Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2011 among the Company, the lenders named therein and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent

 

---

---

 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of October 19, 2011 among CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION , the LENDERS from time to time party hereto, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent, KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Syndication Agent and HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Documentation Agent.

 

The parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

 

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms

 

.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

 

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

 

“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.

 

“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

“Aggregate Commitment” means the aggregate of the Commitments of all of the Lenders, as reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof.  As of the Effective Date, the Aggregate Commitment is $150,000,000.

 

“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% and (c) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one month Interest Period on such day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 1%, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Adjusted LIBO Rate for any day shall be based on the rate appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or on any successor or substitute page of such page) at approximately 11:00 a.m. London time on such day.  Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively.

 

“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the Aggregate Commitment represented by such Lender’s Commitment; provided that, in the case of Section 2.21 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, “Applicable Percentage” shall mean the percentage of the Aggregate Commitment (disregarding any Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) represented by such Lender’s Commitment.  If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments and to any Lender’s status as a Defaulting Lender at the time of determination.

 

 

“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Eurodollar Revolving Loan or any ABR Revolving Loan or with respect to the commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Eurodollar Spread”, “ABR Spread” or “Commitment Fee Rate”, as the case may be, based upon the ratings by Moody’s and S&P, respectively, applicable on such date to the Index Debt:

 

Category	Index Debt Ratings	Eurodollar Spread	ABR Spread	Commitment Fee Rate
Category 1:	A1/A+ or higher	0.625%	0%	0.08%
Category 2:	A2/A	0.75%	0%	0.10%
Category 3:	A3/A-	0.875%	0%	0.125%
Category 4:	Baa1/BBB+	1.00%	0%	0.15%
Category 5:	Baa2/BBB	1.25%	0.25%	0.20%
Category 6:	Baa3/BBB- or lower	1.375%	0.375%	0.25%

 

For purposes of the foregoing, (i) if either Moody’s or S&P shall not have in effect a rating for the Index Debt (other than by reason of the circumstances referred to in the last sentence of this definition), then such rating agency shall be deemed to have established a rating in Category 6; (ii) if the ratings established or deemed to have been established by Moody’s and S&P for the Index Debt shall fall within different Categories, the Applicable Rate shall be based on the higher of the two ratings unless one of the two ratings is two or more Categories lower than the other, in which case the Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to the Category next below that of the higher of the two ratings; and (iii) if the ratings established or deemed to have been established by Moody’s and S&P for the Index Debt shall be changed (other than as a result of a change in the rating system of Moody’s or S&P), such change shall be effective as of the date on which it is first publicly announced by the applicable rating agency, irrespective of when notice of such change shall have been furnished by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01 or otherwise.  Each change in the Applicable Rate shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.  If the rating system of Moody’s or S&P shall change, or if either such rating agency shall cease to be in the business of rating corporate debt obligations, the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend this definition to reflect such changed rating system or the unavailability of ratings from such rating agency and, pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to the rating most recently in effect prior to such change or cessation.

 

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

 

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

 

 

“Attributable Receivables Indebtedness” at any time shall mean the principal amount of Indebtedness which (i) if a Permitted Receivables Facility is structured as a secured lending arrangement, constitutes the principal amount of such Indebtedness or (ii) if a Permitted Receivables Facility is structured as a purchase arrangement, would be outstanding at such time under the Permitted Receivables Facility if the same were structured as a secured lending arrangement rather than a purchase arrangement.

 

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

 

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

 

“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Borrower” means Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, a New York corporation.

 

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

 

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

 

 

“Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in Dollars in the London interbank 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 lease obligations on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Change in Control” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than 20% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of Holdings; or (b) Holdings ceases to own, directly or indirectly, and Control 100% of the ordinary voting power of the Borrower, disregarding for purposes of this determination any preferred stock of the Borrower so long as the holders of such preferred stock are not entitled to vote at the time in the election of directors.

 

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

 

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

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

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

 

“Consolidated Total Capitalization” means the sum of the Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness on a consolidated basis of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries plus the Borrower’s consolidated shareholder equity, adjusted to eliminate the impact of Financial Accounting Standards Board SFAS 87, 106 and 158, as currently written, as they may be applied to pension benefits and other post-employment benefits.

 

 

“Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness” means with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, all Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

“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.  The terms “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

 

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

 

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

 

“Debt to Capitalization Ratio” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.08.

 

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

 

“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two (2) Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, (ii) fund any portion of its participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans or (iii) pay over to any Credit Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Borrower or any Credit Party in writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a loan under this Agreement cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) has failed, within three (3) Business Days after request by a Credit Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations (and is financially able to meet such obligations) to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans under this Agreement, provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Credit Party’s receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, or (d) has become the subject of a Bankruptcy Event.

 

“Documentation Agent” means HSBC Bank USA, National Association in its capacity as documentation agent for the credit facility evidenced by this Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) a Plan fails to satisfy the “minimum funding standard” for a Plan year as provided in Section 412(a) of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) 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 of the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates 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 upon the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates 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.

 

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

 

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

 

 

“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to any payment made by the Borrower under any Loan Document, any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a Recipient:

 

(a) income or franchise Taxes imposed on (or measured by) net income by the United States of America, or by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such Recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located;

 

(b) any branch profits Taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar Taxes imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located; and

 

(c) in the case of a Non U.S. Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section 2.19(b)), any U.S. Federal withholding Taxes resulting from any law in effect (including FATCA) on the date such Non U.S. Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Non U.S. Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(f), except to the extent that such Non U.S. Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding Taxes pursuant to Section 2.17(a).

 

“Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of January 2, 2007, by and among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto from time to time and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent thereunder.

 

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), and any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term “Guarantee” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

 

 

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

 

“Holdings” means CH Energy Group, Inc., a New York corporation.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (e) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (g) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty, (j) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances and (k) all Attributable Receivables Indebtedness of such Person.  The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

 

“Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) Other Taxes.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

“Interest Period” means with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is fourteen (14) days or one, two, three or six months thereafter, as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period.  For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.

 

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

“LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page (or on any successor or substitute page of such service, or any successor to or substitute for such service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to deposits in Dollars in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for deposits in Dollars with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period.  In the event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate at which deposits in Dollars in an amount equal to $5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (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.

 

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, any promissory notes issued pursuant to Section 2.10(e) of this Agreement, any Letter of Credit applications, each certificate or notice delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(c) or Section 5.02 and all other agreements executed and delivered to, or in favor of, the Administrative Agent or any Lenders and including all other pledges, powers of attorney, consents, assignments, contracts and letter of credit agreements whether heretofore, now or hereafter executed by or on behalf of the Borrower, or any employee of the Borrower on behalf of the Borrower, and delivered to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.  Any reference in this Agreement or any other Loan Document to a Loan Document shall include all appendices, exhibits or schedules thereto, and all amendments, restatements, supplements or other modifications thereto, and shall refer to this Agreement or such Loan Document as the same may be in effect at any and all times such reference becomes operative.

 

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

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or (c) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any and all other Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereunder.

 

“Material Agreements” means, at any time, to the extent the same have not expired or been terminated, all instruments and agreements listed on the Exhibits Index attached to the most-recent Annual Report on Form 10-K of Holdings and/or the Borrower as filed with the SEC to which the Borrower is a party: (i) pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of Item 601 of the SEC’s Regulation S-K (plans of acquisition, etc.), (ii) pursuant to paragraph (b)(4) of Item 601 of the SEC’s Regulation S-K (instruments defining the rights of security holders, including indentures) and (iii) pursuant to paragraph (b)(10) of Item 601 of the SEC’s Regulation S-K (material contracts).

 

 

“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $12,000,000.  For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.

 

“Maturity Date” means October 19, 2016.

 

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

 

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

 

“Non-U.S. Lender” means a Lender that is not a U.S. Person.

 

“Obligations” means all unpaid principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans, all LC Exposure, all accrued and unpaid fees and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations and indebtedness (including interest and fees accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding), obligations and liabilities of any of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to any of the Lenders, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any indemnified party, individually or collectively, existing on the Effective Date or arising thereafter, direct or indirect, joint or several, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, secured or unsecured, arising by contract, operation of law or otherwise, arising or incurred under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or to the Lenders or any of their Affiliates under any Swap Agreement or any Banking Services Agreement or in respect of any of the Loans made or reimbursement or other obligations incurred or any of the Letters of Credit or other instruments at any time evidencing any thereof.

 

“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 Taxes (other than a connection arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, enforced, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, or engaged in any other transaction pursuant to, or enforced, any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan Document).

 

“Other Taxes” means any present or future stamp, court, documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar excise or property Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or from the registration, 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 under Section 2.19(b)).

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

“Permitted Encumbrances” means:

 

(a)           Liens imposed by law for Taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

 

(b)           carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than thirty (30) days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

 

(c)           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 clause (k) of Article VII;

 

(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;

 

(g)           utility easements, building restrictions, zoning laws or ordinances and such other encumbrances or charges against real property as are of a nature generally existing with respect to properties of a similar character and which do not in any material way affect the marketability of the same or interfere with the use thereof in the business of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries;

 

(h)           liens on assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries arising out of obligations or duties to any municipality or public authority with respect to any franchise, grant, license, permit or certificate; and

 

(i)           rights reserved to or vested in any municipality or public authority to control or regulate any property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or to use such property in a manner which does not materially impair the use of such property for the purposes for which it is held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

 

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

 

“Permitted Investments” means:

 

(a)           direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America), 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, the highest credit rating obtainable from S&P or from Moody’s;

 

(c)           investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s 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 of America 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 thirty (30) days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above;

 

(e)           money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in SEC 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;

 

(f)           investments by the Borrower in Affiliates as authorized by the New York Public Service Commission in its June 30, 1998 Order approving a certain Amended and Restated Settlement Agreement, dated January 2, 1998; and

 

(g)           contracts entered into as part of the Borrower’s energy risk management program.

 

“Permitted Receivables Facility” shall mean the receivables facility or facilities created under the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents, providing for the sale or pledge by the Borrower and/or one or more other Receivables Sellers of Permitted Receivables Facility Assets (thereby providing financing to the Borrower and the Receivables Sellers) to the Receivables Entity (either directly or through another Receivables Seller), which in turn shall sell or pledge interests in the respective Permitted Receivables Facility Assets to third-party investors pursuant to the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents (with the Receivables Entity permitted to issue investor certificates, purchased interest certificates, purchaser interests or other similar documentation evidencing interests in the Permitted Receivables Facility Assets) in return for the cash used by the Receivables Entity to purchase the Permitted Receivables Facility Assets from the Borrower and/or the respective Receivables Sellers, in each case as more fully set forth in the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents.

 

“Permitted Receivables Facility Assets” shall mean (i) Receivables (whether now existing or arising in the future) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which are transferred or pledged to the Receivables Entity pursuant to the Permitted Receivables Facility and any related Permitted Receivables Related Assets which are also so transferred or pledged to the Receivables Entity and all proceeds thereof, (ii) collections on Receivables, related assets in respect of Receivables and supporting documentation in respect of Receivables and (iii) lockboxes, lockbox accounts and collection accounts in respect of Receivables.

 

“Permitted Receivables Facility Documents” shall mean each of the documents and agreements entered into in connection with the Permitted Receivables Facility, including all documents and agreements relating to the issuance, funding and/or purchase of certificates and purchased interests, all of which documents and agreements shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, in each case as such documents and agreements may be amended, modified, supplemented, refinanced or replaced from time to time so long as (i) any such amendments, modifications, supplements, refinancings or replacements do not impose any conditions or requirements on the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that are more restrictive in any material respect than those in existence immediately prior to any such amendment, modification, supplement, refinancing or replacement, (ii) any such amendments, modifications, supplements, refinancings or replacements are not adverse in any way to the interests of the Lenders and (iii) any such amendments, modifications, supplements, refinancings or replacements are otherwise in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

 

“Permitted Receivables Related Assets” means any other assets that are customarily transferred or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with asset securitization transactions involving receivables similar to Receivables and any collections or proceeds of any of the foregoing.

 

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

 

“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the 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.

 

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

 

“Pro Forma Basis” means, with respect to any event, that the Borrower is in compliance on a pro forma basis with the applicable covenant, calculation or requirement herein recomputed as if the event with respect to which compliance on a Pro Forma Basis is being tested had occurred on the first day of the four fiscal quarter period most recently ended on or prior to such date for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01.

 

“Receivables” shall mean all accounts receivable (including, without limitation, all rights to payment created by or arising from sales of goods, leases of goods or the rendition of services rendered no matter how evidenced whether or not earned by performance).

 

“Receivables Entity” shall mean a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower which engages in no activities other than in connection with the financing of accounts receivable of the Receivables Sellers and which is designated (as provided below) as the “Receivables Entity” (a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which (i) is guaranteed by the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower (excluding guarantees of obligations (other than the principal of, and interest on, Indebtedness)) pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings, (ii) is recourse to or obligates the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower in any way (other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings) or (iii) subjects any property or asset of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings, (b) with which neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has any contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than pursuant to the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents (including with respect to fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with the servicing of accounts receivable and related assets)) on terms less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from persons that are not Affiliates of the Borrower, and (c) to which neither the Borrower nor any other Subsidiary of the Borrower has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results.  Any such designation shall be evidenced to the Administrative Agent by filing with the Administrative Agent an officer’s certificate of the Borrower certifying that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge and belief after consultation with counsel, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.

 

 

“Receivables Sellers” shall mean the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

“Recipient” means, as applicable, (a) the Administrative Agent, (b) any Lender and (c) the Issuing Bank.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower 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 Borrower or any Subsidiary or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Standard Securitization Undertakings” shall mean representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof in connection with the Permitted Receivables Facility which are reasonably customary in an accounts receivable financing transaction.

 

“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board).  Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D of the Board.  Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D of the Board or any comparable regulation.  The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

 

 

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

 

“Subordinated Indebtedness Documents” means any document, agreement or instrument evidencing any Subordinated Indebtedness or entered into in connection with any Subordinated Indebtedness.

 

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

 

“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Borrower.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Syndication Agent” means KeyBank National Association in its capacity as syndication agent for the credit facility evidenced by this Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

“U.S. Person” means a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

 

“U.S. Tax Certificate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(D)(2).

 

“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.

 

“Withholding Agent” means the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.03.   Terms Generally.  The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.  Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.  The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.  The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”.  The word “law” shall be construed as referring to all statutes, rules, regulations, codes and other laws (including official rulings and interpretations thereunder having the force of law or with which affected Persons customarily comply), and all judgments, orders and decrees, of all Governmental Authorities.  Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, restatements, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any definition of or reference to any statute, rule or regulation shall be construed as referring thereto as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (including by succession of comparable successor laws), (c) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to any restrictions on assignment set forth herein) and, in the case of any Governmental Authority, any other Governmental Authority that shall have succeeded to any or all functions thereof, (d) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (e) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (f) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

 

SECTION 1.04.   Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision  amended in accordance herewith.  Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made (i) without giving effect to any election under Accounting Standards Codification 825-10-25 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Borrower or any Subsidiary at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) without giving effect to any treatment of Indebtedness in respect of convertible debt instruments under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Indebtedness in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof.

 

 

SECTION 1.05.   Status of Obligations.  In the event that the Borrower shall at any time issue or have outstanding any Subordinated Indebtedness, the Borrower shall take all such actions as shall be necessary to cause the Obligations to constitute senior indebtedness (however denominated) in respect of such Subordinated Indebtedness and to enable the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to have and exercise any payment blockage or other remedies available or potentially available to holders of senior indebtedness under the terms of such Subordinated Indebtedness.  Without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations are hereby designated as “senior indebtedness” and as “designated senior indebtedness” and words of similar import under and in respect of any indenture or other agreement or instrument under which such Subordinated Indebtedness is outstanding and are further given all such other designations as shall be required under the terms of any such Subordinated Indebtedness in order that the Lenders may have and exercise any payment blockage or other remedies available or potentially available to holders of senior indebtedness under the terms of such Subordinated Indebtedness.

 

ARTICLE II

 

 

SECTION 2.01.   Commitments.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower in Dollars from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment or (b) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the Aggregate Commitment.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.

 

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

 

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

 

 

(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $2,500,000.  At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $500,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the Aggregate Commitment or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e).  Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 and not less than $500,000.  Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of four (4) Eurodollar Revolving Borrowings outstanding.

 

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.

 

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

 

(i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;

 

 

 

 

 

If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.  If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.  Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

 

 

SECTION 2.04.   Intentionally Omitted.

 

SECTION 2.05.   Swingline Loans.  (a)           Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans in Dollars to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $15,000,000 or (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the Aggregate Commitment; provided that the Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.

 

(b) To request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy), not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan.  The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the Borrower.  The Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of a credit to a deposit account of the Borrower designated by the Borrower (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e), by remittance to the Issuing Bank) by 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.

 

(c) The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Business Day require the Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of the Swingline Loans outstanding.  Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will participate.  Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each  Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.  Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.  Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.  Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders.  The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender.  Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason.  The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.

 

 

SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit.  (a)           General.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request the issuance of Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars for its own account, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period.  In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control.

 

(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions.  To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit.  If requested by the Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on the Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit.  A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) the amount of the LC Exposure shall not exceed $15,000,000 and (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitment.

 

(c) Expiration Date.  Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) (or such later date as may be agreed to by the Issuing Bank in its sole discretion) and (ii) the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.

 

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

 

(e) Reimbursement.  If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent in Dollars the amount equal to such LC Disbursement, calculated as of the date the Issuing Bank made such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an equivalent amount of such LC Disbursement and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan.  If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof.  Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders.  Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their interests may appear.  Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(j) Cash Collateralization.  If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders (the “LC Collateral Account”), an amount in cash equal to 105% of the amount of the LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of Article VII.  Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the Obligations.  The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account.  Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest.  Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account.  Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Lenders with LC Exposure  representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure), be applied to satisfy other Obligations.  If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three (3) Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.

 

 

SECTION 2.07.   Funding of Borrowings.

 

(a)           Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05.  The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing Bank.

 

(b)  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount.  In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans.  If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.

 

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

 

 

(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election.  Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision herein, this Section shall not be construed to permit the Borrower to elect an Interest Period for Eurodollar Loans that does not comply with Section 2.02(d).

 

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

 

(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(e) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

 

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

 

(b) The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $1,000,000 and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the Aggregate Commitment.

 

 

(c) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three (3) Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof.  Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied.  Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent.  Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

SECTION 2.11.   Prepayment of Loans.  The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.11.  The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one (1) Business Day before the date of prepayment or (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of prepayment.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09.  Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02.  Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing.  Prepayments shall be accompanied by (i) accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13 and (ii) break funding payments pursuant to Section 2.16.  If at any time the sum of the aggregate principal amount of all of the Revolving Credit Exposures exceeds the Aggregate Commitment, the Borrower shall immediately repay Borrowings or cash collateralize LC Exposure in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.06(j), as applicable, in an aggregate principal amount sufficient to cause the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Credit Exposures to be less than or equal to the Aggregate Commitment.

 

 

SECTION 2.12.   Fees.  (a)           The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the average daily amount of the Available Revolving Commitment of such Lender during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates.  Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof.  All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

 

(b) The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Revolving Loans on the average daily amount of such Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure and (ii) to the Issuing Bank for its own account a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the rate of 0.125% per annum on the average daily amount of the LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) attributable to Letters of Credit issued by the Issuing Bank during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure, as well as the Issuing Bank’s standard fees and commissions with respect to the issuance, amendment, cancellation, negotiation, transfer, presentment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder.  Unless otherwise specified above, participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third (3rd) Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand.  Any other fees payable to the Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within ten (10) days after demand.  All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(e) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).  The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective and any such Eurodollar Borrowing shall be repaid on the last day of the then current Interest Period applicable thereto and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(iii) subject any Recipient to any Taxes on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Excluded Taxes and (C) Other Connection Taxes on gross or net income, profits or revenue (including value-added or similar Taxes));

 

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Loan or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan or to increase the cost to such Lender or the Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the Issuing Bank hereunder, whether of principal, interest or otherwise, then the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

SECTION 2.16.   Break Funding Payments.  In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or as a result of any prepayment pursuant to Section 2.11), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11 and is revoked in accordance therewith) or (d) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event.  Such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for deposits in Dollars of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market.  A reasonably detailed certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

 

SECTION 2.17.   Taxes.  (a)           Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up.  Each payment by the Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without withholding for any Taxes, unless such withholding is required by any law. If any Withholding Agent determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it is so required to withhold Taxes, then such Withholding Agent may so withhold and shall timely pay the full amount of withheld Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law. If such Taxes are Indemnified Taxes, then the amount payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that, net of such withholding (including such withholding applicable to additional amounts payable under this Section), the applicable Recipient receives the amount it would have received had no such withholding been made.

 

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

 

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

 

 

(d) Indemnification by the Borrower.  The Borrower shall indemnify each Recipient for any Indemnified Taxes that are paid or payable by such Recipient in connection with any Loan Document (including amounts paid or payable under this Section 2.17(d)) and any 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. The indemnity under this Section 2.17(d) shall be paid within ten (10) days after the Recipient delivers to the Borrower a reasonably detailed certificate stating the amount of any Indemnified Taxes so paid or payable by such Recipient and describing the basis for the indemnification claim. Such certificate shall be conclusive of the amount so paid or payable absent manifest error. Such Recipient shall deliver a copy of such certificate to the Administrative Agent.

 

(e) Indemnification by the Lenders.  Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent for any Taxes (but, in the case of any Indemnified Taxes, only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so) attributable to such Lender that are paid or payable by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower (as applicable) 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. The indemnity under this Section 2.17(e) shall be paid within ten (10) days after the Administrative Agent delivers to the applicable Lender a certificate stating the amount of Taxes so paid or payable by the Administrative Agent. Such certificate shall be conclusive of the amount so paid or payable absent manifest error.

 

(f) Status of Lenders.  (i)                                      Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from, or reduction of, any applicable withholding Tax with respect to any payments 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, or at a reduced rate of, withholding. In addition, any Lender, if requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by 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 any withholding (including backup withholding) or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(A) through (E) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s 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. Upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, any Lender shall update any form or certification previously delivered pursuant to this Section 2.17(f). If any form or certification previously delivered pursuant to this Section expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect with respect to a Lender, such Lender shall promptly (and in any event within ten (10) days after such expiration, obsolescence or inaccuracy) notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of such expiration, obsolescence or inaccuracy and update the form or certification if it is legally eligible to do so.

 

(ii) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Borrower is a U.S. Person, any Lender with respect to the Borrower shall, if it is legally eligible to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies reasonably requested by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent) on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a party hereto, duly completed and executed copies of whichever of the following is applicable:

 

 

(A)  in the case of a Lender that is a U.S. Person, IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. Federal backup withholding tax;

 

(B) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (1) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. Federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (2) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. Federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;

 

(C) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender for whom payments under any Loan Document constitute income that is effectively connected with such Lender’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States, IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

(D) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code both (1) IRS Form W-8BEN and (2) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F (a “U.S. Tax Certificate”) to the effect that such Lender is not (a) a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (b) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, (c) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (d) conducting a trade or business in the United States with which the relevant interest payments are effectively connected;

 

(E) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender that is not the beneficial owner of payments made under this Agreement (including a partnership or a participating Lender) (1) an IRS Form W-8IMY on behalf of itself and (2) the relevant forms prescribed in clauses (A), (B), (C), (D) and (F) of this paragraph (f)(ii) that would be required of each such beneficial owner or partner of such partnership if such beneficial owner or partner were a Lender; provided, however, that if the Lender is a partnership and one or more of its partners are claiming the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, such Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Certificate on behalf of such partners; or

 

(F) any other form prescribed by law as a basis for claiming exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. Federal withholding Tax together with such supplementary documentation necessary to enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the amount of Tax (if any) required by law to be withheld.

 

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

 

 

(g) Treatment of Certain Refunds.  If any party 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 pursuant to this Section 2.17 (including additional amounts paid pursuant to this Section 2.17), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments previously made under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including any Taxes) of such indemnified party and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund).  Such indemnifying party, upon the request of such indemnified party, shall repay to such indemnified party the amount paid to such indemnifying party pursuant to the previous sentence (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event such indemnified party is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.17(g), in no event will any indemnified party be required to pay any amount to any indemnifying party pursuant to this Section 2.17(g) if such payment would place such indemnified party in a less favorable position (on a net after-Tax basis) than such indemnified party would have been in if the indemnification payments or additional amounts giving rise to such refund had never been paid. This Section 2.17(g) shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes which it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.

 

(h) Issuing Bank.  For purposes of Section 2.17(e) and (f), the term “Lender” includes the Issuing Bank.

 

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

 

(a) The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16 or 2.17, or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim.  Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon.  All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 10 South Dearborn Street, 7th  Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, except payments to be made directly to the Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto.  The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof.  If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension.  All payments hereunder shall be made in Dollars.

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

(e) 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 Issuing Bank 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 Issuing Bank, 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 Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

 

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

 

 

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

 

(b) If (i) any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, (ii) the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17 or (iii) any Lender becomes a Defaulting 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 Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations under the Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Bank), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments.  A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such  assignment and delegation cease to apply.

 

SECTION 2.20.   Expansion Option.  The Borrower may from time to time elect to increase the Commitments or enter into one or more tranches of term loans (each an “Incremental Term Loan”), in each case in minimum increments of $10,000,000 so long as, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of such increases and all such Incremental Term Loans does not exceed $50,000,000.  The Borrower may arrange for any such increase or tranche to be provided by one or more Lenders (each Lender so agreeing to an increase in its Commitment, or to participate in such Incremental Term Loans, an “Increasing Lender”), or by one or more new banks, financial institutions or other entities (each such new bank, financial institution or other entity, an “Augmenting Lender”), to increase their existing Commitments, or to participate in such Incremental Term Loans, or extend Commitments, as the case may be; provided that (i) each Augmenting Lender, shall be subject to the approval of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and (ii) (x) in the case of an Increasing Lender, the Borrower and such Increasing Lender execute an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, and (y) in the case of an Augmenting Lender, the Borrower and such Augmenting Lender execute an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto.  No consent of any Lender (other than the Lenders participating in the increase or any Incremental Term Loan) shall be required for any increase in Commitments or Incremental Term Loan pursuant to this Section 2.20.  Increases and new Commitments and Incremental Term Loans created pursuant to this Section 2.20 shall become effective on the date agreed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the relevant Increasing Lenders or Augmenting Lenders, and the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender thereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no increase in the Commitments (or in the Commitment of any Lender) or tranche of Incremental Term Loans shall become effective under this paragraph unless, (i) on the proposed date of the effectiveness of such increase or Incremental Term Loans, (A) the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02 shall be satisfied or waived by the Required Lenders and the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate to that effect dated such date and executed by a Financial Officer of the Borrower and (B) the Borrower shall be in compliance (on a Pro Forma Basis reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent) with the covenant contained in Section 6.08 and (ii) the Administrative Agent shall have received documents consistent with those delivered on the Effective Date as to the corporate power and authority of the Borrower to borrow hereunder after giving effect to such increase.  On the effective date of any increase in the Commitments or any Incremental Term Loans being made, (i) each relevant Increasing Lender and Augmenting Lender shall make available to the Administrative Agent such amounts in immediately available funds as the Administrative Agent shall determine, for the benefit of the other Lenders, as being required in order to cause, after giving effect to such increase and the use of such amounts to make payments to such other Lenders, each Lender’s portion of the outstanding Revolving Loans of all the Lenders to equal its Applicable Percentage of such outstanding Revolving Loans, and (ii) except in the case of any Incremental Term Loans, the Borrower shall be deemed to have repaid and reborrowed all outstanding Revolving Loans as of the date of any increase in the Commitments (with such reborrowing to consist of the Types of Revolving Loans, with related Interest Periods if applicable, specified in a notice delivered by the Borrower, in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.03).  The deemed payments made pursuant to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be accompanied by payment of all accrued interest on the amount prepaid and, in respect of each Eurodollar Loan, shall be subject to indemnification by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.16 if the deemed payment occurs other than on the last day of the related Interest Periods.  The Incremental Term Loans (a) shall rank pari passu in right of payment with the Revolving Loans, (b) shall not mature earlier than the Maturity Date (but may have amortization prior to such date) and (c) shall be treated substantially the same as (and in any event no more favorably than) the Revolving Loans; provided that (i) the terms and conditions applicable to any tranche of Incremental Term Loans maturing after the Maturity Date may provide for material additional or different financial or other covenants or prepayment requirements applicable only during periods after the Maturity Date and (ii) the Incremental Term Loans may be priced differently than the Revolving Loans.  Incremental Term Loans may be made hereunder pursuant to an amendment or restatement (an “Incremental Term Loan Amendment”) of this Agreement and, as appropriate, the other Loan Documents, executed by the Borrower, each Increasing Lender participating in such tranche, each Augmenting Lender participating in such tranche, if any, and the Administrative Agent.  The Incremental Term Loan Amendment may, without the consent of any other Lenders, effect such amendments to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as may be necessary or appropriate, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, to effect the provisions of this Section 2.20.  Nothing contained in this Section 2.20 shall constitute, or otherwise be deemed to be, a commitment on the part of any Lender to increase its Commitment hereunder, or provide Incremental Term Loans, at any time.

 

 

SECTION 2.21.   Defaulting Lenders.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:

 

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

 

 

(b)  the Commitment and Revolving Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 9.02); provided, that this clause (b) shall not apply to the vote of a Defaulting Lender in the case of an amendment, waiver or other modification requiring the consent of such Lender or each Lender affected thereby;

 

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

 

(i) all or any part of the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages  but only to the extent the sum of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Revolving Credit Exposures plus such Defaulting Lender’s Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure does not exceed the total of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Commitments;

 

(ii) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall within one (1) Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash collateralize for the benefit of the Issuing Bank only the Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.06(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;

 

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

 

(iv) if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to clause (i) above, then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.12(a) and Section 2.12(b) shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders’ Applicable Percentages; and

 

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

 

(d)  so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Issuing Bank shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure and the Defaulting Lender’s then outstanding LC Exposure will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.21(c), and participating interests in any such newly made Swingline Loan or any newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.21(c)(i) (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).

 

 

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

 

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

 

ARTICLE III

 

 

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

SECTION 3.04.   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 (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, certified by its chief financial officer.  Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(c) There are no strikes, lockouts or slowdowns against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries pending or, to their knowledge, threatened.  The hours worked by and payments made to employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have not been in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable Federal, state, local or foreign law relating to such matters.  All material payments due from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or for which any claim may be made against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, on account of wages and employee health and welfare insurance and other benefits, have been paid or accrued as liabilities on the books of the Borrower or such Subsidiary.  The consummation of the Transactions will not give rise to any right of termination or right of renegotiation on the part of any union under any collective bargaining agreement under which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is bound.

 

 

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

 

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

 

SECTION 3.09.   Taxes.  Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all material Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all material Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 3.10.   ERISA.  No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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

 

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

 

SECTION 3.13.   Liens.  There are no Liens on any of the real or personal properties of the Borrower or any Subsidiary except for Liens permitted by Section 6.01.

 

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

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

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

 

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

 

(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Thompson Hine LLP, counsel for the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B, and covering such other matters relating to the Borrower, the Loan Documents or the Transactions as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.  The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.

 

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

 

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

 

(e) The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence reasonably satisfactory to it that all governmental and third party approvals necessary or, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, advisable in connection with the Transactions and the continuing operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have been obtained and are in full force and effect, including without limitation, to the extent necessary, the approval of the New York State Public Service Commission.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable.

 

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

 

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

 

ARTICLE V

 

 

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

 

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

 

(a) within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, 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 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;

 

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

 

(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Section 6.08 and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Documents required to be delivered pursuant to clauses (a) and (b) of this Section 5.01 may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date on which such documents are filed for public availability on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval System; provided that the Borrower shall notify (which may be by facsimile or electronic mail) the Administrative Agent of the filing of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in every instance the Borrower shall be required to provide paper copies of the compliance certificates required by clause (c) of this Section 5.01 to the Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 5.02.   Notices of Material Events.

 

The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:

 

(a)  the occurrence of any Default;

 

(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof that, if there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination thereof, could 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, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(d) any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the 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.

 

SECTION 5.03.   Existence; Conduct of Business.

 

 

The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, qualifications, licenses, permits, privileges, franchises, governmental authorizations and intellectual property rights 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; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.02.

 

SECTION 5.04.   Payment of Obligations.

 

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

 

SECTION 5.05.   Maintenance of Properties; Insurance

 

.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and (b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations; provided that nothing in this Section 5.05 shall prevent the Borrower or any Subsidiary from ceasing to operate, or consenting to cessation of operation of, any of its plants or any other property if the Borrower in good faith determines that it is advisable not to operate the same, that the operation thereof is not essential to the maintenance and continued operation of the rest of its properties and that such cessation of operation is in the best interest of the Borrower.

 

SECTION 5.06.   Books and Records; Inspection Rights

 

.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested.  The Borrower acknowledges that the Administrative Agent, after exercising its rights of inspection, may prepare and distribute to the Lenders certain reports pertaining to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries’ assets for internal use by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 9.12.

 

SECTION 5.07.   Compliance with Laws and Material Contractual Obligations

 

.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (i) comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property (including without limitation Environmental Laws) and (ii) perform in all material respects its obligations under Material Agreements to which it is a party, in each case except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

SECTION 5.08.   Use of Proceeds

 

.  The proceeds of the Loans will be used only to finance the working capital needs, and for general corporate purposes, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.  No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X.

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

 

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

 

SECTION 6.01.   Liens.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:

 

(a) Permitted Encumbrances;

 

(b) any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01; 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 date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

 

(c) 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 the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be, and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

 

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

 

(e) irregularities in or deficiencies of title to any property which do not materially affect the use of such property by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the normal course of its business;

 

(f) any Lien on any property or asset of any corporation or other entity existing at the time such corporation or entity is acquired, merged or consolidated or amalgamated with or into the Borrower or any Subsidiary and not created in contemplation of such event;

 

(g) Liens arising out of the refinancing, extension, renewal or refunding of any Indebtedness secured by any Lien permitted by clause (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this Section 6.01; provided that such Indebtedness is not increased and is not secured by any additional assets;

 

(h) Rights of lessees arising under leases entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary as a lessor, in the ordinary course of business;

 

 

(i) Liens on personalty leased by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;

 

(j) Liens on Permitted Receivables Facility Assets arising under Permitted Receivables Facilities; and

 

(k) Liens on assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not otherwise permitted above so long as the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness and other obligations subject to such Liens does not at any time exceed $15,000,000.

 

SECTION 6.02.   Fundamental Changes and Asset Sales.  (a)           The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) any substantial part of its assets, or all or substantially all of the Equity Interests of any of its Subsidiaries (in each case, whether now owned or hereafter acquired), 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 may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving corporation;

 

(ii) any Subsidiary may merge into any other Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Subsidiary;

 

(iii) any Subsidiary may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to the Borrower or to another Subsidiary;

 

(iv) the Borrower or any Subsidiary may sell Permitted Receivables Facility Assets under Permitted Receivables Facilities; and

 

(v) any Subsidiary 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 6.03.

 

(b) The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related thereto.

 

(c) The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, change its fiscal year from the basis in effect on the Effective Date except upon written notice given to the Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 6.03.   Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger or consolidation with any Person that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger or consolidation) any capital stock, 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 Person or any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit, except:

 

 

(a) Permitted Investments;

 

(b) investments by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries existing on the date hereof in the capital stock of its Subsidiaries;

 

(c) investments, loans or advances made by the Borrower in or to any Subsidiary and made by any Subsidiary in or to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; and

 

(d) Guarantees constituting Indebtedness.

 

SECTION 6.04.   Swap Agreements.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Swap Agreement, except (a) Swap Agreements entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary has exposure (other than those in respect of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries) and (b) Swap Agreements entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates (from fixed to floating 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 Subsidiary.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 6.04 shall be construed to prohibit the Borrower or any Subsidiary from entering into any Swap Agreement to hedge or mitigate the risks of the Borrower or any Subsidiary with respect to the Equity Interests of Holdings under any plan for the benefit of employees and/or directors.

 

SECTION 6.05.   Transactions with Affiliates.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 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) in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its wholly owned Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate and (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.06.

 

SECTION 6.06.   Restricted Payments.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except (a) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to its Equity Interests, (b) Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests and (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.

 

SECTION 6.07.   Restrictive Agreements.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to holders of its Equity Interests or to make or repay loans or advances to the 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 law or by any Loan Document and (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to a Permitted Receivables Facility or 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.

 

 

SECTION 6.08. Maximum Debt to Capitalization Ratio.

 

  The Borrower will not permit the ratio (the “Debt to Capitalization Ratio”) of (i) Consolidated Total Funded Indebtedness to (ii) Consolidated Total Capitalization to be greater than 0.65 to 1.00.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

 

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

 

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

 

(b) 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 Article) payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five (5) Business Days;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

(i) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

 

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

 

(k) one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $12,000,000 shall be rendered against the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of thirty (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 the Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;

 

(l) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(m) a Change in Control shall occur;

 

(n) the occurrence of any “default”, as defined in any Loan Document (other than this Agreement) or the breach of any of the terms or provisions of any Loan Document (other than this Agreement), which default or breach continues beyond any period of grace therein provided; or

 

(o) any material provision of any Loan Document for any reason ceases to be valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms (or the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall challenge the enforceability of any Loan Document or shall assert in writing, or engage in any action or inaction based on any such assertion, that any provision of any of the Loan Documents has ceased to be or otherwise is not valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms);

 

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

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and the Borrower.  Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor.  If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank, appoint a successor Administrative Agent which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any such bank.  Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder.  The fees payable by 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 Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

 

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

 

(i) if to the Borrower, to it at Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, 284 South Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, Attention of Michael Manhardt, Director – Treasury Services (Telecopy No. (845) 486-5894; Telephone No. (845) 486-5319);

 

(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services, 10 South Dearborn, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603-2003, Attention of Yuvette Owens (Telecopy No. (888) 303-9732), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 12 Corporate Woods Boulevard, 4th Floor, Albany, New York  12110, Attention of James E. Murphy Telecopy No. (518) 433-0295);

 

(iii) if to the Issuing Bank, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services Group, 10 South Dearborn, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603-2003, Attention of Letter of Credit Team (Telecopy No. (312) 256-2608);

 

(iv) if to the Swingline Lender, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services, 10 South Dearborn, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603-2003, Attention of Yuvette Owens (Telecopy No. (888) 303-9732); and

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement and any other Loan Document may be amended (or amended and restated) with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower to each relevant Loan Document (x) to add one or more credit facilities (in addition to the Incremental Term Loans pursuant to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment) to this Agreement and to permit extensions of credit from time to time outstanding thereunder and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof to share ratably in the benefits of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with the Revolving Loans, Incremental Term Loans and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof and (y) to include appropriately the Lenders holding such credit facilities in any determination of the Required Lenders and Lenders.

 

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

 

 

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

 

SECTION 9.03.   Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

 

(a)           The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication and distribution (including, without limitation, via the internet or through a service such as Intralinks) of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and any other Loan Document, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during  any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.

 

(b) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of any Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee.  This Section 9.03(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.

 

 

(c) To the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount (it being understood that the Borrower’s failure to pay any such amount shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof); provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender in its capacity as such.

 

(d) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee (i) for any damages arising from the use by others of information or other materials obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet), or (ii) on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.

 

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

 

SECTION 9.04.Successors and Assigns

 

.  (a)           The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section.  Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit),  Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

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

 

(A) the Borrower (provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within five (5) Business Days after having received written notice thereof);  provided, further, that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee;

 

 

(B) the Administrative Agent; provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of any Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender with a Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment; and

 

(C) the Issuing Bank.

 

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

 

(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

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

 

(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, such fee to be paid by either the assigning Lender or the assignee Lender or shared between such Lenders;

 

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

 

(E) no assignment shall be made (x) to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (y) to any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (y), or (z) to a natural person.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”).  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary.  The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, the Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

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

 

(c) Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.  Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant.  The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 2.17(f) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Sections 2.18 and 2.19 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 2.15 or 2.17, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, 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.  To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(d) as though it were a Lender.  Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as an 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 this Agreement (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register to any Person (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant's interest in any Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any this Agreement) 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.

 

 

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

 

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

 

SECTION 9.06.   Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.

 

This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.  Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile or other electronic imaging shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

 

SECTION 9.07.   Severability.

 

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

 

SECTION 9.08.   Right of Setoff.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final and in whatever currency denominated) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any of and all of the Obligations held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under the Loan Documents and although such obligations may be unmatured.  The rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.

 

SECTION 9.09.   Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.

 

(a)This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.

 

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

 

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

 

 

(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01.  Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

SECTION 9.10.   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.

 

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

 

SECTION 9.11.   Headings.

 

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

 

SECTION 9.12.   Confidentiality.

 

Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii)  any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.  For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential.  Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

 

SECTION 9.13.   USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.

 

SECTION 9.14.   Interest Rate Limitation.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.

 

SECTION 9.15.   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), the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Lenders and their Affiliates, on the other hand, (B) the Borrower has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) the Borrower is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) each of the Lenders and their Affiliates 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 Borrower or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) no Lender or its Affiliates has any obligation to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) each of the Lenders and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower and its Affiliates, and no Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower or its Affiliates.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Borrower hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against each of the Lenders and their Affiliates with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.

 

SECTION 9.16.   Termination of Commitments under 2007 Credit Agreement.  Each of the signatories hereto that is also a party to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of January 2, 2007 among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as administrative agent (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified prior to the date hereof, the “2007 Credit Agreement”) hereby agrees that, as of the Effective Date, all of the commitments to extend credit under the 2007 Credit Agreement to which such signatory is a party will be terminated automatically and any and all required notice periods in connection with such termination are hereby waived and of no further force and effect.

 

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 2.01

 

COMMITMENTS

 

LENDER	COMMITMENT
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.	$35,000,000
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION	$30,000,000
HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION	$30,000,000
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.	$30,000,000
RBS CITIZENS, N.A.	$25,000,000
AGGREGATE COMMITMENT	$150,000,000

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

 

This Assignment and Assumption (the “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 in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding rights and obligations of the Assignor under the respective facilities identified below (including any letters of credit, guarantees, and swingline loans 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 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:
2.	Assignee:
		[and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [identify Lender]1]
3.	Borrower(s):	Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation
4.	Administrative Agent:	JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement
5.	Credit Agreement:	The Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2011 among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, the Lenders parties thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the other agents parties thereto

 

 

1 Select as applicable.

 

 

6.           Assigned Interest:

 

Aggregate Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders	Amount of Commitment/ Loans Assigned	Percentage Assigned of Commitment/Loans2
$	$	%
$	$	%
$	$	%

 

Effective Date:  _____________ ___, 20___ [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE 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:

 

	ASSIGNEE
	[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]
	By:
		Title:

 

 

 

Consented to and Accepted:
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent and Issuing Bank
By:
Title:
[Consented to:]3
CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION
By:
Title:

 

 

 

ANNEX I

 

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 and (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 (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 satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the Credit Agreement that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (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 has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and (v) if it is a Non-U.S. Lender, attached to the Assignment and Assumption 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.

 

 

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 B

 

OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE BORROWER

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

INCREASING LENDER SUPPLEMENT, dated __________, 20___ (this “Supplement”), by and among each of the signatories hereto, to the Credit Agreement, dated as of October 19, 2011 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.20 of the Credit Agreement, the Borrower has the right, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, to effectuate from time to time an increase in the Aggregate Commitment and/or one or more tranches of Incremental Term Loans under the Credit Agreement by requesting one or more Lenders to increase the amount of its Commitment and/or to participate in such a tranche;

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has given notice to the Administrative Agent of its intention to [increase the Aggregate Commitment] [and] [enter into a tranche of Incremental Term Loans] pursuant to such Section 2.20; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.20 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned Increasing Lender now desires to [increase the amount of its Commitment] [and] [participate in a tranche of Incremental Term Loans] under the Credit Agreement by executing and delivering to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent this Supplement;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, each of the parties hereto hereby agrees as follows:

 

1.           The undersigned Increasing Lender agrees, subject to the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement, that on the date of this Supplement it shall [have its Commitment increased by $[__________], thereby making the aggregate amount of its total Commitments equal to $[__________]] [and] [participate in a tranche of Incremental Term Loans with a commitment amount equal to $[__________] with respect thereto].

 

2.           The Borrower hereby represents and warrants that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on and as of the date hereof.

 

3.           Terms defined in the Credit Agreement shall have their defined meanings when used herein.

 

4.           This Supplement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

5.           This Supplement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same document.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Supplement to be executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer on the date first above written.

 

 

Accepted and agreed to as of the date first written above:

CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION

By:______________________________________

Name:

Title:

Acknowledged as of the date first written above:

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.

as Administrative Agent

By:______________________________________

Name:

Title:

 

 

EXHIBIT D

 

FORM OF AUGMENTING LENDER SUPPLEMENT

 

AUGMENTING LENDER SUPPLEMENT, dated __________, 20___ (this “Supplement”), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of October 19, 2011 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H

 

WHEREAS, the Credit Agreement provides in Section 2.20 thereof that any bank, financial institution or other entity may [extend Commitments] [and] [participate in tranches of Incremental Term Loans] under the Credit Agreement subject to the approval of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, by executing and delivering to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a supplement to the Credit Agreement in substantially the form of this Supplement; and

 

WHEREAS, the undersigned Augmenting Lender was not an original party to the Credit Agreement but now desires to become a party thereto;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, each of the parties hereto hereby agrees as follows:

 

1.           The undersigned Augmenting Lender agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement and agrees that it shall, on the date of this Supplement, become a Lender for all purposes of the Credit Agreement to the same extent as if originally a party thereto, with a [Commitment with respect to Revolving Loans of $[__________]] [and] [a commitment with respect to Incremental Term Loans of $[__________]].

 

2.           The undersigned Augmenting Lender (a) represents and warrants that it is legally authorized to enter into this Supplement; (b) confirms that it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and has reviewed such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Supplement; (c) agrees that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Credit Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto; (d) 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 or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are incidental thereto; and (e) agrees that it will be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement and will perform in accordance with its terms all the obligations which by the terms of the Credit Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

 

3.           The undersigned’s address for notices for the purposes of the Credit Agreement is as follows:

 

        [___________]      

 

4.           The Borrower hereby represents and warrants that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on and as of the date hereof.

 

 

5.           Terms defined in the Credit Agreement shall have their defined meanings when used herein.

 

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

 

7.           This Supplement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same document.

 

[remainder of this page intentionally left blank]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Supplement to be executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer on the date first above written.

 

Accepted and agreed to as of the date first written above:

CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION

By:______________________________________

Name:

Title:

Acknowledged as of the date first written above:

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.

as Administrative Agent

By:______________________________________

Name:

Title:

 

 

EXHIBIT E

 

LIST OF CLOSING DOCUMENTS

 

CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION

 

 

October 19, 2011

 

LIST OF CLOSING DOCUMENTS1

 

A.           LOAN DOCUMENTS

 

1.

Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) by and among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, a New York corporation (the “Borrower”), the institutions from time to time parties thereto as Lenders (the “Lenders”) and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as Administrative Agent for itself and the other Lenders (the “Administrative Agent”), evidencing a revolving credit facility to the Borrower from the Lenders in an initial aggregate principal amount of $150,000,000.

 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule 2.01	--	Commitments
Schedule 3.01	--	Subsidiaries
Schedule 6.01	--	Existing Liens

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A	--	Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit B	--	Form of Opinion of Borrower’s Counsel
Exhibit C	--	Form of Increasing Lender Supplement
Exhibit D	--	Form of Augmenting Lender Supplement
Exhibit E	--	List of Closing Documents
Exhibit F-1	--	Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Lenders That Are Not Partnerships)
Exhibit F-2	--	Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Lenders That Are Partnerships)
Exhibit F-3	--	Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Participants That Are Not Partnerships)
Exhibit F-4	--	Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Non-U.S. Participants That Are Partnerships)

2.	Notes executed by the Borrower in favor of each of the Lenders, if any, which has requested a note pursuant to Section 2.10(e) of the Credit Agreement.

 

B.           CORPORATE DOCUMENTS

 

 

 

 

3.

Certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Borrower certifying (i) that there have been no changes in the Certificate of Incorporation or other charter document of the Borrower, as attached thereto and as certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State (or analogous governmental entity) of the jurisdiction of its organization, since the date of the certification thereof by such governmental entity, (ii) the By-Laws or other applicable organizational document, as attached thereto, of the Borrower as in effect on the date of such certification, (iii) resolutions of the Board of Directors or other governing body of the Borrower authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of each Loan Document to which it is a party, and (iv) the names and true signatures of the incumbent officers of the Borrower authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and authorized to request a Borrowing or the issuance of a Letter of Credit under the Credit Agreement.

 

4.	Good Standing Certificate for the Borrower from the Secretary of State of the jurisdiction of its organization.

 

C.           OPINIONS

 

5.	Opinion of Thompson Hine LLP, counsel for the Borrower.

 

D.           CLOSING CERTIFICATES AND MISCELLANEOUS

 

6.

A Certificate signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Borrower certifying the following: (i) all of the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in the Credit Agreement are true and correct and (ii) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is then continuing.

 

7.	Approval of New York State Public Service Commission.

 

 

EXHIBIT F-1

 

FORM OF U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE

 

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

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2011 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 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 Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (v) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business.

 

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. 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 F-2

 

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

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2011 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 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 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, neither the undersigned nor any of its 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 Code, (iv) none of its partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (v) none of its partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code, and (vi) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s or its partners/members’ conduct of a U.S. trade or business.

 

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN from each of its partners/members 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 F-3

 

FORM OF U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE

 

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

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2011 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 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 Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code, and (v) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business.

 

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non- U.S. person status on IRS Form W-8BEN. 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 LENDER]

By:______________________________________

Name:

Title:

Date: ________ __, 20[__]

 

 

EXHIBIT F-4

 

FORM OF U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE

 

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

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2011 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 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 partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (iii) with respect such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its 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 Code, (iv) none of its partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (v) none of its partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code, and (vi) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s or its partners/members’ conduct of a U.S. trade or business.

 

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN from each of its partners/members 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[__]