Document:

exhibit101_09302013.htm

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

Execution Version

 

 

FOURTH AMENDMENT TO

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

AND

 

SECOND AMENDMENT TO

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

GUARANTY AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT

 

 

Dated as of September 30, 2013

 

among

 

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.,

 

as Borrower,

 

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA,

 

as Administrative Agent,

 

and

 

The Lenders Party Hereto

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

 

THIS FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT AND SECOND AMENDMENT TO THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED GUARANTY AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”), dated as of September 30, 2013, is by and among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the “Borrower”), Royal Bank of Canada (the “Administrative Agent”), and the Lenders party hereto.

 

Recitals

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Lenders party thereto entered into that certain Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2012 (as previously amended by the First Amendment dated as of June 29, 2012, the Second Amendment dated as of September 28, 2012 and the Third Amendment dated as of March 28, 2013, and as the same may be further amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Grantors party thereto entered into that certain Third Amended and Restated Guaranty and Collateral Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2012 (as previously amended by the First Amendment dated as of June 29, 2012, and as the same may be further amended, modified, supplemented, or restated from time to time, the “Guaranty Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested that the Administrative Agent and the Lenders amend the Credit Agreement and the Guaranty Agreement as set forth below; and

 

WHEREAS, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders are willing to (i) amend the Credit Agreement and the Guaranty Agreement, (ii) redetermine the Borrowing Base as provided herein, and (iii) take such other actions as provided herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and in the Credit Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

Definitions

 

Each capitalized term used in this Amendment and not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Credit Agreement.

 

ARTICLE II

 

Amendments to Credit Agreement

 

Section 2.01 Amendments to Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement.

 

(a) Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by amending and restating the definition of “Termination Date” in its entirety to read as follows:

 

“Termination Date” means the earlier to occur of (i) September 30, 2018 or (ii) the date that the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amount is sooner terminated pursuant to Section 2.06 or Section 10.02.

 

 

  

1

  

 

 

(b) Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by replacing the Utilization Grid in the definition of “Applicable Margin” with the following:

 

	
Utilization Grid

	
Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage

	
<25%

	
325%

<50%

	
350%

<75%

	
375%

<90%

	
390%

	
Eurodollar Loans

	
1.50%

	
1.75%

	
2.00%

	
2.25%

	
2.50%

	
ABR Loans

	
0.50%

	
0.75%

	
1.00%

	
1.25%

	
1.50%

 

Section 2.02 Amendment to Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement. Section 9.01(c) of the Credit Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety.

 

Section 2.03 Amendment to Section 9.02(f) of the Credit Agreement.  Section 9.02(f) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

(f)           Permitted Additional Debt incurred after the Effective Date, and any guarantees thereof; provided that (i) the Borrower shall have furnished to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, not less than seven Business Days prior written notice of its intent to incur such Permitted Additional Debt, the amount thereof, and the anticipated closing date, together with copies of drafts of the material definitive documents therefor and, when completed, copies of the final versions of such material definitive documents, (ii) at the time of incurring such Permitted Additional Debt (A) no Default has occurred and is then continuing, (B) no Default would result from the incurrence of such Permitted Additional Debt after giving effect to the incurrence of such Permitted Additional Debt (and any concurrent repayment of Debt with the proceeds of such incurrence), and (C) after giving effect to the incurrence thereof, the Borrower is in pro forma compliance with the financial covenants contained in Section 9.01, (iii) the incurrence of such Permitted Additional Debt (and any concurrent repayment of Debt with the proceeds of such incurrence) would not result in the total Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding the Borrowing Base then in effect and (iv) concurrently with the incurrence of such Debt, the Borrowing Base is adjusted pursuant to Section 2.07(e)(iii).

 

Section 2.04 Amendment to Section 9.03(d) of the Credit Agreement.  Section 9.03(d) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

(d)           Liens on up to $500,000 of cash collateral to secure payment obligations to Enbridge Pipelines (North Dakota) LLC and its affiliates.

 

Section 2.05 Amendment to Section 9.05(i) of the Credit Agreement.  Section 9.05(i) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

(i)           other Investments not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any time.

 

Section 2.06 Amendment to Annex I of the Credit Agreement.  Annex I of the Credit Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Annex I hereto.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Amendments to Guaranty Agreement

 

Section 3.01 Amendments to Section 1.01 of the Guaranty Agreement.

 

 

  

2

  

 

(a) Section 1.01 of the Guaranty Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following definitions where alphabetically appropriate:

 

“Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.

 

“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Guarantor of, or the grant by such Guarantor of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guaranty thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Future Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 9.17 and any other “keepwell, support or other agreement” for the benefit of such Guarantor and any and all guarantees of such Guarantor’s Swap Obligations by other Credit Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Guarantor, or a grant by such Guarantor of a security interest, becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation.  If a Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guaranty or security interest is or becomes illegal.

 

“Guaranty” means the guarantee made by each Credit Party in Section 2.01.

 

“Qualified ECP Guarantor” means, in respect of any Swap Obligations, at any time of determination, each Credit Party that has total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under §1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

“Specified Credit Party” means any Credit Party that is not an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act (determined prior to giving effect to Section 9.17).

 

“Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

(b) Section 1.01 of the Guaranty Agreement is hereby amended by amending and restating the definition of “Obligations” in its entirety to read as follows:

 

“Obligations” means:  (a) in the case of the Borrower, the Borrower Obligations and (b) in the case of each Guarantor, its Guarantor Obligations; provided, that the “Obligations” will not include any Excluded Swap Obligations.

 

Section 3.02 Amendment to Article IX. Article IX of the Guaranty Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following provision as a new Section 9.17:

 

  

3

  

 

 

Section 9.17                      Keepwell. Each Credit Party that is a Qualified ECP Guarantor at the time the Guaranty or the grant of a security interest under the Loan Documents, in each case, by any Specified Credit Party becomes effective with respect to any Swap Obligation, hereby jointly and severally, absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes to provide such funds or other support to each Specified Credit Party with respect to such Swap Obligation as may be needed by such Specified Credit Party from time to time to honor all of its obligations under its Guaranty and the other Loan Documents in respect of such Swap Obligation (but, in each case, only up to the maximum amount of such liability that can be hereby incurred without rendering such Qualified ECP Guarantor’s obligations and undertakings under this Section 9.17 voidable under Applicable Law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, and not for any greater amount).  The obligations and undertakings of each Qualified ECP Guarantor under this Section 9.17 shall remain in full force and effect until the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid and performed in full.  Each Qualified ECP Guarantor intends this Section 9.17 to constitute, and this Section 9.17 shall be deemed to constitute, a “keepwell, support, or other agreement” for the benefit of, each Specified Loan Party for all purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Redetermination of the Borrowing Base; Addition of New Lenders

 

Section 4.01 Redetermination of the Borrowing Base. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 2.07 of the Credit Agreement, effective as of the Amendment Effective Date, the amount of the Borrowing Base shall be $450,000,000.00, subject to further adjustments from time to time pursuant to Section 2.07, Section 8.13(c) or Section 9.12(d) of the Credit Agreement. The redetermination of the Borrowing Base pursuant to this Section 3.01 of this Amendment shall constitute the Scheduled Redetermination for October 1, 2013.

 

Section 4.02 Addition of New Lenders.

 

(a) On the Amendment Effective Date, (i) Fifth Third Bank is hereby added as a “Lender” for all purposes under the Credit Agreement (as amended by this Amendment) with a Maximum Credit Amount as specified in the attached Annex I and (ii) the Maximum Credit Amount of each Lender (including the new Lender specified in the preceding clause (i)) shall, without any further action (including, without the execution of any joinder agreement or any Assignment and Assumption or the payment of any processing and recordation fee to the Administrative Agent), be the Maximum Credit Amount specified for such Lender on the attached Annex I.

 

(b) In connection therewith, to the extent that the Maximum Credit Amounts in effect immediately prior to the Amendment Effective Date are reallocated (the “Reallocation”), then, on the Amendment Effective Date, the Lenders shall purchase and assume (without recourse or warranty) from the Lenders (i) Loans, to the extent that there are any Loans then outstanding, and (ii) undivided participation interests in any outstanding LC Exposure, in each case, to the extent necessary to ensure that after giving effect to the Reallocation, each Lender has outstanding Loans and participation interests in outstanding LC Exposure equal to its Applicable Percentage of the Aggregate Maximum Credit Amounts.  Each Lender shall make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to the preceding sentence via wire transfer to the Administrative Agent on the Amendment Effective Date and the Administrative Agent shall remit the relevant amounts to those Lenders entitled to a portion of the amounts received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 3.02.  Each existing Lender shall be automatically deemed to have assigned any outstanding Loans and participation interests in outstanding LC Exposure on the Amendment Effective Date necessary to give effect to this paragraph (b) and the existing Lenders, each new Lender and the Borrower each agree to take any further steps reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, in each case to the extent deemed necessary by the Administrative Agent to effectuate the provisions of the preceding sentences.  If, on the Amendment Effective Date, any Loans that are Eurodollar Loans have been funded, then the Borrower shall be obligated to pay any breakage fees or costs that are payable pursuant to Section 5.02 of the Credit Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, in connection with the reallocation of such outstanding Loans to effectuate the provisions of this paragraph.

 

 

  

4

  

 

ARTICLE V

 

Conditions Precedent

 

This Amendment shall become effective as of the date first referenced above when and only when the following conditions are satisfied (the “Amendment Effective Date”):

 

(a) the Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed counterparts of this Amendment from the Borrower and each Lender, in such numbers as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request; and

 

(b) the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received such upfront fees as may be agreed to among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders with respect hereto and all other fees due and payable on or prior to the effectiveness hereof as provided in any Loan Document, including reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower under the Credit Agreement (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Administrative Agent).

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Representations and Warranties

 

The Borrower hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and each Lender that:

 

(a)           Each of the representations and warranties made by the Borrower under the Credit Agreement and each other Loan Document is true and correct on and as of the actual date of execution of this Amendment by the Borrower, as if made on and as of such date, except for any representations and warranties made as of a specified date, which are true and correct as of such specified date.

 

(b)           At the time of, and immediately after giving effect to, this Amendment, no Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

(c)           The execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Amendment have been duly authorized by the Borrower.

 

(d)           This Amendment constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower, enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

 

(e)           The execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Amendment (i) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority or any other third Person (including the members or any class of directors of the Borrower or any other Person, whether interested or disinterested), nor is any such consent, approval, registration, filing or other action necessary for the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, except (a) such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, and (b) the Borrower may need to file a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC disclosing this Amendment, (ii) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, (iii) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or their Properties, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Borrower or such Subsidiary and (iv) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Liens created by the Loan Documents).

 

 

  

5

  

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Miscellaneous

 

Section 7.01 Credit Agreement and Guaranty Agreement in Full Force and Effect as Amended.  Except as specifically amended hereby, the Credit Agreement, the Guaranty Agreement, and the other Loan Documents shall remain in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed as so amended.  Except as expressly set forth herein, this Amendment shall not be deemed to be a waiver, amendment or modification of any provisions of the Credit Agreement, the Guaranty Agreement, or any other Loan Document or any right, power or remedy of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, or constitute a waiver of any provision of the Credit Agreement, the Guaranty Agreement, or any other Loan Document, or any other document, instrument and/or agreement executed or delivered in connection therewith or of any Default or Event of Default under any of the foregoing, in each case whether arising before or after the date hereof or as a result of performance hereunder or thereunder.  This Amendment also shall not preclude the future exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege available to the Administrative Agent and/or the Lenders whether under the Credit Agreement, the Guaranty Agreement, the other Loan Documents, at law or otherwise.  All references to the Credit Agreement or the Guaranty Agreement shall be deemed to mean the Credit Agreement or Guaranty Agreement as modified hereby, respectively.  The parties hereto agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement, the Guaranty Agreement, and Loan Documents as amended by this Amendment, as though such terms and conditions were set forth herein.  Each reference in the Credit Agreement to “this Agreement,” “hereunder,” “hereof,” “herein” or words of similar import shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment, and each reference herein or in any other Loan Documents to the “Credit Agreement” shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended and modified by this Amendment. Each reference in the Guaranty Agreement to “this Agreement,” “hereunder,” “hereof,” “herein” or words of similar import shall mean and be a reference to the Guaranty Agreement as amended by this Amendment, and each reference herein or in any other Loan Documents to the “Guaranty Agreement” shall mean and be a reference to the Guaranty Agreement as amended and modified by this Amendment.

 

Section 7.02 GOVERNING LAW.  THIS AMENDMENT, AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER, SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

Section 7.03 Descriptive Headings, Etc.  The descriptive headings of the sections of this Amendment are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.  The statements made and the terms defined in the recitals to this Amendment are hereby incorporated into this Amendment in their entirety.

 

Section 7.04 Entire Agreement.  This Amendment and the documents referred to herein represent the entire understanding of the parties hereto regarding the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous oral and written agreements of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

  

6

  

 

Section 7.05 Loan Document.  This Amendment is a Loan Document executed under the Credit Agreement, and all provisions in the Credit Agreement pertaining to Loan Documents apply hereto.

 

Section 7.06 Counterparts.  This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties on separate counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original but all of which when taken together shall constitute but one agreement.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of the signature page of this Amendment by facsimile or other electronic transmission shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart thereof.

 

Section 7.07 Successors.  The execution and delivery of this Amendment by any Lender shall be binding upon each of its successors and assigns.

 

 

(Remainder of page intentionally left blank.)

 

 

  

7

  

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

 

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC., as the Borrower

 

By:           /s/ Thomas W. Stoelk                                                                

Name:            Thomas W. Stoelk

Title:              Chief Financial Officer

Signature Page

Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement

 

  

  

  

 

 

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, as Administrative Agent

By:           /s/ Rodica Dutka         

Name:           Rodica Dutka

Title:             Manager, Agency

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Don J. McKinnerney       

Name:            Don J. McKinnerney

Title:              Authorized Signatory

SUNTRUST BANK, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Mark Ames           

Name:            Mark Ames

Title:              Managing Director

BMO HARRIS FINANCING, INC., as a Lender

By:           /s/ Joseph A. Bliss         

Name:            Joseph A. Bliss

Title:              Managing Director

KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Joseph Scott           

Name:            Joseph Scott

Title:              Senior Vice President

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Daniel K. Hansen        

Name:            Daniel K. Hansen

Title:              Vice President

SOVEREIGN BANK, N.A., as a Lender

By:           /s/ Puiki Lok         /s/  Gilbert Torres    

Name:            Puiki Lok               Gilbert Torres

Title:              Vice President      Senior Vice President

CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Nancy M. Mak         

Name:            Nancy M. Mak

Title:              Senior Vice President

BOKF, NA dba BANK OF OKLAHOMA, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Parker Heikes                  

Name:            Parker Heikes

Title:              Assistant Vice President

BRANCH BANKING & TRUST COMPANY, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Ryan K. Michael              

Name:            Ryan K. Michael

Title:              Senior Vice President

CADENCE BANK, N.A., as a Lender

By:           /s/ Eric Broussard                

Name:            Eric Broussard

Title:              Senior Vice President

Signature Page

Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement

  

  

  

MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Linda Evans            

Name:            Linda Evans

Title:              Division Director

By:           /s/ Fiona Smith             

Name:            Fiona Smith

Title:              Division Director

THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Terry Donovan      

Name:            Terry Donovan

Title:               Managing Director

ING CAPITAL LLC, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Juli Bieser             

Name:            Juli Bieser

Title:              Director

 

FIFTH THIRD BANK, as a Lender

By:           /s/ Justin B. Crawford           

Name:            Justin B. Crawford  

Title:              Director

Signature Page

Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement

 

  

  

  

ANNEX I

	
Name of Lender

	
Applicable

Percentage

	
Maximum Credit Amount

	
Amount of

Commitment

	
Royal Bank of Canada

	
11.33%

	
$   85,000,000.00

	
$   51,000,000.00

	
SunTrust Bank

	
11.33%

	
$   85,000,000.00

	
$   51,000,000.00

	
BMO Harris Financing, Inc.

	
7.78%

	
$   58,333,333.33

	
$   35,000,000.00

	
KeyBank, N.A.

	
7.78%

	
$   58,333,333.33

	
$   35,000,000.00

	
U.S. Bank National Association

	
7.78%

	
$   58,333,333.33

	
$   35,000,000.00

	
Capital One, National Association

	
7.33%

	
$   55,000,000.00

	
$   33,000,000.00

	
Sovereign Bank, N.A.

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	
BOKF, NA dba Bank of Oklahoma

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	
Branch Banking and Trust Co.

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	
Cadence Bank, N.A.

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	
ING Capital LLC

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	
The Bank of Nova Scotia

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	
Fifth Third Bank

	
6.67%

	
$   50,000,000.00

	
$   30,000,000.00

	  	  	  	  
	
TOTAL

	
100.00%

	
$ 750,000,000.00

	
$   450,000,000.00

 

Fourth Amendment to Credit AgreementExhibit 10.1

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

dated as of

 

September 27, 2013

 

among

 

MAIN STREET CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

as Borrower,

 

the Guarantors Party Hereto,

 

the Lenders Party Hereto

 

and

 

BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY,

 

as Administrative Agent

 

REGIONS CAPITAL MARKETS,

 

as Joint Lead Arranger and Syndication Agent

 

and

 

BB&T CAPITAL MARKETS,

 

as Joint Lead Arranger

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
ARTICLE I   DEFINITIONS
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 1.01.
    	
Definitions
    	
1
    
	
SECTION 1.02.
    	
Accounting   Terms and Determinations
    	
46
    
	
SECTION 1.03.
    	
Use   of Defined Terms
    	
46
    
	
SECTION 1.04.
    	
Terms   Generally
    	
46
    
	
SECTION 1.05.
    	
Amendment   and Restatement of Existing Credit Agreement
    	
47
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE II   THE CREDIT
    	
47
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 2.01.
    	
Commitments to Make Advances
    	
47
    
	
SECTION 2.02.
    	
Method   of Borrowing Advances
    	
48
    
	
SECTION 2.03.
    	
Continuation   and Conversion Elections
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 2.04.
    	
Notes
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 2.05.
    	
Maturity   of Advances
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 2.06.
    	
Interest   Rates
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 2.07.
    	
Fees
    	
52
    
	
SECTION 2.08.
    	
Optional   Termination or Reduction of Commitments
    	
52
    
	
SECTION 2.09.
    	
Termination   of Commitments
    	
53
    
	
SECTION 2.10.
    	
Optional   Prepayments
    	
53
    
	
SECTION 2.11.
    	
Mandatory   Prepayments
    	
53
    
	
SECTION 2.12.
    	
General   Provisions as to Payments
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 2.13.
    	
Computation   of Interest and Fees
    	
60
    
	
SECTION 2.14.
    	
Increase   in Commitments
    	
61
    
	
SECTION 2.15.
    	
Extension   Options
    	
63
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE III   CONDITIONS TO BORROWINGS
    	
64
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 3.01.
    	
Conditions to Closing and First Borrowing
    	
64
    
	
SECTION 3.02.
    	
Conditions   to All Borrowings
    	
66
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IV   REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
    	
67
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 4.01.
    	
Existence and Power
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 4.02.
    	
Organizational   and Governmental Authorization; No Contravention
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 4.03.
    	
Binding   Effect
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 4.04.
    	
Financial   Information
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 4.05.
    	
Litigation
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 4.06.
    	
Compliance   with ERISA
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 4.07.
    	
Payment   of Taxes
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 4.08.
    	
Subsidiaries
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 4.09.
    	
Investment   Company Act, Etc.
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 4.10.
    	
All   Consents Required
    	
69
    
	
SECTION 4.11.
    	
Ownership   of Property; Liens
    	
70
    

 

i

 

	
SECTION 4.12.
    	
No   Default
    	
70
    
	
SECTION 4.13.
    	
Full   Disclosure
    	
70
    
	
SECTION 4.14.
    	
Environmental   Matters
    	
70
    
	
SECTION 4.15.
    	
Compliance   with Laws
    	
70
    
	
SECTION 4.16.
    	
Capital   Securities
    	
71
    
	
SECTION 4.17.
    	
Margin   Stock
    	
71
    
	
SECTION 4.18.
    	
Insolvency
    	
71
    
	
SECTION 4.19.
    	
Collateral   Documents
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 4.20.
    	
Labor   Matters
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 4.21.
    	
Patents,   Trademarks, Etc.
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 4.22.
    	
Insurance
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 4.23.
    	
Anti-Terrorism   Laws
    	
73
    
	
SECTION 4.24.
    	
Ownership   Structure
    	
73
    
	
SECTION 4.25.
    	
Reports   Accurate; Disclosure
    	
73
    
	
SECTION 4.26.
    	
Location   of Offices
    	
73
    
	
SECTION 4.27.
    	
Affiliate   Transactions
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 4.28.
    	
Broker’s   Fees
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 4.29.
    	
Survival   of Representations and Warranties, Etc.
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 4.30.
    	
Loans   and Investments
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 4.31.
    	
No   Default or Event of Default
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 4.32.
    	
USA   Patriot Act; OFAC
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 4.33.
    	
Material   Contracts
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 4.34.
    	
Collateral-Mortgage   Property
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 4.35.
    	
Mortgaged   Properties
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 4.36.
    	
Common   Enterprise
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 4.37.
    	
Investment   Policies
    	
76
    
	
SECTION 4.38.
    	
Eligibility   of Portfolio Investments
    	
76
    
	
SECTION 4.39.
    	
Portfolio   Investments
    	
76
    
	
SECTION 4.40.
    	
Selection   Procedures
    	
76
    
	
SECTION 4.41.
    	
Coverage   Requirement
    	
76
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE V   COVENANTS
    	
77
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 5.01.
    	
Information
    	
77
    
	
SECTION 5.02.
    	
Inspection   of Property, Books and Records
    	
79
    
	
SECTION 5.03.
    	
Maintenance   of RIC Status and Business Development Company
    	
79
    
	
SECTION 5.04.
    	
Minimum   Availability
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.05.
    	
Capital   Expenditures
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.06.
    	
Sale/Leasebacks
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.07.
    	
Minimum   Consolidated Tangible Net Worth
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.08.
    	
Acquisitions
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.09.
    	
Interest   Coverage Ratio
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.10.
    	
Asset   Coverage Ratio
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.11.
    	
Loans   or Advances
    	
80
    
	
SECTION 5.12.
    	
Restricted   Payments
    	
81
    
	
SECTION 5.13.
    	
Investments
    	
81
    
	
SECTION 5.14.
    	
Negative   Pledge
    	
81
    

 

ii

 

	
SECTION 5.15.
    	
Maintenance   of Existence, etc.
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 5.16.
    	
Dissolution
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 5.17.
    	
Consolidations,   Mergers and Sales of Assets
    	
83
    
	
SECTION 5.18.
    	
Use   of Proceeds
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 5.19.
    	
Compliance   with Laws; Payment of Taxes
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 5.20.
    	
Insurance
    	
84
    
	
SECTION 5.21.
    	
Change   in Fiscal Year
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.22.
    	
Maintenance   of Property
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.23.
    	
Environmental   Notices
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.24.
    	
Environmental   Matters
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.25.
    	
Environmental   Release
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.26.
    	
[Intentionally   omitted.]
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.27.
    	
Transactions   with Affiliates
    	
85
    
	
SECTION 5.28.
    	
Joinder   of Subsidiaries
    	
86
    
	
SECTION 5.29.
    	
No   Restrictive Agreement
    	
87
    
	
SECTION 5.30.
    	
Partnerships   and Joint Ventures
    	
88
    
	
SECTION 5.31.
    	
Additional   Debt
    	
88
    
	
SECTION 5.32.
    	
[Intentionally   omitted]
    	
89
    
	
SECTION 5.33.
    	
Modifications   of Organizational Documents
    	
89
    
	
SECTION 5.34.
    	
ERISA   Exemptions
    	
89
    
	
SECTION 5.35.
    	
Hedge   Transactions
    	
89
    
	
SECTION 5.36.
    	
Performance   of Loan Documents
    	
89
    
	
SECTION 5.37.
    	
Operating   Leases
    	
89
    
	
SECTION 5.38.
    	
[Intentionally   omitted]
    	
90
    
	
SECTION 5.39.
    	
Compliance   with Investment Policies and Investment Documents
    	
90
    
	
SECTION 5.40.
    	
Delivery   of Collateral to Collateral Custodian
    	
90
    
	
SECTION 5.41.
    	
Custody   Agreements
    	
90
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VI   DEFAULTS
    	
90
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 6.01.
    	
Events of Default
    	
90
    
	
SECTION 6.02.
    	
Notice   of Default
    	
94
    
	
SECTION 6.03.
    	
[Intentionally   omitted.]
    	
94
    
	
SECTION 6.04.
    	
Allocation   of Proceeds
    	
94
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VII   THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
    	
95
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 7.01.
    	
Appointment and Authority
    	
95
    
	
SECTION 7.02.
    	
Rights   as a Lender
    	
96
    
	
SECTION 7.03.
    	
Exculpatory   Provisions
    	
96
    
	
SECTION 7.04.
    	
Reliance   by Administrative Agent
    	
97
    
	
SECTION 7.05.
    	
Delegation   of Duties
    	
97
    
	
SECTION 7.06.
    	
Resignation   of Administrative Agent
    	
97
    
	
SECTION 7.07.
    	
Non-Reliance   on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders
    	
98
    
	
SECTION 7.08.
    	
No   Other Duties, etc.
    	
98
    
	
SECTION 7.09.
    	
Other   Agents
    	
99
    
	
SECTION 7.10.
    	
Hedging   Agreements, Cash Management Services and Bank Products
    	
99
    

 

iii

 

	
SECTION 7.11.
    	
Administrative   Agent May File Proofs of Claim
    	
99
    
	
SECTION 7.12.
    	
Collateral   and Guaranty Matters
    	
100
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VIII   CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES; COMPENSATION
    	
100
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 8.01.
    	
Basis for Determining Interest Rate Inadequate or Unfair
    	
100
    
	
SECTION 8.02.
    	
Illegality
    	
101
    
	
SECTION 8.03.
    	
Increased   Cost and Reduced Return
    	
101
    
	
SECTION 8.04.
    	
Base   Rate Advances Substituted for Affected Euro-Dollar Advances
    	
102
    
	
SECTION 8.05.
    	
Compensation
    	
103
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IX   MISCELLANEOUS
    	
104
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 9.01.
    	
Notices Generally
    	
104
    
	
SECTION 9.02.
    	
No   Waivers
    	
105
    
	
SECTION 9.03.
    	
Expenses;   Indemnity; Damage Waiver
    	
106
    
	
SECTION 9.04.
    	
Setoffs;   Sharing of Set-Offs; Application of Payments; Replacement of Lenders
    	
108
    
	
SECTION 9.05.
    	
Amendments   and Waivers
    	
110
    
	
SECTION 9.06.
    	
Margin   Stock Collateral
    	
112
    
	
SECTION 9.07.
    	
Successors   and Assigns
    	
112
    
	
SECTION 9.08.
    	
Defaulting   Lenders
    	
116
    
	
SECTION 9.09.
    	
Confidentiality
    	
118
    
	
SECTION 9.10.
    	
Representation   by Lenders
    	
118
    
	
SECTION 9.11.
    	
Obligations   Several
    	
118
    
	
SECTION 9.12.
    	
Survival   of Certain Obligations
    	
119
    
	
SECTION 9.13.
    	
North   Carolina Law
    	
119
    
	
SECTION 9.14.
    	
Severability
    	
119
    
	
SECTION 9.15.
    	
Interest
    	
119
    
	
SECTION 9.16.
    	
Interpretation
    	
119
    
	
SECTION 9.17.
    	
Counterparts;   Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution
    	
119
    
	
SECTION 9.18.
    	
Jurisdiction;   Waiver of Venue; Service of Process; Waiver of Jury Trial
    	
120
    
	
SECTION 9.19.
    	
Independence   of Covenants
    	
121
    
	
SECTION 9.20.
    	
Concerning   Certificates
    	
121
    
	
SECTION 9.21.
    	
Patriot   Act Notice
    	
121
    
	
SECTION 9.22.
    	
No   Fiduciary Relationship
    	
121
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE X   GUARANTY
    	
122
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 10.01.
    	
Unconditional Guaranty
    	
122
    
	
SECTION 10.02.
    	
Obligations   Absolute
    	
122
    
	
SECTION 10.03.
    	
Continuing   Obligations; Reinstatement
    	
124
    
	
SECTION 10.04.
    	
Additional   Security, Etc.
    	
125
    
	
SECTION 10.05.
    	
Information   Concerning the Borrower
    	
125
    
	
SECTION 10.06.
    	
Guarantors’   Subordination
    	
125
    

 

iv

 

	
SECTION 10.07.
    	
Waiver   of Subrogation
    	
125
    
	
SECTION 10.08.
    	
Enforcement
    	
126
    
	
SECTION 10.09.
    	
Miscellaneous
    	
126
    
	
SECTION 10.10.
    	
Keepwell
    	
126
    
	
SECTION 10.11.
    	
Consent   and Reaffirmation
    	
127
    

 

	
Schedules:
    
	
Schedule 1.01 – Mortgaged Property
    
	
Schedule 4.08 – Subsidiaries of Loan Parties
    
	
Schedule 4.24 – Subsidiaries of Loan Parties
    
	
Schedule 4.30 – Loans and Investments
    
	
Schedule 4.33 – Material Contracts
    
	
Schedule 5.11 – Loans and Advances
    
	
Schedule 5.14 – Existing Liens
    
	
Schedule 5.31 – Existing Debt
    
	
Schedule 5.37 – Operating Leases
    
	
 
    
	
Exhibits:
    
	
 
    
	
Exhibit A – Form of Notice of Borrowing
    
	
Exhibit B-1 – Form of Revolver Note
    
	
Exhibit B-2 – Form of Swing Advance Note
    
	
Exhibit C – Form of Notice of   Continuation or Conversion
    
	
Exhibit D – Form of Borrowing Base   Certification Report
    
	
Exhibit E – Form of Control Agreement   Notice re Amendment and Restatement of Credit Agreement
    
	
Exhibit F – Form of Compliance   Certificate
    
	
Exhibit G – Form of Joinder and   Reaffirmation Agreement
    
	
Exhibit H – Form of Assignment and   Assumption
    
	
Exhibit I – Form of Designation Notice
    
	
Exhibit J-1 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance   Certificate
    
	
Exhibit J-2 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance   Certificate
    
	
Exhibit J-3 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance   Certificate
    
	
Exhibit J-4 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance   Certificate
    

 

v

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT is dated as of September 27, 2013 among MAIN STREET CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Maryland corporation, as borrower, the GUARANTORS party hereto, as guarantors, the LENDERS party hereto and BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY, as Administrative Agent.

 

RECITALS

 

A.                                    Certain of the parties hereto are parties to an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of September 20, 2010 by and among the Borrower, the Guarantors party thereto, Branch Banking and Trust Company, as Administrative Agent and Swingline Lender, and the Lenders party thereto (as amended, the “Existing Credit Agreement”), and certain other Loan Documents entered into in connection with (and as defined in) the Existing Credit Agreement (collectively with the Existing Credit Agreement, as amended, the “Existing Loan Documents”), pursuant to which the Lenders party thereto provided credit facilities to the Borrower in the aggregate principal amount of up to $382,500,000, subject to increase from time to time to a maximum aggregate principal amount of $425,000,000 as set forth in the Existing Credit Agreement.

 

B.                                    The parties wish to enter into this Agreement and the Loan Documents to provide credit facilities to the Borrower in the aggregate principal amount of up to $445,000,000 (subject to increase from time to time to a maximum aggregate principal amount of $500,000,000), which shall amend, restate, replace and supersede (but not cause a novation of) the Existing Credit Agreement and the other Existing Loan Documents and which hereinafter shall govern the terms and conditions under which the Lenders shall provide senior revolving credit facilities to the Borrower.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
 DEFINITIONS

 

SECTION 1.01.                                                                     Definitions.  The terms as defined in this Section 1.01 shall, for all purposes of this Agreement and any amendment hereto (except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), have the meanings set forth herein:

 

“Acquisition” means any transaction or series of related transactions (other than a Portfolio Investment) for the purpose of, or resulting in, directly or indirectly, (a) the acquisition by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of all or substantially all of the assets of a Person (other than a Subsidiary) or of any business or division of a Person (other than a Subsidiary), (b) the acquisition by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of more than 50% of any class of Voting Stock (or similar ownership interests) of any Person (provided that formation or organization of any

 

1

 

Wholly Owned Subsidiary shall not constitute an “Acquisition” to the extent that the amount of the Investment in such entity is permitted under Sections 5.08 and 5.12), or (c) a merger, consolidation, amalgamation or other combination by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with another Person (other than a Subsidiary) if the Borrower or such Subsidiary is the surviving entity; provided that in any merger involving the Borrower, the Borrower must be the surviving entity.

 

“Additional Lender” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(a).

 

“Adjusted London InterBank Offered Rate” applicable to any Interest Period means a rate per annum equal to the quotient obtained (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100th of 1%) by dividing (i) the applicable London InterBank Offered Rate for such Interest Period by (ii) 1.00 minus the Euro-Dollar Reserve Percentage.

 

“Administrative Agent” means BB&T, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders, and its successors and permitted assigns in such capacity.

 

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

 

“Advance Rate” means, as to any Eligible Investment and subject to adjustment as provided in the definition of Borrowing Base, the following percentages with respect to such Eligible Investment:

 

	
Portfolio Investment
    	
 
    	
Advance
   Rate
    	
 
    
	
Cash and Cash Equivalents 
    	
 
    	
100
    	
%
    
	
Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investments 
    	
 
    	
80
    	
%
    
	
Eligible Investment Grade Debt Securities 
    	
 
    	
80
    	
%
    
	
Eligible Core Portfolio Investments
    	
 
    	
70
    	
%
    
	
Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investments and   Eligible Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities 
    	
 
    	
65
    	
%
    

 

“Advances” means collectively the Revolver Advances and the Swing Advances.  “Advance” means any one of such Advances, as the context may require.

 

“Affiliate” of any Person means (i) any other Person which directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls such Person, (ii) any other Person which directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, or (iii) any other Person of which such Person owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or

 

2

 

more of the common stock or equivalent equity interests.  As used herein, the term “control” means possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Affiliate” shall not include any Person that is an “Affiliate” solely by reason of the Borrower or any Subsidiary’s investment therein in connection with a Core Portfolio Investment in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the Investment Policies.

 

“Agreement” means this Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, together with all amendments and supplements hereto.

 

“Applicable Laws” means all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes, executive orders, and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

 

“Applicable Margin” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(a).

 

“Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Revolver Commitments represented by such Lender’s Revolver Commitment.  If the Revolver Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Revolver Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.

 

“Approved Dealer” means a broker-dealer acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion.  The Administrative Agent acknowledges and agrees that the following broker-dealers are acceptable as Approved Dealers:  Credit Suisse Group AG, Bank of America, Wells Fargo & Company, Citigroup, Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co., Deutsche Bank AG, UBS AG, Toronto Dominion Bank, Jefferies Group, Inc., Macquarie Group, Ltd., Barclays PLC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of New York, Royal Bank of Canada, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley.

 

“Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

 

“Approved Pricing Service” means a pricing or quotation service acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion.  The Administrative Agent acknowledges and agrees that the following pricing and quotation services are acceptable as an Approved Pricing Service: (i) Markit; (ii) Loan Pricing Corporation (LPC); (iii) LoanX, Inc.; and (iv) IDC.

 

“Asset Coverage Ratio” means the ratio of Consolidated Tangible Net Worth to outstanding Revolver Advances.

 

3

 

“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.07), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit H or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

“Assignment of Mortgage” means, as to each Portfolio Investment secured by an interest in real property, one or more assignments, notices of transfer or equivalent instruments, each in recordable form and sufficient under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction to reflect the transfer of the related mortgage, deed of trust, security deed or similar security instrument and all other documents related to such Portfolio Investment and, to the extent requested by the Administrative Agent, to grant a perfected lien thereon by the Borrower in favor of the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties, each such Assignment of Mortgage to be in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

 

“Bailee Agreement” means an agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and executed by a Person (other than an Obligor, a Loan Party or any of their respective Affiliates) that is in possession of any Collateral pursuant to which such Person acknowledges the Lien of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

 

“Bank Products” means any:  (1) Hedging Agreements; and (2) other services or facilities provided to any Loan Party by BB&T or any Lender that provides the initial funding of any Revolver Commitment on the Closing Date or any Additional Lender that provides the funding of a Revolver Commitment on any Commitment Increase Date (but not any assignee of any of the foregoing Lenders) or any of their respective Affiliates, in each case solely until such Person has assigned all of its interests under this Agreement (each, in such capacity, a “Bank Product Bank”) (but excluding Cash Management Services) with respect to (a) credit cards, (b) purchase cards, (c) merchant services constituting a line of credit, and (d) leasing.

 

“Bankruptcy Code” means the United States Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 (11 U.S.C. §§101, et. seq.), as amended from time to time.

 

“Base Rate” means for any Base Rate Advance for any day, the rate per annum equal to the higher as of such day of (i) the Prime Rate, and (ii)  one-half of one percent (0.5%) above the Federal Funds Rate.  For purposes of determining the Base Rate for any day, changes in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Rate shall be effective on the date of each such change.

 

“Base Rate Advance” means, with respect to any Advance, such Advance when such Advance bears or is to bear interest at a rate based upon the Base Rate.

 

“BB&T” means Branch Banking and Trust Company, and its successors.

 

“Borrower” means Main Street Capital Corporation, a Maryland corporation, and its successors and its permitted assigns.

 

“Borrowing” means a borrowing hereunder consisting of Revolver Advances made to the Borrower at the same time by all of the Lenders pursuant to Article II.  A Borrowing

 

4

 

is a “Base Rate Borrowing” if such Advances are Base Rate Advances.  A Borrowing is a “Euro-Dollar Borrowing” if such Advances are Euro-Dollar Advances.  A Borrowing is a “Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing” if such Advances are Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances.  A Borrowing is an “Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing” if such Advances are Index Euro-Dollar Advances.

 

“Borrowing Base” means, based on the most recent Borrowing Base Certification Report which as of the date of a determination of the Borrowing Base has been received by the Administrative Agent, the sum of the applicable Advance Rates of the Value of each Eligible Investment identified in the definition of “Advance Rate” in this Section 1.01 (including Pre-Positioned Investments); provided, however, that:

 

(a)                                 in no event shall more than 20% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of Eligible Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities and Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investments (in each case after giving effect to Advance Rates);

 

(b)                                 in no event shall more than 15% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of debtor-in-possession Investments (in each case after giving effect to Advance Rates);

 

(c)                                  for purposes of calculating the Borrowing Base, no single Portfolio Investment shall be included in the Borrowing Base at a Value in excess of (i) $20,000,000, if the total number of Portfolio Investments is fewer than 35 or the Borrowing Base is less than $175,000,000 (for purposes of calculating the $175,000,000 test no single Portfolio Investment shall be Valued at greater than $20,000,000); or (ii) $25,000,000, if the total number of Portfolio Investments is 35 or more and the Borrowing Base is greater than or equal to $175,000,000 (for purposes of calculating the $175,000,000 test no single Portfolio Investment shall be Valued at greater than $20,000,000); notwithstanding the foregoing, no more than 15 Portfolio Investments shall be included in the Borrowing Base at a Value greater than $20,000,000 at any time for purposes of this calculation;

 

(d)                                 in no event shall there be fewer than twelve (12) Core Portfolio Investments in the Borrowing Base;

 

(e)                                  all filings and other actions required to perfect the first-priority security interest of the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in the Portfolio Investments comprising the Borrowing Base have been made or taken (and any Portfolio Investment for which all perfection steps have not been completed, including securities perfected by possession that have not yet been delivered to the Collateral Custodian or a bailee that has delivered a valid, binding and effective Bailee Agreement to the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 5.40, shall be excluded from the Borrowing Base until such completion);

 

(f)                                   in no event shall more than 2.5% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of Investments in which, in each case, the Primary Obligor is organized under the laws of, or maintains its chief executive office and principal residence in, Canada or any province thereof (after giving effect to Advance Rates); and

 

5

 

(g)                                  (i)  in no event shall more than 10% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of Investments in which the Obligor’s primary business is in the gaming industry (after giving effect to Advance Rates), (ii) in no event shall more than 10% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of Investments in which the Obligor’s primary business is in the bio tech industry (after giving effect to Advance Rates), (iii) in no event shall more than 10% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of Investments in which the Obligor’s primary business is in the oil or gas exploration industry (after giving effect to Advance Rates) and (iv) in no event shall more than 15% of the aggregate value of the Borrowing Base consist of Investments in which the Obligor’s primary business is in the gaming industry, in the bio tech industry or in the oil or gas exploration industry (after giving effect to Advance Rates).

 

“Borrowing Base Certification Report” means a report in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, and otherwise satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, certified by the chief financial officer or other authorized officer of the Borrower regarding the Eligible Investments, and including or attaching a list of all Portfolio Investments included in the Borrowing Base and the most recent Value (and the source of determination of the Value) for each.  Upon receipt by the Administrative Agent, a Borrowing Base Certification Report shall be subject to the Administrative Agent’s satisfactory review, acceptance or correction, in the exercise of its reasonable discretion.

 

“Capital Expenditures” means for any period the sum of all capital expenditures incurred during such period by the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, as determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that in no event shall a Portfolio Investment be considered a Capital Expenditure.

 

“Capital Securities” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests (including membership interests and partnership interests), participations or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) of such Person’s capital (including any instruments convertible into equity), whether now outstanding or issued after the Closing Date.

 

“Cash” means money, currency or a credit balance in any demand or deposit account with a United States federal or state chartered commercial bank of recognized standing having capital and surplus in excess of $500 million, so long as such bank has not been a Defaulting Lender for more than three (3) business days after notice to Borrower (which notice may be given by telephone or e-mail), which bank or its holding company has a short-term commercial paper rating of: (a) at least A-1 or the equivalent by S&P or at least P-1 or the equivalent by Moody’s, or (b) at least A-2 or the equivalent by S&P or at least P-2 or the equivalent by Moody’s (or, in the case of a current Lender only, if not rated by S&P or Moody’s, such Lender is rated by another rating agency acceptable to the Administrative Agent and such Lender’s rating by such rating agency is not lower than its rating by such rating agency on the Closing Date) and (i) all amounts and assets credited to such account are directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof) or (ii) such bank is otherwise acceptable at all times and from time to time to the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion.  The Administrative Agent acknowledges that, on the Closing Date, Amegy Bank,

 

6

 

National Association, and each current Lender hereunder are acceptable banks within the meaning of clause (b)(ii) of this definition.

 

“Cash Equivalents” means (a) securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof) with maturities of not more than one year from the date acquired; (b) time deposits and certificates of deposit with maturities of not more than one (1) year from the date acquired issued by a United States federal or state chartered commercial bank of recognized standing having capital and surplus in excess of $500 million, and which bank or its holding company has a short-term commercial paper rating of at least A-1 or the equivalent by S&P or at least P-1 or the equivalent by Moody’s; and (c) investments in money market funds (i) which mature not more than ninety (90) days from the date acquired and are payable on demand, (ii) with respect to which there has been no failure to honor a request for withdrawal, (iii) which are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (iv) which have net assets of at least $500,000,000 and (v) which maintain a stable share price of not less than One Dollar ($1.00) per share and are either (A) directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof) or (B) maintain a rating of at least A-2 or better by S&P and are maintained with an investment fund manager that is otherwise acceptable at all times and from time to time to the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, no asset, agreement, or investment maintained or entered into with, or issued, guaranteed by, or administered by a Lender that has been a Defaulting Lender for more than three (3) business days after notice to Borrower (which notice may be given by telephone or e-mail) shall be a “Cash Equivalent” hereunder.  The Administrative Agent acknowledges that, on the Closing Date, Fidelity Investments is an acceptable investment fund manager within the meaning of the foregoing clause (B).

 

“Cash Management Services” means any one or more of the following types of services or facilities provided to any Loan Party by BB&T or any Lender that provides the initial funding of any Revolver Commitment on the Closing Date or any Additional Lender that provides the funding of a Revolver Commitment on any Commitment Increase Date (but not any assignee of any of the foregoing Lenders) or any of their respective Affiliates, in each case solely until such Person has assigned all of its interests under this Agreement (each, in such capacity, a “Cash Management Bank”): (a) ACH transactions, (b) cash management services, including, without limitation, controlled disbursement services, treasury, depository, overdraft, and electronic funds transfer services, (c) foreign exchange facilities, (d) credit or debit cards, and (e) merchant services not constituting a Bank Product.

 

“CERCLA” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. §9601 et seq. and its implementing regulations and amendments.

 

“CERCLIS” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Information System established pursuant to CERCLA.

 

“Change in Control” means the occurrence after the Closing Date of any of the following: (i) any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert (excluding the Persons that are officers and directors of the Borrower on the Closing Date) shall have acquired beneficial

 

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ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of 35% or more of the outstanding shares of the voting stock of the Borrower; or (ii) as of any date a majority of the board of directors of the Borrower consists of individuals who were not either (A) directors of the Borrower as of the corresponding date of the previous year, (B) selected or nominated to become directors by the board of directors of the Borrower of which a majority consisted of individuals described in clause (A), or (C) selected or nominated to become directors by the board of directors of the Borrower of which a majority consisted of individuals described in clause (A) and individuals described in clause (B).

 

“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, requirement, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, requirements, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith or in implementation thereof and (y) all requests, rules, requirements, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted, implemented or issued.

 

“Closing Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(d).

 

“Closing Date” means September 27, 2013.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor Federal tax code.  Any reference to any provision of the Code shall also be deemed to be a reference to any successor provision or provisions thereof.

 

“Collateral” means collectively:  (1) (i) 100% of the Capital Securities of the Guarantors and of the current and future Domestic Subsidiaries of the Borrower and Guarantors; (ii) 65% (or, if less, the entire interest owned by the applicable Loan Party) of the issued and outstanding voting and 100% (or, if less, the entire interest owned by the applicable Loan Party) of the issued and outstanding non-voting Capital Securities of any current or future Foreign Subsidiaries and (iii) all of the other present and future property and assets of the Borrower and each Guarantor including, but not limited to, machinery and equipment, inventory and other goods, accounts, accounts receivable, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, general intangibles, financial assets, investment property, license rights, patents, trademarks, copyrights, chattel paper, insurance proceeds, contract rights, hedge agreements, documents, instruments, indemnification rights, tax refunds, and cash; and (2) any other property which secures the Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents; provided  that, notwithstanding the foregoing, “Collateral” shall not include (i) equity interests in any SBIC Entity until such time as a pledge thereof is required pursuant to Section 5.28(d), (ii) property rights in Capital Securities issued by a Person other than a Subsidiary, or in any Operating Documents of any such issuer, to the extent

 

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the security interest of the Administrative Agent does not attach thereto pursuant to the terms of the Collateral Documents and (iii) equity interests in any SPV Subsidiary.

 

“Collateral Custodian” means any and each of (i) BB&T, in its capacity as Collateral Custodian under the Custodial Agreement to which it is a party, together with its successors and permitted assigns and (ii) any other Person acting as a collateral custodian with respect to any Collateral under any Custodial Agreement entered into in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Collateral Custodian shall at all times be satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, in its reasonable discretion.

 

“Collateral Documents” means, collectively, the Security Agreement, the Pledge Agreement, and all other agreements (including control agreements), instruments and other documents, whether now existing or hereafter in effect, pursuant to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall grant or convey (or shall have granted or conveyed) to the Secured Parties a Lien in, or any other Person shall acknowledge any such Lien in, property as security for all or any portion of the Obligations, as any of them may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Commitment Increase” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(a).

 

“Commitment Increase Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(c).

 

“Commodity Exchange Act” shall mean the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.

 

“Compliance Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.01(c).

 

“Consolidated EBITDA” means and includes, for the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries that are Guarantors for any period, an amount equal to the sum of (a) Consolidated Net Investment Income for such period; plus, (b) to the extent such amounts were deducted in computing Consolidated Net Investment Income for such period: (i) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period; (ii) income tax expense for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; and (iii) Depreciation and Amortization for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.  For avoidance of doubt, income and expenses of the SBIC Entities and any SPV Subsidiary shall not be included for purposes of calculating Consolidated EBITDA, except to the extent of dividends or distributions from such entities actually received by the Borrower or any Guarantor.

 

“Consolidated Interest Expense” for any period means interest, whether expensed or capitalized, in respect of Debt of the Borrower or any of its Consolidated Subsidiaries that are Guarantors outstanding during such period on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.  For avoidance of doubt, interest, whether expensed or capitalized, of the SBIC Entities and any SPV Subsidiary shall not be included for purposes of calculating Consolidated Interest Expense.

 

“Consolidated Net Investment Income” means, for any period, the net investment income of the Borrower and the Consolidated Subsidiaries that are Guarantors set forth or reflected on the consolidated income statement of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries

 

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for such period prepared in accordance with GAAP.  For avoidance of doubt, net investment income of the SBIC Entities and any SPV Subsidiary shall not be included for purposes of calculating Consolidated Net Investment Income, except to the extent of dividends or distributions from such entities actually received by the Borrower or any Guarantor.

 

“Consolidated Subsidiary” means at any date any Subsidiary or other entity the accounts of which, in accordance with GAAP, would be consolidated with those of the Borrower in its consolidated financial statements as of such date.

 

“Consolidated Tangible Net Worth” means, at any time, Net Assets less the sum of the value, (to the extent reflected in determining Net Assets) as set forth or reflected on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis prepared in accordance with GAAP (but without giving effect to the operation of Accounting Standards Codification No. 825-10), of

 

(A)                               All assets which would be treated as intangible assets for balance sheet presentation purposes under GAAP, including without limitation goodwill (whether representing the excess of cost over book value of assets acquired, or otherwise), trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and technologies, and unamortized debt discount and expense;

 

(B)                               To the extent not included in (A) of this definition, any amount at which the Capital Securities of the Borrower appear as an asset on the balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries;

 

(C)                               To the extent not included in (A) of this definition, any amount at which the investment in Main Street Capital Partners, LLC appears as an asset on the balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries; and

 

(D)                               Loans or advances to owners of Borrower’s Capital Securities, or to directors, officers, managers or employees of Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries.

 

Notwithstanding the fact that the SBIC Entities and the SPV Subsidiaries are not Loan Parties, the SBIC Entities and the SPV Subsidiaries shall be included for purposes of calculating Consolidated Tangible Net Worth and the Asset Coverage Ratio.

 

“Controlled Group” means all members of a controlled group of corporations and all trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with any Loan Party, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

 

“Core Portfolio Investment” means a Portfolio Investment originated by the Borrower (or co-originated by the Borrower so long as such Portfolio Investment complies with all Borrower’s Investment Policies and is subject to the same due diligence by Borrower as Portfolio Investments originated solely by the Borrower).  For avoidance of doubt, Core Portfolio Investments shall not include Cash, Cash Equivalents, any Senior Bank Loan Investment or any Debt Security.

 

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“Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the aggregate principal amount at such time of its Revolver Advances and such Lender’s participation in Swing Advances at such time.

 

“Credit Party Expenses” means, without limitation, (a) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including without limitation (i) the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of (A) counsel for the Administrative Agent, (B) outside consultants for the Administrative Agent, (C) appraisers, (D) commercial finance examinations, and (E) all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of the Obligations; and (ii) in connection with (A) the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, (B) the administration, management, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and the preparation, negotiation, administration and management of any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (whether or not the transactions contemplated thereby shall be consummated), or (C) the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement or the Loan Documents or efforts to preserve, protect, collect, or enforce the Collateral; and (b) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Secured Parties who are not the Administrative Agent or any Affiliate of any of them, after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default.

 

“Custodial Agreement” means, collectively, the Amended and Restated Custodial Agreement dated as of September 20, 2010 among Borrower, Administrative Agent and Branch Banking and Trust Company, Mortgage Custody Department of Corporate Trust Services and any and each other custodial agreement entered into among a Person acting as Collateral Custodian, the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, in each case as the same may from time to time be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified.

 

“Debt” of any Person means at any date, without duplication, (i) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money; (ii) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments; (iii) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services, except trade accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business; (iv) all obligations of such Person as lessee under capital leases; (v) all obligations of such Person to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts payable under a banker’s acceptance; (vi) all Redeemable Preferred Securities of such Person; (vii) all obligations (absolute or contingent) of such Person to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts which are available to be drawn or have been drawn under a letter of credit or similar instrument; (viii) all Debt of others secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such Debt is assumed by such Person; (ix) all Debt of others Guaranteed by such Person; (x) all obligations of such Person with respect to interest rate protection agreements, foreign currency exchange agreements or other hedging agreements (valued at the termination value thereof computed in accordance with a method approved by the International Swap Dealers Association and agreed to by such Person in the applicable hedging agreement, if any); (xi) all obligations of such Person under any synthetic lease, tax retention operating lease, sale and leaseback transaction, asset securitization, off-balance sheet loan or other off-balance sheet financing product; (xii) all obligations of such Person to purchase securities or other property arising out of or in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar

 

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securities or property; and (xiii) 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.  The Debt of any Person shall include the Debt of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefore as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Debt provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

 

“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.

 

“Debt Security” means a note, bond, debenture, trust receipt or other obligation, instrument or evidence of indebtedness, including debt instruments of public and private issuers and tax-exempt securities, but specifically excluding (i) Equity Securities or (ii) any security which by its terms permits the payment obligation of the Obligor thereunder to be converted into or exchanged for equity capital of such Obligor.  For the avoidance of doubt, this definition of “Debt Security” shall not include Core Portfolio Investments or Senior Bank Loan Investments.

 

“Default” means any condition or event which constitutes an Event of Default or which with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived in writing, become an Event of Default.

 

“Default Excess” means, with respect to any Defaulting Lender, the excess, if any, of such Defaulting Lender’s ratable portion of the aggregate Credit Exposure of all Lenders (calculated as if all Defaulting Lenders had funded all of their respective Defaulted Advances) over the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all Revolver Advances of such Defaulting Lender.

 

“Default Period” means, with respect to any Defaulting Lender, (i) in the case of any Defaulted Advance, the period commencing on the date the applicable Defaulted Advance was required to be extended to the Borrower under this Agreement, in the case of a Revolver Advance (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) and ending on the earlier of the following: (x) the date on which (A) the Default Excess with respect to such Defaulting Lender has been reduced to zero (whether by the funding of any Defaulted Advance by such Defaulting Lender or by the non-pro-rata application of any prepayment pursuant to Section 9.08(c)) and (B) such Defaulting Lender shall have delivered to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a written reaffirmation of its intention to honor its obligations hereunder; and (y) the date on which the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders (and not including such Defaulting Lender in any such determination, in accordance with Section 9.08(a)) waive the application of Section 9.08 with respect to such Defaulted Advances of such Defaulting Lender in writing; (ii) in the case of any Defaulted Payment, the period commencing on the date the applicable Defaulted Payment was required to have been paid to the Administrative Agent or other Lender under this Agreement (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) and ending on the earlier of the following: (x) the date on which (A) such Defaulted Payment has been paid to the Administrative Agent or other Lender, as applicable, together with (to the extent that such Person has not otherwise been compensated by the Borrower for such Defaulted Payment)

 

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interest thereon for each day from and including the date such amount is paid but excluding the date of payment, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate plus two percent (2.0%) and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation (whether by the funding of any Defaulted Payment by such Defaulting Lender or by the application of any amount pursuant to Section 9.08(c)) and (B) such Defaulting Lender shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent or other Lender, as applicable, a written reaffirmation of its intention to honor its obligations hereunder with respect to such payments; and (y) the date on which the Administrative Agent or any such other Lender, as applicable waives the application of Section 9.08 with respect to such Defaulted Payments of such Defaulting Lender in writing; and (iii) in the case of any Distress Event determined by the Administrative Agent (in its good faith judgment) or the Required Lenders (in their respective good faith judgment) to exist, the period commencing on the date that the applicable Distress Event was so determined to exist and ending on the earlier of the following: (x) the date on which (A) such Distress Event is determined by the Administrative Agent (in its good faith judgment) or the Required Lenders (in their respective good faith judgment) to no longer exist and (B) such Defaulting Lender shall have delivered to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a written reaffirmation of its intention to honor its obligations hereunder; and (y) such date as the Borrower and the Administrative Agent mutually agree, in their sole discretion, to waive the application of Section 9.08 with respect to such Distress Event of such Defaulting Lender.

 

“Default Rate” means, with respect to the Advances, on any day, the sum of 2% plus the then highest interest rate (including the Applicable Margin) which may be applicable to any Advance (irrespective of whether any such type of Advance is actually outstanding hereunder).

 

“Defaulted Advance” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Defaulting Lender”.

 

“Defaulted Investment” means any Investment (a) that is 45 days or more past due with respect to any interest or principal payments or (b) that is or otherwise should be considered a non-accrual investment by the Borrower in connection with its Investment Policies and GAAP.

 

“Defaulted Payment” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Defaulting Lender”.

 

“Defaulting Lender” means, for so long as any Default Period is in effect, any Lender (a) that has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Advances within two (2) Domestic Business Days of the date such Advances were required to be funded hereunder (each such Advance, a “Defaulted Advance”) unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith 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, the Swingline Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (each such payment a “Defaulted Payment”) within two (2) Domestic Business Days of the date when due, (b) that has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Swing Advances), or

 

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has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund any Advance hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith 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) that has failed, within three (3) Domestic 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) with respect to which, or with respect to a direct or indirect parent company of which, a Distress Event has occurred; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest 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 clauses (a) through (d) above shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender, for so long as such Default Period is in effect, upon delivery of written notice of such determination to the Borrower, Swingline Lender and each Lender.

 

“Depreciation and Amortization” means for any period an amount equal to the sum of all depreciation and amortization expenses of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries that are Guarantors for such period, as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Distress Event” means, with respect to any Person (each, a “Distressed Person”), (i) a voluntary or involuntary case (or comparable proceeding) has been commenced with respect to such Person under the United States Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable Debtor Relief Law, (ii) a custodian, conservator, receiver or similar official has been appointed for such Person or for any substantial part of such Person’s assets, (iii) after the date hereof, such Person has consummated or entered into a commitment to consummate a forced (in the good faith judgment of the Administrative Agent) liquidation, merger, sale of assets or other transaction resulting, in the good faith judgment of the Administrative Agent, in a change of ownership or operating control of such Person supported in whole or in part by guaranties, assumption of liabilities or other comparable credit support of (including without limitation the nationalization or assumption of ownership or operating control by) any Governmental Authority and the Administrative Agent (in its good faith judgment) or the Required Lenders believe (in their respective good faith judgment) that such event increases the risk that such Person could default in performing its obligations hereunder for so long as the Administrative Agent (in its good faith judgment) or the Required Lenders (in their respective good faith judgment) so believe, or (iv) such Person has made a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or has otherwise been adjudicated as, or determined by any Governmental Authority having regulatory authority over such Person or its assets to be, insolvent, bankrupt or deficient in meeting any capital adequacy or liquidity requirement of any Governmental Authority applicable to such Person.

 

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“Distressed Person” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Distress Event”.

 

“Dollars” or “$” means dollars in lawful currency of the United States of America.

 

“Domestic Business Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in North Carolina are authorized or required by law to close.

 

“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which is organized under the laws of any state or territory of the United States of America.

 

“Eligible Assignee” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Section 9.07(b) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 9.07(b)); provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include (x) the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries or (y) a natural Person.

 

“Eligible Core Portfolio Investment” means, on any date of determination, any Core Portfolio Investment that satisfies each of the following requirements:

 

(i)                                     the Core Portfolio Investment is evidenced by Investment Documents (including, in the case of any Loan other than a Noteless Loan, an original promissory note) that have been duly authorized and that are in full force and effect and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Obligor of such Core Portfolio Investment to pay the stated amount of the Loan and interest thereon, and the related Investment Documents are enforceable against such Obligor in accordance with their respective terms;

 

(ii)                                  the Core Portfolio Investment was made in accordance with the terms of the Investment Policies and arose in the ordinary course of the Borrower’s business;

 

(iii)                               such Core Portfolio Investment is a First Lien Investment, secured by a first priority, perfected security interest on all or substantially all of the assets of the Obligor;

 

(iv)                              in the case of any Core Portfolio Investment that is not solely held by the Borrower, the terms and conditions of such Core Portfolio Investment provide the Borrower with the right to vote to approve or deny any amendments, supplements, waivers or other modifications of such terms and conditions (other than such routine amendments, supplements, waivers or other modifications as are permitted to be approved by the administrative agent only without the vote of the syndicate members);

 

(v)                                 the Core Portfolio Investment has an Eligible Investment Rating;

 

(vi)                              the Core Portfolio Investment is not a Defaulted Investment and no other Loan of the Obligor with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment is more than 45 days past due;

 

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(vii)                           the Obligor of such Core Portfolio Investment has executed all appropriate documentation required by the Borrower in accordance with the Investment Policies;

 

(viii)                        the Core Portfolio Investment, together with the Investment Documents related thereto, is a “general intangible”, an “instrument”, an “account”, or “chattel paper” within the meaning of the UCC of all jurisdictions that govern the perfection of the security interest granted therein;

 

(ix)                              all material consents, licenses, approvals or authorizations of, or registrations or declarations with, any Governmental Authority required to be obtained, effected or given in connection with the making of such Core Portfolio Investment have been duly obtained, effected or given and are in full force and effect;

 

(x)                                 the Core Portfolio Investment is denominated and payable only in Dollars in the United States;

 

(xi)                              the Core Portfolio Investment bears some current interest, which is due and payable no less frequently than quarterly;

 

(xii)                           the Core Portfolio Investment, together with the Investment Documents related thereto, does not contravene in any material respect any Applicable Laws (including, without limitation, laws, rules and regulations relating to usury, truth in lending, fair credit billing, fair credit reporting, equal credit opportunity, fair debt collection practices and privacy) and with respect to which no Obligor party thereto is in violation of any Applicable Laws or the terms and conditions of such Investment Documents, to the extent any such violation results in or would be reasonably likely to result in (a) an adverse effect upon the value or collectability of such Core Portfolio Investment, (b) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, any of (1) the financial condition, operations, business or properties of the Obligor or any of its respective Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (2) the rights and remedies of the Borrower under the Investment Documents, or the ability of the Obligor or any other loan party thereunder to perform its obligations under the Investment Documents to which it is a party, as applicable, taken as a whole, or (3) the collateral securing the Core Portfolio Investment, or the Borrower’s Liens thereon or the priority of such Liens;

 

(xiii)                        the Core Portfolio Investment, together with the related Investment Documents, is fully assignable (and if such Investment is secured by a mortgage, deed of trust or similar lien on real property, and if requested by the Administrative Agent, an Assignment of Mortgage executed in blank has been delivered to the Collateral Custodian);

 

(xiv)                       the Core Portfolio Investment was documented and closed in accordance with the Investment Policies, and each original promissory note, if any, representing the portion of such Core Portfolio Investment payable to the Borrower, has been delivered to the Collateral Custodian, duly endorsed as collateral or, in the case of a Pre-Positioned Investment, held by a bailee on behalf of the Administrative Agent, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.40;

 

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(xv)                          the Core Portfolio Investment is free of any Liens and the Borrower’s interest in all Related Property is free of any Liens other than Liens permitted under the applicable Investment Documents and all filings and other actions required to perfect the security interest of the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in the Core Portfolio Investment have been made or taken;

 

(xvi)                       no right of rescission, set off, counterclaim, defense or other material dispute has been asserted with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment;

 

(xvii)                    any Related Property with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment is insured in accordance with the Investment Policies;

 

(xviii)                 the primary business of the Obligor with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment is not in the nuclear waste industry;

 

(xix)                       the Core Portfolio Investment is not a loan or extension of credit made by the Borrower or one of its subsidiaries to an Obligor solely for the purpose of making any principal, interest or other payment on such Core Portfolio Investment necessary in order to keep such Core Portfolio Investment from becoming delinquent;

 

(xx)                          such Core Portfolio Investment will not cause the Borrower to be deemed to own 5.0% or more of the voting securities of any publicly registered issuer or any securities that are immediately convertible into or immediately exercisable or exchangeable for 5.0% or more of the voting securities of any publicly registered issuer;

 

(xxi)                       the financing of such Core Portfolio Investment by the Lenders does not contravene in any material respect Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board, nor require the Lenders to undertake reporting thereunder which it would not otherwise have cause to make;

 

(xxii)                    such Core Portfolio Investment does not represent payment obligations relating to “put” rights relating to Margin Stock;

 

(xxiii)                 any taxes due and payable in connection with the making of such Core Portfolio Investment have been paid and the Obligor has been given any assurances (including with respect to the payment of transfer taxes and compliance with securities laws) required by the Investment Documents in connection with the making of the Investment;

 

(xxiv)                the terms of the Core Portfolio Investment have not been amended or subject to a deferral or waiver the effect of which is to (A) reduce the amount (other than by reason of the repayment thereof) or extend the time for payment of principal or (B) reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest (or any component thereof), unless: (i) such Core Portfolio Investment has an Eligible Investment Rating, the Borrower does not reasonably believe such Core Portfolio Investment is a troubled investment at the time of such amendment, deferral or waiver, and the Borrower does not reasonably anticipate downgrading such Core Portfolio Investment below the Eligible

 

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Investment Rating; or (ii) the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders have provided their consent to such amendment, deferral or waiver, such consents not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed;

 

(xxv)                   such Core Portfolio Investment does not contain a confidentiality provision that restricts the ability of the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Secured Parties, to exercise its rights under the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, its rights to review the Core Portfolio Investment, the related Investment File or the Borrower’s credit approval file in respect of such Core Portfolio Investment;

 

(xxvi)                the Obligor with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment is not (A) an Affiliate of the Borrower or any other Person whose investments are primarily managed by the Borrower or an Affiliate of the Borrower, unless (1) such Obligor is an Affiliate solely by reason of the Borrower’s Portfolio Investment therein or Borrower’s other Portfolio Investments or (2) such Core Portfolio Investment is expressly approved by the Administrative Agent (in its sole discretion) or (B) a Governmental Authority;

 

(xxvii)             all information delivered by any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment is true and correct to the knowledge of such Loan Party;

 

(xxviii) such Core Portfolio Investment is not an Equity Security and does not by its terms permit the payment obligation of the Obligor thereunder to be converted into or exchanged for equity capital of such Obligor;

 

(xxix)  the proceeds of such Core Portfolio Investment are not used to finance construction projects or activities in the form of a traditional construction loan where the only collateral for the loan is the project under construction and draws are made on the loan specifically to fund construction in progress; and

 

(xxx)  there is full recourse to the Obligor for principal and interest payments with respect to such Core Portfolio Investment.

 

“Eligible Debt Security” means, on any date of determination, any Debt Security held by Borrower as a Portfolio Investment that meets the following conditions:

 

(i)                                     the investment in the Debt Security was made in accordance with the terms of the Investment Policies applicable to “middle market portfolio investments”, “marketable securities”, “idle funds investments” or other similarly defined investment categories as such categories may be defined by Borrower in its periodic filings with the SEC;

 

(ii)                                  the Debt Security has an Eligible Investment Rating;

 

(iii)                               a Value Triggering Event related to the Debt Security has not occurred and is not continuing;

 

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(iv)                              the Debt Security is not a Defaulted Investment and is not owed by an Obligor that is subject to an Insolvency Event or as to which the Borrower has received notice of an imminent Insolvency Event proceeding;

 

(v)                                 the Obligor of such Debt Security has executed all appropriate documentation, if any, required in accordance with applicable Investment Policies;

 

(vi)                              the Debt Security, together with the Investment Documents related thereto (if any), is a “general intangible”, an “instrument”, an “account”, or “chattel paper”, within the meaning of the UCC of all jurisdictions that govern the perfection of the security interest granted therein;

 

(vii)                           all material consents, licenses, approvals or authorizations of, or registrations or declarations with, any Governmental Authority required to be obtained, effected or given in connection with the purchase of such Debt Security have been duly obtained, effected or given and are in full force and effect;

 

(viii)                        the Debt Security is denominated and payable only in Dollars in the United States and the Primary Obligor for such Debt Security is organized under the laws of, and maintains its chief executive office and principal residence in, (A) the United States or any state thereof or (B), subject to clause (f) of the definition of “Borrowing Base”, Canada or any province thereof;

 

(ix)                              the Debt Security bears current all cash interest, which is due and payable no less frequently than semi-annually;

 

(x)                                 the Obligor with respect to the Debt Security is not (A) an Affiliate of the Borrower or any other Person whose investments are primarily managed by the Borrower or any Affiliate of the Borrower, unless such Debt Security is expressly approved by the Administrative Agent (in its sole discretion), (B) a Governmental Authority (except in the case of a Debt Security, with an Investment Grade Rating, issued by the United States of America or any state or municipality or other political subdivision of the United States of America) or (C) primarily in the business of nuclear waste;

 

(xi)                              all information delivered by any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent with respect to such Debt Security is true and correct to the knowledge of such Loan Party;

 

(xii)                           the proceeds of such Debt Security are not used to finance construction projects or activities in the form of a traditional construction loan where the only collateral for the loan is the project under construction and draws are made on the loan specifically to fund construction in progress;

 

(xiii)                        the Debt Security is a Quoted Investment; and

 

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(xiv)                       the Debt Security can be converted to Cash in 30 Business Days or fewer without a greater than ten percent (10%) reduction in the value of such Debt Security.

 

“Eligible Investment Grade Debt Security” means an Eligible Debt Security that has, as of the applicable date of determination of Value for such Eligible Debt Security, an Investment Grade Rating.

 

“Eligible Investment Rating” means, as of any date of determination with respect to a Portfolio Investment, an investment rating of “Grade 3” or better as determined in accordance with the Investment Policies.

 

“Eligible Investments” means, collectively, the following investments of the Borrower and the Guarantors: Cash and Cash Equivalents, the Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investments, the Eligible Investment Grade Debt Securities, the Eligible Core Portfolio Investments, the Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investments and the Eligible Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities; provided, however, that the Required Lenders may determine in good faith after review of the certificates, reports and other documents provided by the Borrower in accordance with Sections 5.01(c) and 5.01(d) that any Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investment, Eligible Investment Grade Debt Security, Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investment or Eligible Non-Investment Grade Debt Security is not an Eligible Investment because such Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investment, Eligible Investment Grade Debt Security, Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investment or Eligible Non-Investment Grade Debt Security has or will have a material impairment or loss, whereupon such investment shall no longer constitute an Eligible Investment.  The Administrative Agent shall provide the Borrower with written notice of such determination by the Required Lenders within five (5) Domestic Business Days, and the removal of the Value of such Eligible Investment and the corresponding change to the Borrowing Base will take effect on the last Domestic Business Day of the month in which such notice of determination was delivered to the Borrower.

 

“Eligible Non-Investment Grade Debt Security” means an Eligible Debt Security that does not have, as of the applicable date of determination of Value for such Eligible Debt Security, an Investment Grade Rating.

 

“Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investment” means an Eligible Senior Bank Loan Investment that is a Quoted Investment.

 

“Eligible Senior Bank Loan Investment” means, on any date of determination, any Senior Bank Loan Investment of Borrower that meets the following conditions:

 

(i)                                     the Senior Bank Loan Investment is evidenced by Investment Documents that are in full force and effect and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Obligor of such Senior Bank Loan Investment to pay the stated amount of the Loan and interest thereon without right of rescission, set off, counterclaim or defense, and the related Investment Documents are enforceable against such Obligor in accordance with their respective terms and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, are not the subject of any material dispute;

 

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(ii)                                  the Senior Bank Loan Investment was made in accordance with the terms of the Investment Policies applicable to “middle market portfolio investments”, “marketable securities”, “idle funds investments” or other similarly defined investment categories as such categories may be defined by Borrower in its periodic filings with the SEC;

 

(iii)                               such Senior Bank Loan Investment is secured by a first priority, perfected security interest on a substantial portion of the assets of the respective Obligor(s);

 

(iv)                              the terms and conditions of such Senior Bank Loan Investment provide the Borrower with the power to approve or deny any amendments, supplements, waivers or other modifications of such terms and conditions that would (i) increase the commitment or other obligations of the Borrower thereunder, (ii) reduce the amount of, or defer the date fixed for any payment of, principal, interest or fees due or owing to Borrower, or change the manner of application of any payments owing to Borrower, under the Investment Documents, (iii) change the percentage of lenders under such Senior Bank Loan Investment required to take any action under the applicable Investment Documents, (iv) release or substitute all or substantially all of the collateral held as security for, or release any guaranty given to support payment of the obligations of, the Obligor under the applicable Investment Documents;

 

(v)                                 the Senior Bank Loan Investment has an Eligible Investment Rating;

 

(vi)                              the terms of the Senior Bank Loan Investment have not been amended or subject to a deferral or waiver the effect of which is to (A) reduce the amount (other than by reason of the repayment thereof) or, after giving effect to any applicable grace or cure period, extend the time for payment of principal or (B) reduce the rate or, after giving effect to any applicable grace or cure period, extend the time of payment of interest (or any component thereof), in each case without the consent of the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, such consents not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  Notwithstanding the foregoing in this clause (vi), any refinancing, restructuring, or new Debt obligation that does not forgive or reduce any amount of the principal owing with respect to such existing Senior Bank Loan Investment and results from a syndication process by the lenders or administrative agent party to such Senior Bank Loan Investment shall be deemed a new Senior Bank Loan Investment for purposes of this clause (vi) and not an amendment, deferral or waiver of such existing Senior Bank Loan Investment;

 

(vii)                           a Value Triggering Event related to the Senior Bank Loan Investment has not occurred and is not continuing;

 

(viii)                        the Senior Bank Loan Investment is not a Defaulted Investment and is not owed by an Obligor that is subject to an Insolvency Event or as to

 

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which the Borrower has received notice of an imminent Insolvency Event proceeding;

 

(ix)                              the Obligor of such Senior Bank Loan Investment has executed all appropriate documentation required in accordance with applicable Investment Policies;

 

(x)                                 the Senior Bank Loan Investment, together with the Investment Documents related thereto, is a “general intangible”, an “instrument”, an “account”, or “chattel paper”, within the meaning of the UCC of all jurisdictions that govern the perfection of the security interest granted therein;

 

(xi)                              all material consents, licenses, approvals or authorizations of, or registrations or declarations with, any Governmental Authority required to be obtained, effected or given in connection with the making of such Senior Bank Loan Investment have been duly obtained, effected or given and are in full force and effect;

 

(xii)                           the Senior Bank Loan Investment is denominated and payable only in Dollars in the United States and the Primary Obligor for such Senior Bank Loan Investment is organized under the laws of, and maintains its chief executive office and principal residence in, (A) the United States or any state thereof or (B), subject to clause (f) of the definition of “Borrowing Base”, Canada or any province thereof;

 

(xiii)                        the Senior Bank Loan Investment bears current interest, which is due and payable no less frequently than semi-annually;

 

(xiv)                       the Senior Bank Loan Investment, together with the Investment Documents related thereto, does not contravene in any material respect any Applicable Laws and with respect to which no Obligor is in violation of any Applicable Laws or the terms and conditions of such Investment Documents, to the extent any such violation results in or would be reasonably likely to result in (a) an adverse effect upon the value or collectability of such Senior Bank Loan Investment, (b) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, any of (1) the financial condition, operations, business or properties of the Obligor or any of its respective Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (2) the rights and remedies of the Borrower under the Investment Documents, or the ability of the Obligor or any other loan party thereunder to perform its obligations under the Investment Documents to which it is a party, as applicable, taken as a whole, or (3) the collateral securing the Senior Bank Loan Investment, or the Liens thereon or the priority of such Liens;

 

(xv)                          the Senior Bank Loan Investment, together with the related Investment Documents, is fully assignable subject to the customary right of the obligor in a syndicated loan or credit facility to consent to an assignment (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) prior to an event of default under

 

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such Senior Bank Loan Investment and the customary right in a syndicated loan or credit facility of the administrative agent under such syndicated loan or credit facility to consent to the assignment (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld);

 

(xvi)                       the Senior Bank Loan Investment was documented and closed in accordance with applicable Investment Policies, and each original promissory note, if any, representing the portion of such Senior Bank Loan Investment payable to the Borrower has been delivered to the Collateral Custodian, duly endorsed as collateral;

 

(xvii)                    the Senior Bank Loan Investment is free of any Liens and the Borrower’s interest in all Related Property is free of any Liens other than Liens permitted under the applicable Investment Documents and all filings and other actions required to perfect the security interest of the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in the Senior Bank Loan Investment have been made or taken;

 

(xviii)                 any Related Property with respect to such Senior Bank Loan Investment is insured in accordance with the applicable Investment Documents;

 

(xix)                       such Senior Bank Loan Investment will not cause the Borrower to be deemed to own 5.0% or more of the voting securities of any publicly registered issuer or any securities that are immediately convertible into or immediately exercisable or exchangeable for 5.0% or more of the voting securities of any publicly registered issuer;

 

(xx)                          the financing of such Senior Bank Loan Investment by the Lenders does not contravene in any material respect Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board, nor require the Lenders to undertake reporting thereunder which it would not otherwise have cause to make and such Senior Bank Loan Investment does not represent payment obligations relating to “put” rights relating to Margin Stock;

 

(xxi)                       any taxes due and payable in connection with the making of such Senior Bank Loan Investment have been paid and the Obligor has been given any assurances (including with respect to the payment of transfer taxes and compliance with securities laws) required by the Investment Documents in connection with the making of the Investment;

 

(xxii)                    such Senior Bank Loan Investment does not contain a confidentiality provision that restricts the ability of the Administrative Agent (assuming the Administrative Agent agrees to be bound by the terms of the applicable confidentiality provision), on behalf of the Secured Parties, to exercise its rights under the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, its rights to review the Senior Bank Loan Investment, the related Investment File or the Borrower’s credit approval file in respect of such Senior Bank Loan Investment;

 

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(xxiii)                 the Obligor with respect to such Senior Bank Loan Investment is not (A) an Affiliate of the Borrower or any other Person whose investments are primarily managed by the Borrower or any Affiliate of the Borrower, unless such Senior Bank Loan Investment is expressly approved by the Administrative Agent (in its sole discretion), (B) a Governmental Authority or (C) primarily in the business of nuclear waste;

 

(xxiv)                all information delivered by any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent with respect to such Senior Bank Loan Investment is true and correct to the knowledge of such Loan Party;

 

(xxv)                   such Senior Bank Loan Investment is not (A) any type of bond, whether high yield or otherwise, or any similar financial interest, (B) an Equity Security and does not by its terms permit the payment obligation of the Obligor thereunder to be converted into or exchanged for equity capital of such Obligor or (C) a participation interest;

 

(xxvi)                the proceeds of such Senior Bank Loan Investment are not used to finance construction projects or activities in the form of a traditional construction loan where the only collateral for the loan is the project under construction and draws are made on the loan specifically to fund construction in progress; and

 

(xxvii)             there is full recourse to the Obligor for principal and interest payments with respect to such Senior Bank Loan Investment.

 

“Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investment” means an Eligible Senior Bank Loan Investment that is an Unquoted Investment.

 

“Environmental Authority” means any foreign, federal, state, local or regional government that exercises any form of jurisdiction or authority under any Environmental Requirement.

 

“Environmental Authorizations” means all licenses, permits, orders, approvals, notices, registrations or other legal prerequisites for conducting the business of a Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party required by any Environmental Requirement.

 

“Environmental Judgments and Orders” means all judgments, decrees or orders arising from or in any way associated with any Environmental Requirements, whether or not entered upon consent or written agreements with an Environmental Authority or other entity arising from or in any way associated with any Environmental Requirement, whether or not incorporated in a judgment, decree or order.

 

“Environmental Laws” means any and all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or other governmental restrictions relating to the environment or to emissions, discharges or releases of pollutants, contaminants, petroleum or petroleum products, chemicals or industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes into the environment,

 

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including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater or land, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of pollutants, contaminants, petroleum or petroleum products, chemicals or industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes or the clean-up or other remediation thereof.

 

“Environmental Liabilities” means any liabilities, whether accrued, contingent or otherwise, arising from and in any way associated with any Environmental Requirements.

 

“Environmental Notices” means notice from any Environmental Authority or by any other person or entity, of possible or alleged noncompliance with or liability under any Environmental Requirement, including without limitation any complaints, citations, demands or requests from any Environmental Authority or from any other person or entity for correction of any violation of any Environmental Requirement or any investigations concerning any violation of any Environmental Requirement.

 

“Environmental Proceedings” means any judicial or administrative proceedings arising from or in any way associated with any Environmental Requirement.

 

“Environmental Releases” means releases as defined in CERCLA or under any applicable federal, state or local environmental law or regulation and shall include, in any event and without limitation, any release of petroleum or petroleum related products.

 

“Environmental Requirements” means any legal requirement relating to health, safety or the environment and applicable to a Loan Party, any Subsidiary of a Loan Party or the Properties, including but not limited to any such requirement under CERCLA or similar state legislation and all federal, state and local laws, ordinances, regulations, orders, writs, decrees and common law.

 

“Equity Security” means any equity security or other obligation or security that does not entitle the holder thereof to receive periodic payments of interest and one or more installments of principal.

 

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, or any successor law and all rules and regulations from time to time promulgated thereunder.  Any reference to any provision of ERISA shall also be deemed to be a reference to any successor provision or provisions thereof.

 

“Euro-Dollar Advance” means, with respect to any Advance, such Advance during Interest Periods when such Advance bears or is to bear interest at a rate based upon the London InterBank Offered Rate.  A Euro-Dollar Advance is a Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance if such Euro-Dollar Advance has an Interest Period described in subsection (i) of the definition of Interest Period.  A Euro-Dollar Advance is an Index Euro-Dollar Advance if such Euro-Dollar Advance has an Interest Period described in subsection (ii) of the definition of Interest Period.

 

“Euro-Dollar Business Day” means any Domestic Business Day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are carried out in the London interbank market.

 

“Euro-Dollar Reserve Percentage” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(c).

 

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“Event of Default” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.01.

 

“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guarantee of such Guarantor pursuant to Article X, or the grant by such Guarantor of a security interest pursuant to the Collateral Documents to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Article X and any other “keepwell, support or other agreement” for the benefit of such Guarantor and any and all guarantees of such Guarantor’s Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guarantee of such Guarantor, or a grant by such Guarantor of a security interest, becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guarantee or security interest is or becomes excluded in accordance with the first sentence of this definition.

 

“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise Taxes imposed on it, by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located, (b) any branch profits Taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar Tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender, any withholding Tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party hereto (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 9.04(c)) or designates a new lending office or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply with Section 2.12(e), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding Tax pursuant to Section 2.12(e), and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

 

“Existing Credit Agreement” has the meaning given such term in the Recitals.

 

“Existing Loan Documents” has the meaning given such term in the Recitals.

 

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the Closing Date (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with) and any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof or any intergovernmental agreement between the United States and another jurisdiction facilitating the implementation thereof (or any law, regulation or official interpretation implementing such an intergovernmental agreement).

 

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“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum (rounded upward, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100th of 1%) equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Domestic Business Day next succeeding such day, provided that (i) if the day for which such rate is to be determined is not a Domestic Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Domestic Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Domestic Business Day, and (ii) if such rate is not so published for any day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate charged to BB&T on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

“First Lien Investment” means a Portfolio Investment constituting a Debt obligation (other than a Senior Bank Loan Investment) that is secured by the pledge of collateral and which has the most senior pre-petition priority in any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, or liquidation proceedings.

 

“Fiscal Quarter” means any fiscal quarter of the Borrower.

 

“Fiscal Year” means any fiscal year of the Borrower.

 

“Foreclosed Subsidiary” shall mean any Person that becomes a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower solely as a result of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower acquiring the Capital Securities of such Person, through a bankruptcy, foreclosure or similar proceedings, with the intent to sell or transfer all of the Capital Securities of such Person; provided, that, in the event that the Borrower or such Subsidiary of the Borrower is unable to sell all of the Capital Securities of such Person within 180 days after the Borrower or such Subsidiary of the Borrower acquires the Capital Securities of such Person, such Person shall no longer be considered a “Foreclosed Subsidiary” for purposes of this Agreement.

 

“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes.  For purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

 

“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which is not a Domestic Subsidiary.

 

“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of outstanding Swing Advances made by the Swingline Lender other than Swing Advances as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders.

 

“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.

 

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“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis consistent with those which, in accordance with Section 1.02, are to be used in making the calculations for purposes of determining compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

 

“Guarantee” by any Person means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Debt or other obligation of any other Person and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person (i) to secure, purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Debt or other obligation (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, by agreement to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to provide collateral security, to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise) or (ii) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Debt or other obligation of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), provided that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.  The term “Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

 

“Guaranteed Obligations” means the Obligations, including without limitation, any and all liabilities, indebtedness and obligations of any and every kind and nature, heretofore, now or hereafter owing, arising, due or payable from the Borrower to one or more of the Lenders, the Hedge Counterparties, any Secured Party, the Administrative Agent, or any of them, arising under or evidenced by this Agreement, the Notes, the Collateral Documents or any other Loan Document; provided, however, the term “Guaranteed Obligations” with respect to any Specified Guarantor shall exclude, in all cases, any Excluded Swap Obligations of such Specified Guarantor.

 

“Guarantors” means collectively:  (a) the Initial Guarantors; and (b) all direct and indirect Subsidiaries of the Borrower or Guarantors acquired, formed or otherwise in existence after the Closing Date and required to become a Guarantor pursuant to Section 5.28; provided, however, (i) no SBIC Entity shall be a Guarantor until required pursuant to Section 5.28(d); (ii) no SPV Subsidiary shall be a Guarantor and (iii) Main Street Capital Finance, LLC shall not be a Guarantor so long as either (A) it has no assets or (B) it is an SPV Subsidiary.

 

“Hazardous Materials” includes, without limitation, (a) solid or hazardous waste, as defined in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. §6901 et seq. and its implementing regulations and amendments, or in any applicable state or local law or regulation, (b) any “hazardous substance”, “pollutant” or “contaminant”, as defined in CERCLA, or in any applicable state or local law or regulation, (c) gasoline, or any other petroleum product or by-product, including crude oil or any fraction thereof, (d) toxic substances, as defined in the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, or in any applicable state or local law or regulation and

 

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(e) insecticides, fungicides, or rodenticides, as defined in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1975, or in any applicable state or local law or regulation, as each such Act, statute or regulation may be amended from time to time.

 

“Hedge Counterparty” means BB&T or any Lender that provides the initial funding of any Revolver Commitment on the Closing Date or any Additional Lender that provides the funding of a Revolver Commitment on any Commitment Increase Date (but not any assignee of any of the foregoing Lenders) which Lender or Additional Lender has provided the Administrative Agent with a fully executed designation notice substantially in the form of Exhibit I, or any of their respective Affiliates, in each case solely until such Person has assigned all of its interests under this Agreement, that enters into a Hedging Agreement with the Borrower that is permitted by Section 5.35.

 

“Hedge Transaction” of any Person shall mean any transaction (including an agreement with respect thereto) now existing or hereafter entered into by such Person that is a rate swap, basis swap, forward rate transaction, commodity swap, interest rate option, foreign exchange transaction, cap transaction, floor transaction, collateral transaction, forward transaction, currency swap transaction, cross-currency rate swap transaction, currency option or any other similar transaction (including any option with respect to any of these transactions) or any combination thereof, whether linked to one or more interest rates, foreign currencies, commodity prices, equity prices or other financial measures.

 

“Hedging Agreement” means each agreement or amended and restated agreement between the Borrower and a Hedge Counterparty that governs one or more Hedge Transactions entered into pursuant to Section 5.35, which agreement shall consist of a “Master Agreement” in a form published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., together with a “Schedule” thereto in the form the Administrative Agent shall approve in writing, and each “Confirmation” thereunder confirming the specific terms of each such Hedge Transaction.

 

“Hedging Obligations” of any Person shall mean any and all obligations of such Person, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired under (i) any and all Hedge Transactions, (ii) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any Hedge Transactions and (iii) any and all renewals, extensions and modifications of any Hedge Transactions and any and all substitutions for any Hedge Transactions.

 

“Increasing Lender” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(a).

 

“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

 

“Initial Advances” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(e).

 

“Initial Guarantors” means Main Street Capital Partners, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Main Street Equity Interests, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

“Insolvency Event” means, with respect to a specified Person, (a) the filing of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of such Person

 

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or any substantial part of its property in an involuntary case under any applicable Insolvency Law now or hereafter in effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official for such Person or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of such Person’s affairs, and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or (b) the commencement by such Person of a voluntary case under any applicable Insolvency Law now or hereafter in effect, or the consent by such Person to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, or the consent by such Person to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official for such Person or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by such Person of any general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure by such Person generally to pay its debts as such debts become due, or the taking of action by such Person in furtherance of any of the foregoing.

 

“Insolvency Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code and all other applicable liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, suspension of payments, or similar Debtor Relief Laws from time to time in effect affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

“Interest Coverage Ratio” means the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA to Consolidated Interest Expense.

 

“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any Base Rate Borrowing or Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing, the first day of each month and (b) with respect to any Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Borrowing and, in the case of any Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing with an Interest Period that exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period.

 

“Interest Period” means:  (i) with respect to each Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the first, third or, if available to Lenders, sixth month thereafter, as the Borrower may elect in the applicable Notice of Borrowing; provided that:

 

(a)                                 any Interest Period (subject to clause (c) below) which would otherwise end on a day which is not a Euro-Dollar Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Euro-Dollar Business Day unless such Euro-Dollar Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Euro-Dollar Business Day;

 

(b)                                 any Interest Period which begins on the last Euro-Dollar Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the appropriate subsequent calendar month) shall, subject to clause (c) below, end on the last Euro-Dollar Business Day of the appropriate subsequent calendar month; and

 

(c)                                  no Interest Period may be selected that begins before the Termination Date and would otherwise end after the Termination Date.

 

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(ii)                                  with respect to each Base Rate Borrowing and each Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing, a calendar month (commencing on the first day of each calendar month and ending on the last day of each calendar month regardless of whether a Base Rate Borrowing or Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing is outstanding on either date); provided that:

 

(a)                                 the initial Interest Period applicable to Base Rate Borrowings and Index Euro-Dollar Borrowings shall mean the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending September 30, 2013; and

 

(b)                                 the last Interest Period applicable to Base Rate Borrowings and Index Euro-Dollar Borrowings under this Agreement shall end on the Termination Date.

 

“Internal Control Event” means a material weakness in, or fraud that involves management of the Borrower, which fraud has a material effect on the Borrower’s internal controls over public reporting.

 

“Investment” means any investment in any Person, whether by means of (i) purchase or acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Person (or of a division or line of business of such Person), (ii) purchase or acquisition of obligations or securities of such Person, (iii) capital contribution to such Person, (iv) loan or advance to such Person, (v) making of a time deposit with such Person, (vi) Guarantee or assumption of any obligation of such Person or (vii) by any other means.

 

“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Investment Documents” means, with respect to any Core Portfolio Investment or any Senior Bank Loan Investment, any related loan agreement, security agreement, mortgage, assignment, all guarantees, note purchase agreement, intercreditor and/or subordination agreements, and UCC financing statements and continuation statements (including amendments or modifications thereof) executed by the Obligor thereof or by another Person on the Obligor’s behalf in respect of such Core Portfolio Investment or Senior Bank Loan Investment and any related promissory note, including, without limitation, general or limited guaranties and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, for each Core Portfolio Investment secured by real property by a mortgage document, an Assignment of Mortgage, and for all Core Portfolio Investments or Senior Bank Loan Investments with a promissory note, an assignment thereof (which may be by allonge), in blank, signed by an officer of the Borrower.

 

“Investment File” means, as to any Core Portfolio Investments, those documents that are delivered to or held by the Collateral Custodian pursuant to the Custodial Agreement.

 

“Investment Grade Rating” means, as of any date of determination with respect to an Investment, such Investment has a rating of at least Baa3 from Moody’s, BBB- from S&P or BBB- from Fitch Ratings Ltd.

 

“Investment Policies” means those investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Borrower as in effect on the Closing Date as described in Borrower’s annual report on 

 

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Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2013 and June 30, 2013, each as filed with the SEC, and any modifications or supplements as may be adopted by the Borrower from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

 

“Joinder Agreement” means a Joinder and Reaffirmation Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit G.

 

“Lender” means (a) the Swingline Lender and its successors and assigns and (b) each lender listed on the signature pages hereof as having a Revolver Commitment and such other Persons who may from time to time acquire a Revolver Commitment in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (as amended and from time to time in effect), and their respective successors and assigns.

 

“Lending Office” means, as to each Lender, its office located at its address set forth on the signature pages hereof (or identified on the signature pages hereof as its Lending Office) or such other office as such Lender may hereafter designate as its Lending Office by notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, deed to secure debt, deed of trust, lien, pledge, charge, security interest, security title, preferential arrangement which has the practical effect of constituting a security interest or encumbrance, servitude or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset to secure or assure payment of a Debt or a Guarantee, whether by consensual agreement or by operation of statute or other law, or by any agreement, contingent or otherwise, to provide any of the foregoing.  For the purposes of this Agreement, the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall be deemed to own subject to a Lien any asset which it has acquired or holds subject to the interest of a vendor or lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or other title retention agreement relating to such asset.

 

“Loan” means any loan arising from the extension of credit to an Obligor by the Borrower in the ordinary course of business of the Borrower.

 

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Notes, the Collateral Documents, the Hedging Agreements, any other document evidencing or securing the Advances, the Custodial Agreement, and any other document or instrument delivered from time to time in connection with this Agreement, the Notes, the Collateral Documents, the Hedging Agreements, the Advances, as such documents and instruments may be amended or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Loan Parties” means collectively the Borrower and each Guarantor that is now or hereafter a party to any of the Loan Documents.

 

“London InterBank Offered Rate” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(c).

 

“Margin Stock” means “margin stock” as defined in Regulations T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as in effect from time to time, together with all official rulings and interpretations issued thereunder.

 

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“Material Adverse Effect” means, with respect to any event, act, condition or occurrence of whatever nature (including any adverse determination in any litigation, arbitration, or governmental investigation or proceeding), whether singly or in conjunction with any other event or events, act or acts, condition or conditions, occurrence or occurrences, whether or not related, a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, any of (a) the financial condition, operations, business or properties of the Loan Parties and any of their respective Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (b) the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under the Loan Documents, or the ability of the Borrower or any other Loan Party to perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, as applicable, or (c) the legality, validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or (d) the Collateral, or the Administrative Agent’s Liens for the benefit of the Secured Parties on the Collateral or the priority of such Liens.

 

“Material Contract” has the meaning given such term in Section 4.33.

 

“Minimum Availability Requirement” has the meaning given such term in Section 5.04.

 

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

 

“Mortgage” means, collectively the fee simple and leasehold mortgages, deeds of trust and deeds to secure debt by the Borrower, in form and content satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and in each case granting a Lien to the Administrative Agent (or a trustee for the benefit of the Administrative Agent) for the benefit of the Secured Parties in Collateral constituting real property (including certain real property leases) and related personalty, as such documents may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Mortgaged Property” means, collectively, the Mortgaged Property (as defined in the Mortgages) covering the Properties described on Schedule 1.01 — Mortgaged Property.

 

“Mortgaged Property Owner” means the owner of a fee simple title (or leasehold interest to the extent permitted under this Agreement) to a Mortgaged Property.

 

“Mortgaged Property Security Documents” means collectively, the Mortgages and all other agreements, instruments and other documents, whether now existing or hereafter in effect, pursuant to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary grants or conveys to the Administrative Agent and the Secured Parties a Lien in, or any other Person acknowledges any such Lien in, real property as security for all or any portion of the Obligations, as any of them may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Mortgaged Property Support Documents” means, for each Mortgaged Property, (i) the Title Policy pertaining thereto, (ii) surveys (unless the title insurance company will insure over the absence of survey), flood hazard certifications and environmental assessments thereof in form and substance satisfactory to Administrative Agent, prepared by recognized experts in their respective fields acceptable to the Administrative Agent, (iii) as to Mortgaged Properties located in a flood hazard area, flood hazard insurance, (iv) lessees’ estoppel, waiver and consent certificates and subordination, nondisturbance and attornment agreements, in form and substance 

 

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satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, (v) opinions of local counsel with respect to the Mortgages or leasehold mortgages, as applicable, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, and (vi) such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require, in each case as shall be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

 

“Multiemployer Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

 

“Net Assets” means, at any time, the net assets of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, as set forth or reflected on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Net Proceeds of Capital Securities/Conversion of Debt” means any and all proceeds (whether cash or non-cash) or other consideration received by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower in respect of the issuance of Capital Securities (including, without limitation, the aggregate amount of any and all Debt converted into Capital Securities), after deducting therefrom all reasonable and customary costs and expenses incurred by the Borrower or any Subsidiary directly in connection with the issuance of such Capital Securities. For avoidance of doubt the net proceeds referred to in this definition shall exclude any net proceeds with respect to the issuance of Capital Securities by the Loan Parties, the SBIC Entities or the SPV Subsidiaries to any Loan Party, SBIC Entity or SPV Subsidiary.

 

“Non-Consenting Lender” means any Lender that does not approve any consent, waiver or amendment that (i) requires the approval of all affected Lenders in accordance with the terms of Section 9.05 and (ii) has been approved by the Required Lenders.

 

“Noteless Loan” means a Core Portfolio Investment or a Senior Bank Loan Investment with respect to which (i) the underlying Investment Documents do not require the Obligor to execute and deliver a promissory note to evidence the indebtedness created under such Core Portfolio Investment or Senior Bank Loan Investment; and (ii) no Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party has requested or received a promissory note from the related Obligor.  Except as approved by the Administrative Agent in writing, no Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall request or receive a promissory note or other instrument from any Obligor in connection with a Noteless Loan.

 

“Notes” means collectively the Revolver Notes, the Swing Advance Note and any and all amendments, consolidations, modifications, renewals, substitutions and supplements thereto or replacements thereof.  “Note” means any one of such Notes.

 

“Notice of Borrowing” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02.

 

“Notice of Continuation or Conversion” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.03.

 

“Obligations” means the collective reference to all of the following indebtedness, obligations and liabilities:  (a) the due and punctual payment by the Borrower of:  (i) the principal of and interest on the Advances (including, without limitation, principal of and interest on the Notes), when and as due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, upon one or more dates set 

 

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for prepayment or otherwise and any renewals, modifications or extensions thereof, in whole or in part; (ii) each payment required to be made by the Borrower under this Agreement when and as due, including payments in respect of reimbursement of disbursements, interest thereon, and obligations, if any, to provide cash collateral and any renewals, modifications or extensions thereof, in whole or in part; and (iii) all other monetary obligations of the Borrower to the Secured Parties under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which the Borrower is or is to be a party and any renewals, modifications or extensions thereof, in whole or in part; (b) the due and punctual performance of all other obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which the Borrower is or is to be a party, and any renewals, modifications or extensions thereof, in whole or in part; (c) the due and punctual payment (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of all obligations (including any and all Hedging Obligations arising under the Hedging Agreements and obligations which, but for the automatic stay under Section 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, would become due), indebtedness and liabilities of the Borrower, now existing or hereafter incurred under, arising out of or in connection with any and all Hedging Agreements and any renewals, modifications or extensions thereof (including, all obligations, if any, of the Borrower as guarantor under the Credit Agreement in respect of Hedging Agreements), and the due and punctual performance and compliance by the Borrower with all of the terms, conditions and agreements contained in any Hedging Agreement and any renewals, modifications or extensions thereof; (d) the due and punctual payment and performance of all indebtedness, liabilities and obligations of any one or more of the Borrower and Guarantors arising out of or relating to any Bank Products; (e) the due and punctual payment and performance of all indebtedness, liabilities and obligations of any one or more of the Borrower and Guarantors arising out of or relating to any Cash Management Services; and (f) the due and punctual payment and performance of all obligations of each of the Guarantors under the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which they are or are to be a party and any and all renewals, modifications or extensions thereof, in whole or in part; provided, that the term “Obligations” with respect to any Specified Guarantor shall exclude, in all cases, any Excluded Swap Obligations of such Specified Guarantor.

 

“Obligor” means, with respect to any Portfolio Investment, the Person or Persons obligated to make payments pursuant to such Portfolio Investment, including any guarantor thereof.

 

“Obligor Interest Coverage Ratio” means with respect to a Debt Security or a Senior Bank Loan Investment, either (a) the “Interest Coverage Ratio” or comparable definition set forth in the underlying Investment Documents for such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment, or (b) in the case of any Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment with respect to which the related underlying Investment Documents do not include a definition of “Interest Coverage Ratio” or comparable definition (including, without limitation, any Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment considered to be “covenant-lite” with limited restrictions on the debt capacity of the applicable Obligor), the ratio of (i) Obligor EBITDA to (ii) Obligor Interest Expense of such Obligor with respect to the Relevant Test Period, as calculated by the Borrower in good faith.

 

“Obligor Interest Expense” means with respect to any Obligor, the amount which, in conformity with GAAP, would be set forth opposite the caption “interest expense” or any like caption reflected for the last four full fiscal quarters for which financial statements have been 

 

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provided to the Borrower by or on behalf of any Obligor with respect to the related Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment; provided that with respect to any Obligor for which four full fiscal quarters of economic data are not available, Obligor Interest Expense shall be determined for such Obligor based on annualizing the economic data from the reporting periods actually available.

 

“Obligor EBITDA” means, with respect to each Obligor on any Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment, for the last four full fiscal quarters for which financial statements have been provided to the Borrower by or on behalf of any Obligor with respect to the related Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment, the meaning of “EBITDA”, “Adjusted EBITDA” or any comparable definition in the underlying Investment Documents for each such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment, and in any case that “EBITDA”, “Adjusted EBITDA” or such comparable definition is not defined in such underlying Investment Documents, an amount, for the Obligor on such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment and any parent that is obligated pursuant to the underlying Investment Documents for such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment (determined on a consolidated basis without duplication in accordance with GAAP) equal to earnings from continuing operations for such period plus (a) interest expense, (b) income taxes, (c) depreciation and amortization for such four fiscal quarter period (to the extent deducted in determining earnings from continuing operations for such period), (d) amortization of intangibles (including, but not limited to, goodwill, financing fees and other capitalized costs), other non-cash charges and organization costs, (e) extraordinary losses in accordance with GAAP, (f) one time, non recurring non cash charges consistent with the compliance statements and financial reporting packages provided by the Obligors, and (g) and any other item the Borrower in good faith deems to be appropriate; provided that with respect to any Obligor for which four full fiscal quarters of economic data are not available, Obligor EBITDA shall be determined for such Obligor based on annualizing the economic data from the reporting periods actually available.

 

“Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio” means with respect to a Debt Security or a Senior Bank Loan Investment either (a) the “Net Senior Leverage Ratio” or comparable definition set forth in the underlying Investment Documents for such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment, or (b) in the case of any Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment with respect to which the related underlying Investment Documents do not include a definition of “Net Senior Leverage Ratio” or comparable definition (including, without limitation, any Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment considered to be “covenant-lite” with limited restrictions on the debt capacity of the applicable Obligor), the ratio of (i) the Obligor Senior Debt (including, without limitation, such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment) of the applicable Obligor as of the date of determination minus the Cash of such Obligor as of such date to (ii) Obligor EBITDA of such Obligor with respect to the Relevant Test Period, as calculated by the Borrower in good faith.

 

“Obligor Senior Debt” means all Debt of any Person other than Debt that is junior or subordinated in right of payment or upon liquidation.

 

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

 

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“Officer’s Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(e).

 

“Operating Documents” means with respect to any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership or other legally authorized incorporated or unincorporated entity, the bylaws, operating agreement, partnership agreement, limited partnership agreement, shareholder agreement or other applicable documents relating to the operation, governance or management of such entity.

 

“Organizational Action” means with respect to any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership or other legally authorized incorporated or unincorporated entity, any corporate, organizational or partnership action (including any required shareholder, member or partner action), or other similar official action, as applicable, taken by such entity.

 

“Organizational Documents” means with respect to any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership or other legally authorized incorporated or unincorporated entity, the articles of incorporation, certificate of incorporation, articles of organization, certificate of limited partnership or other applicable organizational or charter documents relating to the creation of such entity.

 

“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp or documentary Taxes or any other excise or property Taxes arising from any payment made hereunder or under any other Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

“Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in clause (d) of Section 9.07.

 

“Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in clause (d) of Section 9.07.

 

“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 entity succeeding to any or all of its functions under ERISA.

 

“Permitted Encumbrances” means Liens described in Section 5.14.

 

“Person” means a natural person, a corporation, a limited liability company, a partnership (including without limitation, a joint venture), an unincorporated association, a trust or any other entity or organization, including, but not limited to, a Governmental Authority.

 

“Plan” means at any time an employee pension benefit plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA or subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code and is either (i) maintained by a member of the Controlled Group for employees of any member of the Controlled Group or (ii) maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or any other arrangement under which more than one employer makes contributions and to which a 

 

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member of the Controlled Group is then making or accruing an obligation to make contributions or has within the preceding 5 plan years made contributions.

 

“Pledge Agreement” means the Second Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, pursuant to which Borrower and, if applicable, Guarantors pledge to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, among other things, (i) all of the capital stock and equity interests of the Guarantors and of each other current or future Subsidiary of the Borrower and Guarantors except Foreign Subsidiaries, SBIC Entities (except as required pursuant to Section 5.28(d)) and any SPV Subsidiary; and (ii) sixty-five percent (65%) (or, if less, the entire interest owned by the applicable Loan Party) of the issued and outstanding voting and one hundred percent (100%) (or, if less, the entire interest owned by the applicable Loan Party) of the issued and outstanding non-voting capital stock and equity interests of each current or future Foreign Subsidiary, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Portfolio Investment” means an investment made by the Borrower in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the Investment Policies in a Person that is accounted for under GAAP as a portfolio investment of the Borrower.  Portfolio Investments shall include Cash, Cash Equivalents, Core Portfolio Investments, Senior Bank Loan Investments and Debt Securities.

 

“Pre-Positioned Investment” means any Investment that will be funded with the proceeds of an Advance hereunder and which is designated by the Borrower in writing to the Administrative Agent as a “Pre-Positioned Investment”.

 

“Primary Obligor” means, with respect to any Portfolio Investment, the principal Obligor directly obligated to repay all obligations owing under such Portfolio Investment, including joint and several liability for such obligation, if more than one Obligor exists; provided, however, “Primary Obligor” does not include any Person who acts solely as a guarantor or surety with respect to such Portfolio Investment.

 

“Prime Rate” refers to that interest rate so denominated and set by BB&T from time to time as an interest rate basis for borrowings.  The Prime Rate is but one of several interest rate bases used by BB&T.  BB&T lends at interest rates above and below the Prime Rate.  The Prime Rate is not necessarily the lowest or best rate charged by BB&T to its customers or other banks.

 

“Proceeds” shall have the meaning given to it under the UCC and shall include without limitation the collections and distributions of Collateral, cash or non-cash.

 

“Properties” means all real property owned, leased or otherwise used or occupied by a Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party, wherever located.  “Property” means any one of such Properties.

 

“Qualified ECP Guarantor” shall mean, at any time, each Loan Party with total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” 

 

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under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under §1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

“Quarterly Payment Date” means each March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, or, if any such day is not a Domestic Business Day, the next succeeding Domestic Business Day.

 

“Quoted Investment” means a Portfolio Investment for which market quotations are readily available from an Approved Pricing Service, or, in the case of Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investments, from an Approved Pricing Service or an Approved Dealer.  All Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investments and Eligible Debt Securities must be Quoted Investments.

 

“Redeemable Preferred Securities” of any Person means any preferred stock or similar Capital Securities (including, without limitation, limited liability company membership interests and limited partnership interests) issued by such Person which is at any time prior to the Termination Date either (i) mandatorily redeemable (by sinking fund or similar payments or otherwise) or (ii) redeemable at the option of the holder thereof.

 

“Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.07(c).

 

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

 

“Related Property” means, with respect to any Portfolio Investment, any property or other assets of the Obligor thereunder pledged or purported to be pledged as collateral to secure the repayment of such Portfolio Investment.

 

“Relevant Test Period” means with respect to each Obligor on a Debt Security or a Senior Bank Loan Investment, the relevant test period for the calculation of Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio or Obligor Interest Coverage Ratio, as applicable, for such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment in accordance with the related underlying Investment Documents or, if no such period is provided for therein, the last four consecutive reported fiscal quarters of the principal Obligor on such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment; provided that with respect to any Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment for which the relevant test period is not provided for in the related underlying Investment Documents, if four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters have not yet elapsed since the closing date of the relevant underlying Investment Documents, “Relevant Test Period” shall initially include the period from such closing date to the end of the fourth fiscal quarter thereafter, and shall subsequently include each period of the last four (4) consecutive reported fiscal quarters of such Obligor.

 

“Required Lenders” means at any time Lenders having at least 66-2/3% of the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments or, if the Revolver Commitments are no longer in effect, Lenders holding at least 66-2/3% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Advances; provided, however, that the Revolver Commitments and any outstanding Revolver Advances of any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

 

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“Responsible Officer” means, as to any Person, the president, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, senior vice president, vice president, senior managing director or treasurer of such Person.

 

“Restricted Payment” means (i) any dividend or other distribution on any shares of the Borrower’s Capital Securities (except dividends payable solely in shares of its Capital Securities); (ii) any payment of management, consulting, advisory or similar fees; or (iii) any payment on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement or acquisition of (a) any shares of the Borrower’s Capital Securities (except shares acquired upon the conversion thereof into other shares of its Capital Securities) or (b) any option, warrant or other right to acquire shares of the Borrower’s Capital Securities.

 

“Restrictive Provisions” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.28(d).

 

“Revolver Advance” means an advance made to the Borrower under this Agreement pursuant to Section 2.01.  A Revolver Advance is a Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance if such Revolver Advance has an Interest Period described in subsection (i) of the definition of Interest Period.  A Revolver Advance is an Index Euro-Dollar Advance if such Revolver Advance is a Euro-Dollar Advance and has an Interest Period described in subsection (ii) of the definition of Interest Period.

 

“Revolver Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, (i) the amount set forth opposite the name of such Lender on the signature pages hereof, or on any amendment, supplement or joinder that may be executed from time to time after the date hereof, or (ii) as to any Lender which enters into an Assignment and Assumption (whether as transferor Lender or as assignee thereunder), the amount of such Lender’s Revolver Commitment after giving effect to such Assignment and Assumption, in each case as such amount may be reduced from time to time pursuant to Sections 2.08, 2.09 and 9.04(c).

 

“Revolver Notes” means the promissory notes of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-1 hereto, evidencing the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Revolver Advances, together with all amendments, consolidations, modifications, renewals, substitutions and supplements thereto or replacements thereof and “Revolver Note” means any one of such Revolver Notes.

 

“RIC” or “regulated investment company” shall mean an investment company or business development company that qualifies for the special tax treatment provided for by subchapter M of the Code.

 

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and any successor thereto.

 

“Sale/Leaseback Transaction” means any arrangement with any Person providing, directly or indirectly, for the leasing by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries of real or personal property which has been or is to be sold or transferred by any Loan Party or such Subsidiary to such Person or to any other Person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced 

 

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by such Person on the security of such property or rental obligations of any Loan Party or such Subsidiary.

 

“Sanctioned Entity” shall mean (i) a country or a government of a country, (ii) an agency of the government of a country, (iii) an organization directly or indirectly controlled by a country or its government, (iv) a person or entity resident in or determined to be resident in a country, that is subject to a country sanctions program administered and enforced by OFAC described or referenced at http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/ or as otherwise published from time to time.

 

“SBIC Entities” means each of (1) Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP, (2) Main Street Mezzanine Management, LLC, (3) Main Street Capital II, LP, (4) Main Street Capital II GP, LLC, (5) MSCII Equity Interests, LLC and (6) any other future “small business investment company” owned, directly or indirectly, by Borrower that is governed by the Restrictive Provisions.

 

“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions thereof.

 

“Secured Parties” shall mean collectively: (1) the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such under this Agreement, the Collateral Documents and the other Loan Documents; (2) the Lenders, (3) the Hedge Counterparties in their capacity as such under the Hedging Agreements; (4) any Bank Product Bank or Cash Management Bank; and (5) except as otherwise provided in the definitions of “Bank Products”, “Cash Management Services” and “Hedging Counterparties,” the successors and assigns of the foregoing.

 

“Security Agreement” means the Second Amended and Restated General Security Agreement by and among the Borrower, the Guarantors and the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties to be executed and delivered in connection herewith, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Senior Bank Loan Investment” means a Portfolio Investment constituting a Debt obligation (including without limitation term loans, the funded portion of revolving credit lines and letter of credit facilities and other similar loans and investments including interim loans) which is made by Borrower as a lender under a syndicated loan or credit facility.

 

“Specified Guarantor” means any Guarantor that is not an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act (determined prior to giving effect to Section 10.10).

 

“SPV Subsidiary” means any bankruptcy remote, special purpose, Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Borrower; provided, however, there shall not be more than two (2) SPV Subsidiaries at any one time.

 

“Subsequent Borrowings” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(e).

 

“Subsidiary” of any Person means a corporation, partnership or other entity of which shares of stock or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power (other than 

 

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stock or such other ownership interest having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership or other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person; provided however, the term “Subsidiary” shall not include any Person that constitutes an investment made by the Borrower or a Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business and consistently with the Investment Policies in a Person that is accounted for under GAAP as a portfolio investment of the Borrower.  Unless otherwise qualified, all references to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” in this Agreement shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.  Notwithstanding the foregoing definition, for purposes of Section 4.33, Article V (other than Section 5.01) and Article VI only, each SPV Subsidiary shall not be considered a Subsidiary of any Loan Party and therefore shall not be subject to the requirements or restrictions of Section 4.33 or Article V or the basis for any Default or Event of Default in Article VI.

 

“Swap Obligation” shall mean, with respect to any Guarantor, any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

“Swing Advance” means an Advance made by the Swingline Lender pursuant to Section 2.01, which must be a Base Rate Advance or an Index Euro-Dollar Advance.

 

“Swing Advance Note” means the promissory note of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-2, evidencing the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Swing Advances, together with all amendments, consolidations, modifications, renewals, and supplements thereto.

 

“Swing Borrowing” means a borrowing hereunder consisting of Swing Advances made to the Borrower by the Swingline Lender pursuant to Article II.  A Swing Borrowing is a “Base Rate Borrowing” if such Swing Advances are Base Rate Advances.  A Swing Borrowing is an “Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing” if such Swing Advances are Index Euro-Dollar Advances.

 

“Swingline Lender” means BB&T, in its capacity as lender of Swing Advances hereunder.

 

“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

 

“Termination Date” means the earlier to occur of (i) September 27, 2018 (or such later date to which such date shall have been extended pursuant to Section 2.15), (ii) the date the Revolver Commitments are terminated pursuant to Section 6.01 following the occurrence of an Event of Default, or (iii) the date the Borrower terminates the Revolver Commitments entirely pursuant to Section 2.08.

 

“Third Parties” means all lessees, sublessees, licensees and other users of the Properties, excluding those users of the Properties in the ordinary course of the Borrower’s business and on a temporary basis.

 

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“Title Policy” means with respect to each Mortgaged Property, the mortgagee title insurance policy (together with such endorsements as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require) issued to the Administrative Agent in respect of such Mortgaged Property by an insurer selected by the Administrative Agent, insuring (in an amount satisfactory to the Administrative Agent) the Lien of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties on such Mortgaged Property to be duly perfected and first priority, subject only to such exceptions as shall be acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

 

“Total Unused Revolver Commitments” means at any date, an amount equal to: (A) the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders at such time, less (B) the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Advances of all of the Lenders at such time.

 

“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the specified jurisdiction.

 

“Unquoted Investment” means a Portfolio Investment for which market quotations from an Approved Pricing Service, or, in the case of Eligible Senior Bank Loan Investments, an Approved Pricing Service or Approved Dealer, are not readily available.  Only Cash, Cash Equivalents, Eligible Core Portfolio Investments and Eligible Unquoted Senior Bank Loan Investments may be Unquoted Investments.

 

“Unrestricted Cash and Cash Equivalents” means, as of any date of determination, the Cash and Cash Equivalents of Borrower to the extent that such Cash and Cash Equivalents (a) are free and clear of all Liens (other than Liens permitted under Sections 5.14(j) and 5.14(l)), any legal or equitable claim or other interest held by any other Person, and any option or right held by any other Person to acquire any such claim or other interest, (b) are not subject to any restriction pursuant to any provision of any outstanding Capital Securities issued by any Person or of any Material Contract to which it is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound (other than the Loan Documents) and (c) are the subject of a control agreement that creates a valid and perfected first-priority security interest in and lien in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

 

“Unused Commitment” means at any date, with respect to any Lender, an amount equal to its Revolver Commitment less the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the sum of its Revolver Advances.

 

“Value” means, as of any date of determination, the value assigned by the Borrower to each of its Portfolio Investments as provided below:

 

(a)                                 Quoted Investments.  With respect to Quoted Investments, the Borrower shall, not less frequently than once per week, or upon request of the Administrative Agent, determine the market value of such Portfolio Investments in accordance with the following methodologies, as applicable:

 

(i)                                            in the case of any Portfolio Investment traded on an exchange, the closing price for such Portfolio Investment most recently posted on such exchange;

 

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(ii)                                         in the case of any Portfolio Investment not traded on an exchange, the fair market value thereof as determined by an Approved Pricing Service or other quotation acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion; and

 

(iii)                                      in the case of any Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investment not traded on an exchange or priced by an Approved Pricing Service, the average ask and bid prices as determined by two Approved Dealers selected by the Borrower; provided, however, that to the extent a single agent or counterparty makes the market in the Eligible Quoted Senior Bank Loan Investment, the average ask and bid prices as determined by the single Approved Dealer shall be used.

 

(b)                                 Unquoted Investments.   With respect to Unquoted Investments, the fair value of such Investment shall be determined, not less frequently than once per Fiscal Quarter, in accordance with, the Investment Company Act and any orders of the SEC by the Board of Directors of the Borrower in its good faith judgment and consistent with past practices as described in the Borrower’s 2012 annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC as such practices may be amended from time to time in accordance with the last sentence in this definition of “Value”, including consideration of valuation procedures of a third-party valuation firm selected by the Borrower and reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, and as approved by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable credit judgment.  The valuation practices described in the Borrower’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC may be amended from time to time provided that the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent, prior to the effective date of any such amendment or modification, prompt notice of any changes in such practices and shall not agree or otherwise permit to occur any modification of such practices in any manner that would or would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the interests or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Secured Parties under this Agreement or any Loan Document or impair the collectability of any Investment without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (in its sole discretion).

 

“Value Triggering Event” means with respect to a Debt Security or a Senior Bank Loan Investment, such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment has a Value of less than 65% of par value and any one of more of the following events shall have occurred:

 

(a)                                 the Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio for any Relevant Test Period of the related Obligor with respect to such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment is (i) greater than 3.50 and (ii) greater than 0.50 higher than the original Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio on the date that the investment in the Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment was made by Borrower (such original Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio determined based upon pro forma data in the offering materials to the extent such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment was made by the Borrower prior to four full fiscal quarters elapsing since the date on which the Obligor incurred the relevant Debt); or

 

(b)                                 the Obligor Interest Coverage Ratio for any Relevant Test Period of the related Obligor with respect to such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment is (i) less than 1.50 to 1.00 and (ii) less than 85% of the original Obligor Interest Coverage 

 

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Ratio on the date that the investment in the Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment was made by Borrower (such original Obligor Interest Coverage Ratio determined based upon pro forma data in the offering materials to the extent such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment was made by the Borrower prior to four full fiscal quarters elapsing since the date on which the Obligor incurred the relevant Debt); or

 

(c)                                  an Obligor payment default under such Debt Security or Senior Bank Loan Investment (after giving effect to any grace and/or cure period set forth in the applicable loan agreement, but not to exceed five days) (including in respect of the acceleration of the debt under the applicable underlying Investment Document); or

 

(d)                                 a default as to all or any portion of one or more payments of principal or interest has occurred in relation to any other senior or pari passu obligation for borrowed money of the related Obligor (after giving effect to any grace and/or cure period set forth in the applicable underlying Investment Document, but not to exceed five days); or

 

(e)                                  the failure of an Obligor to deliver (i) with respect to quarterly reports, any financial statements (including unaudited financial statements) to the Borrower sufficient to calculate any applicable Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio of the related Obligor by the later of (A) the date that is ninety (90) days after the end of the first, second or third quarter of any fiscal year of the related Obligor or (B) the date five (5) days after the delivery date for such information as allowed by the underlying Investment Documents, including any grace periods thereunder, and (ii) with respect to annual reports, any audited financial statements to the Administrative Agent sufficient to calculate any applicable Obligor Net Senior Leverage Ratio of the related Obligor by the later of (A) the date that is one hundred and fifty (150) days after the end of any fiscal year of the related Obligor or (B) the date that is five (5) days after the delivery date for such information as allowed by the underlying Investment Documents, including any grace periods thereunder, unless, in any case, as otherwise agreed to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion; or

 

(f)                                   any amendment or waiver of, or modification or supplement to, the underlying Investment Documents governing a Loan executed on or effected on or after the date on which the Borrower acquired such Loan is entered into that amends, waives, forbears, supplements or otherwise modifies in any way the definition of “Net Senior Leverage Ratio” or “Interest Coverage Ratio” (or any respective comparable definition in the applicable underlying Investment Documents) or the definition of any component thereof in a manner that, in the reasonable discretion of the Administrative Agent, is materially adverse to the Administrative Agent or any Lender.

 

“Voting Stock” means securities (as such term is defined in Section 2(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of any class or classes, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to cast votes in any election of any corporate directors (or Persons performing similar functions).

 

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“Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary all of the Capital Securities of which are at the time directly or indirectly owned by the Borrower.

 

SECTION 1.02.                                                                     Accounting Terms and Determinations.  Unless otherwise specified herein, all terms of an accounting character used herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made, and all financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP, applied on a basis consistent (except for changes concurred in by the Borrower’s independent public accountants or otherwise required by a change in GAAP) with the most recent audited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries delivered to the Administrative Agent for distribution to the Lenders, unless with respect to any such change concurred in by the Borrower’s independent public accountants or required or permitted by GAAP, in determining compliance with any of the provisions of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents:  (i) the Borrower shall have objected to determining such compliance on such basis at the time of delivery of such financial statements, or (ii) the Required Lenders shall so object in writing within 30 days after the delivery of such financial statements, in either of which events such calculations shall be made on a basis consistent with those used in the preparation of the latest financial statements as to which such objection shall not have been made (which, if objection is made in respect of the first financial statements delivered under Section 5.01 hereof, shall mean the financial statements referred to in Section 4.04).

 

SECTION 1.03.                                                                     Use of Defined Terms.  All terms defined in this Agreement shall have the same meanings when used in any of the other Loan Documents, unless otherwise defined therein or unless the context shall otherwise require.

 

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, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement, (e) any reference to any law or regulation herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time together with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or related thereto; (f) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights; and (g) titles of Articles and Sections in this Agreement are for convenience only, and neither limit nor amplify the provisions of this Agreement.

 

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SECTION 1.05.                                                                     Amendment and Restatement of Existing Credit Agreement.  The parties to this Agreement agree that, on the Closing Date, the terms and provisions of the Existing Credit Agreement shall be and hereby are amended, superseded and restated in their entirety by the terms and provisions of this Agreement.  This Agreement is not intended to and shall not constitute a novation, payment and reborrowing or termination of the Obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement and the other Existing Loan Documents as in effect prior to the Closing Date.  All Advances made and Obligations incurred under the Existing Credit Agreement that are outstanding on the Closing Date shall continue as Advances and Obligations under (and shall be governed by the terms of) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.  Without limiting the foregoing, on the Closing Date: (a) all references in the Existing Loan Documents to the “Credit Agreement” and the “Loan Documents” shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement and the Loan Documents, (b) all obligations constituting “Obligations” with any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender that are outstanding on the Closing Date shall continue as Obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (c) the liens and security interests in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties securing payment of the Obligations are in all respects continuing and in full force and effect with respect to all Obligations, and (d) the Administrative Agent shall make such reallocations, sales, assignments or other relevant actions in respect of each Lender’s credit exposure under the Existing Credit Agreement as are necessary in order that each such Lender’s Credit Exposure and outstanding Advances hereunder reflects such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the outstanding aggregate Credit Exposures on the Closing Date.

 

ARTICLE II
 THE CREDIT

 

SECTION 2.01.                                                                     Commitments to Make Advances.  Each Lender severally agrees, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, to make Revolver Advances to the Borrower from time to time before the Termination Date; provided that, immediately after each such Revolver Advance is made, the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Revolver Advances by such Lender shall not exceed the amount of the Revolver Commitment of such Lender at such time, provided further that the aggregate principal amount of all Revolver Advances shall not exceed the: lesser of: (1) the Borrowing Base; and (2) the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders at such time.  Each Revolver Advance shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000 or any larger multiple of $100,000 (except that any such Revolver Advance may be in the aggregate amount of the Total Unused Revolver Commitments) and shall be made from the several Lenders ratably in proportion to their respective Revolver Commitments.  Within the foregoing limits, the Borrower may borrow under this Section, repay or, to the extent permitted by Section 2.10, prepay Revolver Advances and reborrow under this Section 2.01 at any time before the Termination Date.

 

In addition to the foregoing, the Swingline Lender shall from time to time, upon the request of the Borrower by delivery of a Notice of Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, if the conditions precedent in Article III have been satisfied, make Swing Advances to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not exceeding $30,000,000; provided that, immediately after such Swing Advance is made, the aggregate principal amount of all Revolver Advances and Swing Advances shall not exceed the lesser of:  (1) the Borrowing Base; and (2) the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders at such time. Each 

 

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Swing Advance under this Section 2.01 shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000 or any larger multiple of $100,000.  Within the foregoing limits, the Borrower may borrow Swing Advances under this Section 2.01, prepay and reborrow Swing Advances under this Section 2.01 at any time before the Termination Date.  Solely for purposes of calculating fees under Section 2.07, Swing Advances shall not be considered a utilization of an Advance of the Swingline Lender or any other Lender hereunder.  At any time, upon the request of the Swingline Lender, each Lender other than the Swingline Lender shall, on the third Business Day after such request is made, purchase a participating interest in Swing Advances in an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of such Swing Advances.  On such third Business Day, each Lender will immediately transfer to the Swingline Lender, in immediately available funds, the amount of its participation.  Whenever, at any time after the Swingline Lender has received from any such Lender its participating interest in a Swing Advance, the Administrative Agent receives any payment on account thereof, the Administrative Agent will distribute to such Lender its participating interest in such amount (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s participating interest was outstanding and funded); provided, however, that in the event that such payment received by the Administrative Agent is required to be returned, such Lender will return to the Administrative Agent any portion thereof previously distributed by the Administrative Agent to it.  Each Lender’s obligation to purchase such participating interests shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including:  (i) any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender or any other Person may have against the Swingline Lender requesting such purchase or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (ii) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, Event of Default or the termination of the Revolver Commitments; (iii) any adverse change in the condition (financial, business or otherwise) of the Borrower, any Loan Party or any other Person; (iv) any breach of this Agreement by any Loan Party or any other Lender; or (v) any other circumstance, happening or event whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing.

 

SECTION 2.02.                                                                     Method of Borrowing Advances.

 

(a)                                 For Revolver Advances, the Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent notice in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (a “Notice of Borrowing”) prior to (i) 12:00 P.M. (Eastern time) at least one Domestic Business Day before each Base Rate Borrowing, and each Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing, and (ii) 11:00 A.M. (Eastern time) at least three (3) Euro-Dollar Business Days before each Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing, specifying:

 

(i)                                     the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Domestic Business Day in the case of a Base Rate Borrowing or Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing and a Euro-Dollar Business Day in the case of a Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing,

 

(ii)                                  the aggregate amount of such Borrowing,

 

(iii)                               whether the Revolver Advances comprising such Borrowing are to be Base Rate Advances, Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances or Index Euro-Dollar Advances and

 

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(iv)                              in the case of a Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing, the duration of the Interest Period applicable thereto, subject to the provisions of the definition of Interest Period.

 

(b)                                 Upon receipt of a Notice of Borrowing requesting Revolver Advances, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the contents thereof and of such Lender’s ratable share of such Borrowing and such Notice of Borrowing, once received by the Administrative Agent, shall not be revocable by the Borrower.

 

(c)                                  Not later than 11:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the date of each Borrowing, each Lender shall make available its ratable share of such Borrowing, in Federal or other funds immediately available in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to the Administrative Agent at its address referred to in or specified pursuant to Section 9.01.  Unless the Administrative Agent determines that any applicable condition specified in Article III has not been satisfied, the Administrative Agent will disburse the funds so received from the Lenders to the Borrower.

 

(d)                                 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, no Euro-Dollar Borrowing may be made if there shall have occurred a Default, which Default shall not have been cured or waived.

 

(e)                                  In the event that a Notice of Borrowing fails to specify whether the Revolver Advances comprising such Borrowing are to be Base Rate Advances, Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances or Index Euro-Dollar Advances, such Revolver Advances shall be made as Base Rate Advances.  If the Borrower is otherwise entitled under this Agreement to repay any Revolver Advances maturing at the end of an Interest Period applicable thereto with the proceeds of a new Borrowing, and the Borrower fails to repay such Revolver Advances using its own moneys and fails to give a Notice of Borrowing in connection with such new Borrowing, a new Borrowing shall be deemed to be made on the date such Revolver Advances mature in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Revolver Advances so maturing, and the Revolver Advances comprising such new Borrowing shall be Base Rate Advances.

 

(f)                                   Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, there shall not be more than five (5) Interest Periods outstanding at any given time; provided that for purposes of this Section 2.02(f), neither Base Rate Advances nor Index Euro-Dollar Advances shall be deemed to have an outstanding Interest Period.

 

(g)                                  For Swing Advances, the Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent notice in the form of a Notice of Borrowing prior to 1:00 P.M. (Eastern time) on the Domestic Business Day of the Swing Advance, specifying (i) the aggregate amount of such Advance, (ii) that it shall be a Swing Advance and (iii) whether the Swing Advance is to be a Base Rate Advance or an Index Euro-Dollar Advance.  Unless the Administrative Agent determines that any applicable condition specified in Article III has not been satisfied, the Swingline Lender will make available to the Borrower the amount of any such Swing Advance.

 

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SECTION 2.03.                                                                    Continuation and Conversion Elections.  By delivering a notice (a “Notice of Continuation or Conversion”), which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C, to the Administrative Agent on or before 12:00 P.M., Eastern time, on a Domestic Business Day (or Euro-Dollar Business Day, in the case of Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances outstanding), the Borrower may from time to time irrevocably elect, by notice one Domestic Business Day prior in the case of a continuation of or conversion to Base Rate Advances or Index Euro-Dollar Advances or three (3) Euro-Dollar Business Days prior in the case of a continuation of or conversion to Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances, that all, or any portion in an aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000 or any larger integral multiple of $100,000 be, (i) in the case of Base Rate Advances, converted into Euro-Dollar Advances or (ii) in the case of Euro-Dollar Advances, converted into Base Rate Advances or continued as Euro-Dollar Advances; provided, however, that (x) each such conversion or continuation shall be prorated among the applicable outstanding Revolver Advances of all Lenders that have made such Revolver Advances, and (y) no portion of the outstanding principal amount of any Revolver Advances may be continued as, or be converted into, any Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance when any Default has occurred and is continuing.  In the absence of delivery of a Notice of Continuation or Conversion with respect to any Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance at least three (3) Euro-Dollar Business Days before the last day of the then current Interest Period with respect thereto, such Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance shall, on such last day, automatically convert to a Base Rate Advance.

 

SECTION 2.04.                                                                    Notes.  The Revolver Advances of each Lender shall, upon the request of such Lender made through the Administrative Agent, be evidenced by a single Revolver Note payable to the order of such Lender for the account of its Lending Office in an amount equal to the original principal amount of such Lender’s Revolver Commitment.  The Swing Advances of the Swingline Lender shall be evidenced by a single Swing Advance Note payable to the order of the Swingline Lender in an amount equal to the original principal amount of $30,000,000.  Upon receipt of any Lender’s Note pursuant to Section 3.01, the Administrative Agent shall deliver such Note to such Lender.  Each Lender requesting a Note shall record, and prior to any transfer of its Note shall endorse on the schedule forming a part thereof appropriate notations to evidence, the date, amount and maturity of, and effective interest rate for, each Advance made by it, the date and amount of each payment of principal made by the Borrower with respect thereto and such schedule shall constitute rebuttable presumptive evidence of the principal amount owing and unpaid on such Lender’s Note; provided that the failure of any Lender to make, or any error in making, any such recordation or endorsement shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under the Note or the ability of any Lender to assign its Notes.  Each Lender is hereby irrevocably authorized by the Borrower so to endorse its Notes and to attach to and make a part of any Note a continuation of any such schedule as and when required.

 

SECTION 2.05.                                                                    Maturity of Advances.  Each Advance included in any Borrowing or Swing Borrowing shall mature, and the principal amount thereof, together with all accrued unpaid interest thereon, shall be due and payable on the Termination Date.

 

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SECTION 2.06.                                                                    Interest Rates.

 

(a)                                 “Applicable Margin” means (a) with respect to any Base Rate Advance, 1.25% and (b) with respect to any Euro-Dollar Advance, 2.25%.

 

(b)                                 Each Base Rate Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof, for each day from the date such Advance is made until it becomes due, at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate for such day plus the Applicable Margin.  Such interest shall be payable on each Interest Payment Date while such Base Rate Advance is outstanding and on the date such Base Rate Advance is converted to a Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance or repaid.  Any overdue principal of and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, overdue interest on any Base Rate Advance shall bear interest, payable on demand, for each day until paid in full at a rate per annum equal to the Default Rate.

 

(c)                                  Each Euro-Dollar Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof, for the Interest Period applicable thereto, at a rate per annum equal to the sum of: (1) the Applicable Margin, plus (2) the applicable Adjusted London InterBank Offered Rate for such Interest Period.  Such interest shall be payable on each applicable Interest Payment Date.  Any overdue principal of and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, overdue interest on any Euro-Dollar Advance shall bear interest, payable on demand, for each day until paid in full at a rate per annum equal to the Default Rate.

 

The “London InterBank Offered Rate” applicable to any Euro-Dollar Advance means for the Interest Period of such Euro-Dollar Advance the rate per annum determined on the basis of the rate for deposits in Dollars of amounts equal or comparable to the principal amount of such Euro-Dollar Advance offered for a term comparable to such Interest Period, which rate appears on the display designated as Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or such other successor page as may replace Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page or such other service or services as may be nominated by the British Banker’s Association for the purpose of displaying London InterBank Offered Rates for U.S. dollar deposits) determined as of 11:00 a.m. London, England time, two (2) Euro-Dollar Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, provided that if no such offered rates appear on such page, the “London InterBank Offered Rate” for such Interest Period will be the arithmetic average (rounded upward, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100th of 1%) of rates quoted by not less than two (2) major lenders in New York City, selected by the Administrative Agent, at approximately 10:00 A.M., New York City time, two (2) Euro-Dollar Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, for deposits in Dollars offered by leading European banks for a period comparable to such Interest Period in an amount comparable to the principal amount of such Euro-Dollar Advance.

 

“Euro-Dollar Reserve Percentage” means for any day that percentage (expressed as a decimal) which is in effect on such day, as prescribed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) for determining the maximum reserve requirement for a member bank of the Federal Reserve System in respect of “Eurocurrency liabilities” (or in respect of any other category of liabilities which includes deposits by reference to which the interest rate on such Euro-Dollar Advance is determined or any category of extensions of credit or other assets which includes loans by a non-United States office of any Lender to United States residents).  The Adjusted 

 

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London InterBank Offered Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in the Euro-Dollar Reserve Percentage.

 

(d)                                 The Administrative Agent shall determine each interest rate applicable to the Advances hereunder in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.  The Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice to the Borrower and the Lenders by facsimile of each rate of interest so determined, and its determination thereof shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.

 

(e)                                  After the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default under Sections 6.01(g) or (h)), the principal amount of the Advances (and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, all accrued interest thereon) may, at the election of the Required Lenders, bear interest at the Default Rate; provided, however, that automatically whether or not the Required Lenders elect to do so, (i) any overdue principal of and, to the extent permitted by law, overdue interest on the Advances shall bear interest payable on demand, for each day until paid at a rate per annum equal to the Default Rate, and (ii) after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default described in Section 6.01(g) or 6.01(h), the principal amount of the Advances (and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, all accrued interest thereon) shall bear interest payable on demand for each day until paid at a rate per annum equal to the Default Rate.

 

SECTION 2.07.                                                                    Fees.

 

(a)                                 The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of each Lender an unused commitment fee equal to the product of:  (i) the aggregate of the daily average amounts of such Lender’s Unused Commitment, times (ii) a per annum percentage equal to 0.25%.  Such unused commitment fee shall accrue from but not including the Closing Date to and including the Termination Date.  Unused commitment fees shall be determined quarterly in arrears and shall be payable on each Quarterly Payment Date and on the Termination Date; provided that should the Revolver Commitments be terminated at any time prior to the Termination Date for any reason, the entire accrued and unpaid commitment fee shall be paid on the date of such termination.

 

(b)                                 The Borrower shall pay (i) to the Administrative Agent, for the account and sole benefit of the Administrative Agent, such fees and other amounts at such times as agreed with the Administrative Agent and (ii) to the Lenders such fees and other amounts at such times as agreed with the Lenders.

 

SECTION 2.08.                                                                    Optional Termination or Reduction of Commitments.  The Borrower may, subject to any applicable prepayments pursuant to Section 2.11, upon at least 3 Domestic Business Day’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate at any time, or proportionately reduce from time to time by an aggregate amount of at least $10,000,000 or any larger multiple of $1,000,000, the Revolver Commitments; provided, however:  (1) each termination or reduction, as the case may be, shall be permanent and irrevocable; (2) no such termination or reduction shall be in an amount greater than the Total Unused Revolver Commitments on the date of such termination or reduction; and (3) no such 

 

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reduction pursuant to this Section 2.08 shall result in the aggregate Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders being reduced to an amount less than $30,000,000, unless the Revolver Commitments are terminated in their entirety, in which case all accrued fees (as provided under Section 2.07) shall be payable on the effective date of such termination.  Each reduction shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Revolver Commitments.

 

SECTION 2.09.                                                                    Termination of Commitments.  The Revolver Commitments shall terminate on the Termination Date.

 

SECTION 2.10.                                                                    Optional Prepayments.

 

(a)                                 The Borrower may prepay any Base Rate Borrowing or Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing, in whole at any time, or from time to time in part in amounts aggregating at least $1,000,000 or any larger integral multiple of $100,000 (or any lesser amount equal to the outstanding balance of such Advance), by paying the principal amount to be prepaid together with accrued interest thereon to the date of prepayment, (i) upon at least one (1) Domestic Business Day’s notice to the Administrative Agent any Borrowing that is a Base Rate Borrowing or Index Euro-Dollar Borrowing or (ii) without any notice, any Swing Borrowing.  Each such optional prepayment shall be applied (i) first to any Swing Advances outstanding, and (ii) then applied to prepay ratably to the Revolver Advances of the several Lenders outstanding on the date of payment or prepayment in the following order or priority:  (a) first, to Base Rate Advances, (b) second, to Index Euro-Dollar Advances; (c) lastly, to Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances.

 

(b)                                 Subject to any payments required pursuant to the terms of Article VIII for such Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing, the Borrower may, upon at least three (3) Domestic Business Day’s prior written notice, prepay in minimum amounts of $1,000,000 with additional increments of $100,000 (or any lesser amount equal to the outstanding balance of such Advances) all or any portion of the principal amount of any Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing prior to the maturity thereof, by paying the principal amount to be prepaid together with accrued interest thereon to the date of prepayment and such payments required pursuant to the terms of Article VIII.  Each such optional prepayment shall be applied to prepay ratably the Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances of the several Lenders included in such Tranche Euro-Dollar Borrowing.

 

(c)                                  Upon receipt of a notice of prepayment pursuant to this Section 2.10, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the contents thereof and of such Lender’s ratable share of such prepayment and such notice, once received by the Administrative Agent, shall not thereafter be revocable by the Borrower.

 

SECTION 2.11.                                                                    Mandatory Prepayments.

 

(a)                                 On each date on which the Revolver Commitments are reduced or terminated pursuant to Section 2.08, Section 2.09 or Section 9.04(c), the Borrower shall repay or prepay such principal amount of the outstanding Revolver Advances, if any (together with interest accrued thereon and any amount due under Section 8.05), as may 

 

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be necessary so that after such payment the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Revolver Advances does not exceed the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments as then reduced.  Each such payment or prepayment shall be applied (i) first to any Swing Advances outstanding, and (ii) then applied to prepay ratably to the Revolver Advances of the several Lenders outstanding on the date of payment or prepayment in the following order or priority:  (a) first, to Base Rate Advances, (b) second, to Index Euro-Dollar Advances; (c) lastly, to Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances.

 

(b)                                 In the event that the aggregate principal amount of all Advances at any one time outstanding shall at any time exceed the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders at such time, the Borrower shall immediately repay so much of the Advances as is necessary in order that the aggregate principal amount of the Advances thereafter outstanding, shall not exceed the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders at such time.  Each such payment or prepayment shall be applied (i) first to any Swing Advances outstanding, and (ii) then applied to prepay ratably to the Revolver Advances of the several Lenders outstanding on the date of payment or prepayment in the following order or priority:  (a) first, to Base Rate Advances, (b) second, to Index Euro-Dollar Advances; (c) lastly, to Tranche Euro-Dollar Advances.

 

(c)                                  In the event that the aggregate principal amount of all Advances at any one time outstanding shall at any time exceed the Borrowing Base, the Borrower shall immediately repay so much of the Advances as is necessary in order that the aggregate principal amount of the Advances thereafter outstanding shall not exceed the Borrowing Base.

 

(d)                                 If at any time the Borrower is not in compliance with the Minimum Availability Requirement, the Borrower shall immediately repay so much of the Revolver Advances as is necessary in order that, after giving effect to such repayment, the Minimum Availability Requirement is satisfied.  Each such payment or prepayment shall be applied ratably to the Revolver Advances of the several Lenders outstanding on the date of payment or prepayment in the following order or priority:  (i) first, to Base Rate Advances, and (ii) lastly to Euro-Dollar Advances.

 

(e)                                  If at any time (i) the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties does not own or have a valid and perfected first priority security interest in any Eligible Investment or (ii) any representation or warranty with respect to any Eligible Investment included in the Borrowing Base is not true and correct, then upon the earlier of the Borrower’s receipt of notice from the Administrative Agent or the Borrower becoming aware thereof, the Borrower shall either (x) repay the Advances outstanding (together with any amounts owing under Article VIII relating to such repayment) to the extent required by Section 2.11(c) after giving effect to the exclusion of such ineligible Portfolio Investment from the Borrowing Base, or (y) substitute an Eligible Investment for such ineligible Portfolio Investment; provided that no such substitution shall be permitted unless (1) such substitute Portfolio Investment is an Eligible Investment on the date of substitution, (2) after giving effect to the inclusion of the substitute Eligible Investment, no repayment of any Advances outstanding shall be required under Section

 

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2.11(c) (after giving effect to the exclusion of such ineligible Portfolio Investment from the Borrowing Base), (3) all representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in Article IV shall be true and correct as of the date of substitution, (4) all actions or additional actions (if any) necessary to perfect the security interest of the Administrative Agent in such substitute Portfolio Investment and related Collateral shall have been taken as of or prior to the date of substitution and (4) the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent on the date of such substitution (A) a certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying that each of the foregoing is true and correct as of such date and (B) a Borrowing Base Certification Report (including a calculation of Borrowing Base after giving effect to such substitution).

 

(f)                                   [Intentionally Omitted].

 

(g)                                  Any repayment or prepayment made pursuant to this Section shall not affect the Borrowers’ obligation to continue to make payments under any Hedging Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such repayment or prepayment, subject to the terms of such Hedging Agreement.

 

(h)                                 Any repayment or prepayment made pursuant to this Section shall be in cash without any prepayment premium or penalty (but including all breakage or similar costs) on the customary terms of the Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 2.12.                                                                    General Provisions as to Payments.

 

(a)                                 The Borrower shall make each payment of principal of, and interest on, the Advances and of fees hereunder without any set off, counterclaim or any deduction whatsoever, not later than 12:00 P.M. (Eastern time) on the date when due, in Federal or other funds immediately available in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to the Administrative Agent at its address referred to in Section 9.01.  The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its ratable share of each such payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders.

 

(b)                                 Whenever any payment of principal of, or interest on, the Base Rate Advances or of fees shall be due on a day which is not a Domestic Business Day, the date for payment thereof shall be extended to the next succeeding Domestic Business Day.  Whenever any payment of principal of or interest on, the Euro-Dollar Advances shall be due on a day which is not a Euro-Dollar Business Day, the date for payment thereof shall be extended to the next succeeding Euro-Dollar Business Day unless such Euro-Dollar Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case the date for payment thereof shall be the next preceding Euro-Dollar Business Day.  If the date for any payment of principal is extended by operation of law or otherwise, interest thereon shall be payable for such extended time.

 

(c)                                  Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent.  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such 

 

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Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount.  In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation and (ii) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Advances.  If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period.  If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Advance included in such Borrowing.  Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)                                 Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent.  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders the amount due.  In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender, with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation

 

(e)                                  Taxes.

 

(i)                                     Payments Free of Taxes.  Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Taxes, provided that if the Borrower shall be required by applicable law to deduct any Indemnified Taxes from such payments, then (A) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent or Lender, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (B) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (C) the Borrower shall timely pay the 

 

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full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

(ii)                                  Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower.  The Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

(iii)                               (A)                               Indemnification by the Borrower.  The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender, within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) paid by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority; provided, that the Borrower shall not be obligated to make a payment pursuant to this Section in respect of penalties, interest and additions to Tax attributable to any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (and, for the avoidance of doubt, reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto), if (i) such penalties, interest or additions to Tax are attributable to the failure of the Administrative Agent or any Lender to pay to the relevant Governmental Authority amounts received by it from the Borrower in respect of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of such amount from the Borrower or (ii) such penalties, interest or additions to Tax are attributable to the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(B)                               Indemnification by the Lenders.  Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 9.07(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each 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 as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise 

 

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payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this paragraph (B).

 

(iv)                              Evidence of Payments.  As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

(v)                                 Status of Lenders.  Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding.  In addition, any Lender, if 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 Sections 2.12(e)(v)(1), (e)(v)(2)(A)-(D) and (e)(vi)) 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.

 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States of America, (1) 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 and (2) any Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(A)                               in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an

 

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income tax treaty to which the United States of America is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;

 

(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, (x) a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (1) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (2) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (3) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN;

 

(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, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-2 or Exhibit J-3, IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner; or

 

(E)                                any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States federal withholding Tax duly completed together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made, or

 

(vi)                              If a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to United States federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower 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

 

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1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment.  Solely for purposes of this clause (F), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the Closing Date.

 

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.

 

(vii)                           Treatment of Certain Refunds.  If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority.  This paragraph shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (vii), in no event will the Administrative Agent or any Lender be required to pay any amount to the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph (vii) the payment of which would place the Administrative Agent or such Lender in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the Administrative Agent or such Lender would have been in if the indemnification payments or additional amounts giving rise to such refund had never been paid.

 

(vii)                           Survival.  Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.12(e) shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Revolver Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.

 

SECTION 2.13.                                                                    Computation of Interest and Fees.  Interest on the Advances shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and paid for the actual number 

 

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of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).  Utilization fees, unused commitment fees and any other fees payable hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and paid for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

 

SECTION 2.14.                                                                    Increase in Commitments.

 

(a)                                 The Borrower shall have the right, at any time prior to the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the Termination Date by written notice to and in consultation with the Administrative Agent, to request an increase in the aggregate Revolver Commitments (each such requested increase, a “Commitment Increase”), by having one or more existing Lenders increase their respective Revolver Commitments then in effect (each, an “Increasing Lender”), by adding as a Lender with a new Revolver Commitment hereunder one or more Persons that are not already Lenders (each, an “Additional Lender”), or a combination thereof, provided that (i) any such request for a Commitment Increase shall be in a minimum amount of $10,000,000, (ii) immediately after giving effect to any Commitment Increase, (y) the aggregate Revolver Commitments shall not exceed $500,000,000 and (z) the aggregate of all Commitment Increases effected shall not exceed $55,000,000 (plus any additional Commitment Increases available under clause (v)(A) of the proviso to the first sentence of Section 9.04(c) due to the removal of a Lender and a reduction in Revolver Commitments pursuant to Section 9.04(c)), (iii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the applicable Commitment Increase Date or shall result from any Commitment Increase, (iv) immediately after giving effect to any Commitment Increase (including any Borrowings in connection therewith and the application of the proceeds thereof), the Borrower shall be in compliance with the covenants contained in Article V and (v) no consent of any Lender to such Commitment Increase shall be required and no Lender shall be obligated to participate as a Lender in such Commitment Increase.  Such notice from the Borrower shall specify the requested amount of the Commitment Increase.  No Lender shall have any obligation to become an Increasing Lender and any decision by a Lender to increase its Commitment shall be made in its sole discretion independently from any other Lender.  Other than fees payable under any letter agreement with the Administrative Agent or under any other letter agreement with a Lender acting as an arranger approved by the Administrative Agent, which shall be paid in accordance with their terms, any fees paid by the Borrower for a Commitment Increase to an Increasing Lender, an Additional Lender, the Administrative Agent or any Lender, as arranger, shall be for their own account and shall be in an amount, if any, mutually agreed upon by each such party and the Borrower, in each party’s sole discretion.

 

(b)                                 Each Additional Lender must qualify as an Eligible Assignee (the selection of which shall include the prior approval of the Administrative Agent).  The Borrower and each Additional Lender shall execute a joinder agreement, and the Borrower and each Lender shall execute all such other documentation as the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers may reasonably require, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to evidence the Revolver Commitment adjustments referred to in Section 2.14(e); provided that the failure of any Lender that is not an Additional Lender or an Increasing Lender to execute any such documentation 

 

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shall not impair the ability of the Additional Lenders, the Increasing Lenders and the Borrower to effect a Commitment Increase pursuant to this Section 2.14.

 

(c)                                  If the aggregate Revolver Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section 2.14, the Borrower (in consultation with the Administrative Agent), Increasing Lender(s) (if any) and Additional Lender(s) (if any) shall agree upon the effective date (the “Commitment Increase Date,” which shall be a Domestic Business Day not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Termination Date).  The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Lenders of such increase and the Commitment Increase Date.

 

(d)                                 Notwithstanding anything set forth in this Section 2.14 to the contrary, the Borrower shall not incur any Revolver Advances pursuant to any Commitment Increase (and no Commitment Increase shall be effective) unless the conditions set forth in Section 2.14(a) as well as the following conditions precedent are satisfied on the applicable Commitment Increase Date:

 

(i)                                     The Administrative Agent shall have received the following, each dated the Commitment Increase Date and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:

 

(A)                               a supplement to this Agreement signed by the Administrative Agent and each other Lender committing to the Commitment Increase, all other documentation required by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.14(b) and such other modifications, documents or items as the Administrative Agent, the Additional Lender, Increasing Lender or their counsel may reasonably request;

 

(B)                               an instrument, duly executed by the Borrower and each Guarantor acknowledging and reaffirming its obligations under this Agreement, the Collateral Documents, and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party;

 

(C)                               a certificate of the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Borrower and each Guarantor, certifying to and attaching the resolutions adopted by the board of directors (or similar governing body) of such party approving or consenting to such Commitment Increase;

 

(D)                               a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer or another Responsible Officer of the Borrower, certifying that (x) as of the Commitment Increase Date, all representations and warranties of the Borrower and the Guarantors contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are true and correct (except to the extent any such representation or warranty is expressly stated to have been made as of a specific date, in which case such representation or warranty is true and correct as of such date), (y) immediately after giving effect to such Commitment Increase (including any Borrowings in connection therewith 

 

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and the application of the proceeds thereof), the Borrower is in compliance with the covenants contained in Article V, and (z) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, both immediately before and after giving effect to such Commitment Increase (including any Borrowings in connection therewith and the application of the proceeds thereof); and

 

(E)                                such other documents or items that the Administrative Agent, any Additional Lender, any Increasing Lender or their counsel may reasonably request.

 

(ii)                                  In the case of any Borrowing of Revolver Advances in connection with such Commitment Increase for the purpose of funding an Acquisition, the applicable conditions set forth in this Agreement with respect to Acquisitions shall have been satisfied.

 

(e)                                  On the Commitment Increase Date, (i) the aggregate principal outstanding amount of the Revolver Advances (the “Initial Advances”) immediately prior to giving effect to the Commitment Increase shall be deemed to be repaid, (ii) immediately after the effectiveness of the Commitment Increase, the Borrower shall be deemed to have made new Borrowings of Revolver Advances (the “Subsequent Borrowings”) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Initial Advances and of the types and for the Interest Periods specified in a Notice of Borrowing delivered to the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 2.01, (iii) each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds an amount equal to the difference, if positive, between (y) such Lender’s pro rata percentage (calculated after giving effect to the Commitment Increase) of the Subsequent Borrowings and (z) such Lender’s pro rata percentage (calculated without giving effect to the Commitment Increase) of the Initial Advances, (iv) after the Administrative Agent receives the funds specified in clause (iii) above, the Administrative Agent shall pay to each Lender the portion of such funds equal to the difference, if positive, between (y) such Lender’s pro rata percentage (calculated without giving effect to the Commitment Increase) of the Initial Advances and (z) such Lender’s pro rata percentage (calculated after giving effect to the Commitment Increase) of the amount of the Subsequent Borrowings, (v) the Lenders shall be deemed to hold the Subsequent Borrowings ratably in accordance with their respective Revolver Commitments (calculated after giving effect to the Commitment Increase), (vi) the Borrower shall pay all accrued but unpaid interest on the Initial Advances to the Lenders entitled thereto, and (vii) the signature pages hereto shall be deemed amended to reflect the Revolver Commitments of all Lenders after giving effect to the Commitment Increase.  The deemed payments made pursuant to clause (i) above in respect of each Tranche Euro-Dollar Advance shall be subject to indemnification by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.05 if the Commitment Increase Date occurs other than on the last day of the Interest Period relating thereto.

 

SECTION 2.15.                                                                    Extension Options.  On or prior to each of the first anniversary of the Closing Date (the “First Extension Date”) and the second anniversary of the Closing Date (the “Second Extension Date”), the Borrower may, by notice to the Administrative Agent (who shall promptly notify the Lenders) request that the Administrative 

 

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Agent and the Lenders extend the date set forth in the definition of Termination Date by one year, and the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may, each in their sole and individual discretion, elect to do so, it being understood that (i) no extension shall be effective unless all Lenders unanimously agree to extend and (ii) any Lender who has not responded to such extension request within fifteen (15) Domestic Business Days following the date of the Administrative Agent’s notice of such extension request to the Lenders, shall be deemed to have rejected such request.   In the event that one extension request is exercised and accepted by all Lenders, this Agreement shall be automatically amended as of the First Extension Date to provide that the definition of Termination Date would be extended by one year. In the event that two extension requests are exercised and accepted by all Lenders, upon effectiveness of the second extension, this Agreement shall be automatically amended as of the Second Extension Date to provide that the definition of Termination Date would be extended by a subsequent year.  Any extension pursuant to this Section 2.15 shall be effective as of the date of the amendment to this Agreement effecting such extension and each such amendment shall be conditioned upon: (x) no Default or Event of Default and (y) continued accuracy of the representations and warranties, in each case as of the date of such amendment in all material respects.  The first extension request shall expire if not made on or prior to the First Extension Date and shall not take effect prior to the First Extension Date.   The second extension request shall expire if not made on or prior to the Second Extension Date and shall not take effect prior to the Second Extension Date.  There shall be no more than two (2) extension requests, resulting in total extensions no longer than two (2) years, so that the Termination Date is no later than the seventh anniversary date of the Closing Date.

 

ARTICLE III
 CONDITIONS TO BORROWINGS

 

SECTION 3.01.                                                                    Conditions to Closing and First Borrowing.  The obligation of each Lender to make an Advance on the Closing Date is subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 3.02 and the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 receipt by the Administrative Agent from each of the parties hereto of a duly executed counterpart of this Agreement signed by such party;

 

(b)                                 receipt by the Administrative Agent of a duly executed Revolver Note for the account of each Lender that requested a Revolver Note and a duly executed Swing Advance Note for the account of the Swingline Lender, in each case complying with the provisions of Section 2.04;

 

(c)                                  receipt by the Administrative Agent of an opinion of counsel to the Loan Parties, dated as of the Closing Date (or in the case of an opinion delivered pursuant to Section 5.28 hereof such later date as specified by the Administrative Agent) in a form satisfactory to Administrative Agent and covering such matters relating to the transactions contemplated hereby as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request;

 

(d)                                 receipt by the Administrative Agent of a certificate (the “Closing Certificate”), dated the date of the first Borrowing, signed by a chief financial officer or 

 

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other authorized officer of each Loan Party, to the effect that, to his knowledge, (i) no Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of the first Borrowing and (ii) the representations and warranties of the Loan Parties contained in Article IV are true on and as of the date of the first Borrowing hereunder;

 

(e)                                  receipt by the Administrative Agent of all documents which the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request relating to the existence of each Loan Party, the authority for and the validity of this Agreement, the Notes and the other Loan Documents, and any other matters relevant hereto, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, including without limitation a certificate of incumbency of each Loan Party (the “Officer’s Certificate”), signed by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, a member, manager, partner, trustee or other authorized representative of the respective Loan Party, certifying as to the names, true signatures and incumbency of the officer or officers of the respective Loan Party, authorized to execute and deliver the Loan Documents, and certified copies of the following items:  (i) the Loan Party’s Organizational Documents; (ii) the Loan Party’s Operating Documents; (iii) if applicable, a certificate of the Secretary of State of such Loan Party’s state of organization as to the good standing or existence of such Loan Party, and (iv) the Organizational Action, if any, taken by the board of directors of the Loan Party or the members, managers, trustees, partners or other applicable Persons authorizing the Loan Party’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Notes and the other Loan Documents to which the Loan Party is a party;

 

(f)                                   completion of due diligence to the satisfaction of the Administrative Agent with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including but not limited to review of the Investment Policies, risk management procedures, accounting policies, systems integrity, compliance, management and organizational structure and the loan and investment portfolio of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries;

 

(g)                                  the Security Agreement and the other Collateral Documents, each in form and content satisfactory to the Administrative Agent shall have been duly executed by the applicable Loan Parties and such documents shall have been delivered to the Administrative Agent and shall be in full force and effect and each document (including each UCC financing statement) required by law or reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to be filed, registered or recorded in order to create in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, upon filing, recording or possession by the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, a valid, legal and perfected first-priority security interest in and lien on the Collateral described in the Collateral Documents shall have been delivered to the Administrative Agent; Borrower shall also deliver or cause to be delivered the certificates (with undated stock powers executed in blank) for all shares of stock or other equity interests pledged to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of Lenders pursuant to the Pledge Agreement;

 

(h)                                 the Administrative Agent shall have received the results of a search of the UCC filings (or equivalent filings) made with respect to the Loan Parties in the states (or other jurisdictions) in which the Loan Parties are organized and the other jurisdictions in which UCC filings (or equivalent filings) are to be made pursuant to the preceding 

 

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paragraph, together with copies of the financing statements (or similar documents) disclosed by such search, and accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that the Liens other than Permitted Encumbrances indicated in any such financing statement (or similar document) have been released or subordinated to the satisfaction of Administrative Agent;

 

(i)                                     receipt by the Administrative Agent of a Borrowing Base Certification Report, dated as of the date of the initial Notice of Borrowing and satisfactory in all respects to the Administrative Agent;

 

(j)                                    the Borrower shall have paid all fees required to be paid by it on the Closing Date and shall have reimbursed the Administrative Agent for all fees, costs and expenses of closing the transactions contemplated hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, including the reasonable legal, audit and other document preparation costs incurred by the Administrative Agent; and

 

(k)                                 such other documents or items as the Administrative Agent, the Lenders or their counsel may reasonably request.

 

For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 3.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

SECTION 3.02.                                                                    Conditions to All Borrowings.  The obligation of each Lender to make an Advance on the occasion of each Borrowing or Swing Borrowing is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

 

(a)                                 receipt by the Administrative Agent of a Notice of Borrowing as required by Section 2.02, together with a Borrowing Base Certification Report dated as of the date of delivery and satisfactory in all respects to the Administrative Agent;

 

(b)                                 receipt by the Administrative Agent of such documentation as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably require confirming that the Borrower shall be in compliance with the Minimum Availability Requirement;

 

(c)                                  the fact that, immediately before and after such Borrowing or Swing Borrowing, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

 

(d)                                 the fact that the representations and warranties of the Loan Parties contained in Article IV of this Agreement and the other representations and warranties contained in the Loan Documents shall be true, on and as of the date of such Borrowing or Swing Borrowing (except to the extent that any such representations and warranties speak as to a specific date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true as of such date);

 

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(e)                                  the fact that, immediately after such Borrowing or Swing Borrowing:  (A) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Advances of each Lender will not exceed the amount of its Revolver Commitment and (B) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Advances will not exceed the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders as of such date;

 

(f)                                   with respect to each Pre-Positioned Investment that is funded with the proceeds of such Advance, the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Custodian shall have received a faxed or .PDF copy of the executed note, if any, evidencing such Pre-Positioned Investment, and, if requested in writing by the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent shall have received a copy of the credit analysis, underwriting materials and any similar document previously prepared by the Borrower in connection with its investment decision in such Pre-Positioned Investment; and

 

(g)                                  the fact that, immediately after such Borrowing or Swing Borrowing the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Advances will not exceed the lesser of:  (A) the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders as of such date; and (B) the Borrowing Base.

 

Each Borrowing or Swing Borrowing and each Notice of Continuation or Conversion hereunder shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Loan Parties on the date of such Borrowing or Swing Borrowing as to the truth and accuracy of the facts specified in clauses (c), (d) and (e) of this Section.

 

ARTICLE IV
 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

The Borrower and Guarantors represent and warrant that:

 

SECTION 4.01.                                                                    Existence and Power.  The Borrower is a corporation, and each Guarantor is a corporation, limited liability company or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as the case may be, is duly qualified to transact business in every jurisdiction where, by the nature of its business, such qualification is necessary, and has all organizational powers and all governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted.

 

SECTION 4.02.                                                                    Organizational and Governmental Authorization; No Contravention.  The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of this Agreement, the Notes, the Collateral Documents and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party (i) are within such Loan Party’s organizational powers, (ii) have been duly authorized by all necessary Organizational Action, (iii) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority that has not been obtained or made when required, (iv) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or of the Organizational Documents and Operating Documents of such Loan Party or of any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon such Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, and (v) do not result in the creation or imposition of any 

 

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Lien on any asset of such Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties to secure the Obligations).

 

SECTION 4.03.                                                                    Binding Effect.  This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Loan Parties enforceable in accordance with its terms, and the Notes, the Collateral Documents and the other Loan Documents, when executed and delivered in accordance with this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Loan Parties party to such Loan Document enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, provided that the enforceability hereof and thereof is subject in each case to general principles of equity and to bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.

 

SECTION 4.04.                                                                    Financial Information.

 

(a)                                 The audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower as of December 31, 2012 and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the Fiscal Year then ended, reported on by Grant Thornton LLP, copies of which have been delivered to the Administrative Agent for delivery to each of the Lenders, and the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower for the interim period ended June 30, 2013, copies of which have been delivered to each of the Lenders, fairly present, in conformity with GAAP, the consolidated financial position of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and their consolidated results of operations and cash flows for such periods stated.

 

(b)                                 Since December 31, 2012 there has been no event, act, condition or occurrence having a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 4.05.                                                                    Litigation.  There is no action, suit or proceeding pending, or to the knowledge of the Loan Parties threatened, against or affecting the Loan Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries before any court or arbitrator or any Governmental Authority which in any manner draws into question the validity or enforceability of, or could impair the ability of the Loan Parties to perform their respective obligations under, this Agreement, the Notes, the Collateral Documents or any of the other Loan Documents.

 

SECTION 4.06.                                                                    Compliance with ERISA.

 

(a)                                 The Loan Parties and each member of the Controlled Group have fulfilled their obligations under the minimum funding standards of ERISA and the Code with respect to each Plan and are in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code, and have not incurred any liability to the PBGC or a Plan under Title IV of ERISA.

 

(b)                                 Neither the Loan Parties nor any member of the Controlled Group is or ever has been obligated to contribute to any Multiemployer Plan.

 

(c)                                  The assets of the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party do not and will not constitute “plan assets,” within the meaning of ERISA, the Code and the 

 

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respective regulations promulgated thereunder.  The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and the borrowing and repayment of amounts hereunder, do not and will not constitute “prohibited transactions” under ERISA or the Code.

 

SECTION 4.07.                                                                    Payment of Taxes.  There have been filed on behalf of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries all material U.S. federal, state and local income, excise, property and other tax returns which are required to be filed by them and all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by or on behalf of the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary have been paid other than those being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and with respect to which such Person has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP.  The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries in respect of taxes or other governmental charges are, in the opinion of the Loan Parties, adequate.  No Loan Party has been given or been requested to give a waiver of the statute of limitation relating to the payment of Federal, state, local or foreign taxes.

 

SECTION 4.08.                                                                    Subsidiaries.  Each of the Subsidiaries (other than any Foreclosed Subsidiary) of each Loan Party is a corporation, a limited liability company or other legal entity, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, is duly qualified to transact business in every jurisdiction where, by the nature of its business, such qualification is necessary, and has all organizational powers and all governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted.  No Loan Party has any Subsidiaries except those Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 4.08 and as set forth in any Compliance Certificate provided to the Administrative Agent and Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01(c) after the Closing Date, which accurately sets forth each such Subsidiary’s complete name and jurisdiction of organization.

 

SECTION 4.09.                                                                    Investment Company Act, Etc.  Neither the Borrower nor any of its Affiliates is a “holding company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended.  The Borrower qualifies as an RIC and is an “investment company” that has elected to be a “business development company” as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act and is subject to regulation as such under the Investment Company Act including Section 18, as modified by Section 61, of the Investment Company Act.  The business and other activities of the Borrower, including but not limited to, the making of the Advances by the Lenders, the application of the proceeds and repayment thereof by the Borrower and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents to which the Borrower is a party do not result in any violations, with respect to the Borrower, of the provisions of the Investment Company Act or any rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC thereunder.

 

SECTION 4.10.                                                                    All Consents Required.  All approvals, authorizations, consents, orders or other actions of any Person or of any Governmental Authority (if any) required in connection with the due execution, delivery and performance by the Loan Parties of this Agreement and any Loan Document to which any Loan Party is a party, have been obtained.

 

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SECTION 4.11.                                                                    Ownership of Property; Liens.  Each of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries has title or the contractual right to possess its properties sufficient for the conduct of its business and none of such properties is subject to any Lien except as permitted in Section 5.14 and except for Liens on the properties or Capital Securities of any SPV Subsidiary.

 

SECTION 4.12.                                                                    No Default.  No Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries is in default in any material respect under or with respect to any material agreement, instrument or undertaking to which it is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.  No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

SECTION 4.13.                                                                    Full Disclosure.  The Loan Parties have disclosed to the Lenders in writing any and all facts which, alone or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or to materially affect or alter the business of the Loan Parties as presently conducted.

 

SECTION 4.14.                                                                    Environmental Matters.

 

(a)                                 No Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party is subject to any Environmental Liability which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and no Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party has been designated as a potentially responsible party under CERCLA.  None of the Properties has been identified on any current or proposed (i) National Priorities List under 40 C.F.R. § 300, (ii) CERCLIS list or (iii) any list arising from a state statute similar to CERCLA.

 

(b)                                 No Hazardous Materials have been or are being used, produced, manufactured, processed, treated, recycled, generated, stored, disposed of, managed or otherwise handled at, or shipped or transported to or from the Properties or are otherwise present at, on, in or under the Properties, or, to the best of the knowledge of the Loan Parties, at or from any adjacent site or facility, except for Hazardous Materials, such as cleaning solvents, pesticides and other materials used, produced, manufactured, processed, treated, recycled, generated, stored, disposed of, and managed or otherwise handled in minimal amounts in the ordinary course of business of such Loan Party or Subsidiary of a Loan Party in compliance with all applicable Environmental Requirements.

 

(c)                                  The Loan Parties, and each of their respective Subsidiaries, has procured all Environmental Authorizations necessary for the conduct of the business contemplated on such Property, and is in compliance in all material respects with all Environmental Requirements in connection with the operation of the Properties and the Loan Party’s, and each of their respective Subsidiary’s, respective businesses.

 

SECTION 4.15.                                                                    Compliance with Laws.  Each Loan Party and each Subsidiary of a Loan Party is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws and all regulations and requirements of the SEC and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (including with respect to timely filing of reports).

 

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SECTION 4.16.                                                                    Capital Securities.  All Capital Securities, debentures, bonds, notes and all other securities of each Loan Party and their respective Subsidiaries presently issued and outstanding are validly and properly issued in accordance with all applicable laws, including, but not limited to, the “Blue Sky” laws of all applicable states and the federal securities laws.  The issued shares of Capital Securities of each of the Loan Party’s respective Subsidiaries are owned by the Loan Parties free and clear of any lien or adverse claim other than Liens granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents and Liens with respect to the Capital Securities of any SPV Subsidiary.

 

SECTION 4.17.                                                                    Margin Stock.  No Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries is engaged principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock, and no part of the proceeds of any Advance will be used to purchase or carry any Margin Stock or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock, or be used for any purpose which violates, or which is inconsistent with, the provisions of Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.  Following the application of the proceeds from each Advance, not more than 25% of the value of the assets, either of the Borrower only or of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, will be “Margin Stock.”

 

SECTION 4.18.                                                                    Insolvency.  After giving effect to the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of the Advances under this Agreement, no Loan Party will be “insolvent,” within the meaning of such term as defined in § 101 of Title 11 of the United States Code or Section 2 of either the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, or any other applicable state law pertaining to fraudulent transfers, as each may be amended from time to time, or be unable to pay its debts generally as such debts become due, or have an unreasonably small capital to engage in any business or transaction, whether current or contemplated.

 

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SECTION 4.19.                                                                    Collateral Documents.  Upon execution by the applicable Loan Parties, the Collateral Documents shall be effective to create in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a legal, valid and enforceable security interest in the Collateral, securing the Obligations, and, upon (i) the filing of one or more UCC financing statements in the appropriate jurisdictions, (ii) delivery of the certificates evidencing shares of stock, membership interests and other equity interests and delivery of the original notes and other instruments representing debt or other obligations owing to the Loan Parties to the Collateral Custodian as bailee for the Administrative Agent and (iii) execution and delivery of notices to the depositary banks in the form attached hereto as Exhibit E with respect to the amendment and restatement of the Existing Credit Agreement provided in this Agreement, the Administrative Agent shall have or continue to have a fully perfected first priority Lien on, and security interest in, all right, title and interest of the applicable Loan Parties, in such Collateral and the proceeds thereof that can be perfected upon filing of one or more UCC financing statements and execution and delivery of such equity interests, notes and other instruments and such control agreements, in each case prior and superior in any right to any other Person.  The representations and warranties of the Loan Parties contained in the Collateral Documents are true and correct.

 

SECTION 4.20.                                                                    Labor Matters.  There are no strikes, lockouts, slowdowns or other labor disputes against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party pending or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened.  The hours worked by and payment made to employees of the Loan Parties and each Subsidiary of any Loan Party have been in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and any other applicable federal, state or foreign law dealing with such matters.  All payments due from the Loan Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or for which any claim may be made against the Loan Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries, on account of wages and employee health and welfare insurance and other benefits, have been paid or accrued as a liability on the books of the Loan Party or such Subsidiary, as appropriate.  No Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party is party to a collective bargaining agreement.

 

SECTION 4.21.                                                                    Patents, Trademarks, Etc.  The Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries own, or are licensed to use, all patents, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, technology, know-how and processes, service marks and rights with respect to the foregoing that are material to the businesses, assets, operations, properties or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries taken as a whole. The use of such patents, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, technology, know-how, processes and rights with respect to the foregoing by the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries, does not infringe on the rights of any Person.

 

SECTION 4.22.                                                                    Insurance.  The Loan Parties and each of their Subsidiaries has (either in the name of such Loan Party or in such Subsidiary’s name), with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in at least such amounts and against at least such risks (including on all its property, and public liability and worker’s compensation) as are usually insured against in the same general area by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business.

 

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SECTION 4.23.                                                                    Anti-Terrorism Laws.  None of the Loan Parties, or any of their respective Subsidiaries, is in violation of any laws relating to terrorism or money laundering, including, without limitation, the Patriot Act.

 

SECTION 4.24.                                                                    Ownership Structure.  As of the Closing Date, Schedule 4.24 is a complete and correct list of all Subsidiaries and Affiliates of the Borrower and of each Loan Party setting forth for each such Subsidiary, (i) the jurisdiction of organization of such Subsidiary, (ii) each Person holding any Capital Securities in such Subsidiary, (iii) the nature of the Capital Securities held by each such Person, and (iv) the percentage of ownership of such Subsidiary represented by such Capital Securities.  Except as disclosed in such Schedule, as of the Closing Date (i) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries owns, free and clear of all Liens and has the unencumbered right to vote, all outstanding Capital Securities in each Person shown to be held by it on such Schedule, (ii) all of the issued and outstanding Capital Securities of each Person is validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and (iii) there are no outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants, commitments, preemptive rights or agreements of any kind (including, without limitation, any stockholders’ or voting trust agreements) for the issuance, sale, registration or voting of, or outstanding securities convertible into, any additional Capital Securities of any type in, any such Person.

 

SECTION 4.25.                                                                    Reports Accurate; Disclosure.  All information, exhibits, financial statements, documents, books, records or reports furnished or to be furnished by the Loan Parties to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with this Agreement or any Loan Document, including without limitation all reports furnished pursuant to Section 4.04, are true, complete and accurate in all material respects; it being recognized by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that the projections and forecasts provided by Borrower in good faith and based upon reasonable assumptions are not to be viewed as facts and that actual results during the period or periods covered by any such projections and forecasts may differ from the projected or forecasted results.  Neither this Agreement, nor any Loan Document, nor any agreement, document, certificate or statement furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby contains any untrue statement of material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained herein or therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.  There is no fact known to any Loan Party which materially and adversely affects the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, or in the future is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 4.26.                                                                    Location of Offices.  The Borrower’s name is Main Street Capital Corporation.  The Initial Guarantors’ names are Main Street Capital Partners, LLC and Main Street Equity Interests, Inc.  The location of Borrower (within the meaning of Article 9 of the UCC) is Maryland.  The Location of the Initial Guarantors (within the meaning of Article 9 of the UCC) is Delaware.  Neither the Borrower nor any Initial Guarantor has changed its name, identity, structure, existence or state of formation, whether by amendment of its Organizational Documents, by reorganization or otherwise, or has changed its location (within the meaning of Article 9 of the UCC) within the four (4) months preceding the Closing Date or any subsequent date on which this representation is made.

 

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SECTION 4.27.                                                                    Affiliate Transactions.  Except as permitted by Section 5.27, neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary nor any other Loan Party is a party to or bound by any agreement or arrangement (whether oral or written) to which any Affiliate of the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Loan Party is a party.

 

SECTION 4.28.                                                                    Broker’s Fees.  Except as set forth in any letter agreement with the Administrative Agent or any Lender, no broker’s or finder’s fee, commission or similar compensation will be payable with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby.  Except as set forth in any letter agreement with the Administrative Agent, no other similar fees or commissions will be payable by any Loan Party for any other services rendered to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries ancillary to the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

SECTION 4.29.                                                                    Survival of Representations and Warranties, Etc.  All statements contained in any certificate, financial statement or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents (including, but not limited to, any such statement made in or in connection with any amendment thereto or any statement contained in any certificate, financial statement or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of any Loan Party prior to the Closing Date and delivered to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the underwriting or closing of the transactions contemplated hereby) shall constitute representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in favor of the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders under this Agreement.  All such representations and warranties shall survive the effectiveness of this Agreement, the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of the Advances.

 

SECTION 4.30.                                                                    Loans and Investments.  No Loan Party nor any of their respective Subsidiaries has made a loan, advance or Investment which is outstanding or existing on the Closing Date except (i) Portfolio Investments in the ordinary course of business and consistently with the Investment Policies, (ii) Investments in Subsidiaries and Affiliates as set forth on Schedule 4.24, (iii) Investments in Cash and Cash Equivalents, and (iv) other Investments in existence on the Closing Date and described on Schedule 4.30.

 

SECTION 4.31.                                                                    No Default or Event of Default.  No event has occurred and is continuing and no condition exists, or would result from any Advance or from the application of the proceeds therefrom, which constitutes or would reasonably be expected to constitute a Default or Event of Default.

 

SECTION 4.32.                                                                    USA Patriot Act; OFAC.

 

(a)                                 No Loan Party nor any Affiliate of a Loan Party is (1) a Person that resides or has a place of business in a country or territory named on such lists or which is designated as a Non-Cooperative Jurisdiction by the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (“FATF”), or whose subscription funds are transferred from or through such a jurisdiction; (2) a “Foreign Shell Bank” within the meaning of the USA Patriot Act, i.e., a foreign lender that does not have a physical presence in any country and that is not affiliated with a Lender that has a physical presence and an acceptable level of 

 

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regulation and supervision; or (3) a person or entity that resides in or is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction designated by the United States Secretary of the Treasury under Section 311 or 312 of the USA Patriot Act as warranting special measures due to money laundering concerns.

 

(b)                                 No Loan Party or any Affiliate of a Loan Party (i) is a Sanctioned Entity, (ii) has a more than 10% of its assets located in Sanctioned Entities, or (iii) derives more than 10% of its operating income from investments in, or transactions with Sanctioned Entities.  The proceeds of any Advance will not be used and have not been used to fund any operations in, finance any investments or activities in or make any payments to, a Sanctioned Entity.  No Loan Party or any Affiliate of a Loan Party are in violation of and shall not violate any of the country or list based economic and trade sanctions administered and enforced by OFAC that are described or referenced at http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/ or as otherwise published from time to time.

 

(c)                                  Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing to the contrary, no Loan Party shall have any duty to investigate or confirm that any shareholder of Borrower or any officer, director, manager, employee, owner or Affiliate of a Portfolio Investment is in compliance with the provisions of this Section 4.32, and any violation by any such Person shall not be a Default under this Agreement.

 

SECTION 4.33.                                                                    Material Contracts.  Schedule 4.33 is, as of the Closing Date, a true, correct and complete listing of all contracts to which any Loan Party is a party, the breach of or failure to perform which, either by a Loan Party or other party to such contract, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Contract”).  The Borrower, its Subsidiaries and the other Loan Parties that is a party to any Material Contract has performed and is in compliance with all of the material terms of such Material Contract, and no Loan Party has knowledge of any default or event of default, or event or condition which with the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both, would constitute such a default or event of default, that exists with respect to any such Material Contract.

 

SECTION 4.34.                                                                    Collateral-Mortgage Property.  With respect to each Mortgaged Property within the Collateral the Administrative Agent has:  (i) a first priority lien upon the fee simple title to the Mortgaged Property; (ii) a first priority lien upon the leases and rents applicable to the Mortgaged Property; (iii) a first priority lien upon all equipment and fixtures applicable to the Mortgaged Property; and (iv) all Mortgaged Property Security Documents reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 4.35.                                                                    Mortgaged Properties.  As of the Closing Date, Schedule 1.01 is a correct and complete list of all Mortgaged Properties included in the Collateral.

 

SECTION 4.36.                                                                    Common Enterprise.  The successful operation and condition of the Loan Parties is dependent on the continued successful performance of the functions of the group of Loan Parties as a whole and the successful operation of each of the Loan Parties is dependent on the successful performance and operation of each other Loan Party.  Each Loan Party expects to derive benefit (and its board of directors or other governing 

 

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body has determined that it may reasonably be expected to derive benefit), directly and indirectly, from (i) successful operations of each of the other Loan Parties and (ii) the credit extended by the Lenders to the Borrower hereunder, both in their separate capacities and as members of the group of companies.  Each Loan Party has determined that execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement and any other Loan Documents to be executed by such Loan Party is within its purpose, will be of direct and indirect benefit to such Loan Party, and is in its best interest.

 

SECTION 4.37.                                                                    Investment Policies.  Since the Closing Date, there have been no material changes in the Investment Policies other than in accordance with this Agreement, and the Borrower has at all times complied in all material respects with the Investment Policies with respect to each Portfolio Investment.  The Investment Policies are fully and accurately described in all material respects in the Borrower’s annual report on Form 10-K most recently filed with the SEC, and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC.

 

SECTION 4.38.                                                                    Eligibility of Portfolio Investments.  On the date of each Borrowing or Swing Borrowing, (i) the information contained in the Borrowing Base Certification Report delivered pursuant to Section 3.02 is an accurate and complete listing in all material respects of all the Eligible Investments that are part of the Collateral as of such date, and the information contained therein with respect to the identity of such Portfolio Investment and the amounts owing thereunder is true and correct in all material respects as of such date and (ii) each such Portfolio Investment is an Eligible Investment.

 

SECTION 4.39.                                                                    Portfolio Investments.  The Borrower has not authorized the filing of and is not aware of any financing statements against the Borrower that include a description of collateral covering the Portfolio Investments other than any financing statement that has been terminated, financing statements naming the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties as secured party and financing statements covering assets transferred to an SPV Subsidiary as permitted by Section 5.17.  The Borrower is not aware of the filing of any judgment or tax Lien filings against the Borrower. Each Portfolio Investment was originated without any fraud or material misrepresentation by the Borrower or, to the best of the Borrower’s knowledge, on the part of the Obligor.

 

SECTION 4.40.                                                                    Selection Procedures.  No procedures believed by the Borrower to be adverse to the interests of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders were utilized by the Borrower in identifying and/or selecting the Portfolio Investments that are part of the Eligible Investments and are included in the Borrowing Base or in determining which assets to transfer to an SPV Subsidiary.

 

SECTION 4.41.                                                                    Coverage Requirement.  The Advances outstanding do not exceed the lesser of (i) the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments of all the Lenders and (ii) the Borrowing Base.

 

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ARTICLE V
 COVENANTS

 

The Borrower and Guarantors agree, jointly and severally, that, so long as any Lender has any Revolver Commitment hereunder or any Obligation remains unpaid:

 

SECTION 5.01.                                                                    Information.  The Borrower will deliver to the Administrative Agent, who will then promptly deliver to each of the Lenders:

 

(a)                                 as soon as available and in any event within 90 days after the end of each Fiscal Year, a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such Fiscal Year and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such Fiscal Year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous Fiscal Year, all certified by Grant Thornton LLP or other independent public accountants reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, with such certification to be free of exceptions and qualifications not acceptable to the Required Lenders;

 

(b)                                 as soon as available and in any event within 45 days after the end of each of the first three Fiscal Quarters of each Fiscal Year, consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such Fiscal Quarter and the related statement of income and statement of cash flows for such Fiscal Quarter and for the portion of the Fiscal Year ended at the end of such Fiscal Quarter, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding Fiscal Quarter and the corresponding portion of the previous Fiscal Year, all certified (subject to normal year-end adjustments) as to fairness of presentation, GAAP and consistency by the chief financial officer of the Borrower;

 

(c)                                  simultaneously with the delivery of each set of financial statements referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above, a certificate, substantially in the form of Exhibit F and with compliance calculations in form and content satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (a “Compliance Certificate”), of the chief financial officer or other authorized officers of the Borrower (i) setting forth in reasonable detail the calculations required to establish whether a Value Triggering Event has occurred, including calculations setting forth the Value of each Debt Security and Senior Bank Loan Investment to its par value, the Obligor Net Leverage Ratio for the Relevant Test Period for each Obligor, and the Obligor Interest Coverage Ratio for the Relevant Test Period for each Obligor, (ii) whether the Loan Parties were in compliance with the requirements of Sections 5.04, 5.05, 5.07, 5.09, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12 and 5.37 on the date of such financial statements, (iii) setting forth the identities of the respective Subsidiaries on the date of such financial statements, (iv) stating whether any Default exists on the date of such certificate and, if any Default then exists, setting forth the details thereof and the action which the Loan Parties are taking or propose to take with respect thereto and (v) setting forth certain Separate Company Selected Financial Information for each of the SBIC Entities and each SPV Subsidiary as set forth in Exhibit F;

 

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(d)                                 promptly at the request of the Administrative Agent, financial statements, calculations, and any other information with respect to Debt Securities and Senior Bank Loan Investments reasonably necessary for the Administrative Agent to determine whether a Value Triggering Event has occurred and is continuing, including calculations setting for the Value of each Debt Security and Senior Bank Loan Investment to its respective par value, the Obligor Net Leverage Ratio for the Relevant Test Period for each Obligor, and the Obligor Interest Coverage Ratio for the Relevant Test Period for each Obligor;

 

(e)                                  within 5 Domestic Business Days after the Borrower becomes aware of the occurrence of any Default, a certificate of the chief financial officer or other authorized officer of the Borrower setting forth the details thereof and the action which the Borrower is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(f)                                   promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed with the SEC, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all functions of the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may be;

 

(g)                                  if and when the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group (i) gives or is required to give notice to the PBGC of any “reportable event” (as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) with respect to any Plan which might constitute grounds for a termination of such Plan under Title IV of ERISA, or knows that the plan administrator of any Plan has given or is required to give notice of any such reportable event, a copy of the notice of such reportable event given or required to be given to the PBGC; (ii) receives notice of complete or partial withdrawal liability under Title IV of ERISA, a copy of such notice; or (iii) receives notice from the PBGC under Title IV of ERISA of an intent to terminate or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan, a copy of such notice;

 

(h)                                 promptly after the Borrower knows of the commencement thereof, notice of any litigation, dispute or proceeding (and any material development in respect of such proceedings) involving a claim against a Loan Party and/or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party for $3,000,000 or more in excess of amounts covered in full by applicable insurance (subject to customary deductibles);

 

(i)                                     a Borrowing Base Certification Report, substantially in the form of Exhibit D and otherwise in form and content reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, which report is certified as to truth and accuracy by the Chief Financial Officer or other authorized officer of the Borrower and which report shall be delivered (A) while any Advances or other amounts are outstanding, by the tenth Domestic Business Day following the last day of each month and (B) otherwise, by the tenth Domestic Business Day following the last day of each Fiscal Quarter;

 

(j)                                    promptly at the request of the Administrative Agent, (i) copies of the Investment Documents with respect to any Portfolio Investment and (ii) to the extent not subject to a nondisclosure provision, the most recent valuation report of the Borrower’s 

 

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and its Subsidiaries’ loan and investment portfolio, conducted by Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP or such other third party appraiser reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent; provided that, the Borrower shall use its best efforts to obtain the consent of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP or such other appraiser to release such report to the Administrative Agent;

 

(k)                                 [Intentionally Omitted];

 

(l)                                     promptly upon the occurrence of any Internal Control Event which is required to be publicly disclosed of which a Responsible Officer (other than a Responsible Officer committing the fraud constituting such Internal Control Event) has knowledge; and

 

(m)                             from time to time such additional information regarding the financial position or business of the Borrower, its Subsidiaries, and each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent, at the request of any Lender, may reasonably request.

 

For purposes of clauses (a), (b) and (f) of this Section 5.01, all financial statements and other information contained therein filed with the SEC shall be deemed delivered hereunder; provided, however, that nothing in the foregoing shall be deemed to relieve the Borrower of its obligation to deliver a Compliance Certificate pursuant to clause (c).

 

SECTION 5.02.                                                                    Inspection of Property, Books and Records.  The Borrower will (i) keep, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to keep, proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP shall be made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities; (ii) permit, and will cause each Subsidiary of the Borrower and each Loan Party to permit, with at least five (5) Domestic Business Days’ prior notice (or such lesser time period agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), which notice shall not be required in the case of an emergency, the Administrative Agent or its designee, at the expense of the Borrower and Loan Parties, to perform periodic field audits and investigations of the Borrower, the Loan Parties and the Collateral, from time to time; and (iii) permit, and will cause each Subsidiary to permit, with at least five (5) Domestic Business Days’ prior notice (or such lesser time period agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), the Administrative Agent or its designee, at the expense of the Borrower and the Loan Parties, to visit and inspect any of their respective properties, to examine and make abstracts from any of their respective books and records and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers, employees and independent public accountants; provided that the Borrower shall only be required to reimburse the Administrative Agent for only one such inspection each Fiscal Quarter unless a Default shall have occurred and be continuing.  The Loan Parties agree to cooperate and assist in such visits and inspections, in each case at such reasonable times and as often as may reasonably be desired.

 

SECTION 5.03.                                                                    Maintenance of RIC Status and Business Development Company.  The Borrower will maintain its status as an RIC under the Code and as a “business development company” under the Investment Company Act.

 

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SECTION 5.04.                                                                    Minimum Availability.  The Borrower shall cause the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Advances to be less than 90% of the Borrowing Base at all times (the “Minimum Availability Requirement”).

 

SECTION 5.05.                                                                    Capital Expenditures.  Capital Expenditures will not exceed in the aggregate in any Fiscal Year the sum of $3,000,000; provided that after giving effect to the incurrence of any Capital Expenditures permitted by this Section, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (with the effect that amounts not incurred in any Fiscal Year may not be carried forward to a subsequent period).

 

SECTION 5.06.                                                                    Sale/Leasebacks.  The Loan Parties shall not, nor shall they permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale/Leaseback Transaction

 

SECTION 5.07.                                                                    Minimum Consolidated Tangible Net Worth.  Consolidated Tangible Net Worth shall not be less than the sum of (i) $555,000,000 plus (ii) 80.0% of the cumulative Net Proceeds of Capital Securities/Conversion of Debt received after the Closing Date, calculated quarterly at the end of each Fiscal Quarter.

 

SECTION 5.08.                                                                    Acquisitions.  No Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall make any Acquisition, or take any action to solicit the tender of securities or proxies in respect thereof in order to effect any Acquisition.

 

SECTION 5.09.                                                                    Interest Coverage Ratio.  The Borrower will maintain, as of the end of each Fiscal Quarter, commencing with the Fiscal Quarter ending September 30, 2013, an Interest Coverage Ratio of not less than 2.00:1.00, determined for the period of the four consecutive preceding Fiscal Quarters ending on the date of determination.

 

SECTION 5.10.                                                                    Asset Coverage Ratio.  The Borrower will maintain, as of the end of each Fiscal Quarter, commencing with the Fiscal Quarter ending September 30, 2013, an Asset Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.50:1.00.

 

SECTION 5.11.                                                                    Loans or Advances.  No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall make loans or advances to any Person except: (i) solely to the extent not prohibited by Applicable Laws, employee loans or advances that do not exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) in the aggregate at any one time outstanding made on an arms’-length basis in the ordinary course of business and consistently with practices existing on June 30, 2010 and described in the Borrower’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 filed with the SEC; (ii) deposits required by government agencies or public utilities; (iii) loans or advances to the Borrower or any Guarantor that is a Consolidated Subsidiary; (iv) loans and advances by SBIC Entities in the ordinary course of business, (v) loans or advances consisting of Portfolio Investments, (vi) loans and advances outstanding on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 5.11 and (vii) loans by Loan Parties and/or Subsidiaries of Loan Parties to SBIC Entities not to exceed $35,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time outstanding with maturities not to exceed six (6) months; provided that after giving effect to the making of any loans, advances or deposits permitted by this Section 5.11, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.  All loans or advances permitted under this Section 5.11 (excluding Senior Bank Loan Investments that are Noteless Loans) shall be evidenced by written promissory notes.

 

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Except as approved by the Administrative Agent in writing, no Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall request or receive a promissory note or other instrument from any Obligor in connection with a Noteless Loan.

 

SECTION 5.12.                                                                    Restricted Payments.  The Loan Parties will not declare or make any Restricted Payment during any Fiscal Year, except that:

 

(a)                                 any Subsidiary of the Borrower may pay Restricted Payments to the Borrower, on at least a pro rata basis with any other shareholders if such Subsidiary is not wholly owned by the Borrower and other Wholly Owned Subsidiaries; and

 

(b)                                 the Borrower may declare or make Restricted Payments from time to time in accordance with Applicable Law to owners of its Capital Securities so long as (i) at the time when any such Restricted Payment is to be made, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom; and (ii) the chief executive officer, chief financial officer or other authorized officer of the Borrower shall have certified to the Administrative Agent and Lenders as to compliance with the preceding clause (i) in a certificate attaching calculations; provided, however, that notwithstanding the existence of a Default or an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Sections 6.01(g) or (h)), the Borrower may pay dividends in an amount equal to its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest income and capital gain net income that is required to be distributed to its shareholders in order to maintain its status as an RIC and to avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes imposed on RICs.

 

SECTION 5.13.                                                                    Investments.  No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall make Investments in any Person except as permitted by Sections 5.08 and 5.11(i) through (iv) and except Investments in (i) Cash and Cash Equivalents, (ii) Investments not constituting loans or advances in the Capital Securities of their respective Subsidiaries and equity investments as set forth on Schedule 4.24, (iii)  Investments in Portfolio Investments made in the ordinary course of business and consistently with the Investment Policies and (iv) equity investments by the Borrower in an aggregate amount not to exceed $75,000,000, or such other amount as approved by the Required Lenders, in the SPV Subsidiaries in connection with the initial capitalization of any SPV Subsidiary and future equity investments by the Borrower in the SPV Subsidiaries in the aggregate amount not to exceed $7,500,000, or such other amount as approved by the Required Lenders, so long as, immediately before and after giving effect to such equity investments, no Default exists under this Agreement or any Loan Document, no defaults exists under any loan facility in favor of any SPV Subsidiary, and the Borrower and the Guarantors are in pro forma compliance with all financial covenants set forth in this Article V.

 

SECTION 5.14.                                                                    Negative Pledge.  No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party will create, assume or suffer to exist any Lien on any asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, except:

 

(a)                                 Liens existing on the date of this Agreement encumbering assets (other than Collateral) securing Debt outstanding on the date of this Agreement, in each case as described and in the principal amounts set forth on Schedule 5.14;

 

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(b)                                 Liens for taxes, assessments or similar charges, incurred in the ordinary course of business that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith and with due diligence by appropriate proceedings;

 

(c)                                  pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure payment of workers’ compensation, or to participate in any fund in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, old-age pensions or other social security programs which in no event shall become a Lien prior to any Collateral Documents;

 

(d)                                 Liens of mechanics, materialmen, warehousemen, carriers or other like liens, securing obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business that:  (1) are not yet due and payable and which in no event shall become a Lien prior to any Collateral Documents; or (2) are being contested diligently in good faith pursuant to appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Loan Party has established reserves reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and Required Lenders and which in no event shall become a Lien prior to any Collateral Documents;

 

(e)                                  good faith pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure performance of bids, tenders, contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or leases, not in excess of ten percent (10%) of the aggregate amount due thereunder, or to secure statutory obligations, or surety, appeal, indemnity, performance or other similar bonds required in the ordinary course of business which in no event shall become a Lien prior to any Collateral Document;

 

(f)                                   any Lien arising out of the refinancing, extension, renewal or refunding of any Debt secured by any Lien permitted by any of the foregoing clauses of this Section, provided that (i) such Debt is not secured by any additional assets, and (ii) the amount of such Debt secured by any such Lien is not increased;

 

(g)                                  encumbrances consisting of zoning restrictions, easements or other restrictions on the use of real property, none of which materially impairs the use of such property by Borrower in the operation of its business, and none of which is violated in any material respect by existing or proposed restrictions on land use;

 

(h)                                 any Lien on Margin Stock;

 

(i)                                     any Lien imposed as a result of a taking under the exercise of the power of eminent domain by any governmental body or by any Person acting under governmental authority;

 

(j)                                    Liens securing reasonable and customary fees of banks and other depository institutions on Cash and Cash Equivalents held on deposit with such banks and institutions; provided that such Liens are subordinated to the Liens described in Section 5.14(l);

 

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(k)                                 Liens restricting the ability of any SBIC Entity to encumber its assets pursuant to (i) Applicable Law, (ii) agreements with the Small Business Administration entered into in the ordinary course of business or (iii) Debt obligations of the SBIC Entities permitted under Section 5.31;

 

(l)                                     Liens securing the Administrative Agent and the Secured Parties created or arising under the Loan Documents; and

 

(m)                             Liens securing Debt permitted under Section 5.31(d), provided that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than property financed by such Debt, (ii) the Debt secured thereby does not exceed the cost or fair market value, whichever is lower, of the property being acquired on the date of acquisition, and (iii) such Liens attach to such property concurrently with or within ninety (90) days after the acquisition thereof.

 

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 5.14 to the contrary, no Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party will create, assume or suffer to exist any Lien on the Collateral except the Liens in favor of the Secured Parties under the Collateral Documents and the Permitted Encumbrances.

 

SECTION 5.15.                                                                    Maintenance of Existence, etc.  Each Loan Party shall, and shall cause each Subsidiary of a Loan Party to, maintain its organizational existence and carry on its business in substantially the same manner and in substantially the same line or lines of business or line or lines of business reasonably related to the business now carried on and maintained.  Any Subsidiary pledging Collateral hereunder shall be organized as a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership or other legal entity.

 

SECTION 5.16.                                                                    Dissolution.  No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall suffer or permit dissolution or liquidation either in whole or in part or redeem or retire any shares of its own Capital Securities or that of any Subsidiary of a Loan Party, except: (1) through corporate or company reorganization to the extent permitted by Section 5.17; and (2) Restricted Payments permitted by Section 5.12.

 

SECTION 5.17.                                                                    Consolidations, Mergers and Sales of Assets.  No Loan Party will, nor will it permit any Subsidiary of a Loan Party to, consolidate or merge with or into, or sell, lease or otherwise transfer all or any substantial part of its assets to, any other Person, or discontinue or eliminate any business line or segment, provided that (a) pursuant to the consummation of an Acquisition permitted under Section 5.08 (but not otherwise) a Loan Party may merge with another Person if (i) such Person was organized under the laws of the United States of America or one of its states, (ii) the Loan Party is the Person surviving such merger, (iii) immediately after giving effect to such merger, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and (iv) if the Borrower merges with another Loan Party, the Borrower is the Person surviving such merger; (b) Subsidiaries of a Loan Party (excluding Loan Parties) may merge with one another; and (c) the foregoing limitation on the sale, lease or other transfer of assets and on the discontinuation or elimination of a business line or segment shall not prohibit (1) a transfer of assets or the discontinuance or elimination of a business line or segment (in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions) in the ordinary course of business if,

 

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after giving effect thereto the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in compliance on a pro forma basis, after giving effect to such transfer, discontinuation or elimination, with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and (2) divestitures of Portfolio Investments in the ordinary course of business if, after giving effect thereto the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in compliance on a pro forma basis, after giving effect to any such divestiture, with the terms and conditions of this Agreement; provided, however, that upon the occurrence and during the continuance of a Default or an Event of Default, the Borrower shall not sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any asset (including without limitation any Portfolio Investment) without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and to the extent approved by the Required Lenders, the Borrower may transfer Portfolio Investments to any SPV Subsidiary, so long as (i) such Portfolio Investments are sold to such SPV Subsidiary for fair market value, in compliance with the requirements of Section 4.40 and without recourse to the Borrower other than such repurchase or substitution rights or obligations under the applicable purchase agreement as approved by the Required Lenders, (ii) the Borrower is in compliance with Section 5.13; and (iii) immediately before and after giving effect to such transfer, no Default or Event of Default shall exist.

 

SECTION 5.18.                                                                    Use of Proceeds.  No portion of the proceeds of any Advance will be used by the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i) in connection with, either directly or indirectly, any tender offer for stock of any corporation with a view towards obtaining control of such other corporation (other than a Portfolio Investment; provided  that the board of directors or comparable governing body of the Obligor in which such Investment is made has approved such offer and change of control), (ii) directly or indirectly, for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock, or (iii) for any purpose in violation of any applicable law or regulation.  Except as otherwise provided herein, the proceeds of the Advances shall be used:  (i) to refinance the Borrower’s existing debt pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement, (ii) for working capital and other lawful corporate purposes, (iii) to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and (iv) for investments in Portfolio Investments.  No part of the proceeds of any Advance will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that would violate any rule or regulation of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, including Regulations T, U or X.

 

SECTION 5.19.                                                                    Compliance with Laws; Payment of Taxes.  Each Loan Party will, and will cause each Subsidiary of a Loan Party and each member of the Controlled Group to, comply in all material respects with applicable laws (including but not limited to ERISA and the Patriot Act), regulations and similar requirements of governmental authorities (including but not limited to PBGC), except where the necessity of such compliance is being contested in good faith through appropriate proceedings diligently pursued.  Each Loan Party will, and will cause each Subsidiary of a Loan Party to, pay promptly when due all taxes, assessments, governmental charges, claims for labor, supplies, rent and other obligations which, if unpaid, might become a lien against the property of a Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party, except liabilities being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently pursued and against which, if requested by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall have set up reserves in accordance with GAAP.

 

SECTION 5.20.                                                                    Insurance.  Each Loan Party will maintain, and will cause each Subsidiary of a Loan Party to maintain (either in the name of such Loan Party or in such

 

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Subsidiary’s own name), with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance on all its Property in at least such amounts and against at least such risks as are usually insured against in the same general area by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business.  Upon request, the Loan Parties shall promptly furnish the Administrative Agent copies of all such insurance policies or certificates evidencing such insurance and such other documents and evidence of insurance as the Administrative Agent shall request.

 

SECTION 5.21.                                                                    Change in Fiscal Year.  No Loan Party will make any significant change in accounting treatment or reporting practices, except as required or permitted by GAAP, or change its Fiscal Year (except to conform with the Fiscal Year of the Borrower) without the consent of the Required Lenders.

 

SECTION 5.22.                                                                    Maintenance of Property.  Each Loan Party shall, and shall cause each Subsidiary of a Loan Party to, maintain all of its properties and assets in good condition, repair and working order, ordinary wear and tear excepted.

 

SECTION 5.23.                                                                    Environmental Notices.  Each Loan Party shall furnish to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent prompt written notice of all Environmental Liabilities, pending, threatened or anticipated Environmental Proceedings, Environmental Notices, Environmental Judgments and Orders, and Environmental Releases at, on, in, under or in any way affecting in any material respects the Properties or any adjacent property, and all facts, events, or conditions that could lead to any of the foregoing.

 

SECTION 5.24.                                                                    Environmental Matters.  No Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party will, nor will any Loan Party permit any Third Party to, use, produce, manufacture, process, treat, recycle, generate, store, dispose of, manage at, or otherwise handle or ship or transport to or from the Properties any Hazardous Materials except for Hazardous Materials such as cleaning solvents, pesticides and other similar materials used, produced, manufactured, processed, treated, recycled, generated, stored, disposed, managed or otherwise handled in minimal amounts in the ordinary course of business in compliance with all applicable Environmental Requirements.

 

SECTION 5.25.                                                                    Environmental Release.  Each Loan Party agrees that upon the occurrence of an Environmental Release at, under or on any of the Properties it will act immediately to investigate the extent of, and to take appropriate remedial action to eliminate, such Environmental Release, whether or not ordered or otherwise directed to do so by any Environmental Authority.

 

SECTION 5.26.                                                                    [Intentionally omitted.]

 

SECTION 5.27.                                                                    Transactions with Affiliates.  No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall enter into, or be a party to, any transaction with any Affiliate of a Loan Party or such Subsidiary (which Affiliate is not a Loan Party or a Subsidiary of a Loan Party), except as permitted by law and in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to reasonable terms which are no less favorable to the Loan Party or such Subsidiary than would be obtained in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person which is not an Affiliate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and to the extent

 

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approved by the Required Lenders, the Borrower may make the investment in any SPV Subsidiary permitted by Section 5.13 and the assets sales to any SPV Subsidiary permitted by Section 5.17 (and any asset repurchase or substitution permitted and/or required thereunder) even if outside the ordinary course of business so long as the Borrower complies with the requirements of Section 5.13, Section 5.17 and all other requirements of this Section 5.27.

 

SECTION 5.28.                                                                    Joinder of Subsidiaries.

 

(a)                                 The Loan Parties shall cause any Person which becomes a Domestic Subsidiary of a Loan Party (other than a Foreclosed Subsidiary or, subject to clause (d), any SBIC Entity) after the Closing Date to become a party to, and agree to be bound by the terms of, this Agreement and the other Loan Documents pursuant to a Joinder Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G and otherwise satisfactory to the Administrative Agent in all respects and executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Domestic Business Days after the day on which such Person became a Domestic Subsidiary.  The Loan Parties shall also cause the items specified in Section 3.01(c), (e), (g) and (h) to be delivered to the Administrative Agent concurrently with the instrument referred to above, modified appropriately to refer to such instrument and such Subsidiary.

 

(b)                                 The Loan Parties shall, or shall cause any Subsidiary (other than, subject to clause (d), any SBIC Entity) (the “Pledgor Subsidiary”) to pledge:  (a) 65% (or, if less, the entire interest owned by the applicable Loan Party) of the issued and outstanding voting Capital Securities or equivalent equity interests in any Person which becomes a Foreign Subsidiary after the Closing Date; (b) 100% (or, if less, the entire interest owned by the applicable Loan Party) of the issued and outstanding non-voting Capital Securities or equivalent equity interests in any Person which becomes a Foreign Subsidiary after the Closing Date and (c) the entire interest owned by the Loan Parties and such Pledgor Subsidiary, of the Capital Securities or equivalent equity interest in any Person which becomes a Domestic Subsidiary after the Closing Date, all pursuant to a Pledge Agreement executed and delivered by the Loan Parties or such Pledgor Subsidiary to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Domestic Business Days after the day on which such Person became a Domestic Subsidiary and shall deliver to the Collateral Custodian, as bailee for the Administrative Agent, such shares of capital stock together with stock powers executed in blank.  The Loan Parties shall also cause the items specified in Section 3.01(c), (e), (g) and (h) to be delivered to the Administrative Agent concurrently with the pledge agreement referred to above, modified appropriately to refer to such pledge agreement, the pledgor and such Subsidiary.

 

(c)                                  Once any Subsidiary becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Section 5.28(a) or any Capital Securities (or equivalent equity interests) of a Subsidiary are pledged to the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 5.28(b), such Subsidiary (including, without limitation, all Initial Guarantors) thereafter shall remain a party to this Agreement and the Capital Securities (or equivalent equity interests) in such Subsidiary (including, without limitation, all initial Subsidiaries) shall

 

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remain subject to the pledge to the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, even if such Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary; provided that if a Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Borrower as a result of the Borrower’s transfer or sale of all of the Capital Securities of such Subsidiary owned by Borrower in accordance with and to the extent permitted by the terms of Section 5.17, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agree to release such Subsidiary from this Agreement and release the Capital Securities of such Subsidiary from the Pledge Agreement.

 

(d)                                 The Loan Parties acknowledge that the SBIC Entities are not Loan Parties because the Loan Parties have advised the Administrative Agent and Lenders that the SBIC Entities are restricted by the terms of certain agreements, regulations and other restrictions that prohibit the SBIC Entities from being Guarantors, from granting any security interest in their property to secure the Obligations and from having their respective issued equity interests subject to a pledge to secure the Obligations (the “Restrictive Provisions”).  The Loan Parties shall immediately notify the Administrative Agent if either there is:  (1) a modification, expiration or termination of the Restrictive Provisions the result of which will permit any SBIC Entity to be a Guarantor, to grant a security interest in its property to secure the Obligations or to have its issued equity interests pledged to secure the Obligations; or (2) the Restrictive Provisions are waived for any other transaction in which any SBIC Entity guarantees or becomes a co-borrower of, grants a security interest in any of its property to secure, or the equity interests it has issued are pledged to secure, the indebtedness, liabilities and obligations of, any one or more of the Loan Parties.  In either of such events, the Loan Parties shall cause the SBIC Entities, as applicable, to become a party to, and agree to be bound by the terms of, this Agreement and the other Loan Documents pursuant to a Joinder Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G satisfactory to the Administrative Agent in all respects and executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Domestic Business Days after the occurrence of such event.  The Loan Parties shall also cause the items specified in Section 3.01(c), (e), (g) and (h) to be delivered to the Administrative Agent concurrently with the instrument referred to above, modified appropriately to refer to such instrument, and the new Loan Party (the SBIC Entities, as applicable) and shall take all such further actions and execute all such further documents and instruments as may be necessary or, in the opinion of Administrative Agent, desirable, to effect the transactions described herein.

 

SECTION 5.29.                                                                    No Restrictive Agreement.  No Loan Party will, nor will any Loan Party permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into, after the date of this Agreement, any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement that, directly or indirectly, prohibits or restrains, or has the effect of prohibiting or restraining, or imposes materially adverse conditions upon, any of the following by the Loan Party or any such Subsidiary:  (i) the incurrence or payment of Debt, (ii) the granting of Liens (other than normal and customary restrictions on the granting of Liens on Capital Securities issued by a Person other than a Subsidiary in respect of any Portfolio Investment made in the ordinary course of business) or (iii) the making of loans, advances or Investments or the sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of property, real, personal or mixed, or tangible; except in each case for prohibitions and restraints (i) on SBIC Entities arising in the ordinary course of business as a

 

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result of Applicable Law and (ii) imposed pursuant to Debt incurred pursuant to Section 5.31(e) of this Agreement; provided that in no event shall Debt incurred pursuant to Section 5.31(e) of this Agreement directly or indirectly, prohibit or restrain, or have the effect of prohibiting or restraining, or impose materially adverse conditions upon:  (i) the payment of the Obligations, (ii) other than prohibitions, restraints and conditions set forth in the Investment Company Act (whether or not the Investment Company Act applies to such Debt),  the incurrence of Debt, the making of loans, advances or Investments or the sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of property, real, personal or mixed or tangible, the proceeds from which shall be used in whole or in part to repay Obligations, or (iii) the granting of liens to secure the Obligations and any extensions, renewals and refinancings thereof.  No Loan Party will, nor will any Loan Party permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into, after the date of this Agreement, any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement that, directly or indirectly, prohibits or restrains, or has the effect of prohibiting or restraining, or imposes materially adverse conditions upon, the ability of the Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries to declare or pay Restricted Payments or other distributions in respect of Capital Securities of the Loan Party or any Subsidiary, except for prohibitions and restraints imposed pursuant to Debt incurred pursuant to Section 5.31(e) of this Agreement provided that in no event shall Debt incurred pursuant to Section 5.31(e) of this Agreement directly or indirectly, prohibit or restrain, or have the effect of prohibiting or restraining or impose materially adverse conditions (other than prohibitions, restraints and conditions imposed by the Investment Company Act) upon the ability of any Loan Party (other than Borrower) or any of their respective Subsidiaries to declare or pay Restricted Payments or other distributions in respect of Capital Securities of the Loan Party (other than Borrower) or any Subsidiary to any other Loan Party or Subsidiary, the proceeds of which shall be used in whole or in part to repay the Obligations.

 

SECTION 5.30.                                                                    Partnerships and Joint Ventures.  No Loan Party shall become a general partner in any general or limited partnership or a joint venturer in any joint venture.

 

SECTION 5.31.                                                                    Additional Debt.  No Loan Party or Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall directly or indirectly issue, assume, create, incur or suffer to exist any Debt or the equivalent (including obligations under capital leases), except for:  (a) the Debt owed to the Lenders and Hedge Counterparties under the Loan Documents; (b) Debt of SBIC Entities incurred in the ordinary course of business; (c) the Debt existing and outstanding on the Closing Date described on Schedule 5.31; (d) purchase money Debt hereafter incurred by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to finance the purchase of equipment so long as (i) such Debt when incurred shall not exceed the purchase price of the asset(s) financed, and (ii) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all Debt permitted under this clause (d) shall not at any time exceed $5,000,000; (e) Debt incurred after the date hereof with a maturity when incurred not less than one year after the Termination Date (after giving effect to any extensions of the Termination Date which have been exercised at the time of incurrence of the Debt but not giving effect to any extensions exercised after the incurrence of such Debt) and with terms no more restrictive than those in this Agreement, so long as such Debt is unsecured and (f) loans by Loan Parties and/or Subsidiaries of Loan Parties to SBIC Entities not to exceed $35,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time outstanding with maturities not to exceed six (6) months.  For the avoidance of doubt, any Debt incurred after the date hereof shall not be

 

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deemed to be in violation of clause (e) as a result of (i) extensions to the Termination Date effective after the original incurrence of such Debt or (ii) the inclusion of terms more restrictive than those in this Agreement to the extent such terms relate to the Borrower’s compliance with any provisions of or amendments to the Investment Company Act (whether or not the Investment Company Act applies to such Debt).

 

SECTION 5.32.                                                                    [Intentionally omitted].

 

SECTION 5.33.                                                                    Modifications of Organizational Documents.  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any Loan Party or other Subsidiary to, amend, supplement, restate or otherwise modify its Organizational Documents or Operating Documents or other applicable document if such amendment, supplement, restatement or other modification has or would reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to the Lenders.

 

SECTION 5.34.                                                                    ERISA Exemptions.  The Loan Parties shall not permit any of their respective assets to become or be deemed to be “plan assets” within the meaning of ERISA, the Code and the respective regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

SECTION 5.35.                                                                    Hedge Transactions.  The Loan Parties will not, and will not permit any of their Subsidiaries to, enter into any Hedge Transaction, other than Hedge Transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Loan Parties are exposed in the conduct of their business or the management of their liabilities.  Solely for the avoidance of doubt, the Borrower acknowledges that a Hedge Transaction entered into for speculative purposes or of a speculative nature (which shall be deemed to include any Hedge Transaction under which any Loan Party is or may become obliged to make any payment (i) in connection with the purchase by any third party of any common stock or any Debt or (ii) as a result of changes in the market value of any common stock or any Debt) is not a Hedge Transaction entered into in the ordinary course of business to hedge or mitigate risks.

 

SECTION 5.36.                                                                    Performance of Loan Documents.  Each Loan Party will at its own expense duly fulfill and comply with all obligations on its part to be fulfilled or complied with under or in connection with the Collateral and all documents related thereto and will do nothing to impair the rights of any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as agent for the Secured Parties, or of the Secured Parties in, to and under the Collateral.  Each Loan Party shall clearly and unambiguously set forth, in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, in its financial statements filed with the SEC that the Administrative Agent, as agent for the Secured Parties has the interest therein granted by the Loan Parties pursuant to the Loan Documents.

 

SECTION 5.37.                                                                    Operating Leases.  No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall create, assume or suffer to exist any operating lease except operating leases which:  (A) (1) are entered into in the ordinary course of business, and (2) the aggregate indebtedness, liabilities and obligations of the Loan Parties under all such operating leases during any period of four (4) consecutive Fiscal Quarters shall at no time exceed $5,000,000; (B) are between a Borrower or Guarantor, as landlord and a Borrower or Guarantor as tenant; or (C) are set forth on Schedule 5.37.

 

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SECTION 5.38.                                                                    [Intentionally omitted].

 

SECTION 5.39.                                                                    Compliance with Investment Policies and Investment Documents.  The Borrower shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, comply at all times with its Investment Policies in all material respects and, at their own expense, timely and fully perform and comply with all material provisions, covenants and other promises required to be observed by each of them under the Portfolio Investments and the related Investment Documents.  The Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent, prior to its effective date, prompt notice of any changes in the Investment Policies and shall not agree or otherwise permit to occur any modification of the Investment Policies in any manner that would or would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the interests or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Secured Parties under this Agreement or any Loan Document or impair the collectability of any Portfolio Investment without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (in its sole discretion).

 

SECTION 5.40.                                                                    Delivery of Collateral to Collateral Custodian.  With respect to any Collateral, the Borrower shall deliver possession of all “instruments” (within the meaning of Article 9 of the UCC) not constituting part of “chattel paper” (within the meaning of Article 9 of the UCC) that evidence any Investment, including all original promissory notes, and certificated securities to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, or to a Collateral Custodian on its behalf, indorsed in blank without recourse and transfer powers executed in blank, as applicable; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Pre-Positioned Investment, the Borrower shall have a copy of the executed note, if any, evidencing such Pre-Positioned Investment and any certificates representing Capital Securities pledged in connection with such Pre-Positioned Investment faxed to a Collateral Custodian on the applicable date of Borrowing or Swing Borrowing with the original to be received by such Collateral Custodian within five (5) Domestic Business Days after such date of Borrowing or Swing Borrowing; provided that, prior to delivery thereof, such original and indorsement are held in the custody of a bailee that has delivered a valid, binding and effective Bailee Agreement to the Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 5.41.                                                                    Custody Agreements.  No Loan Party shall enter into any custody agreement or equivalent arrangement with any person to hold securities, cash or other assets of any Loan Party unless the Person acting as custodian shall have delivered a Custodial Agreement and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, a control agreement, to the Administrative Agent (in each case in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent).

 

ARTICLE VI
 DEFAULTS

 

SECTION 6.01.                                                                    Events of Default.  If one or more of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall have occurred and be continuing:

 

(a)                                 the Borrower shall fail to pay when due any principal of any Advance (including, without limitation, any Advance or portion thereof to be repaid pursuant to Section 2.11) or shall fail to pay any interest on any Advance within three Domestic

 

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Business Days after such interest shall become due, or any Loan Party shall fail to pay any fee or other amount payable hereunder within three Domestic Business Days after such fee or other amount becomes due; or

 

(b)                                 any Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant contained in Section 5.01(e) and (i), 5.02(ii) and (iii), 5.03, 5.04, 5.05, 5.06, 5.07, 5.08, 5.09, 5.10, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.29, 5.31, 5.33, 5.34, and 5.41; or

 

(c)                                  any Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained or incorporated by reference in this Agreement (other than those covered by clause (a) or (b) above or clauses (n) or (q) below) or any other Loan Document; provided that such failure continues for (1) ten (10) days in the case of Section 5.01, Section 5.11 or 5.27 or (2) otherwise, thirty days, in each case after the earlier of (A) the first day on which any Loan Party has knowledge of such failure or (B) written notice thereof has been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent at the request of any Lender; or

 

(d)                                 any representation, warranty, certification or statement made or deemed made by the Loan Parties in Article IV of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or in any financial statement, material certificate or other material document or report delivered pursuant to any Loan Document shall prove to have been untrue or misleading in any material respect when made (or deemed made); or

 

(e)                                  any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall fail to make any payment in respect of Debt (other than the Advances) having an aggregate principal amount in excess of $3,000,000 after expiration of any applicable cure or grace period; or

 

(f)                                   any event or condition shall occur which results in the acceleration of the maturity of Debt outstanding of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $3,000,000 or the mandatory prepayment or purchase of such Debt by any Loan Party (or its designee) or such Subsidiary of a Loan Party (or its designee) prior to the scheduled maturity thereof, or enables (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would enable) the holders of such Debt or commitment to provide such Debt or any Person acting on such holders’ behalf to accelerate the maturity thereof, terminate any such commitment or require the mandatory prepayment or purchase thereof prior to the scheduled maturity thereof, without regard to whether such holders or other Person shall have exercised or waived their right to do so; or

 

(g)                                  any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to itself or its debts under any Bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, administrator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail generally, or

 

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shall admit in writing its inability, to pay its debts as they become due, or shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the foregoing; or

 

(h)                                 an involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to it or its debts under any Bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, administrator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of 60 days; or an order for relief shall be entered against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party under the federal Bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect; or

 

(i)                                     any Loan Party or any member of the Controlled Group shall fail to pay when due any material amount which it shall have become liable to pay to the PBGC or to a Plan under Title IV of ERISA; or notice of intent to terminate a Plan or Plans shall be filed under Title IV of ERISA by any Loan Party, any member of the Controlled Group, any plan administrator or any combination of the foregoing; or the PBGC shall institute proceedings under Title IV of ERISA to terminate or to cause a trustee to be appointed to administer any such Plan or Plans or a proceeding shall be instituted by a fiduciary of any such Plan or Plans to enforce Section 515 or 4219(c)(5) of ERISA and such proceeding shall not have been dismissed within 30 days thereafter; or a condition shall exist by reason of which the PBGC would be entitled to obtain a decree adjudicating that any such Plan or Plans must be terminated; or

 

(j)                                    one or more judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $3,000,000 (after taking into account the application of insurance proceeds) shall be rendered against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party and such judgment or order shall continue unsatisfied and unstayed for a period of 30 days; or

 

(k)                                 a federal tax lien shall be filed against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party under Section 6323 of the Code or a lien of the PBGC shall be filed against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party under Section 4068 of ERISA and in either case such lien shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 days after the date of filing; or

 

(l)                                     a Change in Control shall occur; or

 

(m)                             the Administrative Agent, as agent for the Secured Parties, shall fail for any reason to have a valid first priority security interest in any of the Collateral (other than by reason of any act or omission solely on behalf of the Administrative Agent); or

 

(n)                                 a default or event of default shall occur and be continuing under any of the Collateral Documents or any Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any obligation to be observed or performed by it under any Collateral Document, and such default, event of default or failure to perform or observe any obligation continues beyond any applicable cure or grace period provided in such Collateral Document; or

 

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(o)                                 a default or event of default shall occur and be continuing under any of the Material Contracts that would reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect or any Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any material provision or any payment obligation to be observed or performed by it under any Material Contract, and such default, event of default or failure to perform or observe any such provision or obligation continues beyond any applicable cure or grace period provided in such Material Contract; or

 

(p)                                 at least two (2) of Vincent D. Foster, Dwayne Hyzak, Curtis Hartman and David Magdol shall cease to be officers of the Borrower during any eighteen (18) month period and neither of such individuals is replaced as an officer by an individual reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders within 90 days after the date on which the second of such individuals ceases to be an officer; or

 

(q)                                 (i) any of the Guarantors shall fail to pay when due any Guaranteed Obligations (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) or shall fail to pay any fee or other amount payable hereunder when due; or (ii) any Guarantor shall disaffirm, contest or deny its obligations under Article X; or

 

(r)                                    if the Borrower at any time fails to own (directly or indirectly, through Wholly Owned Subsidiaries) 100% of the outstanding shares of the voting stock, voting membership interests or equivalent equity interests of each Guarantor; or

 

(s)                                   any Loan Party shall (or shall attempt to) disaffirm, contest or deny its obligations under any Loan Document or any material provision of any Loan Document for any reason ceases to be valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms; or

 

(t)                                    a Collateral Custodian that is in the possession of any Collateral (1) shall (or shall attempt to) disaffirm, contest or deny its obligations under, or terminates or attempts to terminate, or is in default of its obligations under, a Custodial Agreement or (2) ceases in any respect to be acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion and, in each case, such Collateral Custodian is not replaced by, and any Collateral held by such Collateral Custodian is not delivered to, a replacement Collateral Custodian satisfactory to the Administrative Agent within 10 days after (A) the first date of such occurrence, in the case of clause (1) or (B) the date written notice thereof has been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent, in the case of clause (2); or

 

(u)                                 any SBIC Entity becomes the subject of an enforcement action and is transferred into liquidation status by the U.S. Small Business Administration; or

 

(v)                                 the Borrower agrees or consents to, or otherwise permits any amendment, modification, change, supplement or rescission of or to the Investment Policies in whole or in part that has or would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the interests or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the Secured Parties under this Agreement or any Loan Document or impair the collectability of any Portfolio Investment without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent; or

 

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(w)                               the occurrence of any event, act or condition which the Required Lenders determine either does or has a reasonable probability of causing a Material Adverse Effect,

 

then, and in every such event, the Administrative Agent shall (i) if requested by the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower terminate the Revolver Commitments and they shall thereupon terminate and (ii) if requested by the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower declare the Advances and the Notes (together with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts payable hereunder and under the other Loan Documents to be, and the Advances and the Notes (together with all accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts payable hereunder and under the other Loan Documents shall thereupon become, immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Loan Parties; provided that if any Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) above occurs with respect to any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party, without any notice to any Loan Party or any other act by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, the Revolver Commitments shall thereupon automatically terminate and the Advances and the Notes (together with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts payable hereunder and under the other Loan Documents shall automatically become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Loan Parties.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrative Agent shall have available to it all rights and remedies provided under the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, the rights of a secured party pursuant to the Collateral Documents) and in addition thereto, all other rights and remedies at law or equity, and the Administrative Agent shall exercise any one or all of them at the request of the Required Lenders.

 

SECTION 6.02.                                                                    Notice of Default.  The Administrative Agent shall give notice to the Borrower of any Default under Section 6.01(c) promptly upon being requested to do so by any Lender and shall thereupon notify all the Lenders thereof.

 

SECTION 6.03.                                                                    [Intentionally omitted.]

 

SECTION 6.04.                                                                    Allocation of Proceeds.  If an Event of Default has occurred and not been waived, and the maturity of the Advances and the Notes has been accelerated pursuant to Article VI hereof, all payments received by the Administrative Agent hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, in respect of any principal of or interest on the Obligations or any other amounts payable by the Borrower or any other Loan Party hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, shall be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:

 

(a)                                 To payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, Credit Party Expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under Article VIII and Section 2.12) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such; and then

 

(b)                                 To payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting indemnities, Credit Party Expenses and other amounts (other than principal, interest and fees) payable

 

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to the Lenders (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and amounts payable under Article VIII and Section 2.12), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause payable to them; and then

 

(c)                                  To payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid interest on the Advances and other Obligations, and fees (including unused commitment fees), ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause payable to them; and then

 

(d)                                 To payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Swing Advances; and then

 

(e)                                  To payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Revolver Advances, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause held by them; and then

 

(f)                                   To payment of all other Obligations (excluding any Obligations arising from Cash Management Services and Bank Products), ratably among the Secured Parties in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause held by them; and then

 

(g)                                  To payment of all other Obligations arising from Bank Products and Cash Management Services to the extent secured under the Collateral Documents, ratably among the Secured Parties in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause held by them; and then

 

(h)                                 The balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Loan Parties or as otherwise required by law;

 

provided, that Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to any Guarantor shall not be paid with amounts received from such Guarantor or its assets, but appropriate adjustments shall be made with respect to payment from other Loan Parties to preserve the Obligations otherwise set forth above in this Section 6.04.

 

ARTICLE VII
 THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

SECTION 7.01.                                                                    Appointment and Authority.  Each of the Lenders hereby irrevocably appoints BB&T to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.  The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and neither the Borrower nor any other Loan Party shall have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions.  It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law. Instead such term is used as a

 

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matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.

 

SECTION 7.02.                                                                    Rights as a Lender.  The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity.  Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders

 

SECTION 7.03.                                                                    Exculpatory Provisions.  The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, and its duties hereunder shall be administrative in nature.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:

 

(a)                                 shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

(b)                                 shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents), provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law, including for the avoidance of doubt any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law; and

 

(c)                                  shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

 

The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 9.05 and 6.01) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment.  The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is

 

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given to the Administrative Agent in writing by the Borrower or a Lender.

 

The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article III or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

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 making of an Advance, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender prior to the making of such Advance.  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 or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties.  The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub agents.

 

SECTION 7.06.                                                                    Resignation of Administrative Agent.  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, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States of America, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in

 

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the United States of America.  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, 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. With effect from the Resignation Effective Date, (1) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (2) except for any indemnity payments owed to the retiring Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above in this paragraph.  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 Administrative Agent (other than any rights to indemnity payments owed to the retiring Administrative Agent), and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this paragraph).  The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor.  After the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

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 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.                                                                    No Other Duties, etc.  Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Arrangers listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent or a Lender hereunder.

 

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SECTION 7.09.                                                                    Other Agents.  The Borrower and each Lender hereby acknowledges that any Lender designated as an “Agent” on the signature pages hereof (other than the Administrative Agent) shall not have any obligations, duties or liabilities hereunder other than in its capacity as a Lender.

 

SECTION 7.10.                                                                    Hedging Agreements, Cash Management Services and Bank Products.  Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein or in any Collateral Document, no Bank Product Bank, Cash Management Bank or Hedge Counterparty that obtains the guarantees hereunder or any Collateral by virtue of the provisions hereof or of any Collateral Document shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document or otherwise in respect of the Collateral (including the release or impairment of any Collateral) or any Guaranty (including the release or impairment of any Guaranty) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article VII to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under or related to Cash Management Services, Bank Products and Hedging Agreements unless the Administrative Agent has received written notice of such Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank, Bank Product Bank or Hedge Counterparty, as the case may be.

 

SECTION 7.11.                                                                    Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim.  In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Advance shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered (but not obligated) by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

 

(a)                                 to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Advances and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.07 and 9.03) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

 

(b)                                 to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for

 

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the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.07 and 9.03.

 

SECTION 7.12.                                                                    Collateral and Guaranty Matters.  (a)  The Lenders irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion,

 

(i)                                     to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (x) upon termination of all Revolver Commitments and payment in full of all Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations), (y) that is sold or otherwise disposed of or to be sold or otherwise disposed of as part of or in connection with any sale or other disposition permitted under the Loan Documents, or (z) subject to Section 9.05,  if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by the Required Lenders;  and

 

(ii)                                  to release any Guarantor from its obligations under Article X if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted under the Loan Documents.

 

Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under Article X pursuant to this Section 7.12.

 

(b)                                 The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have a duty to ascertain or inquire into any representation or warranty regarding the existence, value or collectability of the Collateral, the existence, priority or perfection of the Administrative Agent’s Lien thereon, or any certificate prepared by any Loan Party in connection therewith, nor shall the Administrative Agent be responsible or liable to the Lenders for any failure to monitor or maintain any portion of the Collateral.

 

ARTICLE VIII
 CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES; COMPENSATION

 

SECTION 8.01.                                                                    Basis for Determining Interest Rate Inadequate or Unfair.  If on or prior to the first day of any Interest Period:

 

(a)                                 the Administrative Agent determines that deposits in Dollars (in the applicable amounts) are not being offered in the relevant market for such Interest Period, or

 

(b)                                 the Required Lenders advise the Administrative Agent that the London InterBank Offered Rate as determined by the Administrative Agent will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding the Euro-Dollar Advances for such Interest Period,

 

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the Administrative Agent shall forthwith give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders, whereupon until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such suspension no longer exist, the obligations of the Lenders to make Euro-Dollar Advances specified in such notice, or to permit continuations or conversions into Euro-Dollar Advances, shall be suspended.  Unless the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent at least two (2) Euro-Dollar Business Days before the date of any Borrowing or Swing Borrowing of Euro-Dollar Advances for which a Notice of Borrowing has previously been given, or continuation or conversion into such Euro-Dollar Advances for which a Notice of Continuation or Conversion has previously been given, that it elects not to borrow or so continue or convert on such date, such Borrowing or Swing Borrowing shall instead be made as a Base Rate Borrowing, or such Euro-Dollar Advance shall be converted to a Base Rate Advance.

 

SECTION 8.02.                                                                    Illegality.  If, after the date hereof, any Change in Law shall make it unlawful or impossible for any Lender (or its Lending Office) to make, maintain or fund its Euro-Dollar Advances and such Lender shall so notify the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent shall forthwith give notice thereof to the other Lenders and the Borrower, whereupon until such Lender notifies the Borrower and the Administrative Agent that the circumstances giving rise to such suspension no longer exist, the obligation of such Lender to make or permit continuations or conversions of Euro-Dollar Advances shall be suspended.  Before giving any notice to the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section, such Lender shall designate a different Lending Office if such designation will avoid the need for giving such notice and will not, in the judgment of such Lender, be otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender.  If such Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain and fund any of its portion of the outstanding Euro-Dollar Advances to maturity and shall so specify in such notice, the Borrower shall immediately prepay in full the then outstanding principal amount of the Euro-Dollar Advances of such Lender, together with accrued interest thereon and any amount due such Lender pursuant to Section 8.05.  Concurrently with prepaying such Euro-Dollar Advances, the Borrower shall borrow a Base Rate Advance in an equal principal amount from such Lender (on which interest and principal shall be payable contemporaneously with the related Euro-Dollar Advances of the other Lenders), and such Lender shall make such a Base Rate Advance.

 

SECTION 8.03.                                                                    Increased Cost and Reduced Return.

 

(a)                                 If after the date hereof, a Change in Law shall:

 

(i)                                     impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement reflected in the applicable Euro-Dollar Reserve Percentage); or

 

(ii)                                  subject any Lender to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Agreement or any Euro-Dollar Advances made by it, or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes covered by Section 2.12(e) and the imposition of, or any change in the rate of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender); or

 

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(iii)                               impose on any Lender or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Euro-Dollar Advances by such Lender or participation therein;

 

and the result of any of the foregoing is to increase the cost to such Lender of making, continuing, converting to, or maintaining any Euro-Dollar Advance (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Advance), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender, the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

(b)                             If any Lender determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or any lending office of such Lender or such Lender’s holding company, if any, regarding capital requirements or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Revolver Commitments of such Lender or the Advances made by, or the participations in Swing Advances held by, such Lender, to a level below that which such Lender or such Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Lender’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

 

(c)                              A certificate of a Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

 

(d)                                 Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine months prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

 

SECTION 8.04.                                                                    Base Rate Advances Substituted for Affected Euro-Dollar Advances.  If (i) the obligation of any Lender to make or maintain a Euro-Dollar Advance has been suspended pursuant to Section 8.02 or (ii) any Lender has demanded compensation under Section 8.03, and the Borrower shall, by at least five (5) Euro-Dollar Business Days’ prior notice to such Lender through the Administrative Agent, have elected that the provisions of this Section shall apply to such Lender, then, unless and until such Lender notifies the Borrower

 

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that the circumstances giving rise to such suspension or demand for compensation no longer apply:

 

(a)                                 all Advances which would otherwise be made by such Lender as or permitted to be continued as or converted into Euro-Dollar Advances shall instead be made as or converted into Base Rate Advances, (in all cases interest and principal on such Advances shall be payable contemporaneously with the related Euro-Dollar Advances of the other Lenders), and

 

(b)                                 after its portion of the Euro-Dollar Advance has been repaid, all payments of principal which would otherwise be applied to repay such Euro-Dollar Advance shall be applied to repay its Base Rate Advance instead.

 

In the event that the Borrower shall elect that the provisions of this Section shall apply to any Lender, the Borrower shall remain liable for, and shall pay to such Lender as provided herein, all amounts due such Lender under Section 8.03 in respect of the period preceding the date of conversion of such Lender’s portion of any Advance resulting from the Borrower’s election.

 

SECTION 8.05.                                                                    Compensation.  Upon the request of any Lender, delivered to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall pay to such Lender such amount or amounts as shall compensate such Lender for any loss, cost or expense incurred by such Lender as a result of:

 

(a)                                 any payment or prepayment (pursuant to Sections 2.10, 2.11, 6.01, 8.02 or otherwise) of a Euro-Dollar Advance on a date other than the last day of an Interest Period for such Advance; or

 

(b)                                 any failure by the Borrower to prepay a Euro-Dollar Advance on the date for such prepayment specified in the relevant notice of prepayment hereunder; or

 

(c)                                  any failure by the Borrower to borrow a Euro-Dollar Advance on the date for the Borrowing of which such Euro-Dollar Advance is a part specified on the Closing Date;

 

such compensation to include, without limitation, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (x) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the amount so paid or prepaid or not prepaid or borrowed for the period from the date of such payment, prepayment or failure to prepay or borrow to the last day of the then current Interest Period for such Euro-Dollar Advance (or, in the case of a failure to prepay or borrow, the Interest Period for such Euro-Dollar Advance which would have commenced on the date of such failure to prepay or borrow) at the applicable rate of interest for such Euro-Dollar Advance provided for herein over (y) the amount of interest (as reasonably determined by such Lender) such Lender would have paid on deposits in Dollars of comparable amounts having terms comparable to such period placed with it by leading lenders in the London interbank market (if such Advance is a Euro-Dollar Advance).

 

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ARTICLE IX
 MISCELLANEOUS

 

SECTION 9.01.                                                                    Notices Generally.

 

(a)                                 Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by facsimile as follows:

 

(i)                                     if to the Borrower or any other Loan Party, to it at 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800, Houston, TX 77056, Attention of Dwayne Hyzak (Facsimile No. (713) 350-6042; Telephone No. (713) 350-6000;

 

(ii)                                  if to the Administrative Agent, to Branch Banking and Trust Company at 200 West Second Street, 16th Floor, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, Attention of Michael Skorich (Facsimile No. (336) 733-2740; Telephone No. (336) 733-2709;

 

(iii)                               if to a Lender, to it at its address (or facsimile number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.

 

Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient).  Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).

 

(b)                                 Electronic Communications.  Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender pursuant to Article II if such Lender has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication.  The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

 

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal

 

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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)                                  Change of Address, Etc.  Any party hereto may change its address or facsimile number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.

 

(d)                                 Platform.

 

(i)                                     Each Loan Party agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make the Communications (as defined below) available to the Lenders by posting the Communications on Debt Domain, Intralinks, Syndtrak or a substantially similar electronic transmission system (the “Platform”).

 

(ii)                                  The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available.”  The Agent Parties (as defined below) do not warrant the adequacy of the Platform and expressly disclaim liability for errors or omissions in the Communications.  No warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, 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 Communications 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 or the other Loan Parties, any Lender or any other Person or entity for damages of any kind, including, without limitation, direct or indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s, any Loan Party’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of communications through the Platform.  “Communications” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material that any Loan Party provides to the Administrative Agent pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed to the Administrative Agent or any Lender by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through the Platform.

 

SECTION 9.02.                                                                    No Waivers.  No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder or under any Note or other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.  The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan

 

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Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Article VI for the benefit of all the Lenders; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 9.04, or (c) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under the Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable Debtor Relief Law.

 

SECTION 9.03.                                                                    Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

 

(a)                                 Costs and Expenses.  The Loan Parties shall, jointly and severally, pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), and (ii)  all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Advances made hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Advances.

 

(b)                                 Indemnification by the Loan Parties.  The Loan Parties shall, jointly and severally, indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and each Lender and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, penalties, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrower or any other Loan Party arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any Advance or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom, (iii) any actual or alleged presence or Environmental Releases on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought

 

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by a third party or by the Borrower or any other Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto, provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by the Borrower or any other Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if the Borrower or such Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

(c)                                  Reimbursement by Lenders.  To the extent that a Loan Party for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount, provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) in connection with such capacity.  The obligations of the Lenders under this paragraph (c) are subject to the provisions of Sections 9.10 and 9.11.

 

(d)                                 Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc.  To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Loan Parties shall not assert, and hereby waive, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Advance or the use of the proceeds thereof.  No Indemnitee referred to in paragraph (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

(e)                                  Payments.  All amounts due under this Section shall be payable promptly after demand therefor.

 

(f)                                   Survival.  Each party’s obligations under this Section shall survive the termination of the Loan Documents and payment of the obligations hereunder.

 

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SECTION 9.04.                                                                    Setoffs; Sharing of Set-Offs; Application of Payments; Replacement of Lenders.

 

(a)                                 If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any other Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower or such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower or such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of such Lender different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 9.08 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff.  The rights of each Lender and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender or their respective Affiliates may have.  Each Lender agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

 

(b)                                 If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Advances or other Obligations (excluding any Obligations arising under or related to Cash Management Services, Bank Products and Hedging Agreements) hereunder or under any other Loan Document resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of its Advances and accrued interest thereon or other such Obligations (excluding any Obligations arising under or related to Cash Management Services, Bank Products and Hedging Agreements) greater than its pro  rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Advances and such other Obligations (excluding any Obligations arising under or related to Cash Management Services, Bank Products and Hedging Agreements) of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Advances and other amounts owing them, provided that:

 

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(i)                                     if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and

 

(ii)                                  the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by a Loan Party pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender) or (y) 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, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply).

 

Each Loan Party consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against each Loan Party rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of each Loan Party in the amount of such participation.

 

(c)                                  If any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, (i) require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 9.07), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Section 8.03 or Section 2.12(e)) and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment) or (ii) remove such Person as a Lender and reduce the Revolver Commitments by the amount of such Lender’s Revolver Commitment; provided that:

 

(i)                                     in the case of an assignment, the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee (if any) specified in Section 9.07;

 

(ii)                                  such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 8.05) (A) in the case of an assignment, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (B) in the case of the removal of a Lender, from the Borrower;

 

(iii)                               such assignment or removal does not conflict with applicable law;

 

(iv)                              in the case of any assignment resulting from a Lender becoming a Non-Consenting Lender, the applicable assignee shall have consented to the applicable amendment, waiver or consent; and

 

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(v)                                 in the case of the removal of a Lender and the reduction of the Revolver Commitments, (A) the amount of such reduction of the Revolver Commitments shall constitute availability for a future Commitment Increase under and subject to Section 2.14 (for the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the aggregate Revolver Commitments exceed $500,000,000); (B) no such reduction shall be in an amount greater than the Total Unused Revolver Commitments on the date of such termination or reduction; and (C) no such reduction pursuant to this Section 9.04(c) shall result in the aggregate Revolver Commitments of all of the Lenders being reduced to an amount less than $30,000,000, unless the Revolver Commitments are terminated in their entirety pursuant to Section 2.08, in which case all accrued fees (as provided under Section 2.07) shall be payable on the effective date of such termination.

 

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation, or shall not be removed as a Lender, if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation or removal cease to apply.

 

SECTION 9.05.                                                                    Amendments and Waivers.

 

(a)                                 Any provision of this Agreement, the Notes or any other Loan Documents may be amended or waived if, but only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and is signed by the Borrower and the Required Lenders (and, if the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent are affected thereby, by the Administrative Agent); provided that no such amendment or waiver shall, unless signed by all the Lenders or as otherwise noted below, (i) increase the Revolver Commitment of any Lender or subject any Lender to any additional obligation (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any condition precedent set forth in Section 3.02 or of any Default or Event of Default is not considered an increase in Revolver Commitments of any Lender or any Lender’s obligation to fund) without the consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal of or decrease the rate of interest on any Advance or decrease any fees hereunder, (iii) defer the date fixed for any payment of principal of (including any extension of the Termination Date but excluding mandatory prepayments) or interest on any Advance or any fees hereunder; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest at the Default Rate, (iv) reduce the amount of principal, decrease the amount of interest or decrease the amount of fees due on any date fixed for the payment thereof; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest at the Default Rate, (v) change the application of any payments made under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents in a manner that would alter any pro rata sharing requirements, (vi) release, share or substitute all or substantially all of the Collateral held as security for the Obligations, (vii) change or modify the definition of “Required Lenders,” this Section 9.05, or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder without the

 

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written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, (viii) change the definition of the term “Borrowing Base”, “Eligible Portfolio Investment”, “Unrestricted Cash and Cash Equivalents” or any component definition of any of them if as a result thereof the amounts available to be borrowed by the Borrower would be increased without the consent of each Lender, provided that the foregoing shall not limit the discretion of the Administrative Agent to change, establish or eliminate any reserves or to make determinations with respect to the eligibility or value of any Investment, (ix) release any guaranty given to support payment of the Guaranteed Obligations, or (x) amend or waive any provision of the Loan Documents in any manner that permits a Defaulting Lender to cure its status as a Defaulting Lender without requiring such Defaulting Lender to pay in full its unfunded obligations.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver, or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver, or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders may be effected with the consent of all Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders) provided that, without in any way limiting Section 9.08, any such amendment, waiver, or consent that would increase or extend the term of the Revolver Commitment or Revolver Advances 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.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) the Hedging Agreements, any letter agreement with the Administrative Agent, any other letter agreement with a Lender and the agreements evidencing the Bank Products and Cash Management Services may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto and (2) any Commitment Increase meeting the conditions set forth in Section 2.14 shall not require the consent of any Lender other than (i) the Required Lenders and (ii) those Lenders, if any, which have agreed to increase their Revolver Commitment in connection with the proposed Commitment Increase.

 

(b)                                 Notwithstanding anything in clause (a), (i) unless also signed by the Administrative Agent, no amendment, waiver or consent shall affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and (ii) any letter agreement with the Administrative Agent may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, only by means of a written agreement executed by all of the parties thereto. Additionally, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, each Lender is entitled to vote as such Lender sees fit on any bankruptcy reorganization plan that affects the Advances, and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States supersedes the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein and the Required Lenders shall determine whether or not to allow a Loan Party to use cash collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding and such determination shall be binding on all of the Lenders.

 

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(c)                                  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, unless signed by the Swingline Lender, no amendment, waiver of consent shall affect the rights or duties of the Swingline Lender under this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

SECTION 9.06.                                                                    Margin Stock Collateral.  Each of the Lenders represents to the Administrative Agent and each of the other Lenders that it in good faith is not, directly or indirectly (by negative pledge or otherwise), relying upon any Margin Stock as collateral in the extension or maintenance of the credit provided for in this Agreement.

 

SECTION 9.07.                                                                    Successors and Assigns.

 

(a)                                 Successors and Assigns Generally.  The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that neither the Borrower nor any other Loan Party may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (d) of this Section or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of paragraph (f) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void).  Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in paragraph (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Assignments by Lenders.  Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Revolver Commitment and the Revolver Advances at the time owing to it); provided that

 

(i)                                     except in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Revolver Commitment and the Revolver Advances at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to a Lender, the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitment (which for this purpose includes Revolver Advances outstanding thereunder) or, if the applicable Revolver Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Revolver Advances of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date) shall not be less than $10,000,000, unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);

 

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(ii)                                  each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Revolver Advances or the Revolver Commitment assigned;

 

(iii)                               no assignment shall be made to any Defaulting Lender or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (iii);

 

(iv)                              the consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (x) a Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment, or (y) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund;

 

(v)                                 any assignment of a Revolver Commitment must be approved by the Administrative Agent unless the Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender with a Revolver Commitment (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee);

 

(vi)                              the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, and the Eligible Assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire; and

 

(vii)                           In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or subparticipations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Advances previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (x) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent, the Swingline Lender and each other Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon), and (y) acquire (and fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Advances and participations in Swing Advances in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under applicable law without compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.

 

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to

 

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paragraph (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 8.03 and 9.03 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment; provided, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.  Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this paragraph shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (d) of this Section.

 

(c)                                  Register.  The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices in Winston-Salem, North Carolina a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Revolver Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Revolver Advances owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”).  In addition, the Administrative Agent shall maintain on the Register the designation, and the revocation of designation, of any Lender as a Defaulting Lender of which it has received notice.  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary.  The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice

 

(d)                                 Participations.  Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Revolver Commitment and/or the Revolver Advances owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.  For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 9.03(c) with respect to any payments made by such Lender to its Participant(s).

 

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Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in Section 9.05(a)(i) through (x) (inclusive) that affects such Participant.  Subject to paragraph (e) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 8.01 through 8.05 inclusive and 2.12(e) (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 2.12(e)(v) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section Section 2.12(e)(v)  shall be delivered to the participating Lender)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 9.04(c) as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 8.03 or 2.12(e), with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation.  Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 9.04(c) with respect to any Participant.  To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.04 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 9.04 as though it were a Lender.

 

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.

 

(e)                                  Limitations upon Participant Rights.  A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 8.03 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent.  A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be

 

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entitled to the benefits of Section 2.12 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 2.12 as though it were a Lender.

 

(f)                                   Certain Pledges.  Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

 

SECTION 9.08.                                                                    Defaulting Lenders.  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws:

 

(a)                                 during any Default Period with respect to such Defaulting Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in Section 9.05(a);

 

(b)                                 until such time as the Default Excess with respect to such Defaulting Lender shall have been reduced to zero:

 

except as otherwise provided in this Section 9.08, any payment of principal, interest, fees, or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VI or otherwise, and including any amounts made available to the Administrative Agent by such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 9.08), shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender to be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Swingline Lender hereunder; third, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a non-interest bearing deposit account and released in order to satisfy obligations of that Defaulting Lender to fund Revolver Advances under this Agreement; fourth, as the Borrower may request, so long as no Default exists and is continuing, to the funding of any Revolver Advance in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent;  fifth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders or the Swingline Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender or the Swingline Lender against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; sixth, so long as no Default exists and is continuing, 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 seventh, to that Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a

 

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court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Revolver Advance in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share and (y) such Revolver Advance was made at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 3.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Revolver Advance of all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Revolver Advance of that Defaulting Lender;

 

(c)                                  until such time as all Defaulted Payments with respect to such Defaulting Lender shall have been paid, the Administrative Agent may (in its discretion) apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender to satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s obligations to make such Defaulted Payments until such Defaulted Payments have been fully paid;

 

(d)                                 no assignments otherwise permitted by Section 9.07 shall be made to a Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates that are Distressed Persons;

 

(e)                                  all or any part of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in Swing Advances shall be reallocated among the Lenders which are not a Defaulting Lender at such time (each, a “Non-Defaulting Lender”) in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages (calculated without regard to such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) but only to the extent that (x) the conditions set forth in Section 3.02 are satisfied at the time of such reallocation (and, unless the Borrower shall have otherwise notified the Administrative Agent at such time, the Borrower shall be deemed to have represented and warranted that such conditions are satisfied at such time), and (y) such reallocation does not cause the aggregate Credit Exposure of any Non-Defaulting Lender to exceed such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolver Commitment.  No reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender’s increased exposure following such reallocation;

 

(f)                                   if the reallocation described in subsection (e) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall, without prejudice to any right or remedy available to it hereunder or under law, prepay Swing Advances in an amount equal to the Swingline Lender’s Fronting Exposure; and

 

(g)                                  so long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swing Advances unless it is satisfied that it will have no Fronting Exposure after giving effect to such Swing Advance.

 

Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) as provided in the above Section 9.08(b) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender shall be deemed paid to and redirected by that Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

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SECTION 9.09.                                                                    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 Related Parties (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (i)  any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the Advances or (ii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers with respect to the Advances, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Loan Parties or their Affiliates.

 

For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries relating to the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries.  Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

SECTION 9.10.                                                                    Representation by Lenders.  Each Lender hereby represents that it is a commercial lender or financial institution which makes loans in the ordinary course of its business and that it will make its Advances hereunder for its own account in the ordinary course of such business; provided, however, that, subject to Section 9.07, the disposition of the Note or Notes or Revolver Advances held by that Lender shall at all times be within its exclusive control.

 

SECTION 9.11.                                                                    Obligations Several.  The obligations of each Lender hereunder are several, and no Lender shall be responsible for the obligations or commitment of any other Lender hereunder.  Nothing contained in this Agreement and no action taken by the Lenders pursuant hereto shall be deemed to constitute the Lenders to be a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity.  The amounts payable at any time hereunder to each Lender shall be a separate and independent debt and each Lender shall be

 

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entitled to protect and enforce its rights arising out of this Agreement or any other Loan Document and it shall not be necessary for any other Lender to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

 

SECTION 9.12.                                                                    Survival of Certain Obligations.  Sections 8.03(a), 8.03(b), 8.05, 9.03 and 9.09, and the obligations of the Loan Parties thereunder, shall survive, and shall continue to be enforceable notwithstanding, the termination of this Agreement, and the Revolver Commitments and the payment in full of the principal of and interest on all Advances.

 

SECTION 9.13.                                                                    North Carolina Law.  This Agreement and each Loan Document shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of North Carolina.

 

SECTION 9.14.                                                                    Severability.  In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement, the Notes or any of the other Loan Documents should be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein and therein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall be enforced to the greatest extent permitted by law.

 

SECTION 9.15.                                                                    Interest.  In no event shall the amount of interest due or payable hereunder or under the Notes exceed the maximum rate of interest allowed by applicable law, and in the event any such payment is inadvertently made to any Lender by the Borrower or inadvertently received by any Lender, then such excess sum shall be credited as a payment of principal, unless the Borrower shall notify such Lender in writing that it elects to have such excess sum returned forthwith.  It is the express intent hereof that the Borrower not pay and the Lenders not receive, directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever, interest in excess of that which may legally be paid by the Borrower under applicable law.

 

SECTION 9.16.                                                                    Interpretation.  No provision of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents shall be construed against or interpreted to the disadvantage of any party hereto by any court or other governmental or judicial authority by reason of such party having or being deemed to have structured or dictated such provision.

 

SECTION 9.17.                                                                    Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution.

 

(a)                                 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent, constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.  Except as provided in Section 3.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the

 

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signatures of each of the other parties hereto.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement

 

(b)                                 Electronic Execution of Assignments.  The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

 

SECTION 9.18.                                                                    Jurisdiction; Waiver of Venue; Service of Process; Waiver of Jury Trial.

 

(a)                                 Submission to Jurisdiction.  Each Loan Party irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of North Carolina sitting in Forsyth County and of the United States District Court of the Middle District of North Carolina, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such North Carolina State court or, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in such Federal court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.  Nothing in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.

 

(b)                                 Waiver of Venue.  The Borrower irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (a) of this Section.  Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

 

(c)                                  Service of Process.  Each party hereto irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01.  Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law.

 

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(d)                                 Waiver of Jury Trial.  EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).  EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

 

SECTION 9.19.                                                                    Independence of Covenants.  All covenants under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be given independent effect so that if a particular action or condition is not permitted by any such covenant, the fact that it would be permitted by an exception to, or would be otherwise allowed by, another covenant shall not avoid the occurrence of a Default if such action is taken or such condition exists.

 

SECTION 9.20.                                                                    Concerning Certificates.  All certificates required hereunder to be delivered by the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Subsidiary and that are required to be executed or certified by the Chief Financial Officer or any other authorized officer of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Subsidiary shall be executed or certified by such officer in such capacity solely on behalf of the entity for whom he is acting, and not in any individual capacity; provided that nothing in the foregoing shall be deemed as a limitation on liability of any officer for any acts of willful misconduct, fraud, intentional misrepresentation or dishonesty in connection with such execution or certification.

 

SECTION 9.21.                                                                    Patriot Act Notice.  Each Lender and the Administrative Agent (the Administrative Agent for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies each Loan Party that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies such Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of such Loan Party and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify such Loan Party in accordance with such Patriot Act.

 

SECTION 9.22.                                                                    No Fiduciary Relationship.  The Borrower, on behalf of itself and its subsidiaries, agrees that in connection with all aspects of the transactions contemplated hereby and any communications in connection therewith, the Borrower, the Subsidiaries and their Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, and their Affiliates, on the other hand, will have a business relationship that does not create, by implication or otherwise, any fiduciary duty on the part of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, or their Affiliates, and no such duty will be deemed to have arisen in connection with any such transactions or communications.  The Administrative Agent, each Lender and their

 

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Affiliates may have economic interests that conflict with those of the Loan Parties, their stockholders and/or their affiliates.

 

ARTICLE X
 GUARANTY

 

SECTION 10.01.                                                             Unconditional Guaranty.  Each Guarantor hereby irrevocably, unconditionally and jointly and severally guarantees, each as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, to the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the other Secured Parties the due and punctual payment of the principal of and the premium, if any, and interest on the Guaranteed Obligations and any and all other amounts due under or pursuant to the Loan Documents, when and as the same shall become due and payable (whether at stated maturity or by optional or mandatory prepayment or by declaration, redemption or otherwise) in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents.  The Guarantors’ guaranty under this Section is an absolute, present and continuing guarantee of payment and not of collectability, and is in no way conditional or contingent upon any attempt to collect from the Borrower, any of the Guarantors or any other guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations (or any portion thereof) or upon any other action, occurrence or circumstances whatsoever.  In the event that the Borrower or any Guarantor shall fail so to pay any such principal, premium, interest or other amount to the Administrative Agent, a Lender or any other Secured Party, the Guarantors will pay the same forthwith, without demand, presentment, protest or notice of any kind (all of which are waived by the Guarantors to the fullest extent permitted by law), in lawful money of the United States, at the place for payment specified in the Loan Documents or specified by such Administrative Agent in writing, to such Administrative Agent.  The Guarantors further agree, promptly after demand, to pay to the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the other Secured Parties the costs and expenses incurred by such Administrative Agent, Lender or other Secured Party in connection with enforcing the rights of such Administrative Agent, Lenders and the other Secured Parties against the Borrower and any or all of the Guarantors (whether in a Bankruptcy proceeding or otherwise) following any default in payment of any of the Guaranteed Obligations or the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder, including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of counsel to the Administrative Agent, such Lenders and the other Secured Parties.

 

SECTION 10.02.                                                             Obligations Absolute.  The obligations of the Guarantors hereunder are and shall be absolute and unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of this Agreement, any of the Guaranteed Obligations or any of the Loan Documents, shall not be subject to any counterclaim, set-off, deduction or defense based upon any claim any of the Guarantors may have against the Borrower, any other Guarantor or the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party, hereunder or otherwise, and shall remain in full force and effect without regard to, and shall not be released, discharged or in any way affected by, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any circumstance or condition whatsoever (whether or not any of the Guarantors shall have any knowledge or notice thereof), including, without limitation:

 

(a)                                 any amendment or modification of or supplement to any of the Loan Documents or any other instrument referred to herein or therein, or any assignment or

 

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transfer of any thereof or of any interest therein, or any furnishing or acceptance of additional security for any of the Guaranteed Obligations;

 

(b)                                 any waiver, consent or extension under any Loan Document or any such other instrument, or any indulgence or other action or inaction under or in respect of, or any extensions or renewals of, any Loan Document, any such other instrument or any Guaranteed Obligation;

 

(c)                                  any failure, omission or delay on the part of the Administrative Agent to enforce, assert or exercise any right, power or remedy conferred on or available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender against the Borrower or any Guarantor, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of any Guarantor;

 

(d)                                 any Bankruptcy, insolvency, readjustment, composition, liquidation or similar proceeding with respect to the Borrower, any Guarantor, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of any Guarantor or any property of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any such Subsidiary or any unavailability of assets against which the Guaranteed Obligations, or any of them, may be enforced;

 

(e)                                  any merger or consolidation of the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor or any of the Guarantors into or with any other Person or any sale, lease or transfer of any or all of the assets of any of the Guarantors, the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor to any Person;

 

(f)                                   any failure on the part of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor for any reason to comply with or perform any of the terms of any agreement with any of the Guarantors;

 

(g)                                  any exercise or non-exercise by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party, of any right, remedy, power or privilege under or in respect of any of the Loan Documents or the Guaranteed Obligations, including, without limitation, under this Section;

 

(h)                                 any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance or payment of any of the Guaranteed Obligations;

 

(i)                                     any furnishing or acceptance of security, or any release, substitution or exchange thereof, for any of the Guaranteed Obligations;

 

(j)                                    any failure to give notice to any of the Guarantors of the occurrence of any breach or violation of, or any event of default or any default under or with respect to, any of the Loan Documents or the Guaranteed Obligations;

 

(k)                                 any partial prepayment, or any assignment or transfer, of any of the Guaranteed Obligations; or

 

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(l)                                     any other circumstance (other than payment in full) which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor or which might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of such Guarantor.

 

The Guarantors covenant that their respective obligations hereunder will not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Loan Documents and this Agreement and the final payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations.  The Guarantors unconditionally waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law (A) notice of any of the matters referred to in this Section, (B) any and all rights which any of the Guarantors may now or hereafter have arising under, and any right to claim a discharge of the Guarantor’s obligations hereunder by reason of the failure or refusal by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party to take any action pursuant to any statute permitting a Guarantor to request that the Administrative Agent or any Lender attempt to collect the Guaranteed Obligations from the Borrower, any of the Guarantors or any other guarantor (including without limitation any rights under Sections 26-7, 26-8 or 26-9 of the North Carolina General Statutes, O.C.G.A. § 10-7-24, or any similar or successor provisions), (C) all notices which may be required by statute, rule of law or otherwise to preserve any of the rights of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party against the Guarantors, including, without limitation, presentment to or demand of payment from the Borrower, any of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower or any Guarantor, or any of the other Guarantors with respect to any Loan Document or this agreement, notice of acceptance of the Guarantors’ guarantee hereunder and/or notice to the Borrower, any of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower or any Guarantor, or any Guarantor of default or protest for nonpayment or dishonor, (D) any diligence in collection from or protection of or realization upon all or any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations or any security therefor, any liability hereunder, or any party primarily or secondarily liable for all or any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations, and (E) any duty or obligation of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party to proceed to collect all or any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations from, or to commence an action against, the Borrower, any Guarantor or any other Person, or to resort to any security or to any balance of any deposit account or credit on the books of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party in favor of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any other Person, despite any notice or request of any of the Guarantors to do so.

 

SECTION 10.03.                                                             Continuing Obligations; Reinstatement.  The obligations of the Guarantors under this Article X are continuing obligations and shall continue in full force and effect until such time as all of the Guaranteed Obligations (and any renewals and extensions thereof) shall have been finally paid and satisfied in full.  The obligations of the Guarantors under this Article X shall continue to be effective or be automatically reinstated, as the case may be, if any payment made by the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor on, under or in respect of any of the Guaranteed Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the recipient upon the insolvency, Bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any such Subsidiary, or upon or as a result of the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to the Borrower, any Guarantor or any such Subsidiary or any substantial part of the property of the Borrower, any Guarantor or any such Subsidiary, or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made.  If an event permitting the acceleration of all or any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations shall at any time have

 

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occurred and be continuing, and such acceleration shall at such time be stayed, enjoined or otherwise prevented for any reason, including without limitation because of the pendency of a case or proceeding relating to the Borrower, any Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor under any Bankruptcy or insolvency law, for purposes of this Article X and the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder, such Guaranteed Obligations shall be deemed to have been accelerated with the same effect as if such Guaranteed Obligations had been accelerated in accordance with the terms of the applicable Loan Documents or of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 10.04.                                                             Additional Security, Etc.  The Guarantors authorize the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders without notice to or demand on the Guarantors and without affecting their liability hereunder, from time to time (a) to obtain additional or substitute endorsers or guarantors; (b) to exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against, and grant indulgences to, the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor, any other Guarantor or others; and (c) to apply any sums, by whomsoever paid or however realized, to the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, and other obligations consisting of, the Guaranteed Obligations.  The Guarantors waive any right to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party to proceed against any additional or substitute endorsers or guarantors or the Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries or any other Person or to pursue any other remedy available to the Administrative Agent, any such Lender or any such other Secured Party.

 

SECTION 10.05.                                                             Information Concerning the Borrower.  The Guarantors assume all responsibility for being and keeping themselves informed of the financial condition and assets of the Borrower, the other Guarantors and their respective Subsidiaries, and of all other circumstances bearing upon the risk of nonpayment of the Guaranteed Obligations and the nature, scope and extent of the risks which the Guarantors assume and insure hereunder, and agree that neither the Administrative Agent, any Lender nor any other Secured Party shall have any duty to advise the Guarantors of information known to the Administrative Agent, any such Lender or any such other Secured Party regarding or in any manner relevant to any of such circumstances or risks.

 

SECTION 10.06.                                                             Guarantors’ Subordination.  The Guarantors hereby absolutely subordinate, both in right of payment and in time of payment, any present and future indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor to any or all of the Guarantors to the indebtedness of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary or to the Administrative Agent, Lenders and the other Secured Parties (or any of them), provided that the Guarantors may receive scheduled payments of principal, premium (if any) and interest in respect of such present or future indebtedness so long as there is no Event of Default then in existence.

 

SECTION 10.07.                                                             Waiver of Subrogation.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, until the payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations, the Guarantors hereby waive any right of subrogation (under contract, Section 509 of the Bankruptcy Code or otherwise) or any other right of indemnity, reimbursement or contribution and hereby waive any right to enforce any remedy that the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party now has or may hereafter have against the Borrower, any Guarantor or any

 

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endorser or any other guarantor of all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations, and the Guarantors hereby waive any benefit of, and any right to participate in, any security or collateral given to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party to secure payment or performance of the Guaranteed Obligations or any other liability of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party.  The waiver contained in this Section shall continue and survive the termination of this Agreement and the final payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations.

 

SECTION 10.08.                                                             Enforcement.  In the event that the Guarantors shall fail forthwith to pay upon demand of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Secured Party any amounts due pursuant to this Article X or to perform or comply with or to cause performance or compliance with any other obligation of the Guarantors under this Agreement the Administrative Agent, any Lender and any other Secured Party shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceeding at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid or for the performance of or compliance with such terms, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce such judgment or final decree against the Guarantors and collect in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Guarantors, wherever situated, any monies adjudged or decreed to be payable.  The obligations of the Guarantors under this Agreement are continuing obligations and a fresh cause of action shall arise in respect of each default hereunder.

 

SECTION 10.09.                                                             Miscellaneous.  Except as may otherwise be expressly agreed upon in writing, the liability of the Guarantors under this Article X shall neither affect nor be affected by any prior or subsequent guaranty by the Guarantors of any other indebtedness to the Administrative Agent, the Lenders or any other Secured Party.  Notwithstanding anything in this Article X to the contrary, the maximum liability of each Guarantor hereunder shall in no event exceed the maximum amount which could be paid out by such Guarantor without rendering such Guarantor’s obligations under this Article X, in whole or in part, void or voidable under applicable law, including, without limitation, (i) the Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended, and (ii) any applicable state or federal law relative to fraudulent conveyances.

 

SECTION 10.10.                                                             Keepwell.  Each Loan Party that is a Qualified ECP Guarantor at the time the guarantee hereunder or the grant of the security interest under the Loan Documents, in each case, by any Specified Guarantor, becomes effective with respect to any Swap Obligation, hereby jointly and severally, absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes to provide such funds or other support to each Specified Guarantor with respect to such Swap Obligation as may be needed by such Specified Guarantor from time to time to honor all of its obligations under its guarantee and the other Loan Documents in respect of such Swap Obligation (but, in each case, only up to the maximum amount of such liability that can be hereby incurred without rendering such Qualified ECP Guarantor’s obligations and undertakings under this Section 10.10 voidable under applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, and not for any greater amount). The obligations and undertakings of each Qualified ECP Guarantor under this Section shall remain in full force and effect until the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid and performed in full. Each Qualified ECP Guarantor intends this Section to constitute, and this Section shall be deemed to

 

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constitute, a guarantee of the obligations of, and a “keepwell, support, or other agreement” for the benefit of, each Specified Guarantor for all purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

SECTION 10.11.                                                             Consent and Reaffirmation.  Each Guarantor hereby consents to the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and agrees that each reference to the Existing Credit Agreement in the Loan Documents shall, on and after the date hereof, be deemed to be a reference to this Agreement.  Each Guarantor hereby acknowledges and agrees that, after giving effect to this Agreement, all of its respective obligations and liabilities under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, as such obligations and liabilities have been amended by this Agreement, are reaffirmed, and remain in full force and effect.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed, under seal, by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

	
 
    	
MAIN STREET CAPITAL CORPORATION
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Dwayne L. Hyzak
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Dwayne   L. Hyzak
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Chief   Financial Officer, Senior Managing
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Director   and Treasurer
    

 

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INITIAL GUARANTOR
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
MAIN STREET CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Dwayne L. Hyzak
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Dwayne   L. Hyzak
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Chief   Financial Officer, Senior Managing
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Director   and Treasurer
    

 

129

 

	
 
    	
INITIAL GUARANTOR
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
MAIN STREET EQUITY INTERESTS, INC.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Dwayne L. Hyzak
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Dwayne   L. Hyzak
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Chief   Financial Officer, Senior Managing
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Director   and Treasurer
    

 

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COMMITMENTS
    	
BRANCH   BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY,
    
	
 
    	
as   Administrative Agent, Swingline Lender and as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   William B. Keene
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
William   B. Keene
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice   President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
$75,000,000
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
Branch   Banking and Trust Company
    
	
 
    	
200   West Second Street, 16th Floor
    
	
 
    	
Winston-Salem,   NC 27101
    
	
 
    	
Attention:   William B. Keene, Vice President
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: (336) 733-2740
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: (336) 733-1456
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
And   a copy to:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Jacqueline   E. Camp, Esq.
    
	
 
    	
Womble   Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP
    
	
 
    	
300   North Greene Street
    
	
 
    	
Suite 1900
    
	
 
    	
Greensboro,   NC 27401
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: (336) 574-4547
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: (336) 574-8069
    
						

 

131

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
REGIONS   BANK
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Larry C. Stephens
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Larry   C. Stephens
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$75MM
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
Regions   Bank
    
	
 
    	
5005   Woodway, Suite 110
    
	
 
    	
Houston,   TX 77056
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Larry Stephens
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: 713-426-7180
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 713-426-7158
    

 

132

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
FROST   BANK
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Brenda Murphy
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Brenda   Murphy
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Market   President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$50,000,000.00
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
Frost   Bank
    
	
 
    	
5925   Kirby
    
	
 
    	
Houston,   TX 77005
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Brenda Murphy
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 713-388-1261
    

 

133

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
CAPITAL   ONE, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Don Backer
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Don   Backer
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$37,500,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
6200   Chevy Chase Drive
    
	
 
    	
Laurel,   MD 20707
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Jullian Dubell
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: 301-953-8692
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 301-939-5929
    

 

134

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
TEXAS   CAPITAL BANK
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Eric Luttrell
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Eric   Luttrell
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President – Corporate Banking
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$30,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
Texas   Capital Bank
    
	
 
    	
One   Riverway, Floor 21
    
	
 
    	
Houston,   TX 77051
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Eric Luttrell, Senior Vice President
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: (832) 308-7019
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: (832) 308-7018
    

 

135

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
CADENCE   BANK, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Bill Bobbora
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Bill   Bobbora
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$27,500,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
Bill   Bobbora
    
	
 
    	
2800   Post Oak Blvd., Suite 3800
    
	
 
    	
Houston,   TX 77056
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Bill Bobbora
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: 713-634-4944
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 713-871-3958
    

 

136

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
AMEGY   BANK N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Eva Wolod
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Eva   Wolod
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Assistant   Vice President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$30,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
Amegy   Bank N.A.
    
	
 
    	
4400   Post Oak Parkway
    
	
 
    	
Houston,   Texas 77027
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Eva Wolod
    
	
 
    	
Telephone:   713-232-2291
    

 

137

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
ROYAL   BANK OF CANADA
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Rahul D. Shah
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Rahul   D. Shah
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$30,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
20   King Street West
    
	
 
    	
Toronto,   Ontario M5H 1C3
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Bhavesh Mistry, Global Loans Administration
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: 212-428-2372
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 416-955-6390
    

 

138

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
RAYMOND   JAMES BANK, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Joseph A. Ciccolini
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Joseph   A. Ciccolini
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Vice   President – Senior Corporate Banker
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$10,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending Office
    
	
 
    	
Raymond James Bank, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
710 Carillon Parkway
    
	
 
    	
St. Petersburg, FL 33716
    
	
 
    	
Attn: Loan Operations
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile number: 866-205-1396
    
	
 
    	
Telephone number: 727-567-1815
    

 

139

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
PATRIOT   BANK
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Bill Holbert
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Bill   Holbert
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$25,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending Office
    
	
 
    	
Patriot Bank
    
	
 
    	
7500 San Felipe
    
	
 
    	
Suite 125
    
	
 
    	
Houston, TX 77063
    
	
 
    	
Attn: Bill Holbert
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile number: 281-317-8920
    
	
 
    	
Telephone number: 281-317-8924
    

 

140

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
FIRST   FINANCIAL BANK, N.A.
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Marelyn Shedd
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Marelyn   Shedd
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
President   – Abilene Region
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$10,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
400   Pine Street
    
	
 
    	
Abilene,   TX 79601
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Marelyn Shedd
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number:
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number:
    

 

141

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
GOLDMAN   SACHS BANK USA
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Mark Walton
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Mark   Walton
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$30,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
GOLDMAN   SACHS BANK USA
    
	
 
    	
200   West Street
    
	
 
    	
New   York, NY 10282
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Michelle Latzoni
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: 917-977-3966
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 212-934-3921
    

 

142

 

	
COMMITMENTS
    	
TRUSTMARK   NATIONAL BANK
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Jeff Deutsch
    	
(SEAL)
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Jeff   Deutsch
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    
	
Revolver
    	
 
    
	
Commitment:
    	
 
    
	
$15,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Lending   Office
    
	
 
    	
945   Bunker Hill Ste 200
    
	
 
    	
Houston,   TX 77024
    
	
 
    	
Attn:   Jeff Deutsch
    
	
 
    	
Facsimile   number: 713-365-0890
    
	
 
    	
Telephone   number: 713-827-3717
    

 

1

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