SEVENTH AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT

EX-10.1 3 a07-10915_1ex10d1.htm EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

SEVENTH AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT

This Seventh Amendment to Loan Agreement (this “Amendment”) is entered into as of January 17, 2007, by and between COMERICA BANK(“Bank”), and CLARIENT, INC., formerly known as CHROMAVISION MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. (“Borrower”).

RECITALS

Borrower and Bank are parties to that certain Loan Agreement dated as of February 13, 2003, as amended from time to time, including but not limited to that certain First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of October 21, 2003, that certain Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of January 22, 2004,  that certain Third Amendment to Loan Agreement dated as of January 31, 2005, that certain Fourth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated as of March 11, 2005, that certain Waiver and Fifth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated as of August 1, 2005, and that certain Sixth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated as of February 28, 2006 (collectively, the “Agreement”).  The parties desire to amend the Agreement in accordance with the terms of this Amendment.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

1.             The following defined terms in Section 1.1 of the Agreement hereby are amended or restated as follows:

“Revolving Line” means a credit extension of up to Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000).

2.             Section 11 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

“11.         CHOICE OF LAW AND VENUE; JURY TRIAL WAIVER.

This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of California, without regard to principles of conflicts of law.  Jurisdiction shall lie in the State of California.  THE UNDERSIGNED ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL ONE, BUT THAT IT MAY BE WAIVED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.  TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY, AFTER CONSULTING (OR HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT) WITH COUNSEL OF ITS, HIS OR HER CHOICE, KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY, AND FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF ALL PARTIES, WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT, INSTRUMENT OR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNDERSIGNED PARTIES.”

3.             Section 12 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

“12.         REFERENCE PROVISION.

12.1         In the event the Jury Trial Waiver set forth above is not enforceable, the parties elect to proceed under this Judicial Reference Provision.

12.2         With the exception of the items specified in Section 12.3, below, any controversy, dispute or claim (each, a “Claim”) between the parties arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other document, instrument or agreement between the undersigned parties (collectively in this Section, the “Loan Documents”), will be resolved by a reference proceeding in California in accordance with the provisions of Sections 638 et seq. of the California Code of Civil Procedure (“CCP”), or their successor sections, which shall constitute the exclusive remedy for the resolution of any Claim, including whether the Claim is subject to the reference proceeding. Except as otherwise provided in the Loan Documents, venue for the reference proceeding will be in the Superior Court in the County where the real property involved in the




action, if any, is located or in a County where venue is otherwise appropriate under applicable law (the “Court”).

12.3         The matters that shall not be subject to a reference are the following: (i) nonjudicial foreclosure of any security interests in real or personal property, (ii) exercise of selfhelp remedies (including, without limitation, set-off), (iii) appointment of a receiver and (iv) temporary, provisional or ancillary remedies (including, without limitation, writs of attachment, writs of possession, temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions). This Agreement does not limit the right of any party to exercise or oppose any of the rights and remedies described in clauses (i) and (ii) or to seek or oppose from a court of competent jurisdiction any of the items described in clauses (iii) and (iv). The exercise of, or opposition to, any of those items does not waive the right of any party to a reference pursuant to this Agreement.

12.4         The referee shall be a retired Judge or Justice selected by mutual written agreement of the parties. If the parties do not agree within ten (10) days of a written request to do so by any party, then, upon request of any party, the referee shall be selected by the Presiding Judge of the Court (or his or her representative). A request for appointment of a referee may be heard on an ex parte or expedited basis, and the parties agree that irreparable harm would result if ex parte relief is not granted.

12.5         The parties agree that time is of the essence in conducting the reference proceedings. Accordingly, the referee shall be requested, subject to change in the time periods specified herein for good cause shown, to (i) set the matter for a status and trial-setting conference within fifteen (15) days after the date of selection of the referee, (ii) if practicable, try all issues of law or fact within one hundred twenty (120) days after the date of the conference and (iii) report a statement of decision within twenty (20) days after the matter has been submitted for decision.

12.6         The referee will have power to expand or limit the amount and duration of discovery.  The referee may set or extend discovery deadlines or cutoffs for good cause, including a party’s failure to provide requested discovery for any reason whatsoever. Unless otherwise ordered based upon good cause shown, no party shall be entitled to “priority” in conducting discovery, depositions may be taken by either party upon seven (7) days written notice, and all other discovery shall be responded to within fifteen (15) days after service. All disputes relating to discovery which cannot be resolved by the parties shall be submitted to the referee whose decision shall be final and binding.

12.7         Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, the referee shall determine the manner in which the reference proceeding is conducted including the time and place of hearings, the order of presentation of evidence, and all other questions that arise with respect to the course of the reference proceeding. All proceedings and hearings conducted before the referee, except for trial, shall be conducted without a court reporter, except that when any party so requests, a court reporter will be used at any hearing conducted before the referee, and the referee will be provided a courtesy copy of the transcript. The party making such a request shall have the obligation to arrange for and pay the court reporter. Subject to the referee’s power to award costs to the prevailing party, the parties will equally share the cost of the referee and the court reporter at trial.

12.8         The referee shall be required to determine all issues in accordance with existing case law and the statutory laws of the State of California. The rules of evidence applicable to proceedings at law in the State of California will be applicable to the reference proceeding. The referee shall be empowered to enter equitable as well as legal relief, enter equitable orders that will be binding on the parties and rule on any motion which would be authorized in a court proceeding, including without limitation motions for summary judgment or summary adjudication. The referee shall issue a decision at the close of the reference proceeding which disposes of all claims of the parties that are the subject of the reference.  Pursuant to CCP § 644, such decision shall be entered by the Court as a judgment or an order in the same manner as if the action had been tried by the Court and any such decision will be final, binding and conclusive.  The parties reserve the right to appeal from the final judgment or order or from any appealable decision or order entered by the referee.  The parties reserve the right to findings of fact, conclusions of laws, a written




statement of decision, and the right to move for a new trial or a different judgment, which new trial, if granted, is also to be a reference proceeding under this provision.

12.9         If the enabling legislation which provides for appointment of a referee is repealed (and no successor statute is enacted), any dispute between the parties that would otherwise be determined by reference procedure will be resolved and determined by arbitration.   The arbitration will be conducted by a retired judge or Justice, in accordance with the California Arbitration Act §1280 through §1294.2 of the CCP as amended from time to time. The limitations with respect to discovery set forth above shall apply to any such arbitration proceeding.

12.10       THE PARTIES RECOGNIZE AND AGREE THAT ALL CONTROVERSIES, DISPUTES AND CLAIMS RESOLVED UNDER THIS REFERENCE PROVISION WILL BE DECIDED BY A REFEREE AND NOT BY A JURY. AFTER CONSULTING (OR HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT) WITH COUNSEL OF ITS, HIS OR HER OWN CHOICE, EACH PARTY KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY, AND FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF ALL PARTIES, AGREES THAT THIS REFERENCE PROVISION WILL APPLY TO ANY CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CLAIM BETWEEN OR AMONG THEM ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO, THIS AGREEMENT OR THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS.”

4.             Unless otherwise defined, all initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall be as defined in the Agreement.  The Agreement, as amended hereby, shall be and remain in full force and effect in accordance with its respective terms and hereby is ratified and confirmed in all respects.  Except as expressly set forth herein, the execution, delivery, and performance of this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of, or as an amendment of, any right, power, or remedy of Bank under the Agreement, as in effect prior to the date hereof.

5.             Borrower represents and warrants that the Representations and Warranties contained in the Agreement are true and correct as of the date of this Amendment, and that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, other than under Section 8.6 of the Agreement for Borrower’s loan with GE Capital (“GE Capital Loan”).    Borrower shall be back in compliance with the GE Capital Loan by January 29, 2007, which shall be evidenced by a letter from GE Capital confirming that Borrower is back in compliance with the GE Capital Loan.

6.             As a condition to the effectiveness of this Amendment, Bank shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Bank, the following:

(a)           this Amendment, duly executed by Borrower;

(b)           a Certificate of the Secretary of Borrower with respect to incumbency and resolutions authorizing the execution and delivery of this Amendment;

(c)           a Third Amended and Restated Guaranty from each Guarantor in the form attached hereto, together with resolutions authorizing the execution and delivery of the same;

(d)           an amendment fee in the amount of $3,500, which shall be due and payable and nonrefundable on the date hereof, and which may be debited from any of Borrower’s accounts;

(e)           all Bank Expenses incurred through the date of this Amendment, including a $1,000 legal fee, which shall be due and payable and nonrefundable on the date hereof, and which may be debited from any of Borrower’s accounts; and

(f)            such other documents, and completion of such other matters, as Bank may reasonably deem necessary or appropriate.

7.             This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.




IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Amendment as of the second date above written.

 

CLARIENT, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

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COMERICA BANK

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

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