Amended and Restated Credit Agreement for $900,000,000 dated August 29, 2024 between the PHI Utilities, JPMCB, as Administrative Agent, and various financial institutions
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- Credit Agreements
EX-10.05 6 exc-ex1005_20240930q3.htm AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT OF PEPCO, DPL, AND ACE Document
Execution Version
AmericasActive:20245410.3
$900,000,000
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
August 29, 2024
among
POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, DELMARVA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY and ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC COMPANY,
as Borrowers
as Borrowers
the Lenders Party Hereto
and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent
as Administrative Agent
___________________________
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., BARCLAYS BANK PLC, BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP., CITIBANK, N.A., GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., and THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA,
as Co-Documentation Agents
as Co-Documentation Agents
___________________________
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., BOFA SECURITIES, INC., BARCLAYS BANK PLC, BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP., CITIBANK, N.A., GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AND THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA,
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE 1 Definitions 1
Section 1.01. Defined Terms............................................................................................... 1
Section 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings...................................................... 30
Section 1.03. Terms Generally.......................................................................................... 31
Section 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP.......................................................................... 31
Section 1.05. Interest Rates; Benchmark Notification....................................................... 32
Section 1.06. Letter of Credit Amounts............................................................................. 32
Section 1.07. Divisions...................................................................................................... 32
ARTICLE 2 The Credits 32
Section 2.01. Commitments............................................................................................... 32
Section 2.02. Loans and Borrowings................................................................................. 33
Section 2.03. Requests for Revolving Borrowings............................................................ 33
Section 2.04. Optional Increases in Commitments............................................................ 34
Section 2.05. Changes to Sublimits................................................................................... 35
Section 2.06. Letters of Credit........................................................................................... 35
Section 2.07. Funding of Borrowings................................................................................ 40
Section 2.08. Interest Elections......................................................................................... 40
Section 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments............................................. 41
Section 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Indebtedness......................................... 42
Section 2.11. Prepayment of Loans................................................................................... 42
Section 2.12. Fees.............................................................................................................. 43
Section 2.13. Interest......................................................................................................... 44
Section 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest............................................................................. 45
Section 2.15. Increased Costs............................................................................................ 47
Section 2.16. Break Funding Payments............................................................................. 48
Section 2.17. Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up................................................................ 49
Section 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Setoffs.................... 52
Section 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders........................................ 54
Section 2.20. Defaulting Lenders...................................................................................... 55
Section 2.21. Extension of Maturity Date......................................................................... 57
ARTICLE 3 Representations and Warranties 58
Section 3.01. Organization; Powers.................................................................................. 58
Section 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability...................................................................... 58
Section 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts...................................................... 59
Section 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Effect....................................... 59
Section 3.05. Significant Subsidiaries............................................................................... 59
Section 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters......................................................... 59
Section 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements..................................................... 60
Section 3.08. Investment Company Status........................................................................ 60
Section 3.09. Taxes............................................................................................................ 60
Section 3.10. ERISA.......................................................................................................... 60
Section 3.11. Beneficial Ownership.................................................................................. 60
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Section 3.12. Reserved...................................................................................................... 60
Section 3.13. Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions.......................................................... 60
Section 3.14. Affected Financial Institutions.................................................................... 61
Section 3.15. Reserved...................................................................................................... 61
Section 3.16. Margin Regulations..................................................................................... 61
Section 3.17. Reserved...................................................................................................... 61
Section 3.18. Exchange Act............................................................................................... 61
ARTICLE 4 Conditions 61
Section 4.01. Effective Date.............................................................................................. 61
Section 4.02. Each Credit Event........................................................................................ 62
ARTICLE 5 Affirmative Covenants 63
Section 5.01. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information................... 63
Section 5.02. Notices of Material Events.......................................................................... 65
Section 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business.................................................................. 66
Section 5.04. Payment of Obligations............................................................................... 66
Section 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance......................................................... 66
Section 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights........................................................ 66
Section 5.07. Compliance with Laws................................................................................ 66
Section 5.08. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit......................................................... 66
Section 5.09. Accuracy of Information.............................................................................. 67
ARTICLE 6 Negative Covenants 67
Section 6.01. Liens............................................................................................................ 67
Section 6.02. Fundamental Changes; Mergers and Consolidations; Disposition of Assets.......................................................................................................... 69
Section 6.03. Continuation of Businesses......................................................................... 69
Section 6.04. Restrictive Agreements................................................................................ 69
Section 6.05. Consolidated Capitalization Ratio............................................................... 70
ARTICLE 7 Events of Default 70
Section 7.01. Events of Default......................................................................................... 70
Section 7.02. Remedies Upon an Event of Default........................................................... 72
Section 7.03. Application of Payments............................................................................. 72
ARTICLE 8 The Administrative Agent 73
Section 8.01. Authorization and Action............................................................................ 73
Section 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc................... 76
Section 8.03. Posting of Communications......................................................................... 77
Section 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually....................................................... 78
Section 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent.................................................................. 78
Section 8.06. Acknowledgements of Lenders and Issuing Banks..................................... 79
Section 8.07. [Reserved].................................................................................................... 81
Section 8.08. [Reserved].................................................................................................... 81
Section 8.09. Certain ERISA Matters................................................................................ 81
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ARTICLE 9 Miscellaneous 82
Section 9.01. Notices......................................................................................................... 82
Section 9.02. Waivers; Amendments................................................................................ 83
Section 9.03. Expenses; Limitation of Liability; Indemnity, Etc...................................... 84
Section 9.04. Successors and Assigns............................................................................... 86
Section 9.05. Survival........................................................................................................ 90
Section 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution.................. 90
Section 9.07. Severability.................................................................................................. 91
Section 9.08. Right of Setoff............................................................................................. 91
Section 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process..................... 92
Section 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL....................................................................... 93
Section 9.11. Headings...................................................................................................... 93
Section 9.12. Confidentiality............................................................................................. 93
Section 9.13. Material Non-Public Information................................................................ 94
Section 9.14. Interest Rate Limitation............................................................................... 94
Section 9.15. No Fiduciary Duty, etc................................................................................ 94
Section 9.16. USA PATRIOT Act..................................................................................... 95
Section 9.17. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions................................................................................................... 95
Section 9.18. Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs.................................. 96
Section 9.19. Judgment Currency...................................................................................... 96
Section 9.20. Payments Set Aside..................................................................................... 97
Section 9.21. Effect of Amendment and Restatement; No Novation................................ 97
ARTICLE 10 OBLIGATIONS OF BORROWERS 98
Section 10.01. Separate Obligations of Borrowers.............................................................. 98
SCHEDULES:
Schedule 2.01A – Commitments
Schedule 2.01C – Letter of Credit Commitments
Schedule 2.06 – Existing Letters of Credit
Schedule 3.05 – Significant Subsidiaries
Schedule 3.06 – Disclosed Matters
Schedule 6.04 – Existing Restrictions
Schedule 9.01 – Notice Addresses
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A – Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit B – Form of Borrowing Request
Exhibit C – Form of Interest Election Request
Exhibit D – Form of Opinion of Borrower’s Counsel
Exhibit E – Form of Compliance Certificate
Exhibit F-1 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are not Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit F-2 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
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Exhibit F-3 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are not Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit F-4 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit G – Incremental Request
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AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of August 29, 2024 (this “Agreement”), among POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, a District of Columbia and Virginia corporation (“PEPCO”), DELMARVA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, a Virginia and Delaware corporation (“DPL”), ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC COMPANY, a New Jersey corporation (“ACE”), the LENDERS party hereto, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“ACE” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Additional Lender” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.04.
“Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR” means an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Daily Simple SOFR, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Adjusted Term SOFR Rate” means, for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Term SOFR Rate for such Interest Period, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (or any of its designated branch offices or affiliates), in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
“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.
“Agent-Related Person” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(d).
“Agreement” has the meaning specified in introductory paragraph hereof.
“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 NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1%
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and (c) the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for a one month Interest Period as published two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such day (or if such day is not a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the immediately preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day) plus 1%; provided that for the purpose of this definition, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for any day shall be based on the Term SOFR Reference Rate at approximately 5:00 a.m. Chicago time on such day (or any amended publication time for the Term SOFR Reference Rate, as specified by the CME Term SOFR Administrator in the Term SOFR Reference Rate methodology). Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, respectively. If the Alternate Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.14 (for the avoidance of doubt, only until the Benchmark Replacement has been determined pursuant to Section 2.14(b)), then the Alternate Base Rate shall be the greater of clauses (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Alternate Base Rate as determined pursuant to the foregoing would be less than 1.00%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1.00% for purposes of this Agreement.
“Ancillary Document” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.06(b).
“Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to each Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption.
“Applicable Governmental Authorities” means, with respect to any Borrower, FERC and any other federal or state governmental authority that has the power to regulate the amount, terms or conditions of short-term debt of such Borrower.
“Applicable Parties” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment; provided that, in the case of Section 2.20 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, “Applicable Percentage” shall mean the percentage of the total Commitments (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 ABR Loan or Term Benchmark Revolving Loan, RFR Revolving Loan or with respect to the facility fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Applicable Rate for Term Benchmark Revolving Loans and LC Fee Rate”, “Applicable Rate for ABR Loans” or “Facility Fee Rate”, as the case may be, based upon the ratings by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, respectively, applicable on such date to the Pricing Level, provided that changes in the Pricing Level shall become effective three (3) Business Days after the date of any announcement by any of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch of any change in the Debt Rating of the Borrower:
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Pricing Level | Debt Rating Moody’s/S&P/Fitch | Applicable Rate for Term Benchmark Revolving Loans, RFR Revolving Loans, SOFR Loans and LC Fee Rate | Applicable Rate for ABR Loans | Facility Fee Rate | ||||||||||
I | ≥ A1/A+/A+ | 0.800% | 0.000% | 0.075% | ||||||||||
II | A2/A/A | 0.900% | 0.000% | 0.100% | ||||||||||
III | A3/A-/A- | 1.000% | 0.000% | 0.125% | ||||||||||
IV | Baa1/BBB+/BBB+ | 1.075% | 0.075% | 0.175% | ||||||||||
V | Baa2/BBB/BBB | 1.275% | 0.275% | 0.225% | ||||||||||
VI | Baa3/BBB-/BBB- | 1.475% | 0.475% | 0.275% | ||||||||||
VII | < Baa3/BBB-/BBB- | 1.650% | 0.650% | 0.350% |
“Debt Rating” means, as of any date of determination, the Moody’s Rating, the S&P Rating or the Fitch Rating, it being understood that if a Borrower does not have such an indicative rating, an appropriate fallback will be determined by Administrative Agent in consultation with such Borrower.
For purposes of the foregoing, (x) at any time that Debt Ratings are available from each of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch and there is a split among such Debt Ratings, then (i) if any two of such Debt Ratings are in the same level, such level shall apply or (ii) if each of such Debt Ratings is in a different level, the level that is the middle level shall apply and (y) at any time that Debt Ratings are available only from any two of Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch and there is a split in such Debt Ratings, then the higher1 of such Debt Ratings shall apply, unless there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one level, in which case the level that is one level lower than the higher Debt Rating shall apply. The Debt Ratings shall be determined from the most recent public announcement of any changes in the Debt Ratings. If the rating system of Moody’s, S&P or Fitch shall change, the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent shall negotiate in good faith to amend the definition of “Debt Rating” to reflect such changed rating system and, pending the effectiveness of such amendment (which shall require the approval of the Required Lenders), the Debt Rating shall be determined by reference to the rating most recently in effect prior to such change. If a Borrower has no Moody’s Rating, no S&P Rating and no Fitch Rating, Pricing Level VII shall apply it being understood that if such Borrower does not have such indicative ratings, appropriate fallbacks will be determined by Administrative Agent in consultation with such Borrower.
“Approved Electronic Platform” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(a).
“Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b).
“Arrangers” means each of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., BofA Securities, Inc., Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citibank, N.A., Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Morgan
* It being understood and agreed, by way of example, that a Debt Rating of A- is one level higher than a Debt Rating of BBB+.
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Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., and The Bank of Nova Scotia, respectively, in its capacity as a joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption 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 (including electronic records generated by the use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.
“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.
“Available Tenor” means, as of any date of determination and with respect to the then-current Benchmark, as applicable, any tenor for such Benchmark (or component thereof) or payment period for interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark (or component thereof), as applicable, that is or may be used for determining the length of an Interest Period for any term rate or otherwise, for determining any frequency of making payments of interest calculated pursuant to this Agreement as of such date and not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any tenor for such Benchmark that is then-removed from the definition of “Interest Period” pursuant to clause (e) of Section 2.14.
“Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.
“Bail-In Legislation” means (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, regulation rule or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
“Bankruptcy Event” means, with respect to any Person, such Person becomes the subject of a voluntary or involuntary 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 or has had any order for relief in such proceeding entered in respect thereof; 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, unless such ownership interest results in or provides 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 permits such Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.
“Benchmark” means, initially, with respect to any (i) RFR Loan, the Daily Simple SOFR or (ii) Term Benchmark Loan, the Term SOFR Rate; provided that if a Benchmark Transition Event, and the related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to the Daily Simple SOFR or Term SOFR Rate, as applicable, or the then-current Benchmark, then
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“Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement to the extent that such Benchmark Replacement has replaced such prior benchmark rate pursuant to clause (b) of Section 2.14.
“Benchmark Replacement” means, for any Available Tenor, the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Administrative Agent for the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date:
(1) the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR;
(2) the sum of: (a) the alternate benchmark rate that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and each Borrower as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a replacement benchmark rate or the mechanism for determining such a rate by the Relevant Governmental Body or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a benchmark rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for dollar-denominated syndicated credit facilities at such time in the United States and (b) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
If the Benchmark Replacement as determined pursuant to clause (1) or (2) above would be less than the Floor, the Benchmark Replacement will be deemed to be the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
“Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means, with respect to any replacement of the then-current Benchmark with an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for any applicable Interest Period and Available Tenor for any setting of such Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement, the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and each Borrower for the applicable Corresponding Tenor giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement by the Relevant Governmental Body on the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date and/or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for dollar-denominated syndicated credit facilities at such time.
“Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement and/or any Term Benchmark Revolving Loan, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “Alternate Base Rate,” the definition of “Business Day,” the definition of “U.S. Government Securities Business Day,” the definition of “Interest Period,” timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest, timing of borrowing requests or prepayment, conversion or continuation notices, length of lookback periods, the applicability of breakage provisions, and other technical, administrative or operational matters) that the Administrative Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption and implementation of such Benchmark and to permit the administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Administrative Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Administrative Agent determines that no market practice for the administration of such Benchmark exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent decides is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents).
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“Benchmark Replacement Date” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:
(1) in the case of clause (1) or (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(2) in the case of clause (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the first date on which such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) has been or, if such Benchmark is a term rate, all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or component thereof) have been determined and announced by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) to be no longer representative; provided, that such non-representativeness will be determined by reference to the most recent statement or publication referenced in such clause (3) and even if such Benchmark (or component thereof) or, if such Benchmark is a term rate, any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) continues to be provided on such date.
For the avoidance of doubt, (i) if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination and (ii) the “Benchmark Replacement Date” will be deemed to have occurred in the case of clause (1) or (2) with respect to any Benchmark upon the occurrence of the applicable event or events set forth therein with respect to all then-current Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Transition Event” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:
(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof) or, if such Benchmark is a term rate, any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof);
(2) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), the Federal Reserve Board, the NYFRB, the CME Term SOFR Administrator, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component) or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), in each case, which states that the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof) or, if such Benchmark is a term rate, all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely; provided that, at the
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time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof) or, if such Benchmark is a term rate, any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such Benchmark (or such component thereof) or, if such Benchmark is a term rate, all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) are no longer, or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative.
For the avoidance of doubt, a “Benchmark Transition Event” will be deemed to have occurred with respect to any Benchmark if a public statement or publication of information set forth above has occurred with respect to each then-current Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Unavailability Period” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the period (if any) (x) beginning at the time that a Benchmark Replacement Date pursuant to clauses (1) or (2) of that definition has occurred if, at such time, no Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.14 and (y) ending at the time that a Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.14.
“Beneficial Ownership Certification” means a certification regarding beneficial ownership or control as required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.
“Beneficial Ownership Regulation” means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.
“Benefit Plan” means any of (a) an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in Section 4975 of the Code to which Section 4975 of the Code applies, and (c) any Person whose assets include (for purposes of the Plan Asset Regulations or otherwise for purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such “employee benefit plan” or “plan”.
“BHC Act Affiliate” of a party means an ‘affiliate’ (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party.
“Borrower” means each of PEPCO, ACE and DPL.
“Borrowing” means a Revolving Borrowing.
“Borrowing Request” means a request by a Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B, on file with Administrative Agent and the Borrowers, or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Business Day” means, any day (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) on which banks are open for business in New York City or Chicago, Illinois; provided that, in addition to the foregoing, a Business Day shall be any day that is only a U.S. Government Securities Business Day (a) in relation to RFR Loans and any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such RFR Loan, or any other dealings of such RFR Loan and
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(b) in relation to Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate and any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or any other dealings of such Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases or financing leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Change in Control” means 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 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of a Borrower.
“Change in Law” means the occurrence after the date of this Agreement of (a) the adoption of or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) compliance by any Lender or Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.15(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith or in the implementation thereof and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall, in each case, be deemed to be a “Change in Law,” regardless of the date enacted, adopted, issued or implemented.
“Charges” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.14.
“Class” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans.
“CME Term SOFR Administrator” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited as administrator of the forward-looking term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) (or a successor administrator).
“Co-Documentation Agent” means each of Bank of America, N.A., Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citibank, N.A., Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., and The Bank of Nova Scotia, respectively, in its capacity as a co-documentation agent hereunder.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount set forth on Schedule 2.01A opposite such Lender’s name, or in the Assignment and Assumption or other documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the New York
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Uniform Commercial Code) as provided in Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C), pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable, and giving effect to (a) any reduction in such amount from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 and (b) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04; provided, that at no time shall the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender exceed its Commitment. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $900,000,000.
“Commodity Trading Obligations” means the obligations of a Borrower under (i) any commodity swap agreement, commodity future agreement, commodity option agreement, commodity cap agreement, commodity floor agreement, commodity collar agreement, commodity hedge agreement, commodity forward contract or derivative transaction and any put, call or other agreement, arrangement or transaction, including natural gas, power, electric energy, emissions forward contracts, renewable energy credits, or any combination of any such arrangements, agreements and/or transactions, employed in the ordinary course of a Borrower’s business, or (ii) any commodity swap agreement, commodity future agreement, commodity option agreement, commodity cap agreement, commodity floor agreement, commodity collar agreement, commodity hedge agreement, commodity forward contract or derivative transaction and any put, call or other agreement or arrangement, or combination thereof (including an agreement or arrangement to hedge foreign exchange risks) in respect of commodities entered into by a Borrower pursuant to asset optimization and risk management policies and procedures adopted pursuant to authority delegated by the board of directors of a Borrower. The term “commodities” shall include electric energy and/or capacity, transmission rights, coal, petroleum, natural gas liquids, natural gas, fuel transportation rights, emissions allowances, weather derivatives and related products and by-products and ancillary services.
“Communications” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).
“Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.
“Consolidated Capitalization Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Total Indebtedness as of the last day of the applicable Test Period to (b) the sum of Consolidated Total Indebtedness plus Consolidated Stockholders’ Equity as of the last day for such Test Period.
“Consolidated Stockholders’ Equity” means, as of any date of determination, the total stockholders’ equity of a Borrower on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Total Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, the total amount of all Indebtedness of a Borrower and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the avoidance of doubt, Consolidated Total Indebtedness shall not include Nonrecourse Indebtedness.
“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.
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“Controlled Group” means each person (as defined in Section 3(9) of ERISA) that, together with a Borrower, would be deemed to be a “single employer” within the meaning of Section 414(b) or 414(c) of the Code.
“Corresponding Tenor” with respect to any Available Tenor means, as applicable, either a tenor (including overnight) or an interest payment period having approximately the same length (disregarding business day adjustment) as such Available Tenor.
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Covered Party” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Credit Party” means the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank or any other Lender.
“Daily Simple SOFR” means, for any day (a “SOFR Rate Day”), a rate per annum equal to SOFR for the day (such day “SOFR Determination Date”) that is five (5) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to (i) if such SOFR Rate Day is a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, such SOFR Rate Day or (ii) if such SOFR Rate Day is not a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately preceding such SOFR Rate Day, in each case, as such SOFR is published by the SOFR Administrator on the SOFR Administrator’s Website. Any change in Daily Simple SOFR due to a change in SOFR shall be effective from, and including, the effective date of such change in SOFR without notice to the Borrowers. If by 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the second (2nd) U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately following any SOFR Determination Date, SOFR in respect of such SOFR Determination Date has not been published on the SOFR Administrator’s Website and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Daily Simple SOFR has not occurred, then SOFR for such SOFR Determination Date will be SOFR as published in respect of the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such SOFR was published on the SOFR Administrator’s Website.
“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.
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two 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 (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
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particular default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified a 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 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 as of the date of certification) to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit 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) a Bankruptcy Event or (B) a Bail-In Action.
“Disclosed Matters” means the actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental matters disclosed in Schedule 3.06.
“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (in one transaction or in a series of transactions and whether effected pursuant to a division or otherwise) of any property by any Person (including any sale and leaseback transaction and any issuance of Equity Interests by a Subsidiary of such Person), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.
“Dollars”, “dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“DPL” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.
“EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
“EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.
“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
“Electronic Signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a Person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or record.
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“Eligible Successor” means a Person that (i) is a corporation, limited liability company or business trust duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of one of the states of the United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) as a result of a contemplated acquisition, consolidation or merger, will succeed to all or substantially all of the consolidated business and assets of a Borrower or Exelon, as applicable, (iii) upon giving effect to such contemplated acquisition, consolidation or merger, will have all or substantially all of its consolidated business and assets conducted and located in the United States and (iv) in the case of a Borrower, is acceptable to the Required Lenders as a credit matter.
“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 (i) the environment, (ii) preservation or reclamation of natural resources, (iii) the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or (iv) 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 a 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 such equity interest, but excluding any debt securities convertible into any of the foregoing.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with a Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or Section 4001(14) of ERISA or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30 day notice period is waived); (b) the failure to satisfy the “minimum funding standard” (as defined in Section 412 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 a 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 a 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 a Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal of a Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by a Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from a Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition upon such Borrower
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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.
“EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person), as in effect from time to time.
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.
“Excluded Project Subsidiary” shall mean, at any time, any Subsidiary that is an obligor (or, in the case of a Subsidiary of an Excluded Project Subsidiary that is such an obligor and is in a business that is related to the business of such Excluded Project Subsidiary that is such an obligor, is otherwise bound, or its property is subject to one or more covenants and other terms of any Nonrecourse Indebtedness outstanding at such time, regardless of whether such Subsidiary is a party to the agreement evidencing the Nonrecourse Indebtedness) with respect to any Nonrecourse Indebtedness outstanding at such time.
“Excluded Subsidiary” shall mean (a) an Excluded Project Subsidiary, (b) any captive insurance Subsidiary, (c) any not-for-profit Subsidiary or (d) any special purpose vehicle, including any Securitization Vehicle.
“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by a Borrower under Section 2.19(b)) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.17, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender acquired the applicable interest in a Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(f) and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.
“Exelon” means Exelon Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation, or any Eligible Successor thereof.
“Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of February 1, 2022 (as amended from time to time prior to the Effective Date), among the Borrowers, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan, as administrative agent.
“Existing Letter of Credit” means each letter of credit issued prior to the Effective Date by a Person that shall be an Issuing Bank and listed on Schedule 2.06.
“Existing Maturity Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21(a).
“Extending Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21(b)(ii).
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“Extension Request” means a written request from a Borrower to the Administrative Agent requesting an extension of the Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.21.
“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), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.
“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the rate calculated by the NYFRB based on such day’s federal funds transactions by depositary institutions, as determined in such manner as shall be set forth on the NYFRB’s Website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as the effective federal funds rate; provided that if the Federal Funds Effective Rate as so determined would be less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Federal Reserve Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
“FERC” means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of a Borrower.
“Fitch” means Fitch Ratings Inc.
“Fitch Rating” means, at any time, the rating issued by Fitch and then in effect with respect to a Borrower’s senior unsecured long-term public debt securities without third-party credit enhancement (it being understood that if such Borrower does not have any outstanding debt securities of the type described above but has an indicative rating from Fitch for debt securities of such type, then such indicative rating shall be used for determining the “Fitch Rating” and if such Borrower does not have such an indicative rating, but has an issuer rating from Fitch, then such issuer rating shall be used for determining the “Fitch Rating”).
“Floor” means the benchmark rate floor, if any, provided in this Agreement initially (as of the execution of this Agreement, the modification, amendment or renewal of this Agreement or otherwise) with respect to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt the initial Floor for each of Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR shall be 0%.
“Foreign Lender” means (a) if a Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if a Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which such Borrower is resident for tax purposes.
“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,
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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.
“Hedging Obligations” mean, with respect to any Person, the obligations of such Person under any interest rate or currency swap agreement, interest rate or currency future agreement, interest rate collar agreement, interest rate or currency hedge agreement, and any put, call or other agreement or arrangement designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in interest rates or currency exchange rates.
“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, demand guarantees and similar independent undertakings and (j) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. 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 or on account of any obligation of a Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in (a) hereof, Other Taxes.
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“Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(c).
“Index Debt” means senior, unsecured, long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of a Borrower that is not guaranteed by any other Person or subject to any other credit enhancement, provided, that if a Borrower does not have any outstanding debt securities of the type described, an appropriate fallback will be determined by Administrative Agent in consultation with such Borrower.
“Ineligible Institution” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b).
“Information” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.12.
“Information Memorandum” means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated August 1, 2024 relating to the Borrowers and the Transactions.
“Initial Sublimit” means, with respect to each Borrower, the amount set forth opposite its name in the table below:
Borrower | Initial Sublimit | ||||
PEPCO | $300,000,000 | ||||
DPL | $300,000,000 | ||||
ACE | $300,000,000 |
“Intangible Transition Property” means assets described as “bondable transition property” in the New Jersey Transition Bond Statute.
“Interest Election Request” means a request by a Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C, on file with the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date, (b) with respect to any RFR Loan, (1) each date that is on the numerically corresponding day in each calendar month that is one month after the Borrowing of such Loan (or, if there is no such numerically corresponding day in such month, then the last day of such month) and (2) the Maturity Date and (c) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Term Benchmark 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.
“Interest Period” means with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, three or six months thereafter (in each case, subject to the availability for the Benchmark applicable to the relevant Loan or Commitment), as a 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 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, (ii) any Interest Period that commences on
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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 and (iii) no tenor that has been removed from this definition pursuant to Section 2.14(e) shall be available for specification in such Borrowing Request or Interest Election Request. 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 each of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citibank, N.A., Goldman Sachs Bank USA,
Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., and The Bank of Nova Scotia and any other Lender that, with the consent of the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent, agrees to issue Letters of Credit hereunder, in each case in its capacity as the issuer of the applicable Letters of Credit. Each Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by any Affiliate of such Issuing Bank (provided that (i) the identity and creditworthiness of such Affiliate is reasonably acceptable to the Borrowers and (ii) no such Affiliate shall be entitled to any greater indemnification under Section 2.15 or 2.17 than that to which the applicable Issuing Bank was entitled on the date on which such Letter of Credit was issued except in connection with any indemnification entitlement arising as a result of any Change in Law after the date on which such Letter of Credit was issued), in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate (it being agreed that such Issuing Bank shall, or shall cause such branch or Affiliate to, comply with the requirements of Sections 2.06 and 2.17(f) with respect to such Letters of Credit). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., Barclays Bank PLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or any of their respective Affiliates be an “Issuing Bank” with respect to any Letter of Credit that is not a standby letter of credit.
Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., and The Bank of Nova Scotia and any other Lender that, with the consent of the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent, agrees to issue Letters of Credit hereunder, in each case in its capacity as the issuer of the applicable Letters of Credit. Each Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by any Affiliate of such Issuing Bank (provided that (i) the identity and creditworthiness of such Affiliate is reasonably acceptable to the Borrowers and (ii) no such Affiliate shall be entitled to any greater indemnification under Section 2.15 or 2.17 than that to which the applicable Issuing Bank was entitled on the date on which such Letter of Credit was issued except in connection with any indemnification entitlement arising as a result of any Change in Law after the date on which such Letter of Credit was issued), in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate (it being agreed that such Issuing Bank shall, or shall cause such branch or Affiliate to, comply with the requirements of Sections 2.06 and 2.17(f) with respect to such Letters of Credit). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., Barclays Bank PLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or any of their respective Affiliates be an “Issuing Bank” with respect to any Letter of Credit that is not a standby letter of credit.
“LC Disbursement” means a payment made by an 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 a Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the LC Exposure at such time. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of applicable law or Article 29(a) of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 600 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time) or Rule 3.13 or Rule 3.14 of the International Standby Practices, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time) or similar terms in the governing rules or laws or of the Letter of Credit itself, or if compliant documents have been presented but not yet honored, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” and “undrawn” in the amount so remaining available to be paid, and the obligations of each Borrower and each Lender shall remain in full force and effect until the Issuing Bank and the Lenders shall have no further obligations to make any payments or disbursements under any circumstances with respect to any Letter of Credit.
“LC Fee” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.12(b).
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“LC Sublimit” means $450,000,000.
“Lender Parent” means, with respect to any Lender, any Person as to which such Lender is, directly or indirectly, a subsidiary.
“Lender-Related Person” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(b).
“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01A and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Issuing Banks.
“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement and shall include each Existing Letter of Credit.
“Letter of Credit Agreement” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.06(b).
“Letter of Credit Commitment” means, with respect to each Issuing Bank, the commitment of such Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder. The initial amount of each Issuing Bank’s Letter of Credit Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01C, or if an Issuing Bank has entered into an Assignment and Assumption or has otherwise assumed a Letter of Credit Commitment after the Effective Date, the amount set forth for such Issuing Bank as its Letter of Credit Commitment in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent. The Letter of Credit Commitment of an Issuing Bank may be modified from time to time by agreement between such Issuing Bank and such Borrower, and notified to the Administrative Agent.
“Liabilities” means any losses, claims (including intraparty claims), demands, damages or liabilities of any kind.
“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.
“LLC” means any Person that is a limited liability company under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, including schedules and exhibits hereto, and any agreements entered into in connection herewith by the Borrowers or any Loan Party with or in favor of the Administrative Agent and/or the Lenders, including any amendments, modifications or supplements thereto or waivers thereof, legal opinions issued in connection with the other Loan Documents, flood determinations, letter of credit applications and any agreements between a Borrower and an Issuing Bank regarding the issuance by such Issuing Bank of Letters of Credit hereunder and/or the respective rights and obligations between a Borrower and such Issuing Bank in connection thereunder and any other documents prepared in connection with the other Loan Documents, if any.
“Loan Parties” means each Borrower.
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“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to a Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
“Margin Stock” means margin stock within the meaning of Regulations T, U and X, as applicable.
“Material Adverse Effect” means, with respect to any Borrower, a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations, prospects or condition, financial or otherwise, of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of such Borrower to perform any of its Obligations or (c) the rights of or benefits available to the Lenders under this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
“Maturity Date” means, with respect to any Lender, the later of (a) August 29, 2029 and (b) if the maturity date is extended for such Lender pursuant to Section 2.21, such extended maturity date as determined pursuant to such Section; provided, however, in each case, if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.
“Maximum Rate” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.14.
“Maximum Sublimit” means, with respect to each Borrower, the amount set forth opposite its name in the table below:
Borrower | Maximum Sublimit | ||||
ACE | Lesser of (a) $500,000,000 and (b) the maximum amount of short-term debt that ACE is authorized to have outstanding by Applicable Governmental Authorities minus any other applicable short-term debt of ACE. | ||||
DPL | Lesser of (a) $500,000,000 and (b) the maximum amount of short-term debt that DPL is authorized to have outstanding by Applicable Governmental Authorities minus any other applicable short-term debt of DPL. | ||||
PEPCO | Lesser of (a) $500,000,000 and (b) the maximum amount of short-term debt that PEPCO is authorized to have outstanding by Applicable Governmental Authorities minus any other applicable short-term debt of PEPCO. |
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“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
“Moody’s Rating” means, at any time, the rating issued by Moody’s and then in effect with respect to a Borrower’s senior unsecured long-term public debt securities without third-party credit enhancement (it being understood that if such Borrower does not have any outstanding debt securities of the type described above but has an indicative rating from Moody’s for debt securities of such type, then such indicative rating shall be used for determining the “Moody’s Rating” and if such Borrower does not have such an indicative rating, but has an issuer rating from Moody’s, then such issuer rating shall be used for determining the “Moody’s Rating”).
“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
“New Jersey Transition Bond Statute” means the New Jersey Electric Discount and Energy Corporation Act as in effect on the date hereof.
“Non-extending Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21(a).
“Nonrecourse Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness (excluding Nonrecourse Transition Bond Debt) that finances the acquisition, development, ownership or operation of an asset in respect of which the Person to which such Indebtedness is owed has no recourse whatsoever to a Borrower or any of its Affiliates other than:
(i) recourse to the named obligor with respect to such Indebtedness (the “Debtor”) for amounts limited to the cash flow or net cash flow (other than historic cash flow) from the asset;
(ii) recourse to the Debtor for the purpose only of enabling amounts to be claimed in respect of such Indebtedness in an enforcement of any security interest or lien given by the Debtor over the asset or the income, cash flow or other proceeds deriving from the asset (or given by any shareholder or the like in the Debtor over its shares or like interest in the capital of the Debtor) to secure the Indebtedness, but only if the extent of the recourse to the Debtor is limited solely to the amount of any recoveries made on any such enforcement; and
(iii) recourse to the Debtor generally or indirectly to any Affiliate of the Debtor, under any form of assurance, undertaking or support, which recourse is limited to a claim for damages (other than liquidated damages and damages required to be calculated in a specified way) for a breach of an obligation (other than a payment obligation or an obligation to comply or to procure compliance by another with any financial ratios or other tests of financial condition) by the Person against which such recourse is available.
“Nonrecourse Transition Bond Debt” means obligations evidenced by Transition Bonds rated investment grade or better by S&P or Moody’s, representing a securitization of Intangible Transition Property as to which obligations no Borrower nor any Subsidiary of a Borrower (other than a Special Purpose Subsidiary) has any direct or indirect liability (whether as primary obligor, guarantor, surety, provider of collateral security, through a put option, asset repurchase agreement, capital maintenance agreement or debt subordination agreement, or through any other right or arrangement of any nature providing direct or indirect assurance of payment or performance of any such obligation in whole or in part), except for liability to repurchase Intangible Transition Property conveyed to the securitization vehicle, on terms and conditions customary in receivables securitizations, in the event such Intangible Transition Property violates representations and warranties of scope customary in receivables securitizations.
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“NYFRB” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
“NYFRB Rate” means, for any day, the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day (or for any day that is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day); provided that if none of such rates are published for any day that is a Business Day, the term “NYFRB Rate” means the rate for a federal funds transaction quoted at 11:00 a.m. on such day received by the Administrative Agent from a federal funds broker of recognized standing selected by it; provided, further, that if any of the aforesaid rates as so determined be less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of this Agreement.
“NYFRB’s Website” means the website of the NYFRB at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source.
“Obligations” means, with respect to any Borrower, all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, such Borrower arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against such Borrower or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any debtor relief laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed or allowable claims in such proceeding. Without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations include (a) the obligation to pay principal, interest, Letter of Credit commissions, charges, expenses, fees, indemnities and other amounts payable by such Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) the obligation of such Borrower to reimburse any amount in respect of any of the foregoing that the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in each case in its sole discretion, may elect to pay or advance on behalf of such Borrower.
“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan, Letter of Credit or Loan Document).
“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 2.19).
“Outstanding Credit Extensions” means, with respect to any Borrower, the sum of (1) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Loans to such Borrower plus (2)(x) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued by any Issuing Bank at such time plus (y) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements made by such Issuing Bank that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of such Borrower at such time.
“Overnight Bank Funding Rate” means, for any day, the rate comprised of both overnight federal funds and overnight eurodollar transactions denominated in Dollars by U.S.-managed banking offices of depository institutions, as such composite rate shall be determined by
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the NYFRB as set forth on the NYFRB’s Website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as an overnight bank funding rate.
“Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).
“Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).
“Patriot Act” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.16.
“Payment” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.06(c).
“Payment Notice” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.06(c).
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Pepco” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Permitted ACE Liens” means the Lien of the Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated January 15, 1937 between ACE and The Bank of New York Mellon.
“Permitted DPL Liens” means the Lien of the Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated October 1, 1943 between DPL and The Bank of New York Mellon.
“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 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 Section 7.01(f);
(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 a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
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(g) leases, licenses, subleases or sublicenses granted to third parties in the ordinary course of business and not interfering in any material respect with the ordinary conduct of business of a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
(h) Liens in favor of a banking or other financial institution arising as a matter of law or in the ordinary course of business under customary general terms and conditions encumbering deposits or other funds maintained with a financial institution (including the right of set-off) and that are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry or arising pursuant to such banking institution’s general terms and conditions;
(i) Liens on specific items of inventory or other goods (other than fixed or capital assets) and proceeds thereof of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances or letters of credit issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods in the ordinary course of business;
(j) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business so long as such Liens only cover the related goods; and
(k) Liens encumbering reasonable customary initial deposits and margin deposits and similar Liens attaching to commodity trading accounts or other brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes;
provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.
“Permitted PEPCO Liens” means (a) the Lien of the Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated July 1, 1936 from PEPCO to The Bank of New York Mellon and (b) the Lien created by the $152,000,000 sale and leaseback on November 30, 1994 of PEPCO’s control center.
“Permitted Obligations” mean (1) Hedging Obligations of a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries arising in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with the applicable Person’s established risk management policies that are designed to protect such Person against, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates or currency exchange rates and which in the case of agreements relating to interest rates shall have a notional amount no greater than the payments due with respect to the applicable obligations being hedged and (2) Commodity Trading Obligations.
“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 a 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.
“Plan Asset Regulations” means 29 CFR § 2510.3-101 et seq., as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as amended from time to time.
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“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate” in the U.S. or, if The Wall Street Journal ceases to quote such rate, the highest per annum interest rate published by the Federal Reserve Board in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (Selected Interest Rates) as the “bank prime loan” rate or, if such rate is no longer quoted therein, any similar rate quoted therein (as determined by the Administrative Agent) or any similar release by the Federal Reserve Board (as determined by the Administrative Agent). Each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from, and including, the date such change is publicly announced or quoted as being effective.
“Proceeding” means any claim, litigation, investigation, action, suit, arbitration or administrative, judicial or regulatory action or proceeding in any jurisdiction.
“PTE” means a prohibited transaction class exemption issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, as any such exemption may be amended from time to time.
“Public-Sider” means a Lender whose representatives may trade in securities of a Borrower or its Controlling person or any of its Subsidiaries while in possession of the financial statements provided by a Borrower under the terms of this Agreement.
“QFC” has the meaning assigned to the term “qualified financial contract” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D).
“QFC Credit Support” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Rating Agency” means each of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch.
“Recipient” means (a) the Administrative Agent, (b) any Lender and (c) any Issuing Bank, as applicable.
“Reference Time” with respect to any setting of the then-current Benchmark means (1) if such Benchmark is the Term SOFR Rate, 5:00 a.m. (Chicago time) on the day that is two U.S. Government Securities Business Days preceding the date of such setting, (2) if the RFR for such Benchmark is Daily Simple SOFR, then four U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such setting or (3) if such Benchmark is none of the Term SOFR Rate or Daily Simple SOFR, the time determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion.
“Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b).
“Regulation D” means Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulation T” means Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulation X” means Regulation X of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulatory Authority” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.12.
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“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.
“Relevant Governmental Body” means, the Federal Reserve Board and/or the NYFRB, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the NYFRB or, in each case, any successor thereto.
“Relevant Rate” means (i) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or (ii) with respect to any RFR Borrowing, the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR, as applicable.
“Replacement Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21(c).
“Reportable Event” means a reportable event as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA and regulations issued under such Section with respect to a Single Employer Plan, excluding such events as to which the requirement of Section 4043(a) of ERISA that the PBGC be notified within 30 days after the occurrence of such event is waived under PBGC Regulation Section 4043, provided that a failure to meet the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code and Section 302 of ERISA shall be a Reportable Event regardless of the issuance of any such waivers in accordance with either Section 4043(a) of ERISA or Section 412(c) of the Code.
“Required Lenders” means, subject to Section 2.20, (a) at any time prior to the earlier of the Loans becoming due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01 or the Commitments terminating or expiring, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and Unfunded Commitments representing at least 50% of the sum of the Total Revolving Credit Exposure and Unfunded Commitments at such time, provided that, solely for purposes of declaring the Loans to be due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01, the Unfunded Commitment of each Lender shall be deemed to be zero; and (b) for all purposes after the Loans become due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01 or the Commitments expire or terminate, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures representing at least 50% of the Total Revolving Credit Exposure at such time; provided that, for the purpose of determining the Required Lenders needed for any waiver, amendment, modification or consent of or under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any Lender that is a Borrower or an Affiliate of a Borrower shall be disregarded.
“Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
“Response Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21(a).
“Responsible Officer” means the president, Financial Officer or other executive officer of a Borrower.
“Reuters” means, as applicable, Thomson Reuters Corp., Refinitiv, or any successor thereto.
“Revolving Borrowing” means Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Term Benchmark Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
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“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 at such time.
“Revolving Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.03.
“RFR Borrowing” means, as to any Borrowing, the RFR Loans comprising such Borrowing.
“RFR Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR.
“S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC business.
“S&P Rating” means, at any time, the rating issued by S&P and then in effect with respect to a Borrower’s senior unsecured long-term public debt securities without third-party credit enhancement (it being understood that if such Borrower does not have any outstanding debt securities of the type described above but has an indicative rating from S&P for debt securities of such type, then such indicative rating shall be used for determining the “S&P Rating” and if such Borrower does not have such an indicative rating, but has an issuer rating from S&P, then such issuer rating shall be used for determining the “S&P Rating”).
“Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea, the non-government controlled areas of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Regions of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
“Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, any Person subject or target of any Sanctions, including (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the U.S. government, including by Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce or by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority, (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country, (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b) (including, without limitation for purposes of defining a Sanctioned Person, as ownership and control may be defined and/or established in and/or by any applicable laws, rules, regulations, or orders).
“Sanctions” means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes or similar restrictions imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United State of America.
“Securitization” shall mean any transaction or series of transactions entered into by a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which such Borrower or its Subsidiary, as the case may be, sells, conveys, assigns, grants an interest in or otherwise transfers, from time to time, to one or more Securitization Vehicles the Securitization Assets (and/or grants a security interest in
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such Securitization Assets transferred or purported to be transferred to such Securitization Vehicle), and which Securitization Vehicle finances the acquisition of such Securitization Assets (i) with proceeds from the issuance of Third Party Securities, (ii) with the issuance to such Borrower or such Borrower’s Subsidiary of Sellers’ Retained Interests or an increase in such Sellers’ Retained Interests, or (iii) with proceeds from the sale or collection of Securitization Assets.
“Securitization Assets” shall mean any accounts receivable originated or expected to be originated by (and owed to) a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (in each case whether now existing or arising or acquired in the future) and any ancillary assets (including contract rights) which are of the type customarily conveyed with, or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with, such accounts receivable in a securitization transaction and which are sold, transferred or otherwise conveyed by such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to a Securitization Vehicle.
“Securitization Vehicle” shall mean a Person that is a direct wholly owned Subsidiary of a Borrower or of any of its Subsidiaries (a) formed for the purpose of effecting a Securitization, (b) to which such Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries transfers Securitization Assets and (c) which, in connection therewith, issues Third Party Securities; provided that (i) such Securitization Vehicle shall engage in no business other than the purchase of Securitization Assets pursuant to the Securitization, the issuance of Third Party Securities or other funding of such Securitization and any activities reasonably related thereto.
“Sellers’ Retained Interests” means the debt and/or Equity Interests (including any intercompany notes) held by a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in a Securitization Vehicle to which Securitization Assets have been transferred in a Securitization, including any such debt or equity received as consideration for, or as a portion of, the purchase price for the Securitization Assets transferred, and any other instrument through which such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries has rights to or receives distributions in respect of any residual or excess interest in the Securitization Assets.
“Significant Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Borrower, a “significant subsidiary” (as defined in Regulation S-X of the SEC as in effect on the date of this Agreement) of such Borrower.
“Single Employer Plan” means a Plan other than a Multiemployer Plan maintained by a Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group for employees of a Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group.
“SOFR” means a rate equal to the secured overnight financing rate as administered by the SOFR Administrator.
“SOFR Administrator” means the NYFRB (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).
“SOFR Administrator’s Website” means the NYFRB’s website, currently at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source for the secured overnight financing rate identified as such by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.
“SOFR Determination Date” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple SOFR”.
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“SOFR Rate Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple SOFR”.
“Special Purpose Subsidiary” means a direct or indirect wholly owned corporate Subsidiary of ACE, substantially all of the assets of which are Intangible Transition Property and proceeds thereof, formed solely for the purpose of holding such assets and issuing Transition Bonds and, which complies with the requirements customarily imposed on bankruptcy-remote corporations in receivables securitizations.
“Specified Indebtedness” means (a) Indebtedness incurred hereunder and (b) Nonrecourse Indebtedness.
“Sublimit” means, with respect to each Borrower, its Initial Sublimit, as the same may be modified from time to time pursuant to Sections 2.04, 2.05 and 2.09; provided that a Borrower’s Sublimit shall at no time exceed such Borrower’s Maximum Sublimit.
“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 and/or one or more subsidiaries of the parent.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of a Borrower.
“Supported QFC” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“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 a Borrower or its Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), value added taxes, or any other goods and services, use or sales taxes, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Term Benchmark” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate.
“Term SOFR Determination Day” has the meaning assigned to it under the definition of Term SOFR Reference Rate.
“Term SOFR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing and for any tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, the Term SOFR Reference Rate at
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approximately 5:00 a.m., Chicago time, two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to the commencement of such tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, as such rate is published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator.
“Term SOFR Reference Rate” means, for any day and time (such day, the “Term SOFR Determination Day”), with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars and for any tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, the rate per annum published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator and identified by the Administrative Agent as the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR. If by 5:00 pm (New York City time) on such Term SOFR Determination Day, the “Term SOFR Reference Rate” for the applicable tenor has not been published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate has not occurred, then, so long as such day is otherwise a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the Term SOFR Reference Rate for such Term SOFR Determination Day will be the Term SOFR Reference Rate as published in respect of the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such Term SOFR Reference Rate was published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator, so long as such first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day is not more than five (5) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such Term SOFR Determination Day.
“Test Period” means, for any date of determination under this Agreement, the four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters of a Borrower most recently ended as of such date of determination for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(b).
“Third Party Securities” shall mean, with respect to any Securitization, notes, bonds or other debt instruments, beneficial interests in a trust, undivided ownership interests in receivables or other securities issued for cash consideration by the relevant Securitization Vehicle to banks, financing conduits, investors or other financing sources (other than a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except in respect of the Sellers’ Retained Interest) the proceeds of which are used to finance, in whole or in part, the purchase by such Securitization Vehicle of Securitization Assets in a Securitization. The amount of any Third Party Securities shall be deemed to equal the aggregate principal, stated or invested amount of such Third Party Securities which are outstanding at such time.
“Total Revolving Credit Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Loans at such time and (b) the total LC Exposure at such time.
“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by each Borrower of this Agreement, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“Transition Bonds” means bonds described as “transition bonds” in the New Jersey Transition Bond Statute.
“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 Term SOFR Rate, the Alternate Base Rate or the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR.
“UK Financial Institutions” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct
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Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.
“UK Resolution Authority” means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.
“Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement excluding the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“Unfunded Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the Commitment of such Lender less its Revolving Credit Exposure.
“Unfunded Liabilities” means, (i) in the case of any Single Employer Plan, the amount (if any) by which the present value of all vested nonforfeitable benefits under such Plan exceeds the fair market value of all Plan assets allocable to such benefits, all determined as of the then most recent evaluation date for such Plan, and (ii) in the case of any Multiemployer Plan, the withdrawal liability that would be incurred by the Controlled Group if all members of the Controlled Group completely withdrew from such Multiemployer Plan.
“U.S. Government Securities Business Day” means any day except for (i) a Saturday, (ii) a Sunday or (iii) a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in United States government securities.
“U.S. Person” means a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(B)(3).
“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
“Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.
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 “Term Benchmark Loan” or an “RFR Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark
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Revolving Loan” or an “RFR Revolving Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Borrowing” or an “RFR Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing” or an “RFR Revolving Borrowing”).
Section 1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement, (e) any reference to any law, rule or regulation herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law, rule or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time 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. (a) 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 a Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that such 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 a 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, without giving effect to (i) any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) any treatment of Indebtedness under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 or 2015-03 (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.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 1.04(a) or in the definition of “Capital Lease Obligations,” any change in accounting for leases pursuant to GAAP resulting from the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“FAS 842”), to the extent such adoption would require treating any lease (or similar arrangement conveying the right to use) as a capital lease where such lease (or similar arrangement) would not have been required to be so treated under GAAP as
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in effect on December 31, 2015, such lease shall not be considered a capital lease, and all calculations and deliverables under this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be made or delivered, as applicable, in accordance therewith.
Section 1.05. Interest Rates; Benchmark Notification. The interest rate on a Loan denominated in dollars may be derived from an interest rate benchmark that may be discontinued or is, or may in the future become, the subject of regulatory reform. Upon the occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, Section 2.14(b) provides a mechanism for determining an alternative rate of interest. The Administrative Agent does not warrant or accept any responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, the administration, submission, performance or any other matter related to any interest rate used in this Agreement, or with respect to any alternative or successor rate thereto, or replacement rate thereof, including without limitation, whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement reference rate will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of, the existing interest rate being replaced or have the same volume or liquidity as did any existing interest rate prior to its discontinuance or unavailability. The Administrative Agent and its affiliates and/or other related entities may engage in transactions that affect the calculation of any interest rate used in this Agreement or any alternative, successor or alternative rate (including any Benchmark Replacement) and/or any relevant adjustments thereto, in each case, in a manner adverse to a Borrower. The Administrative Agent may select information sources or services in its reasonable discretion to ascertain any interest rate used in this Agreement, any component thereof, or rates referenced in the definition thereof, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to any Borrower, any Lender or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or calculation of any such rate (or component thereof) provided by any such information source or service.
Section 1.06. Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the amount of such Letter of Credit available to be drawn at such time; provided that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms, provides for one or more automatic increases in the available amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum amount is available to be drawn at such time.
Section 1.07. Divisions. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction’s laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person, and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized and acquired on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.
ARTICLE 2
THE CREDITS
THE CREDITS
Section 2.01. Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans in Dollars to any Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result (after giving effect to any application of proceeds of such Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.10) in such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment; provided that, for any Borrower, the Outstanding Credit Extensions to such Borrower shall at no time exceed such Borrower’s
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respective Sublimit. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.
Section 2.02. Loans and Borrowings. (a) Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.
(b) Subject to Section 2.14, each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Term Benchmark Loans, as a Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Lender at its option may make any Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of each Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000. At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing and/or RFR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e). 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 ten Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowings or RFR Borrowings outstanding.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, a 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, a Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by submitting a Borrowing Request (a)(i) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three U.S. Government Securities Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (ii) in the case of an RFR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, five U.S. Government Securities Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on 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 Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be signed by a Responsible Officer of such Borrower. Each such Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing, a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing;
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(iv) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and
(v) the location and number of each Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07.
If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, then a 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. Optional Increases in Commitments. Each Borrower may, from time to time, by means of a letter delivered to the Administrative Agent substantially in the form of Exhibit G (an “Incremental Request”), request that the Commitments be increased by an aggregate amount (for all such increases) not exceeding $500,000,000 by (a) increasing the Commitments of one or more Lenders that have agreed to such increase (in their sole discretion) and/or (b) adding one or more commercial banks or other Persons as a party hereto (each an “Additional Lender”) with a Commitments in an amount agreed to by any such Additional Lender; provided that (i) any increase in the Commitments shall be in an aggregate amount of $25,000,000 or a higher integral multiple of $1,000,000; (ii) no Additional Lender shall be added as a party hereto without the written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Banks (which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld) or if a Default or Event of Default exists; (iii) subject to Section 9.04(b), no such increase shall be effective without the written consent of the Issuing Banks (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed); (iv) a Borrower may not request an increase in the Commitments unless such Borrower has delivered to the Administrative Agent (with a copy for each Lender) a certificate (A) stating that any applicable governmental authority has approved such increase, (B) attaching evidence, reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, of each such approval and (C) stating that the representations and warranties contained in Article III are correct on and as of the date of such certificate as though made on and as of such date and that no Default or Event of Default exists on such date; and (v) any such increase shall be allocated among each Borrower’s Sublimit in accordance with the Incremental Request (it being understood that any such Sublimit changes shall not count as one of the eight Sublimit reallocations the Borrowers are permitted each fiscal year under Section 2.05). Any increase in the Commitments pursuant to this Section 2.04 shall be effective three Business Days after the date on which the Administrative Agent has received and accepted the applicable increase letter in the form of Annex 1 to Exhibit G (in the case of an increase in the Commitments of an existing Lender) or assumption letter in the form of Annex 2 to Exhibit G (in the case of the addition of a commercial bank or other Person as a new Lender). The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify such Borrower and the Lenders of any increase in the Commitments pursuant to this Section 2.04 and of the Commitments and Pro rata Commitment of each Lender after giving effect thereto. Each Borrower shall prepay any Loans outstanding on the effective date of such increase (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 9.03) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Loans ratable among the Lenders in accordance with any revised Pro rata Commitments arising from any non-ratable increase in the Commitments under this Section 2.04; provided that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Administrative Agent, such Borrower and each increasing Lender and Additional Lender, as applicable, may make arrangements satisfactory to such parties to cause an increasing Lender or an Additional Lender to temporarily hold risk participations in the outstanding Loans of the other Lenders (rather than fund its Pro rata Commitment of all
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outstanding Loans concurrently with the applicable increase) with a view toward minimizing breakage costs and transfers of funds in connection with any increase in the Commitments. To the extent that any increase pursuant to this Section 2.04 is not expressly authorized pursuant to resolutions or consents delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(c), such Borrower shall, prior to the effectiveness of such increase, deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate signed by an authorized officer of such Borrower certifying and attaching the resolutions or consents that have been adopted to approve or consent to such increase.
Section 2.05. Changes to Sublimits. The Borrowers may reallocate amounts of the aggregate Commitments among the respective Sublimits of the Borrowers (i.e., increase the Sublimits of one or more Borrowers and decrease the Sublimits of one or more other Borrowers by the same aggregate amount); provided that (i) each Sublimit shall be a multiple of $10,000,000 at all times, (ii) the Borrowers shall provide at least three Business Days’ written notice to the Administrative Agent, which notice shall specify the amount of any such reallocation, (iii) no Borrower’s Sublimit may be reduced below the amount of the Revolving Credit Exposure to such Borrower nor increased to an amount greater than such Borrower’s Maximum Sublimit, (iv) the sum of the Sublimits of the respective Borrowers shall at all times equal the aggregate amount of the aggregate Commitments, (v) the aggregate number of reallocations that the Borrowers may undertake pursuant to this subsection (c) shall not exceed eight (8) reallocations per fiscal year during the term of this Agreement (it being understood that increasing or decreasing the Sublimits of any or all of the Borrowers on a single occasion shall constitute only one (1) reallocation), and (vi) any such increase in a Borrower’s Sublimit shall be accompanied or preceded by evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Agent as to appropriate corporate authorization therefor.
Section 2.06. Letters of Credit.
(a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Borrower may request any Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit as the applicant thereof for the support of its or its Subsidiaries’ obligations, in a form reasonably acceptable to such Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period.
(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), a Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the respective Issuing Bank) to an Issuing Bank selected by it and to the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment or extension, but in any event no less than three Business Days) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended or extended, and specifying the date of issuance of the Letter of Credit, amendment 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 or extend such Letter of Credit. In addition, as a condition to any such Letter of Credit issuance, such Borrower shall have entered into a continuing agreement (or other letter of credit agreement) for the issuance of letters of credit and/or shall submit a letter of credit application, in each case, as required by the respective Issuing Bank and using such Issuing Bank’s standard form (each, a “Letter of Credit Agreement”). In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any Letter of Credit Agreement, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment or extension of each Letter of Credit such Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance,
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amendment or extension (i) (x) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued by any Issuing Bank at such time plus (y) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements made by such Issuing Bank that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of such Borrower at such time shall not exceed its Letter of Credit Commitment, provided that any such issuance, amendment or extension which results in such Issuing Bank’s LC Exposure exceeding its Letter of Credit Commitment shall be issuable in the sole discretion of such Issuing Bank, (ii) the LC Exposure shall not exceed the LC Sublimit and (iii) no Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure shall exceed (A) its Commitment or (B) such Borrower’s respective Sublimit. A Borrower may, at any time and from time to time, reduce the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank with the consent of such Issuing Bank; provided that such Borrower shall not reduce the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank if, after giving effect of such reduction, the conditions set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) above shall not be satisfied.
An Issuing Bank shall not be under any obligation to issue, amend or extend any Letter of Credit if:
(i) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain such Issuing Bank from issuing, amending or extending such Letter of Credit, or request that such Issuing Bank refrain from issuing, amending or extending such Letter of Credit, or any law applicable to such Issuing Bank shall prohibit, the issuance, amendment or extension of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular, or any such order, judgement or decree, or law shall impose upon such Issuing Bank with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital or liquidity requirement (for which such Issuing Bank is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Effective Date, or shall impose upon such Issuing Bank any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense that was not applicable on the Effective Date and that such Issuing Bank in good faith deems material to it; or
(ii) the issuance, amendment or extension of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of such Issuing Bank applicable to letters of credit generally.
(c) Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire (or be subject to termination by notice from the applicable Issuing Bank to the beneficiary thereof) 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 extension of the expiration date thereof, one year after the then-current expiration date at the time of such extension), but in no event beyond the period specified in clause (ii) hereof and (ii) the date that is five 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 or extending the term thereof) and without any further action on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank or the Lenders, such Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from such 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 respective Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by a Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to a Borrower for any reason, including after the Maturity Date. Each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligations to acquire participations pursuant to this
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paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit and to make payments in respect of such acquired participations are absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments.
(e) Reimbursement. If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, such Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if such 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 such 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 such Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that, such Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing, and such Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing, as applicable. If such 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 such 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 such 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 respective Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from such Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the respective Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse such Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and such Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve such Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.
(f) Obligations Absolute. Each 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, any Letter of Credit Agreement 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 respective 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, such Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor any Issuing Bank, nor any of their respective 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, document, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required
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to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms, any error in translation or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the respective Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse an Issuing Bank from liability to a Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by each Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by such Borrower that are caused by such 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 an Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), such 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, an 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 for any Letter of Credit shall, within the time allowed by applicable law or the specific terms of the Letter of Credit following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under such Letter of Credit. Such Issuing Bank shall promptly after such examination notify the Administrative Agent and such Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic mail) of such demand for payment if such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that such notice need not be given prior to payment by the Issuing Bank and any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve such Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.
(h) Interim Interest. If the Issuing Bank for any Letter of Credit shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless such 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 reimbursement is due and payable at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans and such interest shall be due and payable on the date when such reimbursement is payable; provided that, if such Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(d) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of such 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 such Issuing Bank for such LC Disbursement shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(i) Replacement and Resignation of an Issuing Bank. (i) An Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among a 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 an Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, such 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, (x) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued by it thereafter and (y) 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
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Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit or extend or otherwise amend any existing Letter of Credit.
(ii) Any Issuing Bank may resign as an Issuing Bank at any time upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, the Borrowers and the Lenders, in which case, such resigning Issuing Bank shall be replaced in accordance with Section 2.06(i)(i) above.
(j) Cash Collateralization. If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that a 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, such Borrower shall deposit in an account or accounts with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders (the “Collateral Account”), an amount in cash equal to 105% 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 such Borrower described in Section 7.01(e). Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of such Borrower under this Agreement. In addition, and without limiting the foregoing or paragraph (c) of this Section, if any LC Exposure remains outstanding after the expiration date specified in said paragraph (c), such Borrower shall immediately deposit into the Collateral Account an amount in cash equal to 105% of such LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
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 such 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 each Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed, together with related fees, costs and customary processing charges, and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of such 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 such 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 such Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.
(k) Letters of Credit Issued for Account of Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder supports any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, or states that a Subsidiary is the “account party,” “applicant,” “customer,” “instructing party,” or the like of or for such Letter of Credit, and without derogating from any rights of the applicable Issuing Bank (whether arising by contract, at law, in equity or otherwise) against such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit, each Borrower (i) shall reimburse, indemnify and compensate the applicable Issuing Bank hereunder for such Letter of Credit (including to reimburse any and all drawings thereunder) as if such Letter of Credit had been
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issued solely for the account of such Borrower and (ii) irrevocably waives any and all defenses that might otherwise be available to it as a guarantor or surety of any or all of the obligations of such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit. Each Borrower hereby acknowledges that the issuance of such Letters of Credit for its Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of such Borrower, and that such Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.
Section 2.07. Funding of Borrowings. (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof solely 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. Except in respect of the provisions of this Agreement covering the reimbursement of Letters of Credit, the Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to a Borrower by promptly crediting the funds so received in the aforesaid account of the Administrative Agent to an account of such Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and designated by such 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 such Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and such Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from, and including, the date such amount is made available to such Borrower to, but excluding, the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of such Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
Section 2.08. Interest Elections. (a) Each Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, a Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. A Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.
(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, a Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if such Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be signed by a Responsible Officer of such Borrower.
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(c) Each 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 Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing; and
(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.
If any such Interest Election Request requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then each 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 a Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Term Benchmark 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 deemed to have an Interest Period that is one month. 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 such Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, (A) each Term Benchmark Borrowing and (B) each RFR Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing immediately, and, for the avoidance of doubt, will be subject to the breakage fees as further described in Section 2.16(a) herein.
Section 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments. (a) Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
(b) A Borrower may at any time terminate the Commitments or, from time to time reduce, its Sublimit, which will (unless the Borrowers request to reallocate amounts of the aggregate Commitments hereunder among the respective Sublimits of the Borrowers in accordance with Section 2.05) reduce the aggregate Commitments hereunder (so that the sum of the Sublimits of all of the Borrowers equals such reduced aggregate Commitments); provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $10,000,000 and not less than $50,000,000 and (ii) each 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, any Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure would exceed its Commitment.
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(c) The applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three 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 a Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by such Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by such 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 Indebtedness. (a) Each Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender, the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date.
(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of such 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 such 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 Borrowers 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, each Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to 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.
Section 2.11. Prepayment of Loans. (a) Each 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 paragraph (b) of this Section.
(b) Such Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic mail) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of (1) a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment or (2) an RFR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, five Business Days before the date of prepayment, or (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City
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time, one Business Day before 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 accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13 and any break funding payments required by Section 2.16.
(c) If at any time, a Borrower’s Outstanding Credit Extensions exceed such Borrower’s Sublimit, such Borrower shall immediately prepay Loans (or if all Loans to such Borrower have been paid, prepay LC Exposure) in an amount (rounded upward, if necessary, to an integral multiple of $1,000,000) sufficient to eliminate such excess.
Section 2.12. Fees. (a) Each Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender, a facility fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate for such Borrower on the daily amount of the Commitment of such Lender (whether used or unused) of each Borrower’s Sublimit during the period from, and including, the Effective Date to, but excluding, the date on which such Commitment terminates; provided that, if such Lender continues to have any Revolving Credit Exposure after the termination of its Commitment, then such facility fee shall continue to accrue on the daily amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure from, and including, the date on which its Commitment terminates to, but excluding, the date on which such Lender ceases to have any Revolving Credit Exposure to such Borrower. Facility fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable in arrears on the fifteenth day following such last day and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof; provided that any facility fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. All facility 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 and the last day of each period but excluding the date on which the Commitments terminate).
(b) Each Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender, a participation fee (the “LC Fee”) with respect to its participations in each outstanding Letter of Credit, which shall accrue on the daily maximum amount then available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Term Benchmark Revolving Loans, 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 each Issuing Bank for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, which shall accrue at the rate or rates per annum separately agreed upon between such Borrower and such Issuing Bank on the daily maximum amount then available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit, 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 with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, as well as such Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment or extension of any Letter of Credit and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of such Issuing bank relating the Letters of Credit as from time to time in effect. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and
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December of each year shall be payable on the fifteenth 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 an Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 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) Each 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 such Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
(d) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid by each Borrower in proportion to the Borrowers’ respective Initial Sublimits on the dates due, in dollars in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to an Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of facility 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 shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.
(b) The Loans comprising each Term Benchmark Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.
(c) Each RFR Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR plus the Applicable Rate.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by a 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.
(e) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) 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 Term Benchmark 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.
(f) Interest computed by reference to the Term SOFR Rate or Daily Simple SOFR hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days. Interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate only 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). In each case
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interest shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). All interest hereunder on any Loan shall be computed on a daily basis based upon the outstanding principal amount of such Loan as of the applicable date of determination. A determination of the applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, Term SOFR Rate, Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR or Daily Simple SOFR shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
Section 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest. (a) Subject to clauses (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of this Section 2.14, if:
(i) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate (including because the Term SOFR Reference Rate is not available or published on a current basis), for such Interest Period or (B) at any time, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the applicable Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR; or
(ii) the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate 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 or (B) at any time, Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR 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;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrowers and the Lenders by telephone, telecopy or electronic mail as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until (x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrowers and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) a Borrower delivers a new Interest Election Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.08 or a new Borrowing Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03, (1) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing and any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be an Interest Election Request or a Borrowing Request, as applicable, for (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not also the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) an ABR Borrowing if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR also is the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above and (2) any Borrowing Request that requests an RFR Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be a Borrowing Request, as applicable, for an ABR Borrowing; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then all other Types of Borrowings shall be permitted. Furthermore, if any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan is outstanding on the date of a Borrower’s receipt of the notice from the Administrative Agent referred to in this Section 2.14(a) with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, then until (x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrowers and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) a Borrower delivers a new Interest Election Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.08 or a new Borrowing Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan (or the next succeeding Business Day if such day is not a Business Day), be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not also the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) an ABR Loan
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if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR also is the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above, on such day, and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute an ABR Loan.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred prior to the Reference Time in respect of any setting of the then-current Benchmark, then (x) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of such Benchmark setting and subsequent Benchmark settings without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (y) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of any Benchmark setting at or after 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date notice of such Benchmark Replacement is provided to the Lenders without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document so long as the Administrative Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection to such Benchmark Replacement from Lenders comprising the Required Lenders of each affected Class.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(d) The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrowers and the Lenders of (i) any occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, (ii) the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, (iii) the effectiveness of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes, (iv) the removal or reinstatement of any tenor of a Benchmark pursuant to clause (e) below and (v) the commencement or conclusion of any Benchmark Unavailability Period. Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Administrative Agent or, if applicable, any Lender (or group of Lenders) pursuant to this Section 2.14, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection, will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in its or their sole discretion and without consent from any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except, in each case, as expressly required pursuant to this Section 2.14.
(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, at any time (including in connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement), (i) if the then-current Benchmark is a term rate (including the Term SOFR Rate) and either (A) any tenor for such Benchmark is not displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion or (B) the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark has provided a public statement or publication of information announcing that any tenor for such Benchmark is or will be no longer representative, then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for any Benchmark settings at or after such time to remove such unavailable or non-
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representative tenor and (ii) if a tenor that was removed pursuant to clause (i) above either (A) is subsequently displayed on a screen or information service for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement) or (B) is not, or is no longer, subject to an announcement that it is or will no longer be representative for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement), then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for all Benchmark settings at or after such time to reinstate such previously removed tenor.
(f) Upon any Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, such Borrower may revoke any request for (i) a Term Benchmark Borrowing, conversion to or continuation of Term Benchmark Loans to be made, converted or continued or (ii) a RFR Borrowing or conversion to RFR Loans, during any Benchmark Unavailability Period and, failing that, such Borrower will be deemed to have converted any request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing, as applicable, into a request for a Borrowing of or conversion to (A) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (B) an ABR Borrowing if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event. During any Benchmark Unavailability Period or at any time that a tenor for the then-current Benchmark is not an Available Tenor, the component of ABR based upon the then-current Benchmark or such tenor for such Benchmark, as applicable, will not be used in any determination of ABR. Furthermore, if any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan is outstanding on the date of such Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, then until such time as a Benchmark Replacement is implemented pursuant to this Section 2.14, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan (or the next succeeding Business Day if such day is not a Business Day), be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (y) an ABR Loan if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event, on such day and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute an ABR Loan.
Section 2.15. Increased Costs. (a) If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, liquidity or similar requirement (including any compulsory loan requirement, insurance charge or other assessment) 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 Term SOFR Rate) or Issuing Bank;
(ii) impose on any Lender or Issuing Bank or the applicable offshore interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein; or
(iii) subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender or such other Recipient of making, continuing, converting or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce
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the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then each Borrower will pay to such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If any Lender or Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or 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 such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time each Borrower will pay to such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c) A certificate of a Lender or Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or 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 a Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Borrower shall pay such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that a Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or 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 Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrowers of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or 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. (a) With respect to Loans that are not RFR Loans, in the event of (i) the payment of any principal of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or an optional or mandatory prepayment of Loans), (ii) the conversion of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (iii) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Term Benchmark Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith) or (iv) the assignment of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, each Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrowers and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
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(b) With respect to RFR Loans, in the event of (i) the payment of any principal of any RFR Loan other than on the Interest Payment Date applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or an optional or mandatory prepayment of Loans), (ii) the failure to borrow or prepay any RFR Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith) or (iii) the assignment of any RFR Loan other than on the Interest Payment Date applicable thereto as a result of a request by a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, such Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrowers and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
Section 2.17. Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up.
(a) Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of each Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable law. If any applicable law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an applicable withholding agent) requires the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by a withholding agent, then the applicable withholding agent shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding and shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law and, if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by such Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.
(b) Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. Each Borrower shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for, Other Taxes.
(c) Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by a Borrower to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section, such 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. Each Borrower shall indemnify each Recipient, within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient 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. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to a Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(e) Indemnification by the Lenders. Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that a Borrower has not already indemnified the
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Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of such Borrower to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 9.04(c) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to setoff and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this paragraph (e).
(f) Status of Lenders. (i) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(A), (ii)(B) and (ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.
(ii) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that a Borrower is a U.S. Person,
(A) any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to each Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of such Borrower or the Administrative Agent), an executed copy of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;
(B) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to each Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of such Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:
(1) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, an executed copy of IRS Form
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W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or 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;
(2) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming that its extension of credit will generate U.S. effectively connected income, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8ECI;
(3) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F-1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of a Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) an executed copy of IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN; or
(4) to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8BEN, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F-2 or Exhibit F-3, IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;
(C) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to each Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of such Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies of any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit such Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and
(D) if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to each Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably
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requested by a Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by such Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for such Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify each Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.
(g) [Reserved].
(h) 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 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under this Section with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including 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 over pursuant to this paragraph (h) (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event that such indemnified party is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (h), in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this paragraph (h) the payment of which would place the indemnified party in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the indemnified party would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This paragraph shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.
(i) Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.
(j) Defined Terms. For purposes of this Section, the term “Lender” includes any Issuing Bank and the term “applicable law” includes FATCA.
Section 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Setoffs. (a) Each Borrower shall make each payment or prepayment 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) in Dollars prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on
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the date when due or the date fixed for any prepayment hereunder, in immediately available funds, without setoff, recoupment 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 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, except payments to be made directly to Issuing Banks 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) At any time that payments are not required to be applied in the manner required by Section 7.03, 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) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Revolving Loans or participations in LC Disbursements resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements 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 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; 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 a 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 to any assignee or participant, other than to a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). Each Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against a Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(d) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received, prior to any date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Lenders or the Issuing Banks, pursuant to the terms hereof or any other Loan Document (including any date that is fixed for prepayment by notice from a Borrower to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.11(b)), notice from a Borrower that such Borrower will not make such payment or prepayment, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Borrower has made such payment on such date in
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accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if a Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the Issuing Banks, 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 NYFRB Rate.
Section 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders. (a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if a Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Sections 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. Each Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if a Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, or if any Lender becomes Defaulting Lender, then such 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 (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 2.15 or 2.17) and obligations under this Agreement and the other 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) such Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Banks), 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, 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 such 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 such Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply. Each party hereto agrees that (A) an assignment required pursuant to this paragraph may be effected pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption executed by such Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the assignee (or, to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and such parties are participants), and (B) the Lender required to make such assignment need not be a party thereto in order for such assignment to be effective and shall be deemed to have consented to an be bound by the terms thereof; provided that, following the effectiveness of any such assignment, the other parties to such assignment agree to execute and deliver such documents necessary to evidence such assignment as reasonably requested by the applicable Lender; provided that any such documents shall be without recourse to or warranty by the parties thereto.
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Section 2.20. 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 Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12;
(b) any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Section 7.03 or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 9.08 shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to any Issuing Bank hereunder; third, to cash collateralize LC Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with this Section; fourth, as a Borrower may request (so long as no Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and a Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) cash collateralize future LC Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance with this Section; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the Issuing Banks against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; seventh, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to a Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by a Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; and eighth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or LC Disbursements in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made or the related Letters of Credit were issued at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and LC Disbursements owed to, all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or LC Disbursements owed to, such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans and funded and unfunded participations in a Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments without giving effect to clause (d) below. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post cash collateral pursuant to this Section shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.
(c) 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 (c) shall not apply to the vote of a Defaulting Lender in
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the case of an amendment, waiver or other modification requiring the consent of such Lender or each Lender affected thereby;
(d) if any LC Exposure exists at the time such Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:
(i) all or any part of the 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 that such reallocation does not, as to any non-Defaulting Lender, cause such non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure to exceed its Commitment;
(ii) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the applicable Borrower shall within one Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent prepay, cash collateralize for the benefit of the Issuing Banks only such 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 7.02(c) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;
(iii) if a Borrower cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure pursuant to clause (ii) above, such 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 any Issuing Bank or any other Lender hereunder, all facility fees that otherwise would have been payable to such Defaulting Lender (solely with respect to the portion of such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment that was utilized by such LC Exposure) and 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 Banks until and to the extent that such LC Exposure is reallocated and/or cash collateralized; and
(e) so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, no Issuing Bank shall 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 a Borrower in accordance with Section 2.20(d), and LC Exposure related to any newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.20(d)(i) (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).
If (i) a Bankruptcy Event or a Bail-In Action with respect to a Lender Parent shall occur following the date hereof and for so long as such event shall continue or (ii) any 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, no Issuing Bank shall be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless the Issuing Banks, as the case
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may be, shall have entered into arrangements with a Borrower or such Lender, satisfactory to Issuing Bank, as the case may be, to defease any risk to it in respect of such Lender hereunder.
In the event that each of the Administrative Agent, the applicable Borrower, and each Issuing Bank agrees that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the 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 as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.
Section 2.21. Extension of Maturity Date. (a) Each Borrower may, by delivering an Extension Request to the Administrative Agent (who shall promptly deliver a copy to each of the Lenders), no later than 60 days in advance of each anniversary of the Effective Date, request that the Lenders extend the Maturity Date in effect at such time (the “Existing Maturity Date”) to the first anniversary of such Existing Maturity Date. Each Lender, acting in its sole discretion, shall, by written notice to the Administrative Agent given not later than the date that is the 20th day after the date of the Extension Request, or if such date is not a Business Day, the immediately following Business Day (the “Response Date”), advise the Administrative Agent in writing whether or not such Lender agrees to the requested extension. Each Lender that advises the Administrative Agent that it will not extend the Existing Maturity Date is referred to herein as a “Non-extending Lender”; provided, that any Lender that does not advise the Administrative Agent of its consent to such requested extension by the Response Date and any Lender that is a Defaulting Lender on the Response Date shall be deemed to be a Non-extending Lender. The Administrative Agent shall notify such Borrower, in writing, of the Lenders’ elections promptly following the Response Date. The election of any Lender to agree to such an extension shall not obligate any other Lender to so agree. The Maturity Date (i) may be extended no more than two times pursuant to this Section 2.21, (ii) may not be extended more than once in any twelve-month period and (iii) shall, in no event, after giving effect to any such extension, be later than five (5) years from the date such extension becomes effective.
(b) (i) If, by the Response Date, Lenders holding Commitments that aggregate 50% or more of the total Commitments shall constitute Non-extending Lenders, then the Existing Maturity Date shall not be extended and the outstanding principal balance of all Loans and other amounts payable hereunder shall be payable, and the Commitments shall terminate, on the Existing Maturity Date in effect prior to such extension.
(ii) If (and only if), by the Response Date, Lenders holding Commitments that aggregate more than 50% of the total Commitments shall have agreed to extend the Existing Maturity Date (each such consenting Lender, an “Extending Lender”), then effective as of the Existing Maturity Date, the Maturity Date for such Extending Lenders shall be extended to the first anniversary of the Existing Maturity Date (subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.21(d)). In the event of such extension, the Commitment of each Non-extending Lender shall terminate on the Existing Maturity Date in effect for such Non-extending Lender prior to such extension and the outstanding principal balance of all Loans and other amounts payable hereunder to such Non-extending Lender shall become due and payable on such Existing Maturity Date and, subject to Section 2.21(c) below, the total Commitments hereunder shall be reduced by the Commitments of the Non-extending Lenders so terminated on such Existing Maturity Date. Any such reduction in the total Commitments hereunder shall be allocated among each Borrower’s Sublimit in accordance with the written notice of the Borrowers to the Administrative Agent.
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(c) In the event of any extension of the Existing Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.21(b)(ii), a Borrower shall have the right on or before the Existing Maturity Date, at its own expense, to require any Non-extending Lender to transfer and assign without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04) all its interests, rights (other than its rights to payments pursuant to Section 2.15, Section 2.16, Section 2.17 or Section 9.03 arising prior to the effectiveness of such assignment) and obligations under this Agreement to one or more banks or other financial institutions identified to the Non-extending Lender by such Borrower, which may include any existing Lender (each a “Replacement Lender”); provided that (i) such Replacement Lender, if not already a Lender hereunder, shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent and each Issuing Bank (such approvals to not be unreasonably withheld) to the extent the consent of the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Banks would be required to effect an assignment under Section 9.04(b), (ii) such assignment shall become effective as of a date specified by such Borrower (which shall not be later than the Existing Maturity Date in effect for such Non-extending Lender prior to the effective date of the requested extension) and (iii) the Replacement Lender shall pay to such Non-extending Lender in immediately available funds on the effective date of such assignment the principal of and interest accrued to the date of payment on the outstanding principal amount Loans made by it hereunder and all other amounts accrued and unpaid for its account or otherwise owed to it hereunder on such date.
(d) As a condition precedent to each such extension of the Existing Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.21(b)(ii), a Borrower shall (i) deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of such Borrower dated as of the Existing Maturity Date signed by a Responsible Officer of such Borrower certifying that, as of such date, both before and immediately after giving effect to such extension, (A) the representations and warranties of such Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct and (B) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii) first make such prepayments of the outstanding Loans and second provide such cash collateral (or make such other arrangements satisfactory to the applicable Issuing Bank) with respect to the outstanding Letters of Credit as shall be required such that, after giving effect to the termination of the Commitments of the Non-extending Lenders pursuant to Section 2.21(b) and any assignment pursuant to Section 2.21(c), the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure less the amount of any Letter of Credit supported by any such cash collateral (or other satisfactory arrangements) so provided does not exceed the aggregate amount of Commitments being extended.
(e) For the avoidance of doubt, (i) no consent of any Lender (other than the existing Lenders participating in the extension of the Existing Maturity Date) shall be required for any extension of the Maturity Date pursuant to this Section 2.21 and (ii) the operation of this Section 2.21 in accordance with its terms is not an amendment subject to Section 9.02.
ARTICLE 3
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Each Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
Section 3.01. Organization; Powers. Such Borrower is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization.
Section 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within such Borrower’s corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, stockholder action. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Borrower and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Borrower, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
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moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
Section 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of such Borrower 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 such Borrower or its respective assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Borrower, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of, or the requirement to create, any Lien on any asset of the Borrower. No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license, authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or exemption by, or other action in respect of any governmental or public body or authority (including the FERC), or any subdivision thereof (any of the foregoing, and “Approval”), is required to be obtained by such Borrower in connection with the execution and delivery by such Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, the borrowings and obtaining of Letters of Credit by such Borrower under this Agreement, the payment and performance by such Borrower of its Obligations or the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against such Borrower of any Loan Document to which such Borrower is a party, except for such Approvals which have been issued or obtained by such Borrower and which are in full force and effect.
Section 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Effect.
(a) (i) The consolidated balance sheet of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at December 31, 2023 and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year then ended, certified by Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, copies of which have been furnished to each Lender, fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial condition of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at such dates and the consolidated results of the operations of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the periods ended on such dates in accordance with GAAP; and (ii) since December 31, 2023, there has been no Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Except as disclosed in such Borrower’s annual, quarterly or current Reports, each as delivered in connection with Section 5.01 and/or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and delivered to the Lenders prior to the Effective Date, there is no pending or threatened action, investigation or proceeding affecting such Borrower or any Subsidiary before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator that may reasonably be anticipated to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or threatened action or proceeding against such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that purports to affect the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against such Borrower of this Agreement. Since December 31, 2023, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets, operations, prospects or condition, financial or otherwise, of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
Section 3.05. Significant Subsidiaries. Schedule 3.05 correctly sets forth the ownership interest of each of PEPCO, DPL and ACE in their respective Significant Subsidiaries as of the Effective Date both before and after giving effect to the Transactions.
Section 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters. (a) Except as disclosed in such Borrower’s annual, quarterly or current Reports, each as delivered in connection with Section 5.01 and/or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and delivered to the Lenders
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prior to the Effective Date, there is no pending or threatened action, investigation or proceeding affecting such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator that may reasonably be anticipated to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or threatened action or proceeding against such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that purports to affect the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against such Borrower of this Agreement.
(b) Except for the Disclosed Matters and 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, such Borrower (i) has not 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 not become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has not received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) has no knowledge of any basis for any Environmental Liability.
(c) Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Such 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. No Default has occurred and is continuing.
Section 3.08. Investment Company Status. None of the Borrowers is required to register as an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Section 3.09. Taxes. Such Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which such Borrower 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. Beneficial Ownership. As of the Effective Date, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, the information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification provided on or prior to the Effective Date to any Lender in connection with this Agreement is true and correct in all respects.
Section 3.12. Reserved.
Section 3.13. Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions. None of (a) each Borrower, any Subsidiary, any of their respective directors or officers, or (b) to the knowledge of each Borrower, any affiliate, agent or employee of such Borrower or any Subsidiary have engaged in any activity or conduct which would violate any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws or any applicable Sanctions and each Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to
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ensure compliance by such Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and each Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors and to the knowledge of each Borrower, its employees and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects. None of (a) each Borrower, any Subsidiary, any of their respective directors or officers or employees, or (b) to the knowledge of each Borrower, any affiliate or agent of such Borrower or any Subsidiary that will act in any capacity in connection with, or benefit from the credit facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person. No Borrowing or Letter of Credit, use of proceeds or other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will violate any Anti-Corruption Law or applicable Sanctions.
Section 3.14. Affected Financial Institutions. No Borrower is an Affected Financial Institution.
Section 3.15. Reserved.
Section 3.16. Margin Regulations. Such Borrower and its respective Subsidiaries is not engaged and will not engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, and no part of the proceeds of any Borrowing and no Letter of Credit issued hereunder will be used to buy or carry any Margin Stock. Following the application of the proceeds of each Borrowing or drawing under each Letter of Credit, not more than 25% of the value of the assets (either of such Borrower only or of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) will be Margin Stock.
Section 3.17. Reserved.
Section 3.18. Exchange Act. No proceeds of any Loan have been or will be used directly or indirectly in connection with the acquisition of in excess of 5% of any class of equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act or any transaction subject to the requirements of Section 13 or 14 of the Exchange Act.
ARTICLE 4
CONDITIONS
CONDITIONS
Section 4.01. Effective Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks 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 each party hereto a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party (which, subject to Section 9.06(b), may include any Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page).
(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 Ballard Spahr LLP, counsel for the Borrowers, substantially in the form of Exhibit D, and covering such other matters relating to the Borrowers, this Agreement or the Transactions as the Required Lenders shall reasonably request. Each Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.
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(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 each Borrower, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrowers, this Agreement or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
(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 each Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02.
(e) The Administrative Agent and the Lenders 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 each Borrower hereunder.
(f) The Lenders shall have received the audited financial statements and the unaudited quarterly financial statements of each Borrower referred to in Section 5.01, in the case of (i) the audited financial statements, for the two most recent fiscal years ended prior to the Effective Date as to which such financial statements are available and for the portion of the current fiscal year preceding the Effective Date and (ii) the unaudited quarterly financial statements, for each quarterly period ended subsequent to the date of the latest financial statements delivered pursuant to the immediately preceding clause (i) as to which such financial statements are available.
(g) (i) The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least five days prior to the Effective Date, all documentation and other information regarding each Borrower requested in connection with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act, to the extent requested in writing of such Borrower at least 10 days prior to the Effective Date and (ii) to the extent any Borrower qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, at least five days prior to the Effective Date, any Lender that has requested, in a written notice to such Borrower at least 10 days prior to the Effective Date, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to such Borrower shall have received such Beneficial Ownership Certification (provided that, upon the execution and delivery by such Lender of its signature page to this Agreement, the condition set forth in this clause (ii) shall be deemed to be satisfied).
(h) The Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (through the Administrative Agent) may reasonably request.
The Administrative Agent shall notify each Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 29, 2024 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time)
Section 4.02. Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of each Issuing Bank to issue, amend or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
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(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrowers set forth in this Agreement (excluding the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.04(a)(ii) and the first sentence of Section 3.06(a)) shall be true and correct on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment 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 or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(c) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or issuance, amendment or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, such Borrower’s Outstanding Credit Extensions will not exceed such Borrower’s borrowing authority as allowed by Applicable Governmental Authorities.
(d) In the event a Borrower intends to request a Revolving Borrowing, Administrative Agent shall have received a Borrowing Request in accordance with Section 2.03 hereof.
(e) In the event a Borrower intends to request the issuance, amendment, or extension of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank selected by such Borrower shall have received a notice requesting such issuance in accordance with Section 2.06(b) hereof.
Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrowers on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.
ARTICLE 5
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been irrevocably paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, each Borrower, solely for itself and not for any other Borrower, and, in the case of Sections 5.03, 5.04, 5.05, 5.06, 5.07 and 5.08, its Subsidiaries covenant(s) and agree(s) with the Lenders that:
Section 5.01. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information. Each Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, including their Public-Siders:
(a) as soon as available and in any event within 60 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries, a copy of the Borrower’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to such quarter (or, if such Borrower is not required to file a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, copies of an unaudited consolidated balance sheet of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the end of such quarter and the related consolidated statement of operations of such Borrower for the portion of such Borrower’s fiscal year ending on the last day of such quarter, in each case prepared in accordance with GAAP, subject to the absence of footnotes and to year-end adjustments), together with a certificate of an authorized officer of such Borrower stating that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or, if any such Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, a statement as to the nature thereof and the action which such Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto;
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(b) as soon as available and in any event within 105 days after the end of each fiscal year of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries, a copy of the Borrower’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to such fiscal year (or, if such Borrower is not required to file an Annual Report on Form 10-K, the consolidated balance sheet of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the last day of such fiscal year and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity (if applicable) and cash flows of such Borrower for such fiscal year, certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or other certified public accountants of recognized national standing), together with a certificate of an authorized officer of such Borrower stating that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or, if any such Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, a statement as to the nature thereof and the action which such Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto;
(c) concurrently with the delivery of the quarterly and annual reports referred to in subsections (a) and (b) above, a compliance certificate in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit E, duly completed and signed by a Financial Officer of such Borrower;
(d) except as otherwise provided in clause (a) or (b) above, promptly after the sending or filing thereof, copies of all reports that any Borrower sends to its security holders generally, and copies of all Reports on Form 10-K, 10-Q or 8-K, and registration statements and prospectuses that any Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries files with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange (except to the extent that any such registration statement or prospectus relates solely to the issuance of securities pursuant to employee purchase, benefit or dividend reinvestment plans of such Borrower or its respective Subsidiaries);
(e) promptly upon becoming aware of the institution of any steps by any Borrower or any other Person to terminate any Plan, or the failure to make a required contribution to any Plan if such failure is sufficient to give rise to a lien under section 430(k) of the Code, or the taking of any action with respect to a Plan which could result in the requirement that such Borrower furnish a bond or other security to the PBGC or such Plan, or the occurrence of any event with respect to any Plan which could result in the incurrence by such Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group of any material liability, fine or penalty, notice thereof and a statement as to the action such Borrower or such member of the Controlled Group proposes to take with respect thereto;
(f) promptly after any Rating Agency shall have announced a change in the rating established or deemed to have been established for the Index Debt, written notice of such rating change;
(g) promptly following any request therefor, (x) such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of each Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) may reasonably request and (y) information and documentation reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender for purposes of compliance with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation; and
(h) such other information respecting the condition, operations or business, financial or otherwise, of such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as any Lender, through the Administrative Agent, may from time to time reasonably request (including any information that any Lender reasonably requests in order to comply with its obligations under any “know your customer” or anti-money laundering laws or regulations, including the Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation).
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Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a), (b) or (e) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and, if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which such materials are publicly available as posted on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR); or (ii) on which such documents are posted on any Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether made available by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (A) upon written request by the Administrative Agent (or any Lender through the Administrative Agent) to any Borrower, such Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or such Lender until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (B) each Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender (by telecopier or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents. The Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery of or to maintain paper copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by a Borrower with any such request by a Lender for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for timely accessing posted documents or requesting delivery of paper copies of such document to it and maintaining its copies of such documents.
Section 5.02. Notices of Material Events. Each Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:
(a) as soon as possible, and in any event within five Business Days after the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default with respect to such Borrower continuing on the date of such statement, a statement of an authorized officer of such Borrower setting forth details of such Default or Event of Default and the action which such Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto;
(b) any change in the credit ratings from a credit rating agency, or the placement by a credit rating agency of such Borrower or its parent on a “CreditWatch” or “WatchList” or any similar list, in each case with negative implications, or the cessation by a credit rating agency of, or its intent to cease, rating such Borrower’s debt;
(c) any change in the information provided in the Beneficial Ownership Certification delivered to such Lender that would result in a change to the list of beneficial owners identified in such certification; and
(d) 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 liability of a Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $50,000,000.
Each notice delivered under this Section (i) shall be in writing, (ii) shall contain a heading or a reference line that reads “Notice under Section 5.02 of Potomac Electric Power Company, Delmarva Power & Light Company, and Atlantic City Electric Company Amended & Restated Credit Agreement dated August 29, 2024” and (iii) shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of such 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. Each Borrower will do or cause to be done, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to do, or cause to be done all things necessary to
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preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.02.
Section 5.04. Payment of Obligations. Each 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) such Borrower 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. Each 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.
Section 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights. Each Borrower will, at any reasonable time and from time to time, pursuant to prior notice delivered to such Borrower, permit any Lender, or any agent or representative of any thereof, to examine and, at such Lender’s expense, make copies of, and abstracts from the records and books of account of, and visit the properties of, such Borrower and any Significant Subsidiary and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of such Borrower and any Significant Subsidiary with any of their respective officers; provided that any non-public information (which has been identified as such by such Borrower or the applicable Significant Subsidiary) obtained by any Lender or any of its agents or representatives pursuant to this Section 5.06 shall be treated confidentially by such Person; provided, further, that such Person may disclose such information to (a) any other party to this Agreement, its examiners, Affiliates, outside auditors, counsel or other professional advisors in connection with this Agreement, (b) to any direct, indirect, actual or prospective counterparty (and its advisor) to any swap, derivative or securitization transaction related to the obligations under this Agreement, (c) to any credit insurance provider or (d) if otherwise required to do so by law or regulatory process (it being understood that, unless prevented from doing so by any applicable law or governmental authority, such Person shall use reasonable efforts to notify such Borrower of any demand or request for any such information promptly upon receipt thereof so that such Borrower may seek a protective order or take other appropriate action).
Section 5.07. Compliance with Laws. Each Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each Borrower will maintain in effect and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by such Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions.
Section 5.08. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit. The proceeds of the Revolving Loans will be used only (i) to refinance, on the Effective Date, any amounts outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement, (ii) pay for costs and expenses required to be paid pursuant to Section 2.12, and (iii) for general limited liability company or corporate purposes (including the making of acquisitions), but in no event for any purpose that would be contrary to Section 3.13,
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3.16 or 3.18. 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 Federal Reserve Board, including Regulations T, U and X. Each Borrower will not request any Borrowing or use any Letter of Credit, and such Borrower shall not use, and shall ensure that its Subsidiaries and its or their respective directors, officers, employees and agents shall not use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of any Borrowing or use any Letter of Credit (a) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, (b) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, or (c) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto (including any Person participating in the Loans hereunder, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor, lender, hedge provider, facility or security agent or otherwise).
Section 5.09. Accuracy of Information. Each Borrower will ensure that any information, including financial statements or other documents, furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder contains no material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and the furnishing of such information shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by such Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in this Section.
ARTICLE 6
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, each Borrower, solely for itself and not for any other Borrower, covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
Section 6.01. Liens. No Borrower will, nor will it permit any of its Significant Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it or any such Significant Subsidiary, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:
(a) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s, landlords’ repairmen’s, materialmen’s and mechanics’ Liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business;
(b) Liens granted by a Special Purpose Subsidiary to secure Nonrecourse Transition Bond Debt of such Special Purpose Subsidiary;
(c) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges, levies, or fines (including such amounts arising under environmental law) on property of a Borrower if the same shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without a material penalty, or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;
(d) Liens upon or in any property acquired in the ordinary course of business to secure the purchase price of such property or to secure any obligation incurred solely for the purpose of financing the acquisition of such property;
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(e) Liens existing on property at the time of the acquisition thereof (other than any such Lien created in contemplation of such acquisition unless permitted by the preceding clause (d));
(f) Liens granted in connection with any financing arrangement for the purchase of nuclear fuel or the financing of pollution control facilities, limited to the fuel or facilities so purchased or acquired;
(g) Liens arising in connection with sales or transfers of, or financing secured by, accounts receivable or related contracts, provided that any such sale, transfer or financing shall be on arms’ length terms;
(h) Liens securing Permitted Obligations and reimbursement obligations in respect of letters of credit issued to support Permitted Obligations;
(i) Permitted Encumbrances;
(j) (i) In the case of PEPCO, Permitted PEPCO Liens, (ii) in the case of DPL, Permitted DPL Liens and (iii) In the case of ACE, Permitted ACE Liens;
(k) Liens arising out of pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance, compensation arrangements, supplemental retirement plans arising out of pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance, compensation arrangements, supplemental retirement plans or other social security or similar legislation;
(l) Liens constituting attachment, judgment and other similar Liens arising in connection with court proceedings to the extent not constituting an Event of Default under Section 7.01(f);
(m) Liens created in the ordinary course of business to secure liability to insurance carriers and Liens on insurance policies and the proceeds thereof (whether accrued or not), rights or claims against an insurer or other similar asset securing insurance premium financings;
(n) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business;
(o) Liens in the nature of rights of setoff, bankers’ liens, revocation, refund, chargeback, counterclaim, netting of cash amounts or similar rights as to deposit accounts, commodity accounts or securities accounts or other funds maintained with a credit or depository institution;
(p) Liens consisting of pledges of industrial development, pollution control or similar revenue bonds in connection with the remarketing of such bonds;
(q) Liens created under Section 2.20 and similar cash collateralization obligations relating to defaulting lenders and remedies upon default;
(r) Liens resulting from any restriction on any Equity Interest (or project interest, interests in any energy facility (including undivided interests)) of a Person providing for a breach, termination or default under any owners, participation, shared facility, joint venture, stockholder, membership, limited liability company or partnership agreement between such Person and one or more other holders of Equity Interests (or project interest, interests in any energy facility
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(including undivided interests)) of such Person, to the extent a security interest or other Lien is created on any such interest as a result thereof;
(s) Liens granted on cash or cash equivalents to defease or repay Indebtedness of a Borrower no later than 60 days after the creation of such Lien;
(t) Liens created in connection with sales, transfers, leases, assignment or other conveyances or Dispositions of assets, including (A) Liens on assets or securities granted or deemed to arise in connection with and as a result of the execution, delivery or performance of contracts to purchase or sell such assets or securities, and (B) rights of first refusal, options or other contractual rights or obligations to sell, assign or otherwise dispose of any interest therein; and
(u) Liens, other than those described above in this Section 6.01, provided that the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness secured by Liens permitted by this clause (v) shall not exceed at any one time outstanding (a) $400,000,000 for PEPCO and its Significant Subsidiaries, (b) $400,000,000 for DPL and its Significant Subsidiaries and (c) $400,000,000 for ACE and its Significant Subsidiaries.
Section 6.02. Fundamental Changes; Mergers and Consolidations; Disposition of Assets. Merge with or into or consolidate with or into, or sell, assign, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to any Person or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so, except that (i) any Subsidiary of a Borrower may merge with or into or consolidate with or transfer assets to any Subsidiary of such Borrower, (ii) any Subsidiary of a Borrower may merge with or into or consolidate with or transfer assets to such Borrower, (iii) a Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into any Subsidiary of such Borrower thereof formed for the purpose of converting such Borrower into a corporation, (iv) a Borrower or any Subsidiary may merge with or into or consolidate with or transfer assets to any other Person, and (v) the sale of Intangible Transition Property to a Special Purpose Subsidiary in connection with such Special Purpose Subsidiary’s issuance of Nonrecourse Transition Bond Debt; provided that, in each case, (A) immediately before and after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (except in the case where any Subsidiary may merge with or into or consolidate with or transfer assets to any other Subsidiary), (B) in the case of any such merger, consolidation or transfer of assets to which a Borrower is a party, either (x) such Borrower shall be the surviving entity or (y) the surviving entity shall be an Eligible Successor and shall have assumed all of the obligations of such Borrower under this Agreement and the Letters of Credit pursuant to a written instrument in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Administrative Agent shall have received an opinion of counsel in form and substance satisfactory to it as to the enforceability of such obligations assumed, and (C) subject to clause (B) above, in the case of any such merger, consolidation or transfer of assets to which any Subsidiary is a party, a Subsidiary shall be the surviving entity or transferee (as applicable).
Section 6.03. Continuation of Businesses. Engage, or permit any Subsidiary to engage, in any line of business which is material to such Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than businesses engaged in by such Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof and reasonable extensions thereof.
Section 6.04. Restrictive Agreements. Each Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than any Excluded Subsidiary) to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of such Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to create, incur or
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permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any of such Borrower’s Subsidiaries to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to any shares of its capital stock or to make or repay loans or advances to such Borrower or any other Subsidiary of such Borrower or to Guarantee Indebtedness of such Borrower or any other Subsidiary of such Borrower; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by this Agreement, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.04 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or condition), (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale; provided that such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (iv) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness and (v) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment thereof.
Section 6.05. Consolidated Capitalization Ratio. Each Borrower will not permit the Consolidated Capitalization Ratio as of the last day of any Test Period to exceed 0.65:1.00.
ARTICLE 7
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
Section 7.01. Events of Default. If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:
(a) Any Borrower shall fail to pay (i) any principal of any Loan when the same becomes due and payable, (ii) any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement within one Business Day after the same becomes due and payable or (iii) any interest on any Loan or any other amount payable by such Borrower hereunder within three Business Days after the same becomes due and payable;
(b) Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of such Borrower herein or by such Borrower (or any of its officers) pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall prove to have been incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made, or deemed made;
(c) Such Borrower shall fail to perform or observe (i) any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 5.02, 5.03 (with respect to Borrower’s existence), 5.08 or Article 6 or (ii) any other term, covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement on its part to be performed or observed if the failure to perform or observe such other term, covenant or agreement shall remain unremedied for 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to such Borrower by the Administrative Agent (which notice shall be given by the Administrative Agent at the written request of any Lender);
(d) Any Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries shall fail to pay any principal of or premium or interest on any Indebtedness that is outstanding in a principal amount in excess of $50,000,000 in the aggregate (but excluding Specified Indebtedness) when the same becomes due and payable (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), and such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Indebtedness; or any other event shall occur or condition shall exist under any agreement or instrument relating to any such Indebtedness and
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shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in such agreement or instrument, if the effect of such event or condition is to accelerate, or to permit the acceleration of, the maturity of such Indebtedness; or any such Indebtedness shall be declared to be due and payable, or required to be prepaid (other than by a regularly scheduled required prepayment), prior to the stated maturity thereof, other than any acceleration of any Indebtedness secured by equipment leases or fuel leases of such Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries as a result of the occurrence of any event requiring a prepayment (whether or not characterized as such) thereunder, which prepayment will not result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(e) Any Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries shall generally not pay its debts as such debts become due, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or any proceeding shall be instituted by or against such Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries seeking to adjudicate it as bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking the entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for any substantial part of its property and, in the case of any such proceeding instituted against it (but not instituted by it), either such proceeding shall remain undismissed or unstayed for a period of 60 days, or any of the actions sought in such proceeding (including the entry of an order for relief against, or the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for, it or for any substantial part of its property) shall occur; or such Borrower or any or its Significant Subsidiaries shall take any corporate or limited liability company action to authorize or to consent to any of the actions set forth above in this Section 7.01(e);
(f) One or more judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount exceeding $50,000,000 (excluding any such judgments or orders to the extent covered by insurance, subject to any customary deductible, and under which the applicable insurance carrier has not denied coverage) shall be rendered against any Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries and either (i) enforcement proceedings shall have been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order or (ii) there shall be any period of 30 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect;
(g) (i) Any Reportable Event that the Required Lenders determine in good faith is reasonably likely to result in the termination of any Single Employer Plan or in the appointment by the appropriate United States District Court of a trustee to administer a Single Employer Plan shall have occurred and be continuing 60 days after written notice to such effect shall have been given to such Borrower by the Administrative Agent; (ii) any Single Employer Plan shall be terminated; (iii) a Trustee shall be appointed by an appropriate United States District Court to administer any Single Employer Plan; (iv) the PBGC shall institute proceedings to terminate any Single Employer Plan or to appoint a trustee to administer any Single Employer Plan; or (v) such Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan; provided that on the date of any event described in clauses (i) through (v) above, the Unfunded Liabilities of the applicable Plan exceed $50,000,000;
(h) any Borrower shall fail to be a wholly-owned direct or indirect subsidiary of Exelon (other than as a result of Exelon distributing the capital stock of such Borrower to Exelon’s shareholders generally); or
(i) any material provision of any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or
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satisfaction in full of all Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Borrower or any other Person contests in writing the validity or enforceability of any provision of any Loan Document; or any Borrower denies in writing that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports in writing to revoke, terminate or rescind any Loan Document; or
(j) a Change in Control shall have occurred.
Section 7.02. Remedies Upon an Event of Default. If an Event of Default occurs (other than an Event of Default (with respect to a Borrower) pursuant to Section 7.01(e)), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such Event of Default, the Administrative Agent may with the consent of the Required Lenders, and shall at the request of the Required Lenders, by notice to such Borrower, take any or all of the following actions, at the same or different times:
(a) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately;
(b) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder and under any other Loan Document, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each Borrower;
(c) require that such Borrower provide cash collateral as required in Section 2.06(j); and
(d) exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks under the Loan Documents and Applicable Law.
If an Event of Default described in Section 7.01(e) occurs with respect to a Borrower, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of such Borrower accrued hereunder and under any other Loan Document including any break funding payment or prepayment premium, shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of such Borrower to cash collateralize the LC Exposure as provided in clause (c) above shall automatically become effective, in each case, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each Borrower.
Section 7.03. Application of Payments. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, and notice thereof to the Administrative Agent by a Borrower or the Required Lenders:
(a) all payments received on account of the Obligations shall, subject to Section 2.20, be applied by the Administrative Agent as follows:
(i) first, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts payable to the Administrative Agent (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Administrative Agent payable under Section 9.03 and amounts pursuant to Section 2.12(c) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such);
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(ii) second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, expenses, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, reimbursement obligations in respect of LC Disbursements, interest and Letter of Credit fees) payable to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks payable under Section 9.03) arising under the Loan Documents, ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (ii) payable to them;
(iii) third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit fees and charges and interest on the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements, ratably among the Lenders and the Issuing Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iii) payable to them;
(iv) fourth, (A) to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements and (B) to cash collateralize that portion of LC Exposure comprising the undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise cash collateralized by such Borrower pursuant to Section 2.06 or 2.20, ratably among the Lenders and the Issuing Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iv) payable to them; provided that (x) any such amounts applied pursuant to subclause (B) above shall be paid to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of the applicable Issuing Banks to cash collateralize Obligations in respect of Letters of Credit, (y) subject to Section 2.06 or 2.20, amounts used to cash collateralize the aggregate amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to this clause (iv) shall be used to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur and (z) upon the expiration of any Letter of Credit (without any pending drawings), the pro rata Commitment of cash collateral shall be distributed to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth in this Section 7.03;
(v) fifth, to the payment in full of all other Obligations, in each case ratably among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks based upon the respective aggregate amounts of all such Obligations owing to them in accordance with the respective amounts thereof then due and payable; and
(vi) finally, the balance, if any, after all Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to such Borrower or as otherwise required by law; and
(b) if any amount remains on deposit as cash collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired (without any pending drawings), such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.
ARTICLE 8
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Section 8.01. Authorization and Action. (a) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent under the Loan Documents and each Lender and each Issuing Bank authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is
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a party, and to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b) As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender and each Issuing Bank; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives an indemnification and is exculpated in a manner satisfactory to it from the Lenders and the Issuing Banks with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Required Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. 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 any Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(c) In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. The motivations of the Administrative Agent are commercial in nature and not to invest in the general performance or operations of the Borrower. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(i) the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender, Issuing Bank or holder of any other obligation other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby;
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(ii) [Reserved];
(iii) [Reserved]; and
(iv) nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account.
(d) The Administrative Agent may perform any of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agent except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agent.
(e) None of any Co-Documentation Agents or Arrangers shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.
(f) In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to any Loan Party under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on any Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered (but not obligated) by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, LC Disbursements and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.12, 2.13, 2.15, 2.17 and 9.03) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(ii) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender, each Issuing Bank to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 9.03). Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or Issuing Bank any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or Issuing Bank or to authorize the
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Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or Issuing Bank in any such proceeding.
(g) The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks, and, except solely to the extent of a Borrower’s rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article, no Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions.
Section 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc. (a) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be (i) liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by such party, the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties under or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (x) with the consent of or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith to be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in the Loan Documents) or (y) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct (such absence to be presumed unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and non-appealable judgment) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Administrative Agent’s reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page) or for any failure of to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any (i) notice of any of the events or circumstances set forth or described in Section 5.02 unless and until written notice thereof stating that it is a “Notice under Section 5.02 of Potomac Electric Power Company, Delmarva Power & Light Company, and Atlantic City Electric Company Amended & Restated Credit Agreement dated August 29, 2024” in respect of this Agreement and identifying the specific clause under said Section is given to the Administrative Agent by a Borrower, or (ii) notice of any Default or Event of Default unless and until written notice thereof (stating that it is a “notice of Default” or a “notice of an Event of Default”) is given to the Administrative Agent by a Borrower, a Lender or an Issuing Bank. Further, the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (A) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (B) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in connection therewith, (C) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document or the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, (D) the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (E) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article 4 or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items (which on their face purport to be such items) expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or satisfaction of any condition that expressly refers to the matters described therein being acceptable or satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be liable for, or be responsible for any Liabilities, costs or expenses suffered by any Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, any Lender or any Issuing
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Bank as a result of, any determination of the Revolving Credit Exposure, any of the component amounts thereof or any portion thereof attributable to each Lender or Issuing Bank.
(c) Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) may treat the payee of any promissory note as its holder until such promissory note has been assigned in accordance with Section 9.04, (ii) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 9.04(b), (iii) may consult with legal counsel (including counsel to the Borrowers), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (iv) makes no warranty or representation to any Lender or Issuing Bank and shall not be responsible to any Lender or Issuing Bank for any statements, warranties or representations made by or on behalf of any Loan Party in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (v) in determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or an Issuing Bank, may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or Issuing Bank unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or Issuing Bank sufficiently in advance of the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit and (vi) shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper party or parties (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).
Section 8.03. Posting of Communications. (a) Each Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make any Communications available to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks by posting the Communications on IntraLinks™, DebtDomain, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any other electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its electronic transmission system (the “Approved Electronic Platform”).
(b) Although the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified by the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Effective Date, a user ID/password authorization system) and the Approved Electronic Platform is secured through a per-deal authorization method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on a deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrowers acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure, that the Administrative Agent is not responsible for approving or vetting the representatives or contacts of any Lender that are added to the Approved Electronic Platform, and that there may be confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution. Each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrowers hereby approves distribution of the Communications through the Approved Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such distribution.
(c) THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. THE APPLICABLE PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-
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INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY THE APPLICABLE PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY ARRANGER, ANY CO-DOCUMENTATION AGENT OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED PARTIES (COLLECTIVELY, “APPLICABLE PARTIES”) HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY LOAN PARTY, ANY LENDER, ANY ISSUING BANK OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF ANY LOAN PARTY’S OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT’S TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM.
“Communications” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material provided by or on behalf of any Loan Party pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Approved Electronic Platform.
(d) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) specifying that Communications have been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform shall constitute effective delivery of the Communications to such Lender for purposes of the Loan Documents. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees (i) to notify the Administrative Agent in writing (which could be in the form of electronic communication) from time to time of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s (as applicable) email address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and (ii) that the foregoing notice may be sent to such email address.
(e) Each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and each Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law) shall not be obligated to, store the Communications on the Approved Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s generally applicable document retention procedures and policies.
(f) Nothing herein shall prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank to give any notice or other communication pursuant to any Loan Document in any other manner specified in such Loan Document.
Section 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually. With respect to its Commitment, Loans, Letter of Credit Commitments and Letters of Credit, the Person serving as the Administrative Agent shall have and may exercise the same rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be. The terms “Issuing Banks”, “Lenders”, “Required Lenders” and any similar terms shall, unless the context clearly otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as a Lender, Issuing Bank or as one of the Required Lenders, as applicable. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust or other business with, each Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing as if such Person was not acting as the Administrative Agent and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders or the Issuing Banks.
Section 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent. (a) The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving 30 days’ prior written notice thereof to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and
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each Borrower, whether or not a successor Administrative Agent has been appointed. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Administrative Agent. If no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent’s giving of notice of resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks, 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. Such appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of each Borrower (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing). Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent shall succeed to, and become vested with, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance of appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, in the event no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its intent to resign, the retiring Administrative Agent may give notice of the effectiveness of its resignation to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and each Borrower, whereupon, on the date of effectiveness of such resignation stated in such notice, (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (ii) the Required Lenders shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent; provided that (A) all payments required to be made hereunder or under any other Loan Document to the Administrative Agent for the account of any Person other than the Administrative Agent shall be made directly to such Person and (B) all notices and other communications required or contemplated to be given or made to the Administrative Agent shall directly be given or made to each Lender and each Issuing Bank. Following the effectiveness of the Administrative Agent’s resignation from its capacity as such, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03, as well as any exculpatory, reimbursement and indemnification provisions set forth in any other Loan Document, shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.
Section 8.06. Acknowledgements of Lenders and Issuing Banks. (a) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank represents and warrants that (i) the Loan Documents set forth the terms of a commercial lending facility, (ii) in participating as a Lender, it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans and in providing other facilities set forth herein as may be applicable to such Lender or Issuing Bank, in each case in the ordinary course of business and is making the Loans hereunder as commercial loans in the ordinary course of its business, and not for the purpose of investing in the general performance or operations of the Borrower, or for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring or holding any other type of financial instrument such as a security (and each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees not to assert a claim in contravention of the foregoing, such as a claim under the federal or state securities laws), (iii) it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Documentation Agent or any other Lender or Issuing Bank, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and
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decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder and (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to make, acquire and/or hold commercial loans and to provide other facilities set forth herein, as may be applicable to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to make, acquire and/or hold such commercial loans or to provide such other facilities, is experienced in making, acquiring or holding such commercial loans or providing such other facilities. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Documentation Agent or any other Lender or Issuing Bank, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning such Borrower and its Affiliates) 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.
(b) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement on the Effective Date, or delivering its signature page to an Assignment and Assumption or any other Loan Document pursuant to which it shall become a Lender or Issuing Bank (as applicable) hereunder, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be delivered to, or be approved by or satisfactory to, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, or the Issuing Banks on the Effective Date.
(c) (i) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby agrees that (x) if the Administrative Agent notifies such Lender or such Issuing Bank that the Administrative Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Lender or such Issuing Bank from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (whether as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees or otherwise; individually and collectively, a “Payment”) were erroneously transmitted to such Lender or such Issuing Bank (whether or not known to such Lender or such Issuing Bank), and demands the return of such Payment (or a portion thereof), such Lender shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter (or such later date as the Administrative Agent, may, in its sole discretion, specify in writing), return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon (except to the extent waived in writing by the Administrative Agent) in respect of each day from, and including, the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender or such Issuing Bank to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect, and (y) to the extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender and any such Issuing Bank shall not assert, and hereby waives, as to the Administrative Agent, any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Administrative Agent for the return of any Payments received, including without limitation any defense based on “discharge for value” or any similar doctrine. A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or any Issuing Bank under this Section 8.06(c) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(ii) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby further agrees that if it receives a Payment from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such Payment (a “Payment Notice”) or (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a Payment Notice, it shall be on notice, in each such case, that an error has been made with respect to such Payment.
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Each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees that, in each such case, or if it otherwise becomes aware a Payment (or portion thereof) may have been sent in error, such Lender or such Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent of such occurrence and, upon demand from the Administrative Agent, it shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter (or such later date as the Administrative Agent, may, in its sole discretion, specify in writing), return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon (except to the extent waived in writing by the Administrative Agent) in respect of each day from, and including, the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender or such Issuing Bank to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
(iii) Each Borrower and each other Loan Party hereby agrees that (x) in the event an erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) are not recovered from any Lender or any Issuing Bank that has received such Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Administrative Agent shall be subrogated to all the rights of such Lender or Issuing Bank with respect to such amount and (y) an erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay, repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Obligations owed by each Borrower or any other Loan Party.
(iv) Each party’s obligations under this Section 8.06(c) shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, an Issuing Bank, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations under any Loan Document.
Section 8.07. [Reserved].
Section 8.08. [Reserved].
Section 8.09. Certain ERISA Matters. (a) Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent, and each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of any Borrower or any other Loan Party, that at least one of the following is and will be true:
(i) such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations) of one or more Benefit Plans in connection with the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the Commitments,
(ii) the transaction exemption set forth in one or more PTEs, such as PTE 84-14 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95-60 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90-1 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91-38 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96-23 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement,
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(iii) (A) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84-14), (B) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of sub-sections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84-14 and (D) to the best knowledge of such Lender, the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84-14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, or
(iv) such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.
(b) In addition, unless sub-clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or such Lender has provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in sub-clause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender further (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent, and each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of any Borrower or any other Loan Party, that none of the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Documentation Agent or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related to hereto or thereto).
(c) The Administrative Agent, each Arranger and each Co-Documentation Agent hereby informs the Lenders that each such Person is not undertaking to provide investment advice or to give advice in a fiduciary capacity, in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and that such Person has a financial interest in the transactions contemplated hereby in that such Person or an Affiliate thereof (i) may receive interest or other payments with respect to the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments, this Agreement and any other Loan Documents (ii) may recognize a gain if it extended the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the Commitments for an amount less than the amount being paid for an interest in the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the Commitments by such Lender or (iii) may receive fees or other payments in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, the Loan Documents or otherwise, including structuring fees, commitment fees, arrangement fees, facility fees, upfront fees, underwriting fees, ticking fees, agency fees, administrative agent or collateral agent fees, utilization fees, minimum usage fees, letter of credit fees, fronting fees, deal-away or alternate transaction fees, amendment fees, processing fees, term out premiums, banker’s acceptance fees, breakage or other early termination fees or fees similar to the foregoing.
ARTICLE 9
MISCELLANEOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 9.01. Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy to those notice addresses specified on Schedule 9.01 hereto.
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Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Notices delivered through Approved Electronic Platforms, to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).
(b) Notices and other communications to the Borrowers, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereunder may be delivered or furnished by using Approved Electronic Platforms pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article 2 unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the Borrowers 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) Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient, at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i), of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii) above, if such notice, email or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient.
(d) Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.
Section 9.02. Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder 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 Banks and the Lenders hereunder 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 Borrowers 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 any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
(b) Subject to Section 2.14(b) and (c) and Section 9.02(c) below, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrowers and the Required Lenders or by the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the
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rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender 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 affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.09(c) or 2.18(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the ratable reduction of Commitments or the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v) change the payment waterfall provisions of Section 2.20(b) or 7.03 without the written consent of each Lender, (vi) subordinate any Loans in contractual right of payment to any other Indebtedness without the consent of each Lender, (vii) 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, or (viii) except as expressly permitted pursuant to Section 2.04 or 2.05, increase any Sublimit or Maximum Sublimit 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 Banks without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be; and provided further that no such agreement shall amend or modify the provisions of Section 2.06 without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Banks.
(c) If the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers acting together identify any ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, then the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers shall be permitted to amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement.
Section 9.03. Expenses; Limitation of Liability; Indemnity, Etc.
(a) Expenses. The Borrowers shall severally pay (i) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation 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 any 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, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, 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) Limitation of Liability. To the extent permitted by applicable law (i) the Borrowers shall not assert, and each Borrower hereby waives, any claim against the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Documentation Agent, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, and any Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called a “Lender-Related Person”) for any Liabilities arising from the use by others of information or other materials (including, without limitation, any personal data) obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other
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information transmission systems (including the Internet), and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby waives, any Liabilities against any other party hereto, 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; provided that, nothing in this Section 9.03(b) shall relieve any Borrower of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee, as provided in Section 9.03(c), against any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.
(c) Indemnity. Each Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Arranger, each Co-Documentation Agent each 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 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 this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by an 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), (iv) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (v) any actual or prospective Proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether or not such Proceeding is brought by a Borrower or its equity holders, Affiliates, creditors or any other third Person and whether based on contract, tort or any other theory 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 Liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted primarily from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. This Section 9.03(c) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Section 9.03(c), if indemnification obligations of the Borrowers under this Section 9.03(c) are not capable of identification to a particular Borrower, the indemnification obligation of each Borrower with respect to such indemnification obligations shall be determined ratably based on such Borrower’s Sublimit of the aggregate Commitments hereunder.
(d) Lender Reimbursement. Each Lender severally agrees to pay any amount required to be paid by the Borrowers under paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 9.03 to the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each, an “Agent-Related Person”) (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrowers and without limiting the obligation of the Borrowers to do so), ratably according to their respective Applicable Percentage in effect on the date on which such payment is sought under this Section (or, if such payment is sought after the date upon which the Commitments shall have terminated and the Loans shall have been paid in full, ratably in accordance with such Applicable Percentage immediately prior to such date), and agrees to indemnify and hold each Agent-Related Person harmless from and against any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any kind whatsoever that may at any time (whether before or after the payment of the Loans) be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Agent-Related Person in any way relating to or arising out of the Commitments, this Agreement, any of the other Loan
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Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Agent-Related Person under or in connection with any of the foregoing; provided that the unreimbursed expense or Liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such Agent-Related Person in its capacity as such; provided further that no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such Liabilities, costs, expenses or disbursements that are found by a final and nonappealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted primarily from such Agent-Related Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
(e) Payments. All amounts due under this Section 9.03 shall be payable promptly 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 an Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) a 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 such 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 an 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 Banks 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 Persons (other than an Ineligible Institution) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment, participations in Letters of Credit and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) of:
(A) the Borrowers; provided that, the Borrowers shall be deemed to have consented to an assignment of all or a portion of the Revolving Loans and Commitments unless it shall have objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Business Days after having received notice thereof provided that no consent of the Borrowers 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, or an Affiliate of a Lender, (other than a Defaulting Lender) with a Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment; and
(C) each Issuing Bank; provided that no consent of an Issuing Bank shall be required if (x) an Event of Default occurs with respect to a Borrower under
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Section 7.01(e) and (y) such Issuing Bank has no outstanding Letters of Credit at that time.
(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 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 Borrowers and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent; provided that no such consent of the Borrowers 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 (x) an Assignment and Assumption or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and
(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 Borrowers and its related parties or its 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.
For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the term “Approved Fund” and “Ineligible Institution” have the following meanings:
“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.
“Ineligible Institution” means (a) a natural person, (b) a Defaulting Lender or its Lender Parent, (c) a company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person or relative(s) thereof or (d) a Borrower or any of its Affiliates; provided that, with respect to clause (c), such company, investment vehicle or trust shall not
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constitute an Ineligible Institution if it (x) has not been established for the primary purpose of acquiring any Loans or Commitments, (y) is managed by a professional advisor, who is not such natural person or a relative thereof, having significant experience in the business of making or purchasing commercial loans, and (z) has assets greater than $25,000,000 and a significant part of its activities consist of making or purchasing commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business; provided, further, that upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, any Person (other than a Lender) shall be an Ineligible Institution if after giving effect to any proposed assignment to such Person, such Person would hold more than 25% of the then outstanding Total Revolving Credit Exposure or Commitments, as the case may be.
(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 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 a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrowers, 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 (and stated interest) 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 Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks 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 Borrowers, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon its receipt of (x) a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, 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 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(d), 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
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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, or notice to, the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”), other than an Ineligible Institution, in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (iii) the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks 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. Each Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Sections 2.17(f) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender and the information)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 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 Section 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. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at such Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with such Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 2.19(b) with respect to any Participant. 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 that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(c) as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of such Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan, Letter of Credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(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 any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank or other central bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no
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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 each Borrower herein and in the other Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement 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, any 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 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 8 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 provision hereof.
Section 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution. (a) 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 and any separate letter agreements with respect to (i) fees payable to the Administrative Agent and (ii) the reductions of the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank 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.
(b) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of (x) this Agreement, (y) any other Loan Document and/or (z) any document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any notice delivered pursuant to Section 9.01), certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or the transactions contemplated hereby and/or thereby (each an “Ancillary Document”) that is an Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement, such other Loan Document or such Ancillary Document, as applicable. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in any electronic form (including deliveries by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page), each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept Electronic Signatures in any form or format without its prior written consent and pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept any Electronic Signature, the Administrative Agent
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and each of the Lenders shall be entitled to rely on such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of a Borrower without further verification thereof and without any obligation to review the appearance or form of any such Electronic signature and (ii) upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually executed counterpart. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Borrower hereby (A) agrees that, for all purposes, including without limitation, in connection with any workout, restructuring, enforcement of remedies, bankruptcy proceedings or litigation among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the Borrowers, Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page and/or any electronic images of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as any paper original, (B) the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders may, at its option, create one or more copies of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document in the form of an imaged electronic record in any format, which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document (and all such electronic records shall be considered an original for all purposes and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record), (C) waives any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement, such other Loan Document and/or such Ancillary Document, respectively, including with respect to any signature pages thereto and (D) waives any claim against any Lender-Related Person for any Liabilities arising solely from the Administrative Agent’s and/or any Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures and/or transmissions by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page, including any Liabilities arising as a result of the failure of a Borrower to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.
Section 9.07. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement 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 hereof; 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, each Issuing Bank, and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to setoff and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held, and other obligations at any time owing, by such Lender, such Issuing Bank or any such Affiliate, to or for the credit or the account of a Borrower against any and all of the obligations of such Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, Issuing Bank or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Borrower may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch office or Affiliate of such Lender or such Issuing Bank different from the branch office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so setoff shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.20 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such
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right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, each Issuing Bank and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees to notify the applicable Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.
Section 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) This Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(b) Each of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that, notwithstanding the governing law provisions of any applicable Loan Document, any claims brought against the Administrative Agent by any Lender relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document or the consummation or administration of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(c) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan (or if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan), and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions relating hereto or thereto, 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 (and any such claims, cross-claims or third party claims brought against the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties may only) be heard and determined in such Federal (to the extent permitted by law) or New York State court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against each Borrower or its respective properties in the courts of any jurisdiction, waive any statutory, regulatory, common law, or other rule, doctrine, legal restriction, provision or the like providing for the treatment of bank branches, bank agencies, or other bank offices as if they were separate juridical entities for certain purposes, including Uniform Commercial Code Sections 4-106, 4-A-105(1)(b), and 5-116(b), UCP 600 Article 3 and ISP98 Rule 2.02, and URDG 758 Article 3(a), or (iii) affect which courts have or do not have personal jurisdiction over the issuing bank or beneficiary of any Letter of Credit or any advising bank, nominated bank or assignee of proceeds thereunder or proper venue with respect to any litigation arising out of or relating to such Letter of Credit with, or affecting the rights of, any Person not a party to this Agreement, whether or not such Letter of Credit contains its own jurisdiction submission clause.
(d) Each of the parties hereto 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 (c) 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.
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(e) 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 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 OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (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 Banks and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and its and their respective 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 Governmental 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 hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder or under any other Loan Document, (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 a Borrower and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating a Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided for herein, (ii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of identification numbers with respect to the credit facilities provided for herein or (iii) insurers, reinsurers, potential insurers, potential reinsurers and brokers to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or any Lender, (h) with the consent of such Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (ii) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (iii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than such Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from each Borrower relating to such Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by such Borrower and other than information pertaining to this Agreement routinely provided by arrangers to data service providers, including league table providers, that serve the lending industry; provided that, in the case of information received from each Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person
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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. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 9.12 shall prohibit any Person from voluntarily disclosing or providing any Information within the scope of this confidentiality provision to any governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory organization (any such entity, a “Regulatory Authority”) without notification to any person to the extent that any such prohibition on disclosure set forth in this Section 9.12 shall be prohibited by the laws or regulations applicable to such Regulatory Authority.
Section 9.13. Material Non-Public Information. (a) EACH LENDER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN SECTION 9.12 FURNISHED TO IT PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY INCLUDE MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BORROWERS AND ITS RELATED PARTIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE SECURITIES, AND CONFIRMS THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES REGARDING THE USE OF MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THAT IT WILL HANDLE SUCH MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
(b) ALL INFORMATION, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR WAIVERS AND AMENDMENTS, FURNISHED BY A BORROWER OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT PURSUANT TO, OR IN THE COURSE OF ADMINISTERING, THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE SYNDICATE-LEVEL INFORMATION, WHICH MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT A BORROWER AND ITS RELATED PARTIES OR ITS SECURITIES. ACCORDINGLY, EACH LENDER REPRESENTS TO EACH BORROWER AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT THAT IT HAS IDENTIFIED IN ITS ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE A CREDIT CONTACT WHO MAY RECEIVE INFORMATION THAT MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW.
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 NYFRB Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.
Section 9.15. No Fiduciary Duty, etc. (a) Each Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that no Credit Party will have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents and each Credit Party is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to each Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated herein and therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, a Borrower or any other person. Each Borrower agrees that it will not assert any claim against any Credit Party based on
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an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by such Credit Party in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Additionally, each Borrower acknowledges and agrees that no Credit Party is advising any Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction. Each Borrower shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated herein or in the other Loan Documents, and the Credit Parties shall have no responsibility or liability to any Borrower with respect thereto.
(b) Each Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party, together with its Affiliates, in addition to providing or participating in commercial lending facilities such as that provided hereunder, is a full service securities or banking firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial services. In the ordinary course of business, any Credit Party may provide investment banking and other financial services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, a Borrower and other companies with which a Borrower may have commercial or other relationships. With respect to any securities and/or financial instruments so held by any Credit Party or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its sole discretion.
(c) In addition, each Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party and its affiliates may be providing debt financing, equity capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which the Borrowers may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions described herein and otherwise. No Credit Party will use confidential information obtained from any Borrower by virtue of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or its other relationships with any Borrower in connection with the performance by such Credit Party of services for other companies, and no Credit Party will furnish any such information to other companies. Each Borrower also acknowledges that no Credit Party has any obligation to use in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, or to furnish to any Borrower, confidential information obtained from other companies.
Section 9.16. USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “Patriot Act”) hereby notifies the Borrowers that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Borrower, which information includes the name and address of each Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify each Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act.
Section 9.17. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a) the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an Affected Financial Institution; and
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(b) the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i) a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii) a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii) the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
Section 9.18. Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Swap Agreements or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support “QFC Credit Support” and each such QFC a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States):
In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.
Section 9.19. Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Loan Document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of each Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to
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the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender from such Borrower in the Agreement Currency, each Borrower agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in such currency, the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, agrees to return the amount of any excess to such Borrower (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable law).
Section 9.20. Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any Borrower makes a payment or payments to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or Administrative Agent or any Lender exercises its rights of set-off, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party in connection with any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar proceeding, or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation hereunder or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred and (b) each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its ratable share of the total amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent to the extent paid to such Lender.
Section 9.21. Effect of Amendment and Restatement; No Novation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this Agreement is not intended to and shall not serve to effect a novation of the Loans and other Obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement, as continued hereunder. Instead, it is the express intention of the parties hereto to reaffirm the Obligations created under the Existing Credit Agreement. Each Loan Party acknowledges and confirms that (i) the Obligations under the Loan Documents (or any other term used therein to describe or refer to the Indebtedness for borrowed money, liabilities and obligations of the Borrowers and the other Loan Parties to Administrative Agent and the Lenders) includes, without limitation, the indebtedness, liabilities and other Obligations of the Borrowers under this Agreement, and under the Existing Credit Agreement, as amended and restated hereby, as the same further may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time and (ii) each other Loan Document shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms unless otherwise amended by the parties thereto, and the parties hereto hereby ratify and confirm the terms thereof as being in full force and effect and unaltered by this Agreement.
The Loan Documents and all agreements, instruments and documents executed or delivered in connection with any of the foregoing shall each be deemed to be amended to the extent necessary to give effect to the provisions of this Agreement. Cross-references in the Loan Documents to particular section numbers in the Existing Credit Agreement shall be deemed to be cross-references to the corresponding sections, as applicable, of this Agreement. Each Loan Party signatory hereto, in the respective capacities, if any, of such Loan Party under each of the “Loan Documents” (as such term is defined in the Existing Credit Agreement), other than the Existing Credit Agreement (such Loan Documents other than the Existing Credit Agreement are referred to herein as the “Existing Loan Documents”), to which such Loan Party is a party (including the respective capacities of accommodation party, assignor, grantor, guarantor, indemnitor, mortgagor, obligor and pledgor, as applicable, and each other similar capacity, if any, in which
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such Loan Party granted Liens on all or any part of its properties and assets, or otherwise acted as an accommodation party, guarantor, indemnitor or surety with respect to all or any part of the Obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement), hereby (i) agrees that the terms and provisions hereof shall not affect in any way any payment, performance, observance or other Obligations or liabilities of such Loan Party under any of the Existing Loan Documents, all of which obligations and liabilities are hereby ratified, confirmed and reaffirmed in all respects, and (ii) to the extent such Loan Party has granted Liens on any of its properties or assets pursuant to any of the Existing Loan Documents to secure the payment, performance and/or observance of all or any part of the Loans and Obligations hereunder, acknowledges, ratifies, confirms and reaffirms such grant of Liens, and acknowledges and agrees that all of such Liens are intended and shall be deemed and construed to secure to the fullest extent set forth therein all now existing and hereafter arising Loans and other Obligations under and as defined in this Agreement, as hereafter amended, restated, supplemented and otherwise modified and in effect from time to time. The parties acknowledge that certain of the Lenders under the Existing Credit Agreement have determined not to participate in the Loans and the Commitments hereunder as of the Effective Date and such exiting Lenders shall be paid off in full in connection with this Agreement and shall no longer be Lenders under this Agreement as of the Effective Date.
ARTICLE 10
OBLIGATIONS OF BORROWERS
OBLIGATIONS OF BORROWERS
Section 10.01. Separate Obligations of Borrowers. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Agreement and subject to Section 9.03(c) herein: (a) the respective Obligations of each Borrower hereunder are separate and severable from the Obligations of each other Borrower, and no Borrower shall be responsible for the payment or performance of the Obligations of any other Borrower, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of any other Borrower, the performance or failure in performance of the covenants or other agreements of any other Borrower, or the delivery of collateral security or the provision of other assurance for payment or performance of the Obligations of any other Borrower; (b) no collateral or other property of a Borrower shall be applied by the Lenders to the payment or performance of any Obligation of any other Borrower; and (c) no Borrower shall be deemed to be in Default solely by reason of a Default with respect to any other Borrower.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC COMPANY, as a Borrower | |||||
By: | |||||
Name: | |||||
Title: | |||||
DELMARVA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, as a Borrower | |||||
By: | |||||
Name: | |||||
Title: | |||||
POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, as a Borrower | |||||
By: | |||||
Name: | |||||
Title: |
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and a Lender, | |||||
By: | |||||
Name: | |||||
Title: |
[OTHER BANKS], | |||||
By: | |||||
Name: | |||||
Title: |
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SCHEDULE 2.01A
Commitments
Lender | Commitment | ||||
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
Bank of America, N.A. | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
Barclays Bank PLC | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
BNP Paribas | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
Citibank, N.A. | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
Goldman Sachs Bank USA | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
The Bank of Nova Scotia | $55,687,500.00 | ||||
Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
Mizuho Bank, Ltd. | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
MUFG Bank, Ltd. | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
PNC Bank, National Association | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
Royal Bank of Canada | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
U.S. Bank National Association | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $42,750,000.00 | ||||
Bank of China, Chicago Branch | $22,500,000.00 | ||||
M&T Bank | $22,500,000.00 | ||||
The Bank of New York Mellon | $22,500,000.00 | ||||
The Huntington National Bank | $22,500,000.00 | ||||
The Northern Trust Company | $22,500,000.00 | ||||
TOTAL | $900,000,000.00 |
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SCHEDULE 2.01C
Letter of Credit Commitments
Lender | Commitment | ||||
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
Bank of America, N.A. | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
Barclays Bank PLC | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
BNP Paribas | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
Citibank, N.A. | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
Goldman Sachs Bank USA | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
The Bank of Nova Scotia | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. | $41,250,000.00 | ||||
TOTAL | $330,000,000.00 |
SCHEDULE 2.06
Existing Letters of Credit
(see attached)
SCHEDULE 3.06
Disclosed Matters
Nothing other than what has been previously disclosed in each Borrower’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
for the periods ending March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, and Periodic Reports on Form 8-K filed by the Borrowers with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission during the period between January 1, 2024 and the date hereof.
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SCHEDULE 6.04
Existing Restrictions
None.
SCHEDULE 9.01
Notice Addresses
If to the Borrower:
Potomac Electric Power Company, Delmarva Power & Light Company and Atlantic City Electric Company
10 South Dearborn Street, 54th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Attention: Ryan Brown, Assistant Treasurer
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Attention: Ryan Brown, Assistant Treasurer
Email: Ryan.Brown@exeloncorp.com
If to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as provided separately to the company and in admin questionnaire.
If to JPMorgan Chase Bank as issuing bank, 1 ###-###-#### and gts.client.services@jpmchase.com.
If to any other Lender:
To its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.
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