Document:

Exhibit 10.3

 

EXECUTION COPY

 

 

 

 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

 

dated as of

 

 

October 28, 2011

 

among

 

 

PRICELINE.COM INCORPORATED

 

The Dutch Borrower From Time to Time Party Hereto

 

 

The Lenders Party Hereto

 

CITIBANK, N.A., DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.

and MORGAN STANLEY BANK, N.A.
 as Senior Managing Agents

 

RBS CITIZENS, N.A.
 as Documentation Agent

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
 as Co-Syndication Agents

 

and

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
 as Administrative Agent

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC,
 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED and WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC,
 as Joint Bookrunners and Joint Lead Arrangers

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE I Definitions
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms
    	
1
    
	
SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings
    	
21
    
	
SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally
    	
21
    
	
SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP
    	
21
    
	
SECTION 1.05. Currency Equivalents Generally
    	
22
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE II The Credits
    	
22
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 2.01. Commitments
    	
22
    
	
SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings
    	
22
    
	
SECTION 2.03. Requests for Revolving Borrowings
    	
23
    
	
SECTION 2.04. Determination of Dollar Amounts
    	
24
    
	
SECTION 2.05. Swingline Loans
    	
24
    
	
SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit
    	
25
    
	
SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings
    	
29
    
	
SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections
    	
30
    
	
SECTION 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments
    	
31
    
	
SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt
    	
32
    
	
SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans
    	
32
    
	
SECTION 2.12. Fees
    	
33
    
	
SECTION 2.13. Interest
    	
34
    
	
SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest
    	
35
    
	
SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs
    	
35
    
	
SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments
    	
36
    
	
SECTION 2.17. Taxes
    	
37
    
	
SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment;   Sharing of Set-offs
    	
40
    
	
SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of   Lenders
    	
42
    
	
SECTION 2.20. Expansion Option
    	
42
    
	
SECTION 2.21. Market Disruption
    	
44
    
	
SECTION 2.22. Judgment Currency
    	
44
    
	
SECTION 2.23. Defaulting Lenders
    	
45
    
	
SECTION 2.24. Designation of Dutch Borrower
    	
46
    
	
SECTION 2.25. Extension of Maturity Date
    	
46
    
	
SECTION 2.26.  Liability of Dutch Subsidiary
    	
48
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE III Representations and Warranties
    	
49
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers; Subsidiaries
    	
49
    
	
SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability
    	
49
    
	
SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts
    	
49
    
	
SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse   Change
    	
49
    

 

 

Table of Contents

(continued)

 

	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 3.05. Properties
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 3.09. Taxes
    	
50
    
	
SECTION 3.10. ERISA
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.11. Disclosure
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.12. Federal Reserve Regulations
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.13. Liens
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.14. No Default
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.15. No Burdensome Restrictions
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 3.16. Insurance
    	
51
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IV Conditions
    	
51
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 4.01. Effective Date
    	
51
    
	
SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event
    	
52
    
	
SECTION 4.03. Designation of the Dutch Borrower
    	
53
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE V Affirmative Covenants
    	
53
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements and Other   Information
    	
53
    
	
SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 5.04. Payment of Tax Obligations
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights
    	
55
    
	
SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws
    	
56
    
	
SECTION 5.08. Use of Proceeds
    	
56
    
	
SECTION 5.09. Subsidiary Guaranty
    	
56
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VI Negative Covenants
    	
56
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness
    	
56
    
	
SECTION 6.02. Liens
    	
57
    
	
SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes and Asset Sales
    	
58
    
	
SECTION 6.04. Restrictive Agreements
    	
60
    
	
SECTION 6.05. Financial Covenants
    	
60
    

 

ii

 

Table of Contents

(continued)

 

	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VII Events of Default
    	
60
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VIII The Administrative Agent
    	
62
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IX Miscellaneous
    	
65
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SECTION 9.01. Notices
    	
65
    
	
SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments
    	
66
    
	
SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver
    	
67
    
	
SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns
    	
68
    
	
SECTION 9.05. Survival
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 9.07. Severability
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff
    	
72
    
	
SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to   Service of Process
    	
73
    
	
SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 9.11. Headings
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality
    	
74
    
	
SECTION 9.13. USA PATRIOT Act
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 9.14. Releases of Subsidiary Guarantors
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 9.15. Interest Rate Limitation
    	
75
    
	
SECTION 9.16. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility
    	
75
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE X Company Guarantee
    	
76
    

 

iii

 

Table of Contents

(continued)

 

	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
SCHEDULES:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   2.01 — Commitments
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   2.02 — Mandatory Cost
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   2.06 — Existing Letters of Credit
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   3.01 — Subsidiaries
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   3.06 — Disclosed Matters
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   6.01 — Existing Indebtedness
    	
 
    
	
Schedule   6.02 — Existing Liens
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBITS:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit A   — Form of Assignment and Assumption
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit B-1   — Form of Opinion of Loan Parties’ Special U.S. Counsel
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit B-2   — Form of Opinion of Company’s General Counsel
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit C   — Form of Increasing Lender Supplement
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit D   — Form of Augmenting Lender Supplement
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit E   — List of Closing Documents
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit F-1   — Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Lenders That Are Not   Partnerships)

Exhibit F-2   — Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Participants That Are Not   Partnerships)

Exhibit F-3   — Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Participants That Are   Partnerships)

Exhibit F-4   — Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Lenders That Are   Partnerships)

Exhibit G-1   — Form of Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement

Exhibit G-2   —Form of Borrowing Subsidiary Termination
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit H   — Form Maturity Date Extension Request
    	
 
    
	
Exhibit I   — Form of Subsidiary Guaranty
    	
 
    

 

iv

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of October 28, 2011 among PRICELINE.COM INCORPORATED, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), BOOKING.COM B.V., a private limited liability company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands, with its statutory seat at Amsterdam, the Netherlands (the “Dutch Subsidiary”) to the extent it becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 2.24, the LENDERS from time to time party hereto, RBS CITIZENS, N.A., as Documentation Agent, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Co-Syndication Agents and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

The parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

Definitions

 

SECTION 1.01.  Defined Terms.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

 

“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to a Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.

 

“Acquisition” means any acquisition of property or series of related acquisitions of property that (a) constitutes (i) assets comprising all or substantially all or any significant portion of a business or operating unit of a business, or (ii) all or substantially all of the common stock or other Equity Interests of a Person.

 

“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to the sum of (i) (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate plus, without duplication, (ii) in the case of Loans by a Lender from its office or branch in the United Kingdom or any Participating Member State, the Mandatory Cost.

 

“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (including its branches and affiliates), in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.

 

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

 

“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.

 

“Aggregate Commitment” means the aggregate of the Commitments of all of the Lenders, as reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof.  As of the Effective Date, the Aggregate Commitment is $1,000,000,000.

 

“Agreed Currencies” means (i) Dollars, (ii) euro, (iii) Pounds Sterling and (iv) any other Foreign Currency that is (x) a lawful currency (other than Dollars) that is readily available and freely transferable and convertible into Dollars, (y) available in the London interbank deposit market and (z) agreed to by the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders.

 

 

“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 1⁄2 of 1% and (c) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one month Interest Period on such day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 1%, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Adjusted LIBO Rate for any day shall be based on the rate appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or on any successor or substitute screen provided by Reuters or any successor to or substitute for such service providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such screen) at approximately 11:00 a.m. London time on such day.  Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively.

 

“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the Aggregate Commitment represented by such Lender’s Commitment; provided that, in the case of Section 2.23 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, “Applicable Percentage” shall mean the percentage of the Aggregate Commitment (disregarding any Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) represented by such Lender’s Commitment.  If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments and, subject to Section 2.23, to any Lender’s status as a Defaulting Lender at the time of determination.

 

“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Eurocurrency Revolving Loan, ABR Revolving Loan or with respect to the commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Commitment Fee Rate”, “Eurocurrency Spread” or “ABR Spread”, as the case may be, based upon the Category applicable on such date:

 

	
Pricing
   Category
    	
 
    	
Commitment Fee
   Rate
    	
 
    	
Eurocurrency
   Spread
    	
 
    	
ABR Spread
    	
 
    
	
Category I:
    	
 
    	
0.10
    	
%
    	
1.00
    	
%
    	
0
    	
%
    
	
Category II:
    	
 
    	
0.15
    	
%
    	
1.125
    	
%
    	
0.125
    	
%
    
	
Category III:
    	
 
    	
0.175
    	
%
    	
1.25
    	
%
    	
0.25
    	
%
    
	
Category IV:
    	
 
    	
0.20
    	
%
    	
1.375
    	
%
    	
0.375
    	
%
    
	
Category V:
    	
 
    	
0.25
    	
%
    	
1.50
    	
%
    	
0.50
    	
%
    

 

For purposes of the foregoing,

 

(a) (i) Category I and Ratings Level A are equivalent and correspond to each other, and they are the highest levels for purposes of the Applicable Rate, (ii) Category II, Ratings Level B and Leverage Level 2 are equivalent and correspond to each other, and they are the second highest levels for purposes of the Applicable Rate, (iii) Category III, Ratings Level C and Leverage Level 3 are equivalent and correspond to each other, and they are the third highest levels for purposes of the Applicable Rate, (iv) Category IV, Ratings Level D and Leverage Level 4 are equivalent and correspond to each other, and they are the fourth highest levels for purposes of the Applicable Rate, and (v) Category V, Ratings Level E and Leverage Level 5 are equivalent and correspond to each other, and they are the lowest levels for purposes of the Applicable Rate;

 

(b) at any time of determination, the Category shall be determined by reference to the higher of the Leverage Level and the Ratings Level then in effect;

 

 

(c) if at any time the Company fails to deliver the Financials on or before the date the Financials are due pursuant to Section 5.01, Category V shall be deemed applicable for the period commencing three (3) Business Days after the required date of delivery and ending on the date which is three (3) Business Days after the Financials are actually delivered, after which the Category shall be determined in accordance with the table above as applicable;

 

(d) except as provided below, adjustments, if any, to the Category then in effect shall be effective three (3) Business Days after the Administrative Agent has received the applicable Financials (it being understood and agreed that each change in Category shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change);

 

(e) notwithstanding the foregoing, Category III shall be deemed to be applicable until the Administrative Agent’s receipt of the applicable Financials for the Company’s first fiscal quarter ending after the Effective Date and adjustments to the Category then in effect shall thereafter be effected in accordance with the preceding paragraphs;

 

(f) at any time of determination, the “Leverage Level” shall be based upon Leverage Ratio applicable at such time:

 

	
Leverage Level
    	
 
    	
Leverage Ratio
    
	
Level 2
    	
 
    	
< 0.50 to 1.00
    
	
Level 3
    	
 
    	
> 0.50 to 1.00 but < 1.50 to 1.00
    
	
Level 4
    	
 
    	
> 1.50 to 1.00 but < 2.50 to 1.00
    
	
Level 5
    	
 
    	
> 2.50 to 1.00
    

 

(g) at any time of determination, the “Ratings Level” shall be based upon the long-term debt ratings by Moody’s and S&P, respectively, applicable at such time to the Index Debt:

 

	
Ratings Level
    	
 
    	
Index Debt Ratings
   (Moody’s/S&P)
    
	
Level A
    	
 
    	
A3/A- or higher
    
	
Level B
    	
 
    	
Baa1/BBB+
    
	
Level C
    	
 
    	
Baa2/BBB
    
	
Level D
    	
 
    	
Baa3/BBB-
    
	
Level E
    	
 
    	
Ba3/BB- or lower
    

 

 

For purposes of the foregoing paragraph (g), (i) if either Moody’s or S&P shall not have in effect a rating for the Index Debt (other than by reason of the circumstances referred to in the last sentence of this definition), then such rating agency shall be deemed to have established a Ratings Level in Level D; (ii) if the ratings established or deemed to have been established by Moody’s and S&P for the Index Debt shall fall within different Ratings Levels, the Ratings Level shall be based on the higher of the two ratings; and (iii) if the ratings established or deemed to have been established by Moody’s and S&P for the Index Debt shall be changed (other than as a result of a change in the rating system of Moody’s or S&P), such change shall be effective as of the date on which it is first publicly announced by the applicable rating agency, irrespective of when notice of such change shall have been furnished by the Company to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise.  Each change in the Ratings Level shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.  If the rating system of Moody’s or S&P shall change, or if either such rating agency shall cease to be in the business of rating corporate debt obligations, the Company and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend the definition of Ratings Level in accordance with Section 9.02 hereof to reflect such changed rating system or the unavailability of ratings from such rating agency and, pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the Ratings Level shall be determined by reference to the rating most recently in effect prior to such change or cessation.

 

“Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.

 

“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption agreement entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

“Augmenting Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.20.

 

“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

“Available Commitment” means, at any time, the Commitment then in effect minus the Revolving Credit Exposure of all Lenders at such time; it being understood and agreed that any Lender’s Swingline Exposure shall not be deemed to be a component of the Revolving Credit Exposure for purposes of calculating the commitment fee under Section 2.12(a).

 

“Banking Services” means each and any of the following bank services provided to the Company or any Subsidiary by any Lender or any of its Affiliates: (a) credit cards for commercial customers (including, without limitation, commercial credit cards and purchasing cards), (b) stored value cards and (c) treasury management services (including, without limitation, controlled disbursement, automated clearinghouse transactions, return items, overdrafts and interstate depository network services).

 

“Banking Services Agreement” means any agreement entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with Banking Services.

 

“Banking Services Obligations” means any and all obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor) in connection with Banking Services.

 

 

“Bankruptcy Event” means, with respect to any Person, such Person becomes the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with the reorganization or liquidation of its business appointed for it, or, in the good faith determination of the Administrative Agent, has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any such proceeding or appointment; provided that a Bankruptcy Event shall not result solely by virtue of any ownership interest, or the acquisition of any ownership interest, in such Person by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality thereof; provided, further, that such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Person 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 Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.

 

“Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.

 

“Borrower” means the Company or the Dutch Borrower and “Borrowers” means, collectively, the Company and the Dutch Borrower.

 

“Borrowing” means (a) Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurocurrency Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect or (b) a Swingline Loan.

 

“Borrowing Request” means a request by any Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03.

 

“Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement” means a Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit G-1.

 

“Borrowing Subsidiary Termination” means a Borrowing Subsidiary Termination substantially in the form of Exhibit G-2.

 

“Burdensome Restrictions” means any consensual encumbrance or restriction of the type described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.04 (without giving effect to any exceptions described in clauses (i) through (iv) of such Section 6.04).

 

“Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurocurrency Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in the relevant Agreed Currency in the London interbank market or the principal financial center of the country in which payment or purchase of such Agreed Currency can be made (and, if the Borrowings or LC Disbursements which are the subject of a borrowing, drawing, payment, reimbursement or rate selection are denominated in euro, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which the TARGET2 payment system is not open for the settlement of payments in euro).

 

“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

 

“Change in Control” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder as in effect on the date hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than 35% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Company; (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Company by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Company nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated; (c) the occurrence of a change in control, or other similar provision, as defined in any agreement or instrument evidencing any Material Indebtedness (triggering a default or mandatory prepayment, which default or mandatory prepayment has not been waived in writing); or (d) to the extent the Dutch Subsidiary becomes a Borrower hereunder, the Company ceases to own, directly or indirectly, and Control 100% (other than directors’ qualifying shares) of the ordinary voting and economic power of the Dutch Borrower.

 

“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement (or with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender), 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 or application thereof by any Governmental Authority, or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rules, guideline, requirement or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided however, that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements and directives thereunder, issued in connection therewith or in implementation thereof, and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements and 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, issued or implemented.

 

“Class”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans or Swingline Loans.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

“Co-Syndication Agent” means each of Bank of America, N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association in its capacity as co-syndication agent for the credit facility evidenced by this Agreement.

 

“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced or terminated from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09, (b) increased from time to time pursuant to Section 2.20 and (c) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04.  The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption or other documentation contemplated hereby pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable.

 

“Company” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

“Computation Date” is defined in Section 2.04.

 

“Consenting Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.25.

 

 

“Consolidated EBITDA” means Consolidated Net Income plus, to the extent deducted from revenues in determining Consolidated Net Income, (i) interest expense, (ii) expense for income taxes paid or accrued, (iii) depreciation, (iv) amortization, (v) extraordinary non-cash charges, expenses and losses incurred other than in the ordinary course of business, (vi) non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation, (vii) other non-cash charges and expenses, including, without limitation, any non-cash expense relating to the vesting of warrants and (viii) cost savings consistent with the standards set forth in Rule 11-02(b)(6) of Regulation S-X, minus, to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income, (1) interest income (net of fees and expenses associated for closed-end funds, mutual funds and exchange traded funds), (2) income tax credits and refunds (to the extent not netted from tax expense), (3) any cash payments made during such period in respect of items described in clause (vii) above subsequent to the fiscal quarter in which the relevant non-cash, charge expense or losses were incurred, (4) extraordinary non-cash gains realized other than in the ordinary course of business and (5) gains and losses on conversions of convertible debt recorded pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification 470-20, all calculated for the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis.  For the purposes of calculating Consolidated EBITDA for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters (each, a “Reference Period”), (i) if at any time during such Reference Period the Company or any Subsidiary shall have made any Material Disposition, the Consolidated EBITDA for such Reference Period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if positive) attributable to the property that is the subject of such Material Disposition for such Reference Period or increased by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if negative) attributable thereto for such Reference Period, and (ii) if during such Reference Period the Company or any Subsidiary shall have made a Material Acquisition, Consolidated EBITDA for such Reference Period shall be calculated after giving effect thereto on a Pro Forma Basis as if such Material Acquisition occurred on the first day of such Reference Period.  As used in this definition, “Material Acquisition” means any Acquisition with respect to which the Company is required to present pro forma financial statements in accordance with Regulation S-X; and “Material Disposition” means any sale, transfer or disposition of property or series of related sales, transfers, or dispositions of property with respect to which the Company is required to present pro forma financial statements in accordance with Regulation S-X.

 

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, with reference to any period, the cash interest expense (including without limitation interest expense under Capital Lease Obligations that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP) of the Company and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis for such period with respect to all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries allocable to such period in accordance with GAAP (including, without limitation, all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers acceptance financing and net costs under interest rate Swap Agreements to the extent such net costs are allocable to such period in accordance with GAAP).  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, “Consolidated Interest Expense” shall not include the impact of non-cash amortization of debt discount resulting from the accounting requirements under Accounting Standards Condition 470-20.

 

“Consolidated Net Income” means, with reference to any period, the net income (or loss) of the Company and its Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis (without duplication) for such period.

 

“Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of the date of any determination thereof, total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis as of such date.

 

“Consolidated Total Indebtedness” means at any time (a) the sum, without duplication, of (i) the aggregate Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time in accordance with GAAP, (ii) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its

 

 

Subsidiaries relating to bankers acceptances and (iii) Indebtedness of the type referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) hereof of another Person guaranteed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries minus (b) the aggregate Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries which has been defeased in accordance with applicable agreements, laws, rules and regulations and/or accounting standards.

 

“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise.  “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

 

“Country Risk Event”  means:

 

(i)            any law, action or failure to act by any Governmental Authority in the Company’s or Letter of Credit beneficiary’s country which has the effect of:

 

(a)           changing the obligations under the relevant Letter of Credit, this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents as originally agreed or otherwise creating any additional liability, cost or expense to the Issuing Bank, the Lenders or the Administrative Agent,

 

(b)           changing the ownership or control by the Company or Letter of Credit beneficiary of its business, or

 

(c)           preventing or restricting the conversion into or transfer of the applicable Agreed Currency;

 

(ii)           force majeure; or

 

(iii)          any similar event

 

which, in relation to (i), (ii) and (iii), directly or indirectly, prevents or restricts the payment or transfer of any amounts owing under the relevant Letter of Credit in the applicable Agreed Currency into an account designated by the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank and freely available to the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank.

 

“Credit Event” means a Borrowing, the issuance of a Letter of Credit, an LC Disbursement or any of the foregoing.

 

“Credit Party” means the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any other Lender.

 

“Declining Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.25.

 

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

 

“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two (2) Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, (ii) fund any portion of its participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans or (iii) pay over to any Credit Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding a Loan (specifically identified and including the particular Default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Company or any Credit Party in

 

 

writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular Default, if any) to funding a Loan cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) has failed, within three (3) Business Days after written request by a Credit Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans under this Agreement; provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Credit Party’s receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, or (d) has become the subject of a Bankruptcy Event.

 

“Documentation Agent” means RBS Citizens, N.A. in its capacity as documentation agent for the credit facility evidenced by this Agreement.

 

“Dollar Amount” of any currency at any date shall mean (i) the amount of such currency if such currency is Dollars or (ii) the equivalent in such currency of Dollars if such currency is a Foreign Currency, calculated on the basis of the Exchange Rate for such currency, on or as of the most recent Computation Date provided for in Section 2.04.

 

“Dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.

 

“Domestic Foreign Holdco Subsidiary” means a Domestic Subsidiary substantially all of the assets of which consist of the Equity Interests of (and/or receivables or other amounts due from) one or more Foreign Subsidiaries that are “controlled foreign corporations” within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code, so long as such Domestic Subsidiary (i) does not conduct any business or activities other than the ownership of such Equity Interests and/or receivables and (ii) does not incur, and is not otherwise liable for, any Indebtedness (other than intercompany indebtedness permitted pursuant to Section 6.01(b)).

 

“Domestic Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary (other than a Subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by a controlled foreign corporation within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code) organized under the laws of a jurisdiction located in the United States of America.

 

“Dutch Borrower” means the Dutch Subsidiary to the extent it has become a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.24 and for so long as such Subsidiary has not ceased to be a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.24.

 

“Dutch Subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).

 

“Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters.

 

“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the

 

 

Company or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

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

 

“Equivalent Amount” of any currency with respect to any amount of Dollars at any date shall mean the equivalent in such currency of such amount of Dollars, calculated on the basis of the Exchange Rate for such other currency at 11:00 a.m., London time, on the date on or as of which such amount is to be determined.

 

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Company, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

 

“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the existence with respect to any Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal of the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition upon the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan contributed to by the Company or an ERISA Affiliate is insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.

 

“EU” means the European Union.

 

“euro” and/or “EUR” means the single currency of the participating member states of the EU.

 

“Eurocurrency”, when used in reference to a currency means an Agreed Currency and when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, means that such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bears interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.

 

 

“Eurocurrency Payment Office” of the Administrative Agent shall mean, for each Foreign Currency, the office, branch, affiliate or correspondent bank of the Administrative Agent for such currency as specified from time to time by the Administrative Agent to the Company and each Lender.

 

“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.

 

“Exchange Rate” means, on any day, with respect to any Foreign Currency, the rate at which such Foreign Currency may be exchanged into Dollars, as set forth at approximately 11:00 a.m., Local Time, on such date on the Reuters World Currency Page for such Foreign Currency.   In the event that such rate does not appear on any Reuters World Currency Page, the Exchange Rate with respect to such Foreign Currency shall be determined by reference to such other publicly available service for displaying exchange rates as may be reasonably selected by the Administrative Agent or, in the event no such service is selected, such Exchange Rate shall instead be calculated on the basis of the arithmetical mean of the buy and sell spot rates of exchange of the Administrative Agent for such Foreign Currency on the London market at 11:00 a.m., Local Time, on such date for the purchase of Dollars with such Foreign Currency, for delivery two Business Days later; provided, that if at the time of any such determination, for any reason, no such spot rate is being quoted, the Administrative Agent, after consultation with the Company, may use any reasonable method it deems appropriate to determine such rate, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder, (a) income or franchise Taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United States of America, or by any jurisdiction to which the Lender, Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank or other recipient, as the case may be, has a present or former connection (other than a connection arising solely from its performance of obligations under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents), (b) any branch profits Taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar Tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the applicable Borrower is located or the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient, as the case may be, has a present or former connection,  (c) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by any Borrower under Section 2.19(b)), any withholding Tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Non-U.S. Lender resulting from any law in effect on the date such Non-U.S. Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Non-U.S. Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(e), except to the extent that such Non-U.S. 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 applicable Borrower with respect to such withholding Tax pursuant to Section 2.17(a), (d) any backup withholding Tax imposed as a result of Non-U.S. Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(e), (e) any withholding Tax that is imposed on amounts payable to a Lender by the Dutch Borrower resulting from any law in effect on the date such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(e) and (f) all U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

 

“Existing Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement dated September 26, 2007 among the Company, the lenders party thereto from time to time and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent.

 

“Existing Maturity Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.25.

 

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement, and any regulations or official interpretations thereof.

 

 

“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.

 

“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Company.

 

“Financials” means the annual or quarterly financial statements, and accompanying certificates and other documents, of the Company and its Subsidiaries required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or 5.01(b).

 

“Foreign Currencies” means Agreed Currencies other than Dollars.

 

“Foreign Currency LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the Dollar Amount of the aggregate undrawn and unexpired amount of all outstanding Foreign Currency Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate principal Dollar Amount of all LC Disbursements in respect of Foreign Currency Letters of Credit that have not yet been reimbursed at such time.

 

“Foreign Currency Letter of Credit” means a Letter of Credit denominated in a Foreign Currency.

 

“Foreign Currency Sublimit” means $1,000,000,000, or a greater amount representing a proportionate increase in the Foreign Currency Sublimit as a result of a concurrent increase in the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.20 and as is reasonably calculated by the Administrative Agent with notice to the Company and the Lenders.

 

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

 

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

 

“FSA” means the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht), as amended from time to time.

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

 

“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.

 

“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or

 

 

advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

 

“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

 

“Increasing Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.20.

 

“Incremental Term Loan” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.20.

 

“Incremental Term Loan Amendment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.20.

 

“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (e) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed; provided that the amount of such Indebtedness will be the lesser of the fair market value of such asset at the date of determination and the amount of Indebtedness so secured, (g) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (i)  all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances, and (j) all obligations of such Person under any Swap Agreement or under any similar type of agreement; provided that earn-outs and obligations to purchase non-controlling interests in connection with Acquisitions and similar obligations shall not be considered Indebtedness for any purposes under this Agreement.  The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

 

“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes, that are imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder, other than Excluded Taxes and Other Taxes.

 

“Index Debt” means senior, unsecured, long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company that is not Guaranteed by any other Person or entity or subject to any other credit enhancement.

 

 

“Information Memorandum” means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated September 2011 relating to the Company and the Transactions.

 

“Interest Election Request” means a request by the applicable Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08.

 

“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline Loan), the last day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date, (b) with respect to any Eurocurrency Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period and the Maturity Date and (c) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid and the Maturity Date.

 

“Interest Period” means with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months (or nine or twelve months if acceptable to each Lender) thereafter, as the applicable Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurocurrency Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period.  For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.

 

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

“Issuing Bank” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.06(i).  The Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of the Issuing Bank, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate.

 

“LC Collateral Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.06(j).

 

“LC Disbursement” means a payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.

 

“LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn Dollar Amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate Dollar Amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Company at such time.  The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time.

 

“Lease Accounting GAAP Change” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.04.

 

 

“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become a Lender hereunder pursuant to Section 2.20 or pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption.  Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lender.

 

“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.

 

“Leverage Ratio” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.05(a).

 

“LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on, in the case of Dollars, Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page and, in the case of any Foreign Currency, the appropriate page of such service which displays British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rates for deposits in such Foreign Currency (or, in each case, on any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such Service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such Service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to deposits in the relevant Agreed Currency in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to (or, in the case of Loans denominated in Pounds Sterling, on the day of) the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for deposits in the relevant Agreed Currency with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period.  In the event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurocurrency Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate at which deposits in the relevant Agreed Currency in an Equivalent Amount of $5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to (or, in the case of Loans denominated in Pounds Sterling, on the day of) the commencement of such Interest Period.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset and (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset.

 

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, any promissory notes issued pursuant to Section 2.10(e) of this Agreement, any Letter of Credit applications and, after the execution and delivery thereof, the Subsidiary Guaranty, the Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement and the Borrowing Subsidiary Termination and all other agreements, instruments, documents and certificates identified in Section 4.01 executed and delivered to, or in favor of, the Administrative Agent or any Lenders and including all other pledges, powers of attorney, consents, assignments, contracts, notices, letter of credit agreements and all other written matter whether heretofore, now or hereafter executed by or on behalf of any Loan Party, or any employee of any Loan Party, and delivered to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby.  Any reference in the Agreement or any other Loan Document to a Loan Document shall include all appendices, exhibits or schedules thereto, and all amendments, restatements, supplements or other modifications thereto, and shall refer to the Agreement or such Loan Document as the same may be in effect at any and all times such reference becomes operative.

 

“Loan Parties” means, collectively, the Borrowers and the Subsidiary Guarantors.

 

“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrowers pursuant to this Agreement.

 

 

“Local Time” means (i) New York City time in the case of a Loan, Borrowing or LC Disbursement denominated in Dollars and (ii) local time in the case of a Loan, Borrowing or LC Disbursement denominated in a Foreign Currency (it being understood that such local time shall mean London, England time unless otherwise notified by the Administrative Agent).

 

“Mandatory Cost” is described in Schedule 2.02.

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, property or financial condition of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (b) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any and all other Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereunder.

 

“Material Domestic Subsidiary” means each Domestic Subsidiary (i) which, as of the most recent fiscal quarter of the Company, for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended, for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01, contributed greater than five percent (5%) of the Company’s Consolidated EBITDA for such period or (ii) which contributed greater than five percent (5%) of the Company’s Consolidated Total Assets as of such date; provided that, if at any time the aggregate amount of the EBITDA or consolidated total assets of all Domestic Subsidiaries that are not Material Domestic Subsidiaries exceeds fifteen percent (15%) of the Company’s Consolidated EBITDA for any such period or fifteen percent (15%) of the Company’s Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of any such fiscal quarter, the Company (or, in the event the Company has failed to do so within ten (10) days, the Administrative Agent) shall designate sufficient Domestic Subsidiaries as “Material Domestic Subsidiaries” to eliminate such excess, and such designated Subsidiaries shall for all purposes of this Agreement constitute Material Domestic Subsidiaries.

 

“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $50,000,000.  For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Company or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.

 

“Maturity Date” means October 28, 2016, as extended pursuant to Section 2.25.

 

“Maturity Date Extension Request” means a request by the Company, in the form of Exhibit H hereto or such other form as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent, for the extension of the Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.25.

 

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

 

 “Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

 

“New Money Credit Event” means with respect to the Issuing Bank, any increase (directly or indirectly) in the Issuing Bank’s exposure (whether by way of additional credit or banking facilities or otherwise, including as part of a restructuring) to the Company or any Governmental Authority in the Company’s or any applicable Letter of Credit beneficiary’s country occurring by reason of (i) any law, action or requirement of any Governmental Authority in the Company’s or such Letter of Credit beneficiary’s country, or (ii) any request in respect of external indebtedness of borrowers in the Company’s or such Letter of Credit beneficiary’s country applicable to banks generally which conduct

 

 

business with such borrowers, or (iii) any agreement in relation to clause (i) or (ii), in each case to the extent calculated by reference to the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposures outstanding prior to such increase.

 

“Non-U.S. Lender” means a Lender that is not a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

 

“Obligations” means all unpaid principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans, all LC Exposure, all accrued and unpaid fees and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations of the Loan Parties to the Lenders or to any Lender, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any indemnified party arising under the Loan Documents.

 

“Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except any such taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment pursuant to Section 2.19(b)).

 

“Overnight Foreign Currency Rate” means, for any amount payable in a Foreign Currency, the rate of interest per annum as determined by the Administrative Agent at which overnight or weekend deposits in the relevant currency (or if such amount due remains unpaid for more than three Business Days, then for such other period of time as the Administrative Agent may elect) for delivery in immediately available and freely transferable funds would be offered by the Administrative Agent to major banks in the interbank market upon request of such major banks for the relevant currency as determined above and in an amount comparable to the unpaid principal amount of the related Credit Event, plus any taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed upon, or charged to, the Administrative Agent by any relevant correspondent bank in respect of such amount in such relevant currency.

 

“Parent” means, with respect to any Lender, any Person as to which such Lender is, directly or indirectly, a subsidiary.

 

“Participant” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.

 

“Participant Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.

 

“Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Union that adopts or has adopted the euro as its lawful currency in accordance with legislation of the European Union relating to economic and monetary union.

 

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.

 

“Permitted Encumbrances” means:

 

(a)Liens imposed by law for taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

 

(b)carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law in respect of property or assets, arising in the ordinary course of business and

 

 

securing obligations that are not overdue by more than thirty (30) days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

 

(c)liens, pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;

 

(d)deposits to secure the performance of bids, tenders, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practices (exclusive of obligations in respect of the payment for borrowed money);

 

(e)judgment liens or awards in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (k) of Article VII; and

 

(f)easements, zoning restrictions, encroachments, rights-of-way and similar charges or encumbrances, and minor title deficiencies on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Company or any Subsidiary;

 

provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.

 

“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

 

“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate is an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.

 

“Pounds Sterling” means the lawful currency of the United Kingdom.

 

“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as its prime rate in effect at its principal office in New York City; each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective.

 

“Pro Forma Basis” means on a basis in accordance with GAAP and Regulation S-X.

 

“Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.

 

“Regulation S-X” means Regulation S-X promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act (as such regulation is in effect on the Effective Date).

 

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

 

“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time.

 

 

“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans and its LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure at such time.

 

“Revolving Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC business.

 

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any sale or other transfer of any property or asset by any Person with the intent to lease such property or asset as lessee.

 

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.

 

“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve, liquid asset, fees or similar requirements (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves or other requirements) established by any central bank, monetary authority, the Board, the Financial Services Authority, the European Central Bank or other Governmental Authority for any category of deposits or liabilities customarily used to fund loans in the applicable currency, expressed in the case of each such requirement as a decimal.  Such reserve, liquid asset, fees or similar requirements shall, in the case of Dollar denominated Loans, include those imposed pursuant to Regulation D of the Board.  Eurocurrency Loans shall be deemed to be subject to such reserve, liquid asset, fee or similar requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under any applicable law, rule or regulation, including Regulation D of the Board.  The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve, liquid asset or similar requirement.

 

“Subordinated Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary the payment of which is subordinated to payment of the obligations under the Loan Documents.

 

“subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, Controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.

 

“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company.

 

“Subsidiary Guarantor” means each Material Domestic Subsidiary that becomes a party to the Subsidiary Guaranty (including pursuant to a joinder or supplement thereto).  The Subsidiary Guarantors on the Effective Date are identified as such in Schedule 3.01 hereto.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Domestic Foreign Holdco Subsidiary shall be required to be a Subsidiary Guarantor.

 

 

“Subsidiary Guaranty” means that certain Guaranty in the form of Exhibit I (including any and all supplements thereto) and executed by each Subsidiary Guarantor as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

“Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

 

“Swap Obligations” means any and all obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (a) any and all Swap Agreements permitted hereunder with a Lender or an affiliate of a Lender, and (b) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any such Swap Agreement transaction.

 

“Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time.  The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time.

 

“Swingline Lender” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.

 

“Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05.

 

“TARGET2” means the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer (TARGET2) payment system (or, if such payment system ceases to be operative, such other payment system (if any) reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent to be a suitable replacement) for the settlement of payments in euro.

 

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

 

“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Loan Parties of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans and other credit extensions, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.

 

“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.

 

“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the state the laws of which are required to be applied in connection with the issue of perfection of security interests.

 

 

“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

 

SECTION 1.02.  Classification of Loans and Borrowings.  For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Revolving Loan”).  Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing”).

 

SECTION 1.03.  Terms Generally.  The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.  Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.  The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.  The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”.  Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, restatements supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

 

SECTION 1.04.  Accounting Terms; GAAP.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of this Agreement (other than Section 5.01) GAAP shall be determined without giving effect to any change thereto occurring after the date hereof as a result of the adoption of any proposals set forth in the Proposed Accounting Standards Update, Leases (Topic 840), issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board on August 17, 2010, or any other proposals issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in connection therewith, in each case if such change would require treating any lease or similar agreement as a capital lease where such lease or similar agreement was not required to be so treated under GAAP as in effect on the date hereof (any such change being referred to herein as a “Lease Accounting GAAP Change”); provided, further, that, if the Company notifies the Administrative Agent that the Company requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Company that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.  Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made (i) without giving effect to any election under Accounting Standards Codification 825-10-25 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Company or any Subsidiary at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) without giving effect to any treatment of Indebtedness in respect of convertible debt instruments under Accounting

 

 

Standards Codification 470-20 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Indebtedness in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof.

 

SECTION 1.05.  Currency Equivalents Generally.  For the purposes of determining compliance with Sections 6.01 and 6.02 with respect to any amount of Indebtedness or Investment in euro, Pounds Sterling, Japanese Yen and any other hard currency (other than Dollars) which is freely traded and convertible into Dollars in the London interbank market and for which the Dollar Amount thereof can be readily calculated, no Default shall be deemed to have occurred solely as a result of changes in rates of exchange occurring after the time such Indebtedness or Investment is incurred.

 

ARTICLE II

 

The Credits

 

SECTION 2.01.  Commitments.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrowers in Agreed Currencies from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (a) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), the Dollar Amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding the Dollar Amount of such Lender’s Commitment, (b) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), the sum of the total Dollar Amount of the Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the Aggregate Commitment or (c) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), the Dollar Amount of the total outstanding Revolving Loans and LC Exposure, in each case denominated in Foreign Currencies, exceeding the Foreign Currency Sublimit.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.

 

SECTION 2.02.  Loans and Borrowings.  (a)  Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments.  The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.  Any Swingline Loan shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.05.

 

(b)Subject to Section 2.14, each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurocurrency Loans as the relevant Borrower may request in accordance herewith; provided that each ABR Loan shall only be made in Dollars.  Each Swingline Loan shall be an ABR Loan.  Subject to the provisions of Section 2.19(a), each Lender at its option may make any Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan (and in the case of an Affiliate, the provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 shall apply to such Affiliate to the same extent as to such Lender); provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the relevant Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

(c)At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 (or, if such Borrowing is denominated in a Foreign Currency, 1,000,000 units of such currency) and not less than $5,000,000 (or, if such Borrowing is denominated in a Foreign Currency 5,000,000 units of such currency).  At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $3,000,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of

 

 

the Aggregate Commitment or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e).  Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $500,000.  Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of twelve (12) Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowings outstanding.

 

(d)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no Borrower shall be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.

 

(e)The initial borrowing from any Lender to the Dutch Borrower shall be at least €50,000 (or its equivalent in another currency) or any other amount that will from time to time be applicable under section 3(2) under a and/or b of the Dutch Decree on Definitions Wft (Besluit definitiebepalingen Wft), or, if it is less, that Lender shall confirm in writing to the Dutch Borrower that it is a professional market party within the meaning of the FSA.

 

SECTION 2.03.  Requests for Revolving Borrowings.  To request a Revolving Borrowing, the applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request (a) (i) by telephone in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Local Time, three (3) Business Days (in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in Dollars) and (ii) by irrevocable written notice (via a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by such Borrower, or the Company on its behalf) not later than four (4) Business Days (in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency), in each case before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) by telephone in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one (1) Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing.  Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower.  Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

 

(i)  the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;

 

(ii)  the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

 

(iii)  whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing;

 

(iv)  in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the Agreed Currency and initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and

 

(v)  the location and number of the applicable Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07.

 

If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then, in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.  If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, then the relevant Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.  Promptly

 

 

following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

 

SECTION 2.04.  Determination of Dollar Amounts.  The Administrative Agent will determine the Dollar Amount of:

 

(a) each Eurocurrency Borrowing as of the date two (2) Business Days prior to the date of such Borrowing or, if applicable, date of conversion/continuation of any Borrowing as a Eurocurrency Borrowing,

 

(b) the LC Exposure as of the date of each request for the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit, and

 

(c) all outstanding Credit Events on and as of the last Business Day of each calendar quarter and, during the continuation of an Event of Default, on any other Business Day elected by the Administrative Agent in its discretion or upon instruction by the Required Lenders.

 

Each day upon or as of which the Administrative Agent determines Dollar Amounts as described in the preceding clauses (a), (b) and (c) is herein described as a “Computation Date” with respect to each Credit Event for which a Dollar Amount is determined on or as of such day.

 

SECTION 2.05.  Swingline Loans.  (a)  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans in Dollars to the Company from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $50,000,000 or (ii) the Dollar Amount of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the Aggregate Commitment; provided that the Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.

 

(b)To request a Swingline Loan, the Company shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy), not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan.  The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the Company.  The Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the Company by means of a credit to the general deposit account of the Company with the Swingline Lender (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e), by remittance to the Issuing Bank) by 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.

 

(c)The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Business Day require the Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of the Swingline Loans outstanding.  Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will participate.  Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.  Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.  Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not

 

 

be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.  Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis  mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders.  The Administrative Agent shall notify the Company of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender.  Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Company (or other party on behalf of the Company) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Company for any reason.  The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Company of any default in the payment thereof.

 

SECTION 2.06.  Letters of Credit.  (a) General.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company may request the issuance of Letters of Credit denominated in Agreed Currencies for its own account, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the letters of credit identified on Schedule 2.06 (the “Existing Letters of Credit”) shall be deemed to be “Letters of Credit” issued on the Effective Date for all purposes of the Loan Documents.  In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Company to, or entered into by the Company with, the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control; provided, however, if the Issuing Bank is requested to issue Letters of Credit with respect to a jurisdiction the Issuing Bank deems, in its reasonable judgment, may at any time subject it to a New Money Credit Event or a Country Risk Event, the Company shall, at the request of the Issuing Bank, guaranty and indemnify the Issuing Bank against any and all costs, liabilities and losses resulting from such New Money Credit Event or Country Risk Event, in each case in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Issuing Bank.

 

(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions.  To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Company shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the Agreed Currency applicable thereto, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit.  If requested by the Issuing Bank, the Company also shall submit a letter of credit application on the Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit.  A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Company shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), the Dollar Amount of the LC Exposure shall not exceed

 

 

$100,000,000, (ii) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), the sum of the Dollar Amount of the total Revolving Credit Exposures shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitment, (iii) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), the Dollar Amount of the sum of the total outstanding Revolving Loans and LC Exposure, in each case denominated in Foreign Currencies, shall not exceed the Foreign Currency Sublimit and (iv) subject to Sections 2.04 and 2.11(b), following the effectiveness of any Maturity Date Extension Request, the Dollar Amount of the LC Exposure in respect of all Letters of Credit having an expiration date after the second Business Day prior to the Existing Maturity Date shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitment of the Consenting Lenders extended pursuant to Section 2.25.

 

(c) Expiration Date.  Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.  For the avoidance of doubt, if the Maturity Date shall be extended pursuant to Section 2.25, “Maturity Date” as referenced in this clause (c) shall refer to the Maturity Date as extended pursuant to Section 2.25; provided that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement (including Section 2.25 hereof) or any other Loan Document to the contrary, the Maturity Date, as such term is used in reference to the Issuing Bank or any Letter of Credit issued thereby, may not be extended without the prior written consent of the Issuing Bank.

 

(d) Participations.  By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the Issuing Bank or the Lenders, the Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from the Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate Dollar Amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit.  In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the Company on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Company for any reason.  Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.

 

(e) Reimbursement.  If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Company shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent in Dollars the Dollar Amount equal to such LC Disbursement, calculated as of the date the Issuing Bank made such LC Disbursement (or if the Issuing Bank shall so elect in its sole discretion by notice to the Company, in such other Agreed Currency which was paid by the Issuing Bank pursuant to such LC Disbursement in an amount equal to such LC Disbursement) not later than 12:00 noon, Local Time, on the Business Day immediately following the day that the Company receives notice of such LC Disbursement; provided that, if such LC Disbursement is not less than the Dollar Amount of $1,000,000, the Company may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an equivalent Dollar Amount of such LC Disbursement and, to the extent so financed, the Company’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan.  If the Company fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Company in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof.  Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable

 

 

Percentage of the payment then due from the Company, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis  mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders.  Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Company pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their interests may appear.  Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Company of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.  If the Company’s reimbursement of, or obligation to reimburse, any amounts in any Foreign Currency would subject the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender to any stamp duty, ad valorem charge or similar tax that would not be payable if such reimbursement were made or required to be made in Dollars, the Company shall, at its option, either (x) pay the amount of any such tax requested by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the relevant Lender or (y) reimburse each LC Disbursement made in such Foreign Currency in Dollars, in an amount equal to the Equivalent Amount, calculated using the applicable Exchange Rates, on the date such LC Disbursement is made, of such LC Disbursement.

 

(f) Obligations Absolute.  The Company’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Company’s obligations hereunder.  Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor the Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from liability to the Company to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Company to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Company that are caused by the Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof.  The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), the Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination.  In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.

 

 

(g) Disbursement Procedures.  The Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit.  The Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Company by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such demand for payment and whether the Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Company of its obligation to reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.

 

(h) Interim Interest.  If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the Company shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Company reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans (or in the case such LC Disbursement is denominated in a Foreign Currency, at the Overnight Foreign Currency Rate for such Agreed Currency plus the then effective Applicable Rate with respect to Eurocurrency Revolving Loans); provided that, if the Company fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(c) shall apply.  Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse the Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.

 

(i) Replacement of Issuing Bank.  The Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Company, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank.  The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the Issuing Bank.  At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Company shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12(b).  From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require.  After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit then outstanding and issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.

 

(j) Cash Collateralization.  If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Company receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Company shall deposit in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders (the “LC Collateral Account”), an amount in cash equal to 105% of the Dollar Amount of the LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that (i) the portions of such amount attributable to undrawn Foreign Currency Letters of Credit or LC Disbursements in a Foreign Currency that the Company is not late in reimbursing shall be deposited in the applicable Foreign Currencies in the actual amounts of such undrawn Letters of Credit and LC Disbursements and (ii) the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Company described in clause (h) or (i) of Article VII.  For the purposes of this paragraph, the Foreign Currency LC Exposure shall be calculated using the applicable Exchange Rate on the date notice demanding cash collateralization is delivered to the Company.  The Company also shall deposit cash collateral pursuant to

 

 

this paragraph as and to the extent required by Section 2.11(b).  Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the Obligations.  The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account and the Company hereby grants the Administrative Agent a security interest in the LC Collateral Account.  Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Company’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest.  Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account.  Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Company for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure), be applied to satisfy other Obligations.  If the Company is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Company within three (3) Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.

 

(k)Conversion.  In the event that the Loans become immediately due and payable on any date pursuant to Article VII, all amounts (i) that the Company is at the time or thereafter becomes required to reimburse or otherwise pay to the Administrative Agent in respect of LC Disbursements made under any Foreign Currency Letter of Credit (other than amounts in respect of which the Company has deposited cash collateral pursuant to paragraph (j) above, if such cash collateral was deposited in the applicable Foreign Currency to the extent so deposited or applied), (ii) that the Lenders are at the time or thereafter become required to pay to the Administrative Agent and the Administrative Agent is at the time or thereafter becomes required to distribute to the Issuing Bank pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section in respect of unreimbursed LC Disbursements made under any Foreign Currency Letter of Credit and (iii) of each Lender’s participation in any Foreign Currency Letter of Credit under which an LC Disbursement has been made shall, automatically and with no further action required, be converted into the Dollar Amount, calculated using the Administrative Agent’s currency exchange rates on such date (or in the case of any LC Disbursement made after such date, on the date such LC Disbursement is made), of such amounts.  On and after such conversion, all amounts accruing and owed to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in respect of the obligations described in this paragraph shall accrue and be payable in Dollars at the rates otherwise applicable hereunder.

 

SECTION 2.07.  Funding of Borrowings.  (a)  Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds (i) in the case of Loans denominated in Dollars to the Company, by 12:00 noon, New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders, (ii) in the case of Loans denominated in Dollars to the Dutch Borrower, by 12:00 Noon, Local Time in the city designated by the Administrative Agent for such purposes, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders and (iii) in the case of each Loan denominated in a Foreign Currency, by 12:00 noon, Local Time, in the city of the Administrative Agent’s Eurocurrency Payment Office for such currency and at such Eurocurrency Payment Office for such currency; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05.  The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the relevant Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to (x) an account of the Company maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City or Chicago and designated by the Company in the applicable Borrowing Request, in the case of Loans denominated in Dollars to the Company and (y) an account of such Borrower in the relevant jurisdiction and designated by such Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request, in the case of Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency or to the Dutch Borrower; provided that

 

 

ABR Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing Bank.

 

(b)Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the relevant 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 such 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 such Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation (including without limitation the Overnight Foreign Currency Rate in the case of Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency) or (ii) in the case of such Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans.  If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.

 

SECTION 2.08.  Interest Elections.  (a)  Each Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request.  Thereafter, the relevant Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section.  A Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.  This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.

 

(b)To make an election pursuant to this Section, a Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election (by telephone or irrevocable written notice in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars or by irrevocable written notice (via an Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by such Borrower) in the case of a Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency) by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if such Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election.  Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the relevant Borrower.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision herein, this Section shall not be construed to permit any Borrower to (i) change the currency of any Borrowing, (ii) elect an Interest Period for Eurocurrency Loans that does not comply with Section 2.02(d) or (iii) convert any Borrowing to a Borrowing of a Type not available under the Class of Commitments pursuant to which such Borrowing was made.

 

(c)Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

 

(i)  the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be

 

 

allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

 

(ii)  the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

 

(iii)  whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing; and

 

(iv)  if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the Interest Period and Agreed Currency to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which Interest Period shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.

 

If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the applicable Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

 

(d) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.

 

(e) If the relevant Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period (i) in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing and (ii) in the case of a Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, such Borrowing shall automatically continue as a Eurocurrency Borrowing in the same Agreed Currency with an Interest Period of one month unless (x) such Eurocurrency Borrowing is or was repaid in accordance with Section 2.11 or (y) the applicable Borrower shall have given the Administrative Agent an Interest Election Request requesting that, at the end of such Interest Period, such Eurocurrency Borrowing continue as a Eurocurrency Borrowing for the same or another Interest Period.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Company, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Borrowing, (ii) unless repaid, each Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing in Dollars shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto and (iii) unless repaid, each Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing in a Foreign Currency shall automatically be continued as a Eurocurrency Borrowing with an Interest Period of one month.

 

SECTION 2.09.  Termination and Reduction of Commitments.  (a)  Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.

 

(b) The Company may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $5,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000 and (ii) the Company shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the Dollar Amount of the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the Aggregate Commitment.

 

(c) The Company shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three (3) Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof.

 

 

Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each notice delivered by the Company pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Company may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Company (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied.  Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent.  Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.

 

SECTION 2.10.  Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.  (a) Each Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan made to such Borrower on the Maturity Date in the currency of such Loan and (ii) in the case of the Company, to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least two (2) Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing is made, the Company shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding.

 

(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of each Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.

 

(c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class, Agreed Currency and Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from each Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.

 

(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima  facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of any Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it to any Borrower be evidenced by a promissory note.  In such event, the relevant Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to such Lender and its registered assigns and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent.  Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the payee and its registered assigns.

 

SECTION 2.11.  Prepayment of Loans.

 

(a) Any Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.11(a).  The applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Local Time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one (1) Business Day

 

 

before the date of prepayment or (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of prepayment.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09.  Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02.  Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing.  Prepayments shall be accompanied by (i) accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13 and (ii) break funding payments pursuant to Section 2.16.

 

(b) If at any time, (i) other than as a result of fluctuations in currency exchange rates, (A) the sum of the aggregate principal Dollar Amount of all of the Revolving Credit Exposures (calculated, with respect to those Credit Events denominated in Foreign Currencies, as of the most recent Computation Date with respect to each such Credit Event) exceeds the Aggregate Commitment or (B) the sum of the aggregate principal Dollar Amount of all of the outstanding Revolving Credit Exposures denominated in Foreign Currencies (the “Foreign Currency Exposure”) (so calculated), as of the most recent Computation Date with respect to each such Credit Event, exceeds the Foreign Currency Sublimit or (ii) solely as a result of fluctuations in currency exchange rates, (A) the sum of the aggregate principal Dollar Amount of all of the Revolving Credit Exposures (so calculated) exceeds 105% of the Aggregate Commitment or (B) the Foreign Currency Exposure, as of the most recent Computation Date with respect to each such Credit Event, exceeds 105% of the Foreign Currency Sublimit, the Borrowers shall in each case immediately repay Borrowings or cash collateralize LC Exposure in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.06(j), as applicable, in an aggregate principal amount sufficient to cause (x) the aggregate Dollar Amount of all Revolving Credit Exposures (so calculated) to be less than or equal to the Aggregate Commitment and (y) the Foreign Currency Exposure to be less than or equal to the Foreign Currency Sublimit, as applicable.

 

SECTION 2.12.  Fees.  (a)The Company agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the average daily amount of the Available Commitment of such Lender during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates; provided that, if such Lender continues to have any Revolving Credit Exposure after its Commitment terminates, then such commitment fee shall continue to accrue on the average daily amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure from and including the date on which its Commitment terminates to but excluding the date on which such Lender ceases to have any Revolving Credit Exposure.  Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof; provided that any commitment fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand.  All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

 

(b)The Company agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Eurocurrency Revolving Loans on the average daily Dollar Amount of such Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure and (ii) to the Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which

 

 

shall accrue at the rate of 0.125% per annum on the average daily Dollar Amount of the LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) attributable to Letters of Credit issued by the Issuing Bank during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure, as well as the Issuing Bank’s standard fees and commissions with respect to the issuance, amendment, cancellation, negotiation, transfer, presentment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder.  Unless otherwise specified above, participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand.  Any other fees payable to the Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within ten (10) days after demand.  All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

 

(c)The Company agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Company and the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in Dollars (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Section 2.12) and immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of commitment fees and participation fees, to the Lenders.  Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

 

SECTION 2.13.  Interest.  (a)  The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

 

(b)The Loans comprising each Eurocurrency Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.

 

(c)Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by any Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section.

 

(d)Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurocurrency Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

 

(e)All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest (i) computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year)

 

 

and (ii) for Borrowings denominated in Pounds Sterling shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days, and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).  The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

SECTION 2.14.  Alternate Rate of Interest.  If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurocurrency Borrowing:

 

(a)the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or

 

(b)the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;

 

then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the applicable Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the applicable Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Eurocurrency Borrowing shall be ineffective and (A) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing unless such notice is previously rescinded by the applicable Borrower and (B) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, such Eurocurrency Borrowing shall be repaid on the last day of the then current Interest Period applicable thereto and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing unless such notice is previously rescinded by the applicable Borrower (and if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective); provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then the other Type of Borrowings shall be permitted.

 

SECTION 2.15.  Increased Costs.  (a)  If any Change in Law shall:

 

(i)  impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate) or the Issuing Bank;

 

(ii)  impose on any Lender or the Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Eurocurrency Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein; or

 

(iii)  subject the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payments to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder to any Taxes on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Excluded Taxes or (C) Other Taxes);

 

 

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Person of making or maintaining any Loan or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan (including, without limitation, pursuant to any conversion of any Borrowing denominated in an Agreed Currency into a Borrowing denominated in any other Agreed Currency) or to increase the cost to such Person of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (including, without limitation, pursuant to any conversion of any Borrowing denominated in an Agreed Currency into a Borrowing denominated in any other Agreed Currency) or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Person hereunder, whether of principal, interest or otherwise (including, without limitation, pursuant to any conversion of any Borrowing denominated in an Agreed Currency into a Borrowing denominated in any other Agreed Currency), then the applicable Borrower will pay to such Person, upon receipt of a written request therefor, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Person for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered as reasonably determined by such Person (which determination shall be made in good faith (and not on an arbitrary or capricious basis) and amounts charged by such Person to such Borrower shall be consistent with amounts charged to similarly situated customers (as reasonably determined by such Person) of the applicable Person under agreements having provisions similar to this Section 2.15).

 

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

 

(c)A certificate of a Lender or the Issuing Bank or other applicable Person setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section (and setting forth in reasonable detail the manner in which such amount or amounts have been determined) shall be delivered to the Company and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Company shall pay, or cause the Dutch Borrower to pay, such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

 

(d)Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Company shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Company of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided  further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

 

SECTION 2.16.  Break Funding Payments.  In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or as a result of any prepayment pursuant to Section 2.11), (b) the conversion of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable

 

 

thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurocurrency Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(a) and is revoked in accordance therewith) or (d) the assignment of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Company pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the applicable Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense (but excluding loss of anticipated profits) attributable to such event.  Such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for deposits in the relevant currency of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurocurrency market.  A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the applicable Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The applicable Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

 

SECTION 2.17.  Taxes.  (a)  Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction or withholding for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if any Borrower shall be required to deduct or withhold any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions or withholdings (including deductions or withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.17(a)) the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions or withholdings been made, (ii) such Borrower shall make such deductions or withholdings and (iii) such Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

(b)In addition, the applicable Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes imposed on or incurred by the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the Issuing Bank to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

(c)The applicable Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Issuing Bank, within ten (10) days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of such Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 2.17(c)) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the applicable Borrower by a Lender or the Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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

 

 

(e)Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the applicable Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by such Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by such Borrower as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding.  In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by a 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 clauses (i) and (ii) below of this Section 2.17(e) shall not be required if in the applicable 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 the Company, each Lender agrees to deliver to the Company and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the Effective Date, or in the case of a Lender that is an assignee or transferee of an interest under this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.04, such assignee or transferee shall deliver to the Company and the Administrative Agent on or before the date such assignee or transferee becomes a party to this Agreement, the following:

 

(i)  any Lender that is a U.S. person within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code shall deliver to the Company 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 Company or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;

 

(ii)  any Non-U.S. Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Company 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 Non-U.S. Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(A) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed originals of a valid 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, the W8-BEN must include a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number for the recipient of the interest income to the extent such recipient has such a number;

 

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

 

(C) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code (the “portfolio interest exemption”), (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F-1 to the effect that such Non-U.S. Lender is not a

 

 

“bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10-percent shareholder” of the Company within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Certificate”) and (y) executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN; or

 

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

 

(iii)  any Non-U.S. Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Company 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 Non-U.S. Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Company or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.

 

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 applicable Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.

 

(f)If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in good faith that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the relevant Borrower or with respect to which the relevant Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.17, it shall pay over such refund to such Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by such Borrower under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided, that such Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to such 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 Section shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to the Borrowers or any other Person.

 

(g)Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent for any Taxes (but, in the case of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, only to the extent that the relevant Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the relevant Borrower to do so) attributable to such Lender that are paid or payable by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such amounts were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  The indemnity under this Section 2.17(g) shall be paid within ten (10) days after the Administrative Agent delivers to the applicable Lender a certificate

 

 

stating the amount so paid or payable by the Administrative Agent.  Such certificate shall be conclusive of the amount so paid or payable absent manifest error.

 

(h)If a payment made to a Lender under this Agreement would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Company and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent, such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Company and the Administrative Agent to comply with its obligations under FATCA, to determine that such Lender has or has not complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA and, as necessary, to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment.  Solely for purposes of this Section 2.17(h), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 2.18.  Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.

 

(a) Each Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16 or 2.17, or otherwise) prior to (i) in the case of payments denominated in Dollars by the Company, 12:00 noon, New York City time and (ii) in the case of payments denominated in a Foreign Currency or by the Dutch Borrower, 12:00 noon, Local Time, in the city of the Administrative Agent’s Eurocurrency Payment Office for such currency, in each case on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim.  Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon.  All such payments shall be made (i) in the same currency in which the applicable Credit Event was made (or where such currency has been converted to euro, in euro) and (ii) to the Administrative Agent (x) at its offices at 10 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603 in the case of any Credit Event with respect to the Company denominated in Dollars, (y) at the office most recently designated for such purposes in a notice to the Lenders, in the case of a Credit Event with respect to the Dutch Borrower denominated in Dollars or (z) in the case of a Credit Event denominated in a Foreign Currency, the Administrative Agent’s Eurocurrency Payment Office for such currency, except payments to be made directly to the Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto.  The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments denominated in the same currency received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof.  If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension.  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, if, after the making of any Credit Event in any Foreign Currency, currency control or exchange regulations are imposed in the country which issues such currency with the result that the type of currency in which the Credit Event was made (the “Original Currency”) no longer exists or any Borrower is not able to make payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders in such Original Currency, then all payments to be made by such Borrower hereunder in such currency shall instead be made when due in Dollars in an amount equal to the Dollar Amount (as of the date of repayment) of such payment due, it being the intention of the parties hereto that the Borrowers take all risks of the imposition of any such currency control or exchange regulations.

 

 

(b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to such parties.

 

(c) At the election of the Administrative Agent, all payments of principal, interest, LC Disbursements, fees, premiums, reimbursable expenses (including, without limitation, all reimbursement for fees and expenses pursuant to Section 9.03), and other sums payable under the Loan Documents, may be paid from the proceeds of Borrowings made hereunder whether made following a request by a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.03 or a deemed request as provided in this Section or may be deducted from any deposit account of such Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent.  Each Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes (i) the Administrative Agent to make a Borrowing for the purpose of paying each payment of principal, interest and fees as it becomes due hereunder or any other amount due under the Loan Documents and agrees that all such amounts charged shall constitute Loans (including Swingline Loans) and that all such Borrowings shall be deemed to have been requested pursuant to Sections 2.03, 2.04 or 2.05, as applicable and (ii) the Administrative Agent to charge any deposit account of the relevant Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent for each payment of principal, interest and fees as it becomes due hereunder or any other amount due under the Loan Documents.

 

(d) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Revolving Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered,  such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by any Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Company or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply).  Each Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Borrower in the amount of such participation.

 

(e) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the relevant Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank hereunder that such Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount due.  In such event, if such Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to

 

 

the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation (including without limitation the Overnight Foreign Currency Rate in the case of Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency).

 

(f) If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(e) or 9.03(c), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), (i) apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid and (ii) thereafter, hold any excess amounts in a segregated account as cash collateral for, and application to, any future funding obligations of such Lender under any such Section; in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii) above, in any order as determined by the Administrative Agent in its discretion.

 

SECTION 2.19.  Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.  (a)  If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.15 or 2.17, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender.  The Company hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.

 

(b)If (i) any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, (ii) any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, (iii) any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender or (iv) any Lender is a Declining Lender under Section 2.25, then the Company may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations under the Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Company shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Bank), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Company (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments.  A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Company to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

 

SECTION 2.20.  Expansion Option.  The Company may from time to time elect to increase the Commitments or enter into one or more tranches of term loans (each an “Incremental Term Loan”), in each case in minimum increments of $25,000,000 so long as, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate Dollar Amount of such increases and all such Incremental Term Loans does not exceed

 

 

$250,000,000.  The Company may arrange for any such increase or tranche to be provided by one or more Lenders (each Lender so agreeing to an increase in its Commitment, or to participate in such Incremental Term Loans, an “Increasing Lender”), or by one or more new banks, financial institutions or other entities (each such new bank, financial institution or other entity, an “Augmenting Lender”), to increase their existing Commitments, or to participate in such Incremental Term Loans, or extend Commitments, as the case may be; provided that (i) each Augmenting Lender, shall be subject to the approval of the Company and the Administrative Agent and (ii) (x) in the case of an Increasing Lender, the Company and such Increasing Lender execute an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, and (y) in the case of an Augmenting Lender, the Company and such Augmenting Lender execute an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto.  No consent of any Lender (other than the Lenders participating in the increase or any Incremental Term Loan) shall be required for any increase in Commitments or Incremental Term Loan pursuant to this Section 2.20.  Increases and new Commitments and Incremental Term Loans created pursuant to this Section 2.20 shall become effective on the date agreed by the Company, the Administrative Agent and the relevant Increasing Lenders or Augmenting Lenders and the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender thereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no increase in the Commitments (or in the Commitment of any Lender) or tranche of Incremental Term Loans shall become effective under this paragraph unless, (i) on the proposed date of the effectiveness of such increase or Incremental Term Loans, (A) the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02 shall be satisfied or waived by the Required Lenders (with all references in such Sections to a Borrowing being deemed to be references to such increase or incurrence of Incremental Term Loans) and the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate to that effect dated such date and executed by a Financial Officer of the Company and (B) in the event Incremental Term Loans are being incurred pursuant to this Section 2.20, the Company shall be in compliance (on a Pro Forma Basis reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent) with the covenants contained in Section 6.05 and (ii) the Administrative Agent shall have received documents consistent with those delivered on the Effective Date as to the corporate power and authority of the Borrowers to borrow hereunder after giving effect to such increase.  On the effective date of any increase in the Commitments or any Incremental Term Loans being made, (i) each relevant Increasing Lender and Augmenting Lender shall make available to the Administrative Agent such amounts in immediately available funds as the Administrative Agent shall determine, for the benefit of the other Lenders, as being required in order to cause, after giving effect to such increase and the use of such amounts to make payments to such other Lenders, each Lender’s portion of the outstanding Revolving Loans of all the Lenders to equal its Applicable Percentage of such outstanding Revolving Loans, and (ii) except in the case of any Incremental Term Loans, the Borrowers shall be deemed to have repaid and reborrowed all outstanding Revolving Loans as of the date of any increase in the Commitments (with such reborrowing to consist of the Types of Revolving Loans, with related Interest Periods if applicable, specified in a notice delivered by the applicable Borrower in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.03).  The deemed payments made pursuant to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be accompanied by payment of all accrued interest on the amount prepaid and, in respect of each Eurocurrency Loan, shall be subject to indemnification by the Borrowers pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.16 if the deemed payment occurs other than on the last day of the related Interest Periods.  The Incremental Term Loans (a) shall rank pari passu in right of payment with the Revolving Loans, (b) shall not mature earlier than the Maturity Date (but may have amortization prior to such date) and (c) shall be treated substantially the same as (and in any event no more favorably than) the Revolving Loans; provided that (i) the terms and conditions applicable to any tranche of Incremental Term Loans maturing after the Maturity Date may provide for different financial or other covenants applicable only during periods after the Maturity Date and (ii) the Incremental Term Loans may be priced differently than the Revolving Loans.  Incremental Term Loans may be made hereunder pursuant to an amendment or restatement (an “Incremental Term Loan Amendment”) of this Agreement and, as appropriate, the other Loan Documents, executed by the Borrowers, each Increasing Lender participating in such tranche, each Augmenting Lender participating in such tranche, if any, and the Administrative Agent.  The Incremental Term Loan Amendment may, without the consent of any

 

 

other Lenders, effect such amendments to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as may be necessary or appropriate, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, to effect the provisions of this Section 2.20.  Nothing contained in this Section 2.20 shall constitute, or otherwise be deemed to be, a commitment on the part of any Lender to increase its Commitment hereunder, or provide Incremental Term Loans, at any time.

 

SECTION 2.21.  Market Disruption.  Notwithstanding the satisfaction of all conditions referred to in Article II and Article IV with respect to any Credit Event to be effected in any Foreign Currency, if (i) there shall occur on or prior to the date of such Credit Event any change in national or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls which would in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank (if such Credit Event is a Letter of Credit) or the Required Lenders make it impracticable for the Eurocurrency Borrowings or Letters of Credit comprising such Credit Event to be denominated in the Agreed Currency specified by the relevant Borrower or (ii) an Equivalent Amount of such currency is not readily calculable, then, the Administrative Agent shall forthwith give notice thereof to each Borrower, the Lenders and, if such Credit Event is a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank, and such Credit Events shall not be denominated in such Agreed Currency but shall, except as otherwise set forth in Section 2.07, be made on the date of such Credit Event in Dollars, (a) if such Credit Event is a Borrowing, in an aggregate principal amount equal to the Dollar Amount of the aggregate principal amount specified in the related Credit Event request or Interest Election Request, as the case may be, as ABR Loans, unless the applicable Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent at least one Business Day before such date that (i) it elects not to borrow on such date or (ii) it elects to borrow on such date in a different Agreed Currency, as the case may be, in which the denomination of such Loans would in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders be practicable and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the Dollar Amount of the aggregate principal amount specified in the related Credit Event request or Interest Election Request, as the case may be or (b) if such Credit Event is a Letter of Credit, in a face amount equal to the Dollar Amount of the face amount specified in the related request or application for such Letter of Credit requested by the Company, unless the Company notifies the Administrative Agent at least one (1) Business Day before such date that (i) it elects not to request the issuance of such Letter of Credit on such date or (ii) it elects to have such Letter of Credit issued on such date in a different Agreed Currency, as the case may be, in which the denomination of such Letter of Credit would in the reasonable opinion of the Issuing Bank, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders be practicable and in face amount equal to the Dollar Amount of the face amount specified in the related request or application for such Letter of Credit, as the case may be.

 

SECTION 2.22.  Judgment Currency.  If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due from any Borrower hereunder in the currency expressed to be payable herein (the “specified currency”) into another currency, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent that they may effectively do so, that the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the specified currency with such other currency at the Administrative Agent’s main New York City office on the Business Day preceding that on which final, non-appealable judgment is given.  The obligations of each Borrower in respect of any sum due to any Lender or the Administrative Agent by such Borrower hereunder shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than the specified currency, be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by such Lender or the Administrative Agent (as the case may be) of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency such Lender or the Administrative Agent (as the case may be) may in accordance with normal, reasonable banking procedures purchase the specified currency with such other currency.  If the amount of the specified currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, in the specified currency, the applicable Borrower agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Lender or the

 

 

Administrative Agent, as the case may be, against such loss, and if the amount of the specified currency so purchased exceeds (a) the sum originally due to any Lender or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, in the specified currency and (b) any amounts shared with other Lenders as a result of allocations of such excess as a disproportionate payment to such Lender under Section 2.18, such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, agrees to remit such excess to such Borrower.

 

SECTION 2.23.  Defaulting Lenders.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:

 

(a)fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(a);

 

(b)the Commitment and Revolving Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether the Required Lenders or any other requisite Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 9.02); provided, that any amendment, waiver or other modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or all Lenders affected thereby shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender in accordance with the terms hereof;

 

(c)if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the time such Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:

 

(i)  so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, all or any part of the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages but only to the extent (A) the sum of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Revolving Credit Exposures plus such Defaulting Lender’s Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure does not exceed the total of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Commitments and (B) each non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure does not exceed such non-Defaulting Lender’s Commitment;

 

(ii)  if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Company shall within two (2) Business Days following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure that has not been reallocated and (y) second, cash collateralize for the benefit of the Issuing Bank only the Borrowers’ obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.06(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;

 

(iii)  if the Company cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure pursuant to clause (ii) above, the Borrowers shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure during the period such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is cash collateralized;

 

(iv)  if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to clause (i) above, then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.12(a) and Section 2.12(b) shall be adjusted to give effect to such reallocation; and

 

 

(v)  if all or any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is neither reallocated nor cash collateralized pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above, then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the Issuing Bank or any other Lender hereunder, all letter of credit fees payable under Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure shall be payable to the Issuing Bank until and to the extent that such LC Exposure is reallocated and/or cash collateralized; and

 

(d)so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Issuing Bank shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure and the Defaulting Lender’s then outstanding LC Exposure will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Company in accordance with Section 2.23(c), and participating interests in any such newly made Swingline Loan or any newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.23(c)(i) (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).

 

If (i) a Bankruptcy Event with respect to a Parent of any Lender shall occur following the date hereof and for so long as such event shall continue or (ii) the Swingline Lender or the Issuing Bank has a good faith belief that any Lender has defaulted in fulfilling its obligations under one or more other agreements in which such Lender commits to extend credit, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Issuing Bank shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless the Swingline Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, shall have entered into arrangements with the Company or such Lender, satisfactory to the Swingline Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, to defease any risk to it in respect of such Lender hereunder.

 

In the event that the Administrative Agent, the Company, the Swingline Lender and the Issuing Bank each agrees that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of the Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lender’s Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Lenders (other than Swingline Loans) as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.

 

SECTION 2.24.  Designation of Dutch Borrower.  The Company may at any time and from time to time designate the Dutch Subsidiary as the Dutch Borrower by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement executed by such Subsidiary and the Company and the satisfaction of the other conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.03, and upon such delivery and satisfaction such Subsidiary shall for all purposes of this Agreement be the Dutch Borrower and a party to this Agreement until the Company or the Dutch Borrower shall have executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent a Borrowing Subsidiary Termination with respect to such Subsidiary, whereupon such Subsidiary shall cease to be the Dutch Borrower and a party to this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, no Borrowing Subsidiary Termination will become effective as to the Dutch Borrower at a time when any principal of or interest on any Loan to such Borrower shall be outstanding hereunder, provided that such Borrowing Subsidiary Termination shall be effective to terminate the right of the Dutch Borrower to make further Borrowings under this Agreement.  As soon as practicable upon receipt of a Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement, the Administrative Agent shall furnish a copy thereof to each Lender.

 

SECTION 2.25.  Extension of Maturity Date.  (a) The Company may, by delivery of a Maturity Date Extension Request to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly deliver a copy thereof to each of the Lenders) not less than thirty (30) days, and not more than ninety (90) days, prior to

 

 

the then existing Maturity Date (the “Existing Maturity Date”), request that the Lenders extend the Existing Maturity Date in accordance with this Section 2.25.  Each Maturity Date Extension Request shall (i) specify the date to which the Maturity Date is sought to be extended, (ii) specify the changes, if any, to the Applicable Rate to be applied in determining the interest payable on Loans of, and fees payable hereunder to, Consenting Lenders in respect of that portion of their Commitments (and related Loans) extended to such new Maturity Date and the time as of which such changes will become effective (which may be prior to the Existing Maturity Date), and (iii) specify any other amendments or modifications to this Agreement to be effected in connection with such Maturity Date Extension Request; provided that no such changes or modifications requiring approvals pursuant to Section 9.02(b) shall become effective prior to the then existing Maturity Date unless such other approvals have been obtained.  In the event a Maturity Date Extension Request shall have been delivered by the Company, each Lender shall have the right (but not the obligation) to agree to the extension of the Existing Maturity Date and other matters contemplated thereby on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein (each Lender agreeing to the Maturity Date Extension Request being referred to herein as a “Consenting Lender” and each Lender not agreeing thereto being referred to herein as a “Declining Lender”), which right may be exercised by written notice thereof, specifying the maximum amount of the Commitment of such Lender with respect to which such Lender agrees to the extension of the Maturity Date, delivered to the Company (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) not later than a date (a “Response Date”) to be agreed upon by the Company and the Administrative Agent following the date on which the Maturity Date Extension Request shall have been delivered by the Borrower (it being understood that (x) any Lender that shall have failed to exercise such right as set forth above shall be deemed to be a Declining Lender and (y) any Response Date shall be no earlier than fourteen (14) days after the applicable Maturity Date Extension Request has been delivered to the Lenders).  If a Lender elects to extend only a portion of its then existing Commitment, it will be deemed for purposes hereof to be a Consenting Lender in respect of such extended portion and a Declining Lender in respect of the remaining portion of its Commitment.  If Consenting Lenders shall have agreed to such Maturity Date Extension Request in respect of Commitments held by them, then, subject to paragraph (d) of this Section, on the date specified in the Maturity Date Extension Request as the effective date thereof (the “Extension Effective Date”), (i) the Existing Maturity Date of the applicable Commitments shall, as to the Consenting Lenders, be extended to such date as shall be specified therein, (ii) the terms and conditions of the Commitments of the Consenting Lenders (including interest and fees (including Letter of Credit fees) payable in respect thereof), shall be modified as set forth in the Maturity Date Extension Request and (iii) such other modifications and amendments hereto specified in the Maturity Date Extension Request shall (subject to any required approvals (including those of the Required Lenders) having been obtained) become effective.

 

(b)     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall have the right, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2.19 and 9.04, at any time prior to the Existing Maturity Date, to replace a Declining Lender (for the avoidance of doubt, only in respect of that portion of such Lender’s Commitments subject to a Maturity Date Extension Request that it has not agreed to extend) with a Lender, or other financial institution approved by the Administrative Agent (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), that will agree to such Maturity Date Extension Request, and any such replacement Lender shall for all purposes constitute a Consenting Lender in respect of the Commitment assigned to and assumed by it on and after the effective time of such replacement.

 

(c)     If a Maturity Date Extension Request has become effective hereunder:

 

(i)  not later than the fifth (5th) Business Day prior to the Existing Maturity Date, the Borrower shall make prepayments of Loans and shall provide cash collateral in respect of Letters of Credit in the manner set forth in Section 2.11, such that, after giving effect to such prepayments and such provision of cash collateral, the aggregate Revolving

 

 

Credit Exposures outstanding as of such date will not exceed the aggregate Commitments of the Consenting Lenders extended pursuant to this Section 2.21 (and the Company shall not be permitted thereafter to request any Loan or any issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit if, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposures outstanding would exceed the aggregate amount of the Commitments so extended); and

 

(ii)  on the Existing Maturity Date, the Commitment of each Declining Lender shall, to the extent not assumed, assigned or transferred as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section, terminate, and the Borrower shall repay all the Revolving Loans of each Declining Lender, to the extent such Revolving Loans shall not have been so purchased, assigned and transferred, in each case together with accrued and unpaid interest and all fees and other amounts owing to such Declining Lender hereunder (accordingly, the Commitment of any Consenting Lender shall, to the extent the amount of such Commitment exceeds the amount set forth in the notice delivered by such Lender pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section, be permanently reduced by the amount of such excess, and the Company shall prepay the proportionate part of the outstanding Revolving Loans of such Consenting Lender, in each case together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the Existing Maturity Date and all fees and other amounts payable in respect thereof on or prior to the Existing Maturity Date), it being understood that such repayments may be funded with the proceeds of new Revolving Borrowings made simultaneously with such repayments by the Consenting Lenders, which such Revolving Borrowings shall be made ratably by the Consenting Lenders in accordance with their extended Commitments.

 

(d)     Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Maturity Date Extension Request shall become effective hereunder unless, on the Extension Effective Date, (i) the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 shall be satisfied (with all references in such Section to a Borrowing being deemed to be references to such Maturity Date Extension Request) and the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate to that effect dated such date and executed by a Financial Officer and (ii) the Administrative Agent shall have received customary corporate authorization documents to the extent reasonably required by the Administrative Agent.

 

(e)     Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, it is hereby agreed that no extension of an Existing Maturity Date in accordance with the express terms of this Section 2.25, or any amendment or modification of the terms and conditions of the Commitments and Revolving Loans of the Consenting Lenders effected pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to (i) violate the last sentence of Section 2.09(c) or Section 2.18(b) or 2.18(c) or any other provision of this Agreement requiring the ratable reduction of Commitments or the ratable sharing of payments or (ii) require the consent of all Lenders or all affected Lenders under Section 9.02(b).

 

(f)      The Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Consenting Lenders may enter into an amendment to this Agreement to effect such modifications as may be necessary to reflect the terms of any Maturity Date Extension Request that has become effective in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.25.

 

SECTION 2.26.  Liability of Dutch Subsidiary. The Dutch Subsidiary shall not be liable (whether severally or jointly) for the any Loans made to or Borrowings by the Company (including related costs, expenses and interest) or the obligations, liabilities, costs, expenses, covenants, warranties and undertakings of the Company under or pursuant to this Agreement.  The Dutch Subsidiary shall

 

 

solely and exclusively be liable for the due and outstanding Borrowing and Loans made to the Dutch Borrower (and any related costs, expenses and interest related thereto).

 

ARTICLE III
  Representations and Warranties

 

The Company represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

 

SECTION 3.01.  Organization; Powers; Subsidiaries.  Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (to the extent such concept is applicable in the relevant jurisdiction) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing (to the extent such concept is applicable) in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.  Schedule 3.01 hereto (as supplemented from time to time) identifies each Subsidiary, noting whether such Subsidiary is a Material Domestic Subsidiary, the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as the case may be, the percentage of issued and outstanding shares of each class of its capital stock or other equity interests owned by the Company and the other Subsidiaries and, if such percentage is not 100% (excluding directors’ qualifying shares as required by law), a description of each class issued and outstanding.  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock and other equity interests of each Subsidiary are validly issued and outstanding and fully paid and nonassessable and all such shares and other equity interests indicated on Schedule 3.01 as owned by the Company or another Subsidiary are owned, beneficially and of record, by the Company or any Subsidiary free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Encumbrances.  Except as specified on Schedule 3.01, there are no outstanding commitments or other obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary to issue, and no options, warrants or other rights of any Person to acquire, any shares of any class of capital stock or other equity interests of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

SECTION 3.02.  Authorization; Enforceability.  The Transactions are within each Loan Party’s organizational powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary organizational actions and, if required, actions by equity holders.  The Loan Documents to which each Loan Party is a party have been duly executed and delivered by such Loan Party and constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

 

SECTION 3.03.  Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts.  The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, material agreement or other material instrument binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

SECTION 3.04.  Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change.  (a)  The Company has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and

 

 

the portion of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, certified by its chief financial officer.  Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.

 

(b)Since December 31, 2010, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets, operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

SECTION 3.05.  Properties.  (a)  Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business, except for minor defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct its business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for their intended purposes.

 

(b)Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries owns, or has the right to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property necessary for the conduct of its business, and the use thereof by the Company and its Subsidiaries does not knowingly infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 3.06.  Litigation and Environmental Matters.  (a) Except for matters in existence on the Effective Date and disclosed in Schedule 3.06, there are no actions, suits, proceedings or investigations by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of any Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions.  There are no labor controversies pending against or, to the knowledge of any Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (i) which could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions.

 

(b)Except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.

 

SECTION 3.07.  Compliance with Laws.  Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 3.08.  Investment Company Status.  Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is an “investment company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

SECTION 3.09.  Taxes.  Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed by them and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by them, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good

 

 

faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Company or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 3.10.  ERISA.  No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events that have occurred and for which liability is reasonably expected to be incurred by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 3.11.  Disclosure.  The Company has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Information Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements, certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrowers represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

 

SECTION 3.12.  Federal Reserve Regulations  No part of the proceeds of any Loan have been used or will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X.

 

SECTION 3.13.   Liens.  There are no Liens on any of the real or personal properties of the Company or any Subsidiary except for Liens permitted by Section 6.02.

 

SECTION 3.14.  No Default.  No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

SECTION 3.15.  No Burdensome Restrictions.  On the date hereof, the Company is not subject to any Burdensome Restrictions except Burdensome Restrictions permitted under Section 6.04.

 

SECTION 3.16.  Insurance.  The Company maintains, and has caused each Subsidiary to maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance on all their real and personal property in such amounts, subject to such deductibles and self-insurance retentions and covering such properties and risks as are adequate and customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Conditions

 

SECTION 4.01.  Effective Date.  The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):

 

(a) The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received (i) from each party hereto either (A) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (B) written

 

 

evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy or electronic transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement and (ii) duly executed copies of the Loan Documents and such other legal opinions, certificates, documents, instruments and agreements as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request in connection with the Transactions, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel and as further described in the list of closing documents attached as Exhibit E.

 

(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of (i) White & Case LLP, U.S. counsel for the Loan Parties, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-1 and (ii) Peter Millones, General Counsel to the Company substantially in the form of Exhibit B-2, and covering such other matters relating to the Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or the Transactions as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.  The Company hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.

 

(c)The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the initial Loan Parties, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to such Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or the Transactions, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel and as further described in the list of closing documents attached as Exhibit E.

 

(d) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Company, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02.

 

(e)The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that the Existing Credit Agreement shall have been terminated and cancelled and all indebtedness thereunder shall have been fully repaid (except to the extent being so repaid with the initial Revolving Loans) and any and all commitments and liens thereunder shall have been terminated.

 

(f)The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Company hereunder.

 

The Administrative Agent shall notify the Company and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.

 

SECTION 4.02.  Each Credit Event.  The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

 

(a)The representations and warranties of the Borrowers set forth in this Agreement (other than Sections 3.04(b) and 3.06(a)) shall be true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent that any representation and warranty that is qualified by materiality shall be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable.

 

 

(b)At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 

Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrowers on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.

 

SECTION 4.03.  Designation of the Dutch Borrower.  The designation of the Dutch Borrower pursuant to Section 2.24 is subject to the condition precedent that the Company or the Dutch Subsidiary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Administrative Agent:

 

(a)Copies, certified by the General Counsel of the Dutch Subsidiary, of resolutions of the Dutch Subsidiary’s (i) board of managing directors, and (ii) general meeting of shareholders and the positive advice of the Dutch Subsidiary’s work council approving this Agreement and any other Loan Documents to which the Dutch Subsidiary is becoming a party and performing the obligations thereunder and such other documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization and existence of the Dutch Subsidiary;

 

(b)An incumbency certificate, executed by the General Counsel of the Dutch Subsidiary, which shall identify by name and title and bear the signature of the officers of the Dutch Subsidiary authorized to request Borrowings hereunder and sign this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which the Dutch Subsidiary is becoming a party, upon which certificate the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely until informed of any change in writing by the Company or such Subsidiary;

 

(c)Opinions of Dutch counsel to the Dutch Subsidiary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel, with respect to the laws of its jurisdiction of organization and such other customary matters (including, without limitation, the Works Council Act (Wet op de ondernemingsraden)) as are reasonably requested by counsel to the Administrative Agent and addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders; and

 

(d)Any promissory notes requested by any Lender, and any other instruments and documents reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent under applicable “know your customer” or similar rules and regulations, including the Act defined in Section 9.13.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Affirmative Covenants

 

Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Company covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

 

SECTION 5.01.  Financial Statements and Other Information.  The Company will furnish to the Administrative Agent for distribution to each Lender:

 

(a)within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, its audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash

 

 

flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;

 

(b)within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Company, its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

 

(c)concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Company (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Section 6.05, (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate and (iv) if any Lease Accounting GAAP Change shall have become effective and shall have been applied by the Borrower, and such Lease Accounting GAAP Change affects the comparability of the consolidated financial statements (or any part thereof) for such fiscal year or such fiscal quarter compared to the corresponding consolidated financial statements (or such part thereof) for the prior fiscal year or the corresponding fiscal quarter of such prior fiscal year in any material respect, specifying the effect of such Lease Accounting GAAP Change on the consolidated financial statements for such fiscal year or such fiscal quarter;

 

(d)concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) above, a certificate of the accounting firm that reported on such financial statements stating whether they obtained knowledge during the course of their examination of such financial statements of any Default (which certificate may be limited to the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines);

 

(e)promptly after Moody’s or S&P shall have announced a change in any rating established or deemed to have been established for the Index Debt, written notice of such rating change; and

 

(f)promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Company or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent) may reasonably request.

 

Documents required to be delivered pursuant to clauses (a) and (b) or (f) of this Section 5.01 may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on

 

 

which such documents are posted on the Company’s behalf on IntraLinksTM or a substantially similar electronic platform, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); or (ii) on which such documents are filed for public availability on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval System.

 

SECTION 5.02.  Notices of Material Events.  The Company will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:

 

(a) the occurrence of any Default;

 

(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary thereof that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Company setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

 

SECTION 5.03.  Existence; Conduct of Business.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the material rights, qualifications, licenses, permits, material privileges, franchises, governmental authorizations and intellectual property rights necessary to the conduct of its business, and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03.

 

SECTION 5.04.  Payment of Tax Obligations.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its Tax obligations and liabilities, that, if not paid, could result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Company or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 5.05.  Maintenance of Properties; Insurance.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and (b) maintain with financially sound and reputable carriers insurance in such amounts (with no greater risk retention) and against such risks (including loss or damage by fire and loss in transit; theft, burglary, pilferage, larceny, embezzlement, and other criminal activities; business interruption; and general liability) and such other hazards, as is customarily maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.

 

SECTION 5.06.  Books and Records; Inspection Rights.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities.  The Company

 

 

will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested.  The Company acknowledges that the Administrative Agent, after exercising its rights of inspection, may prepare and distribute to the Lenders certain reports pertaining to the Company and its Subsidiaries’ assets for internal use by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders.

 

SECTION 5.07.  Compliance with Laws.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property (including without limitation Environmental Laws), except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 5.08.  Use of Proceeds.  The proceeds of the Loans will be used only to finance the working capital needs, and for general corporate purposes (including, without limitation, for the purposes of making acquisitions and refinancing existing indebtedness) of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X.

 

SECTION 5.09.  Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

(a) As promptly as possible but in any event within thirty (30) days (or such later date as may be agreed upon by the Administrative Agent) after any Person becomes a Subsidiary or any Subsidiary qualifies independently as, or is designated by the Company or the Administrative Agent as, a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the definitions of “Material Domestic Subsidiary” and “Subsidiary Guarantor”, the Company shall provide the Administrative Agent with written notice thereof and shall cause each such Subsidiary which also qualifies as a Subsidiary Guarantor to deliver to the Administrative Agent a joinder to the Subsidiary Guaranty (in the form contemplated thereby) pursuant to which such Subsidiary agrees to be bound by the terms and provisions thereof, such Subsidiary Guaranty to be accompanied by appropriate corporate resolutions, other corporate documentation and, if reasonably requested, legal opinions in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Negative Covenants

 

Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Company covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

 

SECTION 6.01.  Indebtedness.  The Company will not permit any Subsidiary (other than the Dutch Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor, in which respect this Section 6.01 is not applicable) to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness (it being understood and agreed that accrual or payment in kind in respect of Indebtedness shall not constitute an incurrence of additional Indebtedness), except:

 

 

(a)Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01 and extensions, renewals, refinancings and replacements of any such Indebtedness (“Refinancing Indebtedness”); provided, however, that such Refinancing Indebtedness (A) shall not exceed in aggregate principal amount the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness being extended, renewed, refinanced, or replaced together with interest accrued thereon and the payment of fees and expenses incurred in connection with such extension, renewal, refinancing or replacement and (B) to the extent such Refinancing Indebtedness extends, renews or replaces Indebtedness subordinated to the Obligations or the Guaranty of any Subsidiary Guarantor, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated to the Obligations or such Guaranty at least to the same extent as the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or replaced;

 

(b) Indebtedness to the Company or any Subsidiary;

 

(c) Guarantees of Indebtedness or other obligations of the Company or any other Subsidiary;

 

(d)Indebtedness incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any assets, including Capital Lease Obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; provided that (i) such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within two hundred and seventy (270) days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (d) shall not exceed $100,000,000 at any time outstanding;

 

(e) Indebtedness (i) as an account party in respect of letters of credit or (ii) constituting obligations in respect of Swap Agreements; and

 

(f) Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $200,000,000 at any time outstanding.

 

SECTION 6.02.  Liens.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:

 

(a)Permitted Encumbrances;

 

(b) any Lien on any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; or any Liens issued to so extend, renew, refinance or replace such Liens (“Refinancing Liens”); provided, however, that such Refinancing Liens (A) shall not exceed in aggregate principal amount the aggregate principal amount of the Liens being extended, renewed, refinanced, or replaced together with interest accrued thereon and the payment of fees and expenses incurred in connection with such extension, renewal, refinancing or replacement, (B) to the extent such Refinancing Liens extend, renew or replace Liens subordinated to the Obligations or the Guaranty of any Subsidiary Guarantor, such Refinancing Liens are subordinated to the Obligations or such Guaranty at least to the same extent as the Liens being extended, renewed or replaced, and (C) shall not include (1)

 

 

Liens of a Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor that refinances Liens of the Company or (2) Liens of a Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor that refinances Liens of a Guarantor;

 

(c) any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Company or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be, and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

 

(d) Liens on assets acquired, constructed or improved by the Company or any Subsidiary; provided that (i) with respect to any Foreign Subsidiary (other than the Dutch Borrower), such security interests secure Indebtedness permitted by clause (d) of Section 6.01, (ii) such security interests and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within two hundred and seventy (270) days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement, (iii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and (iv) such security interests shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary; and

 

(e) Liens on assets of the Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties not otherwise permitted above so long as the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness subject to such Liens is permitted by Section 6.01(f);

 

(f) (x) licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases granted by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to other Persons not materially interfering with the conduct of the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (y) any interest or title of a lessor, sublessor or licensor under any lease or license agreement permitted by this Agreement to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party;

 

(g)Liens arising from precautionary UCC financing statement filings regarding operating leases entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

(h) statutory and common law landlords’ liens under leases to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party; and

 

(i) additional Liens on assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries not otherwise permitted by this Section 6.02 so long as the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness and other obligations subject to such Liens does not at any time exceed, with respect to Liens on assets of any Loan Party, 5% of Consolidated Total Assets (determined by reference to the most recent financial statements of the Company delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or 5.01(b) or, if prior to the date of the delivery of the first financial statements to be delivered pursuant to such Section, the most recent financial statements referred to in Section 3.04(a)).

 

SECTION 6.03.  Fundamental Changes and Asset Sales.  (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (including pursuant to a Sale

 

 

and Leaseback Transaction), or any of the Equity Interests of all or substantially all of its Subsidiaries (in each case, whether now owned or hereafter acquired), or liquidate or dissolve, except:

 

(i)  any Person may merge into the Company in a transaction in which the Company is the surviving corporation;

 

(ii)  any Subsidiary may merge into a Loan Party in a transaction in which the surviving entity is such Loan Party (provided that any such merger involving the Company must result in the Company as the surviving entity) and any Subsidiary which is not a Loan Party may merge into another Subsidiary which is not a Loan Party;

 

(iii)  any Subsidiary may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to a Loan Party;

 

(iv)  the Company or any Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with any Subsidiary, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (including pursuant to a Sale and Leaseback Transaction), or any of the Equity Interests of all of substantially all of its Subsidiaries, to any Subsidiary; provided that (1) such transaction or series of transactions are in connection with an internal reorganization of the Company or its Subsidiaries for tax or other internal structuring purposes, (2) in the case of any such transaction or series of transactions involving the Company, the surviving entity (A) agrees to assume, and has expressly assumed all of the Loans and all of the Company’s other representations, covenants, conditions and other obligations pursuant to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents in an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent by the surviving entity, (B) shall be a Person organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and the Company shall have procured for the Administrative Agent and each Lender an opinion in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent in respect of such Person and such agreement and covering the matters covered in the opinions delivered pursuant to Section 4.01 on the Effective Date and such other matters as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request and (C) directly or indirectly owns and controls substantially all of the assets and businesses owned and controlled by the Company on the Effective Date (other than assets and businesses that have been sold or disposed in compliance with this Agreement), (3) in the case of any such transaction or series of transactions involving a Loan Party, the surviving entity is a Loan Party, (4) immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions, any credit ratings from Moody’s and S&P applicable to the surviving entity and its Index Debt shall be no lower than any credit ratings from Moody’s and S&P applicable to the Company and its Index Debt as in effect immediately prior to giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions and (5) immediately before and after giving effect (including pro forma effect) to any such transaction or series of transactions, no Default would exist; and

 

(v)  any Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve if (A) the Company reasonably determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the corporate interests of the Company and (B) the proceeds of such dissolution are transferred to the Company or a Subsidiary.

 

(b)The Company will not, nor will it permit the Dutch Borrower to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Company and its

 

 

Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related thereto (it being understood that any travel related or on-line business shall be considered to be such a same or similar line of business).

 

(c)The Company will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, change its fiscal year from the basis in effect on the Effective Date.

 

SECTION 6.04.  Restrictive Agreements.  The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of the Company or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to holders of its Equity Interests or to make or repay loans or advances to the Company or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of the Company or any other Subsidiary; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by any Loan Document, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale, provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement, (iv) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment or subletting thereof, (v) the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions restricting assignment of any licensing agreement (in which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the licensee) or other contract entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, (vi) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions on the transfer of any asset pending the close of the sale of such asset, and (vii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions on the transfer of any asset subject to a Lien permitted by Section 6.02(b).

 

SECTION 6.05.  Financial Covenants.

 

(a)Maximum Leverage Ratio.   The Company will not permit the ratio (the “Leverage Ratio”), determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters ending on and after September 30, 2011, of (i) Consolidated Total Indebtedness to (ii) Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters ending with the end of such fiscal quarter, all calculated for the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, to be greater than 3.00 to 1.00.

 

(b)Minimum Coverage Ratio.  The Company will not permit the ratio, determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters ending on and after September 30, 2011, of (i) Consolidated EBITDA to (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense paid or payable in cash, in each case for the period of four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters ending with the end of such fiscal quarter, all calculated for the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, to be less than 3.00 to 1.00.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Events of Default

 

If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:

 

(a) any Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;

 

 

(b) any Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five (5) Business Days;

 

(c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of any Borrower or any Subsidiary in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification thereof or waiver thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made;

 

(d) any Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 5.02, 5.03 (with respect to any Borrower’s existence), 5.08 or 5.09 or in Article VI;

 

(e) any Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable, shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article) or any other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of thirty (30) days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Company (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);

 

(f) the Company or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable;

 

(g) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to (i) secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness or (ii) the exercise by any holder of Indebtedness (to the extent convertible into Equity Interests in the Company) of its rights of conversion at any time pursuant to the terms of such Indebtedness;

 

(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Company or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for sixty (60) days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;

 

(i) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Company or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed

 

 

against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

 

(j) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;

 

(k)one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $50,000,000 shall be rendered against the Company, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Company or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;

 

(l) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred and for which liability is reasonably expected to be incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(m)the Company shall fail to comply with Section 2.25(c);

 

(n)a Change in Control shall occur; or

 

(o) any material provision of any Loan Document for any reason ceases to be valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms or the Company or any Subsidiary shall so assert in writing;

 

then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Company described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, with consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Company, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times:  (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrowers; and in case of any event with respect to any Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Obligations accrued hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrowers.  Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, exercise any rights and remedies provided to the Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents or at law or equity.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

The Administrative Agent

 

Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf, including execution of the other Loan Documents, and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the

 

 

Administrative Agent by the terms of the Loan Documents, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.

 

The bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Company or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.

 

The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth in the Loan Documents.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated by the Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02), and (c) except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.  The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.  The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Company or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection with any Loan Document, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person.  The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon.  The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Company), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

 

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties.  The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.

 

 

Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and the Company.  Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Company, to appoint a successor.  If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank, appoint a successor Administrative Agent which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any such bank.  Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder.  The fees payable by any Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between such Borrower and such successor.  After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, 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 it was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement.  Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

 

None of the Lenders, if any, identified in this Agreement as a Senior Managing Agent, Co-Syndication Agent or Documentation Agent shall have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility or duty under this Agreement other than those applicable to all Lenders as such.  Without limiting the foregoing, none of such Lenders shall have or be deemed to have a fiduciary relationship with any Lender.  Each Lender hereby makes the same acknowledgments with respect to the relevant Lenders in their respective capacities as Senior Managing Agents, Co-Syndication Agents or Documentation Agent, as applicable, as it makes with respect to the Administrative Agent in the preceding paragraph.

 

Except with respect to the exercise of setoff rights of any Lender, in accordance with Section 9.08, the proceeds of which are applied in accordance with this Agreement, each Lender agrees that it will not take any action, nor institute any actions or proceedings, against the Borrower or with respect to any Loan Document, without the prior written consent of the Required Lenders or, as may be provided in this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, with the consent of the Administrative Agent.

 

The Lenders are not partners or co-venturers, and no Lender shall be liable for the acts or omissions of, or (except as otherwise set forth herein in case of the Administrative Agent) authorized to act for, any other Lender.  The Administrative Agent shall have the exclusive right on behalf of the Lenders to enforce the payment of the principal of and interest on any Loan after the date such principal or interest has become due and payable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Miscellaneous

 

SECTION 9.01.  Notices.  (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:

 

(i)  if to the Company, to it at priceline.com Incorporated, 800 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06854, Attention of Daniel J. Finnegan, Chief Financial Officer (Fax No. (203) 299-8915; Telephone No. (203) 299-8086);

 

(ii)  if to the Dutch Borrower, to it at Booking.com B.V., Weteringschans 28, 1017 SG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Attention of Olivier Bisserier, Chief Financial Officer (Telecopy No. +31 (0) 20 713 33 23; Telephone No. +31 20 715 3040) with a copy (in the case of a notice of Default) to Booking.com B.V., Weteringsehans 28, 1017 SG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Attention of Legal Department (Telecopy No. +31 (0) 20 713 33 23; Telephone No. +31 20 713 3544);

 

(iii)  if to the Administrative Agent, (A) in the case of Borrowings denominated in Dollars, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services Group, 10 South Dearborn, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, Attention of Leonida Mischke (Telecopy No.(888) 292-9533) and (B) in the case of Borrowings denominated in Foreign Currencies, to J.P. Morgan Europe Limited, 125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AJ, Attention of Manager Loan Agency (Telecopy No. 44 207 777 2360), and in each case with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172, Attention of Justin Kelley (Telecopy No. (646) 534-3078);

 

(iv)  if to the Issuing Bank, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services Group, 10 South Dearborn, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, Attention of Leonida Mischke (Telecopy No.(888) 292-9533) and in each case with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172, Attention of Justin Kelley (Telecopy No. (646) 534-3078);

 

(v)  if to the Swingline Lender, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services Group, 10 South Dearborn, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, Attention of Attention of Leonida Mischke (Telecopy No.(888) 292-9533) and in each case with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172, Attention of Justin Kelley (Telecopy No. (646) 534-3078); and

 

(vi)  if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.

 

(b)Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender.  The Administrative Agent or the Company may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

 

 

(c)Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.  All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt.

 

SECTION 9.02.  Waivers; Amendments.  (a)  No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power.  The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have.  No waiver of any provision of any Loan Document or consent to any departure by any Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.

 

(b) Except as provided in Section 2.25 with respect to the extension of the Maturity Date or in Section 2.20 with respect to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrowers and the Required Lenders or by the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon (other than the waiver of default interest), or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.18(b) or (d) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender (it being understood that, solely with the consent of the parties prescribed by Section 2.20 to be parties to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment, Incremental Term Loans may be included in the determination of Required Lenders on substantially the same basis as the Commitments and the Revolving Loans are included on the Effective Date) or (vi) release the Company or all or substantially all of the Subsidiary Guarantors from their obligations under Article X or the Subsidiary Guaranty, without the written consent of each Lender; provided  further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be.

 

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement and any other Loan Document may be amended (or amended and restated) with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers to each relevant Loan Document (x) to add one or more credit facilities (in addition to the Incremental Term Loans pursuant to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment) to this Agreement and to permit extensions of credit from time to time outstanding thereunder and the accrued

 

 

interest and fees in respect thereof to share ratably in the benefits of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with the Revolving Loans and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof and (y) to include appropriately the Lenders holding such credit facilities in any determination of the Required Lenders and Lenders.

 

(d) If, in connection with any proposed amendment, waiver or consent requiring the consent of “each Lender” or “each Lender directly affected thereby,” the consent of the Required Lenders is obtained, but the consent of other necessary Lenders is not obtained (any such Lender whose consent is necessary but not obtained being referred to herein as a “Non-Consenting Lender”), then the Company may elect to replace a Non-Consenting Lender as a Lender party to this Agreement, provided that, concurrently with such replacement, (i) another bank or other entity which is reasonably satisfactory to the Company, the Administrative Agent shall agree, as of such date, to purchase for cash the Loans and other Obligations due to the Non-Consenting Lender pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption and to become a Lender for all purposes under this Agreement and to assume all obligations of the Non-Consenting Lender to be terminated as of such date and to comply with the requirements of clause (b) of Section 9.04, and (ii) each Borrower shall pay to such Non-Consenting Lender in same day funds on the day of such replacement (1) all interest, fees and other amounts then accrued but unpaid to such Non-Consenting Lender by such Borrower hereunder to and including the date of termination, including without limitation payments due to such Non-Consenting Lender under Sections 2.15 and 2.17, and (2) an amount, if any, equal to the payment which would have been due to such Lender on the day of such replacement under Section 2.16 had the Loans of such Non-Consenting Lender been prepaid on such date rather than sold to the replacement Lender.

 

(e)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein the Administrative Agent may, with the consent of the Borrowers only, amend, modify or supplement this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents to cure any ambiguity, omission, mistake, defect or inconsistency.

 

SECTION 9.03.  Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.  (a)  The Company shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication and distribution (including, without limitation, via the internet or through a service such as Intralinks) of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any one primary counsel, and one additional local counsel in each applicable jurisdiction, for the Administrative Agent and one additional counsel for all the Lenders other than the Administrative Agent and additional counsel in light of actual or potential conflicts of interest or the availability of different claims of defenses, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and any other Loan Document, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.

 

(b)The Company shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a

 

 

result of (i) the execution or delivery of any Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from (A) the willful misconduct, fraud or gross negligence of such Indemnitee, its controlled affiliates or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons (each officer, director, employee, agent or controlling person of any such Indemnitee or any of such entity’s subsidiaries, a “related party” of such entity), (B) any material breach of the express obligations of such Indemnitee or any of its affiliates or related parties hereunder pursuant to a claim initiated by any Borrower or (C) any dispute solely among Indemnitees (not arising as a result of any act or omission by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates) other than claims against any Credit Party in its capacity as, or in fulfilling its role as, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender or any similar role under this Agreement.

 

(c)To the extent that the Company fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section (and without limiting its obligation to do so), each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, 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 (it being understood that the Company’s failure to pay any such amount shall not relieve the Company of any default in the payment thereof); 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, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender in its capacity as such.

 

(d)To the extent permitted by applicable law, no Borrower shall assert, and each Borrower hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee (i) for any damages arising from the use by others of information or other materials obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet), or (ii) 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 or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.

 

(e)All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than fifteen (15) days after written demand therefor.

 

(f)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, nothing in this Section 9.03 shall apply to Taxes.

 

SECTION 9.04.  Successors and Assigns.  (a)  The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns

 

 

permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) other than as provided in Section 6.03(a)(iv), no Borrower may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by any Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section.  Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit),  Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b)(i)     Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) of:

 

(A) the Company, provided that no consent of the Company shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default described in clause (a), (b), (h), (i) or (j) of Article VII has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee;

 

(B) the Administrative Agent; and

 

(C)  the Issuing Bank.

 

(ii)  Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:

 

(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $10,000,000 unless each of the Company and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), provided that no such consent of the Company shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

(B) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;

 

(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, such fee to be paid by either the assigning Lender or the assignee Lender or shared between such Lenders (except in connection with assignments made pursuant to Section 2.19, in which case the Company shall pay such fee);

 

 

(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more credit contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Company and its affiliates and their Related Parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws;

 

(E) other than assignments to an existing Lender, assignments to Lenders that will acquire a position of the Obligations of the Dutch Borrower shall be at least €50,000 (or its equivalent in another currency) or any other amount that will from time to time be applicable under section 3(2) under a and/or b of the Dutch Decree on Definitions Wft (Besluit definitiebepalingen Wft), or, if it is less, such new Lender (as the case may be) shall confirm in writing to the Dutch Borrower that it is a professional market party within the meaning of the FSA; and

 

(F) no assignment shall be made to (x) the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries or Affiliates or (y) a natural person.

 

For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the term “Approved Fund” has the following meaning:

 

“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

 

(iii)  Subject to acceptance and recording thereof in the Register pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03).  Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.

 

(iv)  The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the applicable Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements (and any stated interest thereon) owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”).  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank 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 Company, the Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

 

(v)  Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register; provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(c), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon.  No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.

 

(c)           (i)  Any Lender may, without the consent of any Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.  Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant.  Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section, each Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 2.17(e) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(e) 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 Sections 2.18 and 2.19 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 2.15 or 2.17, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, unless the sale of such participation to such Participant is made with the applicable Borrower’s prior written consent.  To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(c) as though it were a Lender.

 

(ii)           Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the applicable 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 obligations under this Agreement (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register to any Person (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in the obligations under this Agreement) except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such interest 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.

 

 

(d)           Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

 

SECTION 9.05.  Survival.  All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated.  The provisions of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any provision hereof or thereof.

 

SECTION 9.06.  Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  This Agreement, 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 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile or other electronic imaging shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 9.07.  Severability.  Any provision of any Loan Document held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions thereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

SECTION 9.08.  Right of Setoff.  If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final and in whatever currency denominated) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor against any of and all the Obligations held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under the Loan Documents and

 

 

although such obligations may be unmatured.  The rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.

 

SECTION 9.09.  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.  (a)  This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.

 

(b)Each Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to any Loan Document, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.  Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any Loan Party or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.

 

(c)Each Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section.  Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

 

(d)Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9.01, the Dutch Borrower irrevocably designates and appoints the Company, as its authorized agent, to accept and acknowledge on its behalf, service of any and all process which may be served in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 9.09(b) in any federal or New York State court sitting in New York City, provided that copies of the notices, summons or other services to the Dutch Borrower shall be simultaneously sent to the Dutch Borrower in accordance with Section 9.01.  The Company hereby represents, warrants and confirms that the Company has agreed to accept such appointment.  Said designation and appointment shall be irrevocable by the Dutch Borrower until all Loans, all reimbursement obligations, interest thereon and all other amounts payable by the Dutch Borrower hereunder and under the other Loan Documents shall have been paid in full in accordance with the provisions hereof and thereof and the Dutch Borrower shall have been terminated as a Borrower hereunder.  The Dutch Borrower hereby consents to process being served in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 9.09(b) in any federal or New York State court sitting in New York City by service of process upon the Company as provided in this Section 9.09(d); provided that, to the extent lawful and possible, notice of said service upon such agent shall be mailed by registered or certified air mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Company and (if applicable to) the Dutch Borrower at its address set forth in the Borrowing Subsidiary Agreement to which it is a party or to any other address of which the Dutch Borrower shall have given written notice to the Administrative Agent (with a copy thereof to the Company) and copies of the notices, summons or other services shall be simultaneously sent to the Dutch Borrower in accordance with Section 9.01.  The Dutch Borrower irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, all claim of error by reason of any such service in such manner and agrees that such service shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Dutch Borrower in any such suit, action or proceeding and shall, to the fullest extent permitted

 

 

by law, be taken and held to be valid and personal service upon and personal delivery to the Dutch Borrower.  To the extent the Dutch Borrower has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether from service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution of a judgment, execution or otherwise), the Dutch Borrower hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under the Loan Documents.  Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

SECTION 9.10.  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.  EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, 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 PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

 

SECTION 9.11.  Headings.  Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.

 

SECTION 9.12.  Confidentiality.  Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority, (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or 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 any Borrower and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating the Company or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities hereunder or (ii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers with respect to the credit facilities hereunder, (h) with the consent of the Company or (i) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Company.  For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Company relating to the Company or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Company; provided that, in the case of information received from the Company after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential.  Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person

 

 

has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

SECTION 9.13.  USA PATRIOT Act.  Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (as amended from time to time, the “Act”) hereby notifies each Loan Party that pursuant to the requirements of the 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 to identify such Loan Party in accordance with the Act.

 

SECTION 9.14.  Releases of Subsidiary Guarantors.

 

(a)A Subsidiary Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty upon the consummation of any transaction permitted by this Agreement as a result of which such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary; provided that, if so required by this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall have consented to such transaction and the terms of such consent shall not have provided otherwise.  In connection with any termination or release pursuant to this Section, the Administrative Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to) execute and deliver to any Loan Party, at such Loan Party’s expense, all documents that such Loan Party shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release.  Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent.

 

(b)Further, the Administrative Agent may (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to), upon the request of the Company, release any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty if such Subsidiary Guarantor is no longer a Material Domestic Subsidiary.

 

(c)At such time as the principal and interest on the Loans, all LC Disbursements, the fees, expenses and other amounts payable under the Loan Documents and the other Obligations (other than Obligations expressly stated to survive such payment and termination) shall have been paid in full, the Commitments shall have been terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding, the Subsidiary Guaranty and all obligations (other than those expressly stated to survive such termination) of each Subsidiary Guarantor thereunder shall automatically terminate, all without delivery of any instrument or performance of any act by any Person.

 

SECTION 9.15.  Interest Rate Limitation.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.

 

SECTION 9.16.  No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.  In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), each Borrower acknowledges and agrees that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Lenders are arm’s-length

 

 

commercial transactions between such Borrower and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Lenders, on the other hand, (B) such Borrower has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) such Borrower is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) each of the Lenders is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for any Borrower or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) no Lender has any obligation to any Borrower or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) each of the Lenders and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrowers and its Affiliates, and no Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to any Borrower or its Affiliates.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, each Borrower hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against each of the Lenders with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.

 

ARTICLE X

 

Company Guarantee

 

In order to induce the Lenders to extend credit to the Dutch Borrower hereunder, but subject to the last sentence of this Article X, the Company hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, the payment when and as due of the Obligations of the Dutch Borrower.  The Company further agrees that the due and punctual payment of such Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice to or further assent from it, and that it will remain bound upon its guarantee hereunder notwithstanding any such extension or renewal of any such Obligation.

 

The Company waives, to the extent permitted by applicable law, presentment to, demand of payment from and protest to any Borrower of any of the Obligations, and also waives notice of acceptance of its obligations and notice of protest for nonpayment.  The obligations of the Company hereunder shall not be affected by (a) the failure of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against any Borrower under the provisions of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or otherwise; (b) any extension or renewal of any of the Obligations; (c) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of, or release from, any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement, or any other Loan Document or agreement; (d) any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of any of the Obligations; (e) any change in the corporate, partnership or other existence, structure or ownership of any Borrower or any other guarantor of any of the Obligations; (f) the enforceability or validity of the Obligations or any part thereof or the genuineness, enforceability or validity of any agreement relating thereto, or any other invalidity or unenforceability relating to or against any Borrower or any other guarantor of any of the Obligations, for any reason related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any provision of applicable law, decree, order or regulation of any jurisdiction purporting to prohibit the payment by such Borrower or any other guarantor of the Obligations, of any of the Obligations or otherwise affecting any term of any of the Obligations; or (h) any other act, omission or delay to do any other act which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of such Borrower or otherwise operate as a discharge of a guarantor as a matter of law or equity or which would impair or eliminate any right of such Borrower to subrogation.

 

The Company further agrees that its agreement hereunder constitutes a guarantee of payment when due (whether or not any bankruptcy or similar proceeding shall have stayed the accrual or

 

 

collection of any of the Obligations or operated as a discharge thereof) and not merely of collection, and waives any right to require that any resort be had by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender to any balance of any deposit account or credit on the books of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in favor of any Borrower or any other Person.

 

The obligations of the Company hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, and shall not be subject to any defense or set-off, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever, by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of any of the Obligations, any impossibility in the performance of any of the Obligations or otherwise.

 

The Company further agrees that its obligations hereunder shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of any Borrower or otherwise.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may have at law or in equity against any Borrower by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Dutch Borrower to pay any Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, after notice of prepayment or otherwise, the Company hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in cash an amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of such Obligations then due, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon.

 

Upon payment by the Company of any sums as provided above, all rights of the Company against the Dutch Borrower arising as a result thereof by way of right of subrogation or otherwise shall in all respects be subordinated and junior in right of payment to the prior indefeasible payment in full in cash of all the Obligations owed by the Company to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders.

 

Nothing shall discharge or satisfy the liability of the Company hereunder except the full performance and payment of the Obligations.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

 

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

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
PRICELINE.COM   INCORPORATED,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   the Company
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By
    	
/s/ Daniel J. Finnegan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:   Daniel J. Finnegan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
JPMORGAN   CHASE BANK, N.A., individually as a Lender, as the Swingline Lender, as the   Issuing Bank and as Administrative Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By
    	
/s/ David Gibbs
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:   David Gibbs
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:   Managing Director
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
BANK   OF AMERICA, N.A., individually as a Lender and as a Co-Syndication Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By
    	
/s/ Christopher T. Phelan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:   Christopher T. Phelan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:   Senior Vice President
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
WELLS   FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, individually as a Lender and as a   Co-Syndication Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By
    	
/s/ Albert M. Schenck
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:   Albert M. Schenck
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:   Vice President
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
CITIBANK,   N.A.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Senior Managing Agent and individually as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By
    	
/s/ Ahu Gures
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:  Ahu Gures
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:    Vice   President
    

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
MORGAN   STANLEY BANK, N.A.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Senior Managing Agent and individually as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Sherrese Clarke
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Sharrese   Clarke
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
DEUTSCHE   BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, individually as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Ross Levitsky
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Ross   Levitsky
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Managing   Director
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
DEUTSCHE   BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, individually as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Philippe Sandmeier
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Philippe   Sandmeier
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Managing   Director
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
DEUTSCHE   BANK SECURITIES INC.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Senior Managing Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Ross Levitsky
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Ross   Levitsky
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Managing   Director
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
DEUTSCHE   BANK SECURITIES INC.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Senior Managing Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Philippe Sandmeier
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Philippe   Sandmeier
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Managing   Director
    

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
LLOYDS   TSB BANK PLC,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Deborah Carlson
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Deborah   Carlson
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Director
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Corporate   Banking USA
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
C103
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
LLOYDS   TSB BANK PLC,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Charles Foster
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Charles   Foster
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Managing   Director
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
GOLDMAN   SACHS BANK USA,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Mark Walton
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Mark   Walton
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
HSBC   BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Robert H Rogers
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Robert   H Rogers
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Relationship Manager,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Corporate   Banking
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
RBS   CITIZENS, N.A.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   Documentation Agent and individually as a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   David M. Nackley
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
David   M. Nackley
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
TD   BANK, N.A.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Mark Hogan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Mark   Hogan
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
Senior   Vice President
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
BARCLAYS   BANK PLC,
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
as   a Lender
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/   Ben Mickes
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
Ben   Mickes
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Title:
    	
 
    

 

 

SCHEDULE 2.01

 

COMMITMENTS

 

	
LENDER
    	
 
    	
COMMITMENT
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
    	
 
    	
$
    	
150,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
    	
 
    	
$
    	
150,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
    	
 
    	
$
    	
150,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
RBS CITIZENS, N.A.
    	
 
    	
$
    	
100,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
CITIBANK, N.A.
    	
 
    	
$
    	
75,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
    	
 
    	
$
    	
75,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
MORGAN STANLEY BANK, N.A.
    	
 
    	
$
    	
75,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
BARCLAYS BANK PLC
    	
 
    	
$
    	
45,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
    	
 
    	
$
    	
45,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
    	
 
    	
$
    	
45,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
LLOYDS TSB BANK PLC
    	
 
    	
$
    	
45,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
TD BANK, N.A.
    	
 
    	
$
    	
45,000,000
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
TOTAL COMMITMENTS
    	
 
    	
$
    	
1,000,000,000
    	
 
    

 

 

SCHEDULE 2.02

 

MANDATORY COST

 

1.           The Mandatory Cost is an addition to the interest rate to compensate Lenders for the cost of compliance with (a) the requirements of the Bank of England and/or the Financial Services Authority (or, in either case, any other authority which replaces all or any of its functions) or (b) the requirements of the European Central Bank.

 

2.           On the first day of each Interest Period (or as soon as possible thereafter) the Administrative Agent shall calculate, as a percentage rate, a rate (the “Associated Costs Rate”) for each Lender, in accordance with the paragraphs set out below.  The Mandatory Cost will be calculated by the Administrative Agent as a weighted average of the Lenders’ Associated Costs Rates (weighted in proportion to the percentage participation of each Lender in the relevant Loan) and will be expressed as a percentage rate per annum.

 

3.           The Associated Costs Rate for any Lender lending from a Facility Office in a Participating Member State will be the percentage notified by that Lender to the Administrative Agent.  This percentage will be certified by that Lender in its notice to the Administrative Agent to be its reasonable determination of the cost (expressed as a percentage of that Lender’s participation in all Loans made from that Facility Office) of complying with the minimum reserve requirements of the European Central Bank in respect of loans made from that Facility Office.

 

4.           The Associated Costs Rate for any Lender lending from a Facility Office in the United Kingdom will be calculated by the Administrative Agent as follows:

 

(a)             in relation to a Loan in Pounds Sterling:

 

	

    	
per   cent. per annum
    

 

(b)            in relation to a Loan in any currency other than Pounds Sterling:

 

	

    	
per   cent. per annum.
    

 

Where:

 

A         is the percentage of Eligible Liabilities (assuming these to be in excess of any stated minimum) which that Lender is from time to time required to maintain as an interest free cash ratio deposit with the Bank of England to comply with cash ratio requirements.

 

B          is the percentage rate of interest (excluding the Applicable Rate and the Mandatory Cost and, if the Loan is an Unpaid Sum, the additional rate of interest specified in Section 2.13(c)) payable for the relevant Interest Period on the Loan.

 

C          is the percentage (if any) of Eligible Liabilities which that Lender is required from time to time to maintain as interest bearing Special Deposits with the Bank of England.

 

 

D        is the percentage rate per annum payable by the Bank of England to the Administrative Agent on interest bearing Special Deposits.

 

E         is designed to compensate Lenders for amounts payable under the Fees Rules and is calculated by the Administrative Agent as being the average of the most recent rates of charge supplied by the Reference Banks to the Administrative Agent pursuant to paragraph 7 below and expressed in pounds per £1,000,000.

 

5.           For the purposes of this Schedule:

 

(a)             “Eligible Liabilities” and “Special Deposits” have the meanings given to them from time to time under or pursuant to the Bank of England Act 1998 or (as may be appropriate) by the Bank of England;

 

(b)            “Facility Office” means the office or offices notified by a Lender to the Administrative Agent in writing on or before the date it becomes a Lender (or, following that date, by not less than five Business Days’ written notice) as the office or offices through which it will perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(c)             “Fees Rules” means the rules on periodic fees contained in the Financial Services Authority Fees Manual or such other law or regulation as may be in force from time to time in respect of the payment of fees for the acceptance of deposits;

 

(d)            “Fee Tariffs” means the fee tariffs specified in the Fees Rules under the activity group A.1 Deposit acceptors (ignoring any minimum fee or zero rated fee required pursuant to the Fees Rules but taking into account any applicable discount rate);

 

(e)             “Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Union that adopts or has adopted the euro as its lawful currency in accordance with legislation of the European Union relating to economic and monetary union.

 

(f)             “Reference Banks” means, in relation to Mandatory Cost, the principal London offices of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

 

(g)            “Tariff Base” has the meaning given to it in, and will be calculated in accordance with, the Fees Rules.

 

(h)            “Unpaid Sum” means any sum due and payable but unpaid by any Borrower under the Loan Documents.

 

6.           In application of the above formulae, A, B, C and D will be included in the formulae as percentages (i.e. 5 per cent. will be included in the formula as 5 and not as 0.05).  A negative result obtained by subtracting D from B shall be taken as zero.  The resulting figures shall be rounded to four decimal places.

 

7.           If requested by the Administrative Agent, each Reference Bank shall, as soon as practicable after publication by the Financial Services Authority, supply to the Administrative Agent, the rate of

 

2

 

charge payable by that Reference Bank to the Financial Services Authority pursuant to the Fees Rules in respect of the relevant financial year of the Financial Services Authority (calculated for this purpose by that Reference Bank as being the average of the Fee Tariffs applicable to that Reference Bank for that financial year) and expressed in pounds per £1,000,000 of the Tariff Base of that Reference Bank.

 

8.           Each Lender shall supply any information required by the Administrative Agent for the purpose of calculating its Associated Costs Rate.  In particular, but without limitation, each Lender shall supply the following information on or prior to the date on which it becomes a Lender:

 

(i)              the jurisdiction of its Facility Office; and

 

(j)              any other information that the Administrative Agent may reasonably require for such purpose.

 

Each Lender shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent of any change to the information provided by it pursuant to this paragraph.

 

9.           The percentages of each Lender for the purpose of A and C above and the rates of charge of each Reference Bank for the purpose of E above shall be determined by the Administrative Agent based upon the information supplied to it pursuant to paragraphs 7 and 8 above and on the assumption that, unless a Lender notifies the Administrative Agent to the contrary, each Lender’s obligations in relation to cash ratio deposits and Special Deposits are the same as those of a typical bank from its jurisdiction of incorporation with a Facility Office in the same jurisdiction as its Facility Office.

 

10.         The Administrative Agent shall have no liability to any person if such determination results in an Associated Costs Rate which over or under compensates any Lender and shall be entitled to assume that the information provided by any Lender or Reference Bank pursuant to paragraphs 3, 7 and 8 above is true and correct in all respects.

 

11.         The Administrative Agent shall distribute the additional amounts received as a result of the Mandatory Cost to the Lenders on the basis of the Associated Costs Rate for each Lender based on the information provided by each Lender and each Reference Bank pursuant to paragraphs 3, 7 and 8 above.

 

12.         Any determination by the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Schedule in relation to a formula, the Mandatory Cost, an Associated Costs Rate or any amount payable to a Lender shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive and binding on all parties hereto.

 

13.         The Administrative Agent may from time to time, after consultation with the Company and the relevant Lenders, determine and notify to all parties hereto any amendments which are required to be made to this Schedule 2.02 in order to comply with any change in law, regulation or any requirements from time to time imposed by the Bank of England, the Financial Services Authority or the European Central Bank (or, in any case, any other authority which replaces all or any of its functions) and any such determination shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive and binding on all parties hereto.

 

3Exhibit 10.4

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

 

The undersigned:

 

BOOKING.COM B.V., a private limited liability company (‘besloten vennootschap met  beperkte aansprakelijkheid’), having its registered office at Weteringschans 28,1017 SG Amsterdam,  the Netherlands (‘Booking.com’);

 

and

 

Cornelis Petrus Henricus Maria Koolen, residing at Hengeloseweg 11, 7251 PA Vorden (‘Employee’);

 

Whereas:

 

·          Employee has been employed by Booking.com since December 18, 2001.

 

·          Booking.com and Employee are currently parties to an Amended and Restated Employment Contract, dated September 1, 2008 (the ‘Prior Employment Contract’).

 

·          As part of succession planning for Booking.com, Employee has transitioned to the new position of Chairman of Booking.com, effective as of September 26, 2011, and will resign shortly after such effective date as a managing director of Booking.com.

 

·          In connection with Employee’s new role with Booking.com, Booking.com and Employee desire to amend and restate the Prior Employment Contract.

 

·          This Second Amended and Restated Employment Contract (this ‘Agreement’) shall supercede and completely replace the Prior Employment Contract as of September 26, 2011 (the ‘Effective Date’).

 

Hereby agrees as follows:

 

1.         Commencement, Term and Notice

 

1.1.      This Agreement replaces and supersedes the Prior Employment Contract and is entered into for an indefinite period of time (the ‘Employment Term’).

 

1.2.      This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either party with due observance of the statutory notice period, with such termination to be effective on the first day after the end of such period.  Notice may be given in writing only.

 

 

1.3.      This Agreement will end in any event without notice being required at the end of the month in which Employee reaches the pensionable age under the applicable pension agreement or under the General Old Age Pensions Act (‘Algemene Ouderdomswet’), whichever occurs first.

 

2.         Change of Employment Terms

 

2.1.      Booking.com may unilaterally amend the employment terms in this Agreement if it has a weighty reason to do so and provided Employee’s interests, insofar as they are harmed by such change, must yield thereto in accordance with the principle of reasonableness and fairness (as stipulated in Article 7:613 of the Dutch Civil Code).  No amendment and/or addition to this Agreement shall have any force or effect unless it is in writing.

 

3.         Employee Manual

 

3.1.      Employee acknowledges receipt of Booking.com’s Employee Manual and agrees that the provisions of the Employee Manual form an integral part of this Agreement.  To the extent that the provisions of this Agreement are inconsistent with the provisions of the Employee Manual, the provisions of this Agreement will control and supersede those of the Employee Manual.

 

4.         Position

 

4.1.      Employee will hold the position of Chairman of Booking.com and report to the Chief Executive Officer (the ‘priceline.com CEO’) of priceline.com Incorporated (or its controlled group (‘The Priceline Group’), as applicable).  As Chairman of Booking.com, Employee shall provide support, counseling and mentorship to the Chief Executive Officer of Booking.com, provide advice and counsel to the priceline.com CEO on matters related to The Priceline Group, and assume other duties and responsibilities as mutually agreed upon by Employee and the priceline.com CEO.

 

4.2.      For a period to be mutually agreed upon by Employee and Booking.com, Employee will be a member of the Group Management Board, which is comprised of senior executives of priceline.com Incorporated and its subsidiaries or affiliates, including Booking.com (the ‘Company’), and oversees management of the consolidated entities of priceline.com Incorporated.

 

4.3.      Employee may be assigned to work for an affiliate of Booking.com and covenants that Employee, to the extent reasonable, will also perform duties other than those considered Employee’s usual duties.

 

2

 

5.         Working Hours and Work Place

 

5.1.      Booking.com and Employee anticipate that performance of Employee’s duties will take between one and three days per week to complete, but such duties will not necessarily require Employee to be present in Booking.com’s offices or prevent Employee from engaging in other business activities not in violation of this Agreement.

 

5.2.      Employee covenants that, at Booking.com’s request, Employee will work overtime whenever a proper performance of Employee so requires.  Overtime is not paid or otherwise compensated for.

 

6.         Salary

 

6.1.      For the period starting on the Effective Date and ending on March 31, 2012, Employee will receive a gross monthly base salary of EUR 21,666.66 (‘Base Salary’).  After March 31, 2012, Employee will receive a monthly base salary in an amount to be mutually agreed upon by Employee and the priceline.com CEO.

 

6.2.      Employee will be entitled to the statutory holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual base salary, payable in May each year.  If Employee was employed during only a part of the calendar year, the holiday allowance will be reduced pro rata.

 

6.3.      For the 2011 fiscal year, Employee will be eligible to receive a bonus pursuant to the terms of priceline.com Incorporated’s 2011 annual bonus plan, provided that the Board of Directors of priceline.com Incorporated or a committee established thereunder (the ‘Board’) has reviewed the Company’s performance and Employee’s performance in respect of such year and has determined the amount of the bonus, if any, to be payable to Employee in respect of such year’s performance.

 

6.4.      For the 2012 fiscal year and thereafter, Employee’s eligibility to participate in any annual bonus plans that the Company may implement at any time during the Employment Term for senior executives of the Company at a level commensurate with Employee’s position shall be subject to the mutual agreement of Employee and the Board, and any bonus amount shall be determined at the sole discretion of the priceline.com CEO.

 

6.5.      During the Employment Term, subject to the Board’s sole discretion, Employee will be eligible to participate in any long-term incentive compensation plan generally made available to senior executives of the Company at a level commensurate with his position in accordance with and subject to the terms of such plan.

 

6.6.      During the Employment Term, Employee shall be entitled to participate in all fringe benefit and perquisite programs generally provided to comparable senior executives of the Company.

 

7.        Expenses

 

7.1.      Booking.com will reimburse Employee’s reasonable expenses directly related to the performance of Employee’s work, provided such reimbursement may be made tax and social security premium free

 

3

 

and provided itemized expense statements and original receipts are submitted in accordance with company policy.

 

8.         Travel Expenses

 

8.1.      Travel expenses for commuting will be reimbursed in accordance with applicable tax rules up to an amount of EUR 0.19 per kilometer (the applicable rate in 2011) along the most customary route.

 

8.2.      Booking.com is entitled to unilaterally change the allowance under Article 8.1 of this Agreement in the event of an adjustment thereof under applicable tax law.

 

9.         Pension

 

9.1.      During the Employment Term, Employee will be entitled to participate in Booking.com’s pension plan, if and as soon as Employee meets the relevant requirements.  If and insofar as tax law and/or pension law are amended, Booking.com will be entitled to unilaterally adapt the pension plan to bring it into compliance with such amendments.

 

10.      Holidays

 

10.1.    During the Employment Term, Employee will be entitled to 26 days of holiday each calendar year.  If Employee works for only a part of the year, the number of days of holiday will be reduced pro rata.

 

10.2.    Holidays are set by Booking.com after consultation with Employee.

 

10.3.    To the extent possible, holidays must be taken in the year in which they are accrued.  A maximum of five days may be carried forward to the next calendar year.

 

11.      Illness or Other Incapacity to Work

 

11.1.    If Employee is unable to perform work due to illness or any other medical incapacity, Employee is obliged to inform Booking.com thereof before 9am on the first day of illness or incapacity, stating the reasons for such illness or incapacity, the expected period of such illness or incapacity, and the address at which Employee may be reached during that period.  As soon as work can be resumed, Employee will inform Booking.com thereof immediately.

 

11.2.    As long as this Agreement is still in effect, if Employee is unable to perform work due to illness or other medical incapacity, Employee will remain entitled to continued payment of 70% of Employee’s Base Salary, but in no case less than the statutory minimum wage, for a maximum period of 104 weeks commencing on the first day of illness or incapacity.

 

11.3.    Periods in which Employee is unable to perform work due to illness or other medical incapacity will be aggregated if they follow one another at intervals of less than four weeks.

 

11.4.    Employee is not entitled to continued payment under the circumstances set out in Article 7:629 of the Dutch Civil Code.

 

4

 

11.5.    Employee’s salary during illness or other medical incapacity will be reduced by financial benefits that Employee receives under any contractual or statutory insurance and any other income earned by Employee.

 

11.6.    If Employee’s illness or other incapacity to work ensues from an event for which a third party is liable, Employee shall provide Booking.com with all relevant information and do everything in Employee’s power to enable Booking.com to exercise its right of recourse pursuant to Article 6:107a of the Dutch Civil Code.

 

12.      Payments Upon Termination

 

12.1.    If the Employment Term ends for any reason, Employee shall only be entitled to receive any amounts earned but not paid under this Agreement at the time of Employee’s termination.

 

13.      Confidentiality

 

13.1.    Neither during the Employment Term nor upon termination thereof, may Employee inform any third party in any form, directly or indirectly, of any particulars concerning or related to the business conducted by Booking.com or its affiliated companies, regardless of whether such information includes any reference to its confidential nature or ownership and regardless of how Employee learned of the particulars.

 

13.2.    Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 7:650(3), (4) and (5) of the Dutch Civil Code, if Employee violates Article 13.1, Employee will forfeit to Booking.com an immediately due and payable penalty of EUR 5,000 for each violation, as well as a penalty of EUR 1,000 for each day the violation continues, without prejudice to Booking.com’s right to claim full compensation instead of such penalties.

 

14.      Non Competition

 

14.1.    During the Employment Term and for a period of 12 months after termination, Employee may not, without Booking.com’s prior written consent:

 

(a)       engage in any activities that in any way, directly or indirectly, compete with Booking.com or its affiliates (including priceline.com Incorporated) in the European Union, including, without limitation, the research into, development or provision of any online or call centre accommodation booking or reservation services, nor establish, conduct (alone or with others) or cause the conduct of any competing business, nor take any interest in or be employed in any way whatsoever by such business, whether or not for consideration;

 

(b)       directly or indirectly induce employees of Booking.com or its affiliates (including priceline.com Incorporated) to terminate their employment with Booking.com or its affiliates; or

 

5

 

(c)       directly or indirectly, solicit, assist in soliciting, accept or facilitate the acceptance of the custom or business of firms that or individuals who were clients, customers or other business relations of Booking.com or its affiliates at the time of termination, or at any time during the 2 year period preceding termination.

 

14.2     During the Employment Term and for an indefinite period after termination, Employee may not, without Booking.com’s prior written consent:

 

(a)       in relation to any contract or arrangement which Booking.com or its affiliates (including priceline.com Incorporated) have with any supplier for the supply of goods and services, for the duration of such contract or arrangement, directly or indirectly, interfere with the supply of such goods or services from any supplier, nor, directly or indirectly, induce any supplier to cease or decline to supply such goods or services to Booking.com; or

 

(b)       make any statements, written or oral, which disparage or defame the goodwill or reputation of Booking.com or its affiliates (including priceline.com Incorporated), or any of their directors or senior officers, in public or in a manner that is intended to become public.

 

14.3     Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 7:650(3), (4) and (5) of the Dutch Civil Code, if Employee violates Articles 14.1 or 14.2 of this Agreement, Employee will forfeit to Booking.com an immediately due and payable penalty of EUR 5,000 for each violation, as well as a penalty of EUR 1,000 for each day the violation continues, without prejudice to Booking.com’s right to claim full compensation instead of such penalties.

 

14.4     Upon each breach of Article 14.1 of this Agreement, the period referred to therein will be extended by the duration of such breach.

 

15.      Sidelines

 

15.1.    Without Booking.com’s prior written consent, Employee will not perform any other work, whether paid or unpaid, during the Employment Term, nor will Employee, alone or with others, directly or indirectly, establish or conduct a business that is competitive with Booking.com’s business, whatever its form, or take any financial interest in or perform work for such business, whether or not for consideration.

 

15.2.    During the Employment Term, Employee must refrain from undertaking or holding any sidelines or additional posts, such as committee work, managerial or other activities for organizations of an idealistic, cultural, sporting, political or other nature, whether or not for consideration, without Booking.com’s prior written consent.

 

16.      Return of Property

 

16.1.    Upon the end of the Employment Term, Employee shall immediately return to Booking.com all property belonging to Booking.com, including materials, documents and information copied in any form whatsoever.

 

6

 

17.      Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights

 

17.1.    All intellectual property rights, including, but not limited to, patent rights, design rights, copyrights and neighbouring rights, database rights, trademark rights, chip rights, trade name rights and know how, ensuing, during or after this employment contract, in The Netherlands or abroad, from the work performed by Employee under this Agreement (collectively: ‘Intellectual Property Rights’) will exclusively vest in Booking.com.

 

17.2.    Insofar as any Intellectual Property Rights are not vested in Booking.com by operation of law, Employee covenants that Employee, at first request of Booking.com, will transfer to Booking.com and, insofar as possible, hereby transfers those rights to Booking.com, which transfer is hereby accepted by Booking.com.

 

17.3.    Insofar as any Intellectual Property Rights are not capable of being transferred from Employee to Booking.com, Employee hereby grants Booking.com the exclusive, royalty free, worldwide, perpetual right, with the right to grant sublicenses, to use the Intellectual Property Rights in the broadest way, which right is hereby accepted by Booking.com.

 

17.4.    Insofar as any personal rights vest in Employee, and insofar as permitted by law, Employee hereby waives all of Employee’s personal rights, including, without limitation, the right to have one’s name stated pursuant to the Dutch Copyright Act 1912 (‘Auteurswet 1912’).

 

17.5.    Employee shall promptly disclose all works, inventions, information, Intellectual Property Rights and other results from the work performed by Employee under this Agreement to Booking.com.

 

17.6.    Employee shall upon Booking.com’s request, during or after the Employment Term, perform all acts that may be necessary in order to record the Intellectual Property Rights in the name of Booking.com with any competent authority in the world.  Reasonable costs thereof will be borne by Booking.com.

 

17.7.    In case Employee, for any reason, is unable to provide the cooperation in accordance with Articles 17.2 and 17.6 of this Agreement, Employee hereby grants Booking.com irrevocable power of attorney to represent Employee with respect to the assignment and registration of Intellectual Property Rights referred to in Articles 17.2 and 17.6 of this Agreement.

 

17.8.    Employee acknowledges that Employee’s salary includes reasonable compensation for the loss of intellectual and industrial property rights.

 

18.      Applicable Law

 

18.1.    This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of The Netherlands.

 

19.      Complete Agreement

 

19.1.    This Agreement embodies the complete agreement and understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and effective as of its date supersedes and preempts any prior

 

7

 

understandings, agreements or representations by or between the parties, written or oral, including the Prior Employment Contract, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way.

 

Drawn up in duplicate originals and signed in Amsterdam on November 3, 2011

 

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
/s/ Cornelis Petrus   Henricus Maria Koolen
    
	
Booking.com B.V.
    	
 
    	
Cornelis Petrus Henricus   Maria Koolen
    

 

8

 

understandings, agreements or representations by or between the parties, written or oral, including the Prior Employment Contract, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way.

 

Drawn up in duplicate originals and signed in Norwalk on November 4, 2011

 

 

	
/s/ Glenn Fogel
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Booking.com B.V.
    	
 
    	
Cornelis Petrus Henricus   Maria Koolen
    
	
Glenn Fogel
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

9

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