) above and thereafter such event ceases to exist, such Lender shall promptly so notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent). In furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender will designate a different funding office if such designation will avoid (or reduce the cost to the Borrower of) any event described in clause (i) or (ii) of the preceding sentence and such designation will not, in such Lender’s good faith judgment, be otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender.

 

38

 

(b)        Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any Lender fails to notify the Borrower of any event or circumstance which will entitle such Lender to compensation pursuant to Section 2.10 within 180 days after such Lender obtains knowledge of such event or circumstance, then such Lender shall not be entitled to compensation from the Borrower for any amount arising prior to the date which is 180 days before the date on which such Lender notifies the Borrower of such event or circumstance.

 

ARTICLE 3

CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS AND LENDING

 

Section 3.01.   Conditions Precedent to Effective Date.  This Agreement shall become effective on and as of the first date on which the following conditions precedent have been satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01):

 

(a)      The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto either (i) a counterpart of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents signed on behalf of such party or (ii) written evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include .pdf or facsimile transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement.

 

(b)     All fees and other amounts then due and payable by the Consolidated Group to the Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders under the Loan Documents or pursuant to any fee or similar letters relating to the Loan Documents shall be paid, to the extent invoiced by the relevant person at least one Business Day prior to the Effective Date and to the extent such amounts are payable on or prior to the Effective Date.

 

(c)      The Administrative Agent shall have received on or before the Effective Date, each dated on or, as applicable, prior to such date:

 

(i)         Certified copies of the resolutions or similar authorizing documentation of the governing body of the Borrower authorizing the Transactions and such Person to enter into and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party;

 

(ii)        A good standing certificate or similar certificate dated a date reasonably close to the Effective Date from the jurisdiction of organization of the Borrower;

 

(iii)       A customary certificate of the Borrower certifying the names and true signatures of its officers authorized to sign this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered by it hereunder; and

 

(iv)       A favorable opinion letter of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

39

 

(d)     The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least 3 Business Days prior to the Effective Date, so long as requested no less than 10 Business Days prior to the Effective Date, all documentation and other information required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act, in each case relating to the Borrower.

 

(e)      Since December 31, 2017, except to the extent disclosed in any Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Current Report on Form 8-K, in each case filed by the Borrower with the Securities and Exchange Commission after such date and on or prior to the Effective Date, there shall not have occurred any event or condition that has had or would reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date in writing promptly upon such conditions precedent being satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01), and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.

 

Section 3.02.   Conditions Precedent to Closing Date.  The obligation of each Lender to make an Advance on the Closing Date is subject to the satisfaction (or waiver in accordance with Section 8.01) of solely the following conditions:

 

(a)      The Effective Date shall have occurred.

 

(b)     On the Closing Date, (x) no Default is continuing or would result from the proposed Borrowing and (y) each of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.01 (other than the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.01(f)) are true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent such representations and warranties are qualified with “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” or similar terms, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) as of the Closing Date, except to the extent any such representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent such representations and warranties are qualified with “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” or similar terms, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) on and as of such earlier date.

 

(c)      All fees and other amounts due and payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to the Arranger, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders under the Loan Documents or pursuant to any fee or similar letters relating to the Loan Documents shall be paid, to the extent invoiced at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date by the relevant person and to the extent such amounts are payable on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(d)     The Administrative Agent shall have received the Notice of Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.02.

 

40

 

The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Closing Date as soon as practicable upon its occurrence, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.

 

ARTICLE 4

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Section 4.01.   Representations and Warranties.  The Borrower represents and warrants on the Effective Date and the Closing Date (it being understood the conditions to the Effective Date are solely those set out in Section 3.01 and the conditions to the obligation of each Lender to make an Advance on the Closing Date are solely those set out in Section 3.02) as follows:

 

(a)      The Borrower is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (to the extent that such concept exists) under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization.

 

(b)     The execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party (i) are within the Borrower’s organizational powers, (ii) have been duly authorized by all necessary organizational action, (iii) do not contravene (A) the Borrower’s charter or by-laws or other organizational documents or (B) any law, regulation or contractual restriction binding on or affecting the Borrower and (iv) will not result in or require the creation or imposition of any Lien upon or with respect to any of the properties of the Consolidated Group (other than Liens created or required to be created pursuant to the terms hereof), except, in the case of clause (iii)(B) and (iv), as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)      No authorization or approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any governmental authority or regulatory body is required for the due execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(d)     This Agreement and the other Loan Documents have been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Borrower, enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with its terms, except as affected by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(e)      Each of the Previously Delivered Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, except as may be indicated in the notes thereto and subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of unaudited financial statements.

 

41

 

(f)      As of the Effective Date, there is no action, suit, investigation, litigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, any Environmental Action), affecting the Consolidated Group pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator that would reasonably be expected to be adversely determined, and if so determined, (i) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of the Consolidated Group taken as a whole (other than the litigation set forth on Schedule 4.01(f) attached hereto) or (ii) would adversely affect the legality, validity and enforceability of any material provision of this Agreement in any material respect.

 

(g)     Following application of the proceeds of each Advance, not more than 25 percent of the value of the assets of the Borrower and of the Consolidated Group, on a Consolidated basis, subject to the provisions of Section 5.02(a) will be Margin Stock.

 

(h)     All written information (other than the Projections) concerning the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and the transactions contemplated hereby or otherwise prepared by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and furnished by such Persons to the Agents or the Lenders prior to the Effective Date in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement when taken as a whole, was true and correct in all material respects as of the date when furnished by such Person to the Agents or the Lenders and did not, taken as a whole, when so furnished contain any untrue statement of a material fact as of any such date or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained therein, taken as a whole, not materially misleading in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made. The Projections and estimates and information of a general economic nature prepared by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries and that have been furnished by such Person to any Lenders or the Administrative Agent prior to the Effective Date in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby were prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed by such Person to be reasonable as of the date of such Projections (it being understood that actual results may vary materially from the Projections).

 

(i)      (i) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Plan which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) as of the Closing Date, 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 in connection with the Commitments or the Advances.

 

(j)      As of the last annual actuarial valuation date prior to the Effective Date, the AbbVie Pension Plan was not in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code) and no other Plan was in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code), and since such annual actuarial valuation date there has been no material adverse change in the funding status of any Plan that would reasonably be expected to cause such Plan to be in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

42

 

(k)     Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate (i) is reasonably expected to incur any Withdrawal Liability to any Multiemployer Plan or has incurred any such Withdrawal Liability that has not been satisfied in full or (ii) has been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that such Multiemployer Plan is insolvent (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA) or has been determined to be in “endangered” or “critical’ status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Internal Revenue Code or Section 305 of ERISA), and no such Multiemployer Plan is reasonably expected to be insolvent or in “endangered” or “critical” status.

 

(l)      (i) The operations and properties of the Consolidated Group comply in all respects with all applicable Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits except to the extent that the failure to so comply, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; all past non-compliance with such Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits has been resolved without any ongoing obligations or costs except to the extent that such non-compliance, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) no circumstances exist that would be reasonably expected to (A) form the basis of an Environmental Action against a member of the Consolidated Group or any of its properties that, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect or (B) cause any such property to be subject to any restrictions on ownership, occupancy, use or transferability under any Environmental Law that, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(m)    (i) None of the properties currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group is listed or proposed for listing on the NPL or on the CERCLIS or any analogous foreign, state or local list or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, is adjacent to any such property other than such properties of a member of the Consolidated Group that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there are no, and never have been any, underground or aboveground storage tanks or any surface impoundments, septic tanks, pits, sumps or lagoons in which Hazardous Materials are being or have been treated, stored or disposed of on any property currently owned or operated by any member of the Consolidated Group or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, on any property formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) there is no asbestos or asbestos-containing material on any property currently owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) Hazardous Materials have not been released, discharged or disposed of on any property currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, on any adjoining property that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)     No member of the Consolidated Group is undertaking, and no member of the Consolidated Group has completed, either individually or together with other potentially responsible parties, any investigation or assessment or remedial or response action relating to any actual or threatened release, discharge or disposal of Hazardous

 

43

 

Materials at any site, location or operation, either voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any governmental or regulatory authority or the requirements of any Environmental Law that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and all Hazardous Materials generated, used, treated, handled or stored at, or transported to or from, any property currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group have been disposed of in a manner that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o)     No member of the Consolidated Group is an “investment company”, or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company” (each as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended). Neither the making of any Advances nor the application of the proceeds or repayment thereof by the Borrower, nor the consummation of the other transactions contemplated hereby, will violate any provision of such Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

 

(p)     The Advances and all related obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement rank pari passu with all other unsecured obligations of the Borrower that are not, by their terms, expressly subordinate to the obligations of the Borrower hereunder.

 

(q)     The proceeds of the Advances will be used in accordance with Section 2.15.

 

(r)      No member of the Consolidated Group or any of their respective officers or directors (a) have violated or is in violation of, in any material respects, or has engaged in any conduct or dealings that would be sanctionable under any applicable material anti-money laundering law or any Sanctions or (b) is an Embargoed Person; provided that if any member of the Consolidated Group (other than the Borrower) becomes an Embargoed Person pursuant to clause (b)(iii) of the definition thereof as a result of a country or territory becoming subject to any applicable Sanctions program after the Effective Date, such Person shall not be an Embargoed Person so long as (x) the Borrower is taking reasonable steps to either obtain an appropriate license for transacting business in such country or territory or to cause such Person to no longer reside, be organized or chartered or have a place of business in such country or territory and (y) such Person’s residing, being organized or chartered or having a place of business in such country or territory would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Consolidated Group have adopted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance and are reasonably expected to continue to ensure compliance with Sanctions.

 

(s)      No member of the Consolidated Group is in violation, in any material respects, of any applicable law, relating to anti-corruption (including the FCPA and the United Kingdom Bribery Act of 2010) (“Anti-Corruption Laws”) or counter-terrorism (including United States Executive Order No. 13224 on Terrorist Financing, effective September 24, 2011, the USA PATRIOT ACT, the United Kingdom Terrorism Act of 2000, the United Kingdom Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2011, the United Kingdom Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order of 2006, the United Kingdom

 

44

 

Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order of 2009 and the United Kingdom Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act of 2010). The Consolidated Group have adopted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance and are reasonably expected to continue to ensure compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

ARTICLE 5

COVENANTS

 

Section 5.01.   Affirmative Covenants.  So long as any Advance shall remain unpaid or any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, the Borrower will:

 

(a)      Compliance with Laws, Etc.  Comply, and cause each member of the Consolidated Group to comply, with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders (such compliance to include, without limitation, compliance with ERISA and Environmental Laws), except to the extent that the failure to so comply, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)     Payment of Taxes, Etc.  Pay and discharge, or cause to be paid and discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon a member of the Consolidated Group or upon the income, profits or property of a member of the Consolidated Group, in each case except to the extent that (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings or (ii) the failure to pay such taxes, assessments and charges, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)      Maintenance of Insurance.  Maintain, and cause each member of the Consolidated Group to maintain, insurance with responsible and reputable insurance companies or associations (or pursuant to self-insurance arrangements) in such amounts and covering such risks as is usually carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in the same general areas in which any member of the Consolidated Group operates.

 

(d)     Preservation of Existence, Etc.  Do, or cause to be done, all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its (i) existence and (ii) rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided, however, that the Borrower may consummate any merger or consolidation permitted under Section 5.02(b); and provided further that the Borrower shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the management of the Borrower shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Borrower and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Lenders.

 

(e)      Visitation Rights.  At any reasonable time and from time to time during normal business hours (but not more than once annually if no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing), upon reasonable notice to the Borrower, permit the Administrative Agent or any of the Lenders, or any agents or representatives thereof, to

 

45

 

examine and make copies of and abstracts from the records and books of account, and visit the properties, of the Consolidated Group, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Consolidated Group with any of the members of the senior treasury staff of the Borrower.

 

(f)      Keeping of Books.  Keep, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to keep, proper books of record and account, in which full and correct entries shall be made of all financial transactions and the assets and business of the Consolidated Group sufficient to permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

 

(g)     Maintenance of Properties, Etc.  Cause all of its properties that are used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any member of the Consolidated Group to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment, and cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Borrower may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times, except, in each case, where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)     Transactions with Affiliates.  Conduct, and cause each member of the Consolidated Group to conduct, all material transactions otherwise permitted under this Agreement with any of their Affiliates (excluding the members of the Consolidated Group) on terms that are fair and reasonable and no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than it would obtain in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate; provided that the provisions of this Section 5.01(h) shall not apply to the following:

 

(i)         the payment of dividends or other distributions (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in a member of the Consolidated Group, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in such Person or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in such Person;

 

(ii)        payment of, or other consideration in respect of, compensation to, the making of loans to and payment of fees and expenses of and indemnities to officers, directors, employees or consultants of a member of the Consolidated Group and payment, or other consideration in respect of, directors’ and officers’ indemnities;

 

(iii)       transactions pursuant to any agreement to which a member of the Consolidated Group is a party on the date hereof and set forth on Schedule 5.01(h);

 

46

 

(iv)       transactions with joint ventures for the purchase or sale of property or other assets and services entered into in the ordinary course of business and in a manner consistent with past practices;

 

(v)        transactions ancillary to or in connection with the Transactions;

 

(vi)       transactions approved by a majority of Disinterested Directors of the Borrower or of the relevant member of the Consolidated Group in good faith; or any transaction in respect of which the Borrower delivers to the Administrative Agent (for delivery to the Lenders) a letter addressed to the board of directors of the Borrower (or the board of directors of the relevant member of the Consolidated Group) from an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm that is (a) in the good faith determination of the Borrower qualified to render such letter and (b) reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, which letter states that such transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to the Borrower or the relevant member of the Consolidated Group, as applicable, than would be obtained in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person that is not an Affiliate.

 

(i)      Reporting Requirements.  Furnish to the Administrative Agent for further distribution to the Lenders:

 

(i)         as soon as available and in any event within 50 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group as of the end of such quarter and Consolidated statements of earnings and cash flows of the Consolidated Group for the period commencing at the end of the previous fiscal year and ending with the end of such quarter, duly certified by the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower as having been prepared in accordance with GAAP (subject to the absence of footnotes and year end audit adjustments);

 

(ii)        as soon as available and in any event within 100 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a copy of the annual audit report for such year for the Consolidated Group, containing a Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group as of the end of such fiscal year and Consolidated statements of earnings and cash flows of the Consolidated Group for such fiscal year, in each case accompanied by an unqualified opinion or an opinion reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders by Ernst & Young LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing;

 

(iii)       simultaneously with each delivery of the financial statements referred to in subclauses (i) and (ii) of this Section 5.01(i), a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (or if such event has occurred and is continuing the actions being taken by the Borrower to cure such Default or Event of Default), including, if such covenant is tested at such time,

 

47

 

setting forth in reasonable detail the calculations necessary to demonstrate compliance with Section 5.03;

 

(iv)       as soon as possible and in any event within five days after any Responsible Officer of the Borrower shall have obtained knowledge of the occurrence of each Default continuing on the date of such statement, a statement of the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower setting forth details of such Default and the action that the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(v)        promptly after the sending or filing thereof, copies of all reports that the Borrower sends to any of its securityholders, in their capacity as such, and copies of all reports and registration statements that members of the Consolidated Group file with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange;

 

(vi)       promptly after a Responsible Officer of the Borrower obtains knowledge of the commencement thereof, notice of all actions, suits, investigations, litigations and proceedings before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator affecting the Consolidated Group of the type described in Section 4.01(f)(ii); and

 

(vii)      such other information respecting the Consolidated Group as any Lender through the Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request.

 

(j)      Sanctions and FCPA.  The Borrower shall ensure and shall cause each member of the Consolidated Group to ensure, and, to their knowledge, their respective officers, employees, directors and agents (in their capacity as officers, employees, directors or agents, respectively, of the Borrower or another member of the Consolidated Group), shall ensure, that the proceeds of any Advances shall not be used by such Persons (i) to fund any activities or business of or with any Embargoed Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of such funding is the target of any Sanctions, (ii) in any other manner that would result in a violation of any Sanctions by the Agents, Lenders, the Borrower or any member of the Consolidated Group or (iii) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

Information required to be delivered pursuant to subsections (i), (ii) and (v) of Section 5.01(i) above shall be deemed to have been delivered if such information, or one or more annual or quarterly or other reports or proxy statements containing such information, shall have been posted and available on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov (and a confirming electronic correspondence is delivered or caused to be delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent providing notice of such availability). The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the Administrative Agent and/or the Arranger will make available to the Lenders materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively,

 

48

 

“Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar secure electronic system (the “Platform”).

 

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 respective Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC”; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to treat the Borrower Materials as not containing any material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal and state securities laws (provided, however, that to the extent the Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 8.08); (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designed “Public Side Information”; and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arranger shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated “Public Side Information.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall be under no obligation to mark any Borrower Materials “PUBLIC.”

 

Section 5.02.   Negative Covenants.  So long as any Advance shall remain unpaid or any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, the Borrower will not:

 

(a)      Liens, Etc.  Incur, issue, assume or guarantee, or permit any Domestic Subsidiary to incur, issue, assume or guaranty, at any time, any Borrowed Debt secured by a Lien on any Principal Domestic Property of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary, or any shares of stock or Borrowed Debt of any Domestic Subsidiary (other than Margin Stock), without effectively providing that the Advances outstanding at such time (together with, if the Borrower shall so determine, any other Borrowed Debt of the Borrower or such Domestic Subsidiary existing  at  such  time  or thereafter created that is not subordinate to the Advances) shall be secured equally and ratably with (or prior to) such secured Borrowed Debt, so long as such secured Borrowed Debt shall be so secured, unless, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of all such secured Borrowed Debt would not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Assets; provided, however, that this Section 5.02(a) shall not apply to, and there shall be excluded from secured Borrowed Debt in any computation under this Section 5.02(a), Borrowed Debt secured by:

 

(i)         Liens on property of, or on any shares of stock or Borrowed Debt of, any Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Domestic Subsidiary;

 

(ii)        Liens in favor of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary;

 

(iii)       Liens on property of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary in favor of the United States or any State thereof, or any department, agency or instrumentality or political subdivision of the United States or any State thereof,

 

49

 

or in favor of any other country, or any political subdivision thereof, to secure partial, progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute;

 

(iv)       Liens on property, shares of stock or Borrowed Debt existing at the time of acquisition thereof (including acquisition through merger or consolidation) or to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price or construction or improvement cost thereof or to secure any Debt incurred prior to, at the time of, or within 180 days after, the acquisition of such property or shares or Borrowed Debt or the completion of any such construction or improvement for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or construction or improvement cost thereof;

 

(v)        Liens existing on the Effective Date;

 

(vi)       Liens incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financing;

 

(vii)      survey exceptions and such matters as an accurate survey would disclose, easements, trackage rights, leases, licenses, special assessments, rights of way covenants, conditions, restrictions and declarations on or with respect to the use of real property, servicing agreements, development agreements, site plan agreements and other similar encumbrances incurred in the ordinary course of business and title defects or irregularities that are of a minor nature and that, in the aggregate, do not interfere in any material respect with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary; and

 

(viii)     any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), as a whole or in part, of any Borrowed Debt secured by any Lien referred to in subclauses (i) through (vii) of this Section 5.02(a); provided, that (i) such extension renewal or replacement Lien shall be limited to all or a part of the same property, shares of stock or Debt that secured the Lien extended, renewed or replaced (plus improvements on such property) and (ii) the Borrowed Debt secured by such Lien at such time is not increased.

 

(b)     Mergers, Etc.  Merge or consolidate with or into, or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (other than Margin Stock) (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to, any Person, or permit any member of the Consolidated Group to do so, except that:

 

(i)         any member of (x) the Consolidated Group other than the Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into, or (y) the Consolidated Group may dispose of assets to, in each case, any other member of the Consolidated Group;

 

(ii)        the Borrower may merge with any other Person so long as (A) the Borrower is the surviving entity or (B) the surviving entity shall succeedassume, by agreement reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Required

 

50

 

Lenders, to all of the businesses and operations of the Borrower and shall assume all of the rights and obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents;

 

(iii)       any member of the Consolidated Group (other than the Borrower) may merge or consolidate with or into another Person, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any portion of its assets so long as (A) the consideration received in respect of such merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is at least equal to the fair market value of such assets and (B) no Material Adverse Effect would reasonably be expected to result from such merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition;

 

provided, in the cases of clause (i), (ii) and (iii) hereof, that no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such proposed transaction or would result therefrom.

 

(c)      Accounting Changes.  Change the Borrower’s fiscal year-end from December 31 of each calendar year.

 

(d)     Change in Nature of Business.  Make any material change in the nature of the business of the Consolidated Group, taken as a whole, from that carried out by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the Effective Date; it being understood that this Section 5.02(d) shall not prohibit members of the Consolidated Group from conducting any business or business activities incidental or related to such business as carried on as of the Effective Date or any business or activity that is reasonably similar or complementary thereto or a reasonable extension, development or expansion thereof or ancillary thereto.

 

Section 5.03.   Financial Covenant.

 

(a)      Beginning on the last day of the first full fiscal quarter ending after the Closing Date and on the last day of each fiscal quarter ending thereafter, the Borrower will not permit, as of the last day of any such fiscal quarter, the ratio of (x) Consolidated Total Debt at such time to (y) Consolidated EBITDA of the Borrower (the “Consolidated Leverage Ratio”) for the four consecutive fiscal quarter period ending as of such date to exceed 3.75:1.00.1.00; provided, that at the election of the Borrower, exercised by written notice delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent at any time prior to the date that is thirty (30) days following consummation of any Material Acquisition by the Borrower or any Subsidiary such maximum Consolidated Leverage Ratio shall be increased to 4.25:1.00 with respect to the last day of the fiscal quarter during which such Material Acquisition shall have been consummated and the last day of each of the immediately following three consecutive fiscal quarters.

 

(b)     At any time after the definitive agreement for any Material Acquisition shall have been executed (or, in the case of a Material Acquisition in the form of a tender offer or similar transaction, after the offer shall have been launched) and prior to the consummation of such Material Acquisition (or termination of the definitive documentation in respect thereof), any Acquisition Debt (and the proceeds of such

 

51

 

Acquisition Debt) shall be excluded from the definition of Consolidated Leverage Ratio; provided that (x) the definitive documentation relating to such Acquisition Debt shall contain “special mandatory redemption” or escrow provisions (or other similar provisions) or otherwise require such indebtedness to be redeemed or prepaid if such Material Acquisition is not consummated by a date specified in such definitive documentation and (y) if the definitive agreement (or, in the case of a tender offer or similar transaction, the definitive offer document) for such Material Acquisition is terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the consummation of such Material Acquisition or such Material Acquisition is otherwise not consummated by the date specified in the definitive documentation relating to such Acquisition Debt, such Acquisition Debt is so redeemed or prepaid by the date that it is required to be redeemed or prepaid in such circumstances pursuant to the terms of such Acquisition Debt.

 

ARTICLE 6

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

Section 6.01.   Events of Default.  If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a)      The Borrower shall fail (i) to pay any principal of any Advance when the same becomes due and payable or (ii) to pay any interest on any Advance or make any payment of fees or other amounts payable under this Agreement within five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(b)     Any representation or warranty made by the Borrower herein or in any other Loan Document or by the Borrower (or any of its officers or directors) in connection with this Agreement or in any certificate or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement, if any, in each case shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made; or

 

(c)      (i) The Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 5.01(d)(i), 5.01(hi)(iv), 5.02(a), 5.02(b), 5.02(d) or 5.03 or (ii) the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 5.01(e) or clauses (i)-(iii) or (v)-(vii) of Section 5.01(i) if such failure shall remain unremedied for 10 Business Days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or (iii) the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any other term, covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement, if any, in each case on its part to be performed or observed if such failure shall remain unremedied for 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender; or

 

(d)     The Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall fail to pay any principal of or premium or interest on any Debt that is outstanding in a principal amount, or, in the case of any Hedge Agreement, having a maximum Agreement Value, of at least $200,000,000 in the aggregate (but excluding Debt outstanding hereunder) of the Borrower or such Significant Subsidiary, when the same becomes due and payable (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or

 

52

 

otherwise), and such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Debt; or the Borrower shall default in its obligations under any agreement or instrument relating to any such Debt (other than any such default arising solely out of the violation by the Borrower of any covenant or agreement in any way restricting the Borrower’s right or ability to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Margin Stock), which default shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in such agreement or instrument, if the effect of such default is to accelerate, or to permit the acceleration of, the maturity of such Debt; or

 

(e)      The Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall generally not pay its debts as such debts become due, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or any proceeding shall be instituted by or against the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary seeking to adjudicate it as bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking the entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for any substantial part of its property and, in the case of any such proceeding instituted against it (but not instituted by it), such proceeding shall remain undismissed or unstayed for a period of 60 days; or the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the actions set forth above in this Section 6.01(e); or

 

(f)      Any one or more judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $200,000,000 shall be rendered against a member of the Consolidated Group and either (i) enforcement proceedings shall have been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order or (ii) within 60 days after the entry, issue, or levy thereof, such judgment or order has not been paid or discharged or stayed pending appeal, or, after the expiration of any such stay, such judgment or order has not been paid or discharged;  provided, however, that, for purposes of determining whether an Event of Default has occurred under this Section 6.01(f), the amount of any such judgment or order shall be reduced to the extent that (A) such judgment or order is covered by a valid and binding policy of insurance between the defendant and the insurer covering payment thereof and (B) such insurer, which shall be rated at least “A” by A.M. Best Company, has been notified of, and has not disputed the claim made for payment of, such judgment or order; or

 

(g)     (i) Any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have acquired beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), directly or indirectly, of Voting Stock of the Borrower (or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for such Voting Stock) representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of all Voting Stock of the Borrower (on a fully diluted basis); or (ii) during any period of up to 24 consecutive months, commencing after the date of this Agreement, a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Borrower shall not be Continuing Directors; or

 

53

 

(h)     One or more of the following shall have occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, which in each case would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect: (i) any ERISA Event; (ii) the partial or complete withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan; or (iii) the insolvency, being in “endangered” or “critical” status or termination of a Multiemployer Plan; or

 

(i)      This Agreement shall cease to be valid and enforceable against the Borrower (except to the extent it is terminated in accordance with its terms) or the Borrower shall so assert in writing;

 

then, and in any such event, the Administrative Agent (i) shall at the request, or may with the consent, of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, declare the obligation of each Lender to make Advances to be terminated, whereupon the same shall forthwith terminate, and (ii) shall at the request, or may with the consent, of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, declare the Advances, all interest thereon and all other amounts payable under this Agreement to be forthwith due and payable, whereupon the Advances, all such interest and all such amounts shall become and be forthwith due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or further notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower; provided, however, that in the event of an Event of Default under Section 6.01(e), (A) the Commitment of each Lender shall automatically be terminated and (B) the Advances, all such interest and all such amounts shall automatically become and be due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or any notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower.

 

ARTICLE 7
 THE AGENTS

 

Section 7.01.   Authorization and Action.  Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America, N.A. (or an Affiliate thereof designated by it) to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article 7 (other than (x) Section 7.10, to the extent set forth therein  and (y) the third sentence of Section 7.04) are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and the Borrower shall not have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions (other than the third sentence of Section 7.04).

 

Section 7.02.   Administrative Agent Individually.  The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity as a Lender. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, own securities of, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind

 

54

 

of business with any member of the Consolidated Group or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

 

Section 7.03.   Duties of Administrative Agent; Exculpatory Provisions.  (a) The Administrative Agent’s duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are solely ministerial and administrative in nature, and the Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein or in any other Loan Document. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers but shall be required to act or refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written direction of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in any other Loan Document); provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law, including for the avoidance of doubt, any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law.

 

(b)     The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Section 8.01 or Section 6.01) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default unless and until the Borrower or any Lender shall have given notice to the Administrative Agent describing such Default or Event of Default.

 

(c)      Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Agent shall be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty, representation or other information made or supplied in or in connection with this Agreement and any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith or the adequacy, accuracy and/or completeness of the information contained therein, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article 3 or elsewhere herein, other than (but subject to the foregoing clause (ii)) to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)     Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties to carry out any “know your customer” or other checks in relation to any person on behalf of any Lender, and each Lender

 

55

 

confirms to the Administrative Agent that it is solely responsible for any such checks it is required to carry out and that it may not rely on any statement in relation to such checks made by the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties.

 

Section 7.04.   Reliance by Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the Effective Date, the making of any Advance or the Closing Date that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender, each Lender shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted such condition unless (i) an officer of the Administrative Agent responsible for the transactions contemplated hereby shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender prior to the occurrence of the Effective Date, the making of such Advance or the Closing Date, as applicable, and (ii) in the case of a condition to the making of an Advance, such Lender shall not have made available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s ratable portion of such Borrowing.  The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

 

Section 7.05.   Delegation of Duties.  The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder by or through any one or more sub agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. Each such sub agent and the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and each such sub agent shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article 7 and Section 8.04 (as though such sub-agents were the “Administrative Agent” under this Agreement) as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.

 

Section 7.06.   Resignation of Administrative Agent.  (a) The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right (with the consent of the Borrower provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (e) has occurred and is continuing), to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Resignation Effective Date”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to), on behalf of the Lenders (and with the consent of the Borrower,

 

56

 

provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing), appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above. Whether or not a successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.

 

(b)     If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof, such Person shall automatically and without the taking of any action by any Person, be removed as Administrative Agent on the date that is 30 days following the date such Person became a Defaulting Lender (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Removal Effective Date”). In connection therewith, the Required Lenders, in consultation with the Borrower, shall appoint a successor. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment on or prior to the Removal Effective Date, then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.

 

(c)      With effect from the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date (as applicable) the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (ii) except for any indemnity payments owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring or removed Administrative Agent (other than any rights to indemnity payments owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent), and the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents. The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the retiring or removed Administrative Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article 7 and Section 8.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring or removed Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring or removed Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

Section 7.07.   Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.  Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or

 

57

 

not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

 

Section 7.08.   Indemnification.  The Lenders agree to indemnify the Administrative Agent (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower), ratably according to the respective principal amounts of the Advances made by each of them (or, if no Advances are at the time outstanding, ratably according to the respective amounts of their Commitments), from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses and disbursements of any kind or nature whatsoever that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against the Administrative Agent in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement or any action taken or omitted by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, in each case, acting in the capacity of Administrative Agent; provided that no Lender shall be liable for any portion of such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements resulting from the Administrative Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender agrees to reimburse the Administrative Agent promptly upon demand for its ratable share of any out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) incurred by the Administrative Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification, amendment or enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal advice in respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement, to the extent that the Administrative Agent is not promptly reimbursed for such expenses by the Borrower.

 

Section 7.09.   Other Agents.  None of the Lenders identified on the facing page or signature pages of this Agreement as a “syndication agent” shall have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility or duty under this Agreement other than those applicable to all Lenders as such. Without limiting the foregoing, none of the Lenders so identified shall have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender. Each Lender acknowledges that it has not relied, and will not rely, on any of the Lenders so identified in deciding to enter into this Agreement or in taking or not taking action hereunder.

 

Section 7.10.   ERISA.  (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 Agents and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower,  that at least one of the following is and will be true:

 

(i)         such Lender is not 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 in connection with the Advances or the Commitments,

 

(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

 

58

 

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 Advances, 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 Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of sub-sections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84-14 and (D) 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 Advances, 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 sub-clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or such Lender has not provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in sub-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 Agents and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that:

 

(i)         none of the Agents or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Agents under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related to hereto or thereto),

 

(ii)        the Person making the investment decision on behalf of such Lender with respect to the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement is independent (within the meaning of 29 CFR § 2510.3-21) and is a bank, an insurance carrier, an investment adviser, a broker-dealer or other person that holds, or has under management or control, total assets of at least $50 million, in each case as described in 29 CFR § 2510.3-21(c)(1)(i)(A)-(E),

 

59

 

(iii)       the Person making the investment decision on behalf of such Lender with respect to the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement is capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to particular transactions and investment strategies,

 

(iv)       the Person making the investment decision on behalf of such Lender with respect to the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement is a fiduciary under ERISA or the Code, or both, with respect to the Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement and is responsible for exercising independent judgment in evaluating the transactions hereunder, and

 

(v)        no fee or other compensation is being paid directly to the Agents or any their respective Affiliates for investment advice (as opposed to other services) in connection with the Advances, the Commitments or this Agreement.

 

(c)      The Agents and the Arrangers hereby inform the Lenders that each such Person is not undertaking to provide impartial 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 Advances, the Commitments and this Agreement, (ii) may recognize a gain if it extended the Advances or the Commitments for an amount less than the amount being paid for an interest in the Advances 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.

 

ARTICLE 8

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 8.01.   Amendments, Etc.  No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing, do any of the following:

 

(i)         waive any of the conditions specified in Sections 3.01 or 3.02 unless signed by each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby;

 

60

 

(ii)        increase or extend the Commitments of a Lender or subject a Lender to any additional obligations, unless signed by such Lender;

 

(iii)       reduce the principal of, or stated rate of interest on, the Advances, the stated rate at which any fees hereunder are calculated or any other amounts payable hereunder, unless signed by each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby; provided that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary to amend the definition of “Default Interest” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay Default Interest;

 

(iv)       postpone any date fixed for any payment of principal of, or interest on, the Advances or any fees or other amounts payable hereunder, unless signed by each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby;

 

(v)        change the percentage of the Commitments or of the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Advances, or the number of Lenders, that, in each case, shall be required for the Lenders or any of them to take any action hereunder, unless signed by all Lenders; or

 

(vi)       amend this Section 8.01, unless signed by all Lenders;

 

and provided further that no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above to take such action, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower may amend any Loan Document to correct any errors, mistakes, omissions, defects or inconsistencies, or to effect administrative changes that are not adverse to any Lender, and such amendment shall become effective without any further consent of any other party to such Loan Document other than the Administrative Agent and the Borrower.

 

Section 8.02.   Notices, Etc.  (a)  All notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing (including telecopier) and mailed, telecopied or delivered, if to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, to the address, telecopier number or if applicable, electronic mail address, specified for such Person on Schedule II; or, as to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a written notice to the other parties and, as to each other party, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a written notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent. All such notices and communications shall, when mailed or telecopied, be effective three Business Days after being deposited in the mails, postage prepaid, or upon confirmation of receipt (except that if electronic confirmation of receipt is received at a time that the recipient is not open for business, the applicable notice or communication shall be effective at the opening of business on the next business day of the recipient), respectively, except that notices and communications to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Article 2, 3 or 7 shall not be effective until received by the Administrative Agent.  Delivery by telecopier or other electronic communication of an executed counterpart of any amendment or waiver of any provision

 

61

 

of this Agreement or of any Exhibit hereto to be executed and delivered hereunder shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart thereof.

 

(b)     Electronic Communications.  Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail, FpML messaging, and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender pursuant to Article 2 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 IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).

 

62

 

(d)     Each Lender agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) (a “Notice”) specifying that any communication has been posted to the Platform shall constitute effective delivery of such information, documents or other materials to such Lender for purposes of this Agreement. Each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, telecopier number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender.  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)      If any notice required under this Agreement is permitted to be made, and is made, by telephone, actions taken or omitted to be taken in reliance thereon by the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall be binding upon the Borrower notwithstanding any inconsistency between the notice provided by telephone and any subsequent writing in confirmation thereof provided to the Administrative Agent or such Lender; provided that any such action taken or omitted to be taken by the Administrative Agent or such Lender shall have been in good faith and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

(f)      With respect to notices and other communications hereunder from the Borrower to any Lender, the Borrower shall provide such notices and other communications to the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly deliver such notices and other communications to any such Lender in accordance with subsection above or otherwise.

 

Section 8.03.   No Waiver; Remedies.  No failure on the part of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right. The remedies herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by applicable law.

 

Section 8.04.   Costs and Expenses.  (a) The Borrower agrees to pay, upon demand, all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of each Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification and amendment of this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered hereunder, including, (i) all due diligence, syndication (including printing and distribution), duplication and messenger costs and (ii) the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of a single primary counsel (and a local counsel in each relevant jurisdiction) for the Administrative Agent with respect thereto and with respect to advising the Agents as to their respective rights and responsibilities under this Agreement. The Borrower

 

63

 

further agrees to pay, upon demand, all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of the Agents and the Lenders, if any, in connection with the enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered hereunder, including, but limited, in the case of fees and expenses of counsel, to reasonable and documented fees and expenses of a single primary counsel and an additional single local counsel in any local jurisdictions for the Agents and the Lenders and, in the case of an actual or perceived conflict of interest where the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower of the existence of such conflict, one additional counsel, in connection with the enforcement of rights under this Agreement.

 

(b)     The Borrower agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent and each Lender and each of their Affiliates and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and advisors (each, an “Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, penalties, liabilities and expenses (provided, that, the Borrower’s obligations to the Indemnified Parties in respect of fees and expenses of counsel shall be limited to the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Parties, taken together (and, if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction), and, solely in the case of an actual or potential conflict of interest, of one additional counsel for all Indemnified Parties, taken together (and, if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction)) (all such claims, damages, losses, penalties, liabilities and reasonable expenses being, collectively, the “Losses”) that may be incurred by or asserted or awarded against any Indemnified Party, in each case arising out of or in connection with or by reason of, or in connection with the preparation for a defense of, any investigation, litigation or proceeding arising out of, related to or in connection with (i) this Agreement, any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the actual or proposed use of the proceeds of the Advances or (ii) the actual or alleged presence of Hazardous Materials on any property of the Consolidated Group or any Environmental Action relating in any way to the Consolidated Group, in each case whether or not such investigation, litigation or proceeding is brought by the Borrower, its directors, shareholders or creditors or an Indemnified Party or any other Person or any Indemnified Party is otherwise a party thereto and whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, except to the extent Losses (A) are found in a final, nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Party or any of its Affiliates (including any breach of its obligations under this Agreement), (B) result from any dispute between an Indemnified Party and one or more other Indemnified Parties (other than against an Agent acting in such a role) or (C) result from the claims of one or more Lenders solely against one or more other Lenders (and not claims by one or more Lenders against any Agent acting in its capacity as such except, in the case of Losses incurred by any Agent or any Lender as a result of such claims, to the extent such Losses are found in a final, nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Indemnified Party’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (including any breach of its obligations under this Agreement)) not attributable to any actions of a member of the Consolidated Group and for which the members of the Consolidated Group otherwise have no liability. The Borrower further agrees that no Indemnified Party shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to the Borrower, its Subsidiaries or any of their shareholders

 

64

 

or creditors for or in connection with this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the actual or proposed use of the proceeds of the Advances, except to the extent such liability is found in a final nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Indemnified Party’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (including any breach of its obligations under this Agreement).  In no event, however, shall any Indemnified Party be liable on any theory of liability for any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (including, without limitation, any loss of profits, business or anticipated savings). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 8.04(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

 

(c)        If any payment of principal of, or Conversion of, any Eurocurrency Rate Advance is made by the Borrower to or for the account of a Lender other than on the last day of the Interest Period for such Advance, as a result of (i) a payment or Conversion pursuant to Section 2.05, 2.07(d), 2.09 or 2.11, (ii) acceleration of the maturity of the Advances pursuant to Section 6.01, (iii) a payment by an Eligible Assignee to any Lender other than on the last day of the Interest Period for such Advance upon an assignment of the rights and obligations of such Lender under this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.07 as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.07(a) or (iv) for any other reason, the Borrower shall, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender any amounts required to compensate such Lender for any additional reasonable losses, costs or expenses that it may reasonably incur as a result of such payment or Conversion or as a result of any inability to Convert or exchange in the case of Section 2.07 or 2.11, including, without limitation, any reasonable loss (excluding loss of anticipated profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by any Lender to fund or maintain such Advance.

 

(d)       Without prejudice to the survival of any other agreement of the Borrower hereunder, the agreements and obligations of the Borrower contained in Sections 2.10, 2.13 and 8.04 shall survive the payment in full of principal, interest and all other amounts payable hereunder.

 

Section 8.05.   Right of Setoff.   Upon (a) the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default and (b) the making of the request or the granting of the consent specified by Section 6.01 to authorize the Administrative Agent to declare the Advances due and payable pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.01, each Lender and each of its 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) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by such Lender or such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement, whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify the Borrower after any such setoff and application is made by such Lender; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such

 

65

 

setoff and application.  The rights of each Lender and its Affiliates under this Section 8.05 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including, without limitation, other rights of setoff) that such Lender and its Affiliates may have.

 

Section 8.06.   Binding Effect.  This Agreement shall become effective upon the satisfaction (or waiver in accordance with Section 8.01) of the conditions set forth in Section 3.01 and, thereafter, shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Lender and their respective successors and permitted assigns, except that the Borrower shall have no right to assign its rights hereunder or any interest herein without the prior written consent of each Lender, and any purported assignment without such consent shall be null and void.

 

Section 8.07.   Assignments and Participations.  (a) Each Lender may, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed and, in the case of the Borrower, (A) shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (B) shall be deemed given if the Borrower shall not have objected within 10 Business Days following its receipt of notice of such assignment (and, within five days after demand by the Borrower (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent) to (i) any Defaulting Lender, (ii) any Lender that has made a demand for payment pursuant to Section 2.10 or 2.13, (iii) any Lender that has asserted pursuant to Section 2.07(b) or 2.11 that it is impracticable or unlawful for such Lender to make Eurocurrency Rate Advances or (iv) any Lender that fails to consent to an amendment or waiver hereunder for which consent of all Lenders (or all affected Lenders) is required and as to which the Required Lenders shall have given their consent, such Lender will), assign to one or more Persons (other than natural persons) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, all or a portion of its Commitment and the Advances owing to it); provided, however, that:

 

(A)       such consent shall not be required in the case of an assignment to any other Lender or an Affiliate of any Lender; provided that notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent;

 

(B)       each such assignment shall be of a constant, and not a varying, percentage of all rights and obligations under this Agreement;

 

(C)       except in the case of an assignment to a Person that, immediately prior to such assignment, was a Lender or an assignment of all of a Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, the amount of the Commitment of the assigning Lender being assigned pursuant to each such assignment (determined as of the date of the Assignment and Acceptance with respect to such assignment) shall in no event be less than $25,000,000 or an integral multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof;

 

(D)       each such assignment shall be to an Eligible Assignee;

 

66

 

(E)       each such assignment made as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a) shall be arranged by the Borrower with the approval of the Administrative Agent (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) and shall be either an assignment of all of the rights and obligations of the assigning Lender under this Agreement or an assignment of a portion of such rights and obligations made concurrently with another such assignment or other such assignments that, in the aggregate, cover all of the rights and obligations of the assigning Lender under this Agreement;

 

(F)       no Lender shall be obligated to make any such assignment as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a)), (1) (except in the case of an assignment of the type described in clause (iv) above to the extent such Default would no longer be continuing after giving effect to the relevant amendment or waiver) so long as a Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (2) unless and until such Lender shall have received one or more payments from one or more Eligible Assignees in an aggregate amount at least equal to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Advances owing to such Lender, together with accrued interest thereon to the date of payment of such principal amount, and from the Borrower or one or more Eligible Assignees in an aggregate amount equal to all other amounts accrued to such Lender under this Agreement (including, without limitation, any amounts owing under Sections 2.10, 2.13 or 8.04(c)) and (3) unless and until the Borrower shall have paid (or caused to be paid) to the Administrative Agent a processing and recordation fee 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; and

 

(G)       the parties to each such assignment (other than, except in the case of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a), the Borrower) shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent, for its acceptance and recording in the Register, an Assignment and Acceptance and, if such assignment does not occur as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a) (in which case the Borrower shall pay the fee required by subclause (3) of this Section 8.07(a)(iv)(F)), a processing and recordation fee 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 and provided further that in the event that, in connection with a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a), the assignor shall not execute and deliver the relevant Assignment and Acceptance within one Business Day of the Borrower’s request, such assignor shall be deemed to have executed and delivered such Assignment and Acceptance. The

 

67

 

assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

 

Upon such execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Acceptance, (x) the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned to it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder and (y) the Lender assignor thereunder shall, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under this Agreement, except that such assigning Lender shall continue to be entitled to the benefit of Section 8.04(a) and with respect to matters arising out of the prior involvement of such assigning Lender as a Lender hereunder (and, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto).

 

(b)        By executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the Lender assignor thereunder and the assignee thereunder confirm to and agree with each other and the other parties hereto as follows:

 

(i)         other than as provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with this Agreement or the execution, legality,

 

(ii)        validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto;

 

(iii)       such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of the Borrower or the performance or observance by the Borrower of any of its obligations under this Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto;

 

(iv)       such assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together with copies of the financial statements referred to in Section 4.01(e) and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance;

 

(v)        such assignee will, independently and without reliance upon any Agent, such assigning Lender or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement;

 

(vi)       such assignee confirms that it is an Eligible Assignee;

 

(vii)      such assignee appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers and discretion

 

68

 

under this Agreement as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such powers and discretion as are reasonably incidental thereto; and

 

(viii)     such assignee agrees that it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations that by the terms of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

 

(c)        Upon its receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee representing that it is an Eligible Assignee, the Administrative Agent shall, if such Assignment and Acceptance has been completed and is in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto, (i) accept such Assignment and Acceptance, record the information contained therein in the Register and (iii) give prompt notice thereof to the Borrower.

 

(d)       The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as the agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at its address referred to in Section 8.02(a) a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders and the Commitment of, and principal amount (and stated interest) of the Advances owing to, each Lender from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Agents and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower or any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

(e)        Each Lender may sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (other than the Borrower or any of its Affiliates or any natural person) in or to all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, all or a portion of its Commitment and the Advances owing to it) without the consent of the Administrative Agent or the Borrower; provided, however, that:

 

(i)         such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, its Commitment) shall remain unchanged;

 

(ii)        such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations;

 

(iii)       such Lender shall remain the Lender of any such Advance for all purposes of this Agreement;

 

(iv)       the Borrower, the Agents and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement; and

 

(v)        no participant under any such participation shall have any right to approve any amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, or any

 

69

 

consent to any departure by the Borrower herefrom or therefrom, except to the extent that such amendment, waiver or consent would reduce the principal of, or stated rate of interest on, the Advances or the stated rate at which any fees or any other amounts payable hereunder are calculated, in each case to the extent subject to such participation, or postpone any date fixed for any payment of principal of, or interest on, the Advances or any fees or any other amounts payable hereunder, in each case to the extent subject to such participation.

 

Each Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower after any sale of a participation by such Lender pursuant to this Section 8.07(e); provided that the failure of such Lender to give notice to the Borrower as provided herein shall not affect the validity of such participation or impose any obligations on such Lender or the applicable participant.

 

Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each participant’s interest in the Advances or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any participant or any information relating to a participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

 

(f)        Any Lender may, in connection with any assignment or participation or proposed assignment or participation pursuant to this Section 8.07, disclose to the assignee or participant or proposed assignee or participant, any information relating to the Borrower furnished to such Lender by or on behalf of the Borrower; provided that, prior to any such disclosure, the assignee or participant or proposed assignee or participant shall agree to preserve the confidentiality of any Information relating to the Borrower received by it from such Lender as more fully set forth in Section 8.08.

 

(g)        Notwithstanding any other provision set forth in this Agreement, any Lender may at any time create a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including, without limitation and the Advances owing to it) to secure obligations of such Lender, including, without limitation, any pledge or assignment to secure obligations in favor of any Federal Reserve Bank in accordance with Regulation A of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender.

 

70

 

Section 8.08.   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 and to its and its Affiliates’ respective managers, administrators, trustees, partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates (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 (provided that the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as applicable, agrees that it will, to the extent practicable and other than with respect to any audit or examination conducted by bank accountants or any governmental bank regulatory authority exercising examination or regulatory authority, notify the Borrower promptly thereof, unless such notification is prohibited by law, rule or regulation), (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 8.08, to (i) any assignee of or participant in, or any prospective assignee of or participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective party (or its managers, administrators, trustees, partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives) to any swap or derivative or similar transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to the Borrower and its obligations, this Agreement or payments hereunder, (iii) any rating agency, or (iv) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar organization, (g) with the consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 8.08 or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. In addition, the Agents may disclose the existence and terms of this Agreement and the identity of the parties hereto (including titles) to service providers to the Agents in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the Commitments.

 

Section 8.09.   For purposes of this Section 8.08, “Information” means this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and all information received from the Consolidated Group relating to the Consolidated Group or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a non- confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Consolidated Group. Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

Section 8.10.   Execution in Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by telecopier, facsimile or in a .pdf or

 

71

 

similar file shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

Section 8.11.   Jurisdiction, Etc.  (a) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State court sitting in New York County or any federal court of the United States of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined in any such New York State court or, to the extent permitted by law, in any such federal court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.

 

(b)        Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any New York State or federal court. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

 

(c)        Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.02. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

Section 8.12.   Patriot Act Notice.  Each Lender and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act. The Borrower shall provide, to the extent commercially reasonable, such information and take such actions as are reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lenders in order to assist the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in maintaining compliance with the Patriot Act.

 

Section 8.13.   No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.  In its capacity as an Agent or a Lender, (a) no Agent or Lender has any responsibility except as set forth herein and (b) no Agent or Lender shall be subject to any fiduciary duties or other implied duties (to the extent permitted by law to be waived). The Borrower agrees that it will not take any position or bring any claim against any Agent or any Lender that is contrary to the preceding sentence.

 

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof), the Borrower

 

72

 

acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Agents and the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Agents and the Lenders, on the other hand; (ii) each Agent and each Lender is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor or agent for the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person; and (iii) the Agents, the Lenders and each of their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower and its Affiliates, and no Agent or Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower or its Affiliates.

 

Section 8.14.   Waiver of Jury Trial.  Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby irrevocably waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the actions of the Administrative Agent or any Lender in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement thereof.

 

Section 8.15.   Acknowledgment and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among the parties hereto, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any EEA Financial Institution arising under this Agreement, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of an EEA 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 an EEA Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an EEA 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 EEA Financial Institutions, its parent undertaking 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

 

(iii)       the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of any EEA Resolution Authority.

 

Section 8.16.   Nonreliance.  Each of the Lenders hereby represents that it is not relying on or looking to any Margin Stock as collateral in the extension or maintenance of the credit provided for herein.

 

73

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

74

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the date first above written.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
ABBVIE INC., as Borrower
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

 

Signature Page to
 364-Day Term Loan Credit Agreement

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative   Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
LENDERS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    

 

 

Signature Page to
 364-Day Term Loan Credit AgreementExhibit

Exhibit 10.2

Form of Signet Jewelers Limited
2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan 
Restricted Stock Unit Award Notice

Grantee:            [Name]    

Grant Date:            [Date]

Number of Restricted    [Number]
Stock Units:

Vesting:            The Restricted Stock Units shall vest pursuant to Section 2 of the Agreement.  

By executing this Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Notice (the “Notice”), either by signing below or by electronic signature, the Grantee agrees and acknowledges that the Restricted Stock Units described herein are granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, dated as of [DATE] (the “Agreement”) and the Signet Jewelers Limited 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), both of which are hereby incorporated by reference and together with the Notice constitute one document.  This Notice may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original with the same effect as if signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

	
		
	GRANTEE

BY:_________________________

[Name]
	SIGNET JEWELERS LIMITED

BY:   _______________________

Name:  
Title:  

Exhibit 10.2

Form of Signet Jewelers Limited
2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement

[DATE]

Section 1.    Grant Of Restricted Stock Unit Award.
(a)Restricted Stock Unit Award.  The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Signet Jewelers Limited (the “Company”) hereby grants to the Grantee set forth on the applicable Restricted Stock Unit Award Notice (the “Notice”) on the date set forth on such Notice (such date, the “Grant Date”), restricted stock units (the “Units”) of the Company, in an amount set forth on the Notice under this agreement (the “Agreement”), pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Notice, this Agreement and the Signet Jewelers Limited 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).  Each Unit represents one notional common share, par value $0.18 per share, of the Company. 
The Company, together with its Affiliates and Subsidiaries, are hereinafter referred to as the “Signet Group.” Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the same meaning as in the Plan.
(b)No Purchase Price.  In lieu of a purchase price, this award is made in consideration of Service previously rendered by the Grantee to the Signet Group. 
Section 2.    Vesting and Forfeiture.
a.Vesting.  Subject to Section 2(b) below, [____] of the Units shall become vested on the first anniversary of the Grant Date, [____] of the Units shall become vested on the second anniversary of the Grant Date, and [____] of the Units shall become vested on the third anniversary of the Grant Date (each date, a “Vesting Date”), subject to the Grantee’s continuous provision of Services to the Signet Group through and including the applicable Vesting Date. Any Units that do not become vested as of the Vesting Date, or if earlier, the Grantee’s termination of Service with the Signet Group for any reason (other than, death, Disability, Retirement or Redundancy, per below), after application of the following sentence and Section 2(b), if applicable, shall be forfeited and canceled immediately without consideration.  Upon a termination of the Grantee’s Service with the Signet Group following the [_____] anniversary of the Grant Date due to Grantee’s death, Disability, Retirement, or Redundancy, a Pro Rata Portion of the Units shall vest as of such date of termination of Service; however, the Committee may, in its discretion, accelerate the vesting of all or any portion of the Units upon any termination of Service. 
b.Change of Control.  Upon the consummation of a Change of Control, the Committee shall provide for the treatment of Units granted hereunder as provided in subparagraphs (i) or (ii) below:
i.[_____] ([___]%) of the outstanding Units granted to the Grantee shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable immediately prior to such Change of Control; or 
ii.the Grantee shall receive a Replacement Award (defined below), which may be this Agreement, modified to reflect the requirements of a Replacement Award, or may be a new award, in which case this Agreement shall be canceled and replaced by such new award.  
c.Termination Protection Agreement (if applicable). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if the Grantee is a party to a Termination Protection Agreement with Sterling Jewelers Inc. (the “TPA”) upon the Grantee’s termination of Service, then the TPA shall govern the treatment of the Units upon a termination of the Grantee’s Service, other than upon a termination of the Grantee’s Service (i) by the Company without Cause following a Change of Control, (ii) by reason of Disability and (iii) upon Retirement.
d.Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement:

Exhibit 10.2

i.“Disability” shall mean, as reasonably determined by the Committee, physical or mental illness, injury or infirmity which is reasonably likely to prevent and/or prevents the Grantee from performing his or her essential job functions for a period of (A) ninety (90) consecutive calendar days or (B) an aggregate of one hundred twenty (120) calendar days out of any consecutive twelve (12)-month period.
ii. “Pro Rata Portion” shall mean the excess of (1) the product (rounded up to the nearest whole Unit) of: (A) the number of Units set forth on the Notice and (B) a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of calendar days that have elapsed since the Grant Date prior to the Grantee’s termination of Service, and the denominator of which shall be [_____].
iii. “Redundancy” shall mean a termination of the Grantee’s Service with the Signet Group attributable (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion) wholly or mainly to the fact that: (A) the Signet Group has ceased or intends to cease to carry on the business for the purpose of which the Grantee was providing Service or to carry on such business in the place in which the Grantee was providing Service, or (B) the requirements of such business for employees to carry out work of a particular kind, or to carry out such work in the place where the Grantee was providing Service, have ceased or diminished or are expected to cease or diminish.
iv.“Replacement Award” shall mean a restricted stock unit award relating to publicly traded equity securities of the Company (or its successor or Parent following the Change of Control) with a Fair Market Value no less than the Fair Market Value of the Units granted pursuant to this Agreement, which award shall (A) vest on each applicable Vesting Date, subject solely to the Grantee’s continued Service through the applicable Vesting Date; provided, however, that such award shall fully vest upon the Grantee’s earlier termination of Service by the Company without Cause, and (B) contain other terms and conditions no less favorable than those of this Agreement; provided, however, that the Grantee shall be eligible for the same Pro Rata Portion vesting upon a termination of Service due to death, Disability, Retirement, or Redundancy prior to the final Vesting Date as provided in this Agreement.  Whether an award to the Grantee constitutes a Replacement Award shall be determined by the Committee (as constituted immediately before the Change of Control), in its sole discretion. 
v.“Retirement” shall mean termination of the Grantee’s Service with the Signet Group on or following the Grantee’s 65th birthday or such earlier date as provided in a written agreement between a member of the Signet Group and the Grantee (excluding such a termination at a time when the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates may terminate the Grantee for Cause, as determined by the Committee).
Section 3.    Settlement of Units.
a.Time of Settlement.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and this Agreement (to the extent it would not cause a violation of Section 409A (as defined below)), each Unit shall be settled on or within seventy (70) days following the date on which such Unit vests in the Company’s discretion; provided, however, that in the event of payment as a result of Section 2(b)(i), such payment may be subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement providing for such Change of Control, so long as such terms and conditions do not cause a violation of Section 409A (defined below).  Vested Units shall be converted into an equivalent number of Shares that will be immediately distributed to the Grantee (or the Grantee’s legal representative), unless the Company elects to settle the Vested Units in cash. The Company may at its election either (i) after the date of settlement, issue a certificate representing the Shares subject to this Agreement, or (ii) not issue any certificate representing Shares subject to this Agreement and instead document the Grantee’s interest in the Shares by registering the Shares with the Company's transfer agent (or another custodian selected by the 

Exhibit 10.2

Company) in book-entry form.  The Company may provide a reasonable delay in the issuance or delivery of vested Shares as it determines appropriate to address tax withholding and other administrative matters.
b.Withholding Requirements.  The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold automatically from any amount deliverable pursuant to settlement of the Units or otherwise, or require Grantee to remit to the Company, the minimum statutory amount to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes, domestic or foreign, required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising as a result of the settlement of the Units; provided, further, that with respect to any required withholding, Grantee may elect, subject to the approval of the Committee, to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares having a Fair Market Value on the date the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax that could be imposed on the transaction.  
Section 4.    Miscellaneous Provisions.
a.Securities Laws. The Grantee acknowledges and agrees that any sale or distribution of the Shares issued in settlement of the Units granted pursuant to this Agreement may be made only pursuant to either (a) a registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which registration statement has become effective and is current with regard to the Shares being sold, or (b) a specific exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act that is confirmed in a favorable written opinion of counsel, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Company, prior to any such sale or distribution.  The Grantee hereby consents to such action as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate from time to time to prevent a violation of, or to perfect an exemption from, the registration requirements of the Securities Act or to implement the provisions of this Agreement, including but not limited to placing restrictive legends on certificates or book-entries evidencing Shares issued pursuant to the settlement of the Units granted pursuant to this Agreement and delivering stop transfer instructions to the Company’s stock transfer agent.
b.Additional Restrictions.  The issuance or delivery of any stock certificates or book-entries representing Shares issued pursuant to the settlement of the Units granted pursuant to this Agreement may be postponed by the Committee for such period as may be required to comply with any applicable requirements under the federal or state securities laws, any applicable listing requirements of any national securities exchange or national securities association, and any applicable requirements under any other law, rule or regulation applicable to the issuance or delivery of such Shares, and the Company shall not be obligated to deliver any such Shares to the Grantee if either delivery thereof would constitute a violation of any provision of any law or of any regulation of any governmental authority, any national securities exchange or national securities association.  All payments or delivery of Shares under this Agreement shall be subject to the written policies of the Board, including any policy relating to the claw back of compensation and the Code for Securities Transactions, as they exist from time to time.
c.Grantee Undertaking.  The Grantee agrees to take whatever additional action and execute whatever additional documents the Company may deem necessary or advisable to carry out or effect one or more of the obligations or restrictions imposed on either the Grantee or upon the Units or the Shares issued pursuant to the settlement of the Units granted pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
d.Rights as a Shareholder.  Neither the Grantee nor the Grantee’s representative shall have any rights as a shareholder with respect to Units until the Grantee or the Grantee’s representative receives the Shares, if any, issued upon settlement of the Units.
e.Tenure.  Nothing in the Agreement or Plan shall confer upon the Grantee any right to continue in Service with the Signet Group for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Company (or the Signet Group) or of the Grantee, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate his or her Service with the Signet Group at any time and for any reason, with or without Cause.

Exhibit 10.2

f.Notification.  Except as permitted by Section 4(m) hereof, any notification required by the terms of this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon receipt following deposit with the United States Postal Service, by registered or certified mail, with postage and fees prepaid.  A notice shall be addressed to the Company (attention: General Counsel & Corporate Secretary) at its principal executive office and to the Grantee at the address that he or she most recently provided in writing to the Company.
g.Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, together with the Notice and the Plan (each of which are herein incorporated by reference) and, as applicable, the TPA, constitute the entire contract between the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof.  They supersede any other agreements, representations or understandings (whether oral or written and whether express or implied) which relate to the subject matter hereof.  In the event that the terms of this Agreement and the Plan are in conflict, the terms of the Plan shall govern.  
h.Waiver.  No waiver of any breach or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach or condition whether of like or different nature.
i.Successors and Assigns; No Transfer.  The provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Company and its successors and assigns and upon the Grantee, the Grantee’s assigns and the legal representatives, heirs and legatees of the Grantee’s estate, whether or not any such person shall have become a party to this Agreement and have agreed in writing to be joined herein and be bound by the terms hereof.  The Units shall not be transferable or assignable by the Grantee except in the event of his or her death (subject to the applicable laws of descent and distribution) and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate.
j.Adjustment of Award.  Any adjustments to the Units issued pursuant to this Agreement (or the Shares underlying such Units) shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Plan.
k.Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Agreement to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.
l.Compliance with Section 409A of the Code.  The Company intends that the Units be structured in compliance with, or to satisfy an exemption from, Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority thereunder (“Section 409A”), such that there are no adverse tax consequences, interest, or penalties as a result of the payments.  Notwithstanding the Company’s intention, in the event the Units are subject to Section 409A, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, take the actions described in Section 12.1 of the Plan.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision in the Plan or this Agreement, any payment(s) of nonqualified deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) that are otherwise required to be made under the Agreement to a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A) as a result of his or her separation from service (other than a payment that is not subject to Section 409A) shall be delayed for the first six (6) months following such separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of death of the specified employee) and shall instead be paid on the date that immediately follows the end of such six-month period or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter.  A termination of Service shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of the Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits that are considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A upon or following a termination of Service, unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A and the payment thereof prior to a “separation from service” would violate Section 409A.  For purposes of any such provision of the Agreement relating to any such payments or benefits, references to a “termination,” “termination of Service” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.”

Exhibit 10.2

m. Electronic Delivery.  The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to any awards granted under the Plan by electronic means or to request the Grantee’s consent to participate in the Plan by electronic means.  The Grantee hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and to agree to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company.

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00287-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00287-of-00352.parquet"}]]