Document:

ex10-39.htm

Exhibit 10.39

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of January 28, 2016

 

among

 

VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC.,

 

as the Borrower,

 

THE SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES OF THE BORROWER IDENTIFIED HEREIN,

 

as the Guarantors,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

 

as Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer,

 

and

 

THE OTHER LENDERS PARTY HERETO

 

Arranged By:

 

BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH,

 

as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
	
1

	 	 
	
1.01
	
Defined Terms
	
1

	
1.02
	
Other Interpretive Provisions
	
22

	
1.03
	
Accounting Terms
	
23

	
1.04
	
Rounding
	
23

	
1.05
	
Times of Day
	
24

	
1.06
	
Letter of Credit Amounts
	
24

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE II THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS
	
24

	 	 
	
2.01
	
Revolving Loans
	
24

	
2.02
	
Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Loans
	
25

	
2.03
	
Letters of Credit
	
27

	
2.04
	
[Intentionally Omitted]
	
34

	
2.05
	
Prepayments
	
34

	
2.06
	
Termination or Reduction of Aggregate Revolving Commitments
	
35

	
2.07
	
Repayment of Loans
	
36

	
2.08
	
Interest
	
36

	
2.09
	
Fees
	
37

	
2.10
	
Computation of Interest and Fees; Retroactive Adjustments of Applicable Rate
	
37

	
2.11
	
Evidence of Debt
	
38

	
2.12
	
Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback
	
38

	
2.13
	
Sharing of Payments by Lenders
	
40

	
2.14
	
Cash Collateral
	
40

	
2.15
	
Defaulting Lenders
	
41

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE III TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
	
43

	 	 
	
3.01
	
Taxes
	
44

	
3.02
	
Illegality
	
48

	
3.03
	
Inability to Determine Rates
	
49

	
3.04
	
Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans
	
49

	
3.05
	
Compensation for Losses
	
51

	
3.06
	
Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders
	
51

	
3.07
	
Survival
	
52

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
	
52

	 	 
	
4.01
	
Conditions of Initial Credit Extension
	
52

	
4.02
	
Conditions to all Credit Extensions
	
53

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
	
54

	 	 
	
5.01
	
Organization; Power; Subsidiaries
	
54

	
5.02
	
Authorization; Enforceability
	
54

	
5.03
	
Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts
	
54

	
5.04
	
Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change
	
55

	
5.05
	
Properties, Intellectual Property and Insurance
	
55

	
5.06
	
Litigation, Contingent Obligations, Environmental Matters and Labor
	
56

	
5.07
	
Compliance with Laws and Agreements; No Default
	
56

	
5.08
	
Investment Company Status
	
56

	
5.09
	
Taxes
	
56

 

 

i

 

 

	
5.10
	
ERISA
	
57

	
5.11
	
Disclosure
	
57

	
5.12
	
Material Agreements
	
57

	
5.13
	
Solvency
	
57

	
5.14
	
[Intentionally Omitted]
	
58

	
5.15
	
Capitalization and Subsidiaries
	
58

	
5.16
	
Security Interest in Collateral
	
58

	
5.17
	
No EEA Financial Institution
	
58

	
5.18
	
OFAC
	
59

	
5.19
	
Anti-Corruption Laws
	
59

	
5.20
	
Title; Possession Under Leases
	
59

	
5.21
	
Regulation U
	
59

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE VI AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
	
59

	 	 
	
6.01
	
Financial Statements; Other Information
	
59

	
6.02
	
Notices of Material Events
	
62

	
6.03
	
Existence; Conduct of Business
	
62

	
6.04
	
Payment of Obligations
	
62

	
6.05
	
Maintenance of Properties
	
63

	
6.06
	
Books and Records; Inspection Rights
	
63

	
6.07
	
Compliance with Laws
	
63

	
6.08
	
Use of Proceeds
	
63

	
6.09
	
Accuracy of Information
	
64

	
6.10
	
Insurance
	
64

	
6.11
	
Other Agreements
	
64

	
6.12
	
Casualty and Condemnation
	
64

	
6.13
	
Depository Banks
	
64

	
6.14
	
Issuance of Additional Guarantees, Security Agreements, Pledge Agreements and Other Security Documents; Further Assurances
	
65

	
6.15
	
Intellectual Property
	
66

	
6.16
	
Anti-Corruption Laws
	
66

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE VII NEGATIVE COVENANTS
	
66

	 	 
	
7.01
	
Indebtedness
	
66

	
7.02
	
Liens
	
67

	
7.03
	
Fundamental Changes
	
67

	
7.04
	
Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions
	
68

	
7.05
	
Asset Sales
	
69

	
7.06
	
Sale and Leaseback Transactions
	
70

	
7.07
	
Swap Contracts
	
70

	
7.08
	
Restricted Payments; Certain Payments of Indebtedness
	
70

	
7.09
	
Transaction with Affiliates
	
71

	
7.10
	
Restrictive Agreements
	
71

	
7.11
	
Amendment to Material Documents
	
71

	
7.12
	
Financial Covenant
	
71

	
7.13
	
Sanctions
	
71

	
7.14
	
Anti-Corruption Laws
	
72

	
7.15
	
Limitations on Parent’s Activities
	
72

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE VIII EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
	
72

	 	 
	
8.01
	
Events of Default
	
72

 

 

ii

 

 

	
8.02
	
Remedies Upon Event of Default
	
74

	
8.03
	
Application of Funds
	
75

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE IX ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
	
76

	 	 
	
9.01
	
Appointment and Authority
	
76

	
9.02
	
Rights as a Lender
	
76

	
9.03
	
Exculpatory Provisions
	
77

	
9.04
	
Reliance by Administrative Agent
	
78

	
9.05
	
Delegation of Duties
	
78

	
9.06
	
Resignation of Administrative Agent
	
78

	
9.07
	
Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders
	
80

	
9.08
	
No Other Duties; Etc
	
80

	
9.09
	
Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim; Credit Bidding
	
80

	
9.10
	
Collateral and Guaranty Matters
	
81

	
9.11
	
Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements
	
82

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE X GUARANTY
	
82

	 	 
	
10.01
	
The Guaranty
	
82

	
10.02
	
Obligations Unconditional
	
83

	
10.03
	
Reinstatement
	
83

	
10.04
	
Certain Additional Waivers
	
84

	
10.05
	
Remedies
	
84

	
10.06
	
Rights of Contribution
	
84

	
10.07
	
Guarantee of Payment; Continuing Guarantee
	
85

	
10.08
	
Keepwell
	
85

	 	 	 
	
ARTICLE XI MISCELLANEOUS
	
85

	 	 
	
11.01
	
Amendments, Etc
	
85

	
11.02
	
Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications
	
87

	
11.03
	
No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement
	
89

	
11.04
	
Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver
	
90

	
11.05
	
Payments Set Aside
	
91

	
11.06
	
Successors and Assigns
	
92

	
11.07
	
Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality
	
96

	
11.08
	
Rights of Setoff
	
97

	
11.09
	
Interest Rate Limitation
	
97

	
11.10
	
Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness
	
98

	
11.11
	
Survival of Representations and Warranties
	
98

	
11.12
	
Severability
	
98

	
11.13
	
Replacement of Lenders
	
99

	
11.14
	
Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc
	
99

	
11.15
	
Waiver of Jury Trial
	
100

	
11.16
	
No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility
	
101

	
11.17
	
Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents
	
101

	
11.18
	
USA PATRIOT Act Notice
	
101

	
11.19
	
Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions
	
102

 

 

iii

 

 

SCHEDULES

 

	
2.01
	
Commitments and Applicable Percentages

	
5.05
	
Intellectual Property Rights

	
5.15(a)
	
Subsidiaries

	
5.15(b)
	
Equity-Related Rights and Obligations

	
7.01
	
Indebtedness Existing on the Closing Date

	
7.02
	
Liens Existing on the Closing Date

	
7.04
	
Investments Existing on the Closing Date

	
11.02
	
Certain Addresses for Notices

 

 

EXHIBITS

 

	
1.01
	
Form of Secured Party Designation Notice

	
2.02
	
Form of Loan Notice

	
2.05
	
Form of Notice of Loan Prepayment

	
2.11(a)
	
Form of Note

	
3.01
	
Forms of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificates

	
6.01
	
Form of Compliance Certificate

	
6.14
	
Form of Joinder Agreement

	
11.06(b)
	
Form of Assignment and Assumption

	
11.06(b)(iv)
	
Form of Administrative Questionnaire

 

 

iv

 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This CREDIT AGREEMENT is entered into as of January 28, 2016 among VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors (defined herein), the Lenders (defined herein) and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer.

 

The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide credit facilities for the purposes set forth herein, and the Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

	
1.01
	
Defined Terms.

 

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

“Acquisition” means, as to any Person, (a) the acquisition of all of the Equity Interests of another Person, (b) the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of any other Person or (c) the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets constituting a business line or division of any other Person.

 

“Administrative Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.

 

“Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 11.02 or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.

“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in substantially the form of Exhibit 11.06(b)(iv) or any other form approved 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 specified Person.

 

“Aggregate Revolving Commitments” means the Revolving Commitments of all the Lenders. The initial amount of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments in effect on the Closing Date is $30,000,000.

 

“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

 

“Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender at any time, with respect to such Lender’s Revolving Commitment at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments represented by such Lender’s Revolving Commitment at such time; provided that if the commitment of each Lender to make Revolving Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Revolving Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption or other documentation pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable. The Applicable Percentages shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15.

 

 

v

 

 

“Applicable Rate” means the following percentages per annum, based upon the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as set forth in the most recent Compliance Certificate received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.01(c):

 

	
Pricing Tier
	
Consolidated Leverage Ratio
	
Commitment Fee
	
Eurodollar Rate Loans and

Letter of Credit Fee
	
Base Rate Loans

	
1
	
< 3.25 to 1.0
	
0.00%
	
0.50%
	
(1.95%)

	
2
	
> 3.25 to 1.0 but < 4.00 to 1.0
	
0.05%
	
0.75%
	
(1.65%)

	
3
	
> 4.00 to 1.0
	
0.10%
	
1.00%
	
(1.20%)

 

Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in the Consolidated Leverage Ratio shall become effective as of the first Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(c); provided, however, that if a Compliance Certificate is not delivered when due in accordance with such Section, then, upon the request of the Required Lenders, Pricing Tier 3 shall apply as of the first Business Day after the date on which such Compliance Certificate was required to have been delivered and shall remain in effect until the first Business Day immediately following the date on which such Compliance Certificate is delivered in accordance with Section 6.01(c), whereupon the Applicable Rate shall be adjusted based upon the calculation of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio contained in such Compliance Certificate. The Applicable Rate in effect from the Closing Date through the first Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(c) for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2016 shall be determined based upon Pricing Tier 1.

 

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

 

“Arranger” means Bank of America.

 

“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 11.06(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit 11.06(b) or any other form (including electronic documentation generated by use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

“Audited Financial Statements” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015 and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such fiscal year, including the notes thereto.

 

“Authorized Representative” means with respect to any Loan Party, the chief executive officer, president, any co-president, any executive vice president or any Financial Officer of such Loan Party in each case, whose name appears on a certificate of incumbency of such Person delivered to the Administrative Agent concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and as such certificate of incumbency may be amended or supplemented from time to time. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by an Authorized Representative of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been, and shall constitute a representation and warranty by such Loan Party hereunder that such document has been, authorized by all necessary corporate and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Authorized Representative shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.

 

 

2

 

 

“Availability Period” means, with respect to the Revolving Commitments, the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06, and (c) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.

 

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

 

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

 

“Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.

 

“Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate” and (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.0%. The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such “prime rate” announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.

 

“Borrower” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

“Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

 

“Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day that is also a day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

“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.

 

 

3

 

 

“Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of one or more of the L/C Issuer or the Lenders, as collateral for L/C Obligations or obligations of the Lenders to fund participations in respect of L/C Obligations, cash or deposit account balances or, if the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer shall agree in their sole discretion, other credit support, in each case pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer. “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral and other credit support.

 

“Cash Management Agreement” means any agreement that is not prohibited by the terms hereof to provide treasury or cash management services, including deposit accounts, overnight draft, credit cards, debit cards, p-cards (including purchasing cards and commercial cards), funds transfer, automated clearinghouse, zero balance accounts, returned check concentration, controlled disbursement, lockbox, account reconciliation and reporting and trade finance services and other cash management services.

 

“Cash Management Bank” means any Person that (a) at the time it enters into a Cash Management Agreement, is a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, (b) in the case of any Cash Management Agreement in effect on or prior to the Closing Date, is, as of the Closing Date or within 30 days thereafter, a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent and a party to a Cash Management Agreement or (c) within 30 days after the time it enters into the applicable Cash Management Agreement, becomes a Lender, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Cash Management Agreement.

 

“Change in Control” means (a) the Parent shall cease to be the beneficial owner of, with sole power to vote or dispose of, directly or indirectly, 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower on a fully diluted basis; (b) the Parent shall cease to Control Borrower; (c) the acquisition or 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 SEC thereunder as in effect on the Closing Date) (other than any Person consisting only of members of the Isely Family), of Equity Interests of the Parent representing (i) 20% or more of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent on a fully diluted basis if the Isely Family holds less than 35% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent on a fully diluted basis or (ii) a larger percentage than the percentage of Equity Interests of the Parent held by the Isely Family at such time; (d) the Isely Family collectively shall cease to be the beneficial owner of, with sole power to vote or dispose of, directly or indirectly, more than 30% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent on a fully diluted basis; (e) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower or the Parent by Persons who were neither (i) nominated, appointed or approved for election by the board of directors of the Borrower or the Parent, as applicable, nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated, appointed or approved; (f) the acquisition of direct or indirect Control of the Parent by any Person or group (other than any Person consisting only of members of the Isely Family); or (g) the Borrower shall cease to own, free and clear of all Liens or other encumbrances, at least 100% of the outstanding voting Equity Interests of each Subsidiary on a fully diluted basis. For purposes of this definition, “beneficial owner” has the meaning attributed to it in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (as in effect on the Closing Date), whether or not applicable, except that a Person shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such Person has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time.

 

 

4

 

 

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

 

“Closing Date” means January 28, 2016.

 

“Collateral” means a collective reference to all property with respect to which Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of itself and the other holders of the Obligations, are purported to be granted pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of the Collateral Documents.

 

“Collateral Documents” means a collective reference to the Security Agreement and other security documents as may be executed and delivered by any Loan Party pursuant to the terms of Section 6.14 or any of the Loan Documents.

 

“Commitment” means, as to each Lender, the Revolving Commitment of such Lender of such Lender.

 

“Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.).

 

“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 6.01.

 

“Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.

 

“Consolidated EBITDA” means, with reference to any period, Consolidated Net Income for such period plus, (i) without duplication, to the extent deducted from revenues in determining Consolidated Net Income for such period, (a) Consolidated Interest Expense, (b) income tax expense, (c) depreciation, (d) amortization (including, without duplication, any capitalized fees that were amortized over a period), (e) any other non-cash charges relating to intangible assets and all other non-recurring non-cash charges for such period, to the extent approved by the Administrative Agent, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld (excluding in any such case any such charge incurred that constitutes an accrual of or a reserve for cash charges for any future period or relates to discontinued business operations) and (f) any non-cash expense attributable to the expensing of share based payment awards (including, without limitation, awards related to stock option programs and phantom stock programs) pursuant to the implementation of or compliance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Stock Compensation (excluding any such expense that constitutes an accrual of or a reserve for cash charges for any future period), minus, (ii) to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income for such period, all non-cash gains attributable to the expensing of share based payment awards (including, without limitation, awards related to stock option programs and phantom stock programs) pursuant to the implementation of or compliance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Stock Compensation (excluding any such gain that represents the reversal of any accrual of or reserve for anticipated cash charges in any prior period that are described in the parenthetical to clause (i)(f) above), all non-cash gains relating to intangible assets and all other non-recurring non-cash gains for such period, in each case calculated for the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such period.

 

 

5

 

 

“Consolidated EBITDAR” means, with reference to any period, Consolidated EBITDA for such period plus, without duplication, to the extent deducted from revenues in determining Consolidated Net Income for such period, rent expensed for the use of improved and unimproved real property (but excluding real estate taxes and common area maintenance expenses in each case to the extent paid or payable by the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors on or with respect to their leased premises), calculated for the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such period.

 

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, with reference to any period, the interest expense of the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors, calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such period.

 

“Consolidated Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Total Funded Indebtedness as of that date, to (b) Consolidated EBITDAR for the four fiscal quarter period ending on or immediately prior to such date.

 

“Consolidated Net Income” means, with reference to any period, the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such period.

 

“Consolidated Rent” means, for any period, the sum of all rent expensed for the use of improved and unimproved real property (but excluding real estate taxes and common area maintenance expenses in each case to the extent paid or payable by the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors on or with respect to their leased premises), calculated for the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such period.

 

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

 

“Credit Extension” means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.

 

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

 

“Default” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.

 

“Default Rate” means (a) with respect to any Obligation for which a rate is specified, a rate per annum equal to two percent (2%) in excess of the rate otherwise applicable thereto and (b) with respect to any Obligation for which a rate is not specified or available, a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate for Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans plus two percent (2%), in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law.

 

 

6

 

 

“Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.15(d), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans within two Business Days after the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit) within two Business Days after the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-in Action; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above, and of the effective date of such status, shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.15(d)) as of the date established therefor by the Administrative Agent in a written notice of such determination, which shall be delivered by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, the L/C Issuer and each Lender promptly following such determination.

 

“Designated Jurisdiction” means any country or territory to the extent that such country or territory itself is the subject of any Sanction.

 

“Dollar” and “$” mean lawful money of the United States.

 

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

 

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

 

 

7

 

 

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

 

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

 

“Eligible Assignee” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Sections 11.06(b)(iii) and (v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 11.06(b)(iii)).

 

“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 Borrower or any Loan Party directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) any violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) any 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 (a) in the case of a corporation, shares of capital stock, (b) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock, (c) in the case of a partnership, partnership interests (whether general or limited), (d) in the case of a limited liability company, membership interests, (e) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets upon liquidation of, the issuing Person and (f) any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any equity interest described in the foregoing clauses (a) through (e).

 

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with a Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Internal Revenue Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Internal Revenue Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Internal Revenue 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 Internal Revenue Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Internal Revenue 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 Borrower 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 Borrower 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 Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.

 

 

8

 

 

“Eurodollar Rate” means:

 

(a)     for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) (or a comparable or successor rate, which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent) as published by Bloomberg (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) (in such case, the “LIBOR Rate”) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period; and

 

(b)     for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to the LIBOR Rate, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time determined two Business Days prior to such date for Dollar deposits with a term of one month commencing that day;

 

provided that (i) to the extent a comparable or successor rate is approved by the Administrative Agent in connection herewith, the approved rate shall be applied in a manner consistent with market practice; provided, further that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such approved rate shall be applied as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent and (ii) if the Eurodollar Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement.

 

“Eurodollar Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on clause (a) of the definition of “Eurodollar Rate.”

 

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.

 

“Excluded Property” means, with respect to any Loan Party, (a) any owned or leased real property, (b) any Intellectual Property Rights for which a perfected Lien thereon is not effected either by filing of a Uniform Commercial Code financing statement or by appropriate evidence of such Lien being filed in either the United States Copyright Office or the United States Patent and Trademark Office, (c) any personal property (other than personal property described in clause (b) above) for which the attachment or perfection of a Lien thereon is not governed by the Uniform Commercial Code.

 

“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Guarantor of, or the grant under a Loan Document by such Guarantor of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act (or the application or official interpretation thereof) by virtue of such Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 10.08 and any and all guarantees of such Guarantor’s Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Guarantor, or grant by such Guarantor of a security interest, becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a Master Agreement governing more than one Swap Contract, such exclusion shall apply to only the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to Swap Contracts for which such Guaranty or security interest is or becomes illegal.

 

 

9

 

 

“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to any Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient: (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the Laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its Lending Office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a Law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 11.13) or (ii) such Lender changes its Lending Office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 3.01(a)(ii), 3.01(a)(iii) or 3.01(c), amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its Lending Office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 3.01(e) and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed pursuant to FATCA.

 

“Facility Termination Date” means the date as of which all of the following shall have occurred: (a) all Commitments have terminated, (b) all Obligations arising under the Loan Documents have been paid in full (other than contingent indemnification obligations), and (c) all Letters of Credit have terminated or expired (other than Letters of Credit that have been Cash Collateralized).

 

“FASB ASC” means the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

 

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code, as of the Closing Date (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

“Fee Letter” means the letter agreement, dated the Closing Date, among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Arranger.

 

“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer, controller or other executive officer of a Loan Party.

 

“Financial Statements” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01.

 

“Foreign Assets Control Regulations” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.19.

 

 

10

 

 

“Foreign Lender” means (a) if the Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if the Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the Laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

 

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

 

“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, with respect to the L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the outstanding L/C Obligations other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

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

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, consistently applied.

 

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

 

“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 payment 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 payment 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 payment 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 payment obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or payment obligation, including, without limitation, the Guaranty; provided that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

 

“Guarantors” means, collectively, (a) the Parent, (b) each Subsidiary of the Borrower identified as a “Guarantor” on the signature pages hereto, (c) each Person that joins as a Guarantor pursuant to Section 6.14 or otherwise, (d) with respect to (i) Obligations under any Secured Hedge Agreement, (ii) Obligations under any Secured Cash Management Agreement and (iii) any Swap Obligation of a Specified Loan Party (determined before giving effect to Sections 10.01 and 10.08) under the Guaranty, the Borrower, and (e) the successors and permitted assigns of the foregoing.

 

“Guaranty” means the Guaranty made by the Guarantors in favor of the Administrative Agent and the other holders of the Obligations pursuant to Article X.

 

 

11

 

 

“Hazardous Materials” means: (a) any substance, material, or waste that is included within the definitions of “hazardous substances,” “hazardous materials,” “hazardous waste,” “toxic substances,” “toxic materials,” “toxic waste,” or words of similar import in any Environmental Law; (b) those substances listed as hazardous substances by the United States Department of Transportation (or any successor agency) (49 C.F.R. 172.101 and amendments thereto) or by the Environmental Protection Agency (or any successor agency) (40 C.F.R. Part 302 and amendments thereto); and (c) any substance, material, or waste that is petroleum, petroleum-related, or a petroleum by-product, asbestos or asbestos-containing material, polychlorinated biphenyls, flammable, explosive, radioactive, Freon gas, radon, or a pesticide, herbicide, or any other agricultural chemical.

 

“Hedge Bank” means any Person that (i) at the time it enters into a Swap Contract, is a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, (ii) in the case of any Swap Contract in effect on or prior to the Closing Date, is, as of the Closing Date or within 30 days thereafter, a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent and a party to a Swap Contract or (iii) within 30 days after the time it enters into the applicable Swap Contract, becomes a Lender, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Swap Contract; provided, in the case of a Secured Hedge Agreement with a Person who is no longer a Lender (or Affiliate of a Lender), such Person shall be considered a Hedge Bank only through the stated termination date (without extension or renewal) of such Secured Hedge Agreement.

 

“Honor Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.03(c).

 

“IFRS” means international accounting standards within the meaning of IAS Regulation 1606/2002 to the extent applicable to the relevant financial statements delivered under or referred to herein.

 

“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 on terms customary in the trade), (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 or is limited in recourse, (g) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and similar instruments, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances, (j) obligations of such Person under any liquidated earn-out, (k) any other Off-Balance Sheet Liability of such Person, (l) obligations of such Person, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (i) any and all Swap Agreements, and (ii) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any Swap Agreement transaction, and (m) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others in respect of any of the foregoing. 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.

 

 

12

 

 

“Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a), Other Taxes.

 

“Indemnitee” has the meaning specified in Section 11.04(b).

 

“Information” has the meaning specified in Section 11.07.

 

“Intellectual Property Rights” means all now or hereafter acquired rights of a Person (whether owned or subject to a valid right to use) arising in connection with any intellectual property or other proprietary rights, including without limitation all rights arising in connection with any patents, registered and common law trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, licenses and other similar rights (including, without limitation, know-how, trade secrets and other confidential information) and applications for each of the foregoing, if any.

 

“Interest Payment Date” means (a) as to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date; provided, however, that if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan, the last Business Day of each month and the Maturity Date.

 

“Interest Period” means, as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter (in each case, subject to availability) as selected by the Borrower in its Loan Notice; provided that:

 

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

 

(b)     any Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and

 

(c)     no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.

 

“Internal Revenue Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

“Inventory Threshold” an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) or more of the value of all of the Borrower’s and Subsidiary Guarantors’ inventory (valued at cost).

 

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

“Isely Family” means, collectively, one or more of the following: Kemper Isely, Zephyr Isely, Heather Isely and Elizabeth Isely, and, if Controlled by one or more of the foregoing (or a person or entity chosen by one or more of, or the estate of one or more of, the foregoing), any corporation, partnership, trust or other entity created for the benefit of one or more of the foregoing and/or for the benefit of the spouse, parents and/or lineal descendants of one or more of the foregoing (whether by blood or adoption, and including stepchildren).

 

 

13

 

 

“ISP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the “International Standby Practices 1998” published by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, Inc. (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).

 

“Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to such Letter of Credit.

 

“Joinder Agreement” means a joinder agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit 6.14 executed and delivered by a Subsidiary in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.14 or any other documents as the Administrative Agent shall deem appropriate for such purpose.

 

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

 

“L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.

 

“L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Borrowing of Revolving Loans.

 

“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.

 

“L/C Issuer” means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.

 

“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.

 

“Lenders” means each of the Persons identified as a “Lender” on the signature pages hereto, each other Person that becomes a “Lender” in accordance with this Agreement and their successors and assigns.

 

“Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, which office may include any Affiliate of such Lender or any domestic or foreign branch of such Lender or such affiliate. Unless the context otherwise requires each references to a Lender shall include its applicable Lending Office.

 

 

14

 

 

“Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder providing for the payment of cash upon the honoring of a presentation thereunder.

 

“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.

 

“Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is seven days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).

 

“Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(h).

 

“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $5,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Revolving Commitments.

 

“License Agreement” means, individually or collectively as the context may require, one or more license agreements pursuant to which the Borrower has been granted the right to use trademarks, trade names, service marks and goodwill of VC Two, each as amended, supplemented or replaced from time to time.

 

“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, (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 and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the interest of a licensor or a licensee under any trademark or other intellectual property license agreement relating to the licensed asset that is permitted by the Loan Documents shall not be deemed to be a Lien.

 

“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under Article II in the form of a Revolving Loan.

 

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, each Joinder Agreement, the Collateral Documents and the Fee Letter (but specifically excluding Secured Hedge Agreements and any Secured Cash Management Agreements). 

 

“Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Borrowing of Revolving Loans, (b) a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, in each case pursuant to Section 2.02(a), which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.02 or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent) appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

 

“Loan Parties” means, collectively, the Borrower and each Guarantor.

 

“Master Agreement” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Swap Contract.”

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, property, operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Parent and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Loan Parties, taken as a whole, to perform any of their material obligations under the Loan Documents to which they are a party, (c) the Administrative Agent’s Liens on any material Collateral or the priority of such Liens, (d) the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents, or (e) the rights or remedies available to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Lenders under any of the Loan Documents.

 

 

15

 

 

“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Contracts, of any one or more of the Loan Parties in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $1,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “obligations” of the Loan Parties in respect of any Swap Contract at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that such Loan Party would be required to pay if such Swap Contract were terminated at such time.

 

“Maturity Date” means January 31, 2021.

 

“Minimum Cash Collateral Amount” means, at any time, (a) with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of cash or deposit account balances provided to reduce or eliminate Fronting Exposure during the existence of a Defaulting Lender, an amount equal to 105% of the Fronting Exposure of the L/C Issuer with respect to Letters of Credit issued and outstanding at such time, and (b) otherwise, an amount equal to 105% of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations.

 

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

 

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

 

“Non-Consenting Lender” means any Lender that does not approve any consent, waiver or amendment that (a) requires the approval of all Lenders or all affected Lenders in accordance with the terms of Section 11.01 and (b) has been approved by the Required Lenders.

 

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

 

“Note” has the meaning specified in Section 2.11(a).

 

“Notice of Loan Prepayment” means a notice of prepayment with respect to a Loan, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.05 or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

 

“Obligations” means with respect to each Loan Party (i) all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations and covenants of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, and (ii) all obligations of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary owing to a Cash Management Bank or a Hedge Bank in respect of Secured Cash Management Agreements or Secured Hedge Agreements, in each case identified in clauses (i) and (ii) whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding; provided, however, that the “Obligations” of a Loan Party shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Loan Party.

 

“OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.

 

 

16

 

 

“Off-Balance Sheet Liability” of a Person means (a) any repurchase obligation or liability of such Person with respect to accounts or notes receivable sold by such Person, (b) any indebtedness, liability or obligation under any so-called “synthetic lease” transaction entered into by such Person, or (c) any indebtedness, liability or obligation arising with respect to any other transaction which is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the balance sheet of such Person (other than operating leases).

 

“Organization Documents” means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement or limited liability company agreement (or equivalent or comparable documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization (or equivalent or comparable documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction) and (d) with respect to all entities, any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization (or equivalent or comparable documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction).

 

“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).

 

“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 3.06).

 

“Outstanding Amount” means (a) with respect to any Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of any Loans occurring on such date; and (b) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.

 

“Parent” means Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

“Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(d).

 

“Participant Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(d).

 

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

 

“Permitted Encumbrances” means:

 

(a)     Liens imposed by law for Taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 6.04;

 

 

17

 

 

(b)     carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested in compliance with Section 6.04;

 

(c)     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, 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;

 

(e)     judgment Liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under Section 8.01(k);

 

(f)     easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances 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 Borrower or any Subsidiary; and

 

(g)     junior Liens in favor of landlords or assets on the premises leased to the Loan Parties by such landlords;

 

provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness, except with respect to clause (e) above.

 

“Permitted Investments” means:

 

(a)     direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States), in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;

 

(b)     investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of A-1 or higher by S&P or P-1 by Moody’s;

 

(c)     investments in certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;

 

(d)     fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above; and

 

(e)     money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000,000,000.

 

 

18

 

 

“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 Internal Revenue Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.

 

“Platform” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

 

“Projections” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01(d).

 

“Public Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

 

“Qualified ECP Guarantor” means, at any time, each Loan Party with total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another Person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under Section 1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

“Recipient” means the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party hereunder.

 

“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(c).

 

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

 

“Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Loans, a Loan Notice and (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application.

 

“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Total Credit Exposures representing more than 50% of the Total Credit Exposures of all Lenders. The Total Credit Exposure of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in determining Required Lenders at any time; provided that the amount of any participation in any Unreimbursed Amounts that such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund that have not been reallocated to and funded by another Lender shall be deemed to be held by the Lender that is the L/C Issuer in making such determination.

 

“Resignation Effective Date” has the meaning specified in Section 9.06.

 

“Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, co-president, executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of a Loan Party, and, solely for purposes of the delivery of incumbency certificates, the secretary or any assistant secretary of a Loan Party and, solely for purposes of notices given pursuant to Article II, any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party so designated by any of the foregoing officers in a notice to the Administrative Agent or any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party designated in or pursuant to an agreement between the applicable Loan Party and the Administrative Agent. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party. To the extent requested by the Administrative Agent, each Responsible Officer will provide an incumbency certificate and appropriate authorization documentation, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

 

19

 

 

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Parent or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the Parent or any Subsidiary or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

“Revenue” means, with reference to any period, the net sales of a Person for such period, calculated in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Revolving Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Revolving Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01, and (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto or in any documentation executed by such Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(b), as applicable as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

 

“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the aggregate principal amount at such time of its outstanding Revolving Loans and such Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations at such time.

 

“Revolving Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01(a).

 

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

 

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning specified in Section 7.06.

 

“Sanction(s)” means any sanction administered or enforced by the United States Government, including OFAC, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) or other relevant sanctions authority.

 

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

 

“Secured Cash Management Agreement” means any Cash Management Agreement that is entered into by and between any Loan Party or any Subsidiary and any Cash Management Bank with respect to such Cash Management Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, a holder of Obligations in respect of Secured Cash Management Agreements shall be subject to the last paragraph of Section 8.03 and Section 9.11.

 

“Secured Hedge Agreement” means any Swap Contract that is entered into by and between any Loan Party or any Subsidiary and any Hedge Bank with respect to such Swap Contract. For the avoidance of doubt, a holder of Obligations in respect of Secured Hedge Agreements shall be subject to the last paragraph of Section 8.03 and Section 9.11.

 

 

20

 

 

“Secured Party Designation Notice” shall mean a notice from any Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender substantially in the form of Exhibit 1.01.

 

“Security Agreement” means the security and pledge agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, executed in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations by each of the Loan Parties.

 

“Specified Loan Party” has the meaning specified in Section 10.08.

 

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any 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 by the parent and/or one or more subsidiaries of the parent, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled by the parent and/or one or more subsidiaries of the parent. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a direct or indirect Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Parent.

 

“Subsidiary Guarantor” means each Guarantor that is a Subsidiary.

 

“Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

“Total Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the unused Commitments of such Lender at such time, the outstanding Loans of such Lender at such time and such Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations at such time.

 

“Total Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of the following items of the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP: (i) the sum of the outstanding Indebtedness of the type described in clauses (a) through (g) of the definition of Indebtedness on such date and (ii) Consolidated Rent for the four fiscal quarter period ending on or immediately prior to such date, multiplied by 8.

 

 

21

 

 

“Total Revolving Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Revolving Loans and all L/C Obligations.

 

“Trailing Revenue” means, as of any date of determination, Revenue of a Person for the twelve calendar month period ending on or immediately prior to such date of determination.

 

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

 

“Type” means, with respect to any Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.

 

“United States” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.

 

“Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(c)(i).

 

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

 

“U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01(e)(ii)(B)(3).

 

“VC Two” means Vitamin Cottage Two Ltd. Liability Company, a Colorado limited liability company.

 

“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.

 

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

 

	
1.02
	
Other Interpretive Provisions.

 

With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

 

(a)     The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Loan Document or Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced or supplemented from time to time (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “hereto,” “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Preliminary Statements, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, Preliminary Statements of and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any Law shall include all statutory and regulatory rules, regulations, orders and provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such Law and any reference to any Law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such Law or regulation as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all assets and properties, tangible and intangible, real and personal, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

 

 

22

 

 

(b)     In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”

 

(c)     Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

	
1.03
	
Accounting Terms.

 

(a)     Generally. All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining compliance with any covenant (including the computation of any financial covenant) contained herein, Indebtedness of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be carried at 100% of the outstanding principal amount thereof, and the effects of FASB ASC 825 and FASB ASC 470-20 on financial liabilities shall be disregarded.

 

(b)     Changes in GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP (including the adoption of IFRS) would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP. Without limiting the foregoing, leases shall continue to be classified and accounted for on a basis consistent with that reflected in the Audited Financial Statements for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding any change in GAAP relating thereto, unless the parties hereto shall enter into a mutually acceptable amendment addressing such changes, as provided for above.

 

	
1.04
	
Rounding.

 

Any financial ratios required to be maintained by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).

 

 

23

 

 

	
1.05
	
Times of Day.

 

Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Central time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

 

	
1.06
	
Letter of Credit Amounts.

 

Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.

 

ARTICLE II

THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

	
2.01
	
Revolving Loans.

 

(a)     Revolving Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Revolving Loan”) to the Borrower in Dollars from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Revolving Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Borrowing of Revolving Loans, (i) the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, and (ii) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Revolving Commitment. Within the limits of each Lender’s Revolving Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.01. Revolving Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, or a combination thereof, as further provided herein, provided, however, all Borrowings made on the Closing Date shall be made as Base Rate Loans.

 

(b)     Increases of Revolving Commitments. The Borrower shall have the right during the term of this Agreement, upon at least fifteen Business Days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, to increase the Aggregate Revolving Commitments at any time prior to the date that is six months prior to the Maturity Date, subject, however, in any such case, to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

 

(i)     the sum of the aggregate amount of all increases in the Aggregate Revolving Commitments shall not exceed $20,000,000;

 

(ii)     no Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date on which such increase is to become effective;

 

 

24

 

 

(iii)     the representations and warranties set forth in Article VI shall be true and correct in all material respects (or if qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) on and as of the date on which such increase is to become effective, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects (or if qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such earlier date;

 

(iv)     such increase shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof;

 

(v)     such requested increase shall only be effective upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of (A) additional Revolving Commitments in a corresponding amount of such requested increase from either existing Lenders and/or one or more other institutions that qualify as Eligible Assignees (it being understood and agreed that no existing Lender shall be required to provide an additional Revolving Commitment) and (B) documentation from each institution providing an additional Revolving Commitment evidencing its additional Revolving Commitment and its obligations under this Agreement in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent;

 

(vi)     the Administrative Agent shall have received all documents (including resolutions of the board of directors of the Borrower and the Guarantors) it may reasonably request relating to the corporate or other necessary authority for such increase and the validity of such increase in the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, and any other matters relevant thereto, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and

 

(vii)     if the reallocation, if any, of outstanding Loans among the Lenders in connection with such increase results in the prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans on a day which is not the last day of an Interest Period with respect thereto, the Borrower shall have paid to each affected Lender such amounts, if any, as may be required pursuant to Section 3.05.

 

	
2.02
	
Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Loans.

 

(a)     Each Borrowing, each conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by (A) telephone, or (B) a Loan Notice; provided that any telephonic notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Loan Notice. Each such Loan Notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of, Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in Section 2.03(c), each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $50,000 (or such other amount as the Administrative Agent shall agree). Each Loan Notice shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Borrowing, a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Loans are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto. If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of a Loan in a Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans. If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month.

 

 

25

 

 

(b)     Following receipt of a Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Applicable Percentage of the applicable Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in the preceding subsection. In the case of a Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Loan available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the applicable Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.01), the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Borrower; provided, however, that if, on the date the Loan Notice with respect to a Borrowing of Revolving Loans is given by the Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such Borrowing, first, shall be applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings and second, shall be made available to the Borrower as provided above.

 

(c)     Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurodollar Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of the Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders, and the Required Lenders may demand that any or all of the outstanding Eurodollar Rate Loans be converted immediately to Base Rate Loans.

 

(d)     The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any change in Bank of America’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.

 

(e)     After giving effect to all Borrowings, all conversions of Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten Interest Periods in effect.

 

(f)     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Lender may exchange, continue or rollover all of the portion of its Loans in connection with any refinancing, extension, loan modification or similar transaction permitted by the terms of this Agreement, pursuant to a cashless settlement mechanism approved by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and such Lender.

 

 

26

 

 

	
2.03
	
Letters of Credit.

 

(a)     The Letter of Credit Commitment.

 

(i)     Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (A) the L/C Issuer agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the Lenders set forth in this Section 2.03 , (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit in Dollars for the account of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and to amend or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries and any drawings thereunder; provided that after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit, (x) the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, (y) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and (z) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit. Each request by the Borrower for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by the Borrower that the L/C Credit Extension so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the proviso to the preceding sentence. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly the Borrower may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and reimbursed.

 

(ii)     The L/C Issuer shall not issue any Letter of Credit if:

 

(A)     subject to Section 2.03(b)(iii), the expiry date of the requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of issuance or last extension, unless the Lenders (other than Defaulting Lenders) holding a majority of the Revolving Credit Exposure have approved such expiry date; or

 

(B)     the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all the Lenders that have Revolving Commitments have approved such expiry date.

 

(iii)     The L/C Issuer shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:

 

(A)     any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of Law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;

 

 

27

 

 

(B)     the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;

 

(C)     such Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars;

 

(D)     any Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (in its sole discretion) with the Borrower or such Defaulting Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.15(b)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either the Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Obligations as to which the L/C Issuer has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion; or

 

(E)     such Letter of Credit contains any provisions for automatic reinstatement of the stated amount after any drawing thereunder.

 

(iv)     The L/C Issuer shall not amend any Letter of Credit if the L/C Issuer would not be permitted at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof.

 

(v)     The L/C Issuer shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to the Letter of Credit.

 

(vi)     The L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Administrative Agent in Article IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in Article IX included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.

 

(b)     Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters of Credit.

 

(i)     Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application may be sent by facsimile, by United States mail, by overnight courier, by electronic transmission using the system provided by the L/C Issuer, by personal delivery or by any other means acceptable to the L/C Issuer. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two (2) Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.

 

 

28

 

 

(ii)     Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, the L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Lender, the Administrative Agent or any Loan Party, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Article IV shall not then be satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with the L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Letter of Credit.

 

(iii)     If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit the L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date; provided, however, that the L/C Issuer shall not permit any such extension if (A) the L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.

 

 

29

 

 

(iv)     Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.

 

(c)     Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.

 

(i)     Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of drawing under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit (each such date, an “Honor Date”), the Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing. If the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by such time, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the “Unreimbursed Amount”), and the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Borrowing of Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Loan Notice). Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.

 

(ii)     Each Lender shall upon any notice pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) make funds available (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral provided for this purpose) for the account of the L/C Issuer at the Administrative Agent’s Office in an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions of Section 2.03(c)(iii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Revolving Loan that is a Base Rate Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the L/C Issuer.

 

(iii)     With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Borrowing of Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans because the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other reason, the Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from the L/C Issuer an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In such event, each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its participation obligation under this Section 2.03.

 

 

30

 

 

(iv)     Until each Lender funds its Revolving Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this Section 2.03(c) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be solely for the account of the L/C Issuer.

 

(v)     Each Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as contemplated by this Section 2.03(c), shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the L/C Issuer, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans pursuant to this Section 2.03(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than delivery by the Borrower of a Loan Notice). No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment made by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.

 

(vi)     If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by the time specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii), then, without limiting the other provisions of this Agreement, the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the L/C Issuer in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Revolving Loan included in the relevant Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(d)     Repayment of Participations.

 

(i)     At any time after the L/C Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect of such payment in accordance with Section 2.03(c), if the Administrative Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether directly from the Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by the Administrative Agent), the Administrative Agent will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those received by the Administrative Agent.

 

 

31

 

 

(ii)     If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 11.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

(e)     Obligations Absolute. The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the following:

 

(i)     any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement or any other Loan Document;

 

(ii)     the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that any Loan Party or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;

 

(iii)     any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;

 

(iv)     waiver by the L/C Issuer of any requirement that exists for the L/C Issuer’s protection and not the protection of the Borrower or any waiver by the L/C Issuer which does not in fact materially prejudice the Borrower;

 

(v)     honor of a demand for payment presented electronically even if such Letter of Credit requires that demand be in the form of a draft;

 

(vi)     any payment made by the L/C Issuer in respect of an otherwise complying item presented after the date specified as the expiration date of, or the date by which documents must be received under such Letter of Credit if presentation after such date is authorized by the UCC, the ISP or the UCP, as applicable;

 

(vii)     any payment by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law; or

 

 

32

 

 

(viii)     any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Loan Party or any Subsidiary.

 

The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with the Borrower’s instructions or other irregularity, the Borrower will promptly notify the L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.

 

(f)     Role of L/C Issuer. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by such Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document. The Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower from pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (viii) of Section 2.03(e); provided, however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason. The L/C Issuer may send a Letter of Credit or conduct any communication to or from the beneficiary via the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (“SWIFT”) message or overnight courier, or any other commercially reasonable means of communicating with a beneficiary.

 

(g)     Applicability of ISP; Limitation of Liability. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued, the rules of the ISP shall apply to each Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible to the Borrower for, and the L/C Issuer’s rights and remedies against the Borrower shall not be impaired by, any action or inaction of the L/C Issuer required or permitted under any Law, order, or practice that is required or permitted to be applied to any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, including the Law or any order of a jurisdiction where the L/C Issuer or the beneficiary is located, the practice stated in the ISP or UCP, as applicable, or in the decisions, opinions, practice statements, or official commentary of the ICC Banking Commission, the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade - International Financial Services Association (BAFT-IFSA), or the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, whether or not any Letter of Credit chooses such Law or practice.

 

 

33

 

 

(h)     Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance, subject to Section 2.15, with its Applicable Percentage a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) due and payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand and (ii) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.

 

(i)     Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum specified in the Fee Letter, computed on the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee shall be due and payable on the tenth Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December in respect of the most recently-ended quarterly period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.

 

(j)     Conflict with Issuer Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.

 

(k)     Letters of Credit Issued for Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder is in support of any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, the Borrower shall be obligated to reimburse the L/C Issuer hereunder for any and all drawings under such Letter of Credit. The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of the Borrower, and that the Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.

 

	
2.04
	
[Intentionally Omitted].

 

	
2.05
	
Prepayments.

 

(a)     Voluntary Prepayments of Loans. The Borrower may, upon delivery of a Notice of Loan Prepayment to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Revolving Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (A) such notice must be in a form acceptable to the Administrative Agent and be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (1) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (2) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (B) any such prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof (or, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding); and (C) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $50,000 (or such other amount as agreed by the Administrative Agent). Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurodollar Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. Subject to Section 2.15, each such prepayment shall be applied to the Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.

 

 

34

 

 

(b)     Mandatory Prepayments of Loans.

 

(i)     Revolving Commitments. If for any reason the Total Revolving Outstandings at any time exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments then in effect, the Borrower shall promptly (and in any event within one Business Day) prepay Revolving Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to such excess; provided, however, that the Borrower shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this Section 2.05(b)(i) unless after the prepayment in full of the Revolving Loans the Total Revolving Outstandings exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments then in effect.

 

(ii)     Application of Mandatory Prepayments. All amounts required to be paid pursuant to Section 2.05(b)(i) shall be applied as follows, first, to the L/C Borrowings, and second, to the outstanding Revolving Loans, and third, (if after prepayment of the outstanding Revolving Loans, the Total Revolving Outstandings exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments then in effect), to Cash Collateralize the remaining L/C Obligations. Within the parameters of the applications set forth above, prepayments shall be applied first to Base Rate Loans and then to Eurodollar Rate Loans in direct order of Interest Period maturities. All prepayments under this Section 2.05(b) shall be subject to Section 3.05, but otherwise without premium or penalty, and shall be accompanied by interest on the principal amount prepaid through the date of prepayment.

 

	
2.06
	
Termination or Reduction of Aggregate Revolving Commitments.

 

The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Revolving Commitments; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. three Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $1,000,000 or any whole multiple of $250,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Revolving Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Revolving Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, such sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments. Any reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments shall be applied to the Revolving Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

 

 

35

 

 

	
2.07
	
Repayment of Loans.

 

The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Loans outstanding on such date.

 

	
2.08
	
Interest.

 

(a)     Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the sum of the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate; and (ii) each Base Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the sum of the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

 

(b)     (i)     If any amount of principal of any Loan is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

(ii)     If any amount (other than principal of any Loan) payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, then upon the request of the Required Lenders, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

(iii)     Upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists (other than as set forth in clauses (b)(i) and (b)(ii) above), the Borrower shall pay interest on the principal amount of all outstanding Obligations hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

(iv)     Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

 

(c)     Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.

 

 

36

 

 

	
2.09
	
Fees.

 

In addition to certain fees described in subsections (h) and (i) of Section 2.03:

 

(a)     Commitment Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee equal to the product of (i) the Applicable Rate times (ii) the actual daily amount by which the Aggregate Revolving Commitments exceed the sum of (y) the Outstanding Amount of Revolving Loans and (z) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15. The commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period. The commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.

 

(b)     Other Fees.

 

(i)     The Borrower shall pay to the Arranger and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

 

(ii)     The Borrower shall pay to the Lenders such fees as shall have been separately agreed upon in writing in the amounts and at the times so specified. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

 

	
2.10
	
Computation of Interest and Fees; Retroactive Adjustments of Applicable Rate.

 

(a)     All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate) shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year). Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.12(a), bear interest for one day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

 

(b)     If, as a result of any restatement of or other adjustment to the financial statements of the Borrower or for any other reason, the Borrower or the Lenders determine that (i) the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as calculated by the Borrower as of any applicable date was inaccurate and (ii) a proper calculation of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio would have resulted in higher pricing for such period, the Borrower shall immediately and retroactively be obligated to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the applicable Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, promptly (and in any event within ten days after demand therefor by the Administrative Agent) (or, after the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, automatically and without further action by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer), an amount equal to the excess of the amount of interest and fees that should have been paid for such period over the amount of interest and fees actually paid for such period. This paragraph shall not limit the rights of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, under this Agreement. The Borrower’s obligations under this paragraph shall survive the termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments and the repayment of all other Obligations hereunder.

 

 

37

 

 

	
2.11
	
Evidence of Debt.

 

(a)     The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business. The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a promissory note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records. Each such promissory note shall be in the form of Exhibit 2.11(a) (a “Note”). Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.

 

(b)     In addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a) above, each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.

 

	
2.12
	
Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.

 

(a)     General. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made free and clear of and without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

 

38

 

 

(b)     (i)     Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or, in the case of a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.02) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

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

 

A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

 

(c)     Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

 

 

39

 

 

(d)     Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and to make payments pursuant to Section 11.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 11.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 11.04(c).

 

(e)     Funding Source. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.

 

	
2.13
	
Sharing of Payments by Lenders.

 

If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations held by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans and other amounts owing them, provided that:

 

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

 

(ii)     the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to (A) any payment made by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender), (B) the application of Cash Collateral provided for in Section 2.14, or (C) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations to any assignee or participant, other than an assignment to any Loan Party or any Subsidiary (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).

 

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

 

	
2.14
	
Cash Collateral.

 

(a)     Certain Credit Support Events. If (i) the L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, (ii) as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains outstanding, (iii) the Borrower shall be required to provide Cash Collateral pursuant to Section 8.02(c) or (iv) there shall exist a Defaulting Lender, the Borrower shall immediately (in the case of clause (iii) above) or within one Business Day (in all other cases) following any request by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer provide Cash Collateral in an amount not less than the applicable Minimum Cash Collateral Amount (determined in the case of Cash Collateral provided pursuant to clause (iv) above, after giving effect to Section 2.15(b) and any Cash Collateral provided by the Defaulting Lender).

 

 

40

 

 

(b)     Grant of Security Interest. The Borrower, and to the extent provided by any Defaulting Lender, such Defaulting Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant to Section 2.14(c). If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer as herein provided, or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the Minimum Cash Collateral Amount, the Borrower will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency. All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America. The Borrower shall pay on demand therefor from time to time all customary account opening, activity and other administrative fees and charges in connection with the maintenance and disbursement of Cash Collateral.

 

(c)     Application. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Cash Collateral provided under any of this Section 2.14 or Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.15 or 8.02 in respect of Letters of Credit shall be held and applied to the satisfaction of the specific L/C Obligations, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligations for which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may otherwise be provided for herein.

 

(d)     Release. Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) provided to reduce Fronting Exposure or to secure other obligations shall be released promptly following (i) the elimination of the applicable Fronting Exposure or other obligations giving rise thereto (including by the termination of Defaulting Lender status of the applicable Lender (or, as appropriate, its assignee following compliance with Section 11.06(b)(vi))) or (ii) the determination by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer that there exists excess Cash Collateral; provided, however, (x) any such release shall be without prejudice to, and any disbursement or other transfer of Cash Collateral shall be and remain subject to, any other Lien conferred under the Loan Documents and the other applicable provisions of the Loan Documents, and (y) the Person providing Cash Collateral and the L/C Issuer may agree that Cash Collateral shall not be released but instead held to support future anticipated Fronting Exposure or other obligations.

 

	
2.15
	
Defaulting Lenders.

 

(a)     Adjustments. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as that Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

 

 

41

 

 

(i)     Waivers and Amendments. Such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in the definition of “Required Lenders” and Section 11.01.

 

(ii)     Defaulting Lender Waterfall. Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VIII or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 11.08 shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuer hereunder; third, to Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with Section 2.14; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s future Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance with Section 2.14; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders or the L/C Issuer as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender or the L/C Issuer against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowings in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made or the related Letters of Credit were issued at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Obligations owed to, all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Obligations owed to, such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans and funded and unfunded participations in L/C Obligations are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments hereunder without giving effect to Section 2.15(b). Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to this Section 2.15(a)(ii) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

(iii)     Certain Fees.

 

(A)     No Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive any fee payable under Section 2.09(a) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender (and the Borrower shall not be required to pay any such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender).

 

 

42

 

 

(B)     Each Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive Letter of Credit Fees for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to the extent allocable to its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit for which it has provided Cash Collateral pursuant to Section 2.14.

 

(C)     With respect to any Letter of Credit Fee not required to be paid to any Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (B) above, the Borrower shall (x) pay to each Non-Defaulting Lender that portion of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations that has been reallocated to such Non-Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (b) below, (y) pay to the L/C Issuer the amount of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender to the extent allocable to such L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure to such Defaulting Lender, and (z) not be required to pay the remaining amount of any such fee.

 

(b)     Reallocation of Applicable Percentages to Reduce Fronting Exposure. All or any part of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations shall be reallocated among the Non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages (calculated without regard to such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) but only to the extent that such reallocation does not cause the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure of any Non-Defaulting Lender to exceed such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Commitment. Subject to Section 11.19, no reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender’s increased exposure following such reallocation.

 

(c)     Cash Collateral. If the reallocation described in clause (b) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall, without prejudice to any right or remedy available to it hereunder or under applicable Law, Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuers’ Fronting Exposure in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.14.

 

(d)     Defaulting Lender Cure. If the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer agree in writing that a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein (which may include arrangements with respect to any Cash Collateral), that Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase at par that portion of outstanding Loans of the other Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Loans and funded and unfunded participations in Letters of Credit to be held on a pro rata basis by the Lenders in accordance with their Applicable Percentages (without giving effect to Section 2.15(b)), whereupon such Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided, further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.

 

ARTICLE III

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

 

43

 

 

	
3.01
	
Taxes.

 

(a)     Payments Free of Taxes; Obligation to Withhold; Payments on Account of Taxes.

 

(i)     Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable Laws. If any applicable Laws (as determined in the good faith discretion of the Administrative Agent or a Loan Party, as applicable) require the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by the Administrative Agent or a Loan Party, then the Administrative Agent or such Loan Party shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding, upon the basis of the information and documentation to be delivered pursuant to subsection (e) below.

 

(ii)     Subject to Section 3.01(a)(ii) above, if any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent shall be required by the Internal Revenue Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes, including both United States Federal backup withholding and withholding taxes, from any payment, then (A) the Administrative Agent shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by the Administrative Agent to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) the Administrative Agent shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.

 

(iii)     If any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent shall be required by any applicable Laws other than the Internal Revenue Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes from any payment, then (A) such Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as required by such Laws, shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by it to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) such Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, to the extent required by such Laws, shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with such Laws, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.

 

(b)     Payment of Other Taxes by the Loan Parties. Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Loan Parties shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Laws, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for the payment of, any Other Taxes.

 

(c)     Tax Indemnifications. (i) Each of the Loan Parties shall, and does hereby, jointly and severally indemnify each Recipient, and shall make payment in respect thereof within ten days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 3.01) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each of the Loan Parties shall, and does hereby, jointly and severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within ten days after demand therefor, for any amount which a Lender or the L/C Issuer for any reason fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required pursuant to Section 3.01(c)(ii) below.

 

 

44

 

 

(ii)     Each Lender and the L/C Issuer shall, and does hereby, severally indemnify, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, (x) the Administrative Agent against any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender or the L/C Issuer (but only to the extent that any Loan Party has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), (y) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 11.06(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or a Loan Party in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (ii).

 

(d)     Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable, after any payment of Taxes by any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent to a Governmental Authority as provided in this Section 3.01, such Loan Party shall deliver to the Administrative Agent, or the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the Borrower, as the case may be, the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return required by Laws to report such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, as the case may be.

 

(e)     Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation.

 

(i)     Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable Law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 3.01(e)(ii)(A), 3.01(e)(ii)(B) and 3.01(e)(ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.

 

 

45

 

 

(ii)     Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is a U.S. Person,

 

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

 

(B)     any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(1)     in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed copies of IRS Form W-8BENE (or W-8BEN, as applicable) 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-8BENE (or W-8BEN, as applicable) 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;

 

(2)     executed copies of IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

(3)     in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 3.01-A to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed copies of IRS Form W-8BENE (or W-8BEN, as applicable); or

 

 

46

 

 

(4)     to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed copies of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BENE (or W-8BEN, as applicable), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 3.01-B or Exhibit 3.01-C, IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 3.01-D on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;

 

(C)     any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies of any other form prescribed by applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable Law to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

 

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

 

(iii)     Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered pursuant to this Section 3.01 expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.

 

(f)     Treatment of Certain Refunds. Unless required by applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender or the L/C Issuer, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. If any Recipient determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party or with respect to which any Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 3.01, it shall pay to the Loan Party as soon as practicable an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by a Loan Party under this Section 3.01 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by such Recipient, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Loan Party, upon the request of the Recipient, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Recipient in the event the Recipient is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this subsection, in no event will the applicable Recipient be required to pay any amount to the Loan Party pursuant to this subsection the payment of which would place the Recipient in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Recipient would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This subsection shall not be construed to require any Recipient to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to any Loan Party or any other Person.

 

 

47

 

 

(g)     Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section 3.01 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.

 

	
3.02
	
Illegality.

 

If any Lender determines that any Change in Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its Lending Office to perform any of its obligations hereunder or make, maintain or fund or charge interest with respect to any Credit Extensions or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to issue, make, maintain, fund or charge interest with respect to any such Credit Extension or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender, shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

 

 

48

 

 

	
3.03
	
Inability to Determine Rates.

 

(a)     If in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof, (i) the Administrative Agent determines that (A) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank eurodollar market for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan, or (B) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan (in each case with respect to clause (i), “Impacted Loans”), or (ii) the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders determine that for any reason the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender. Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans or Interest Periods), and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurodollar Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans (to the extent of the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans or Interest Periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

 

(b)     Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Administrative Agent has made the determination described in clause (a)(i) of this Section and the Borrower shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the affected Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend the definition of “Eurodollar Rate” and other applicable provisions to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change; provided that, until so amended, such Impacted Loans will be handled as otherwise provided pursuant to the terms of this Section.

 

	
3.04
	
Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans.

 

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

 

(i)     impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement contemplated by Section 3.04(e)) or the L/C Issuer that had not been so imposed, modified or deemed applicable prior to the Change in Law;

 

(ii)     subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto that the Recipient had not been subject to prior to the Change in Law; or

 

 

49

 

 

(iii)     impose on any Lender or the L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein that had not been imposed prior to the Change in Law;

 

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or the L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

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

 

(c)     Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Borrower that includes the calculations of such amounts in sufficient detail to allow the Borrower to confirm the calculations and amount of compensation, shall be conclusive absent demonstrable error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten days after receipt thereof; provided that a Lender shall not be entitled to any compensation pursuant to this Section 3.04 to the extent such Lender is not generally imposing such charges or requesting such compensation from other similarly-situated borrowers under similar circumstances.

 

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

 

 

50

 

 

(e)     Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans. The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurodollar Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error), which shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Borrower shall have received at least ten Business Days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest or costs from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice ten Business Days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable ten Business Days from receipt of such notice.

 

	
3.05
	
Compensation for Losses.

 

Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

 

(a)     any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);

 

(b)     any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Eurodollar Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower; or

 

(c)     any assignment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 11.13;

 

including any loss or expense (other than any loss of anticipated profits) arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.

 

For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders under this Section 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Rate used in determining the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurodollar Rate Loan was in fact so funded.

 

	
3.06
	
Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.

 

(a)     Designation of a Different Lending Office. Each Lender may make any Credit Extension to the Borrower through any Lending Office, provided that the exercise of this option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Credit Extension in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or requires the Borrower to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender, the L/C Issuer, or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, then at the request of the Borrower such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, 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 reasonable judgment of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, such designation or assignment (i) would be reasonably likely to eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or the L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.

 

 

51

 

 

(b)     Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or if the Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01 and, in each case, such Lender has declined or is unable to designate a different lending office in accordance with Section 3.06(a), the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 11.13.

 

	
3.07
	
Survival.

 

All of the Loan Parties’ obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, and resignation of the Administrative Agent.

 

ARTICLE IV

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

	
4.01
	
Conditions of Initial Credit Extension.

 

This Agreement shall become effective upon, and the obligation of the L/C Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to, the satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)     Receipt by the Administrative Agent of the following, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:

 

(i)     Loan Documents. Executed counterparts of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party and, in the case of this Agreement, by each Lender.

 

(ii)     Opinions of Counsel. Favorable opinions of legal counsel to the Loan Parties, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, dated as of the Closing Date.

 

(iii)     Organization Documents, Resolutions, Etc.

 

(A)     copies of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party certified to be true and complete as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental Authority of the state or other jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, where applicable, and certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of such Loan Party to be true and correct as of the Closing Date;

 

 

52

 

 

(B)     such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party; and

 

(C)     such additional documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is duly organized or formed, and is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in its state of organization or formation.

 

(iv)     Personal Property Collateral.

 

(A)     UCC financing statements for each appropriate jurisdiction as is necessary, in the Administrative Agent’s discretion, to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the Collateral;

 

(B)     all certificates evidencing any certificated Equity Interests pledged to the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Security Agreement, together with duly executed in blank, undated stock powers attached thereto; and

 

(C)     duly executed notices of grant of security interest in the form required by the Security Agreement as are necessary, in the Administrative Agent’s sole discretion, to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the United States registered intellectual property of the Loan Parties. 

 

(v)     Evidence of Insurance. Copies of insurance policies or certificates of insurance of the Loan Parties evidencing liability and casualty insurance meeting the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents, including naming the Administrative Agent and its successors and assigns as additional insured (in the case of liability insurance) or loss payee (in the case of property insurance) on behalf of the Lenders.

 

(vi)     Closing Certificate. A certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and 4.02(b) have been satisfied and providing a calculation of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio.

 

(b)     Fees. Receipt by the Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders of any fees required to be paid on or before the Closing Date.

 

Without limiting the generality of the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9.03, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

	
4.02
	
Conditions to all Credit Extensions.

 

The obligation of each Lender and the L/C Issuer to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions precedent:

 

 

53

 

 

(a)     The representations and warranties of each Loan Party contained in Article V or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects (or if qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects (or if qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such earlier date.

 

(b)     No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.

 

(c)     The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.

 

Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.

 

ARTICLE V

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Each Loan Party represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

 

	
5.01
	
Organization; Power; Subsidiaries.

 

Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to own its assets, carry on its business as now conducted, execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.

 

	
5.02
	
Authorization; Enforceability.

 

The Transactions are within each Loan Party’s organizational powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary organizational actions of such Loan Party and, if required, actions by such Loan Party’s equity holders. Each Loan Document to which each Loan Party is a party has been duly executed and delivered by such Loan Party and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable Debtor Relief Laws and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

 

	
5.03
	
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 or any other Person, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect and except for filings necessary to perfect Liens created pursuant to the Loan Documents, (b) will not violate any Law applicable to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, (c) will not violate the charter, by-laws or other Organization Documents of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, (d) will not violate or result in a default under any material indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or the assets of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, except Liens created pursuant to the Loan Documents.

 

 

54

 

 

	
5.04
	
Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change.

 

(a)     The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows as of and for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, reported on by independent public accountants reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP.

 

(b)     No event, change or condition has occurred that has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect, since September 30, 2015.

 

	
5.05
	
Properties, Intellectual Property and Insurance.

 

(a)     Each of the Loan Parties has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all Collateral owned or leased by such Person and all of such Person’s other 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), in each case free and clear of all Liens other than Liens permitted under Section 7.02.

 

(b)     Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property necessary to its business as currently conducted, a correct and complete list of which, as of the date of this Agreement, is set forth on Schedule 5.05, and the use thereof by each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries does not infringe in any respect upon the rights of any other Person except to the extent that any such infringement (individually or in the aggregate) would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and each Loan Party’s and each of its Subsidiaries’ rights thereto are not subject to any licensing agreement or similar arrangement, other than the License Agreement. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each Loan Party validly holds all certificates of public convenience and necessity, franchises, licenses, permits and authorizations that are necessary for the ownership, maintenance and operation of its properties and assets or for the conduct of its business, in each case free and clear from any Liens except Permitted Encumbrances, and neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in violation of any term or provision thereof.

 

(c)     Each of the Loan Parties maintains, and has caused its respective Subsidiaries 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 customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.

 

 

55

 

 

	
5.06
	
Litigation, Contingent Obligations, Environmental Matters and Labor.

 

(a)     There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened against or affecting any Loan Party (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that involve any Loan Document or the Transactions. No Loan Party has any material contingent obligations not provided for or disclosed in the financial statements referred to in Section 5.04.

 

(b)     Except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, no Loan Party (i) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability, (ii) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability, (iii) 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 or (iv) has become subject to any Environmental Liability.

 

(c)     There are no labor controversies pending or threatened against or affecting the any of the Loan Parties (i) which would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions. Each of the Loan Parties is in compliance in all material respects with each federal, state, local and other applicable law, statute, rule and regulation relating to non-discrimination in employment, the payment of wages and other employee and workplace matters.

  

	
5.07
	
Compliance with Laws and Agreements; No Default.

 

(a)     Except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance with (i) its charter, by-laws or other Organization Documents, (ii) all Laws applicable to it or its property and (iii) all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property.

 

(b)     No Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

	
5.08
	
Investment Company Status.

 

No Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is, or is controlled by, an “investment company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

	
5.09
	
Taxes.

 

Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which such Loan Party or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No tax liens have been filed and no claims are being asserted with respect to any such taxes, except to the extent such tax liens or claims would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

56

 

 

	
5.10
	
ERISA.

 

No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of such Plan by an amount that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans by an amount that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

	
5.11
	
Disclosure.

 

The Loan Parties have disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All reports, financial statements, certificates or other information with respect to any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with or required to be delivered hereunder will be true and accurate in all material respects on the date as of which such information is stated or certified, and none of the regular or periodic reports, or any registration statement or prospectus filed by or on behalf of the Parent, the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the SEC contained any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement contained therein not materially misleading at the time of such filing in light of the circumstances under which they were made. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to projected financial information, the Loan Parties represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

 

	
5.12
	
Material Agreements.

 

No Loan Party is in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in (i) any agreement to which it is a party, which default would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) any agreement or instrument evidencing or governing Material Indebtedness.

 

	
5.13
	
Solvency.

 

(a)     Immediately after the consummation of the Transactions to occur on the Closing Date and immediately following the making of each Loan or any other Credit Extension hereunder, (i) the fair value of the assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, at a fair valuation, will exceed the debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis; (ii) the present fair saleable value of the property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis of their debts and other liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute and matured; (iii) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be able to pay their debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (iv) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is engaged as such business is now conducted and is proposed to be conducted after the Closing Date.

 

 

57

 

 

(b)     The Borrower does not intend to, nor will the Borrower permit any of its Subsidiaries to, and the Borrower does not believe that it or any of its Subsidiaries will, incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, taking into account the timing of and amounts of cash to be received by it or any such Subsidiary and the timing of the amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its Indebtedness or the Indebtedness of any such Subsidiary.

 

	
5.14
	
[Intentionally Omitted].

 

	
5.15
	
Capitalization and Subsidiaries.

 

(a)     Schedule 5.15(a) sets forth (i) a correct and complete list of the name and relationship to the Borrower of each Subsidiary of the Borrower, (ii) a true and complete listing of each class of the Borrower’s authorized Equity Interests, of which all of such issued shares are validly issued, outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable, and owned beneficially and of record by the Persons identified on Schedule 5.15(a), and (iii) the type of entity of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries. All of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests owned by any Loan Party have been (to the extent such concepts are relevant with respect to such ownership interests) duly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and were issued, offered and sold in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws concerning the issuance of securities.

 

(b)     On the Closing Date, except as set forth in Schedule 5.15(b): (i) no subscription, warrant, option, convertible security or other right (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or acquire any shares of capital stock of the Borrower is authorized or outstanding; (ii) the Borrower has no obligation (contingent or otherwise) to issue any subscription, warrant, option, convertible security or other such right or to issue or distribute to holders of any shares of its capital stock any evidences of indebtedness or assets of the Borrower; and (iii) the Borrower has no obligation (contingent or otherwise) to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of its capital stock or any interest therein or to pay any dividend or make any other distribution in respect thereof.

 

	
5.16
	
Security Interest in Collateral.

 

The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents create legal and valid Liens on all the Collateral in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Obligations, and such Liens constitute perfected and continuing Liens on the Collateral, securing the Obligations, enforceable against the applicable Loan Party and all third parties, and having priority over all other Liens on the Collateral except in the case of (a) Permitted Encumbrances, to the extent any such Permitted Encumbrances would have priority over the Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to any applicable Law and (b) Liens perfected only by possession (including possession of any certificate of title), to the extent the Administrative Agent has not obtained or does not maintain possession of such Collateral.

 

	
5.17
	
No EEA Financial Institution.

 

Neither the Borrower nor any Guarantor is an EEA Financial Institution.

 

 

58

 

 

	
5.18
	
OFAC.

 

None of the Loan Parties, nor any of their Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative thereof, is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by any individual or entity that is (i) currently the subject or target of any Sanctions, (ii) included on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals, HMT’s Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets and the Investment Ban List, or any similar list enforced by any other relevant sanctions authority or (iii) located, organized or resident in a Designated Jurisdiction.

 

	
5.19
	
Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have conducted their businesses in compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions applicable to the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries.

 

	
5.20
	
Title; Possession Under Leases.

 

As of the Closing Date, the Borrower has delivered a complete list of all real property owned by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date, with the owner of such property, the location of such property, a brief description of such property, as well as a complete list of all real property leased by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as lessee or sublessee as of the Closing Date, with the lessee or sublessee of such property, the location of such property, a brief description of such property, the owner of such property and the date and title of and parties to the lease for such property (including all amendments thereof). As of the Closing Date, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (i) own and have good and marketable title (without regard to minor defects of title) to the real property referred to in Part A of such list, and (ii) have valid leasehold interests in the real property referred to in Part B of such list. As of the Closing Date, such assets and properties are subject to no Lien, except for Permitted Encumbrances. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries enjoys peaceful and undisturbed possession under all leases, except for any failure to enjoy such possession which (alone or in the aggregate with any other such failures) would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

	
5.21
	
Regulation U. 

 

No Loan Party is engaged in the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U), and no part of the proceeds of any Borrowing will be used to purchase or carry any margin stock or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock. Margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) constitutes less than 25% of the value of those assets of the Parent and its Subsidiaries which are subject to any limitation on sale, pledge, or other restriction hereunder.

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

Until the Facility Termination Date, each Loan Party covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

 

	
6.01
	
Financial Statements; Other Information.

 

The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent (who will make available to each Lender):

 

 

59

 

 

(a)     within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Parent, 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 independent public accountants of recognized national standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent (without a “going concern” or like qualification, commentary 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 Parent and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; and

 

(b)     within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of the fiscal year of the Parent, the consolidated balance sheet and the related statements of operations, cash flows and stockholders’ equity for the Parent and its consolidated Subsidiaries, 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 of which shall be certified by one of the Financial Officers of the Borrower as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Parent 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 (collectively or individually, as the context requires, the “Financial Statements”), a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower in substantially the form of Exhibit 6.01 certifying (i) 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 7.12, (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 5.04 that has a material effect on such financial statements and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the Financial Statements accompanying such certificate, and (iv) reconciling any difference between the Consolidated Rents for each period relevant to the calculations required by clause (ii) above, on the one hand, and the line item for direct store rent in such Financial Statements for each such period, on the other hand, in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, which certificate shall be accompanied by any additional information and supporting documentation reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent;

 

(d)     within 60 days after the beginning of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a consolidated budget for the Borrower for such fiscal year in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (the “Projections”);

 

(e)     as soon as available, but in any event within 30 days after the creation, sale or dissolution of any Subsidiary that is permitted hereunder, an updated Schedule 5.15 hereto reflecting appropriate changes thereto;

 

(f)     promptly upon receipt thereof, copies of all “management letters” received by the Borrower from the Borrower’s independent accountants;

 

 

60

 

 

(g)     promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by any Loan Party with the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by any Loan Party to its shareholders (or, if applicable, members) generally, as the case may be;

 

(h)     promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of any Loan Party, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request; and

 

(i)     promptly after any request therefor by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, copies of (i) any documents described in Section 101(k)(1) of ERISA that the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates may request with respect to any Multiemployer Plan and (ii) any notices described in Section 101(l)(1) of ERISA that the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates may request with respect to any Multiemployer Plan; provided that if the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates has not requested such documents or notices from the administrator or sponsor of the applicable Multiemployer Plan, the Borrower or the applicable ERISA Affiliate shall promptly make a request for such documents and notices from such administrator or sponsor and shall provide copies of such documents and notices promptly after receipt thereof.

 

Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or 6.01(b) or Section 6.02(g) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Borrower’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 11.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) in the case of documents not available on http://www.sec.gov, the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender upon its request to the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (ii) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (by facsimile or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents. The Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery of or to maintain paper copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Borrower with any such request by a Lender for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.

 

The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or the Arranger may, but shall not be obligated to, make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks, Syndtrak, ClearPar or a substantially similar electronic transmission system (the “Platform”) and (b) certain of the Lenders (each a “Public Lender”) may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not containing any material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States federal and state securities Laws (provided, however, that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 11.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated “Public Side Information;” and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arranger shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated as “Public Side Information.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall be under no obligation to mark any Borrower Materials “PUBLIC.”

 

 

61

 

 

	
6.02
	
Notices of Material Events.

 

The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender promptly (but in any event within any time period that may be specified below) written notice of the following:

 

(a)     the occurrence of any Default;

 

(b)     receipt of any notice of any investigation by a Governmental Authority or any action, suit, litigation or proceeding commenced or threatened against any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates that, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

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

 

(d)     any change in the articles of incorporation or bylaws (or other Organization Documents) of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary or in the Authorized Representatives of any Loan Party; and

 

(e)     any other development that results in, or would 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 Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

 

	
6.03
	
Existence; Conduct of Business.

 

Each Loan Party 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 (a) its legal existence in its jurisdiction of organization and (b) the rights, qualifications, licenses, permits, franchises, governmental authorizations, intellectual property rights, licenses and permits material to the conduct of its business, and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted, except in each case described in this subclause (b), where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 7.03.

 

	
6.04
	
Payment of Obligations.

 

Each Loan Party will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay or discharge all Material Indebtedness and all other material liabilities and obligations, including Taxes, 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 Borrower or such Loan Party 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 would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; provided, however, each Loan Party will remit withholding taxes and other payroll taxes to appropriate Governmental Authorities as and when claimed to be due, notwithstanding the foregoing exceptions.

 

 

62

 

 

	
6.05
	
Maintenance of Properties.

 

Each Loan Party will keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted.

 

	
6.06
	
Books and Records; Inspection Rights.

 

Each Loan Party will (a) 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 and (b) permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender (including employees of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any consultants, accountants, lawyers, agents and appraisers retained by the Administrative Agent), upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect the properties of the Borrower or any Loan Party, to examine and make extracts from the Borrower’s or any Loan Party’s books and records, to audit the Borrower and the Collateral, and to discuss the affairs, finances and condition of the Loan Parties with the officers and independent accountants of the Loan Parties (with, at the Borrower’s election, a representative of the Borrower present at such discussions), at such reasonable times and intervals as the Administrative Agent may designate and at the Borrower’s sole cost and expense, with respect to the Collateral, the Loan Parties and any Loan Party’s books, records, assets, operations or business; provided that: (i) so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Administrative Agent and Lenders shall be allowed to conduct the visits described in clause (b) above a maximum of two times in any calendar year and (ii) the Administrative Agent may perform additional audits, at the Administrative Agent’s discretion, and at the Borrower’s sole cost and expense, upon the occurrence of a Default or based upon the Administrative Agent’s reasonable determination that there has been a material adverse change in any Loan Party’s business or condition (financial or otherwise) or the Collateral. Each Loan Party acknowledges that the Administrative Agent, after exercising its rights of inspection, may prepare and distribute to the Lenders certain Reports pertaining to the Loan Parties’ assets for internal use by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders.

 

	
6.07
	
Compliance with Laws.

 

Each Loan Party will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) comply with all Laws applicable to it or its property, including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws and (b) all agreements and instruments to which the Borrower or any other Loan Party is a party or by which its assets are bound, except, in each case, where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

	
6.08
	
Use of Proceeds.

 

Each Loan Party will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, use the proceeds of the Loans only for working capital and other general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, use, directly or indirectly, any proceeds of the Loans for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the regulations of the FRB, including Regulations T, U and X. At the request of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish a properly completed Federal Reserve Board Form U-1. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries, to use all issued Letters of Credit only to support general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

 

63

 

 

	
6.09
	
Accuracy of Information.

 

The Borrower will ensure that any information with respect to any Loan Party or Subsidiary, including financial statements or other documents, furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders by or on behalf of the Loan Parties in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder contains no 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, and the furnishing of such information shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the Closing Date as to the matters specified in this Section 6.09; provided that, with respect to the Projections, the Borrower will prepare the Projections in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

 

	
6.10
	
Insurance.

 

Each Loan Party will maintain with financially sound and reputable carriers having a financial strength rating of at least A- by A.M. Best Company (a) 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 and (b) all insurance required pursuant to the Collateral Documents. The Borrower will furnish to the Lenders, upon request of the Administrative Agent, but no less frequently than annually, information in reasonable detail as to the insurance so maintained. 

 

Each Loan Party will cause the Administrative Agent and its successors and assigns to be named as lender’s loss payee or mortgagee, as its interest may appear, and/or additional insured with respect to any such insurance providing liability coverage or coverage in respect of any Collateral, and cause each provider of any such insurance to agree, by endorsement upon the policy or policies issued by it or by independent instruments furnished to the Administrative Agent, that it will give the Administrative Agent no less than thirty days (or such lesser amount as the Administrative Agent may agree) prior written notice before any such policy or policies shall be altered or canceled.

 

	
6.11
	
[Reserved].

 

	
6.12
	
Casualty and Condemnation.

 

The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders prompt written notice of any casualty or other insured damage to any material portion of the Collateral or the commencement of any action or proceeding for the taking of any material portion of the Collateral or interest therein under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding.

 

	
6.13
	
Depository Banks.

 

On and after October 31, 2016, the Loan Parties will maintain substantially all domestic deposit accounts and treasury and cash management services of the Loan Parties with the Lender serving as Administrative Agent; provided that (i) subsequent to October 31, 2016, the Loan Parties may maintain domestic deposit accounts with financial institutions other than the Lender serving as Administrative Agent in a manner consistent with past practices and (ii) on a periodic basis reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, the Loan Parties shall cause the balances in the deposit accounts described in the preceding clause (i) to be transferred to a deposit account with the Lender serving as Administrative Agent.  Upon request of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall provide a list of all such deposit accounts to the Administrative Agent.

 

 

64

 

 

	
6.14
	
Issuance of Additional Guarantees, Security Agreements, Pledge Agreements and Other Security Documents; Further Assurances.

 

(a)     Within thirty days (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion) after any Person becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower, the Borrower shall cause such Person to (a) become a Guarantor by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a Joinder Agreement or such other documents as the Administrative Agent shall deem appropriate for such purpose, and (b) upon the request of the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion, deliver to the Administrative Agent such Organization Documents, resolutions and favorable opinions of counsel, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

(b)     Equity Interests. Each Loan Party shall cause (i) 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each Subsidiary directly owned by any Loan Party to be subject at all times to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents, and, in connection with the foregoing, deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may request including, any filings and deliveries to perfect such Liens and favorable opinions of counsel all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

(c)     Other Property. Each Loan Party shall cause all property (other than Excluded Property) of each Loan Party to be subject at all times to first priority, perfected Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents (subject to Permitted Encumbrances) and, in connection with the foregoing, deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may request including filings and deliveries necessary to perfect such Liens, Organization Documents, resolutions, landlord’s waivers and favorable opinions of counsel to such Person, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)     Further Assurances. Without limiting the foregoing, each Loan Party will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Administrative Agent such documents, agreements and instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements, fixture filings and other documents and such other actions or deliveries of the type required by Section 4.01, as applicable), which may be required by law or which the Administrative Agent may, from time to time, reasonably request to carry out the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and to ensure perfection and priority of the Liens created or intended to be created by the Collateral Documents.

 

(e)     Control Agreements; Warehouse Waivers. Upon request of the Administrative Agent, (i) the Borrower shall deliver, or caused to be delivered to the Administrative Agent, a control agreement for any bank at which the Borrower or any Loan Party maintains a deposit account, each appropriately completed, duly executed by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and acknowledged by the depository bank at which such account is maintained, and (ii) upon commencing storage of inventory in an amount greater than the Inventory Threshold at any warehouse not owned by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, the Borrower will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain an acknowledgement and waiver of Liens from the owner thereof for each such warehouse.

 

 

65

 

 

	
6.15
	
Intellectual Property.

 

Each Loan Party will take all action as requested by the Administrative Agent to protect and preserve its rights in all Intellectual Property Rights material to its business, including, without limitation, promptly notifying the Administrative Agent of obtaining federal registration of any Intellectual Property Rights or of any abandonment or final rejection of any federal registration application. The Borrower shall provide prompt written notice to the Administrative Agent if Borrower or any other Loan Party acquires any Intellectual Property Right that is material to the business of such Person.

 

	
6.16
	
Anti-Corruption Laws. 

 

Each Loan Party will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, conduct its businesses in compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions applicable to the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries.

 

ARTICLE VII

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

Until the Facility Termination Date, each Loan Party covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

 

	
7.01
	
Indebtedness.

 

No Loan Party will create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:

 

(a)     the Obligations;

 

(b)     Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 7.01;

 

(c)     Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any fixed or capital assets (whether or not constituting purchase money Indebtedness), including 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; provided that (i) such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries permitted by this clause (c) shall not exceed $5,000,000 at any time outstanding;

 

(d)     Indebtedness arising under Swap Contracts permitted under Section 7.07;

 

(e)     Indebtedness of (i) the Borrower owing to any Subsidiary, provided that any Subsidiary that has not granted a security interest to the Administrative Agent to secure the Obligations, shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent a subordination agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, and (ii) any Subsidiary Guarantor owing to the Borrower;

 

(f)     additional Indebtedness of the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time not exceeding $5,000,000; 

 

(g)     Guarantees of any Loan Party in respect of Indebtedness of another Loan Party otherwise permitted hereunder; and

 

 

66

 

 

(h)     Capital Lease Obligations.

 

	
7.02
	
Liens.

 

No Loan Party will 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)     Liens created pursuant to any Loan Document;

 

(b)     Permitted Encumbrances;

 

(c)     any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 7.02; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the Closing Date;

 

(d)     Liens on fixed or capital assets acquired, constructed or improved by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided that (i) such security interests and Liens secure Indebtedness permitted by clause (c) of Section 7.01, (ii) such security interests and Liens and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement, (iii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and (iv) such security interests and Liens shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

 

(e)     any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower 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 any Loan Party 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; 

 

(f)     Liens created under Leases on equipment and fixtures on the leased premises, provided that such Liens are subordinated to the Liens created by the Collateral Documents; and

 

(g)     Liens on property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that secure Indebtedness permitted by clause (h) of Section 7.01, provided that (i) such Liens only apply to the property subject to the applicable Capital Lease Obligation, and (ii) in the case of Capital Lease Obligations relating to personal property, (A) such security interests and Liens and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or such property, and (B) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of acquiring such property.

 

	
7.03
	
Fundamental Changes.

 

No Loan Party will:

 

 

67

 

 

(a)     merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (i) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving corporation and (ii) any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party may liquidate or dissolve if the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of the Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders; provided that any such merger involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by Section 7.04.

 

(b)     engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by such Loan Party on the Closing Date and businesses reasonably related thereto.

 

(c)     change its fiscal year or any fiscal quarter.

 

	
7.04
	
Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions.

 

No Loan Party will form any Subsidiary after the Closing Date, or purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person that was not a Loan Party and a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any Equity Interests, evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit (whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise), or make any Acquisition, except:

 

(a)     Permitted Investments;

 

(b)     (i) investments by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the Equity Interests of any Guarantor, (ii) investments by Parent in the capital stock of Borrower existing on the Closing Date, and (iii) intercompany loans and advances by and between the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are permitted in accordance with Section 7.01(e);

 

(c)     loans or advances of salary made by the Borrower or any other Loan Party to any officer or employee of the Borrower or such Subsidiary on an arm’s-length basis in the ordinary course of business;

 

(d)     travel and entertainment advances and other loans to officers and employees for customary business purposes in connection with their employment by the Borrower or any other Loan Party;

 

(e)     investments of the Borrower and all Subsidiaries (other than those described under any other clause of this Section 7.04) in an amount not to exceed $500,000 in the aggregate at any one time outstanding in Persons that are not Affiliates of any Loan Party;

 

(f)     Acquisitions by the Borrower, provided that (i) no Default shall have then occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom, (ii) such Acquisition is initiated and completed on a “friendly” basis, (iii) as of the date of consummation of such Acquisition, the aggregate Trailing Revenue of (A) the Person(s) or assets to be acquired by the Borrower in connection with such Acquisition and (B) any Person(s) or assets acquired by the Borrower in connection with any other Acquisitions occurring within 12 months prior to such date, shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the Trailing Revenue for the Borrower immediately prior to such Acquisition, (iv) in any rolling 12 month period, the purchase price for all such Acquisitions, including the contemplated Acquisition, shall not exceed, in the aggregate, $30,000,000, (v) after giving pro forma effect to such Acquisition, the sum of Borrower’s (A) cash, (B) cash equivalents and (C) the aggregate undrawn amount of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments shall be not less than $10,000,000, and (vi) at least five Business Days prior to the consummation of each Acquisition, the Borrower shall have delivered a certificate of an Authorized Representative certifying compliance with the foregoing conditions (and attaching reasonably detailed calculations);

 

 

68

 

 

(g)     extensions of trade credit in the ordinary course of business;

 

(h)     any notes, securities or other instruments received as part of the settlement of litigation or in satisfaction of extensions of credit to any Person otherwise permitted hereunder pursuant to the reorganization, bankruptcy or liquidation of such Person;

 

(i)     investments set forth on Schedule 7.04; and

 

(j)     investments in the form of Swap Agreements permitted by Section 7.07.

 

	
7.05
	
Asset Sales.

 

No Loan Party will sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of any asset, including any Equity Interest owned by it, nor will any Loan Party permit any Subsidiary to issue any additional Equity Interest in such Subsidiary (other than to the Borrower or another Subsidiary in compliance with Section 7.04), except:

 

(a)     sales, transfers and dispositions of (i) inventory or other assets in the ordinary course of business and (ii) used, obsolete, damaged, worn out or surplus equipment, or equipment no longer used or useful in the business of any Loan Party, disposed of in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b)     so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, sales, transfers, leases and dispositions of assets to the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that any such sales, transfers, leases, or dispositions involving a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party shall be made in compliance with Section 7.09;

 

(c)     licenses, leases and subleases granted to other Persons in the ordinary course of business and not interfering with the businesses of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in any material respect;

 

(d)     sales, transfers and dispositions of Permitted Investments;

 

(e)     Sale and Leaseback Transactions permitted by Section 7.06;

 

(f)     dispositions resulting from any casualty or other insured damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and

 

 

69

 

 

(g)     subleases of real or personal property on commercially reasonable terms to the extent that the Borrower determines that such property is no longer necessary in the conduct of the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

	
7.06
	
Sale and Leaseback Transactions.

 

No Loan Party will enter into any arrangement, directly or indirectly, whereby it shall sell or transfer any property, real or personal, used or useful in its business, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and thereafter rent or lease such property or other property that it intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property sold or transferred (a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”), unless in connection with such proposed Sale and Leaseback Transaction, (a) (i) an Authorized Representative of the Borrower shall have certified to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that as of the closing date of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, (A) all representations and warranties made in this Agreement shall be true, complete and correct in all material respects as of such closing date as if made on such closing date and (B) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing under any of the Loan Documents or will occur as a result of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, (b) such Sale and Leaseback Transaction shall close in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the material documents evidencing such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, (c) the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary shall consummate the Sale and Leaseback Transaction substantially simultaneously with the consummation of the purchase by such Person of the property subject to the Sale and Leaseback Transaction, and (d) such sale is made by the Borrower or any Subsidiary for cash consideration in an amount not less than the fair value of such property.

 

	
7.07
	
Swap Contracts.

 

No Loan Party will enter into any Swap Contract, except (a) Swap Contracts entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries has actual exposure (other than those in respect of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries), and (b) Swap Contracts entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates (from floating to fixed rates, from one floating rate to another floating rate or otherwise) with respect to any interest-bearing liability or investment of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

	
7.08
	
Restricted Payments; Certain Payments of Indebtedness.

 

No Loan Party will declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except (a) the Borrower and Parent may declare and pay dividends with respect to its common stock payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) so long as no Default exists or would arise as a result thereof, Subsidiaries of the Borrower may declare and pay dividends ratably to the holders of their Equity Interests, (c) the Borrower may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with stock option plans or other benefit plans for management or employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; provided, that, with respect to each of clauses (a) through (c) above, such Person and the Persons holding its Equity Interests are in compliance with Section 7-80-606 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, and (d) so long as no Default exists or would arise as a result thereof, the Borrower may pay cash dividends to the Parent in an amount sufficient to allow the Parent to pay (i) reasonable audit and other accounting expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business, (ii) Taxes due and payable by the Parent to any taxing authority and reasonable expenses incurred in connection with preparation of related Tax returns and filings, (iii) reasonable and necessary expenses (including professional fees and expenses) incurred by the Parent in connection with (A) registration, public offerings and exchange listing of equity securities and maintenance of the same, (B) compliance with reporting obligations under, or in connection with compliance with, federal or state securities laws, and (C) indemnification and reimbursement of directors, officers and employees in respect of liabilities relating to their serving in any such capacity, or obligations in respect of director and officer insurance (including premiums therefor), and (iv) other reasonable expenses incurred by Parent in the ordinary course of business.

 

 

70

 

 

	
7.09
	
Transaction with Affiliates.

 

No Loan Party will sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (a) transactions that are at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower or such Loan Party than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties or otherwise permitted under the Loan Documents, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its wholly-owned Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate and otherwise permitted under the Loan Documents, (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 7.08, (d) payments of reasonable and customary directors’ fees and indemnities of directors, officers and employees and (e) loans or advances to officers or employees of the Borrower or any other Loan Party to pay business related travel expenses or reasonable relocation costs of such officers or employees or for other customary business purposes in connection with their employment by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

	
7.10
	
Restrictive Agreements.

 

No Loan Party will 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 Borrower or any Loan Party 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 any Equity Interests or to make or repay loans or advances to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by any 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) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness and (iv) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment thereof.

 

	
7.11
	
Amendment to Material Documents.

 

No Loan Party will amend or otherwise modify the articles of incorporation, bylaws or other Organization Documents of the Borrower or any Loan Party in a manner adverse to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders.

 

	
7.12
	
Financial Covenant.

 

The Borrower shall not permit the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower to be equal to or greater than 4.75 to 1.0.

 

	
7.13
	
Sanctions.

 

No Loan Party will, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, use any Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension to any Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any Designated Jurisdiction, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as Lender, Arranger, Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer, or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

 

71

 

 

	
7.14
	
Anti-Corruption Laws. 

 

No Loan Party will, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly use the proceeds of any Credit Extension for any purpose which would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions applicable to the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries.

 

	
7.15
	
Limitations on Parent’s Activities.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, the Loan Parties shall not permit the Parent to own any material property or assets or engage in any material business other than (a) owning the Equity Interests of the Borrower, (b) being a Loan Party and issuing or repurchasing its Equity Interests to the extent permitted by Section 7.08, (c) performing administrative functions necessary for its maintenance of such ownership interests and its organizational existence and operations (including without limitation, the issuance, transfer and cancellation of Equity Interests and contracts therefore) and (d) activities ancillary or necessary to the foregoing.

 

ARTICLE VIII

EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

 

	
8.01
	
Events of Default.

 

Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:

 

(a)     the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any L/C Obligation 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; or

 

(b)     the 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 Section 8.01) payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, 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, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of ten days; or

 

(c)     any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Loan Party 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 hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made; or

 

(d)     the Borrower or any Guarantor shall fail to observe or perform, or shall fail to cause to be observed or performed, any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Sections 6.02, 6.03 (with respect to the Borrower’s or any Guarantor’s existence), 6.08, 6.09, 6.14 or 6.16 or in Article VII; or

 

 

72

 

 

(e)     the Borrower or any Guarantor shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d)), and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after the earlier to occur of (i) notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender) or (ii) an Authorized Representative of the Borrower becomes aware of any such failure; or

 

(f)     the Borrower or any Loan Party 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; or

 

(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 secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness; or

 

(h)     an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of a Loan Party or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party or of its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Debtor Relief Law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered; or

 

(i)     any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Debtor Relief 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 Section 8.01, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for such Loan Party or Subsidiary of any Loan Party 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; or

 

(j)     any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party shall become unable, admit in writing its inability, or publicly declare its intention not to, or fail generally, to pay its debts as they become due; or

 

(k)     one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount (to the extent not paid or covered by insurance) in excess of $1,000,000 shall be rendered against any Loan Party, any Subsidiary of any Loan Party or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 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 any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of any Loan Party to enforce any such judgment; or

 

 

73

 

 

(l)      an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the reasonable opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(m)     a Change in Control shall occur; or

 

(n)     the occurrence of any “default” or “event of default,” as defined in any Lease, or the material breach of any of the terms of provisions of any Lease by any Loan Party, which default, event of default or material breach (i) continues beyond any period of grace therein provided and relates to payments of rent due under such Lease, (ii) has resulted in the landlord under such Lease delivering a notice of termination of such Lease to the relevant Loan Party or (iii) would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(o)     the occurrence of any “default” or “event of default”, or the material breach of any of the terms of provisions of any License Agreement, which default, event of default or material breach (i) continues beyond any period of grace therein provided, or (ii) would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(p)     any provision of any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any other Person (excluding any holder of the Obligations) contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any provision of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party or any other Person (excluding any holder of the Obligations) denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind any provision of any Loan Document; or any Collateral Document shall for any reason fail to create a valid and perfected first priority security interest in any collateral purported to be covered thereby, except (i) as a result of any action by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, (ii) as a result of the failure of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender to take any action within its control or (iii) as permitted by the terms of any Collateral Document.

 

	
8.02
	
Remedies Upon Event of Default.

 

If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:

 

(a)     declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;

 

(b)     declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower;

 

(c)     require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the Minimum Cash Collateral Amount with respect thereto); and

 

 

74

 

 

(d)     exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under the Loan Documents or applicable Law or at equity;

 

provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.

 

	
8.03
	
Application of Funds.

 

After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02), any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall, subject to the provisions of Sections 2.14 and 2.15, be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:

 

First, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under Article III) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;

 

Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of Credit Fees) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuer and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

 

Third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans and L/C Borrowings, ratably among the Lenders and the L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third payable to them;

 

Fourth, to (a) payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and L/C Borrowings, (b) payment of Obligations then owing under any Secured Hedge Agreements, (c) payment of Obligations then owing under any Secured Cash Management Agreements and (d) Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit, ratably among the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Hedge Banks and the Cash Management Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth payable to them; and

 

Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.

 

Subject to Sections 2.03(c) and 2.14, amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Fourth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above. Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to any Guarantor shall not be paid with amounts received from such Guarantor or such Guarantor’s assets, but appropriate adjustments shall be made with respect to payments from other Loan Parties to preserve the allocation to Obligations otherwise set forth above in this Section.

 

 

75

 

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements shall be excluded from the application described above if the Administrative Agent has not received a Secured Party Designation Notice, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. Each Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank not a party to this Agreement that has given the notice contemplated by the preceding sentence shall, by such notice, be deemed to have acknowledged and accepted the appointment of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms of Article IX for itself and its Affiliates as if a “Lender” party hereto.

 

ARTICLE IX

ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

	
9.01
	
Appointment and Authority.

 

Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and no Loan Party shall have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions. It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law. Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.

 

The Administrative Agent shall also act as the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents, and each of the Lenders (in its capacities as a Lender, potential Hedge Banks and potential Cash Management Banks) and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to act as the agent of such Lender and the L/C Issuer for purposes of acquiring, holding and enforcing any and all Liens on Collateral, together with such powers and discretion as are reasonably incidental thereto. In this connection, the Administrative Agent, as “collateral agent” and any co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact appointed by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 9.05 for purposes of holding or enforcing any Lien on the Collateral (or any portion thereof) granted under the Collateral Documents, or for exercising any rights and remedies thereunder at the direction of the Administrative Agent), shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article IX and Article XI (including Section 11.04(c), as though such co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact were the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents) as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.

 

	
9.02
	
Rights as a Lender.

 

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

 

 

76

 

 

	
9.03
	
Exculpatory Provisions.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 11.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment. Any such action taken or failure to act pursuant to the foregoing shall be binding on all Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given in writing to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or the L/C Issuer.

 

Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties have any duty or obligation to any Lender or participant or any other Person to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or the creation, perfection or priority of any Lien purported to be created by the Collateral Documents, (v) the value or the sufficiency of any Collateral, or (vi) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

 

77

 

 

	
9.04
	
Reliance by Administrative Agent.

 

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall be fully protected in relying and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, communication, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall be fully protected in relying and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance, extension, renewal or increase of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance, extension, renewal or increase of such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Loan Parties), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

 

	
9.05
	
Delegation of Duties.

 

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.

 

	
9.06
	
Resignation of Administrative Agent.

 

(a)     The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, subject to the consent of the Borrower (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed and shall not be required if any Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such appointment), to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Resignation Effective Date”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) on behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above, provided that in no event shall any such successor Administrative Agent be a Defaulting Lender. Whether or not a successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.

 

 

78

 

 

(b)     If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof, the Required Lenders may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, by notice in writing to the Borrower and such Person remove such Person as Administrative Agent and shall have the right, subject to the consent of the Borrower (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed and shall not be required if any Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such appointment), to appoint a successor. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty days (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Removal Effective Date”), then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.

 

(c)     With effect from the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date (as applicable) (i) the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (ii) except for any indemnity payments or other amounts then owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or removed) Administrative Agent (other than as provided in Section 3.01(g) and other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent as of the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date, as applicable), and the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the retiring or removed Administrative Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 11.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring or removed Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them (i) while the retiring or removed Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and (ii) after such resignation or removal for as long as any of them continues to act in any capacity hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, including (A) acting as collateral agent or otherwise holding any collateral security on behalf of any of the Lenders and (B) in respect of any actions taken in connection with transferring the agency to any successor Administrative Agent.

 

(d)     Any resignation by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer. If Bank of America resigns as an L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c). Upon the appointment by the Borrower of a successor L/C Issuer hereunder (which successor shall in all cases be a Lender other than a Defaulting Lender), (i) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer, (ii) the retiring L/C Issuer shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents and (iii) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.

 

 

79

 

 

	
9.07
	
Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.

 

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

 

	
9.08
	
No Other Duties; Etc.

 

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the bookrunners, arrangers, syndication agents, documentation agents or co-agents shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.

 

	
9.09
	
Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim; Credit Bidding.

 

In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

 

(a)     to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.03(h), 2.03(i), 2.09 and 11.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

 

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

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09 and 11.04.

 

 

80

 

 

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or the L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.

 

The holders of the Obligations hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at the direction of the Required Lenders, to credit bid all or any portion of the Obligations (including accepting some or all of the Collateral in satisfaction of some or all of the Obligations pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure or otherwise) and in such manner purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral (a) at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, including under Sections 363, 1123 or 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, or any similar Laws in any other jurisdictions to which a Loan Party is subject, (b) at any other sale or foreclosure or acceptance of collateral in lieu of debt conducted by (or with the consent or at the direction of) the Administrative Agent (whether by judicial action or otherwise) in accordance with any applicable Law. In connection with any such credit bid and purchase, the Obligations owed to the holders thereof shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid on a ratable basis (with Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims receiving contingent interests in the acquired assets on a ratable basis that would vest upon the liquidation of such claims in an amount proportional to the liquidated portion of the contingent claim amount used in allocating the contingent interests) in the asset or assets so purchased (or in the Equity Interests or debt instruments of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are used to consummate such purchase). In connection with any such bid (i) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to form one or more acquisition vehicles to make a bid, (ii) to adopt documents providing for the governance of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles (provided that any actions by the Administrative Agent with respect to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, including any disposition of the assets or Equity Interests thereof shall be governed, directly or indirectly, by the vote of the Required Lenders, irrespective of the termination of this Agreement and without giving effect to the limitations on actions by the Required Lenders contained in clauses (a)(i) through (a)(vi) of Section 11.01, and (ii) to the extent that Obligations that are assigned to an acquisition vehicle are not used to acquire Collateral for any reason (as a result of another bid being higher or better, because the amount of Obligations assigned to the acquisition vehicle exceeds the amount of debt credit bid by the acquisition vehicle or otherwise), such Obligations shall automatically be reassigned to the Lenders pro rata and the Equity Interests and/or debt instruments issued by any acquisition vehicle on account of the Obligations that had been assigned to the acquisition vehicle shall automatically be cancelled, without the need for any Lender or any acquisition vehicle to take any further action.

 

	
9.10
	
Collateral and Guaranty Matters.

 

Without limiting the provisions of Section 9.09, each of the Lenders (including in its capacities as a potential Cash Management Bank and a potential Hedge Bank) and the L/C Issuer irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion,

 

(a)     to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (i) upon the Facility Termination Date, (ii) that is sold or otherwise disposed of as part of or in connection with any sale or other disposition permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any Recovery Event, or (iii) as approved in accordance with Section 11.01;

 

(b)     to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 7.02(d); and

 

 

81

 

 

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

 

Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty, pursuant to this Section 9.10.

 

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

 

	
9.11
	
Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements.

 

No Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank that obtains the benefit of Section 8.03, the Guaranty or any Collateral by virtue of the provisions hereof or any Collateral Document shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document or otherwise in respect of the Collateral (including the release or impairment of any Collateral) (or to notice of or to consent to any amendment, waiver or modification of the provisions hereof or of the Guaranty or any Collateral Document) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IX to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements except to the extent expressly provided herein and unless the Administrative Agent has received a Secured Party Designation Notice of such Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. The Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements in the case of the Facility Termination Date.

 

ARTICLE X

GUARANTY

 

	
10.01
	
The Guaranty.

 

Each of the Guarantors hereby jointly and severally guarantees to each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each other holder of Obligations as hereinafter provided, as primary obligor and not as surety, the prompt payment of the Obligations in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise) strictly in accordance with the terms thereof. The Guarantors hereby further agree that if any of the Obligations are not paid in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise), the Guarantors will, jointly and severally, promptly pay the same, without any demand or notice whatsoever, and that in the case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any of the Obligations, the same will be promptly paid in full when due (whether at extended maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise) in accordance with the terms of such extension or renewal.

 

 

82

 

 

Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein or in any other of the Loan Documents or the other documents relating to the Obligations, the obligations of each Guarantor under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not exceed an aggregate amount equal to the largest amount that would not render such obligations subject to avoidance under applicable Debtor Relief Laws.

 

	
10.02
	
Obligations Unconditional.

 

The obligations of the Guarantors under Section 10.01 are joint and several, absolute and unconditional, irrespective of the value, genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or other documents relating to the Obligations, or any substitution, release, impairment or exchange of any other guarantee of or security for any of the Obligations, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, irrespective of any other circumstance whatsoever which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a surety or guarantor, it being the intent of this Section 10.02 that the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances. Each Guarantor agrees that such Guarantor shall have no right of subrogation, indemnity, reimbursement or contribution against the Borrower or any other Loan Party for amounts paid under this Article X until such time as the Obligations have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or terminated. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is agreed that, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the occurrence of any one or more of the following shall not alter or impair the liability of any Guarantor hereunder, which shall remain absolute and unconditional as described above:

 

(a)     at any time or from time to time, without notice to any Guarantor, the time for any performance of or compliance with any of the Obligations shall be extended, or such performance or compliance shall be waived;

 

(b)     any of the acts mentioned in any of the provisions of any of the Loan Documents or other documents relating to the Obligations shall be done or omitted;

 

(c)     the maturity of any of the Obligations shall be accelerated, or any of the Obligations shall be modified, supplemented or amended in any respect, or any right under any of the Loan Documents or other documents relating to the Obligations shall be waived or any other guarantee of any of the Obligations or any security therefor shall be released, impaired or exchanged in whole or in part or otherwise dealt with;

 

(d)     any Lien granted to, or in favor of, the Administrative Agent or any other holder of the Obligations as security for any of the Obligations shall fail to attach or be perfected; or

 

(e)     any of the Obligations shall be determined to be void or voidable (including for the benefit of any creditor of any Guarantor) or shall be subordinated to the claims of any Person (including any creditor of any Guarantor).

 

With respect to its obligations hereunder, each Guarantor hereby expressly waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, protest and all notices whatsoever, and any requirement that the Administrative Agent or any other holder of the Obligations exhaust any right, power or remedy or proceed against any Person under any of the Loan Documents or any other document relating to the Obligations, or against any other Person under any other guarantee of, or security for, any of the Obligations.

 

	
10.03
	
Reinstatement.

 

The obligations of each Guarantor under this Article X shall be automatically reinstated if and to the extent that for any reason any payment by or on behalf of any Person in respect of the Obligations is rescinded or must be otherwise restored by any holder of any of the Obligations, whether as a result of any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, and each Guarantor agrees that it will indemnify the Administrative Agent and each other holder of the Obligations on demand for all reasonable costs and expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees, charges and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the Administrative Agent or such holder of the Obligations in connection with such rescission or restoration, including any such costs and expenses incurred in defending against any claim alleging that such payment constituted a preference, fraudulent transfer or similar payment under any Debtor Relief Law.

 

 

83

 

 

	
10.04
	
Certain Additional Waivers.

 

Each Guarantor agrees that such Guarantor shall have no right of recourse to security for the Obligations, except through the exercise of rights of subrogation pursuant to Section 10.02 and through the exercise of rights of contribution pursuant to Section 10.06.

 

	
10.05
	
Remedies.

 

The Guarantors agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the other holders of the Obligations, on the other hand, the Obligations may be declared to be forthwith due and payable as specified in Section 10.02 (and shall be deemed to have become automatically due and payable in the circumstances specified in Section 10.02) for purposes of Section 10.01 notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such declaration (or preventing the Obligations from becoming automatically due and payable) as against any other Person and that, in the event of such declaration (or the Obligations being deemed to have become automatically due and payable), the Obligations (whether or not due and payable by any other Person) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for purposes of Section 10.01. The Guarantors acknowledge and agree that their obligations hereunder are secured in accordance with the terms of the Collateral Documents and that the holders of the Obligations may exercise their remedies thereunder in accordance with the terms thereof.

 

	
10.06
	
Rights of Contribution.

 

The Guarantors hereby agree as among themselves that, if any Guarantor shall make an Excess Payment (as defined below), such Guarantor shall have a right of contribution from each other Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Guarantor’s Contribution Share (as defined below) of such Excess Payment. The payment obligations of any Guarantor under this Section 10.06 shall be subordinate and subject in right of payment to the Obligations until such time as the Obligations have been paid-in-full and the Commitments have terminated, and none of the Guarantors shall exercise any right or remedy under this Section 10.06 against any other Guarantor until such Obligations have been paid-in-full and the Commitments have terminated. For purposes of this Section 10.06, (a) “Excess Payment” shall mean the amount paid by any Guarantor in excess of its Ratable Share of any Obligations; (b) “Ratable Share” shall mean, for any Guarantor in respect of any payment of Obligations, the ratio (expressed as a percentage) as of the date of such payment of Obligations of (i) the amount by which the aggregate present fair salable value of all of its assets and properties exceeds the amount of all debts and liabilities of such Guarantor (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured, and unliquidated liabilities, but excluding the obligations of such Guarantor hereunder) to (ii) the amount by which the aggregate present fair salable value of all assets and other properties of all of the Loan Parties exceeds the amount of all of the debts and liabilities (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured, and unliquidated liabilities, but excluding the obligations of the Loan Parties hereunder) of the Loan Parties; provided, however, that, for purposes of calculating the Ratable Shares of the Guarantors in respect of any payment of Obligations, any Guarantor that became a Guarantor subsequent to the date of any such payment shall be deemed to have been a Guarantor on the date of such payment and the financial information for such Guarantor as of the date such Guarantor became a Guarantor shall be utilized for such Guarantor in connection with such payment; and (c) “Contribution Share” shall mean, for any Guarantor in respect of any Excess Payment made by any other Guarantor, the ratio (expressed as a percentage) as of the date of such Excess Payment of (i) the amount by which the aggregate present fair salable value of all of its assets and properties exceeds the amount of all debts and liabilities of such Guarantor (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured, and unliquidated liabilities, but excluding the obligations of such Guarantor hereunder) to (ii) the amount by which the aggregate present fair salable value of all assets and other properties of the Loan Parties other than the maker of such Excess Payment exceeds the amount of all of the debts and liabilities (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured, and unliquidated liabilities, but excluding the obligations of the Loan Parties) of the Loan Parties other than the maker of such Excess Payment; provided, however, that, for purposes of calculating the Contribution Shares of the Guarantors in respect of any Excess Payment, any Guarantor that became a Guarantor subsequent to the date of any such Excess Payment shall be deemed to have been a Guarantor on the date of such Excess Payment and the financial information for such Guarantor as of the date such Guarantor became a Guarantor shall be utilized for such Guarantor in connection with such Excess Payment. This Section 10.06 shall not be deemed to affect any right of subrogation, indemnity, reimbursement or contribution that any Guarantor may have under Law against the Borrower in respect of any payment of Obligations.

 

 

84

 

 

	
10.07
	
Guarantee of Payment; Continuing Guarantee.

 

The guarantee in this Article X is a guaranty of payment and not of collection, is a continuing guarantee, and shall apply to the Obligations whenever arising.

 

	
10.08
	
Keepwell.

 

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

 

ARTICLE XI

MISCELLANEOUS

 

	
11.01
	
Amendments, Etc.

 

No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that

 

 

85

 

 

(a)     no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:

 

(i)     extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any condition precedent set forth in Section 4.02 or of any Default or a mandatory reduction in Commitments is not considered an extension or increase in Commitments of any Lender);

 

(ii)     postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment (excluding mandatory prepayments) of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) or any scheduled reduction of the Commitments hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender entitled to receive such payment or whose Commitments are to be reduced;

 

(iii)     reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (i) of the final proviso to this Section 11.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender entitled to receive such amount; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary (A) to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate or (B) to amend any financial covenant hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or L/C Borrowing or to reduce any fee payable hereunder;

 

(iv)     change Section 8.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;

 

(v)     change any provision of this Section 11.01(a) or the definition of “Required Lenders” without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;

 

(vi)     release all or substantially all of the Collateral without the written consent of each Lender whose Obligations are secured by such Collateral;

 

(vii)     release the Borrower without the consent of each Lender, or, except in connection with a transaction permitted under Section 7.03 or Section 7.05, all or substantially all of the value of the Guaranty without the written consent of each Lender whose Obligations are guarantied thereby, except to the extent such release is permitted pursuant to Section 9.10 (in which case such release may be made by the Administrative Agent acting alone); or

 

(b)     unless also signed by the L/C Issuer, no amendment, waiver or consent shall affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; and

 

 

86

 

 

(c)     unless also signed by the Administrative Agent, no amendment, waiver or consent shall affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document;

 

provided, further, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto, (ii) each Lender is entitled to vote as such Lender sees fit on any bankruptcy reorganization plan that affects the Loans, and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States supersedes the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein and (iii) the Required Lenders shall determine whether or not to allow a Loan Party to use cash collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding and such determination shall be binding on all of the Lenders.

 

No Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects such Defaulting Lender disproportionately adversely relative to other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.

 

Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary the Administrative Agent and the Borrower may amend, modify or supplement this Agreement or any other Loan Document to cure or correct administrative errors or omissions, any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency or to effect administrative changes, and such amendment shall become effective without any further consent of any other party to such Loan Document so long as (i) such amendment, modification or supplement does not adversely affect the rights of any Lender or other holder of Obligations in any material respect and (ii) the Lenders shall have received at least five Business Days’ prior written notice thereof and the Administrative Agent shall not have received, within five Business Days of the date of such notice to the Lenders, a written notice from the Required Lenders stating that the Required Lenders object to such amendment.

 

	
11.02
	
Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications.

 

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

 

(i)     if to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 11.02; and

 

(ii)     if to any other Lender, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire (including, as appropriate, notices delivered solely to the Person designated by a Lender on its Administrative Questionnaire then in effect for the delivery of notices that may contain material non-public information relating to the Borrower).

 

 

87

 

 

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

 

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

 

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement) and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii), if such notice, email or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice, email or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient.

 

(c)     The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of any Loan Party’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials or notices through the Platform, any other electronic platform or electronic messaging service, or through the Internet.

 

(d)     Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto given in accordance with Section 10.02(a). Each other Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer given in accordance with Section 10.02(a). In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, facsimile number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender. Furthermore, each Public Lender agrees to cause at least one individual at or on behalf of such Public Lender to at all times have selected the “Private Side Information” or similar designation on the content declaration screen of the Platform in order to enable such Public Lender or its delegate, in accordance with such Public Lender’s compliance procedures and applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws, to make reference to Borrower Materials that are not made available through the “Public Side Information” portion of the Platform and that may contain material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal or state securities Laws.

 

 

88

 

 

(e)     Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic Loan Notices and Letter of Credit Applications) purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of a Loan Party. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

 

	
11.03
	
No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement.

 

No failure by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document (including the imposition of the Default Rate) preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided, and provided under each other Loan Document are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by Law.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 8.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders and the L/C Issuer; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) the L/C Issuer from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as L/C Issuer) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 11.08 (subject to the terms of Section 2.13), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided, further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 2.13, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.

 

 

89

 

 

	
11.04
	
Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver. 

 

(a)     Costs and Expenses. The Loan Parties shall pay (i) all reasonable, documented 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 preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable, documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the L/C Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer (including the reasonable, documented out-of-pocket fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer), any Lender or the L/C Issuer, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out of pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.

 

(b)     Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the L/C Issuer, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee) incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any Person (including any Loan Party) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including in respect of any matters addressed in Section 3.01), (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to a Loan Party 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 any Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto, IN ALL CASES, WHETHER OR NOT CAUSED BY OR ARISING, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, OUT OF THE COMPARATIVE, CONTRIBUTORY OR SOLE NEGLIGENCE OF THE INDEMNITEE; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by any Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if such Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. Without limiting the provisions of Section 3.01(c), this Section 11.04(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

 

 

90

 

 

(c)     Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Loan Parties for any reason fail to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by them to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), the L/C Issuer or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s pro rata share (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought based on each Lender’s share of the Total Credit Exposures of all Lenders at such time) of such unpaid amount (including any such unpaid amount in respect of a claim asserted by such Lender), such payment to be made severally among them based on such Lenders’ Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought), provided, further that, the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuer, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuer in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(d).

 

(d)     Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. Without limiting the Loan Parties’ indemnification obligations above, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, no party hereto shall assert, and each party hereto hereby waives, any claim against any other party hereto (or any Indemnitee or any Loan Party), on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof (other than in respect of any such damages incurred or paid by an Indemnitee to a third party and to which such Indemnitee is otherwise entitled to indemnification as provided above). No Indemnitee shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnitee through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

(e)     Payments. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after demand therefor.

 

(f)     Survival. The agreements in this Section and the indemnity provisions of Section 11.02(e) shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

 

	
11.05
	
Payments Set Aside.

 

To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of any Loan Party is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

 

91

 

 

	
11.06
	
Successors and Assigns.

 

(a)     Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and thereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder or thereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (e) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b)     Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans (including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations) at the time owing to it); provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:

 

(i)     Minimum Amounts.

 

(A)     in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the related Loans at the time owing to it or contemporaneous assignments to related Approved Funds (determined after giving effect to such Assignments) that equal at least the amount specified in subsection (b)(i)(B) of this Section in the aggregate or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and

 

(B)     in any case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

 

92

 

 

(ii)     Proportionate Amounts. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s Loans and Commitments, and rights and obligations with respect thereto, assigned;

 

(iii)     Required Consents. No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required by subsection (b)(i)(B) of this Section and, in addition:

 

(A)     the consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund; provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten Business Days after having received notice thereof;

 

(B)     the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for assignments if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender with a Commitment in respect of the applicable facility subject to such assignment, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender; and

 

(C)     the consent of the L/C Issuer shall be required for any assignment in respect of Revolving Loans and Revolving Commitments.

 

(iv)     Assignment and Assumption. The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount of $3,500; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

 

(v)     No Assignment to Certain Persons. No such assignment shall be made to (A) the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (B) any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (B), or (C) a natural Person (or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of a natural Person).

 

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

 

 

93

 

 

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05 and 11.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment); provided, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

 

(c)     Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower (and such agency being solely for tax purposes), shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it (or the equivalent thereof in electronic form) and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest) of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

(d)     Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural Person (or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of a natural Person), a Defaulting Lender or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 11.04(c) without regard to the existence of any participation.

 

 

94

 

 

Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in Section 11.01(a) that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 3.01(e) shall be delivered to the Lender who sells the participation) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Sections 3.06 and 11.13 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 3.01 or 3.04, with respect to any participation, than the Lender from whom it acquired the applicable participation would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 3.06 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by Law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 11.08 as though it were a Lender; provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

 

(e)     Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

 

(f)     Resignation as L/C Issuer after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Revolving Commitment and Revolving Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, Bank of America may, upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c)). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer, (1) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer, and (2) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.

 

 

95

 

 

	
11.07
	
Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.

 

Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its Related Parties (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent required or requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over such Person or its Related Parties (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), in which case such Person shall inform the Company promptly thereof unless prohibited by applicable Law from doing so or unless requested as part of such authority’s regulatory review or oversight, (c) to the extent required by applicable Laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process (in which case such Person shall inform the Company promptly thereof unless prohibited by applicable Law from doing so), (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement or any Eligible Assignee invited to become a Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(b) or (ii) any actual or prospective party (or its Related Parties) to any swap, derivative or other transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to the Borrower and its obligations, this Agreement or payments hereunder, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided hereunder or (ii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers or other market identifiers with respect to the credit facilities provided hereunder, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. In addition, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry and service providers to the Agents and the Lenders in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the Commitments.

 

For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from a Loan Party or any Subsidiary relating to the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by such Loan Party or any Subsidiary. 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.

 

 

96

 

 

Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning a Loan Party or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws.

 

The Loan Parties and their Affiliates agree that they will not in the future issue any press releases or other public disclosure using the name of the Administrative Agent or any Lender or their respective Affiliates or referring to this Agreement or any of the Loan Documents without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, unless (and only to the extent that) the Loan Parties or such Affiliate is required to do so under law and then, in any event the Loan Parties or such Affiliate will consult with such Person before issuing such press release or other public disclosure.

 

The Loan Parties consent to the publication by the Administrative Agent or any Lender of customary advertising material relating to the transactions contemplated hereby using the name, product photographs, logo or trademark of the Loan Parties.

 

	
11.08
	
Rights of Setoff.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, after obtaining the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, the L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or the L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, the L/C Issuer or such Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office or Affiliate of such Lender or the L/C Issuer different from the branch or office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided, that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.15 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

 

	
11.09
	
Interest Rate Limitation.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

 

 

97

 

 

	
11.10
	
Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.

 

This Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided 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 that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by fax transmission or e-mail transmission (e.g., “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement or such other Loan Document or certificate. Without limiting the foregoing, to the extent a manually executed counterpart is not specifically required to be delivered under the terms of any Loan Document, upon the request of any party, such fax transmission or e-mail transmission shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.

 

	
11.11
	
Survival of Representations and Warranties.

 

All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.

 

	
11.12
	
Severability.

 

If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.12, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.

 

 

98

 

 

	
11.13
	
Replacement of Lenders.

 

If the Borrower is entitled to replace a Lender pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.06, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 11.06), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 3.01 and 3.04) and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

 

(a)     the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee (if any) specified in Section 11.06(b);

 

(b)     such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.05) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);

 

(c)     in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in or elimination of such compensation or payments thereafter;

 

(d)     such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws; and

 

(e)     in the case of an assignment resulting from a Lender becoming a Non-Consenting Lender, the applicable assignee shall have consented to the applicable amendment, waiver or consent.

 

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

 

	
11.14
	
Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.

 

(a)     GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

 

99

 

 

(b)     SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. EACH LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT COMMENCE ANY ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING OF ANY KIND OR DESCRIPTION, WHETHER IN LAW OR EQUITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER, THE L/C ISSUER, OR ANY RELATED PARTY OF THE FOREGOING IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO, IN ANY FORUM OTHER THAN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS AND AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER OR THE L/C ISSUER 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)     WAIVER OF VENUE. EACH LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

 

(d)     SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 11.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

 

	
11.15
	
Waiver of Jury Trial.

 

EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

 

 

100

 

 

	
11.16
	
No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.

 

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), each of the Loan Parties acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates’ understanding, that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, and the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, and the Lenders, on the other hand, (B) each of the Loan Parties has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) each of the Loan Parties is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) the Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders each is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) neither the Administrative Agent , the Arranger nor any Lender has any obligation to the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, the Lenders and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent, the Arranger nor any Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by Law, each of the Loan Parties hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent, the Arranger or any Lender with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.

 

	
11.17
	
Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents.

 

The words “execute,” “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement, any other document executed in connection herewith and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation Assignment and Assumptions, amendments or other modifications, Loan Notices, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided further without limiting the foregoing, upon the request of any party, any electronic signature shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.

 

	
11.18
	
USA PATRIOT Act Notice.

 

Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Loan Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Loan Parties, which information includes the name and address of the Loan Parties and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Loan Parties in accordance with the Act. The Loan Parties shall, promptly following a request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent or such Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Act.

 

 

101

 

 

	
11.19
	
Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions. 

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Lender that is an EEA Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject to the write-down and conversion powers of an EEA Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:

 

(a)     the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by an EEA Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any Lender that is an EEA Financial Institution; and

 

(b)     the effects of any Bail-in Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:

 

(i)     a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;

 

(ii)     a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such EEA Financial Institution, its parent undertaking, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or

 

(iii)     the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the write-down and conversion powers of any EEA Resolution Authority.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

 

102

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

	
BORROWER: 
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC.,  

	 	a Colorado corporation
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
Co-President
	
 

              

	
GUARANTORS: 
	
NATURAL GROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE, INC.,

	 	a Delaware corporation
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
Co-President
	
 

 

	
 
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE TWO LTD. LIABILITY COMPANY,  

	 	a Colorado limited liability company
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
Manager
	
 

  

 

	ADMINISTRATIVE	 
	
AGENT:
	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,  

	 	as Administrative Agent
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Michael T. Letsch
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Michael T. Letsch
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
Senior Vice President
	
 

 
	
LENDERS:
	
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,  

	 	as a Lender and L/C Issuer
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Michael T. Letsch
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Michael T. Letsch
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
Senior Vice President
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 2.01

 

Commitments and Applicable Percentages

 

	
 

Lender
	
 

Revolving 

Commitment

 
	
Applicable 

Percentage of 

Revolving 

Commitment

	
Bank of America, N.A.
	
$30,000,000.00
	
100.000000000%

	
TOTAL
	
$30,000,000.00
	
100.000000000%

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 5.05

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

 

 

	
Intellectual Property

 

 
	
Type
	
Owner
	
Registration

Status
	
Application 

Number
	
Application 

Date
	
Registration 

Number
	
Registration 

Date

	
www.naturalgrocers.com
	
Domain Name
	
Borrower
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	  	  
	
www.vitamincottage.com
	
Domain Name
	
Borrower
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	  	  
	
Vitamin Cottage, Natural Grocers design and Natural Grocers®
	
Service Mark
	
VC Two
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	
3770003
	
4/6/2010

	
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage®
	
Service Mark
	
VC Two
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	
3766174
	
3/30/2010

	
Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers®
	
Trademark-Service Mark
	
VC Two
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	
2697734
	
3/18/2003

	
Vitamin Cottage®
	
Service Mark
	
VC Two
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	
1795426
	
9/28/1993

	
Health Hotline®
	
Trademark
	
Borrower
	
Registered
	
-
	
-
	
2001632
	
9/17/1996

	
EDAP – Every Day Affordable Price®
	
Service Mark
	
Borrower
	
Registered
	  	  	
4593446
	
8/26/2014

	
{N}PowerSM
	
Service Mark
	
Borrower
	  	
86588002
	
4/6/2015
	  	  
	
These Came FirstTM
	
Trademark
	
Borrower
	  	
86709692
	
7/30/2015
	  	  

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 5.15(a)

 

CAPITALIZATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

Borrower’s authorized capital consists of 1,000 shares of common stock, no par value, of which 100 shares are issued and outstanding. Parent owns all 100 issued and outstanding shares of Borrower’s common stock. 

 

Borrower owns 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests of Vitamin Cottage Two Ltd. Liability Company, a Colorado limited liability company.

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 5.15(b)

 

EQUITY-RELATED RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

 

None.

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 7.01

 

Existing INDEBTEDNESS

 

	 	
1.
	
Standby letters of credit totaling $997,126 issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank.

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 7.02

 

Existing Liens

 

	 	
1.
	
Lien filed pursuant to the lease agreement between Borrower and Tuo-Greenwood Village, LLC.

	 	
2.
	
Liens pursuant to JPMorgan Chase Bank secured letters of credit and cash management activities.

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 7.04

 

Existing INVESTMENTS

 

None.

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 11.02

 

Certain Addresses for Notices

 

Loan Parties:

 

To:                                         Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc.

12612 West Alameda Parkway

Lakewood, CO 80228

Attention:  Kemper Isely, Co-President

Tel:  303-986-4600, ext. 120

Fax:  303-986-1891

Email:  kemper@naturalgrocers.com

 

ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT:

 

To:                                        Bank of America, N.A. as Administrative Agent

901 Main Street

14th Floor

TX1-492-14-11

Dallas, Texas 75202

 

L/C ISSUER:

 

To:                                         Bank of America, N.A. as LC Issuer

Bank of America, N.A. 

1 Fleet Way

PA6-580-02-30

Scranton, PA 18507-1999

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 1.01

 

FORM OF SECURED PARTY DESIGNATION NOTICE

 

Date: _________, _____

	
To:
	
Bank of America, N.A.,

as Administrative Agent

Agency Management

[address

Attn: ]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

THIS SECURED PARTY DESIGNATION NOTICE is made by _______________________, a ______________ (the “Designor”), to BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent under that certain Credit Agreement referenced below (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

W I T N E S S E T H :

 

WHEREAS, Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent have entered into that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) pursuant to which certain loans and financial accommodations have been made to the Borrower;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the Credit Agreement, a Lender or Affiliate of a Lender is permitted to designate its [Cash Management Agreement/Swap Contract] as a [“Secured Cash Management Agreement”/“Secured Hedge Agreement”] under the Credit Agreement and the Collateral Documents;

 

WHEREAS, the Credit Agreement requires that the Designor deliver this Secured Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent; and

 

WHEREAS, the Designor has agreed to execute and deliver this Secured Party Designation Notice:

 

1.     Designation. [_____________] hereby designates the [Cash Management Agreement/Swap Contract] described on Schedule 1 hereto to be a [“Secured Cash Management Agreement”/“Secured Hedge Agreement”] and hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent that such [Cash Management Agreement/Swap Contract] satisfies all the requirements under the Loan Documents to be so designated. By executing and delivering this Secured Party Designation Notice, the Designor, as provided in the Credit Agreement, hereby agrees to be bound by all of the provisions of the Loan Documents which are applicable to it as a provider of a [Secured Cash Management Agreement/Secured Hedge Agreement] and hereby (a) confirms that it has received a copy of the Loan Documents and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own decision to enter into this Secured Party Designation Notice, (b) appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers and discretion under the Credit Agreement, the other Loan Documents or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant thereto as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are incidental thereto (including, without limitation, the provisions of Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement), and (c) agrees that it will be bound by the provisions of the Loan Documents and will perform in accordance with its terms all the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a provider of a [Cash Management Agreement/Swap Contract]. Without limiting the foregoing, the Designor agrees to indemnify the Administrative Agent as contemplated by Section 11.04(b) of the Credit Agreement. 

 

 

 

 

 

2.     GOVERNING LAW. THIS SECURED PARTY DESIGNATION NOTICE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Secured Party Designation Notice to be duly executed and delivered by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above written.

 

[signature page follows]

 

DESIGNOR:

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT:

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1

 

To Secured Party Designation Notice

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 2.02

 

FORM OF LOAN NOTICE

 

Date: ___________, _____

 

	
To:
	
Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the “Credit Agreement;” the terms defined therein being used herein as therein defined), among Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

The undersigned hereby requests (select one):

 

☐ A Borrowing of Loans

 

☐ A conversion or continuation of Loans

 

1.     On                 (a Business Day).

 

2.     In the amount of $               .

 

3.     Comprised of                .

[Type of Loan requested]

 

4.     For Eurodollar Rate Loans: with an Interest Period of 1 month.

 

[With respect to such Borrowing, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants that (i) such request complies with the requirements of Section 2.01 of the Credit Agreement and (ii) each of the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 of the Credit Agreement have been satisfied on and as of the date of such Borrowing.]

 

	
 
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	 	
 

	
 
	
Name: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

  

Exhibit 2.05

 

FORM OF NOTICE OF LOAN PREPAYMENT

 

	
TO:
	
Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent

 

	
RE:
	
Credit Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2016, by and among Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer (as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced, or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”; capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Credit Agreement).

 

	
DATE:
	
[Date]

 

 

The Borrower hereby notifies the Administrative Agent that on _____________     1 pursuant to the terms of Section 2.05 (Prepayments) of the Credit Agreement, the Borrower intends to prepay/repay the following Loans as more specifically set forth below:

 

	 	
☐
	
Optional prepayment of Loans in the following amount(s):

 

☐     Base Rate Loans: $                    2

 

☐     Eurodollar Rate Loans: $                    3

 

Interest Period:     one month

 

Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this notice by fax transmission or other electronic mail transmission (e.g. “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this notice.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

	
 
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:  
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

1       Specify date of such prepayment.

2      Any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $50,000 (or such other amount as agreed by the Administrative Agent).

3      Any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof (or if less, the entire principal amount thereof outstanding).]

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 2.11(a)

 

FORM OF NOTE

 

____________, 20__

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned (the “Borrower”), hereby promises to pay to _____________________ or registered assigns (the “Lender”), in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement (as hereinafter defined), the principal amount of each Loan from time to time made by the Lender to the Borrower under that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the “Agreement;” the terms defined therein being used herein as therein defined), among the Borrower, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

The Borrower promises to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Loan from the date of such Loan until such principal amount is paid in full, at such interest rates and at such times as provided in the Agreement. All payments of principal and interest shall be made to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lender in Dollars in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office. If any amount is not paid in full when due hereunder, such unpaid amount shall bear interest, to be paid upon demand, from the due date thereof until the date of actual payment (and before as well as after judgment) computed at the per annum rate set forth in the Agreement.

 

This Note is one of the Notes referred to in the Agreement, is entitled to the benefits thereof and may be prepaid in whole or in part subject to the terms and conditions provided therein. Upon the occurrence and continuation of one or more of the Events of Default specified in the Agreement, all amounts then remaining unpaid on this Note shall become, or may be declared to be, immediately due and payable all as provided in the Agreement. Loans made by the Lender shall be evidenced by one or more loan accounts or records maintained by the Lender in the ordinary course of business. The Lender may also attach schedules to this Note and endorse thereon the date, amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.

 

The Borrower, for itself, its successors and assigns, hereby waives diligence, presentment, protest and demand and notice of protest, demand, dishonor and non-payment of this Note.

 

THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

	
 
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.01-A

 

FORM OF

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

 

(For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent. 

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01(e) of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E, as applicable). By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments. 

 

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

[NAME OF LENDER]

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

	
Date:
	
 
	
, 20
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.01-B

 

 

FORM OF

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

 

(For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent. 

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01(e) of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E, as applicable). By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender in writing, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

 

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]

 

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

	
Date:
	
 
	
, 20
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

  

Exhibit 3.01-C

 

FORM OF

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

 

(For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01(e) of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (iii) with respect to such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code. 

 

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E, as applicable) or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E, as applicable) from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

 

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

	
Date:
	
 
	
, 20
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.01-D

 

FORM OF

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

 

(For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01(e) of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (iii) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E, as applicable) or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E, as applicable) from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

 

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

[NAME OF LENDER]

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

	
Date:
	
 
	
, 20
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 6.01

 

FORM OF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

 

For the fiscal quarter ended _________________, 20___.

 

I, ______________________, [Title] of VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”) hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, with respect to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as amended, modified, restated or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”; all of the defined terms in the Credit Agreement are incorporated herein by reference) among the Borrower, the Guarantors, the Lenders and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent:

 

[Use following paragraph 1 for fiscal year-end financial statements]

 

	
 
	
(a)
	
The Borrower has delivered (i) the year-end audited financial statements required by Section 6.01(a) of the Credit Agreement for the fiscal year of the Borrower ended as of the above date, together with the report and opinion of an independent certified public accountant required by such section and (ii) the consolidating balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year and the related consolidating statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year. Such consolidating statements are fairly stated in all material respects when considered in relation to the Consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

[Use following paragraph 1 for fiscal quarter-end financial statements]

 

	
 
	
(a)
	
The Borrower has delivered the unaudited financial statements required by Section 6.01(b) of the Credit Agreement for the fiscal quarter of the Borrower ended as of the above date. Such consolidated financial statements fairly present the financial condition, results of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP as at such date and for such period, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.

 

	
 
	
(b)
	
Since ___________ (the date of the last similar certification, or, if none, the Closing Date) no Default or Event of Default has occurred under the Credit Agreement;

 

Delivered herewith are detailed calculations demonstrating compliance by the Loan Parties with the financial covenant(s) contained in Section 7.12 of the Credit Agreement as of the end of the fiscal period referred to above.

 

 

 

 

 

This ______ day of ___________, 20__.

 

	
 
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

  

 

 

 

 

Attachment to Officer’s Certificate

 

Computation of Financial Covenants

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 6.14

 

FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

 

THIS JOINDER AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of _____________, 20__, is by and between _____________________, a ___________________ (the “Subsidiary”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., in its capacity as Administrative Agent under that certain Credit Agreement (as it may be amended, modified, restated or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), dated as of January 28, 2016, by and among VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent. All of the defined terms in the Credit Agreement are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The Loan Parties are required by Section 6.14 of the Credit Agreement to cause the Subsidiary to become a “Guarantor”.

 

Accordingly, the Subsidiary hereby agrees as follows with the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders:

 

1.     The Subsidiary hereby acknowledges, agrees and confirms that, by its execution of this Agreement, the Subsidiary will be deemed to be a party to the Credit Agreement and a “Guarantor” for all purposes of the Credit Agreement, and shall have all of the obligations of a Guarantor thereunder as if it had executed the Credit Agreement. The Subsidiary hereby ratifies, as of the date hereof, and agrees to be bound by, all of the terms, provisions and conditions applicable to the Guarantors contained in the Credit Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing terms of this paragraph 1, the Subsidiary hereby jointly and severally together with the other Guarantors, guarantees to each Lender and the Administrative Agent, as provided in Article X of the Credit Agreement, the prompt payment of the Obligations in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, a mandatory cash collateralization or otherwise) strictly in accordance with the terms thereof.

 

2.     The Subsidiary hereby acknowledges, agrees and confirms that, by its execution of this Agreement, the Subsidiary will be deemed to be a party to the Security Agreement, and shall have all the obligations of an “Obligor” (as such term is defined in the Security Agreement) thereunder as if it had executed the Security Agreement. The Subsidiary hereby ratifies, as of the date hereof, and agrees to be bound by, all of the terms, provisions and conditions contained in the Security Agreement. Without limiting generality of the foregoing terms of this paragraph 2, the Subsidiary hereby grants to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations (as such term is defined in Section 1 of the Security Agreement), a continuing security interest in, and a right of set off against any and all right, title and interest of the Subsidiary in and to the Collateral (as such term is defined in Section 2 of the Security Agreement) of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations (as such term is defined in Section 1 of the Security Agreement), that:

 

(i)     The Subsidiary’s chief executive office, tax payer identification number, organization identification number, and chief place of business are (and for the prior four months have been) located at the locations set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto and the Subsidiary keeps its books and records at such locations.

 

(ii)     The location of all owned and leased real property of the Subsidiary is as shown on Schedule 2 attached hereto.

 

(iii)     The Subsidiary’s legal name and jurisdiction of organization is as shown in this Agreement and the Subsidiary has not in the past four months changed its name, been party to a merger, consolidation or other change in structure or used any tradename except as set forth in Schedule 3 attached hereto.

 

 

 

 

 

(iv)     The patents, copyrights, and trademarks listed on Schedule 4 attached hereto constitute all of the registrations and applications for the patents, copyrights and trademarks owned by the Subsidiary.

 

(v)     The deposit accounts and investment accounts listed on Schedule 5 attached hereto constitute all of the deposit accounts and investment accounts owned by the Subsidiary. 

 

3.     The address of the Subsidiary for purposes of all notices and other communications is ____________________, ____________________________, Attention of ______________ (Facsimile No. ____________).

 

4.     The Subsidiary hereby waives acceptance by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of the guaranty by the Subsidiary under Article X of the Credit Agreement upon the execution of this Agreement by the Subsidiary.

 

5.     This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original but all of which when taken together shall constitute one contract.

 

6.     This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Subsidiary has caused this Joinder Agreement to be duly executed by its authorized officers, and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, has caused the same to be accepted by its authorized officer, as of the day and year first above written.

 

	
 
	
[SUBSIDIARY]
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

	
 
	
Acknowledged and accepted: 
	
 

	 	 	 
	 	BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., 	 
	 	as Administrative Agent	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

  

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1

TO FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

 

[Chief Executive Office, Tax Identification Number, Organization Identification Number

and Chief Place of Business of Subsidiary]

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 2

TO FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

 

[Owned and Leased Real Property]

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 3

TO FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

 

[Tradenames]

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 4

TO FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

 

[Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks]

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 5

TO FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

 

[Deposit and Investment Accounts]

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 11.06(b)

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

 

This Assignment and Assumption (this “Assignment and Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the “Assignor”) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the “Assignee”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.

 

For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Administrative Agent as contemplated below (i) all of the Assignor’s rights and obligations as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto in the amount[s] and equal to the percentage interest[s] identified below of all the outstanding rights and obligations under the respective facilities identified below (including, without limitation, Letters of Credit and Guarantees included in such facilities) and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing, including, but not limited to, contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein collectively as, the “Assigned Interest”). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.

 

	
1. 
	
Assignor:
	
______________________________

	
 
	
 
	
[Assignor [is][is not] a Defaulting Lender.]

	
2.
	
Assignee: 
	
______________________________

	
 
	
 
	
[and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [identify Lender]4]

	
 
	
 
	
 

	
3.
	
Borrower:
	
Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Colorado corporation

	
 
	
 
	
 

	
4.
	
Agent: 
	
Bank of America, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement

	
 
	
 
	
 

	
5. 
	
Credit Agreement:
	
Credit Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 among the Borrower, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent

	 	 	 
	6.	Assigned Interest:  	 

	
Facility Assigned5
	
Aggregate Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders*
	
Amount of Commitment/Loans Assigned*
	
Percentage Assigned of Commitment/Loans6

	  	
$
	
$
	
%

	  	
$
	
$
	
%

	  	
$
	
$
	
%

 

4 Select as applicable.

5 Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g. “Revolving Commitment,” etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

[7.     Trade Date:          ______________]7

 

Effective Date: _____________ ___, 20___ [TO BE INSERTED BY AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER THEREFOR.]

 

The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:

 

	
 
	
ASSIGNOR
	
 

	 	[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 

 

	
 
	
ASSIGNEE
	
 

	 	[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 

 

 

	
 
	
[Consented to and]8 Accepted:
	
 

	 	 	 
	 	BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. as 	 
	 	Agent	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 

 

	
 
	
[Consented to:]9
	
 

	 	 	 
	 	BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as L/C Issuer]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 

  

	 	[VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., 	 
	 	a Colorado corporation]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 

 

 

* Amount to be adjusted by the counterparties to take into account any payments or prepayments made between the Trade Date and the Effective Date.

6 Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.

7 To be completed if the Assignor and the Assignee intend that the minimum assignment amount is to be determined as of the Trade Date.

8 To be added only if the consent of the Administrative Agent is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

9 To be added only if the consent of the Borrower and/or other parties (e.g. L/C Issuer) is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

ANNEX 1

 

STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

 

1. Representations and Warranties. 

 

1.1. Assignor. The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim, (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and (iv) it is [not] a Defaulting Lender; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Loan Documents or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document or (iv) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document.

 

1.2. Assignee. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it meets the requirements to be an assignee under Section 11.06(b)(iii) and (v) of the Credit Agreement (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 11.06(b)(iii) of the Credit Agreement), (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to acquire assets of the type represented by the Assigned Interest and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to acquire the Assigned Interest, is experienced in acquiring assets of such type, (v) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, and has received or has been accorded the opportunity to receive copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 6.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it deems appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest, (vi) 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 Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest, and (vii) if it is a Foreign Lender, attached hereto is any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

 

2. Payments. From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments of interest, fees or other amounts paid or payable in kind from and after the Effective Date to the Assignee.

 

 

 

 

 

3. General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York.

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 11.06(b)(iv)

 

FORM OF ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE

 

[Request appropriate form from the Administrative Agent]ex10-40.htm

Exhibit 10.40

 

SECURITY AND PLEDGE AGREEMENT

 

THIS SECURITY AND PLEDGE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of January 28, 2016 among VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation (the “Borrower”), Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Parent”), VITAMIN COTTAGE TWO LTD. LIABILITY COMPANY, a Colorado limited liability company, and such other parties that may become Obligors hereunder after the date hereof (together with the Borrower and the Parent, individually an “Obligor”, and collectively the “Obligors”) and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”) for the holders of the Secured Obligations (defined below).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (as amended, modified, supplemented, increased, extended, restated, renewed, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) among the Borrower, the Guarantors identified therein, the Lenders identified therein and the Administrative Agent, the Lenders have agreed to make Loans and the L/C Issuer has agreed to issue Letters of Credit upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein; and

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

 

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

 

1.     Definitions.

 

(a)     Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Credit Agreement, and the following terms shall have the meanings set forth in Article 9 of the UCC (defined below): Accession, Account, Adverse Claim, As-Extracted Collateral, Chattel Paper, Commercial Tort Claim, Consumer Goods, Deposit Account, Document, Electronic Chattel Paper, Equipment, Farm Products, Financial Asset, Fixtures, General Intangible, Goods, Instrument, Inventory, Investment Company Security, Investment Property, Letter-of-Credit Right, Manufactured Home, Money, Proceeds, Securities Account, Security Entitlement, Security, Software, Supporting Obligation and Tangible Chattel Paper.

 

(b)     In addition, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

“Collateral” has the meaning provided in Section 2 hereof.

 

“Copyright License” means any agreement, whether written or oral, providing for the grant by or to an Obligor of any right under any Copyright.

 

“Copyrights” means (a) all registered United States copyrights in all Works, now existing or hereafter created or acquired, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all applications in connection therewith, including, without limitation, registrations, recordings and applications in the United States Copyright Office, and (b) all renewals thereof.

 

 

 

 

 

“Patent License” means any agreement, whether written or oral, providing for the grant by or to an Obligor of any right to manufacture, use or sell any invention covered by a Patent.

 

“Patents” means (a) all letters patent of the United States or any other country and all reissues and extensions thereof, and (b) all applications for letters patent of the United States or any other country and all divisions, continuations and continuations-in-part thereof.

 

“Permitted Liens” means Liens permitted under Section 7.02 of the Credit Agreement.

 

“Pledged Equity” means, with respect to each Obligor, 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each Subsidiary of the Parent that is directly owned by such Obligor, including the Equity Interests of the Subsidiaries owned by such Obligor as set forth on Schedule 1(b) hereto, in each case together with the certificates (or other agreements or instruments), if any, representing such shares, and all options and other rights, contractual or otherwise, with respect thereto, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

(1)     all Equity Interests representing a dividend thereon, or representing a distribution or return of capital upon or in respect thereof, or resulting from a stock split, revision, reclassification or other exchange therefor, and any subscriptions, warrants, rights or options issued to the holder thereof, or otherwise in respect thereof; and

 

(2)     in the event of any consolidation or merger involving the issuer thereof and in which such issuer is not the surviving Person, all shares of each class of the Equity Interests of the successor Person formed by or resulting from such consolidation or merger, to the extent that such successor Person is a direct Subsidiary of an Obligor.

 

“Secured Obligations” means, without duplication, (a) all Obligations and (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the Obligations, including the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel.

 

“Trademark License” means any agreement, written or oral, providing for the grant by or to an Obligor of any right to use any Trademark.

 

“Trademarks” means (a) all trademarks, trade names, corporate names, company names, business names, fictitious business names, trade styles, service marks, logos and other source or business identifiers, and the goodwill associated therewith, now existing or hereafter adopted or acquired, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all applications in connection therewith, whether in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or in any similar office or agency of the United States, any state thereof or any other country or any political subdivision thereof, or otherwise and (b) all renewals thereof.

 

“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the state of New York except as such term may be used in connection with the perfection of the Collateral and then the applicable jurisdiction with respect to such affected Collateral shall apply.

 

“Work” means any work that is subject to copyright protection pursuant to Title 17 of the United States Code.

 

2.     Grant of Security Interest in the Collateral. To secure the prompt payment and performance in full when due, whether by lapse of time, acceleration, mandatory prepayment or otherwise, of the Secured Obligations, each Obligor hereby grants to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations, a continuing security interest in, and a right to set off against, any and all right, title and interest of such Obligor in and to all of the following, whether now owned or existing or owned, acquired, or arising hereafter (collectively, the “Collateral”): (a) all Accounts; (b) all Chattel Paper; (c) those certain Commercial Tort Claims set forth on Schedule 2(c) hereto; (d) all Copyrights; (e) all Copyright Licenses; (f) all Deposit Accounts; (g) all Documents; (h) all Equipment; (i) all Fixtures; (j) all General Intangibles; (k) all Instruments; (l) all Inventory; (m) all Investment Property; (n) all Letter-of-Credit Rights; (o) all Money; (p) all Patents; (q) all Patent Licenses; (r) all Pledged Equity; (s) all Software; (t) all Supporting Obligations; (u) all Trademarks; (v) all Trademark Licenses; and (w) all Accessions and all Proceeds of any and all of the foregoing.

 

 

 

 

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the security interests granted under this Agreement shall not extend to (i) Excluded Property and (ii) any General Intangible, permit, lease, license, contract or other Instrument of an Obligor to the extent the grant of a security interest in such General Intangible, permit, lease, license, contract or other Instrument in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, under the terms thereof or under applicable Law, is prohibited and would result in the termination thereof or give the other parties thereto the right to terminate, accelerate or otherwise alter such Obligor’s rights, titles and interests thereunder (including upon the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both); provided that (a) any such limitation described in the foregoing clause (ii) on the security interests granted hereunder shall only apply to the extent that any such prohibition could not be rendered ineffective pursuant to the UCC or any other applicable Law (including Debtor Relief Laws) or principles of equity and (b) in the event of the termination or elimination of any such prohibition or the requirement for any consent contained in any applicable Law, General Intangible, permit, lease, license, contract or other Instrument, to the extent sufficient to permit any such item to become Collateral hereunder, or upon the granting of any such consent, or waiving or terminating any requirement for such consent, a security interest in such General Intangible, permit, lease, license, contract or other Instrument shall be automatically and simultaneously granted hereunder and shall be included as Collateral hereunder.

 

The Obligors and the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the holders of the Secured Obligations, hereby acknowledge and agree that the security interest created hereby in the Collateral (i) constitutes continuing collateral security for all of the Secured Obligations, whether now existing or hereafter arising and (ii) is not to be construed as an assignment of any Copyrights, Copyright Licenses, Patents, Patent Licenses, Trademarks or Trademark Licenses.

 

3.     Representations and Warranties. Each Obligor hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations, that:

 

(a)     Ownership. Each Obligor is the legal and beneficial owner of its Collateral and has the right to pledge, sell, assign or transfer the same. There exists no Adverse Claim with respect to the Pledged Equity of such Obligor.

 

(b)     Security Interest/Priority. This Agreement creates a valid security interest in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations, in the Collateral of such Obligor and, when properly perfected by filing, shall constitute a valid and perfected, first priority security interest, subject to Permitted Liens, in such Collateral (including all uncertificated Pledged Equity consisting of partnership or limited liability company interests that do not constitute Securities), to the extent such security interest can be perfected by filing under the UCC, free and clear of all Liens except for Permitted Liens. The taking possession by the Administrative Agent of the certificated securities (if any) evidencing the Pledged Equity and all other Instruments constituting Collateral will perfect and establish the first priority of the Administrative Agent’s security interest in all the Pledged Equity evidenced by such certificated securities and such Instruments. With respect to any Collateral consisting of a Deposit Account, Securities Entitlement or held in a Securities Account, upon execution and delivery by the applicable Obligor, the applicable depository bank or Securities Intermediary and the Administrative Agent of an agreement granting control to the Administrative Agent over such Collateral, the Administrative Agent shall have a valid and perfected, first priority security interest in such Collateral.

 

 

 

 

 

(c)     Types of Collateral. None of the Collateral consists of, or is the Proceeds of, As-Extracted Collateral, Consumer Goods, Farm Products, Manufactured Homes or standing timber.

 

(d)     Equipment and Inventory. With respect to any Equipment and/or Inventory of an Obligor, each such Obligor has exclusive possession and control of such Equipment and Inventory of such Obligor except for (i) Equipment leased by such Obligor as a lessee, (ii) certain Inventory held in warehouses of third parties and (iii) Equipment or Inventory in transit with common carriers. No Inventory of an Obligor is held by a Person other than an Obligor pursuant to consignment, sale or return, sale on approval or similar arrangement.

 

(e)     Authorization of Pledged Equity. All Pledged Equity is duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and, to the extent applicable, nonassessable and is not subject to the preemptive rights of any Person.

 

(f)     No Other Equity Interests, Instruments, Etc. As of the Closing Date, (i) no Obligor owns any certificated Equity Interests in any Subsidiary that are required to be pledged and delivered to the Administrative Agent hereunder except as set forth on Schedule 1(b) hereto, and (ii) no Obligor holds any Instruments, Documents or Tangible Chattel Paper required to be pledged and delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 4(a)(i) of this Agreement other than as set forth on Schedule 3(f) hereto. All such certificated securities, Instruments, Documents and Tangible Chattel Paper have been delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

(g)     Partnership and Limited Liability Company Interests. Except as previously disclosed to the Administrative Agent, none of the Collateral consisting of an interest in a partnership or a limited liability company (i) is dealt in or traded on a securities exchange or in a securities market, (ii) by its terms expressly provides that it is a Security governed by Article 8 of the UCC, (iii) is an Investment Company Security, (iv) is held in a Securities Account or (v) constitutes a Security or a Financial Asset.

 

(h)     [Reserved].

 

(i)     Consents; Etc. There are no restrictions in any Organization Document governing any Pledged Equity or any other document related thereto which would limit or restrict (i) the grant of a Lien pursuant to this Agreement on such Pledged Equity, (ii) the perfection of such Lien or (iii) the exercise of remedies in respect of such perfected Lien in the Pledged Equity as contemplated by this Agreement. Except for (i) the filing or recording of UCC financing statements, (ii) the filing of appropriate notices with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, (iii) obtaining control to perfect the Liens created by this Agreement (to the extent required under Section 4(a) hereof), (iv) such actions as may be required by Laws affecting the offering and sale of securities, and (v) consents, authorizations, filings or other actions which have been obtained or made, no consent or authorization of, filing with, or other act by or in respect of, any arbitrator or Governmental Authority and no consent of any other Person (including, without limitation, any stockholder, member or creditor of such Obligor), is required for (A) the grant by such Obligor of the security interest in the Collateral granted hereby or for the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by such Obligor, (B) the perfection of such security interest (to the extent such security interest can be perfected by filing under the UCC, the granting of control (to the extent required under Section 4(a) hereof) or by filing an appropriate notice with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office) or (C) the exercise by the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations of the rights and remedies provided for in this Agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

(j)     Commercial Tort Claims. As of the Closing Date, no Obligor has any Commercial Tort Claims seeking damages in excess of $100,000 other than as set forth on Schedule 2(c) hereto.

 

4.     Covenants. Each Obligor covenants that until such time as the Secured Obligations arising under the Loan Documents have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or been terminated, such Obligor shall:

 

(a)     Instruments/Chattel Paper/Pledged Equity/Control.

 

(i)     If any amount in excess of $100,000 payable under or in connection with any of the Collateral shall be or become evidenced by any Instrument or Tangible Chattel Paper, or if any property constituting Collateral shall be stored or shipped subject to a Document, ensure that such Instrument, Tangible Chattel Paper or Document is either in the possession of such Obligor at all times or, if requested by the Administrative Agent to perfect its security interest in such Collateral, is delivered to the Administrative Agent duly endorsed in a manner satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Such Obligor shall ensure that any Collateral consisting of Tangible Chattel Paper is marked with a legend acceptable to the Administrative Agent indicating the Administrative Agent’s security interest in such Tangible Chattel Paper.

 

(ii)     Deliver to the Administrative Agent promptly upon the receipt thereof by or on behalf of an Obligor, all certificates and instruments constituting Pledged Equity. Prior to delivery to the Administrative Agent, all such certificates constituting Pledged Equity shall be held in trust by such Obligor for the benefit of the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto. All such certificates representing Pledged Equity shall be delivered in suitable form for transfer by delivery or shall be accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in blank, substantially in the form provided in Exhibit 4(a)(ii) hereto.

 

(iii)     Execute and deliver all agreements, assignments, instruments or other documents as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining control with respect to any Collateral consisting of (i) Deposit Accounts, (ii) Investment Property, (iii) Letter-of-Credit Rights and (iv) Electronic Chattel Paper.

 

 

 

 

 

(b)     Filing of Financing Statements, Notices, etc. Each Obligor shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent such agreements, assignments or instruments (including affidavits, notices, reaffirmations and amendments and restatements of existing documents, as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request) and do all such other things as the Administrative Agent may reasonably deem necessary or appropriate (i) to assure to the Administrative Agent its security interests hereunder, including (A) such instruments as the Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request in order to perfect and maintain the security interests granted hereunder in accordance with the UCC, (B) with regard to Copyrights, a Notice of Grant of Security Interest in Copyrights in the form of Exhibit 4(b)(i), (C) with regard to Patents, a Notice of Grant of Security Interest in Patents for filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the form of Exhibit 4(b)(ii) hereto and (D) with regard to Trademarks, a Notice of Grant of Security Interest in Trademarks for filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the form of Exhibit 4(b)(iii) hereto, (ii) to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and (iii) to otherwise protect and assure the Administrative Agent of its rights and interests hereunder. Furthermore, each Obligor also hereby irrevocably makes, constitutes and appoints the Administrative Agent, its nominee or any other person whom the Administrative Agent may designate, as such Obligor’s attorney in fact with full power and for the limited purpose to sign in the name of such Obligor any financing statements, or amendments and supplements to financing statements, renewal financing statements, notices or any similar documents which in the Administrative Agent’s reasonable discretion would be necessary or appropriate in order to perfect and maintain perfection of the security interests granted hereunder, such power, being coupled with an interest, being and remaining irrevocable until such time as the Secured Obligations arising under the Loan Documents have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or been terminated. Each Obligor hereby agrees that a carbon, photographic or other reproduction of this Agreement or any such financing statement is sufficient for filing as a financing statement by the Administrative Agent without notice thereof to such Obligor wherever the Administrative Agent may in its sole discretion desire to file the same.

  

(c)     Change in Corporate Structure or Location. Not, without providing 10 days prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, change its registered legal name, change its state of organization, be party to a merger or consolidation or change its organizational existence.

 

(d)     Collateral Held by Warehouseman, Bailee, etc. If any Collateral is at any time in the possession or control of a warehouseman, bailee or any agent or processor of such Obligor and the Administrative Agent so requests (i) notify such Person in writing of the Administrative Agent’s security interest therein, (ii) instruct such Person to hold all such Collateral for the Administrative Agent’s account and subject to the Administrative Agent’s instructions and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a written acknowledgment from such Person that it is holding such Collateral for the benefit of the Administrative Agent.

 

(e)     Commercial Tort Claims. (i) Promptly forward to the Administrative Agent an updated Schedule 2(c) listing any and all Commercial Tort Claims by or in favor of such Obligor seeking damages in excess of $250,000 and (ii) execute and deliver such statements, documents and notices and do and cause to be done all such things as may be required by the Administrative Agent, or required by Law to create, preserve, perfect and maintain the Administrative Agent’s security interest in any Commercial Tort Claims initiated by or in favor of any Obligor.

 

(f)     Books and Records. Mark its books and records (and shall cause the issuer of the Pledged Equity of such Obligor to mark its books and records) to reflect the security interest granted pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(g)     Nature of Collateral. At all times maintain the Collateral as personal property and not affix any of the Collateral to any real property in a manner which would change its nature from personal property to real property or a Fixture to real property, unless the Administrative Agent shall have a perfected Lien on such Fixture or real property.

 

(h)     Issuance or Acquisition of Equity Interests in Partnerships or Limited Liability Companies. Not without executing and delivering, or causing to be executed and delivered, to the Administrative Agent such agreements, documents and instruments as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require, issue or acquire any Pledged Equity consisting of an interest in a partnership or a limited liability company that (i) is dealt in or traded on a securities exchange or in a securities market, (ii) by its terms expressly provides that it is a Security governed by Article 8 of the UCC, (iii) is an Investment Company Security, (iv) is held in a Securities Account or (v) constitutes a Security or a Financial Asset.

 

 

 

 

 

5.     Authorization to File Financing Statements. Each Obligor hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to prepare and file such financing statements (including continuation statements) or amendments thereof or supplements thereto or other instruments as the Administrative Agent may from time to time deem necessary or appropriate in order to perfect and maintain the security interests granted hereunder in accordance with the UCC (including authorization to describe the Collateral as “all personal property”, “all assets” or words of similar meaning).

 

6.     Advances. On failure of any Obligor to perform any of the covenants and agreements contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent may, at its sole option and in its sole discretion, perform the same and in so doing may expend such sums as the Administrative Agent may reasonably deem advisable in the performance thereof, including, without limitation, the payment of any insurance premiums, the payment of any taxes, a payment to obtain a release of a Lien or potential Lien, expenditures made in defending against any adverse claim and all other expenditures which the Administrative Agent may make for the protection of the security hereof or which may be compelled to make by operation of Law. All such sums and amounts so expended shall be repayable by the Obligors on a joint and several basis promptly (and in any event within five Business Days) upon timely notice thereof and demand therefor, shall constitute additional Secured Obligations and shall bear interest from the date said amounts are expended at the Default Rate. No such performance of any covenant or agreement by the Administrative Agent on behalf of any Obligor, and no such advance or expenditure therefor, shall relieve the Obligors of any Default or Event of Default. The Administrative Agent may make any payment hereby authorized in accordance with any bill, statement or estimate procured from the appropriate public office or holder of the claim to be discharged without inquiry into the accuracy of such bill, statement or estimate or into the validity of any tax assessment, sale, forfeiture, tax lien, title or claim except to the extent such payment is being contested in good faith by an Obligor in appropriate proceedings and against which adequate reserves are being maintained in accordance with GAAP.

 

 

 

 

 

7.     Remedies.

 

(a)     General Remedies. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during continuation thereof, the Administrative Agent shall have, in addition to the rights and remedies provided herein, in the Loan Documents, in any other documents relating to the Secured Obligations, or by Law (including, but not limited to, levy of attachment, garnishment and the rights and remedies set forth in the UCC of the jurisdiction applicable to the affected Collateral), the rights and remedies of a secured party under the UCC (regardless of whether the UCC is the law of the jurisdiction where the rights and remedies are asserted and regardless of whether the UCC applies to the affected Collateral), and further, the Administrative Agent may, with or without judicial process or the aid and assistance of others, (i) enter on any premises on which any of the Collateral may be located and, without resistance or interference by the Obligors, take possession of the Collateral, (ii) dispose of any Collateral on any such premises, (iii) require the Obligors to assemble and make available to the Administrative Agent at the expense of the Obligors any Collateral at any place and time designated by the Administrative Agent which is reasonably convenient to both parties, (iv) remove any Collateral from any such premises for the purpose of effecting sale or other disposition thereof, and/or (v) without demand and without advertisement, notice, hearing or process of law, all of which each of the Obligors hereby waives to the fullest extent permitted by Law, at any place and time or times, sell and deliver any or all Collateral held by or for it at public or private sale (which in the case of a private sale of Pledged Equity, shall be to a restricted group of purchasers who will be obligated to agree, among other things, to acquire such securities for their own account, for investment and not with a view to the distribution or resale thereof), at any exchange or broker’s board or elsewhere, by one or more contracts, in one or more parcels, for Money, upon credit or otherwise, at such prices and upon such terms as the Administrative Agent deems advisable, in its sole discretion (subject to any and all mandatory legal requirements). Each Obligor acknowledges that any such private sale may be at prices and on terms less favorable to the seller than the prices and other terms which might have been obtained at a public sale and, notwithstanding the foregoing, agrees that such private sale shall be deemed to have been made in a commercially reasonable manner and, in the case of a sale of Pledged Equity, that the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to delay sale of any such securities for the period of time necessary to permit the issuer of such securities to register such securities for public sale under the Securities Act of 1933. Neither the Administrative Agent’s compliance with applicable Law nor its disclaimer of warranties relating to the Collateral shall be considered to adversely affect the commercial reasonableness of any sale. To the extent the rights of notice cannot be legally waived hereunder, each Obligor agrees that any requirement of reasonable notice shall be met if such notice, specifying the place of any public sale or the time after which any private sale is to be made, is personally served on or mailed, postage prepaid, to the Borrower in accordance with the notice provisions of Section 11.02 of the Credit Agreement at least 10 days before the time of sale or other event giving rise to the requirement of such notice. The Administrative Agent may adjourn any public or private sale from time to time by announcement at the time and place fixed therefor, and such sale may, without further notice, be made at the time and place to which it was so adjourned. Each Obligor further acknowledges and agrees that any offer to sell any Pledged Equity which has been (i) publicly advertised on a bona fide basis in a newspaper or other publication of general circulation in the financial community of New York, New York (to the extent that such offer may be advertised without prior registration under the Securities Act of 1933), or (ii) made privately in the manner described above shall be deemed to involve a “public sale” under the UCC, notwithstanding that such sale may not constitute a “public offering” under the Securities Act of 1933, and the Administrative Agent may, in such event, bid for the purchase of such securities. The Administrative Agent shall not be obligated to make any sale or other disposition of the Collateral regardless of notice having been given. To the extent permitted by applicable Law, any holder of Secured Obligations may be a purchaser at any such sale. To the extent permitted by applicable Law, each of the Obligors hereby waives all of its rights of redemption with respect to any such sale. Subject to the provisions of applicable Law, the Administrative Agent may postpone or cause the postponement of the sale of all or any portion of the Collateral by announcement at the time and place of such sale, and such sale may, without further notice, to the extent permitted by Law, be made at the time and place to which the sale was postponed, or the Administrative Agent may further postpone such sale by announcement made at such time and place.

 

(b)     Remedies relating to Accounts. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during the continuation thereof, whether or not the Administrative Agent has exercised any or all of its rights and remedies hereunder, (i) each Obligor will promptly upon request of the Administrative Agent instruct all account debtors to remit all payments in respect of Accounts to a mailing location selected by the Administrative Agent and (ii) the Administrative Agent shall have the right to enforce any Obligor’s rights against its customers and account debtors, and the Administrative Agent or its designee may notify any Obligor’s customers and account debtors that the Accounts of such Obligor have been assigned to the Administrative Agent or of the Administrative Agent’s security interest therein, and may (either in its own name or in the name of an Obligor or both) demand, collect (including without limitation by way of a lockbox arrangement), receive, take receipt for, sell, sue for, compound, settle, compromise and give acquittance for any and all amounts due or to become due on any Account, and, in the Administrative Agent’s discretion, file any claim or take any other action or proceeding to protect and realize upon the security interest of the holders of the Secured Obligations in the Accounts. Each Obligor acknowledges and agrees that the Proceeds of its Accounts remitted to or on behalf of the Administrative Agent in accordance with the provisions hereof shall be solely for the Administrative Agent’s own convenience and that such Obligor shall not have any right, title or interest in such Accounts or in any such other amounts except as expressly provided herein. Neither the Administrative Agent nor the holders of the Secured Obligations shall have any liability or responsibility to any Obligor for acceptance of a check, draft or other order for payment of money bearing the legend “payment in full” or words of similar import or any other restrictive legend or endorsement or be responsible for determining the correctness of any remittance. Furthermore, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during the continuation thereof, (i) the Administrative Agent shall have the right, but not the obligation, to make test verifications of the Accounts in any manner and through any medium that it reasonably considers advisable, and the Obligors shall furnish all such assistance and information as the Administrative Agent may require in connection with such test verifications, (ii) upon the Administrative Agent’s request and at the reasonable expense of the Obligors, the Obligors shall cause independent public accountants or others satisfactory to the Administrative Agent to furnish to the Administrative Agent reports showing reconciliations, aging and test verifications of, and trial balances for, the Accounts and (iii) the Administrative Agent in its own name or in the name of others may communicate with account debtors on the Accounts to verify with them to the Administrative Agent’s satisfaction the existence, amount and terms of any Accounts.

 

 

 

 

 

(c)     Deposit Accounts. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during continuation thereof, the Administrative Agent may prevent withdrawals or other dispositions of funds in Deposit Accounts maintained with the Administrative Agent.          

 

(d)     Access. In addition to the rights and remedies hereunder, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during the continuation thereof, the Administrative Agent shall have the right to enter and remain upon the various premises of the Obligors without cost or charge to the Administrative Agent, and use the same, together with materials, supplies, books and records of the Obligors for the purpose of collecting and liquidating the Collateral, or for preparing for sale and conducting the sale of the Collateral, whether by foreclosure, auction or otherwise. In addition, the Administrative Agent may remove Collateral, or any part thereof, from such premises and/or any records with respect thereto, in order to effectively collect or liquidate such Collateral.

 

(e)     Nonexclusive Nature of Remedies. Failure by the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations to exercise any right, remedy or option under this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any other document relating to the Secured Obligations, or as provided by Law, or any delay by the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations in exercising the same, shall not operate as a waiver of any such right, remedy or option. No waiver hereunder shall be effective unless it is in writing, signed by the party against whom such waiver is sought to be enforced and then only to the extent specifically stated, which in the case of the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations shall only be granted as provided herein. To the extent permitted by Law, neither the Administrative Agent, the holders of the Secured Obligations, nor any party acting as attorney for the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations, shall be liable hereunder for any acts or omissions or for any error of judgment or mistake of fact or law other than their gross negligence or willful misconduct hereunder. The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the holders of the Secured Obligations under this Agreement shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any other right or remedy which the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations may have.

 

 

 

 

 

(f)     Retention of Collateral. In addition to the rights and remedies hereunder, the Administrative Agent may, in compliance with Sections 9-620 and 9-621 of the UCC or otherwise complying with the requirements of applicable Law of the relevant jurisdiction, accept or retain the Collateral in satisfaction of the Secured Obligations. Unless and until the Administrative Agent shall have provided such notices, however, the Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have retained any Collateral in satisfaction of any Secured Obligations for any reason.

 

(g)     Deficiency. In the event that the proceeds of any sale, collection or realization are insufficient to pay all amounts to which the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations are legally entitled, the Obligors shall be jointly and severally liable for the deficiency, together with interest thereon at the Default Rate, together with the costs of collection and the reasonable, documented fees, charges and disbursements of counsel. Any surplus remaining after the full payment and satisfaction of the Secured Obligations shall be returned to the Obligors or to whomsoever a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine to be entitled thereto.

 

8.     Rights of the Administrative Agent.

 

(a)     Power of Attorney. In addition to other powers of attorney contained herein, each Obligor hereby designates and appoints the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the holders of the Secured Obligations, and each of its designees or agents, as attorney-in-fact of such Obligor, irrevocably and with power of substitution, with authority to take any or all of the following actions upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during the continuation thereof:

 

(i)     to demand, collect, settle, compromise, adjust, give discharges and releases, all as the Administrative Agent may reasonably determine;

 

(ii)     to commence and prosecute any actions at any court for the purposes of collecting any Collateral and enforcing any other right in respect thereof;

 

(iii)     to defend, settle or compromise any action brought and, in connection therewith, give such discharge or release as the Administrative Agent may deem reasonably appropriate;

 

(iv)     to receive, open and dispose of mail addressed to an Obligor and endorse checks, notes, drafts, acceptances, money orders, bills of lading, warehouse receipts or other instruments or documents evidencing payment, shipment or storage of the goods giving rise to the Collateral of such Obligor on behalf of and in the name of such Obligor, or securing, or relating to such Collateral;

 

(v)     to sell, assign, transfer, make any agreement in respect of, or otherwise deal with or exercise rights in respect of, any Collateral or the goods or services which have given rise thereto, as fully and completely as though the Administrative Agent were the absolute owner thereof for all purposes, but applying the proceeds of any such sales in accordance with the Credit Agreement;

 

(vi)     to adjust and settle claims under any insurance policy relating thereto;

 

 

 

 

 

(vii)     to execute and deliver all assignments, conveyances, statements, financing statements, renewal financing statements, security agreements, affidavits, notices and other agreements, instruments and documents that the Administrative Agent may determine necessary in order to perfect and maintain the security interests and liens granted in this Agreement and in order to fully consummate all of the transactions contemplated therein;

 

(viii)     to institute any foreclosure proceedings that the Administrative Agent may deem appropriate;

 

(ix)     to sign and endorse any drafts, assignments, proxies, stock powers, verifications, notices and other documents relating to the Collateral;

 

(x)     to exchange any of the Pledged Equity or other property upon any merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or other readjustment of the issuer thereof and, in connection therewith, deposit any of the Pledged Equity with any committee, depository, transfer agent, registrar or other designated agency upon such terms as the Administrative Agent may reasonably deem appropriate;

 

(xi)     to vote for a shareholder resolution, or to sign an instrument in writing, sanctioning the transfer of any or all of the Pledged Equity into the name of the Administrative Agent or one or more of the holders of the Secured Obligations or into the name of any transferee to whom the Pledged Equity or any part thereof may be sold pursuant to Section 7 hereof;

 

(xii)     to pay or discharge taxes, liens, security interests or other encumbrances levied or placed on or threatened against the Collateral;

 

(xiii)     to direct any parties liable for any payment in connection with any of the Collateral to make payment of any and all monies due and to become due thereunder directly to the Administrative Agent or as the Administrative Agent shall direct;

 

(xiv)     to receive payment of and receipt for any and all monies, claims, and other amounts due and to become due at any time in respect of or arising out of any Collateral; and

 

(xv)     to do and perform all such other acts and things as the Administrative Agent may reasonably deem to be necessary, proper or convenient in connection with the Collateral.

 

This power of attorney is a power coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable until such time as the Secured Obligations arising under the Loan Documents have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or been terminated. The Administrative Agent shall be under no duty to exercise or withhold the exercise of any of the rights, powers, privileges and options expressly or implicitly granted to the Administrative Agent in this Agreement, and shall not be liable for any failure to do so or any delay in doing so. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any act or omission or for any error of judgment or any mistake of fact or law in its individual capacity or its capacity as attorney-in-fact except acts or omissions resulting from its gross negligence or willful misconduct. This power of attorney is conferred on the Administrative Agent solely to protect, preserve and realize upon its security interest in the Collateral.

 

 

 

 

 

(b)     Assignment by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may from time to time assign the Secured Obligations to a successor Administrative Agent appointed in accordance with the Credit Agreement, and such successor shall be entitled to all of the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement in relation thereto.

 

(c)     The Administrative Agent’s Duty of Care. Other than the exercise of reasonable care to assure the safe custody of the Collateral while being held by the Administrative Agent hereunder, the Administrative Agent shall have no duty or liability to preserve rights pertaining thereto, it being understood and agreed that the Obligors shall be responsible for preservation of all rights in the Collateral, and the Administrative Agent shall be relieved of all responsibility for the Collateral upon surrendering it or tendering the surrender of it to the Obligors. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of the Collateral in its possession if the Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which the Administrative Agent accords its own property, which shall be no less than the treatment employed by a reasonable and prudent agent in the industry, it being understood that the Administrative Agent shall not have responsibility for taking any necessary steps to preserve rights against any parties with respect to any of the Collateral. In the event of a public or private sale of Collateral pursuant to Section 7 hereof, the Administrative Agent shall have no responsibility for (i) ascertaining or taking action with respect to calls, conversions, exchanges, maturities, tenders or other matters relating to any Collateral, whether or not the Administrative Agent has or is deemed to have knowledge of such matters, or (ii) taking any steps to clean, repair or otherwise prepare the Collateral for sale.

 

(d)     Liability with Respect to Accounts. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, each of the Obligors shall remain liable under each of the Accounts to observe and perform all the conditions and obligations to be observed and performed by it thereunder, all in accordance with the terms of any agreement giving rise to each such Account. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any holder of Secured Obligations shall have any obligation or liability under any Account (or any agreement giving rise thereto) by reason of or arising out of this Agreement or the receipt by the Administrative Agent or any holder of Secured Obligations of any payment relating to such Account pursuant hereto, nor shall the Administrative Agent or any holder of Secured Obligations be obligated in any manner to perform any of the obligations of an Obligor under or pursuant to any Account (or any agreement giving rise thereto), to make any payment, to make any inquiry as to the nature or the sufficiency of any payment received by it or as to the sufficiency of any performance by any party under any Account (or any agreement giving rise thereto), to present or file any claim, to take any action to enforce any performance or to collect the payment of any amounts which may have been assigned to it or to which it may be entitled at any time or times.

 

(e)     Voting and Payment Rights in Respect of the Pledged Equity.

 

(i)     So long as no Event of Default shall exist, each Obligor may (A) exercise any and all voting and other consensual rights pertaining to the Pledged Equity of such Obligor or any part thereof for any purpose not inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement or the Credit Agreement and (B) receive and retain any and all dividends (other than stock dividends and other dividends constituting Collateral which are addressed hereinabove), principal or interest paid in respect of the Pledged Equity to the extent they are allowed under the Credit Agreement; and

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)     Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and during the continuation thereof, (A) all rights of an Obligor to exercise the voting and other consensual rights which it would otherwise be entitled to exercise pursuant to clause (i)(A) above shall cease and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Administrative Agent which shall then have the sole right to exercise such voting and other consensual rights, (B) all rights of an Obligor to receive the dividends, principal and interest payments which it would otherwise be authorized to receive and retain pursuant to clause (i)(B) above shall cease and all such rights shall thereupon be vested in the Administrative Agent which shall then have the sole right to receive and hold as Collateral such dividends, principal and interest payments, and (C) all dividends, principal and interest payments which are received by an Obligor contrary to the provisions of clause (ii)(B) above shall be received in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, shall be segregated from other property or funds of such Obligor, and shall be forthwith paid over to the Administrative Agent as Collateral in the exact form received, to be held by the Administrative Agent as Collateral and as further collateral security for the Secured Obligations.

 

(f)     Releases of Collateral. If any Collateral shall be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of by any Obligor in a transaction permitted by the Credit Agreement, then the Administrative Agent, at the request and sole expense of such Obligor, shall promptly execute and deliver to such Obligor all releases and other documents, and take such other action, reasonably necessary for the release of the Liens created hereby or by any other Collateral Document on such Collateral. The Administrative Agent may release any of the Pledged Equity from this Agreement or may substitute any of the Pledged Equity for other Pledged Equity without altering, varying or diminishing in any way the force, effect, lien, pledge or security interest of this Agreement as to any Pledged Equity not expressly released or substituted, and this Agreement shall continue as a first priority lien on all Pledged Equity not expressly released or substituted.

 

9.     Application of Proceeds. Upon the acceleration of the Obligations pursuant to Section 8.02 of the Credit Agreement, any payments in respect of the Secured Obligations and any proceeds of the Collateral, when received by the Administrative Agent or any holder of the Secured Obligations in Money, will be applied in reduction of the Secured Obligations in the order set forth in Section 8.03 of the Credit Agreement.

 

10.     Continuing Agreement.

 

(a)     This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until such time as the Secured Obligations arising under the Loan Documents have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or been terminated, at which time this Agreement shall be automatically terminated and the Administrative Agent shall, upon the request and at the expense of the Obligors, forthwith release all of its liens and security interests hereunder and shall execute and deliver all UCC termination statements and/or other documents reasonably requested by the Obligors evidencing such termination.

 

(b)     This Agreement shall continue to be effective or be automatically reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, in whole or in part, of any of the Secured Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the Administrative Agent or any holder of the Secured Obligations as a preference, fraudulent conveyance or otherwise under any Debtor Relief Law, all as though such payment had not been made; provided that in the event payment of all or any part of the Secured Obligations is rescinded or must be restored or returned, all reasonable costs and expenses (including without limitation any reasonable documented legal fees and disbursements) incurred by the Administrative Agent or any holder of the Secured Obligations in defending and enforcing such reinstatement shall be deemed to be included as a part of the Secured Obligations.

 

 

 

 

 

11.     Amendments; Waivers; Modifications, etc. This Agreement and the provisions hereof may not be amended, waived, modified, changed, discharged or terminated except as set forth in Section 11.01 of the Credit Agreement; provided that any update or revision to Schedule 2(c) hereof delivered by any Obligor shall not constitute an amendment for purposes of this Section 11 or Section 11.01 of the Credit Agreement.

 

12.     Successors in Interest. This Agreement shall be binding upon each Obligor, its successors and assigns and shall inure, together with the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the holders of the Secured Obligations hereunder, to the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the holders of the Secured Obligations and their successors and permitted assigns.

 

13.     Notices. All notices required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be in conformance with Section 11.02 of the Credit Agreement.

 

14.     Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile or other electronic imaging means (e.g., “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

15.     Headings. The headings of the sections hereof are provided for convenience only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or construction of any provision of this Agreement.

 

16.     Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. The terms of Sections 11.14 and 11.15 of the Credit Agreement with respect to governing law, submission to jurisdiction, venue and waiver of jury trial are incorporated herein by reference, mutatis mutandis, and the parties hereto agree to such terms.

 

17.     Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be fully severable and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and shall be construed without giving effect to the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions.

 

18.     Entirety. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and the other documents relating to the Secured Obligations represent the entire agreement of the parties hereto and thereto, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, and any contemporaneous oral agreements and understandings, if any, including any commitment letters or correspondence relating to the Loan Documents, any other documents relating to the Secured Obligations, or the transactions contemplated herein and therein.

 

19.     Other Security. To the extent that any of the Secured Obligations are now or hereafter secured by property other than the Collateral (including, without limitation, real property and securities owned by an Obligor), or by a guarantee, endorsement or property of any other Person, then the Administrative Agent shall have the right to proceed against such other property, guarantee or endorsement upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, and the Administrative Agent shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to determine which rights, security, liens, security interests or remedies the Administrative Agent shall at any time pursue, relinquish, subordinate, modify or take with respect thereto, without in any way modifying or affecting any of them or the Secured Obligations or any of the rights of the Administrative Agent or the holders of the Secured Obligations under this Agreement, under any other of the Loan Documents or under any other document relating to the Secured Obligations.

 

 

 

 

 

20.     Joinder. At any time after the date of this Agreement, one or more additional Persons may become party hereto by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a Joinder Agreement. Immediately upon such execution and delivery of such Joinder Agreement (and without any further action), each such additional Person will become a party to this Agreement as an “Obligor” and have all of the rights and obligations of an Obligor hereunder and this Agreement and the schedules hereto shall be deemed amended by such Joinder Agreement.

 

21.     Rights of Required Lenders. All rights of the Administrative Agent hereunder, if not exercised by the Administrative Agent, may be exercised by the Required Lenders.

 

22.     Consent of Issuers of Pledged Equity. Each issuer of Pledged Equity party to this Agreement hereby acknowledges, consents and agrees to the grant of the security interests in such Pledged Equity by the applicable Obligors pursuant to this Agreement, together with all rights accompanying such security interest as provided by this Agreement and applicable law, notwithstanding any anti-assignment provisions in any operating agreement, limited partnership agreement or similar organizational or governance documents of such issuer.

 

[remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

 

 

 

 

Each of the parties hereto has caused a counterpart of this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.

 

	
OBLIGORS:
	
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC., a Colorado corporation  

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Title: 
	
Co-President
	
 

 

 

	 	
NATURAL GROCERS BY Vitamin Cottage, Inc., a Delaware corporation  

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Title: 
	
Co-President
	
 

 

 

	 	
Vitamin Cottage Two Ltd. Liability Company, a Colorado limited liability company  

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	 	 	 	 
	
 
	
By: 
	
/s/ Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
Kemper Isely
	
 

	
 
	
Title: 
	
Manager
	
 

 

Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written.

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent

 

	
By:
	
/s/ Michael T. Letsch 
	
 

	
Name: 
	
Michael T. Letsch
	
 

	
Title:
	
Senior Vice President
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 1(b)

PLEDGED EQUITY

 

 

	
OBLIGOR: NATURAL GROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE, INC.
	  	  	  
	 	 	 	 
	
Name of Subsidiary
	
Number of Shares
	
Certificate Number
	
Percentage Ownership
	
Percentage Pledged

	
Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc.
	
100
	
PM-1
	
100%
	
100%

	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	
OBLIGOR: VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL FOOD MARKETS, INC.
	  	  	  
	 	 	 	 
	
Name of Subsidiary
	
Nature of Interest
	
Certificate Number
	
Percentage Ownership
	
Percentage Pledged

	
Vitamin Cottage Two Ltd. Liability Company
	
Membership interests
	
n/a
	
100%
	
100%

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 2(c)

 

COMMERCIAL TORT CLAIMS

 

None.

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 3(f)

 

INSTRUMENTS; DOCUMENTS; TANGIBLE CHATTEL PAPER

 

None.

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 4(a)(ii)

 

IRREVOCABLE STOCK POWER

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers to the following Equity Interests of _____________________, a ____________ corporation:

 

	
No. of Shares 
	
Certificate No.

 

and irrevocably appoints __________________________________ its agent and attorney-in-fact to transfer all or any part of such Equity Interests and to take all necessary and appropriate action to effect any such transfer. The agent and attorney-in-fact may substitute and appoint one or more persons to act for him.

 

	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT  4(b)(i)

 

FORM OF NOTICE

OF

GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST

IN

PATENTS

United States Patent and Trademark Office

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Please be advised that pursuant to the Security and Pledge Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as the same may be amended, modified, extended or restated from time to time, the “Agreement”) by and among the Obligors party thereto (each an “Obligor” and collectively, the “Obligors”) and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”) for the holders of the Secured Obligations referenced therein, the undersigned Obligor has granted a continuing security interest in and a right to set off against the patents and patent applications shown below to the Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations:

 

	
PATENTS

	 
	
Patent No.
	
Description of
Patent Item
	
Date of Patent

	 	 	 
	  	
See Schedule 1 attached hereto
	  
	 	 	 
	
PATENT APPLICATIONS

	 	 	 
	
Patent Applications No.
	
Description of
Patent Applied for
	
Date of
Patent Applications

	 	 	 
	  	
See Schedule 1 attached hereto
	  

 

 

 

 

 

The undersigned Obligor and the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the holders of the Secured Obligations, hereby acknowledge and agree that the security interest in the foregoing patents and patent applications (i) may only be terminated in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and (ii) is not to be construed as an assignment of any patent or patent application.

 

	
 
	
Very truly yours,
	
 

	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	 	[Obligor]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

Acknowledged and Accepted:

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

  

EXHIBIT  4(b)(ii)

 

FORM OF NOTICE

OF

GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST

IN

TRADEMARKS

 

United States Patent and Trademark Office

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Please be advised that pursuant to the Security and Pledge Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as the same may be amended, modified, extended or restated from time to time, the “Agreement”) by and among the Obligors party thereto (each an “Obligor” and collectively, the “Obligors”) and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the “Administrative Agent”) for the holders of the Secured Obligations referenced therein, the undersigned Obligor has granted a continuing security interest in and a right to set off against the trademarks and trademark applications shown below to the Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations:

 

	
TRADEMARKS

	 
	
Trademark No.
	
Description of
Trademark Item
	
Date of Trademark

	 	 	 
	  	
See Schedule 1 attached hereto
	  
	 	 	 
	
TRADEMARK APPLICATIONS

	 
	
Trademark Applications No.
	
Description of
Trademark Applied for
	
Date of
Trademark Applications

	 	 	 
	  	
See Schedule 1 attached hereto
	  

 

 

 

 

 

The undersigned Obligor and the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the holders of the Secured The undersigned Obligor and the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the holders of the Secured Obligations, hereby acknowledge and agree that the security interest in the foregoing trademarks and trademark applications (i) may only be terminated in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and (ii) is not to be construed as an assignment of any trademark or trademark application.

 

	
 
	
Very truly yours,
	
 

	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	 	[Obligor]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

Acknowledged and Accepted:

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

 

 

 

  

EXHIBIT  4(b)(iii)

 

FORM OF NOTICE

OF

GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST

IN

COPYRIGHTS

 

United States Copyright Office

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Please be advised that pursuant to the Security and Pledge Agreement dated as of January 28, 2016 (as the same may be amended, modified, extended or restated from time to time, the “Agreement”) by and among the Obligors party thereto (each an “Obligor” and collectively, the “Obligors”) and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”) for the holders of the Secured Obligations referenced therein, the undersigned Obligor has granted a continuing security interest in and a right to set off against the copyrights and copyright applications shown below to the Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations:

 

	
COPYRIGHTS

	 
	
Copyright No.
	
Description of
Copyright Item
	
Date of Copyright

	 	 	 
	  	
See Schedule 1 attached hereto
	  
	 	 	 
	
COPYRIGHT APPLICATIONS

	 
	
Copyright Applications No.
	
Description of
Copyright Applied for
	
Date of
Copyright Applications

	 	 	 
	  	
See Schedule 1 attached hereto
	  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The undersigned Obligor and the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the holders of the Secured Obligations, hereby acknowledge and agree that the security interest in the foregoing copyrights and copyright applications (i) may only be terminated in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and (ii) is not to be construed as an assignment of any copyright or copyright application.

 

	
 
	
Very truly yours,
	
 

	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	 	[Obligor]	 
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
By: 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Title:
	
 
	
 

 

Acknowledged and Accepted:

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent

 

	
By:
	
 
	
 

	
Name:
	
 
	
 

	
Title:

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00253-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00253-of-00352.parquet"}]]